There are two kinds of methods to selling most anything—Hard-selling and Soft-selling. Typically sales people are thrust into a mode of thinking that the Hard-sell technique works and that the Soft-sell method is too flimsy to close a deal. The fact is that Hard-selling does not work because it has no finesse. When a sales person goes straight to the point to sell their product, they are simply telling their prospective buyer that they should buy their product. This type of approach will usually turn a buyer off and negate a sale.

By taking a close look at how the Hard-sell doesn’t work and how well Soft-selling works, a copy writer can take this information and apply it to how they write sales copy, work on ad campaigns and involve their clients in the learning curve of effective copy verses ineffective copy.

Here are a few great points to remember when working on creative materials that involve sales copy:

1. People do not appreciate being sold to.

The Hard-sell approach usually brings the worst out in people. Human nature dictates that when aggressive behavior is displayed, it provokes the receiver to be aggressive in defense of themselves. This is what brings a negative result to both the sales person and the potential buyer.

To apply this to ad copy that works, don’t be tempted to use aggressive sales copy that pushes the hot buttons of your potential buyers. Instead offer sales copy that promotes a positive response.

2. Hard-sales techniques intimidates people.

Buyers that feel intimidated have less interest in making a purchase. Prospective buyers begin to realize that they have negative feelings about the sale, and will transfer that negativity onto the company who is trying to sell to them. If buyers do not like the sales person a company hires, they will not be able to feel good about the company.

Apply this to writing great sales copy by offering tips, advice. Explain how the product/service you’re selling will ease the stresses on their business or how it can improve their life/goals.

3. Hard-selling sounds desperate to others.

This will put off a potential buyer. Buyers begin to wonder why a company/person is desperate and this creates suspicion. This feeling of suspicion turns into mis-trust. Buyers who don’t trust a sales pitch are not likely to buy a product/service.

To write sales copy that will reach out and help buyers trust your product or service, offer key testimonials that assure your buyers that your product/company is a trusted resource, reliable and honest.

4. Hard-selling uses hype and other dishonest tactics.

Prospective buyers can see through hype. They are savvy and know that hype is not fact. Buyers don’t buy from sales tactics that push products/services without factual information.

Copywriters can add statistics and facts to their sales copy. By showing the bibliographical resource behind stats in ad copy, buyers will know that the information they are reading comes from honest trusted facts and not hype. This also builds trust between the buyer and seller.

5. Buyers need to find a reason to make a purchase.

Hard-selling does not allow any time to explain the benefits of the product or service. A sales person that is Hard-selling is using features to sell their product or service and not the benefits of the product/service. Benefits are what tells a customer that they should buy. There is only one question in the mind of any buyer — “What’s in it for me?” Hard-selling doesn’t answer this question for the buyer and as a result sales are usually lost.

Creative marketing copy should always include both features and benefits. Features will explain the product or service and by listing the benefits, buyers will know why they need the product/service.

6. Build a positive rapport with prospective buyers.

By building a relationship with a buyer a company or salesperson builds confidence in a buyer. When buyers have confidence they are likely to make a purchase on the first product or service and will also be encouraged to continue to buy more products and services. Hard-selling doesn’t build this rapport. If there is not a positive relationship initial sales and future sales are lost.

Creative staff can build rapport into their sales copy by helping potential buyers feel confident about the product or service they are promoting. Copy that builds confidence can be, proving how long a company has been in business and/or offering customer testimonials that promote the same products or services being sold. Story-telling or giving the background of how the company was founded or how a product or service was created is a great way to build a relationship with a potential buyer.

7. Soft-selling allows buyers to make their own decision.

When buyers feel empowered by the ability to make their own decision, they are more likely to make a purchase. Hard-selling strategies often dictate or tell a buyer they should make a purchase.

Advertising copy that promotes empowerment, offers ideas, creates a feeling of success for the buyer and promotes the qualities that a buyer is looking for in a product or service. Copywriters who focus on the most positive aspects of their product or service help buyers make the choice to purchase.

8. Soft-selling always outsells Hard-selling.

Persuasion works. Forcing a business or person into something they are unsure of does not. Hard-selling pushes a product or service at a buyer and doesn’t offer them the chance to decline the sale. Soft-selling offers a buyer a product or service by allowing them to choose to make the purchase.

Copywriters that apply a Soft-selling technique to their advertising copy use the power of positive persuasion in their writing. They can craft their ad copy to encourage a buyer to make a purchase instead of telling the horrors of what can happen if they decline the purchase. Encouraging copy can simply be letting a buyer know what they can look forward to after their purchase.

9. Soft-selling methods are more enjoyable to both the seller and buyer.

Soft-selling forces a salesperson to use more strategies. Building up a product can be done in a multitude of ways including talking to potential buyers. Getting to know a buyer builds relationships that equate to building sales.

Writers who want to incorporate Soft-selling methods into their marketing materials can create copy that speaks directly to their potential buyers. Asking questions and solving problems are some of the ways that words on paper speak to buyers.

10. Soft-selling Pre-sells a product or service.

Warming a buyer up for a sale builds a rapport and relationship with a person or business. In general people like to be introduced to something before they make a purchase.

Advertising copy that pre-sells a product or service before selling is in the hands of a copywriter or designer from the start. Pre-selling to a buyer is a basic introduction of the product or service and usually found in an opening statement or opening page of advertising material.

It’s clear to see the difference between the Hard-sell and Soft-sell techniques used in business. There is a general stereotype of what a pushy sales person using Hard-sell tactics looks like. Once this negative image is in the place of a buyers mind, it will prevent them from accepting a sale. Increase your sales and close more deals by using Soft-selling strategies and incorporating those same methodologies into your marketing materials. Remember your company’s first impression is a lasting one!

Good luck to all the copywriters who are working on marketing materials for clients. Choosing to use Soft-sell copy instead of Hard-selling copy that alienates buyers is one way to promote your clients products and services and a great way to earn more business on their next marketing project!

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

• It uses primarily web-based technologies that turn into interactive dialogues. Off the web, social media can include various forms of social communication – that encourages or uses social interaction to communicate.
• Web 2.0 used to be the go-to term that described social media as a type of web-based application allowed the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Some businesses use the term Consumer-Generated Media.

Social Media has been classified as a “Sign of our current times” known as the “Attention Age”.

• Social Media is often thought of, as a way for people to blend technology and social interaction in order to co-create something of value.
• This value for some individuals is friendship as found on the website Facebook.
• For many working professionals the value of Social Media has come to mean work-related career opportunity and advancement as found on the website Linked In.
• Businesses all over the world are finding value added reasons to use Social Media platforms to reach out to their consumers.
• Social Media on the World Wide Web allows people to gain information, education, news, and also provides valuable research tools when needed by the means of electronic media.
• Off the internet, Social Media is a way to physically and verbally interact with others through other offline interactions such as events, conferences and educational institutions.
• Social Media has become a mainstay for many people, businesses and organizations to communicate their message because it’s an inexpensive way to publish content or connect with others. There are not any planes to catch, cabs to call or hotels to book when you can chat with an old friend on Facebook or meet a potential employer on Linked In.

Social Media Marketing is often considered the building of what’s known as “Social Authority”.

• Social Authority is when an individual, business or organization works to establish themselves as an expert in their field . By being considered an expert, that person, company or establishment is thought to have the ability to have an influence in that field of expertise.

Recent Statistics reported back in December of 2009 showed that:

• 22% of all time spent on the internet is on social networking sites.
• About 234 million people between the ages of 13 and older in the United States have used a mobile device.
• Twitter was found to have processed over one billion tweets and continues to average nearly 40 million tweets per day.
• More than 25% of the United States internet page views online took place at one of the major social networking sites.
• In Australia, it was reported that they had over 9 million social media users who spent almost 9 hours per month on their social media websites.

Social Media can include popular electronic mediums like:

• Internet forums
• Weblogs
• Social Blogs
• Microblogging
• Wikis
• Podcasts
• Pictures
• Videos
• Rating/Reviewing
• Social Bookmarking

All in all what does Social Media mean for the average person? It has come to be a true benefit for everyone worldwide. Social platforms offer everyone a voice to communicate their thoughts, link with old friends and grow as a person, professionally and personally. More and more people are turning to their social networks to learn about whatever moves them for that day, week or year.

Social Media is up to date, it’s real-time and that’s what makes it exciting. It’s as simple as someone posting a comment on their Facebook page letting their friends know their coffee shop’s pumpkin syrup just arrived for the fall season or that an old friend is dying in the hospital so others know to go for a final visit.

No matter how you look at Social Media it is a fascinating tool that we have all found valuable to our lives in one way or another. Social Media works to improve our daily existence through interactive communication. That communication can be informational or even life-saving. Enjoy your time spent being social and listen, read and see — the voices, thoughts and pictures—of the masses!

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

Be Ready To Learn or Re-Learn

Like a business, individuals grow and develop over time. Being open to new ideas can lead to new thoughts on how to reach out to your target markets. It’s easy to become resistant over time. Those associated with business plan development, outreach programs and consumer relations should be focused on the ever changing and exciting world of “how can we re-fresh our image and still maintain our current identity”. Using the same marketing mix can fool a consumer into thinking your product or service is outdated. Be bold and re-fresh your plan when appropriate.

Name Your Objective

Be clear on what your marketing goals are. Revisit your business mission statement and if well-written it will lead you to a clear path of what you offer to your consumers. Use this to create your marketing goals. For example, if your mission is to offer the best and freshest baked items to your local community, then your marketing goals should include spreading the message that — your bakery offers the freshest baked goods in town.

Identify Your Target Audience

Who you are targeting will help you create your platform, in all ways. If you are selling freshly baked items then your target audience might include people in the age group that do the grocery shopping. By listing moms, dads, grandparents and retail stores you can add a face to your audience, give them an age bracket, where they are traveling from – in town or out of town and even when they are buying breads, cookies and pies. Dive deep into your demographics and you will come up with an entire picture of what your audience looks like. This will in turn, show you how your marketing campaign should look.

Create A Way To Connect With Consumers

Will you start and stop with a postcard mailing out coupons, or could you be more creative and say, one great way to connect with my bakery buyers is to offer baking classes to my general consumers and bulk savings discounts to my grocery store buyers.  Divide your consumer into categories and devise a way to connect with them professionally and socially.

Plan To Keep Your Audience’s Attention

Once you have made a connection with your consumers, find a way to keep the doors open and how to solidify an ongoing relationship that can keep you in business for the long haul. Maybe you will map out  a savings club card program. Back to that bakery, maybe for every 5 pies purchased, customers earn a free pie! For bigger consumers, your plan could be an extension arm of your initial program, just on a larger scale.

Enlist Your New Customers to Spread Your Message

Recommendations are the ultimate in marketing tools. By creating a way for consumers to talk your product or service “up” you are giving them the power to push something already great to greatness. Think about the last time you bought something that you absolutely loved. Did you want or find ways to bring that loved item or service up during conversation with friends or family?

 If you can offer a reward program for referrals or recommendations, then you have just created the incentive for your customers to go out of their way on your behalf. Maybe that bakery offers an incentive program that says, for every bride that refers another bride for her wedding cake, then that first bride will receive a reward like special discounts or complimentary pies, cakes or breads.

By taking careful steps to customizing your overall marketing plan, businesses, individuals and organizations can work towards combining their traditional media with their social media. For example, maybe that bakery’s coupons are in printed form and appear in the local newspaper (traditional marketing), but customers that log onto that bakery’s facebook page and become friends are offered a 30% discount on their next purchase (social marketing). Those 30% coupons are then emailed (traditional/social marketing) and the cost savings on those digital coupon offsets the first coupons that were in the local paper. This advantageous and smart bakery owner has also just expanded their digital mailing list and can now add new consumers to their next digital marketing campaign.

It’s a savvy business that utilizes all their efforts in such a way that each effort flows into the next and all generate a positive outcome in hopes for higher profits. One way to achieve this is by learning how to lay the perfect foundation.

Creating A Strong Foundation Is Easy!

Like a house sits on a foundation, so can your entire marketing plan and business.  Masonary style foundations provide a solid foundation for thousands of pounds of pressure to rest on over a long period of time. By using your strong core product or service and by applying the patient skills of an expert brick layer, you can build a strong foundation that will hold up your entire marketing campaign. Use truthful advertising and positive consumer feedback to get this foundation started.

When you combine traditional marketing with social network marketing the results are automatically doubled if done right. Social networking by its very nature is grown the same way we grow friendships – one person at a time. For those who are new to social media in general, this can be a painful start to a hopeful quick-start marketing campaign. To speed up the process:

Use traditional marketing efforts to spread your message.

Send your target market to your social media platforms.

One by one, your social media network will grow.

Continue to combine traditional marketing with social networking over the long-term.

Expose your audience to traditional media and drive them to become socially involved in your business or product. Consumers can attend classes, grand openings, weekend events and even log online in order to become a part of your marketing campaign. Offer a few choices to cater to different personalities and those with more or less time. People in general take stock in what they like by creating conversation. If you have a product or service your target audience enjoys and they talk about your offerings in a positive way, then those consumers have just become a valuable marketing tool for you.

Just think, if another person tells you they love a product or service – ask yourself if you would believe them. Then ask yourself, if you see an ad on the side of a bus telling you that a product or service is great would you believe that instead? It’s a well studied fact that most people believe consumer to consumer feedback before they will blindly trust an advertisement they see.

Use human nature to your advantage and count on generating some astounding results!

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

The Hartford Business Review recently published an article on their website by Warren Berger entitled Four Phases of Design Thinking . Warren Berger is the author of GLIMMER: How design can transform, business, your life, and maybe even the world (Penguin Press). He edits the online magazine GlimmerSite.com too. His article was so informative, we thought it was well worth our time to review how designers work to create successful innovative ideas.

Throughout the world of design, there are some shared behaviors that top designers follow in order to achieve significant breakthroughs. Second nature habits that were found to be common among expert designers and to their ability to transform an original idea into a successful innovation included; asking questions, caring, connecting and committing. If you’re a designer you will recognize these shared behaviors and if you’re looking for design work to be done, these are the steps that a top notch designer will most likely follow.

Designers Ask LOTS Of Questions

• Seasoned designers ask lots of questions.
• They work to raise questions in order to begin their design project.
• Designers strive to challenge the current reality or assumption in an industry.
• The creative mind works to learn the mainstream obvious and then figures out a way twist or morph it into an original idea that will turn into a successful innovative idea.
• A creative individual will often ask basic “why” questions that might seem naive and sometimes puts people on the defense.

When a designer asks why, they are really encouraging people to step back and reconsider old problems or practices that might be out of date. This gives the designer the ability to re-frame and steer thinking in a new direction. By striving to stretch the question of why to all facets of a project, they are able to rethink the basic fundamentals of a business. In the current economy and ever so volatile marketplace, this breeds innovation that gives birth to success.

A Great Designer Cares

• Designers do their best work by stepping out of the corporate bubble.
• They immerse themselves in the lives of their target market or audience.
• By observing and paying close attention to the customer they are trying to reach, they are able to dig out the consumer’s deep unspoken needs.
• Designers work hard to be present in people’s lives.

Lots of companies can say they care about their customer’s needs. Focus groups and questionnaires don’t really scratch the surface as to what makes an individual choose to buy a product. In order to reach a consumer on an emotional level, you have to empathize with them. This is the leverage that a good designer brings to the creative table. They strive to learn how their customers feel, how they think and how they live. By doing so, a seasoned designer learns what pushes a person to buy a product, join a marketing campaign, or become a faithful follower and consumer.

Designers Are Able To Connect

• A designer works to synthesize ideas.
• The creative thought process can take existing elements or ideas and combine them together in new ways.

Hiring a designer doesn’t always mean that a business will be forced into a new set of marketing materials or professional identity. It’s the job of a designer to also consider their clients current business elements and think laterally. Sometimes new ideas are not born fresh or invented from scratch. New ideas can be found by searching for new ways to combine current or older ideas. Designers do this by connecting them in a new way. They generate a new idea that is often comprised of scattered or mismatched ideas that didn’t seem to go together. This can be a shortcut to innovation. By combining previous ideas, this can help a business retain their original identity and brand, and simply strive for a new look, new message or re-tool their branded look to be more attractive to the public.

Designers Achieve Success Through Commitment

Designers are able to commit early to an idea.

They take original ideas and move them beyond imagination by giving them Form.

This Form makes an idea Real.

Designers are comfortable with putting an idea out into the marketplace when it’s young and imperfect.

A designer knows how to accept short-term failure.

Creative professionals have the ability to “fail forward”.

Some of the greatest designers have gone back to the design board more than once to tweak an idea into success. With their focus on commitment, the creative mind is often very comfortable with risk, more so than the average person is. They know that small failures are useful tools that provide a process for learning what needs fixing. In times of fast dynamic change, many companies need a confident designer on their team that can operate in a “test and learn” environment. In this type of work situation a designer will be required to create multiple or rapid prototypes. In design, the name of the game is often—Change it—Revise it — Until it STICKS!

Businesses and designers can look forward to forging a profitable partnership when they work towards a common goal. One way to do that is for the designer to explain what they will be doing, how they work their process and why they follow certain steps to achieve success. Through the use of an open line of communication, businesses can learn how to apply their designers behavioral habits to their own creative process. Being able to generate innovative and fresh ideas that  are attractive to consumers can push a business from hum-drum to sensational and victorious!

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

One key factor that will make any social media marketing effort successful revolves around a business listening to their target audience or customers. Making a person-to-person contact is one of the most important aspects of how to engage an audience. While most of us work hard at finding our connections online in a virtual world, its equally important that after those contacts are solidified, that we harness the power of how to; listen effectively, speak with passion, energize others, offer support when it’s needed and embrace as much as possible through simple acts of common courteous personal interaction.

How can all of the above promote a media campaign on a social network a positive way?  It’s easy when you break it down. Here are a few simple steps that you can take to build a better social media strategy so that it bears all the fruits of success you hope for.

Listen:

Listening is a major milestone that most businesses have forgotten or forget to do. By listening to your target audience or customers you can; gather data about customer needs, improve product development ahead of production schedules and make customers feel like they have a stock in a company that cares about what they’re saying. By the simple act of listening businesses can  build a loyal following for their personal brand.

Speak:

By offering good solid advice, being helpful when needed and keeping in touch with whether or not customers are happy with a product, you’re grooming your business for its next year’s future success. Let the people in your company that are the most passionate about transforming your image to be in front of your social media marketing campaign. Those individuals will be able to speak effectively and clearly about company goals and help current and future customers learn what your business is about. This builds professional trust that “speaks” volumes about where your company is in the line-up when stacked against the competition.

Energize:

Having your most energetic and passionate professionals leading the pack on your social media sites, brings your business one step closer to closing in on your competitors. Passionate employees talk up a company better than any print, web, or snail mail campaign can ever do. Let those that love their job, work it for the betterment of the rest in the crew. They are ones that will offer the most personal touch to your speaking efforts.

Be Supportive:

In regards to offering support to your customers, online social media sites are a great way to answer questions about products, address complaints, and give advice on product use and compatibility with other products. Businesses can rely on their social media sites to update their audience and followers on new product developments, recalls and other important customer service announcements. By being a supportive company that shows that you care about your customer base, you are making connections that withstand the test of time. Being supportive builds the longevity of your business.

Embrace Everything:

Most of us are fearful of what it means when someone says that you should embrace something. We think to the docile acceptance of a situation that we cannot fix or change. Quite the opposite is true when you learn what embracement means. The dictionary describes embracement as a hug, to accept willingly and to include. By taking this term literally, a business can look forward to embracing everything through a virtual hug, by being open to the opinions of others. They can willingly accept that some folks might be complimentary or critical and handle each situation with professional grace. By including their customers and target audience as followers of their company on a social media site, businesses reap the rewards of their customers feeling like they are part of your business. Their loyalty for your company will blossom into a lasting relationship.

Branding your company online in the social media world is not an easy task to accomplish. You need hard working positive individuals that your company can count on. Your time and efforts in planning a targeted strategy begins in the boardroom, but is tested on the World Wide Web where everyone can see the failings of a poorly thought out plan. Take your time, think about your company mission’s statement, revise it if it’s outdated. Then take flight and you too can navigate your social media marketing campaign to benefit your business!

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

Social Media Marketing Is On The Rise

“The State of Small Business Report”, by Network Solutions, LLC and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, showed that the downed economy has contributed to the popularity of social media networks.  The study reported that:

• Small businesses increased their use of social media from 12% to 24% in the last year.
• An estimated 1 out of 5 small businesses are involved in using social media as a part of their marketing strategy.

How Businesses Use Social Media

Small businesses reported the following:

• 75% have a company page listed on a social networking site.
• 69% post updates or articles on social media sites .
• 57% build out a professional  network through a site like LinkedIn.
• 54% closely observe the feedback they receive about their business.
• 39% have set up and maintain a blog.
• 26% tweet about their area of expertise.
• 16% use Twitter as a service channel.

Social Media  Expectations

The report showed  businesses who have worked with social media as part of their marketing plan had mixed reviews on how it met their expectations.

• 58% felt that social media had met their expectations.
• 25% felt that social media had fallen short of what they had hoped for.
• 12% reported that social media network sites had exceeded their expectations.

For businesses that reported social media had fallen short of their expectations:

• 50% said that social media had used more time than they had expected.
• 19% thought social media had lost them money.
• 17% felt that social media networks allowed people/customers to criticize their business.

Messages Sent Through Social Media

eMarketer showed that social media marketing does not choke innovation out of existence. Instead some of the most successful small businesses are able to compete by offering superior services. The small business model has embraced social media as a means to keep themselves tied to their customers. Businesses felt that they could engage their audiences through social media. They also reported to use social media to tap into knowledgeable resources.  

How Social Media Budgets Will Rise

Over the last several months marketing professionals have been found to be leaning towards the importance of creating a budget for social media marketing. Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the American Marketing Association, “The CMO Survey” reported that social media marketing budgets are on the rise. The report showed that businesses currently budget 6% of their marketing dollars to social media. They expect this amount to increase 10% in the next year and 18% over the course of the next 5 years.

In August 2009 marketing professionals had also been found to have planned to incorporate a higher budget dedicated to social media marketing efforts. In February 2010, those marketers had reported that they would be budgeting one-fifth of their dollars to social media marketing over the next 5 years.  Current social media marketing budget trends are:

• August 2009: 3.5% budget allowance was spent on social media marketing.
• February 2010: Social media marketing budgets had risen to 5.6% .

Social Media The Big Buzz

According to the Marketing Executives Networking Group and Anderson Analytics, their report entitled “Marketing Trends 2010″ found that mastering social media was high on the priority list for marketing professionals. The number one  buzzword to keep on the tip of the tongue in 2010 was Marketing ROI —rate of return on marketing efforts.

• 58% of marketing executives thought social media was a trend to keep an eye on.
• 42% of marketing professionals chose social media as a top trend to watch which made social media marketing hit the list of the top 10 productive marketing initiatives.
• 72% of professionals in marketing reported that they work with companies that have planned a social media marketing program for 2010.  

Social Media - Who Is Using It & How

The study by Anderson Analytics also showed the differences on how social media marketing was being used. Individuals and professionals were found to use social media networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Companies were found to utilize the blog as their main social media tool.

The Anderson Analytics study also reported that social media marketing plans were handed to internal employees, social media consultants and interactive agencies. Marketing professionals that were in charge of carrying out social media initiatives were not found to be looking to PR or ad agencies to head their social media campaigns.

So if your business is working to plan a social media marketing program, feel confident that you are not diving into a trend that will disappear any time soon. Many studies have been performed to analyze the worth of social media marketing and have found that businesses all over are planning to incorporate social media into their marketing budgets. Reaching out to your customers, target marketed and creating an open line of communication through social media is here to stay.

The foundation of successful companies has always been to become a reliable source for their customers.  Long standing businesses look to become a resource in which customers can count on and communicate with. Social media networking allows a business the open line they need to communicate the message that their customers need to hear—you can count on us and you can rely on us. A message that can now be broadcast through social media networks 24 hours a day, 365 days a year— which is more than a stamped postcard can offer.

The world of traditional marketing is ever-changing and as it leans into the digital online world, we encourage you to dig your business heels in and enjoy planning your social media efforts!

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

Recent studies performed by Edison Research showed:

• 48% of Americans, over the age of 12, had a profile page set up on a social network site.
• 30% of those same individuals logged on to their social network page multiple times each day.

The statistics from  Facebook are astounding:

• There are more than 400 million active users.
• The average user has an estimated 130 friends.
• People are found to be spending over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook.

Use Facebook to Build Your Business

In order to use Facebook so it benefits your business you can incorporate these ideas:

• Choose a keyword name that will improve your search engine ranking. Try matching your Facebook name to your business name so folks can find you online in cyberspace and on Facebook under the same name.

• Work on creating a comment posting schedule that fits into your work schedule. Posting  on a regular basis can help others get to know you and your business. It will also increase your chances of gaining followers.

• Ask you Facebook friends to interact with others on your page. You can do this by posing questions to spark conversation. The idea is to create a conversation that encourages multiple replies.

• If friends post on your page, respond to their comments as often as possible. This will let them know your available.

• Text is great for getting things started, but make a concentrated effort to share photos and videos so your Facebook business page is interesting and stimulating.

The Importance of Maintaining a Business Website & Blog

Once your business is set up on Facebook with a custom page, turn your efforts to expanding your online presence with a solid foundation like a website and blog. Many businesses wonder why they should spend the time in creating a business blog when a Facebook business page appears to be more interactive. The answer is that you don’t own your Facebook page. You are using Facebook as a place to simply interact and connect with others. They key to using Facebook is to make it beneficial to building your business and that is done by driving your Facebook friends to your own website and or blog.

Think of your website as a central hub for your business and your blog as your social outreach for your marketing and public relations. Since you own your website and your blog, it’s yours. You have complete control of the changes, the longevity and the future of your site and blog. On Facebook, you don’t own your page and any content created on your Facebook page could disappear if Facebook vanished.

Be in Control of Your Destiny

Choose to be self-reliant and maximize the time you invest on your social network pages by creating a strong central business homepage, website and up-to-date well- managed blog. Brand your business by creating an internet storefront. Your store can be filled with creative content that describes your business mission, goals , products and services. At the end of the day, your cyber shop will also be in place for as long you own your business!

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

Color can motivate, persuade, impress, influence and encourage. It can change behavior, bring to mind emotions and can impact a physical response.

Color is also cultural and specific to regions and is also age related. Your location and target audience should always be considered when choosing the right colors for communication. Make an impact and send a subliminal message to your audience by knowing the secret language of color.

Blue

Blue is a popular color for business. It suggests financial responsibility, security, trust, reliability and dignity. Dark “corporate” blue is important and confident. In general blue is calming and a natural universal color associated with the blue sky above all of us. In culture it symbolizes religious beliefs, is thought to bring peace, and keep evil spirits away.

Brown

Brown speaks of kindness, cooperation, efficiency and wealth. It has been associated with stimulating appetite and is found in living and non-living materials. Universally it is associated with being wholesome and earthy. It is a dependable color.

Black

Black is bold, powerful and elegant. It is authoritative, seductive and sophisticated. It is a classic color and is also associated with evil. In nature, black is thought to be the absence of color. In western countries, black symbolizes mourning. For young people it is rebellious.

Gray

Gray is a serious color that quietly suggests authority and practicality. It is honest, traditional and conservative. In our culture, dark gray is used for mourning and light gray for celebrations. Overall it is a formal color.

Green

Green has been reported to be the easiest color on the eye. It  symbolizes wealth, status, freedom and growth. It is often associated with health, fertility and nature. It’s naturally a restful color and calming. In cultures it symbolizes the environment and the Spring season.

Orange

Orange is a vibrant playful color that suggests pleasure and cheer. In nature it’s associated with warmth and stimulates the senses. Cultures recognize it as a color that represents the changing of the seasons, the sun and good health.

Pink

Pink is feminine and nurturing. It is associated with being sweet and innocent. It suggests well-being. In nature pink is seen as soft and culturally pink is delicate.

 Purple

Purple is an upscale color, artistic, spiritual and dignified. It is luxurious, wealthy, authoritative and sophisticated. In nature purple is thought to be sacred and precious. Different cultures think of this color in a variety of ways, some use this color for mourning, royalty or authority.

Red

Red is aggressive, strong and dangerous. It is associated with sex, passion, excitement and speed. Red has been reported to stimulate a faster heartbeat and increase breathing. It is naturally a hot color. In culture it is powerful. Some countries think of this color as pure and joyful and use it for celebrations or to attract good luck.

White

White is pure, clean and honest. It is contemporary, loyal and affectionate. In nature white is brilliant. Some cultures think of white as innocent or for royalty, others use it for mourning.

Enjoy creating your own special message about your business, goals and products by engaging your audience through the use of color. Color speaks to us in a non-verbal communication that is strong and emotional. Use color to your best advantage by being sensitive to how color can impact your print materials, online presence and social media networks. Be creative and color your business to success!

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

In general people are overwhelmed by how many ads they are exposed to. In order to stand out, focus on branding yourself and your business as someone who people would be interested in. Today it’s important for people to know who they are dealing with, they want to be able to trust and become friends with whoever they are buying their products or services from.

Not many folks are going to pay attention to ads that are self-serving. Being boastful about how great your product is or how fabulous your services are pushes people away. It’s important to note that in order to gain public attention that converts into additional business, you have to literally connect with your customers. Attract large groups of people, market your services and promote your products by creating a Social Media Marketing Campaign.

Three online services, Twitter, Facebook and Linked In, can create a massive online marketing strategy when used together. If used creatively, appropriately and constructively, these services can send massive traffic to your website, increase sales and get people buzzing about you, your products and your services. Follow these steps when dealing with Social Media Networks.

Three keys to being successful online are to:                            

• Be credible
• Be trustworthy
• Be interested in the general welfare of others

Become a Friend on Facebook

Facebook is a place where you will communicate with your target audience. Add as much information about yourself as possible while still maintaining a keen business profile. Your likes, dislikes, pictures and videos should all be chosen with your audience in mind. If your interesting, you will gain a following. Link to your website and blog on your profile. When posting to Facebook keep your  posts friendly, professional, interesting and informative - remember be credible, be trustworthy and be interested in the general welfare of others.

Tweet on Twitter

Twitter is a tool that will feed traffic to your Facebook profile and blog. Add pictures, use keywords in your character bio and add your blog as your site. Create a background with a standard background or load a custom image from your personal files. It’s ideal to upload a background image that incorporates a link to your Facebook profile and has a bold bio about yourself.  Make your tweets interesting, short and informative - remember to be credible, be trustworthy and be interested in the general welfare of others.

Link in on Linked In

Your Linked In account will be your professional network tool. Here you will add your job history, pictures and information about what your interests are. Think of this network as your online resume and a way for current and potential business associates to contact you. Create a professional profile that is business orientated. When posting messages keep it friendly and maintain your professionalism - remember to be credible, be trustworthy and be interested in the general welfare of others.

Internet marketing is about helping other people. The days of blanket advertising, well designed print ads, and bragging about your new business is over. We have gone digital, we want more from our companies and when we spend a dollar we want to know we’re investing, not just splurging. Being friends no long means we share our deepest secrets, we want to be friends in order to have contacts, connections and we want a network of our own.

When people have a network to join they feel like they are a part of something. Be bold and create a world that welcomes new business and offers a place for your customers to connect. Above all, become a trusted resource that is credible and works to help others.

We welcome new ideas and you might inspire us for our next blog post! Share your thoughts and tips by posting comments for us. Thanks for reading!

By Sara Hassler

If you’re asking “What is Squidoo?” you may be in the minority. In fact, Squidoo is ranked in the top 500 most visited websites in the world and is in the top 300 most viewed by people in the United States. In 2009, Squidoo grew an unprecedented 91% with an impressive 900,000 people-built lenses as of February 1, 2009.

Squidoo is not published in an ezine format and it isn’t a blog. It’s just pages of information where you can spin whatever you want, about whatever you wish. The lenses are very easy to make with a menu-driven application. So even (or maybe especially) if you’ve never built a website or written a blog before you can have your lens up and running in a very short time and sharing your opinion with the rest of the world.

When you create a lens with Squidoo, you have the choice to add different modules to your web page. There are modules for adding content, photos, featured lenses, YouTube videos, Amazon and Ebay auctions, and others.

Links to other websites are allowed on the lenses so you can even promote products as an affiliate marketer…do I smell profits? Yes indeed, Squidoo offers you a chance to collect income from your lens. Squidoo earns money from affiliate advertising with Google AdSense, Amazon, Ebay and other sites and keeps track of the earnings of each module then splits the profits with you 50-50. Wow! As if that weren’t enough, here’s another cool thing about Squidoo: it can help you feel good about yourself. Yup, you not only get to say what you want while standing on the world’s biggest soapbox, but Squidoo allows you to set up your page to donate your profits to charity, if you choose.

So if anybody asks you, “What’s Squidoo?” you can tell them it’s a great website that allows you to create a web page about your interests, passions and causes for free. It also allows you to contribute to charity or make money for yourself. So, “share what you care about, get found, get followed and get influential.” (Quoted from Squidoo.com). What could be better?

By Deborah Munger