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Helping you make sense of social media to market your small business

22 Sep 2012
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Marketing Lessons From a Legend – Can You Guess Who?

This pioneer may not be considered a thought leader when it comes to marketing, but when you take a closer look at what made him a legend, you’ll see that is exactly what he was. He paved the way for future marketers and left some important lessons in his trail…do you know who this is?  Here are some clues:

Photo Credit: Matthew Collingwood

1. He identified a need and he filled it. He was the first person to introduce much of the world to something that would change their lives for the better- and it still plays a role in our lives today. His dream was to provide a solution to an anticipated and growing need123, and his ideas and actions were revolutionary.

2. He was an expert. With his knowledge, skills, and expertise, he quickly made a name for himself as an expert in his field and thought leader in his community4.

3. He offered something of value. How do you convince someone to try something that is completely foreign to them? You start by “planting the seed” and letting them experience first hand the benefits of what you have. Eventually, you build a business- which is just what he did35.

4. He was passionate. Although he was highly knowledgeable, it was his passion that set him apart and built confidence and trust among people. In fact, we was known to be passionate about most things in life- so much so that some legends even call him crazy6 while others say he was a genius4.

Photo Credit: Lisa F. Young

5. He maintained an outward focus. His service and success took years of dedication, as he would regularly return to tend to the “seeds he planted”4. He was known to have gone the extra “mile” (or 100,000 square miles5), solidifying his reputation and forming positive relationships all along the way3.

6. He was generous. Known for his kindness and love of all things, he happily helped those in need and chose a humble existence so that he could continue his life’s dream12.

7. He was memorable. An encounter with him would make a lasting impression. Dressed in a coffee sack for clothing and a cooking pot on his head5, he was thought to be eccentric, knowledgeable, and benevolent13- someone people would not likely forget!

Photo Credit: Paige Foster

8. He stood for something. Whether people thought he was crazy or just passionate, one thing they agreed on was that he was devout in his religion. People knew what he believed in and what he stood for, which helped him earn his status as a legend4.

9. He led by example. His legacy is as much for what he did as it is for how did it, which is why he was considered a legend even while he was still alive4.

Do you know who it is?

Meet Jonathan Chapman, also known as “Johnny Appleseed”. He was born on 9/26/1774 and died on 3/18/1845. Johnny was an expert nurseryman and was thought to have traveled throughout the Midwestern US spreading apple seeds that he gathered from cider mills and growing orchards along the way.  He is celebrated for introducing the apples that would eventually make hard cider, and for his lifelong acts of kindness and generosity4.

Photo Credit: Kristian Peetz

Bonus question:
It is believed by some that this tech giant drew inspiration from Johnny Appleseed for their logo4. Do you know who it is? Check your answer on the FiveamCoffee Facebook page.

September 26 is Johnny Appleseed Day!

I invite you to “spread” your marketing seeds below by commenting with:

  1. The URL to your website or blog
  2. ONE thing (of the possibly many) that you have in common with Mr. Appleseed

Please share this with friends who would also appreciate the link and let’s have some tapping in to our own “Johnny Appleseed”!

Sources:
1http://www.appleappetite.com/Johnny.htm
2http://cleveland.about.com/od/peopleandpets/p/johnnyappleseed.htm
3http://www.bestapples.com/kids/teachers/johnny.shtml
4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Appleseed
5http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/revolut/jb_revolut_apple_1.html
6http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/johnny-appleseed-was-a-real-person/

Posted in FiveamCoffee's purpose, Marketing and tagged , , ,
03 Sep 2012
1 Comment

How to Start a Blog in 5 Easy Steps

As a business, you probably already know why social media is important for marketing your business, but what about blogging? According to business2community, 60% of businesses do have blogs, but only 65% of those have updated their blogs in the last year. What does that mean? That means that not only can having blog for your business be a powerful and effective way to solidify your branding and set yourself apart in a competitive world, your blog has tremendous potential to contribute to your search results and SEO (search engine optimization) when updated consistently with high quality, relevant content.

Are you convinced yet that you need to be blogging? Good. In the spirit of keeping it simple, here’s is what I have learned about how to start a blog for your business in 5 steps using free (or mostly free) tools.

Step 1: Know Why You’re Blogging
Before we jump into how to blog, it’s best to first know what you are hoping to accomplish. Are you an expert at something and want to establish your reputation as such? Do you want to educate your potential customers with valuable information about your industry or company? Are you aspiring to grow an active community on a particular topic? Whatever your reason for blogging, knowing what that is will keep you focused and give you purpose.

Photo credit: Deborah Aronds

Step 2: Make A Plan
So you know why you’re blogging, but how do you do it? Let’s start with some basic strategies.

  • Know your target audience. Start by building personas to help you tailor your information- here is a great article from Hubspot on how to do that. It’s not realistic to think that you will appeal to everyone all the time, so it’s okay to be specific, just keep make sure it’s relevant.
  • Know your keywords (here is my previous post to help you find those). Keywords are going to help your target audience find your blog.
  • Create an editorial calendar for your blog. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet to help you know the topic you will be writing about and when you will publish it. These are great for keeping you focused and your thoughts organized. Here is a good example from AndyWibbels.com.
  • Have a source for visual content. Photos, videos, and infographics are very popular and widely consumed. If you have your own photos or videos to use, be sure to optimize them using keywords. If not, Pagemodo offers a great list of sites offering free image downloads (just be sure to give proper credit)
  • Choose your measuring tools. Google Analytics is a great one to help you analyze what’s working and what’s not. Also, most blogs offer visitor statistics for your blog, but these are typically less specific.

Photo credit: Dana Rothstein

Step 3: Personalize Your Blog to Your Brand
Decide on the features, layout, colors and themes that are important to you and your target audience (and ideally include and align this with your logo). Make the feel, tone and graphics consistent with your website, FB, Twitter and/or any other social pages.

Step 4: Decide Where to Blog
There are many blogging platform sites to choose from, and most of them are free. The two most popular and user-friendly are Blogger and Wordress.org. Having used both, here is my opinion based on my experience:

Blogger is free and well-suited for beginners and personal blogs. It’s very easy to use, the gadgets are straightforward and cover the basic spectrum of things you might want to have displayed on your blog, and it’s integrated with all the Google sites (and is owned by Google).

WordPress is better suited for business in my opinion. It is important to note, however, that WordPress has two versions: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Here is a list of the of differences but essentially the .com version is similar to Blogger in that it is also free, comes with a limited number of standard widgets (plugins) and does not allow adding third-party plugins that you may eventually want to incorporate. WordPress.org is a little more technical, but it definitely has more options for customizing and optimizing your blog.

Whichever blogging site you choose, be sure to purchase the domain name for your business and host your blog through a third party host if you can (this is believed to give you more pagerank credit for your blog traffic). I found this third party host comparison from webmasterfaqs.org especially helpful in making my selection.

Step 5: Build your community!
Once you have your blog up and running, make sure to connect it with all your other social accounts (ie Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+) to build links and promote sharing, and be sure to add it to your business website.

Photo credit: Armando Iozzi

But you’re not done…being a blogger means you also actively participate on others’ blogs. You will want to build relationships through complementary blogs that share your target audience by visiting those blogs and leaving thoughtful, insightful comments (and links when appropriate, but use good judgement on this).

If making some of these decisions seems overwhelming at first, then pick a few of your “competitor” blogs and study them- what do you like, what turns you off, what topics seem to get people commenting and engaging?

And, if this is a bit elementary for you, here is a more in depth guide from Marketingland on how to develop a content strategy for your blog.

So there you have it- I’ve shared some of the my favorite resources for learning how to start a business blog, but I’d love to hear about any awesome tools or suggestions you have! And, feel free to post a link to your blog if you’d like to share it.

Posted in Branding, Content Marketing, Easy Tips, small business marketing and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
21 Aug 2012

Anatomy of a Facebook Page

So you’ve taken the plunge and decided to commit to using a Facebook Page as part of your marketing strategy for your business- congratulations!  Here are the basics to help you through setting up your page:

Creating a new brand Page:
At the very bottom of your personal Profile page is a link to “create a page”.  Click on this link to get started!  Select the most appropriate category for your business.  Complete the detailed information and click “Get Started”.  You will be walked through the process of setting up your Page.  For information on Facebook Page basics, visit https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=262355163822084.

Once your Page is in place, here is a breakdown of what you see:

Cover Photo (above):
This is the first thing that a viewer will see, so be sure to use a photo that is visually interesting and represents your brand in a way you want it to be perceived.  Here are a few important Facebook guidelines to note:

  1. Photo should be a JPG file, 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall and less than 100 kilobytes.
  2. Image should not mention price or purchase information (such as “25% off”)
  3. Contact information (website, physical address, phone number, hours of operation) should be listed in your “About” description (under your profile photo as shown above)
  4. Image should not request the viewer to “Like” or “Share” your Page
  5. Image should not state calls-to-action (“Tell a friend” or “Get it now”)
  6. for further clarification, visit https://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=276329115767498

Also note that while your Cover Photo is static, it can be changed.  Begin by uploading the photo you want to use for your cover and designating your “Cover Photo”.  Once that is in place, you can easily change the photo with another existing photo from your photo album by hovering on the Cover Photo (when logged in as the Page Administrator) and clicking the “Change Cover” icon as seen in the example above.

Profile Picture:
Depending on your brand and the product/service that you offer, your profile “picture” is typically your brand logo.

Apps (or Tabs):
These are the boxes (“applications” or “tabs”) that allow Pages to offer other types of information to viewers.  For all brand Pages, the first app will be “photos” (which will display your most recently uploaded photo by default), the second app will be “Likes” (which will list the total number of Page “Likes” but can be moved to the lower row of apps to make room for other apps), and the third app will be “map” if you have a physical address.  Other standard apps provided by Facebook are: Events, Notes, Videos, Groups, as well as other apps found at https://www.facebook.com/appcenter/category/pageapps.

Custom apps can be created to connect your Facebook Page with your other social media accounts (such as Twitter, Pinterest), and in a variety of other ways.

Timeline (above):
Your Page’s Timeline is what others see when they come to your Page.  Posts will appear in chronological order (unless otherwise specified) and are added much the same way you post to your personal Profile.  Similar to your Profile, the “Home” tab at the top displays your Page’s News Feed, which are posts from the other Pages you have “liked”.

A few notes about posts:  The more visual the better (people are more inclined to engage and share visual posts); you can @tag other brand Pages but this function only works with “live” posts (vs. scheduled posts); when sharing a link, you can remove the hyperlink from your status box once the link is formed and before you publish your post; speak in the first person (“we”) and provide valuable, problem-solving information.

Options with posts before publishing (below):
To schedule a post to publish at a future date/time or to backdate a post to fit appropriately in your Timeline, click on the grey clock icon at the bottom left of your status box:

Options with posts after publishing:
Once a post is published, you can “Highlight” your post by clicking on the grey star icon at the top of your published post.  This feature widens your post to the width of both columns.

Another option is to affix (or “pin”) a post to the top of your Timeline so that it stays in that top position for 7 days (and subsequent posts continue to post chronologically below it).  This is achieved by clicking on the grey pencil icon at the top of your published post to “Edit” your post and “Pin to Top”.  Editing your post will also give you the option to delete a post.

The top boxes in the right side column of your Timeline will show “Recent Posts by Others” (these are posts in which you were tagged or posts made directly to your Page wall by others), the “Likes” lists of Pages you have “liked” as your brand Page, and in some cases, “Recommendations”.

As an Administrator of your Page, you will also see an Admin Panel appear at the top of your Page when you log on (this is not visible to non-admin viewers).  This panel will give you updates on recent “notifications”, “messages” and “new likes”, as well as other functions to Edit Page, Build Audience and Help.

Invite others to “Like” your page! (see below)
From your personal Profile, go to your Home tab (news feed).  In the column to the left you will see the title “Pages and Ads” displaying the Pages which you Administer.  Click on your Page (you are still operating under your Profile- as noted by the icon at the top- but are posting as your Page).  At the top of your Page click on “Build Audience” for your drop-down choices:

I recommend using the three options (Invite Email Contacts, Invite Friends, and Share Page) to begin inviting people to your new Facebook Page.  And, remember, it’s important to ask them to “Like” your page- that way all of their Facebook friends will see that they “like” you and your posts will appear in your fans’ news feeds (enabling them to “share” your great information!).
These tips should get you started.  For more tips on using Facebook and social media marketing, “like” my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/5amCoffeeSocialMediaMarketing and leave your Facebook page link below so I can follow back.  See you on Facebook!

Posted in Easy Tips, Facebook, small business marketing and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
01 Jul 2012
1 Comment

Are “Keywords” Really the Key?

First, let’s start with the most obvious question: What are “keywords”?  By definition, “keywords” are the words that one would use in search boxes, such as Google, when looking for information pertaining to that search.  Traditional (or short tail) keywords are one or two word searches, like “photography” or “photography tips”, and tend to encompass more general information.  Long tail keywords are phrases of multiple words strung together for search, such as “family photographer San Diego”.  These are usually specific searches and often times look for information incorporating the W’s (who, what, where, when, why) and H (how).

Photo credit: Christopher Howeth

The next logical questions is: Why are keywords important?  When someone searches in Google, they are looking for information.  If that desired information is related to a product or service you provide- and every business has “information” to provide- then you absolutely want to be listed as close to the top of the first page of search results as possible, to be found first by the searcher.

So, how do you get on the first page of Google?  It’s a simple question with a very complicated (and secret) algorithm answer.  What we do know is that Google’s intent is bring the most relevant and current information in its search results.  This tells you two very important things: be relevant and be publishing information often to be considered current (most experts recommend at least one new blog post a week).  And how do you make yourself relevant?  By using the keywords and keyword phrases often in the content you create and publish.  This premise is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  SEO can be much more involved, but for purposes of simple yet effective marketing for small businesses, this is an easy and necessary tactic.

How do you find keywords?  There are many ways, but here are three of the easiest to get your started.  First, go with what you think your ideal customer would search (it is usually wise to avoid industry specific “insider” jargon).  Second, start typing just the first word into the search box and make note of Google’s suggested search terms.  Third, spend a little time getting to know Google’s Keyword Tool (it’s free).  The object here is to find relevant and similar terms that are commonly being searched but have medium to low competition to increase your chances of being found with those keywords.  There are many short but helpful keyword tutorials out there on YouTube as well, if you need to see it in action to understand how it works.

What do you do with keywords?  Incorporate them into titles, content, links, images, tags and anything else you can.  Do note, however, that Google will penalize sites for gross overuse of keywords, so make sure they occur naturally in the conversation.  Also, keep in mind that it can (and probably will) take months of consistently publishing good, relevant content to see your site increase in the rankings for those key words.

And, back to my original question: Are keywords really the key?  Theoretically speaking, if the search engine is the lock which houses the information the searcher (your potential customer) is looking for, and has the power to display your site as an answer to the search, then in many ways, yes- keywords are the key.  But they aren’t the only key on the proverbial marketing keychain.  They are, however, arguably one of the most important keys for your marketing strategy.

One final thought: finding you does not guarantee that the searcher will take the time to click on your website or interact, let alone become a customer.  That is up to you.  What are you offering that is valuable, different, unique, interesting, or entertaining?  In other words, why would someone want to give you their business, and not your competitor?

Of course, if your competitor is optimized for keywords and you aren’t, then there is a good chance it will be because the searcher found your competitor first.  So, remember, be relevant and publish often with keywords.

What success stories do you have to share about keywords?

Posted in Content Marketing, Easy Tips, internet and socia media marketing, Keywords, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), small business marketing and tagged , , , , , , ,
31 May 2012

Creative Topic Ideas for Posts

So you have a Facebook Page for your business (and/or Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc), and you know you should be making regular posts…but you’re not sure what to write about?

Here are some ideas to get your juices flowing, but first a few things to note.  While you are communicating as your company/brand, most experts recommend talking in the first person.  This keeps the conversation more genuine and personal. And, while your purpose of your page may be to promote your business/product/service, remember that your fans and followers are there to get something of value from you.  A hard core sales pitch as they walk in the front door is going to drive them away, and fast.  Instead, take a more informational, educational and personal approach to provide them with information (or “content”) they will consider helpful- and not just about your products or services.

Photo: Amritanshu Singh

So here are some topic ideas for posts:

1.  News and current events – Set your Google Alerts, subscribe to RSS feeds or just keep a keen eye on current events (especially as they relate to your industry), but make your page a valuable source of information to others.

Tip: Don’t just regurgitate headlines (unless it’s breaking news), but add something to it.  Give your opinion (but only if you are willing to let others share theirs), talk about how it affects your product/service or industry, or poll/ask questions of followers about the topic.

2.  Questions – Get to know your audience by asking questions.  Get their thoughts, opinions, and experiences; find out what is important to them.  The more you know about them, the more you can tailor your content, the better the engagement will be.

Tip:  One effective way to do this is to offer your thoughts/opinions/experiences first to get the conversation going.  Or, you can use a fill-in-the-blank style statement.  And it’s always a good idea to thank your followers for responding.  Asking questions- as long as you acknowledge the answers- should enhance your customer service and customer experience as well.

3.  Interesting Facts – Be informative and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise about your industry and/or products/services.  This can also be an opportunity to link to other sources of information to build your credibility, and build your business relationships.

Tip:  Give statistics, trade definitions, explain unique features, or simply offer information that would be deemed valuable by your customers.  You can also promote other products/services that are complimentary to yours, and be sure to @tag any brand pages you mention.

4.  Photos and videos – Did you know that pictures on Facebook garner 120% more engagement than an average post?  With the larger photo display in Facebook, the advent of Pinterest and Google+’s emphasis on photos, there is a definite movement to more visual content.

Twitter is a bit of an exception, as photos/videos will not appear in the Twitter feed, but rather a link to the photos/videos.  This means it’s best to mention in your Tweet that you are referring to a photo.  Also, remember Twitter only allows up to 140 characters, so you will need to keep your Tweets succinct and effective.

Tip: Do you have a photo or video demo on your products/services?  Share it!  How about a glimpse of something you’re working on, or a video that is related to your industry?  When you post the photo or video, add an explanation (and comment or question, if you wish) to explain what viewers are seeing.

5.  Quotes, jokes or other unrelated – Sometimes it’s nice to change things up or just keep it simple.  You might be surprised at the response you get with this tactic.

Tip:  Did you see a funny video you thought others would enjoy?  How about an inspiring quote that you want to pass on?  Did you see something amazing, find a great book or new vacation spot?  Keep it tasteful and make it fun, and others will be sure to notice.

Being creative and interesting, and providing valuable information is what will capture people’s interests and motivate them to engage.  Just think of it as putting the “social” in the “media”.

Do you have any topics you have found to be especially appealing?  If so, please share!

Posted in Branding, Content Marketing, Easy Tips, Facebook, Google+, internet and socia media marketing, introduction to social media, LinkedIn, small business marketing, Twitter, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

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