How To Create A Simple & Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy

When a client reaches out to me to for a marketing consult, my first question is always: “What are your current marketing efforts?”

I’m shocked at how often the response is, “Well, we’re on Facebook…”  Though some companies are in multiple outlets and mediums, I’m surprised how often that is the extent of their marketing plan.

Don’t get me wrong, social media CAN be a great way to get eyeballs on your business, but it certainly doesn’t count as a full marketing plan.

It’s critical for small businesses to create a “Web Strategy” that is part of an overall marketing plan.  Though we won’t go into full details on creating a full marketing plan here, I do want to give you an overview on how to make a social media strategy work for you.

As we talk through these options, remember my definition of marketing is:
Marketing is getting the right MESSAGES, through the right MEDIUMS, reaching the right MASSES so you can make MONEY.  Use this definition as a guide as you walk through these steps.

First, define your objectives.  EVERY marketing plan needs to start with some goals.  Not all marketing goals need to have a monetary ending.  Though that is, of course, the ultimate goal.

Good goals could include:
-Increase in page views, visitors or time on your website. (My favorite use of social media.  Get people to YOUR Home Court Advantage and away from the distraction of the social networking site you’re playing in. And it’s easier to sell through your site and email list than through social media outlets.)
-Increase in likes, shares, followers on social media (though watch this one.  This can be only a celebration in visibility but may not always increase sales.)
-Increase in opt-ins/subscribers to your email list.
-Increase in sales from repeat customers.
-Increase in sales during slow seasons/times of day.
-Increase in sales of a specific product or package.
-Increase in month-to-month or year-to-year sales.

EVERY company could benefit from the above objectives in one way or another.

Second, define how you will evaluate the success of your objectives. You need to put numbers on your goals.  When you say, “Increase in page views,” define what a successful increase would be.  20%?  30%?

GET SPECIFIC and you’re more likely to achieve the results you desire.

Third, when it comes to social media, unless you have full time help or are a large business, you don’t have time to make the impact you need in EVERY social media outlet.  It’s important to focus and choose your top one or two outlets that will reach your target market best.  Focus is important because it gives you an opportunity to go deep and be effective, instead of skimming the surface of many.  Tiffany Peterson says, “I would rather have one, one hundred foot deep well; than one hundred, one foot deep wells.”

At Startup Princess, we’ve spent a lot of time on Twitter over the last five years, and our efforts have paid off.  We made that our primary social media community and playground.  We have a loyal following and we make great connections with speakers, guest posters, and the media there.  It’s a great compliment to our website and we drive traffic from twitter to our site.  It has been our highest source of web traffic for years.

I think it’s important to have a PRESENCE in multiple outlets, but be clear where you’re playing, and invite people to join you there.

As an entrepreneur, you wear many hats.  If that time is spent in social media all day, you won’t get done the things that you need to.  That’s why focus is key.

How do you decide which ones?  Ask yourself the following question:
Where is my target market “playing” the most?  If you’re in the craft/hobby/fashion/travel business, you should be on Pinterest.  If you’re in the business-to-business market, you need to be in LinkedIn and Google+.  Sure, lots of people are on Facebook, but Facebook makes it harder and harder for businesses to get the exposure they want.  If you decide that Facebook is it, keep up with the changes.

Fourth, EVALUATE, EVALUATE, EVALUATE.  With social media (or ANY aspect of your marketing plan).  Take time each week and each month to review your efforts and track your results.  Here are some good questions to ask of your social media strategy.
What posts/messages got the greatest response (likes, shares, retweets, etc.)?
What times of day were people the most engaged in your messages/posts?
What outlets convert the best to web traffic?
What outlets/messages convert the best to email opt-ins?
What messages generated the most sales?

The bottom line is this: start with clear objectives and track your efforts so you can improve as you go.  Lots of companies are having great success with social media, but it’s not because they are blindly throwing things out there. It’s because they have tested and tried the right messages and timing and they know what works.

Beware, though, trends change.  If what worked last year isn’t working this year, it’s time to start with a clean slate and try some new things.  Try different messages and different times of day, and maybe consider a new social media outlet all together.

Also, one final note.  It would be remiss if I didn’t share with you this last thought.  Remember that social media is for seeding and serving, NOT sales.  Use social media to build connections, plant seeds of your products and services and provide information on your industry, trends and company.  Sell through other means like phone calls, through your site, emails, etc.  Use social media to brand and get eyeballs and supplement your marketing plan with other strategies to convert your social shares to sales.

Share with us!  What social media outlets are working for your business?

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director of Startup Princess and is also a sought after business strategist and speaker. She’s the creator of “The Life Balance Myth” & “Marketing Mastery” coaching programs and self-study systems for entrepreneurs & professionals. She’s been featured in numerous media outlets including entrepreneur.com and UVBQ’s 40 under 40.  She’s also the host of a weekly radio show.  As a mother of two young children she knows there’s no time to mess around.  It’s time to Make It Happen.

I am blogging on behalf of Visa Business and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Visit http://facebook.com/visasmallbiz to take a look at the reinvented Facebook Page: Well Sourced by Visa Business. The Page serves as a space where small business owners can access educational resources, read success stories from other business owners, engage with peers, and find tips to help businesses run more efficiently. Every month, the Page will introduce a new theme that will focus on a topic important to a small business owner’s success. For additional tips and advice, and information about Visa’s small business solutions, follow @VisaSmallBiz and visit http://visa.com/business.

Marketing is Like the Laundry…The Job is Never Done

A friend and I were talking about marketing the other day before a networking event.  I was getting ready to speak on Marketing (one of my favorite subjects), and she commented about how marketing has always been a headache and frustration.  I replied, “It can be a headache.  Marketing is like the laundry, the job is never done!”

I think the consistent, unending and (often) daily nature of marketing can make it overwhelming, especially for solo entrepreneurs who wear many hats.

Here are three quick tips to help you keep up:

1. Schedule time every week to FOCUS on Marketing.  When you put your marketing efforts on a to-do list, other things that can seem like a higher priority and marketing can move from one day to the next and the next.  I recommend scheduling 2 hour blocks (or even 2 of them!) in your weekly calendar.  Prepare your brain by making that time as important as a meeting with a client or lunch with a friend.  (Don’t forget to cut out distractions during this time.  Don’t answer the phone, don’t take other appointments and don’t get sucked into social media stalking.  Get in the program you want and then GET OUT and onto other marketing tasks.)  If you work with a team of people on your company’s marketing efforts, create constructive and perhaps regular meetings for brainstorming.  Prepare the team in advance and let them know to come ready with lots of ideas.

2. Strategize your efforts and make a plan.  I hate to break it to you, but shooting from the hip is not a plan.  If you can strategize your efforts it will help you feel more in control of your marketing efforts AND it will give your more confidence in your execution.

Simply put, there are three main things to strategize in marketing: lead generation, lead conversion and a plan for repeat business.  What marketing efforts are best suited for you and your industry to generate leads?  What about lead conversion (turning your leads and prospects into customers)?  What about your customer loyalty program? Write down the outlets and mediums that are best suited for each of those three main marketing efforts.  Be clear on your goals and then decide the budget and schedule for each marketing medium.  Remember that part of strategizing is evaluating your efforts.  Set objectives for specific campgaigns and check to see if those objectives were met.  Did you  increase traffic to your site?  More likes or views on a video?  Did you increase the number of opt-ins for your email list?  What was your Return On your Marketing Investment?  After you have this information,  use it to brainstorm again and create a new strategy.  Keep the stuff that worked, and try something new or tweak your last campaign.

3. Systemize your efforts.  Scheduling is part of that system.  So is creating an ongoing system for your marketing efforts.  When you post on facebook, what times of day gets the best response?  What days of the week?  Schedule those into your weekly marketing plans.  Decide which marketing tasks are best for you to do, and which marketing tasks are better for your assistant or other members of your team.   Also, consider programs like Hootsuite that will allow you to schedule selective and strategic posts to your social media networks.  EVERY company needs a CRM or Customer Relationship Management tool that will allow you to house your custmer database or email list and send calucated and regular email (without spamming) or newsletters.  A good CRM tool will walk you through the steps to create an automation process that will allow you to schedule series of emails and it automates the process for you.  (If you want a recommendation about which CRM is right for you, I’m happy to help point you in the right direction.  You can email me at michelle <at> startupprincess <dot> com.)  I’m all about automation and having the right software do some of the mundane tasks so that you can focus your efforts on the more strategic things in your marketing plan.

I know these ideas are pretty basic, but it’s surprising how many companies and solo entrepreneurs aren’t even doing these three things.  If you are doing these three things and you still feel like you are spinning your marketing wheels, go back and do some serious evaluation.  Talk through the objectives and make sure that you getting the outcomes you desire.  If not, make a change.

I wish I could say that it gets easier.  It is possible to get into a groove and create some systems that will work for you, but the business landscape is constantly changing, and you’ll need to adapt and change right along with it.  That’s why regular (weekly or monthly) evaluation is key.  Perhaps if you embrace that it’s a priority to always be on the front-burner, you’ll be able to keep up.

What systems and strategies do you use to tackle the marketing monster?

 

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess and is also a National speaker and business consultant.  Michelle recently released Marketing Mastery, a 4 disc audio program that helps entrepreneurs and small business become confident in their messages that reach the masses.  Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess  in 2008.  She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 4 years she has coached women entrepreneurs (and even some men) and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses.  Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19 and has also spent the last 12 years working in marketing and advertising. She’s worked in all aspects of the industry from production to creative and sales to management. On top of her full-time jobs, Michelle has cultivated her love for entrepreneurship by running Doodads as a successful side business.  Today it continues to thrive.  This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives.  She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success.   Michelle has two children ages 4 and 2 and lives in Utah. You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com. 

Marketing Mastery – The Five Keys To Promoting Your Business, Brand Or Product

Marketing doesn’t need to be a mystery.

That’s why I created Marketing Mastery – The Five Keys To Promoting Your Business, Brand or Product.

This program has been created for busy entrepreneurs and professionals who are ready to master their marketing, and be strategic in their efforts to make bigger paychecks and a stronger bottom line. Whether you have a product based business or a service based business, the ideas in this audio can be applied to your unique circumstances.

In it, I share:

- How to define your target market and identify niche markets

- What types of marketing messages are important for your business or industry & how and where to share those messages

- How to select the advertising mediums that will bring you the best success for your marketing dollar

- How to utilize social media and determine your Return On Investment (and how NOT to use social media)

- How to ensure your marketing efforts are really making you money

- How to create a simple marketing map that’s easy to execute

BONUS: I share a 30 minute marketing brainstorm, where I download over 25 marketing ideas you could use today, depending on your industry, product or service. It’ll help get your juices flowing.

My private marketing consultation packages range from $250 to $5,000, but in order to get this training into more hands, I’ve priced this training at $97 (and that INCLUDES shipping in the Continental U.S.)!

This includes Four Audio CDs so you can listen anywhere (I’m in LOVE with listening to things in my car or while I exercise!) and a PDF downloadable workbook emailed to you. The workbook can be used as a stand alone resource or as a follow along study guide.

AND, as a bonus to my Startup Princess friends, you will receive my webinar “How To Be A Rockstar On Twitter” FREE! (Regularly $19.95.  This 38 minute training shares how we grew our twitter following to over 180,000!)

Are you ready to become a marketing master?

“Michelle is more than a speaker who brings excitement and hype to the stage- She brings lasting results. After her workshop my team sales volume skyrocketed over 350% and is still growing rapidly months later. Michelle helped our sales and marketing teams create clear action plans for their projects that dramatically increased personal and team production. We now see possibility and move toward results in a way we never had imagined. Thank you Michelle for igniting our fire.” – Camylle Katherman

Disclaimer - Here it is: Though I have been able to provide a lot of my clients with dramatic results, I can’t guarantee the same thing for you (but boy I wish I could). There are no guarantees here. Your unique circumstances, products, services and your drive to succeed will determine your success. I only offer information, and it’s yours to learn, use and apply. Good luck!

Let’s connect! Follow me on twitter. Follow me on Facebook. Check out my FREE video e-course on Working Smarter Not Harder here.

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess. Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess in 2008. She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 3 years she has coached women entrepreneurs and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses. Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19. And has also spent the last 12 years working in marketing and advertising. She’s worked in all aspects of the industry from production to creative and sales to management. On top of her full-time jobs, Michelle has cultivated her love for entrepreneurship by running Doodads as a successful side business. Today it continues to thrive. This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives. She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success. You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com. Michelle has two children ages 4 and 2 and lives in Utah.

It’s My Birthday & I’m Launching A New Marketing Product & I’m Giving Away Presents

Hello Startup Princess Friends,

It’s my birthday today.  I turn 33.  I’m not emotionally attached or detached from my age, so I’m not crying over here or anything.  It’s just 33. (And because it’s my birthday, I’m announcing something FABULOUS and giving away sweet prizes!)

That said, I’m tickled pink, because I’m unveiling my first product today, too! (I literally JUST picked up this product today and haven’t been able to get classy product shots yet, but I still wanted to share it with you on my special day!)

As many of you know, I’m a marketing consultant for entrepreneurs and though I enjoy the one-on-one work I do with my clients, I realized that I can’t reach everyone, but I’d love to help people step up their marketing efforts and them get confident in their messages so that they can have greater success reaching the masses.

That’s why I created Marketing Mastery – The Five Keys To Promoting Your Business, Brand or Product.

 

 

In it, I share:

- How to define your target market and identify niche markets

- What types of marketing messages are important for your business or industry & how and where to share those messages

- How to select the advertising mediums that will bring you the best success for your marketing dollar

- How to utilize social media and determine your Return On Investment (and how NOT to use social media)

- How to ensure your marketing efforts are really making you money

- How to create a simple marketing map that’s easy to execute

BONUS: I share a 30 minute marketing brainstorm, where I download over 25 marketing ideas you could use today, depending on your industry, product or service.  It’ll help get your juices flowing.

This program has been created for busy entrepreneurs and professionals who are ready to master their marketing, and be strategic in their efforts to make bigger paychecks and a stronger bottom line.  Whether you have a product based business or a service based business, the ideas in this audio can be applied to your unique circumstances.

My private marketing consultation packages range from $500 to $5,000, but in order to get this training into the hands of as many people as I can get, I’ve priced this training at $97 (and that INCLUDES shipping in the Continental U.S.)!

This includes Four Audio CDs  so you can listen anywhere (I’m in LOVE with listening to things in my car or while I exercise!) and a PDF downloadable workbook emailed to you.  The workbook can be used as a stand alone resource or as a follow along study guide.

But wait, it gets better!  Because it’s my birthday and my father always taught me to celebrate Bilbo Baggins style (by GIVING gifts on your birthday instead of waiting around to receive them) and because I think Danielle LaPorte is all kinds of white hot, I’m launching this product on a “Pay What You Can” promotion.

Here’s how it works:

- You email me directly at michelle <at> startupprincess <dot> com and tell me what you can afford to pay.  If you’re a struggling solo entrepreneur trying to get your dream off the ground and all you’ve got is $50, tell me.  If you’re doing well in business and you can afford to pay more, let me know! (All reasonable and un-insulting offers will be accepted, and note that $97 includes shipping in the Continental U.S.!) Please put “Marketing Mastery Pay What You Can Birthday Offer” in the subject line.

- Once your offer has been accepted, I will email you an invoice/link to pay from.

- Once your payment is received, I’ll ship off the product and email you the workbook.

- Then you listen, strategize and become a marketing master!

AND, in the spirit of birthday’s and presents, the first 33 (the number of candles on my cake this year) people who send me “Pay What You Can” Offers will receive my webinar “How To Be A Rockstar On Twitter” FREE!  Happy birthday to me (or you)!

This birthday offer expires tomorrow, June 20th, 2012 at MIDNIGHT.  (No exceptions)

If you want to make sure you get “How To Be A Rockstar on Twitter” for free, and you’re ready to pay $97 (Includes shipping!), click here!

“Michelle is more than a speaker who brings excitement and hype to the stage- She brings lasting results. After her workshop my team sales volume skyrocketed over 350% and is still growing rapidly months later. Michelle helped our sales and marketing teams create clear action plans for their projects that dramatically increased personal and team production. We now see possibility and move toward results in a way we never had imagined. Thank you Michelle for igniting our fire.” – Camylle Katherman

Disclaimer, Here it is:  Though I have been able to provide a lot of my clients with dramatic results, I can’t guarantee the same thing for you (but boy I wish I could).  There are no guarantees here.  Your unique circumstances, products, services and your drive to succeed will determine your success.  I only offer information, and it’s yours to learn, use and apply.  Good luck!

Let’s connect!  Follow me on twitter.  Follow me on Facebook.  Check out my FREE video e-course on Working Smarter Not Harder here.

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess.  Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess  in 2008.  She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 3 years she has coached women entrepreneurs and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses.  Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19. And has also spent the last 12 years working in marketing and advertising. She’s worked in all aspects of the industry from production to creative and sales to management. On top of her full-time jobs, Michelle has cultivated her love for entrepreneurship by running Doodads as a successful side business.  Today it continues to thrive.  This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives.  She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success.  You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com.  Michelle has two children ages 4 and 2 and lives in Utah.