360 Graphics

Spoof video of “The Office” about learning to use Twitter

marketingmadesimple — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:21:09 +0000

Here is a funny video I found that is a take-off from the t.v. show “The Office” about how and why to use Twitter. I found the video at http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5062/The-Marketing-Office-How-HubSpot-Learned-Twitter.aspx

If you want to learn why and how to really use Twitter for your business and growing your relationships, consider attending the live class I am teaching on it at The Whitman Center at Monroe Community College in Temperance, Michigan later this fall

When: Monday, November 2, 2009, 5:30-7pm

Cost: $19

To register call The Whitman Center (734) 847-0559

Thank you! Julie Cantu julie@my360graphics.com

Recap of David Meerman Scott webinar @ #IMU

marketingmadesimple — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:29:31 +0000

David Meerman Scott, author of “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” and “World Wide Rave” just gave a great webinar presentation at the Inbound Marketing University #IMU that I am enrolled in this week. Here is a quick recap of his major points:

Figure out what your buyer personas are.
Interview them and find out what they want.
Cater to them. Don’t talk to the masses, but rather directly to your target market.
Don’t jumble up your message with Gobbledygook. Cliche phrases and bad stock photography can kill your website!
Earn their attention by giving them something of value
Remember, nobody cares about your products but you. Customers only care about their problems and solving them.
Don’t use coercion to get them to do what you want.
Lose control. In order for your marketing to take on a viral characteristic, you must let your fans (customers) take over.
Manage your fears. Even though losing control and changing the way you do things sounds scary, you’ll get better results.
Create colorful and interesting e-books, skip the boring white papers. Give them away for free, no email address required.

I am taking the Inbound Marketing University certification program this week!

marketingmadesimple — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:11:15 +0000

Inbound Marketing University - 10 classes on the most up-to-date marketing and social media best practicies, an exam review and certification exam to become a 2009 Inbound Marketing University graduate. – Julie Cantu owner at 360 Graphics, LLC

Learn business blogging from the expert, Dave Rigotti

marketingmadesimple — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:08:27 +0000

Are you curious whether or not starting a blog could help your business? Have you started a blog (or maybe several) only to have abandoned them and never stuck around long enough to get results? Do you work for a company that is now starting to realize the value in social media and blogging is your newest responsibility? If so, don’t miss the next Social Media Breakfast Toledo (Event #3)

Dave Rigotti, social media marketing expert will be explaining what business blogging is all about, how to start, what to post and how to specifically use WordPress to help your business grow. The planning committee for Social Media Breakfast Toledo has been lucky enough to have Rigotti be part of our group. He has 9 years experience in social media and is truely at the forefront. We call him our “Doogie Howser” because Dave started learning and doing client work for social media as a teen. The wealth of knowledge he has is incredible. So much so that Microsoft has hired Dave to be a product manager for their search division. He is leaving Toledo this month to take on that new role, fresh out of the University of Toledo. We are sad to see him go, but excited for his great new career! Way to go Dave! So don’t miss this last opportunity to hear what he has to say about social media and in particular blogging for business.

Register for the event at: http://www.smbtoledo3.eventbrite.com

Joint the Social Media Breakfast Toledo’s social network: http://www.smbtoledo.ning.com

Follow updates on Twitter #smbtol

2nd Social Media Breakfast Toledo #smbtol

marketingmadesimple — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:54:57 +0000

Here’s the ustream video from this morning’s 2nd Social Media Breakfast Toledo. Aaron Newman, founder of Techrigy, flew in from Rochester, NY to speak to approx 70 Toledo business owners and professionals on Social Media Optimization (SMO) and Social Media Measurement. Follow @aaronnewman on Twitter and learn more at www.techrigy.com

http://www.ustream.tv/flash/video/1451179

It’s not about you! Write web copy for your customer.

marketingmadesimple — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:35:07 +0000

How customer focused is your website, really?

With the words that you use on your site, are you talking mostly about your customers and their needs or are you talking mostly about yourself?

In order to help small businesses answer this question, Future Now Inc. has created a “WeWe Monitor.” This is a free analysis tool that counts certain words on your site that are key indicators of whether your focus is on the customer or not.

Click here to run the customer focus calculator on your company website. All you have to do is enter your url and company name, then click on “Test Your WeWe Score.”

As you use it, keep in mind this is nothing more than a handy, but rough guide that will help you focus on something important. There are lots of variables and also remember there are no shortcuts to writing great copy.

Discover what your word choices say about where your focus really is

Get a sense of the impression you are making on your prospects

See where you can make changes, quickly and easily, that will increase your sales

Small business marketing take away:

As proud as you may be of your company and your product or service, most customers only care about how well you can help them meet their wants and needs. If you want more of them to buy, your focus (online and offline) must be on your customer.

Read the original post at http://pwgmarketing.com/blog/marketing/how-customer-focused-is-your-website-really

Follow Patrick Giammarco on Twitter @pwgiammarco

Patrick is a certified Duct Tape Marketing Coach and founding member of Social Media Breakfast Toledo.

Promoting clients and networking friends on Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter

marketingmadesimple — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:31:09 +0000

Networking is how I have built and sustain my business(es). Over the years I have built up quite a large sphere of friends that I regularly see at various events around Toledo. In person, we’re always connecting one other and promoting each other’s services.

As a graduate of the Certified Networker Program, I value good networking etiquette and wouldn’t think of shoving my card at someone I don’t know and that didn’t ask me for it. Rarley do I ever talk about what I do unless someone asks me first. Instead, I love it when I walk into a room and one of my friends makes a new connection for me and tells the person she already knows needs my services what I do first. I love it! Of course I do the same for them. That’s how I do business.

With the rise of the new Social Media, my in-person network is now finding ourselves communicating online as much as off. How could we use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to promote each other as well as our clients? I would like to apply the Giver’s Gain rule to Social Media and spend more time promoting others than myself.

Thoughts?

PS: We just opened up registration for the next Social Media Breakfast Toledo event!

Module 09 – Social media doesn’t make you awesome

marketingmadesimple — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:33:31 +0000

Bill Cosby: I said to a guy, “Tell me, what is it about cocaine that makes it so wonderful,” and he said, “Well…it intensifies your personality.” And I said, “Yes, but what if you’re an asshole?”

I had the opportunity to spend last Friday at Module’s Midwest Digital Conference, listening to some heavy-hitters in the field of social media, including Scott Monty of Ford, and uber-blogger Chris Brogan.

During the panel discussion at the end of the day, one of the speakers, Jeremy Tanner (@penguin on Twitter), made a comment that really stuck with me. I’m not sure if I got it verbatim, but the basic point was this:

Social media doesn’t make you awesome, it just exposes what you already are.

Jeremy was talking specifically about companies trying to build a social media presence, but his insight is just as relevant for job seekers and young professionals. Technology and social media tools are great resources, but they’re only helpful when you have great substance to back it up.

LinkedIn can help you extend and visualize your network, but it can’t give you networking skills — you need to develop them on your own.

Twitter provides access to thought-leaders in your field, and an avenue to connect with people based on nothing other than a shared interest. But you’ll have nothing to contribute to the conversation if you don’t bother to do some of your own learning first.

It’s very important to use these tools to your benefit, and there’s great advice all over the web on how to do just that. But don’t think for a minute that any of these things is a silver bullet to make your job search a successful one. So join some extracurriculars, volunteer, and get an internship, because there’s no substitute for practical experience in your field. Make time in your day to read good books that broaden your horizons and force you to think in a way that you never have before. And by all means, learn how to network, because it’s the same thing whether you’re online or face-to-face.

The social media tools available to you right now can expand your network, amplify your message, and boost your knowledge, but they can’t change what you are to begin with.
So ask yourself: is your inner-awesome worth exposing?

Read the original post at http://tsuch.net/2009/04/14/social-media-doesnt-make-you-awesome/

14 Apr 2009

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26 Tips For Good Social Media Participation

marketingmadesimple — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:14:33 +0000

1. In person etiquette rules apply. Just because you can’t see the other person, doesn’t mean you can ditch what your mother taught you.

2. Research, read, listen, and then engage.

3. Social media is collaborative, be a team player.

4. Imagine you are having the conversation over a nice glass of Romanee-Conti (and you don’t have to pay!)

5. Be personal.

6. Write about what is special to you. Share a personal story and bridge it back to your company in an appropriate way.

7. Be honest and transparent.

8. Posting anonymous comments on a blog is a big fat no no!

9. Be short and to the point quickly – 220 words or less is PLENTY. Any more is TMI!

10. Organize your thoughts before replying.

11. Cross link when appropriate.

12. Reference other links when you are posting information you found there.

13. Comment on blogs and forums, often…thoughtfully.

14. Comment on the comments you’ve received. Think of it as a conversation. If someone responded to you at a cocktail party, you wouldn’t stare blankly and remain mute. (although some comments, we have to agree, do warrant that response)

15. Don’t force yourself to participate in a community you don’t like.

16. Share your secrets…but not all of them.

17. Be yourself – If you are humorous, weave some in; if you have an acerbic wit, knock yourself out; serious? rock on.

18. Work on defining your own voice.

19. Collaboration is key, you’re not the only prodigy in the pod, be a peer.

20. Break your text up into small paragraphs, assume readers have A.D.D.

21. Use proper grammar, punctuation and spell check; but at the same time, you don’t need to be the next Bret Easton Ellis.

22. Don’t be fearful of making mistakes, we all mess up. Just write something already!

23. Be helpful and let people benefit from your experience and knowledge.

24. When someone asks a question, answer it first. You can build the trust and respect of your peers by posting on-topic replies.

25. You are the expert, be the resource that you know you are, but easy on the overt self-promotion.

26. Contact someone directly if you think there is business to be done, not publicly.

Original Post by Carin Galletta | Filed Under News, Resources

http://www.inkfoundry.com/2009/04/26-tips-for-good-social-media-participation/

Using Twitter Hashtags (#)

marketingmadesimple — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:34:08 +0000

If you are using Twitter, you have probably seen tweets that contain the “#” symbol followed by something else i.e. #quote. This is called a hashtag and it is a way for you and others to keep tabs on a particular subject. One of the best elements of Twitter is that it allows you to listen to what others are saying about a myriad of topics. So by having a hashtag associated with a topic, you can more easily follow the content related to that topic.

Check out this short video by Mari Smith that explains all about hashtags

Original post by Rick Itzkowich