The voices... the voices... they never stop giving advice.
"It's all about image." "Focus on social media."
"The only real way to success is through networking."
"Everyone knows that you have to have at least 1,000 followers on Twitter to get noticed."
"You need to set aside at least $1,500 a month for adwords to get top positions in the search engines."
"You can't get results with organic SEO and marketing alone. You have to advertise with Google. "
"This is serious. You need to stop 'helping' and start selling."
Will you all kindly SHUT UP?!?!
I am so tired of hearing the opinions of everyone who thinks that they have THE answer, the one-solution-fits-all-businesses method of using technology (the internet) to drive sales. IT DOES NOT EXIST! There is NO single solution that will fit every business model for every client in every location at all times. Not gonna happen! I have researched scores of claims over the past three months; marketers who contacted me wanting Star Power Connections to partner with their companies to sell their products / solutions for website business promotion. Some had great things to offer but every single one of them lost the focus: individual business owners have unique, individual needs.
If a company offers you a solution without ever offering to sit down with you and learn about YOUR business - RUN!!! Unless you have purchased a part of a franchise, your business is as unique as you are and so are your marketing needs.
We have experienced the struggles, the successes, the frustrations and the unexpected expenses of self-employment. We have, ourselves, tried many of the products being offered out there to market our own businesses. I know I drank my share of 'snake oil' when I first started my design studio; trying to get to the top using the prescribed easy route before learning that it isn't supposed to be easy. Being an entrepreneur is not for the lazy or faint of heart. It takes tenacity, patience, perseverance, passion and a lot of discernment.
Some of our clients have fallen prey to the claims of 'guaranteed results in 24 hours' and have had disastrous results. I feel so sad for them and somewhat responsible.
Let me explain... In the first few months of our new business, Star Power Connections, Jerri and I fell into our old habits. We started accepting jobs to do FOR others rather than training and working WITH others, empowering them to be self-sufficient. As a result, we were so busy working on projects for a few businesses that we did not have time to dedicate to educating many businesses.
How did that happen? We had such noble intentions to 'go forth and educate'.
We went back to what was familiar. We shied away from the challenge. We missed the opportunity to warn others of what we, ourselves, have experienced and teach them how to navigate the vast sea of information that is available.
So, what's a gal to do when she realizes she took the wrong turn? Well, if you're a Southern girl you pull back on the reins and turn that horse around, of course. In 2010, we are back on the trail.
We have the experience. We have the desire. We want to share it with you. There is nothing like running your own business and seeing your goals reached time and again.
Our 2010 schedule of training opportunities, seminars, books, videos, conferences and webinars will be posted on January 20. Come share the excitement with us. (Each session will offer an open Q&A session so that you can get the answers to your questions.)
Happy New Year to all. If you have any questions or would like us to come to your office for a training/strategizing session,
email me.
I will post more frequently this year to let you know what we are trying, the results and anything that we find along the way that will help your business grow.
Talk to you soon!
Granted, a large piece. But it is not, alone, the solution to the marketing challenges of any business.
At
Star Power Connections, we offer a wide array of services to meet online business needs including strategizing, web design and development, social media training and support, email marketing and analytics. During our training sessions and webinars we frequently hear stories of folks being contacted by an 'online marketing' company that 'guarantees' front page Google ads with nothing more than monthly social media support. Of course, it sounds like a great deal; pay $500 and receive $5000 in business. The problem is that they NEVER deliver page one on Google and often actually harm search engine rank by the careless techniques that are used.
To get the results that you need, you must coordinate the direction of all of your marketing channels - networking, email campaigns, social media, traditional advertising, etc... - so that every aspect of your business is sending the same, consistent message in a timely, well-organized way. Rather than think in a campaign-oriented manner, focus your attention on how you can best serve a community of people who need your products or services. There is no benefit, for example, in building up a huge online community through Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn and rolling out a massive online marketing campaign for your upcoming product line if you are directing them to a site that does not offer fresh, relevant content, is not user-friendly and does not provide a place for them to immediately acquire your services and/or products. You are not serving your online community, just corraling them through a series of pointless maneuvers with no useful destination. You may have a great number of 'followers' or 'friends', but if there is no benefit to being in your community, they will not be loyal and will neither become your clients nor refer others to you.
The next time that you have an event or promotion, sit down and think it through to coordinate all avenues of marketing for the benefit of your community. What do THEY need to see/hear/learn? How can you reach them? Where are they getting - and sharing - information? After they see your ad/postcard/Facebook/email will they be able, within 2 clicks of the mouse, to see and purchase the products or services being offered?
Use your social media channels to announce in advance, create an interest and provide post-event details. Create how-to or informative videos and post online. Send out a great email to your contact database with your social media 'badges' at the bottom. Hand out flyers and cards that include the social media URLs. Provide samples, when appropriate, and network IN PERSON prior to the event, exchanging business cards and information. Advertise in local online and print media - there are still many free and affordable places to do this. Face to face communication is still the most powerful method of communication. Step away from the computer and go talk with your community members.
Sound like a lot of work? It can be at first. But, once you start listening to your community and learn where they 'hang out', you will quickly define a few relevant places to distribute and post your information for the best results. You will establish yourself as THE resource for your industry and folks will seek you out and send others to you. For a great example of how to coordinate the marketing channels to serve your community online, I love this link:
http://www.simplyzesty.com/social-media/butcher-increase-sales-social-media/
You can strategically and affordably utilize the tools that are available to you for the promotion of your business with a little research, planning and strategy.
Contact us if you have questions, need help getting started or would like to know more about our services.
Stacey RayosStar Power Connections
Twitter: @GetStarPower
http://www.starpowerconnections.com/
while others go out and make it happen!
Sure there are a lucky few who make it BIG with very little effort… it seems, but in most cases an enormous amount of time and money go into it, not to mention the confusion involved with all the tactics, tools and techniques to sort through and change daily. If you’ve been watching the new hit reality series,
Shark Tank, you see that entrepreneurs pour a lot of time, money and energy into what may seem like an overnight success from the outside looking in. It can be brutal in the business community and with today’s uncertain economy; there are more obstacles than ever before. There are also many new opportunities and unlimited possibilities if you can get a handle on your sales and marketing efforts and design a simple plan to communicate in a relevant manner with your target industry. Statistics show that the top three most effective methods of marketing are:
1) Client Referrals
2) Seminars/Events
3) Online Social Networking
At
Star Power Connections, we recommend using a strategic plan designed especially for your business using these three methods while keeping your target market in mind. While this may seem an impossible quest for a small business owner or independent professional, with a few basic strategies, and by following us, we will help position you for celebrity status online (or at least slightly famous), while giving you valuable tools to monetize your efforts. Hmmmm….now that’s an interesting thought, isn’t it?
Stop for just a few minutes and answer the following questions to find out how prepared you are for stardom.
Do you have:
¨ a clear and precise branding message?
¨ a clear picture of your ideal customer?
¨ a strong fan club of talkers, advocates and champions?
Do you have time to:
¨ consistently stay in touch with your fan club?
¨ take part in conversations and network online regularly within your target industry?
¨ track and measure the results of your efforts?
Are you prepared to:
¨ make special guest appearances on a regular basis?
¨ give a presentation that sizzles on short notice?
¨ present a press kit that stands out in the crowd of competition?
Have you thought about how to monetize your efforts by:
¨ creating additional services, products and resources?
¨ holding virtual and live events to promote your products?
¨ maximizing your affiliations, associations and links with others?
As you answered these questions, you probably started thinking about how overwhelming it can be to keep up with all the marketing and promotional activities which need to be done, didn't you? Our goal is to bring awareness to what it takes to get to propel your success to the next level in an affordable and logical manner while eliminating wasteful marketing practices.
Stay tuned for weekly posts full of resources, actions and suggestions for becoming the celebrity professional you were meant to be.
