March 10, 2010 by nishland
When it comes to ‘wooing’ new followers, fans, and customers…I am always leery of the undersell. Having a large number of people jumping on to your cause (or product) because you offered some type of incentive can certainly accomplish an objective, if that objective is to simply gain new people.
Remember the saying “quality over quantity’”?
I recently read this article MediaPost Publications Fans Grow On Farms 03/09/2010 which basically describes a scenario where a large corporation offered cash incentives to new fans & followers for a specific promotion. Within a very short period of time, they were able to gain a large number of followers (all looking to redeem or cash in on a prize). But how many of those new fans & followers will stick around?
Now we are not aware of the true intention of this promotion and if in fact the goal was to amass a large group of new followers. Perhaps they have a number of cash promotions lined up to keep the fans & followers engaged; or they could hope that the new people will stay around to learn more about everything the company has to offer (without a cash incentive).
I err on the side of caution when reading this article and believing this approach is most appropriate for your business.
As with any sound marketing strategy, you should begin with a plan before diving into a promotion. Identify your goals and ensure a follow up plan for the new people that ‘friend’ you. The sooner they come, the quicker they may leave once the promotion incentive is redeemed. If that was the goal or intent of the promotional program, then congrats on your success. However if you are looking to gain a group of friends & followers who are truly interested in your cause or your product, then you should really consider the incentive…and your plan of approach.
Know your worth. Communicate your value. Then you will be in the position to attract and retain loyal friends & followers.
Your long term marketing strategy is to gain the ‘customer for life’…right?
Posted in Marketing, Social Networking | Tagged Marketing strategy | Leave a Comment »
March 8, 2010 by nishland
Posted in Work | Tagged Women | Leave a Comment »
February 18, 2010 by nishland
Yes, I’m a baker! Love the smell of yummy goodness in the oven! But when you set out to make that wonderful chocolate cake, and miss adding flour, you might get something similar to fudge. If fudge is what you wanted, then you are on the right track… if you were preparing to make a cake, then you got it all wrong. And please don’t tell me about the awesome flourless cake you’ve had. That’s not relevant in this case, and besides… in this post I “ain’t” talking about cake!
I just read a blog post by Shannon Paul about the missing ingredient in many social media strategies, and I couldn’t agree more! Feel free to read it for yourself, or just follow along here.
The Missing Ingredient in Most Social Media Strategies « Shannon Paul’s Very Official Blog.
There are several steps involved in preparing to bake a cake:
- Preparation
- Ingredients
- An Oven
- and Willing Consumers (you can’t have a cake and no-one eats it!)
The same applies to engaging in social media for your business!
- Preparation = Developing a Strategy
- Ingredients = The Messages you hope to Deliver + The Messages your intended audience want to hear
- Oven = Mechanism for Delivery or The Social Media Sites you plan to employ (where your audience is)
- Willing Consumers = Your Audience, Your Followers, the People who want to consume to product or program you are offering
Everything begins with a plan (or recipe), but beyond the plan there is execution (baking), then testing (tasting), and listening (feedback). And once you’ve measured the feedback, you can determine whether you should revisit the recipe, tweak a couple of ingredients and try again.
The most important thing to remember though, if you miss an ingredient, or even a step in the process, IT won’t turn out right.
Plan + Prepare + Execute + Review = 4 Steps for Success
Posted in Marketing, Social Networking | Tagged Marketing, social media, strategy | Leave a Comment »
January 22, 2010 by nishland
By day, I am managing social media for myself, my client, and a member association. I write content for the web, and manage content management systems; ever so often I blog for myself. I read articles and look for case studies that can help me prepare plans and stay abreast of changing trends. I write press releases, teach workshops in financial education, update databases, prepare email campaigns, research and write grants, track donations, track metrics and prepare reports, write concepts, plan events, and offer advice.
At night, when I am not mashing up recipes to create meals that appeal to me and my family, I am helping with homework, preparing the kids for bed, cleaning, checking emails, facebook-ing and moonlighting as a freelancer.
I have dreams of being a dancer, but I have no rhythm. I have dreams of being a dressmaker, but haven’t quite learned to sew. I have dreams of being a restaurateur, but not sure I have the patience for an on-demand kitchen. I love to express myself creatively, but haven’t written in a while. I love to entertain, so I should probably have a dinner party soon.
There are so many things I do and many I haven’t done…but there is one thing I accept with pride, and that is my job as a superwoman 
Posted in Work | 3 Comments »
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