All posts by bill

Verifying Your Business on Facebook

Facebook, ,

Now you can give your Page an official stamp of authenticity.

Yes you can verify your Facebook page and get a gray checkmark next to your business name to show that it has been verified by Facebook.

Facebook verification badge

You probably have seen the blue checkmark, that is for celebrities, public figures, sports teams and other media and entertainment.

The badges will help people “find the right and authentic accounts” for local merchants, Kirsten Bury, a Facebook product marketing manager for Pages, told Marketing Land.

Verified Pages will:

  • Show up higher in search results.
  • Let visitors know the page is authentic
  • Get Early access to new features

For those reasons alone it’s worth verifying your page.

So here’s how you do it.  I did this on my iPhone and it was very simple. Go to your page and find  “more” to the right and under your cover photo.

Click on “Edit Settings” then click on “General” and up will pop the screen where you’ll find “Verify my page,” click on that and you’ll get this screen:

How to verify your facebook page

Next you’ll enter your business phone number and click on “Call me now.” You will almost instantly get a call with a 4 digit verification code, simply punch that in, hit “continue” and that’s it. Your page is now verified and you’ll see the check next to your name.

Pretty easy. For the reasons listed above I would do this right away as it takes no time at all.

Hope this helps!

BIll

 

Top 5 Marketing Trends of 2015

Uncategorized

2015 is now behind us as we embark on 2016. So what worked in marketing for 2015? In an article on Business.com Shayna Marks (@shaynamrx) asked several thought leaders in business what worked for them in 2015. Here’s the top 5 with my comments in ( ):

1.  Social Media. (This is a moving target, what worked a year ago has already changed. However what is not changing is,  businesses need to be where the people are and they are on social media)

2. Content Marketing. (this will continue to grow as consumers will gravitate to companies that build useful informational, informative content)

3. Mobile Marketing & ecommerce. (Big and getting bigger. As much attention should be paid to mobile as desktop and even moreso in the future)

4. Conversion Optimization. (Finding what converts and doing more of that. It’s thr adage “soar with your strengths” and this is about finding that sweet spot and then maximizing it)

5. Digital Security. (more everyday companies are getting hacked, I have a client right now that has their website hacked into – thankfully we’re building them a new one – but this is a growing concern and understanding your own cyber security is important.

It’s interesting how “Traditional Media” didn’t make the top 5. I will say, there’s a lot of value in traditional media still, don’t throw it totally way, however this top 5 shows you we live in a digital marketing world.

So let’s hit the button for 2016 and see what marketing trends emerge this year!

2016 Start, Two Thousand Sixteen.

 

 

 

 

Bill

Freakonomics

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FreakonomicsSo on my blog I usually write about business types of things, however I just read a great book called “Freakonomics” yes it’s been out for awhile, I’m late to the party but better late than never!

In this book, a brilliant economist (Steven D. Levitt) teams up with an equally brilliant writer (Stephen J. Dubner) to gain answers to some interesting questions; “What do school teachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?” “Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?” “The probability a real estate agent is cheating you,” “What makes a perfect parent?” etc…

On the latter, “What makes a perfect parent?” being the father of two boys I was wondering where I’d fall short so I was eager to read that chapter and to find out. Levitt and Dubner dive into “nature vs. nurture,” “how important is the school the child attends?” “does too much TV really negatively impact your child” among other things. The chapter is a fun read and I will cut to the chase – do parents really matter?

The short answer is yes – but it’s not the parenting technique, it’s not so much what you do, (read to them, take them to museums, limit TV time), but who you are as parents. They say parents who are well educated, successful and healthy, (as well as honest, thoughtful, loving and curious about the world), tend to have children who are likely to succeed.

Again it’s not so much what you do as a parent but who you are as parents that matter most. They admit this is a bit of an over generalization, but this is what the research shows and I just wanted to pass it along for what it’s worth. And if you want a fun, interesting, romp of a read, definitely pick up Freakonomics, I highly recommend it!

Bill

Switch

Switch, ,

SwitchJust finished a great book called “Switch,” written by Chip and Dan Heath (yes they are brothers). The book is very insightful for anyone looking to incorporate change – personally, professionally, organizationally, culturally and to me, especially useful to marketing executives.  I want to focus on a very quick point, but first you must understand the basis of the book.

Changing behavior to the Heath brothers revolves around a 3 step process:

  1. Direct the rider – the analytic, thinking part of your brain. The part that focuses on facts and figures, features of a product etc…
  2. Motivate the elephant – the emotional side of your brain that usually gets its way, even though what it wants might be bad or wrong for you. That’s why the call it the elephant, because it can often crush the rider or analytical part of your mind. Think of smokers, they know it’s poor health decision, but they do it for the instant gratification although it’s a lousy long term decision.
  3. Shape the path – removing the obstacles that are often in the way of change. Think of eliminating useless steps in the buying process.

The part I want to focus on is the Elephant, or the emotional part of the brain. For marketing purposes, engagement here can really differentiate your product, company or service in a positive way. This can lead to a sale, increased brand affinity, larger market share etc…

So how do you do this? 

Find the feeling. Most of the time we focus on what the product is or service does, its cool features, that’s great for the rider (analytical side of the brain), but we need to find what hits the consumer on an emotional level (elephant).  Change the narrative from a “product discussion” to a “passion discussion.” As the Heath brothers say “knowledge isn’t enough to trigger a change.” This isn’t always easy, but think of what effect your product or service has on people, how does it make them feel?  Does using your product or service make them feel special? Are there things they can do with your product that empowers them? Do they identify with your product or service? (if I use this green eco product, I’m the type of person that protects the environment). These all tap into emotions. Think of a Nike commercial, they don’t talk about a special grade of rubber, where the cloth of the shoe is from or how strong the laces are.  No,  you see a person that you identify with sweating, striving towards a goal, working hard, yeah you see yourself in that person – you identify with that brand.

So let’s take something un-sexy, say a dry cleaner. It’s easy to talk about Nike, one of the biggest brands in the word, but what about the dry cleaner down the street. Aren’t they all the same? How can you be passionate about a dry cleaner? Find the feeling. Yeah you could wash and press your clothes yourself. You could take it to any of the 3 cleaners that are probably within a 1/2 mile of where you live, but you take it to cleaner XYZ. Why? Maybe they tapped into the feeling of pride? Or the feeling of achievement? You choose XYZ cleaners because you saw an ad of someone crisply dressed, looking sharp and feeling great, closing a big sale or spending a night on the town – that’s YOU – you want to look and be your best every minute, everyday, because that’s the type of person you are. You identify with that, they found the feeling of personal achievement and pride.  “Yeah, I go to cleaner XYZ because I want to be the best.” 

Cleaner ABC however, talks about how they spray collars in a 360 degree motion and use a dura-press micro steam process for ultimate wrinkle control. That’s great for the rider – nothing for the elephant. Tap into the emotion or feeling of  your product or service.

This is the main part I wanted to highlight, however there are two other components that can help motivate the elephant that I want to pass on to you:

Shrink the change – break down the change or path to success so it doesn’t look so daunting to the elephant 

Grow your people – cultivate  a sense of identity within your people and instill a growth mindset.

Switch is a terrific read, If you liked what i had to say about how to motivate the elephant, I highly recommend this book, you will find it very useful.

Bill

 

What is Google “Business View?”

Business View, Google+, ,

Google is very good at coming up with different ways that people can use search, one way is bringing “Street View” into your business. Utilizing the same technology you’ll find on Google Maps to search for a location, you can now “See Inside” and tour a business establishment.  Google calls this “Google Maps Business View” and it’s a 360 degree tour of your business.

Google see inside

Google uses certified photographers to take the pictures which are then uploaded to Google Search, Google Maps and Goggle+, all which increases a business chance at being found,  so their is an SEO benefit.

However the really cool part is allowing people to see inside your business, and for those businesses that have a great story to tell visually, this is something you should consider.  Think about restaurants, furniture stores, wayfinding in large department stores etc…

The fee varies by the size of the establishment and is a one-time payment. The “Business View” can also be embedded on the companies website, social media etc… Google experts will also show you how to share the tour at various points in the establishment if you want to showcase a certain room or area of the business.

if you have any questions please give me a call or drop me an email. 

To see the inside of the above restaurant click this link:  http://goo.gl/maps/oK57t

Is Facebook the new TV?

Facebook, ,

Just thinking out loud here, we all know engagement rate and reach for business pages on Facebook is dropping. As the engagement rate has fallen, their stock price has gone up, that’s not a coincidence as Facebook is basically forcing businesses to pay to reach their fans, even well done pages that are producing great content.

We all loved the fact that we could reach our customers and engage with them on a platform that was basically free, albeit for the costs of having someone spend the time on a Facebook strategy and execution.

But the free ride is over.

So is Facebook the new TV? Like TV Facebook has tremendous reach, in a recent Marketing Charts article, their research shows:

  • Among 18-24-year-olds, Facebook (online and mobile) has greater reach (70%) than any single TV network (61% being the highest);
  • Among 25-34-year-olds, there is more parity, with Facebook at 77% reach, compared to 71-75% reach among the networks;
  • Among 35-54-year-olds, networks have greater reach (82-84% range) than Facebook (73%); and
  • Among those aged 55 and up, networks sport far greater reach (86-91% range) than Facebook (52%).

As with any medium there are differences in the demographics, but this clearly illustrates the power of Facebook, power on par with TV.

So while it’s extremely frustrating to have engagement rates plummet (especially for pages that have PAID to drive likes), a  paid strategy for Facebook should not be ignored. Why? Their demographic, psycographic and geo-targeting tools, along with the relative ease of use, low cost and potential massive reach can still be an important tool as you try to engage your audience.

So, is Facebook the new TV? tremendous reach, but you’re gonna have to pay.

Is Facebook the new TV?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do I need a Google+ Business Page?

Google+, , , , ,

The answer is … yes, you do need a Google+ Business page if you’re a small local business. Why? A Google+ Business Page can help people find your business, and let’s face it, when a potential customer is searching for the product or service you provide, you absolutely want to be found in search.  Or at least I hope you do!

Plus your Google+ business page can provide important information about your business, such as:

  • Phone number
  • Location
  • Hours of operation
  • Pictures of your product or service
  • Other content you feel is important

Your mission is to connect with customers, your Google+ page can assist you with that whether they’re looking for you or your product or service on Search, Maps, Google+ or mobile devices.

It’s pretty easy to setup too – simply:

Google+ buiness categoy

  • After you type your address in and Google finds you, you’ll need to verify your business location, so click yes to have the verification postcard mailed to you
  • Follow the instructions to add information about your business
  • Add your cover image which is 2120px x 1192px
  • Add your thumbnail image which is 250px x 250px
  • Start adding content about your business.
  • Pro Tip: Pay attention to important keywords about your business, (another thing about Google+ posts, they are indexed by Google, so they can show up in search!)
  • ProTip 2: Use #’s on your keywords to further help people find you

Hope that help, if you ahve other tips or things you’ve found useful, please leave a comment below,

Thanks!

Bill

It’s Not What You Make, It’s How You Make People Feel

Emotions in Marketing, ,

Just thinking about the power of human emotion. The feeling you get when you experience a brand, a service, a business employee and how important that feeling is. Did that interaction or experience make you feel special? Appreciated? Understood? Or taken for granted? Disrespected? Or in some places, just plain ignored?

The difference between the two is enormous. Where are you going to spend more time, and more money? Where are you going to give a positive review and be more forgiving if they make a mistake. Yep, the place that made you feel special.

And when it comes down to it, its not that difficult. Just pay attention, honor your customers and employees, listen to them, make them feel appreciated, heard, loved. Ok, that may sound sappy, but it’s true.

Small gestures of love, respect and appreciation can pay huge dividends in growing your business and having a positive, motivated work force (and it’ll make you feel good too).

Remember, it’s not what you make, it’s how you make people feel.

emotions in marketing
How my client Peggy Kinnane’s Irish Restaurant and Pub, serves their kids sized ice cream. It takes 5 seconds, but the kids and especially the parents always get a kick out of it.

 

 

YouTube Video Location Tip

YouTube, , , , ,

Many small business owners are beginning to understand the power of YouTube in their marketing strategy. Developing video content will not only help your customers understand your business or product, that content can help your SEO strategy as well.

One simple tip to help potential local customers find you is by logging your business address in the video location field under the “defaults” section.

  • Click on your thumbnail in the upper right hand corner of your YouTube Channel
  • Click on “channel setting” in the upper right hand corner of your YouTube Channel
  • Click on “view additional features”
  • Click on “defaults”
  • Page down to “video Location”

Then simply type in your business location, a map will pop up where you can move the marker if it’s not displayed correctly. Then hit save and your location will be added everytime you upload a video.  Why is this important? By adding your location, you’re helping YouTube deliver the most relevant content for a local query.

YouTube Video Location Setting

 

 

 

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)

Direct Mail, EDDM, , , ,

EDDM stepsEvery Door Direct Mail is a cost effective way for local business owners to advertise their products or services.  The reason it’s cost effective is, there’s no need to purchase an expensive address list and no postage permit is required. Pretty cool, huh?

The service works by targeting down to the postal carrier route in the neighborhoods selected by the business. That mail carrier is then given the direct mail piece and simply adds one to the mail he or she drops off at each residence on that route.

One note so you don’t get confused their are two EDDM programs.

EDDM – Retail

  • For small business owners
  • No mailing permit needed
  • Limited to 5,000 pieces per day

EDDM – BMEU

  • For businesses with larger mailings (needing to send more than 5,000 per day)
  • Requires a postage permit and entry into a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU)

So here’s a simple overview of the the steps to use EDDM – Retail.

  • Go to USPC.com and start a free account.
  • Identify the city, neighborhood or Zip Code area to target
  • Find the mail routes that match the target area, (remember to select the delivery type,  route type and demographics)
  • Select the routes (it will count the number of homes and indicate when the order is over 5,000 pieces)
  • Hit “next” and select the date the mail pieces will be dropped off at the post office.
  • Confirm the order
  • When the confirmation page pops up – page down to the link that says “Download Mailing Statement” and the link that says “Download Facing Slips.” Click on both of those and print out the forms.
  • The mailing statement needs to be handed in to the postal clerk  when you drop the shipment off. The facing slip (designating that particular carrier route) gets wrapped around each bundle of 50-100 direct mail pieces. So, if there are 300 homes in a particular carrier route and you include 100 pieces per bundle (that’s what I do), print out 3 facing slips for that route. Wrap the facing slip around each bundle of 100 with a rubber band.
    • Pro Tip #1: On each facing slip for that route write 1 of 3, 2 of 3 etc… so the postal carrier easily knows how many bundles he or she needs for their route.
    • Pro Tip #2: Page down on the “Mailing Statement” PDF and you’ll see a list of the route numbers and number of homes in each of those routes. Next to each, record how many bundles you have for each route. For the above example, next to that route number you would write 3. Do that for all the routes so you can add up the total number of bundles you’ll be sending. Some post offices want to see that (others won’t), but it’s better to be prepared if the do.
  • On the delivery day you’ll bring the boxes of  direct mail you want to mail. If you do 5,000, you’ll need at least 3 or 4 boxes and a cart to wheel all of them in. Best to go in an off hour time so you’re not wheeling a heavy cart in a long line.
  • Once you get to the clerk, hand them the Mailing Statement and one of your direct mail pieces as they will have to weigh and measure it. After all is approved, you’ll pay with a credit card, hand over the boxes and be on your way.

Now let’s talk about the direct mail piece itself – you have to use an approved EDDM sized mailer with the proper address format and approved Every Door Direct Mail – Retail Indecia (required on each mail piece). What’s an approved size? The most popular are postcards (6.5″ x 9″), oversized postcard (8.5″ x 11″) and trifold brochures (4.25″ x 14″).

Pro Tip #3: Visit usps.com/everydoordirectmail or use a printer that is well versed in EDDM, they can help make sure the size, address format and indecia are correct.

The Post Office does offer an EDDM kit, find more information here. If you have a question or comment please leave it below. That’s about it, I hope you find these steps useful.

Thanks!

Bill