Do You Need a Facebook Group or Fan/Brand Page?

I ‘heart’ Facebook and use it regularly.  Based on the usage numbers, you probably do, too.  More and more, we’re not only using Facebook for friendly connections; we’re tapping into it for business promotions.

I’m averaging three requests a week to join a group or become a fan of a business, and even more times a week, I’m being asked about the best methods for using Facebook tor create buzz for businesses.  The most common question is “do I need a group  or a fan page?”

Here’s the short of it:

Create a Facebook group if

• you want to bring people with a shared interest or involvement together.
• you want to encourage interactions and discussions.
  
• you anticipate participation of group members in posting items, photos, etc.
  
• you are open to the input and content creation of others and are fine with simply being the facilitator of the interactions.
  

Examples of groups:

• Event planning committees (group may become obsolete after event is done)
• Book clubs, discussion groups, etc.
  
• School, church or family reunions
  
• Topical exchanges for business or amusement purposes in which all members are encouraged to contribute
  

I created my “misADventures” group to create fun interaction amongst interested individuals on the topic of humorously bad advertising and marketing campaigns.  Anyone can post pictures, start discussions or make comments.  I couched this page as a “brought to you by Small Biz Big Time” to help create a light-hearted affinity all around, with a very subtle and secondary brand message.

Create a Facebook fan/brand page if

• you want to build buzz around a brand name or create interest/support of a product or service.
• you want to convey information to a core group of people who show interest in your specific topic.
  
• you want a place for comments and feedback, yet with less focus on interactions and discussions.
  
• you prefer to guide the tone and content of the page as it represents the person, company, product or service being promoted.
  

Examples of pages:

• Musical artists, celebrities or public personalities
• Businesses or brand names
  
• Products or services
  
• Events – for purposes of promotion, not planning
  

My husband, JP Williams, is an independent singer songwriter, so we opted for a fan page to promote his music.  We uploaded a music player and are using that page to message members about upcoming gigs and events.  Facebook even lets you target group messages by location and a few other factors.  Click on “Insights” to see group demographics and page views.  It’s a handy tool, for sure!

Your group memberships will show up in a logo-infused list on the “info” tab of your profile.  That’s just one more subtle way these pages build branding. Your group memberships will go into a running list in on the “info” tab of your profile.

As with most social media endeavors, these things can really take off and grow organically.  One connection can lead to another.  However, it’s still in your court to inject your group or fan page with new content, consistency of message and fresh imagery.  I rarely hear from any of the groups or fan pages I’ve chosen to join, even though they could message all of us members with just a few clicks.

And remember, these things are all about relationships.  Whether you create a group or a fan page, carve out some value-adds for your members a few times a year.  Offer some exclusives to make your circle feel special – a white paper, a coupon, a free song download, whatever!  If people take the effort to “join” you, make it worth it for them, and you’ll have friends, fans and groupies all around!

Thanks!

p.s. – Look for the “misADventures” group on Facebook.  It’s a fun virtual water cooler break!

Word of Mouth to Click of Mouse: How in the World Wide Web to Market to Online Communities

Anyone who tells you the Internet has eliminated borders is speaking the truth and totally misleading you all at once.

Thanks to the web, time zones and geography are of minimal consequence to our marketing efforts.  Yet within the context of the Internet, communities are still formed, and virtual lines of demarcation are set—and set strongly—all the time.  Sure, your online message or web-based campaign ‘could’ be seen by anybody around the globe, but it likely won’t be.  You still have to earn your way into your customers’ circles.

I heard a story about an 87 year-old man who lived on the lower east side of NYC.  In nearly nine decades walking the planet, he could count on one hand the number of times he’d ventured beyond the 5 block radius of his neighborhood. He lived in one of the world’s most bustling cities, yet his entire life was contained in a tiny corner of it.    Everything he needed was right there.  And if it wasn’t right there, somebody would deliver it.  So why leave?

That’s a great analogy for most people’s Internet experiences today.  Sure, there’re millions of sites and networks out there, but most folks pretty much stay close to home.  They find where they fit, move in, and chat with their online neighbors to get information and ideas for things they need beyond their ‘hoods.

Thus, the onus is still on the marketer to earn the chance to be heard within target markets.  However, that broad target market may now be compartmentalized into the readerships of 100 blogs or 10 popular online magazines or 1,000 Facebook groups.  And all the while, that same target market is DVRing their favorite TV shows and scrolling past the commercials.

So what in the World Wide Web is a marketer to do?  Here are some ideas.

Start small.
Embrace the neighborhood mentality.  Find some vibrant communities online that fit your target market, and move in  to the neighborhood.  If they find you to be a good neighbor, your community mates will ultimately cross the fences for you.

The great news is that each person in an online community is connected to other people—in other online communities.  That’s how the ‘Net is ultimately “borderless” as originally billed; the concept of six degrees of separation applies in folds.

Be real.
In the context of community, everybody can spot the phony.  Make friends before you try to make sales.  Don’t breeze into an online community like a traveling salesman; move into your chosen communities with the intention of setting down roots.  Become a contributing citizen, and the sales will come naturally.

Be patient.
Before the era of mass media and mass transit, people shopped in neighborhood markets, recommended sellers by word of mouth, and over time, certain shopkeeps earned solid reputations.  And today, though we’re in the era of mass email, the same rules still apply.  Rather than word of mouth, we pass along recommendations by click of mouse.  Sure that speeds things up, but marketers shouldn’t expect brand loyalty and sustained sales to magically generate.

Click on over tomorrow for more buzz about social media for small biz!

Thanks,

Online in No Time – Practical Ways to Get on the Web

You’d be hard pressed to convince me there’s a business out there that doesn’t need some kind of presence on the Internet.  While I’ll admit not every business merits (or is ready for the commitment of) a full blown, flashy website, all businesses need to be findable and reachable online.

Know anybody who’s still rebuffing the need to be on the web?  For some small biz owners I’ve encountered, the hesitancy boils down to fear of the unknown.  We stick with what we know, and there are still business people who “know” offline marketing much better than they do online tactics.  They perceive websites to be expensive money pits or techie mind twisters to maintain, or they discount social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube as dismissible teenie-bopper banter.

I’ve previously blogged about the fact that small business owners simply can’t disregard the realities of the web.  It’s essential to get online lest you fall behind.  So for you or any of the hold-outs you may know, here are a few practical, immediately applicable ideas to make the ‘Net work for you.

Create a blog and/or a Facebook page for your business.
There is no cost involved in creating a blog through a platform such as WordPress.  Ditto that for setting up a Facebook page.  For both these entities, all the tools are web-based and self-service.  When it comes to building your blog or Facebook biz page, you can do-it-yourself and update likewise, as long as you have Internet connection.  There’s no need to purchase or download software or any web page building tools.

I’ll give you fair warning.  If you’re not well-versed in the ways of web page creation or blog lingo, you’ll likely feel a little overwhelmed as you first attempt to create your blog.  There are many hints and ideas to help you out online; tap into them.  Though blogs have innate limitations in terms of design options, you can select templates that accommodate multiple pages and customization.

Facebook business pages are fairly straight forward, but if you’re new to Facebook, it’s advisable that you get your bearings before you build a page.  A business page is preferable to a Facebook ‘group’ if you’re goal is to create brand presence and convey information for customers.

And once you get the framework going for your blog or Facebook page, you can take your time to perfect and add on to what you’ve created.

Secure a domain name, and point it to your no-cost blog.
Whether you’re ready or not for a full website, by all means secure your domain name now, if you haven’t already.  The great news is that you can point your branded URL directly to your no-cost blog (free WordPress blogs include “wordpress” in the URL).  That way, you can give everyone a web address that best fits your biz, yet you won’t be fretting with hosting costs or monthly fees.  The only cost will be the in the acquisition of the domain name.  I did this for Small Biz Big Time.  I secured the smallbizbigtime.com domain, and directed to my blog on WordPress.  My only expense was in the reserving of the domain name, which I tackled as a one time fee through Yahoo! Small Business.

Make the most of free listings!
Countless sites offer free listings for business of all kinds.  These sites often have built in functionality that makes upload of media very simple and provide areas for business owners to promote goods and services as needed.  From Reverbnation.com for musicians to Etsy.com for creative artists, there are endless options for being connected and present.  My husband is a voice-over artist, so he built a page at voice123.com/jpwilliams.  Creating the page involved no cost, it is a great place to house his demos and pertinent information.  It’s been immensely helpful whenever he’s needed to email samples of his work to potential clients.

Let other sites do the heavy lifting.
If you have video content that you’d like to use on any of your web pages, blogs or websites, start the process with YouTube or Vimeo.  YouTube or Vimeo will handle file conversions so you don’t have to, and the sites even provide you with handy links and codes that you can embed rather simply anywhere you need them—from your blog to your Facebook biz page, wherever!  Additionally, many sites build in options for creating customer lists, calendars, cross-branding updates, etc. (check out Blog111, for example), so you needn’t try to conquer all those options by yourself to include on your own website.  Someone else has already done it for you; make the most of it!

There are so many layers to each of these topics.  Please—email me your questions, and I’ll gladly delve further into anything you need to know more about, or at least I’ll point you in the right direction for more information.  No matter what, it’s time to be more than a spectator on the Internet; it’s time for you to get on the Web and be in the game!

Thanks!

The Oprah Effect – Balancing Online & Face Time for Small Biz

Technology has irrevocably rocked our worlds, and the onset of social media has solidified that fact.  Just ask Oprah!

Last Friday, Oprah—the queen of face-to-face, heart-to-heart conversations—posted her first tweet on the popular microblogging site Twitter.  In a few quick clicks, she spiked Twitter visits by 24%* on April 17th and subsequently introduced Twitter to her legions of viewers worldwide.  Data shows that 37% of Twitter users that day were new to the site.  Clearly, social media is deepening its roots into our daily lives; Oprah’s on board.

As interesting—and potentially powerful—as those Twitter stats may be, it’s safe to presume that, as long as she has a show, Oprah will not cease and desist from having live guests sit knee to knee with her on the couch.  The in-person conversation, “in front of a live studio audience,” is the heart of the matter for Oprah and her devoted audience.  Though she may Skype in some interviewees and tweet about her comings and goings, Oprah has created an empire based on the personal touch, the immediate and three dimensional connection of being in a studio with audiences and guests.  She merely extends and deepens those connections through the use of technology and social media tools.

What’s the lesson for small business owners?  It’s two-fold and three dimensional.
1.  We are all caught in the World Wide Web of social media and online technology.  It is real, present and powerfully impacting how we do business, connect with friends and proceed into the future.

2.  Technology will never negate the value and utter necessity of face time.  “In person” moments may be required less frequently thanks to technology, but they will never be replaceable.  There will always be a big difference between a smiling face to greet you at the end of a day and a “ ” at the end of an email.

Small businesses owners also need to blend the use of social media tools and the time spent building online presence wtih real life, in person opportunities to connect.  Technology can be an incredible enhancement and extension of who you are and how you reach people.  When you’re effectively and meaningfully connecting with friends, colleagues and customers online and in person, you’ve really achieved something worth tweeting about.

Thanks!

How Do You Define “Big Time?”

I named this blog and the accompanying webcast “Small Biz Big Time” for a few reasons.  First, it’s kinda catchy.  Second, the domain name was available.  Third, it’s descriptively accurate, in that social media is enabling small businesses to go beyond the borders and previously accepted parameters to achieve success.  Lastly, I like the idea of redefining both “Small Biz” and “Big Time,” because in today’s world, both terms are up for interpretation.

Let’s look at the phrase “Big Time.”

In our attention hungry, camera carrying society, it seems like so many of us are posturing and plotting for our 15 megabytes of fame (and the megabucks and book deal to go with ‘em).  Many people think that’s what the “Big Time” in “Small Biz Big Time” is all about.  But that isn’t necessarily so.  As I’m interviewing small business people for the show, I’m asking them to describe what “big time” is for them.  In other words, I want to know what ’success’ looks like to them.  Everyone’s definitions are different—and not what you might expect.

One common theme in the replies I’ve gotten thus far is “freedom.”   These small business owners place freedom high on their lists when it comes to defining success.  That’s why they’re drawn to the use of social media to grow their businesses.  Social media can be used on their terms, on their time, anywhere they are—as long as they’ve got Internet connection.

And they want to use social media tools to build their businesses in such a way as to have enough volume/revenue to be free to choose the projects they take on and the clients they will work with.  With social media’s potential reach, these business people see the opportunity to maximize their resources, so they can ultimately spend their time doing the part of their jobs that they love.

Also, these entrepreneurs consistently define “big time” as “more time”—more time to spend with their families, more time to create, more time to enjoy, more time to do the stuff they love.

So far, nary an interviewee has mentioned “be on Oprah” or “buy a yacht” as milestones on the journey to the “big time.”  Of course, if they had mentioned Oprah or a yacht, that would be okay, too.  Everyone’s “big time” is different.  But the great thing is, social media can help us all reach for our goals, our dreams, with a little help from our our connections, our followers, our fans—our friends.

Thanks!

The Relationship Economy for Small Business – An Interview with Jay Deragon

For most small business owners, lasting success has always been about relationships.  Business transactions ultimately equate to human interactions.  That’s what makes social media tools such ideal options for the small business community.  When used well, these ‘new’ tools can help small operations reach out to customers in big ways.

I recently spoke with Social Media Strategist and author Jay Deragon about the intersection of technology and business relationships.  Jay offered some very practical insights on how small business owners can incorporate social media tools to build better relationships.

Social Media In Question – An Inquiring Mind’s LinkedIn Experience

I’m friends with a fellow who questions everything.  He wants proof.  He wants to know the methodology used to attain the proof, and he wants to know the pedigree of the person providing the proof.  Then, he gets a second opinion and questions it as well.

He’s a hard sell, this friend of mine.  And he’s been very successful because of it.

You see, as he “questions everything” he’s asking questions.  Many people who are prone to question are really “know-it-all’s.”  They question everything under the presumption that they already have the answers.  That’s not the case here.  Sure, my friend puts ‘everything’ through an inquisition.  Yet his real motivation is knowledge acquisition.  He’s not motivated by the need to be right; he’s motivated by the need to learn and grow.

It’s been fascinating to observe this friend enter into the social media world.  He had one eyebrow raised as he set up his LinkedIn page.  He audibly huffed as he logged into Twitter the first time.  Yet his inquisitive nature forced him forward, all the while questioning and asking questions.  “Is this stuff real?” “Is this worth my time?”  “if it’s real, how can I make it work for me?”

I’m around some social media gurus on a regular basis. They knock it out of the park with all their blogging, tweeting and linking.  Yet I know few people who can top the quality and usefulness of my information-seeking buddy’s social media endeavors.

He joined a couple targeted groups on LinkedIn and has had the nerve to ask probing questions and offer real answers to others.  He’s not on there cloaking sales pitches as questions or discussion topics.  He’s starting conversations with colleagues.

Here are some ideas from my inquisitive colleague’s notebook that can help you dive into LinkedIn.

Find and join at least one LinkedIn group that you’re interested in.

• Treat your LinkedIn group as a round table of like-minded colleagues.
• Seek out opportunities to answer questions within your group.
  
• Answer and banter honestly within your LinkedIn group; don’t treat postings like classified ads.
  
• Take the relationships found in LinkedIn groups to other places online.  Connect via Twitter or Facebook, and watch simple interactions become real alliances.
  

As my friend might say:  “Without question, question everything.”  That mindset and his openness to learn new things has enabled my friend to plant seeds for great professional relationships.  He’s already found some effective services and connections, and he’s had the chance to provide ideas and answers likewise.   That’s social media at its best.  No question!

Thanks!

The Prudence of Patience in a Point & Click Economy

Have you noticed that we often assume any marketing efforts conducted online should not be subject to a timeline?

I see this tendency in myself and my clients.  After all, I can make a few, fast rat-a-tat-tats on my keyboard and update the world on my whereabouts or pay my bills or find out the weather in Istanbul.  Surely my marketing message and online presence should establish and increase at a rapid rate; that’s what the Internet is all about, right?

Let’s slow down…

The technology behind modern communications is jarringly quick, and we’ve never been better able to placate the ‘immediate gratification beast’ in all of us like we are able to now.  Things are progressing so fast, what was reportedly innovative in January is lining the virtual wastebasket come April.  Yet people are still people, and though you can do a rapid snap to get attention, relationships, purchasing decisions and brand loyalty are still created at mere human speeds.

Though it may take only minutes to open a blogging account and post your first entry, it will likely take a while for anyone to discover your creation and become a devoted reader.  You’ll have to put forth effort to let folks know you’re out there, even as you seek to contribute great content to the blogosphere.  You can even create a website with e-commerce functionality in just a few short hours (or less), but going live won’t typically bring the bees to honey.  There are steps in between that must occur.  Hanging out the “open” sign on the Internet doesn’t guarantee immediate marketshare.

Master blogger Lindsay Ferrier gave some great insights on this topic in her recent conversation with me for ‘Small Biz Big Time.’  Bloggers like Lindsay, who has a huge following of devoted readers, are tops on modern media lists and are the direct recipients of PR efforts.  With many companies seeking her product reviews and positive brand mentions, Lindsay knows very well the importance of the real relationships when working with PR reps.  To her, there’s a big difference between the cursory knock of a PR passerby versus the ongoing conversation with an established PR contact.

Guess which one pays off?  Patience pays.

Jay Deragon of The Relationship Economy delineates the process into five essential steps:  attention, attraction, affinity, audience, action.  This steps are relevant for any marketing endeavor, but are particularly relevant in the real of social media to promote business.

While we shouldn’t dawdle in forging forward in our businesses, we also shouldn’t impose unrealistic deadlines for results.  The stronger the root system, the more fruit the vine will bear—and still it must bear when the season is right.

Look for more truths on timing and the five elements of social media (attention, attraction, affinity, audience, action) coming soon…and right on time…

Thanks!

Be Your Own Client

Blog – Social Media Business Strategies – Social Media Connection.

I have clients.  Clients have needs.  I meet clients’ needs.  That’s how it works in my world.

Yet it’s often a different story when I need to tackle projects for my business; “the cobbler’s children have no shoes,” I often joke.  The problem is typically two-fold:  (1) I’m so busy taking care of paying clients, I’m challenged to carve time for my own endeavors, and (2) it’s hard for me to get my head in the game when the effort is my own.

Earlier this year, I added new entrepreneurial endeavors (i.e.- “Small Biz Big Time” and my freelance copywriting biz) to my existing workload and immediately felt a little discombobulated—mentally disorganized, if you will.  If I could juggle the needs of multiple clients at one time, why were my own projects weighing me down?

One afternoon as I organized client files on my computer, I had a breakthrough.  Ding!  I realized “I” am the client, and I should have client folders for my own endeavors.

Mind you, I’d often stated that I was going to treat my projects like I would any other clients’.  I even had folders already set up.  But were they organized?  No!  I hadn’t followed up my statements with concerted action.  That afternoon, as I polished the file folders for “Small Biz Big Time,” I felt the new endeavor take its place in my brain.  Because I’m so attuned to servicing my clients and organizing their projects and information, I was quickly able to assign “my” stuff its rightful place on my priority list.

It’s common sense, I know.  But for me, this issue that’s often ‘easier said than done,’ became easier once I’d done something about it.

This truth is essential as you embark on the journey into social media for your business.   If you don’t take action to prioritize your own efforts, you’ll flounder to the point of exhaustion.  Maybe you need to write out your own business plan.  Maybe you should organize your file folders like I did.  Perhaps you could invest in some training to educate yourself on the tools you want to incorporate for your business.

If there’s anything I’ve learned this year, it’s that it’s always right to invest in myself and my business.  When the economic hiccup became a full-on groan, some of even my most loyal clients—for whom I could not have worked harder—had to pull back out of necessity.  The one constant in my career is me!

I’m my own client.  And I’m pretty easy to work with as long as the service is good…

Have a great weekend!

Don’t Use Twitter! (Until You Know Why & How to Do So)

Small business owners: Are you thinking about Twitter for your business? Well, before you take flight, heed my cautionary tale. Until you can articulate why you should use it and how to make it work for you—with specifics for your business, save your time, effort and energy!

Twitter can be a great tool if you know why and how to use it; it can be black hole of your valuable time if you don’t.

Take me, for example…

At the world’s urgent behest to “do Twitter,” I put up a profile, found a handful of thought leaders in industries relevant to me who were worth following and casually logged on now and again. Each time I took my Twitter perch, I’d see some interesting updates, find links to useful articles or be amused by the minutia of daily life as microblogged by the small collection of people I’d selected to tweet up with.

After a month, with my head swirling from the ceaseless squawking about “making the most of your Twitter usage,” I felt this inexplicable peer pressure to up my game. I took my perch one Saturday morning with the goal of increasing my flock. I spent two hours hitting “follow.” Then I set up a TweetLater account so that I could auto-follow anyone who followed me.

The effort paid off. My numbers grew significantly. Good, right? Well…

I diluted the one aspect of Twitter that had been useful to me. Now when I log on, I rarely see the ‘tweets’ of the thought leaders I’d first sought out. I’ve got bigger numbers all around, but what does that really mean?

I learned that, for my goals, Twitter use really wasn’t about quantity but quality. I’d have been wise to strategize before joining in all the fluttering. Thankfully, I learned this fact so that I can now share my story with you. So, the effort had a resulting value, after all.

Of course, it’s smart to apply the “why and how” test to any marketing tactic you’re considering. If you can’t identify why you should do something (i.e. – what the gain will be) or how (lest you unknowingly bite off more than you can chew).

I’ll be flapping my feathers on more specifics of Twitter use for small business. Log back each day to learn more!

Thanks!