Marketing Your NonProfit for Growth_11_13_15
•Download as PPT, PDF•
2 likes•273 views
As leaders in the NonProfit Sector, keeping your marketing lively is vital to your organization’s survival. We’ll discuss the top five or six things you need to do – and can do right away - to grow your nonprofit, from networking beyond your comfort zone to lead generation with social media and content marketing.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (19)
Similar to Marketing Your NonProfit for Growth_11_13_15
Similar to Marketing Your NonProfit for Growth_11_13_15 (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Marketing Your NonProfit for Growth_11_13_15
- 1. Marketing Outside the Box for Future Growth
- 5. Where Is Your Audience? Blog: B2B & B2C LinkedIn: B2B Twitter: B2B & B2C You Tube: B2B & B2C Facebook: B2C, some B2B Pinterest: B2C, some B2B Instagram: B2C, some B2B Google+: B2B & B2C Conferences & Events Email Print Media Telephone / Mobile
- 6. Networking The Time to Network Is Always!
- 8. Your Website: The Hub of Your Plan
- 9. Website
- 10. Google Analytics
- 12. What Are Your Goals? Increase engagement, sense of community, loyalty Create awareness of new product or service offerings Demonstrate competency, credibility, trust Provide information, become a resource Stay top of mind, build brand awareness Learn what is important to your customers Lead generation Drive traffic to website Promote events Networking
- 13. Who Will Be Responsible?
- 15. Which Social Media Platforms Are Best for Your Business?
- 16. Blog
- 17. Blog Example
- 18. Sign them up! Make it easy for people to subscribe to your blog
- 19. LinkedIn for B2B
- 22. Six Reasons I Use LinkedIn 1. Develop a professional brand and identity 2. Expand your network--keep in contact as people change companies 3. Interact with other professionals 4. Use as a business intelligence tool 5. Obtain targeted news delivered daily by LinkedIn 6. Stay on top of industry trends by following and participating in groups
- 24. Create a Savvy LinkedIn Company Page
- 25. Share Updates on LinkedIn Company Page
- 26. Here are a few types of groups that are currently on LinkedIn: – Corporate – College alumni – Nonprofit – Trade organizations – Conferences – Industry-specific LinkedIn Groups
- 27. LinkedIn Groups
- 30. How many degrees away are you from the people you need to know? LinkedIn Leverage Your Network
- 32. Inside Track: Second -Degree Connections
- 36. LinkedIn Ads
- 40. You Tube
- 41. You Tube Example
- 42. Twitter
- 43. Twitter Example
- 44. Facebook
- 45. Facebook Example
- 46. Facebook Example
- 47. Facebook Events
- 50. Pinterest
- 53. Instagram
- 57. Google+
- 58. Google Rules
- 59. Google+ Example
- 60. • Remember: the written word is forever. • Don’t be too spammy--social networks are all about the conversation. Engage with people, add value, listen, share ideas, like other people’s comments, and present your marketing – don’t just present your marketing. Add value! • Don’t be confrontational. Try to resolve problems the same way you would if you were face to face with the person… on stage… in front of thousands… and as if it’s being recorded. • Use the same decorum that you would use in any public event you attend when representing our brand. • Support each other’s comments where you agree and share. Protecting Your Brand On Social Media
- 61. Measure success, measure quarterly for growth: • The number of people in network – Think quality, NOT quantity • Use Google Analytics: Where are your visitors coming from? – Website referral traffic from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, You Tube? • Lead generation and sales: – Measure sales leads and closed sales Measuring ROI
- 63. Print Mediums
- 66. Print Mediums
- 67. Event Marketing
- 68. Trade Shows & Conferences
- 69. The Importance of Branding
- 73. Questions?
- 74. Resources
- 75. Lisa Landry Savvy Workshop, LLC www.savvyworkshop.com @savvyworkshop lisa@savvyworkshop.com http://www.facebook.com/savvyworkshop https://www.linkedin.com/company/savvy-workshop www.linkedin.com/in/llandry Thank you!
Editor's Notes
- Marketing Outside the Box for Growth – Lisa Landry, Savvy Workshop As leaders in the NonProfit Sector, keeping your marketing lively is vital to your organization’s survival. Today we’ll discuss the top five or six things you need to do – and can do right away - to grow your nonprofit, from networking beyond your comfort zone to lead generation with social media and content marketing.
- Opening/Welcome Welcome! I am pleased to present today at this Business Connection. My goal is to share some valuable tools to help you grow your business, some of which you may not be aware of, to make your networking, marketing, PR and sales efforts more effective. About Savvy Savvy Workshop develops multi-channel marketing campaigns and education-based marketing events that help clients reach their targets. They are experts at developing brand roadmaps, creative graphic design, crafting compelling messaging and producing impactful marketing collateral. They are experienced in social media strategy and implementation, special event production and tradeshow management. Digital services include the execution of high-impact websites, video content, e-mail marketing and online sales tools. www.savvyworkshop.com Savvy Workshop 603-792-0080 [email_address] www.savvyworkshop.com
- 9 Dot Challenge: The goal of the puzzle is to link all nine dots, using 4 straight lines or fewer and without lifting the pen, or tracing the same line more than once.
- If marketing is aiming the gun, sales is pulling the trigger! How do you find your targets? How do you generate leads? Who is selling for you?
- Choosing the right marketing media for your business depends on the type of business you have. What tradeshows, events or conferences would you find them at? How can you reach them at their offices? What social media platforms are you likely to find them on?
- Networking with other professionals is one of the most important things you can do. Meet new customers. Meet people who can refer you to others. Get outside of your comfort zone! Don’t just go where your friends are–go where you will meet new people. Don’t just hang around with the people you already know–make a concerted effort to meet new people and be an ambassador to new arrivals who look like they need a friend.
- Develop a compelling “elevator pitch” Your elevator pitch should be short and to the point. An elevator pitch should be one or two sentences, max, that speaks to how you help your customers solve a problem with the service or product you provide. Think about how your business benefits the people you serve. Avoid talking about yourself, your creditials, your features. Talk instead about the benefits you bring to every deal you make. The impact, the value. For example, if you sell grass seed, don’t bore me with the details of how it was engineered, statistics about its drought resistance, how you are the number one seller, how long you’ve been in business, etc. Instead, tell me about my beautiful lawn, how it will be the envy of the neighborhood, how my children will want to do run barefoot and do summersaults on it. Help me to experience what it will feel like to have the lawn.
- Engaging is social media is engaging in building a relationship–a relationship between your business and your customer. It all starts from the center, the foundation, which should be your website. All roads in social media should lead back to this center, this hub. This is the first place you should share content. A professional, well-branded, mobile friendly/responsive website is key. If it is an ecommerce site, make sure that it is state of the art and user friendly. Make sure that you give your customer and easy way to sign up for your newsletter, blog or for special offers and other resources, such as white papers or case studies. This is your net, to capture all the fish you send downstream from the social media investment you make. Give them something to “do” when they get there. Maintain a database of the leads you capture.
- A mobile enabled website is a must. If yours is not up to date, do this first.
- https://www.google.com/analytics/ Google Analytics lets you do more than measure sales and conversions. It also gives insights into how visitors find and use your site, and how to keep them coming back.
- Your customers and clients are using social media channels to communicate, share, and stay informed every day. Social media offers an important opportunity for small businesses to connect with their current customers, gain new customers, and help reach their growth goals. But many small businesses aren’t sure where or how to engage. Which social media channels are best? How do you integrate social media into your overall marketing strategy? What type of content should you share? Whether you sell to other businesses, cater to the local tourist trade, or sell to the general public, social media is an important tool for interacting with your customers and supporting all your sales and marketing efforts. Today we will cover: How to choose the right social media tools for your business (be strategic) How to develop content that will resonate with your audience How to inspire brand awareness about your products or service How to drive traffic and followers to your website How to stay in touch with your customers year round How to build loyalty through interactions and engagement
- What do you hope to accomplish through your social media efforts? How can social media help you to achieve these goals? How do these goals support your overall strategic marketing communications plan? Research the various social media platforms and decide which are most suitable to your goals. Your social media goals should be in alignment with your larger communications plan. Your social media strategy should complement your website and other marketing materials. Your social media interactions should be consistent with your brand promise, branding elements and message platform.
- Give thoughtful consideration to who will be responsible for creating content, managing communities, responding to followers and ensuring brand compliance. Do you have a plan of action for monitoring conversations on your social media page? Do you have guidelines for responding to both positive and negative posts? Do you have the internal resources to support this effort consistently? Should you consider hiring a professional to assist? What training and oversight will you provide to ensure that your social media strategy is successful? Can an automated marketing tool such as HubSpot or Marketo support your efforts? Do you have the expertise to manage and reap the rewards of such an investment? In addition, keeping careful records of your passwords, user names, administrators is an absolute must. Interns should not have control of the reins. Make sure you haven't handed the keys to your social media accounts to the wrong person. "The main reason you're on social media is to share your voice with the world. So, how can you accomplish that if you're outsourcing your social media account activity?" Inc. columnist John Boitnott asks. So a summer intern probably isn't the right person for the job. If someone else is going to manage your voice online, just make sure you're able to continuously work with him or her on a strategy, Boitnott says
- Content marketing is an important element of any social media marketing plan. By providing relevant, interesting copy that your audience values, you can become a valuable resource to your followers. Content can be informative (you become a thought leader) or just plain fun and entertaining (these get lots of shares). Consider the audience you serve. Who are they? What do they need? What information would they want to receive? It is this that should dictate the content that you share. Understanding what your audience wants is key.
- Which social media sites are best for your business is entirely dependent on your audience. We generally encourage our clients to pick three to start. There are many social media platforms to consider for inclusion in your social media stable. It is important to educate yourself on each platform and how they might enhance your brand. Survey your clients and ask them which social sites they most value. Ask others in your industry what successes/challenges they experienced. Focusing on just a few to start where you can engage consistently is practical for most small businesses. Test, measure and change up what you are doing based on the results you receive, but note, building an audience takes time and patience. It is a crockpot type of meal, not a stir fry. That is why the planning is so important. Make plan, be consistent and stick with it for at least 3 months before deciding if you are making headway. Focus on sites that are a good fit for you and your audience, and do it well and consistently.
- Blogging can be a powerful tool for any brand. It can provide a home base for all of your other social media efforts, as content developed here can then be parsed out to the other platforms you wish to engage in. Because the blog lives on your website, a daily or weekly blog posts improve SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and can provide a constant source of relevant information to customers. In order to reap the rewards of this SEO, avoid tools such as blogger, as this google-hosted tool does not provide the search hits to your website, but back to its own. Decide how often you will post to your blog, and whatever that commitment is, do it consistently. Build an “editorial” calendar of topics that you think will resonate with your audience. Enlist the support of other team mates, colleagues and subject matter experts to contribute to your blog. Give them the spotlight and credit them as the authors. If you can get 6 people to write assignments every other month for you, on a rotating schedule, you’ll be well on your way to having consistent content for your blog. Ask your audience what they need, what they are struggling with? Be authentic. Write with your own voice. Add a professional profile photo so that your audience can connect with you on a human level. Read other blogs related to your industry both complementary and competitive. Follow industry trends and find ways to develop content around trending topics and current events. Design a nice, clean template for your blog. Find an image or graphic to represent your blog content. Use metadata and tagging to improve your blog’s search features. Make sure it is easy for people to subscribe to your blog.
- Sample Pixate Creative GET OTHER SAMPLE FROM ATTENDEES
- There are many tools that can be imbedded into your website so that you can capture leads when people sign up for your blog or other offerings hosted on the website. Don’t just send them there, capture them.
- Largest B2B network LinkedIn is a social networking site with >330 million members LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet in over 200 countries and territories. The company is publicly held and has a diversified business model with revenues coming from hiring solutions, marketing solutions and premium subscriptions. Professional audience Connect with the world's largest audience of active, influential professionals.
- The mission of LinkedIn is to connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. When you join LinkedIn, you get access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that help you be great at what you do. Company Info LinkedIn started out in the living room of co-founder Reid Hoffman in 2002, and it officially launched on May 5, 2003. Jeff Weiner is the CEO, and the company's management team is made up of seasoned executives from companies like Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft, TiVo, PayPal, and Electronic Arts. LinkedIn is publicly held and has a diversified business model with revenues coming from member subscriptions, advertising sales, and talent solutions.
- Connect with the world's largest audience of active, influential professionals. You are an expert in your field, but do you know how to effectively promote yourself and sell your services? Whether you are an attorney, accountant, architect, or other professional, LinkedIn is a powerful tool you can use to create relationships, build your client base and reach the influencers who support your practice. Networking with other professionals Fostering their professional identity Keep up with industry news *Business intelligence
- You can learn a lot from reading other conversations Wanting to target a certain demographic –find people, build your intelligence– who is still there? Who has left? If you are targeting a specific market segment you can get involved in groups that specialize in that market and learn their industry and their players.
- Import your connections into your CRM – most likely more up to date on LinkedIn. Follow them where they go.
- You can build your network and stay on top of industry trends by following Companies, I follow companies I work for, I follow companies I want to work for, I follow companies that influence deals, I follow companies that are competitors. By following companies, you will be able to find ways to connect with their leaders, decision makers and employees. It will also give you a great news feed that offers a pulse of what is going on (who’s merging, who’s hiring, who’s launching a new product, who’s been promoted, etc). You can follow a company by looking up their name under “Companies” and simply click Follow. For millions of professionals, a Company Page is a place to: Explore companies of interest Get the latest company updates and industry news Research products & services Learn about job opportunities
- For a business, it's the opportunity to: Tell your company's story Highlight your products and services Engage with followers Share career opportunities Drive word of mouth at scale People will look up our company and this is the page they will see. People who follow our company share a common bond. These people may never visit our website, but this is another way for us to get in front of them as a company. If you don’t follow it already, please go follow the company. Invite people to follow the company on LinkedIn – expands our reach You may want to look at who our followers are and connect with them as a way to expand your network.
- Using LinkedIn Groups is a great way for organizations to keep in touch with their members about current events and to discuss issues of common interest. Expand your network is to join Groups in your area of expertise and that service and support the industries you want to reach. In other words, get into the groups where potential clients and buyers are. You can do this passively at to begin with – and just watch the traffic, conversations, monitor trends, who’s discussing what, who the players are. Here are a few types of groups that are currently on LinkedIn: Corporate College alumni Nonprofit Trade organizations Conferences Industry-specific Connect. It’s all about the conversation.
- One great way to expand your voice and expand your network is to start a discussion. Say important things that are relevant to other’s industry. The more people who “like” or comment on it it the higher it appears in the feed. You’ll make it into peoples’ email inbox.
- Sample industry / trade groups
- Sample industry / trade groups
- 6 degrees of separation. Get introduced to the people you need to know
- I go to the company I wish to serve and look at their recent updates and can see who I am already connected to and can ask for an introduction.
- Being connected to people who are high up in HR can be valuable for connections in terms of who they know in a company.
- Precision B2B targeting By job title and function By industry and company size By seniority
- Ad formats Text and image ads Video ads Text only ads
- Sponsored Updates Raise brand awareness, build relationships, and drive quality leads with Sponsored Updates. Extend your reach to the LinkedIn feed across web, mobile, and tablet.
- Test, Measure, Re-Test Set your own budget Pay by clicks or impressions Stop your ads at any time No long-term contracts No commitments
- Test, Measure, Re-Test
- Launched in May 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube is a Google company. You Tube is one of the largest sources of search traffic, but most companies fail to include it in their social media plan. Video sites can essentially act as the business’s own channel and well executed videos can be viewed by millions. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. You Tube should be monitored for comments and questions of that is enabled. If you enable it, you have to manage it. Advertising is available on You Tube. “Every business has an audience on You Tube”
- Twitter is a quick and easy way for businesses to share updates an ideas with their customers, in 140 characters or less. Another great value of Twitter is that it provides a dashboard to monitor trends and evaluate what conversations are engaging to your audience. Twitter has become a vehicle for the democratization of information and the equalization of influence. This is both an opportunity and a challenge to many businesses. Monitoring and responding to your audience on twitter can be made easier by utilizing Tweetdeck, now owned by Twitter, which aims to maximize reach. It provides a customizable dashboard, where you can schedule future tweets and monitor activity and mentions across multiple accounts at a glance.
- Arts Alive Twitter Example NEW EXAMPLE FROM CURRENT AUDIENCE?
- More than a billion people worldwide use Facebook to connect with friends, family and the things that matter to them. A Facebook Page gives your business a presence on Facebook. Facebook Pages are free and easy to set up, and you can use your Page to meet specific goals. For example, post pictures of your latest products to help drive sales. Or share a short video to help people remember your business. When people like your Page or your posts, their friends may discover you on Facebook too. Posting photos and updates on your Page is an easy way to stay in touch. When you boost your posts, more people will see them in their News Feed, the constantly updating list of stories on Facebook. You can also use boosted posts and other Facebook Ads to find new customers. When a customer sends a message through your Facebook Page, you’ll get a notification and can write back. Posting on your Page is a great way to ask questions and show people you’re listening. Your Facebook Page insights will also show you a summary of results like the percentage of men and women who like your Page, their age ranges and the areas where they live. You can use these insights to make informed marketing decisions for your business and keep growing. Marketing on Facebook is a powerful and efficient way to increase sales for your online business. We make it easy for you to reach the people who matter to your business, and you can track the results of your advertising across devices.
- Facebook Example
- Don’t forget: goal is always to drive to your website and capture visitors.
- Pinterest is an online pinboard, a visual take on the social bookmarking site. Unlike other social bookmarking sites, such as Digg and StumbleUpon, content shared on Pinterest is driven entirely by visuals. In fact, you can’t share something on Pinterest unless an image is involved. You can share images you find online, or you can directly upload images onto Pinterest. Using the Pin It button, you can share directly in your browser from any web page. You can also share your pins on Twitter and Facebook. Pinterest is a website that allows you to "pin" things online, just as you would pin them on a real-life bulletin board, but instead, Pinterest saves all of your pins on your account so that you can access them easily. Plus, you can follow friends on Pinterest and "repin" things that they have already pinned on your Pinterest boards or browse a live feed of items that are being pinned by strangers when you're searching for inspiration. Everyone uses it for different things -- from saving do-it-yourself projects that you want to build to saving articles that you want to reference later about restoring classic cars or camping or hunting gear. Users create "Boards" that categorize you’re their pins, making them easy to find later. If you've added friends to your Pinterest account -- you follow them as you follow Facebook or Twitter friends -- you will have a customized feed where you can see all of the things that they're pinning too. When you hover over that pin in the feed and click on the "Repin" button it is added to one of your boards. 69% of online consumers who visit Pinterest have a clear intention of purchasing products. So, if you have products to show, you should be making Pinterest part of the social media marketing strategy for your business. If not, it’s still a huge opportunity for brand awareness and sales. The best part is, Pinterest has proven to be the most cost-effective for several industries. Is your business visual? Do you have access to images? Is your target market primarily female? Can your website be easily updated with images and content? When you are using Pinterest for your business, it is important to use proper classification to make it simple and easier for the users to browse your boards. The best way is to create multiple boards to segregate the content by category so that relevant content can be kept together. It has been observed that Pinterest people often create “wishlist boards” for vacations or special events like birthdays, baby showers or weddings, to help their friends and family with gift ideas. Several online merchants have noted that motivating online customers to add product wishlists can increase sales. In fact, pinning is considered a secondary goal for people who are browsing but are not ready to hit the “Buy” button. The greatest advantage is that customers get to share what they want and even when their friends and family intend to buy it, one click can bring them back to you. One of the interesting ways to make your post exciting is by rewarding your followers or making a giveaway event. Who doesn’t want to be rewarded by just sharing a post? Although there is no perfect frequency, there are two rules of thumb to follow as an effective Pinterest strategy. There shouldn’t be an extended period of time without any post as your followers can lose interest and forget your boards. You should be consistent. Stay away from mass posting in a single session. Excessive pinning in one session could annoy your followers and even result in losing some of them. Therefore, it is better to divide two or three posting sessions per week. Do not annoy your audience unnecessarily Instead of spending time every day to add pins, the best alternative is to use a scheduling tool to post your pins at the right times. You may schedule your pin with an interval of 1440 minutes so that the system can add 1 pin per day. According to Danny Maloney, CEO and co-founder of Pinterest analytics and management firm Tailwind… “Unlike Twitter and Facebook which connect users based on who they know, Pinterest connects people based on their common passion. This indicates users are able to view content which is more likely to be of interest to them, and are more likely to lead to purchase downstream.”
- CHANGE TO MAKE RELEVANT TO GUYS?
- Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, and share them on a variety of social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr.[5] A distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images, in contrast to the 4:3 aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras. Users can also apply digital filters to their images. The maximum duration for Instagram videos is 15 seconds.[6] Instagram was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and launched in October 2010. Instagram was acquired by Facebook in April 2012. Instagram boast a community of more than 300 million people who capture and share the world's moments on their service. Instagram’s focus is simplicity and inspiring creativity. Instagram has become the home for visual storytelling for everyone from celebrities, newsrooms and brands, to teens, musicians and anyone with a creative passion. Ads on Instagram are designed to support brands focused on reaching large audiences with memorable, high quality content.
- Creative Instagram Campaigns
- Creative Instagram Campaigns
- Beware of hashtag hijacking. Consider the woes of companies that have launched hashtag campaigns. In April the New York City Police Department launched #myNYPD, which asked users to post pictures of themselves with officers. From there, a number of tweets regarding police brutality surfaced. In 2012, when McDonald's started #McDStories, they received some pretty undesirable tales. "Ate a McFish and vomited 1 hour later ... #McDstories," one user wrote. Even when a social media conversation turns ugly, keep in mind that you don't have to respond. When deciding whether to continue to engage with someone, ask yourself: Will my reply help the poster or the readers? If not, then there's no reason to continue. However, it's certainly appropriate to answer if the poster's comment necessitates a fact correction or a clarification.
- Google has added a “social layer across the services” people love and use every day. We can see this includes search, Gmail, YouTube, Calendars, Android and so on… Google+ is bringing people together within the context of many of Google’s services. Google promotes many advantages, including getting great search engine results, improving existing advertising spend, connecting to a totally new audience, increasing efficiency and connectivity, and much more. At this reading, my feeling is the great search engine results are the reason most folks are engaging here. It’s Google, we need to play in their sandbox.
- Google+ example
- Remember that it's very hard to undo what you've already done on social media. These sites create a digital timeline of your online actions. "Every person you re-tweet, re-pin, re-post, re-note, re-gram on social media, defines who you are. And there are applications now that are collecting every bit of that and creating profiles about you," says investor Mark Cuban. While it's rare that this information is used for sinister ends, it's important to be mindful about the kind of profile you're building, just in case. Social Mention is a social media search and analysis platform that aggregates user generated content from across the universe into a single stream of information. It allows you to easily track and measure what people are saying about you, your company, a new product, or any topic across the web's social media landscape in real-time. Social Mention monitors 100+ social media properties directly including: Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube, Digg, Google etc. Social Mention currently provides a point-in-time social media search and analysis service, daily social media alerts, and API.
- How will you know when you’ve met your goals? You have to measure.
- Google Adwords Retargeting
- Print is not dead. Cut through the email clutter with a targeted direct mail campaign.
- Take advantage of USPS Every Door Direct: https://www.usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm Target by postal route, neighborhood by neighborhood, to every household or every household & every business. You can opt to have both mail boxes and PO Boxes in a postal route.
- Print Ad, part of a multi-channel marketing campaign to promote NHBSR’s Sustainability Slam event. The campaign included printed invite, email blast, social media promotion, print ads and pay-per-click campaign.
- Event Marketing – Create your own event to drive the decision makers you seek to your event.
- Follow up with everyone you meet, within a week max, share what you spoke about, where you met, etc.
- Is my brand relevant/authentic? Looking at my website, etc., can people tell what I do, what my brand is? What makes my business unique? Do I need to refresh the look? Is my brand consistent across all channels: networking, content marketing, social media?
- Here are some links to helpful sites, tips and tools to support your social media strategy Read Social Media 100 - http://chrisbrogan.com/tag/socialmedia100/ Use a URL shortener such as bit.ly (https://bitly.com/), Try the “+” feature. By adding “+” at the end of any bit.ly URL your will know how many times it’s been clicked on, and by whom. Try it yourself (https://bitly.com/cm4nce+). The Ultimate Guide to Hashtags http://www.searchenginejournal.com/ultimate-guide-hashtags/127744/ Use Buffer (https://buffer.com/) for scheduling and sharing posts to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ throughout the day Use a social media dashboard program like Swix (http://sourcemetrics.com/), where you can create a scoreboard of all your social media metrics like Facebook fans, Twitter followers, YouTube subscribers, blog traffic, subscribers, and much more, etc. Website Use Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics/). I have a few goals set up, including visits to my speaking page; visits to my consulting page; time spent on the site, etc. Try, Authority Labs (http://authoritylabs.com/) for tracking search engine positioning shows you at a glance whether you’re #4 or #40 in Google, Bing and Yahoo! Blog Support Use news aggregator sites like Reddit (http://www.reddit.com/) or Digg (http://digg.com/) For ideas blog promotion read this post For technical advice about your blog and how to get it found Website Grader (https://marketing.grader.com/) For professional looking blog themes, check out like Thesis (http://diythemes.com/) Add social bookmarking plugins like Add This (http://www.addthis.com/) to your blog to improve distribution Try WWSGD (https://wordpress.org/plugins/what-would-seth-godin-do/) to include a little message before or after each of your posts, asking readers to subscribe to your RSS feed All in One SEO Pack (https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/) plug-in to optimize posts for search engine rankings Need imagery for your blog? Check out Shutterstock (http://www.shutterstock.com/) or Thinkstock (http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/) - Two great source for inexpensive stock photography Facebook Try Facebook Lite (http://lite.facebook.com/), a paired down version that reduces unnecessary distractions Check out Apture (http://www.apture.com/), a handy plug-in that finds photos, videos, links and related content that you can embed or link to within your posts with a single click. LikeAlyzer (http://likealyzer.com/): As the name suggests, LikeAlyzer analyzes Facebook pages, generating reports highlighting areas for improvement. This tool is an invaluable resource for businesses new to social media. The page-rank section allows business to see how they stack up against similar brands and by industry standards. Wolfram Alpha Facebook Report (http://www.wolframalpha.com/facebook/): This tool provides detailed reporting, including a relationship status graph. PageModo (http://www.pagemodo.com/): Improve the look of your page with custom cover photos, tabs and unique landing pages. 10 Tips for Nonprofits on Facebook (http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/10-tips-for-non-profits-on-facebook/235607?red=if) Twitter Try Tweetdeck (https://about.twitter.com/products/tweetdeck) for updating Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn simultaneously. Tweetdeck is owned by Twitter, offers a customizable dashboard. You can schedule future tweets and monitor activity across several accounts -- all at a glance. For Mac users try Tweetie (http://tweetie.en.softonic.com/mac) SocialBro (http://www.socialbro.com/): This is a tool made for businesses with the goal of monetizing their followings. NeedTagger (http://www.needtagger.com/): Need Tagger pinpoints Twitter users that are hunting for a specific product of service. You can run keyword searches and get real-time results. Check Out One Forty, the app store for Twitter (http://www.oneforty.com/) Topsy (http://topsy.com/) is a tool for embedded tweeting, Topsy’s competitive intelligence capabilities are impressive. Find a tweet your competitor sent, and see how many times it was retweeted, by whom, which among them are influencers, etc. It works like bit.ly, but incorporates all URL shorteners into the data mix. Tweeting to Raise Awareness, Not Money (http://www.thenonprofittimes.com/news-articles/tweeting-raising-awareness-but-not-direct-dollars/) Instagram Curalate (http://www.curalate.com/): Useful on Instagram and Pinterest, this tool monitors conversations about brands, products and services, providing vital information to businesses. Iconosquare (http://iconosquare.com/) monitors statistics for followers' level of engagement, including lost and gained followers, in weekly and monthly periods. Collecto (http://collec.to/) categorizes followers into the brands they are talking about and hashtags they use. LinkedIn Get LinkedIn Savvy for Sales http://www.slideshare.net/LisaLandry/get-linkedin-savvy Tripit (https://www.tripit.com/) centralizes business-trip information including hotel and flight details and dinner reservations. Tripit enables users to share their itineraries on LinkedIn to make the most out of their journeys. Word Press (https://wordpress.com/) is the best way to add a blog to a LinkedIn account. LinkedIn Savvy for HR Professionals Pinterest PicMonkey (http://www.picmonkey.com/) is a free online image editor that removes the need for businesses to invest in Photoshop. ShareAsImage (https://shareasimage.com/) generates eye-catching quotes producing visual content is extremely powerful and has the potential to go viral across Pinterest. PinAlerts (http://www.pinalerts.com/) sends an email notification to an account holder when a user pins something directly from their site Other tools Share your presentations content on SlideShare (http://www.slideshare.net/) For social media searching try SocialMention (http://www.socialmention.com/) Set up Google Alerts (https://www.google.com/alerts) for your name, your company name, your key customers and also your competitors. And, you can set it up to track topics relevant to your industry and clients. Check out http://www.flowtown.com which allows you to take email addresses from your contacts and subscribers and find which social networks they are using. NutshellMail (http://nutshellmail.com/) delivers your social messages to you via email, so you don’t have to go to every site to look for messages, etc Marketing Expert: The Best Tools for Understanding Your Social-Media Accounts (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233311) Social Rank (https://www.socialrank.com/): Your Social Rank groups your best followers, most engaged and most valuable. From this information, businesses can take extra care of valuable customers. Social Rank generates a free report on the day of sign up. Tweriod (http://www.tweriod.com/) measures the effectiveness of posts according to level of engagement, detailing hours and days when engagement peaks. Every business needs to use Tweriod when A great tool for planning your content-marketing strategy. Agorapulse (http://www.agorapulse.com/): This tool focuses on customer-relationship management (CRM) by building profiles of fans based on their interactions on the page. BuildFire (http://buildfire.com/): Provides a streamlined way for a business to create an application Most Essential Social Media Tools (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232180) Content Marketing Buyer persona template (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/04/4-questions-answered-about-buyer-personas/): The first rule of content marketing is that whatever you create must be relevant to your audience. Here are tips on how to create a buyer persona. Content mapping template (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/04/content-mapping-b2b-marketing/): Sell something with a complex sales cycle? Map your content requirements to stages in the buying cycle. Read the Content Marketing Institute is 10 Must-Have Templates for Content Marketers (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/08/content-marketing-templates/). Content marketing team and workflow checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/10/content-marketing-team-workflow/): Learn more about the essential roles and recommended processes for building your team and workflow plan. Editorial calendar template (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/08/content-marketing-editorial-calendar/): Keep all of your content projects planned and organized with a content calendar (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/build-content-calendar-steps/). Content kick-off checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/06/checklist-15-questions-to-ask-before-starting-a-content-marketing-project/): Answer these 15 questions before you start any project. Content request template (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/questions-help-prioritize-content-creation-template/): Use this checklist to help you prioritize your projects. Content technology questionnaire (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/03/right-content-marketing-technology-critical-questions/): 14 questions to ask to make sure you select a solution that will meet your unique content marketing need Readability checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/10/readability-tips-designing-engaging-content/): Not all websites are created equal. Here’s a checklist to follow for designing pages that are clear and readable, and can be easily navigated by your audience. Killer web content template (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/07/template-for-killer-website-content/): Use this template to help you make sure you’re driving action on each page. Creating valuable content checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/04/valuable-content-checklist/): Key considerations to keep in mind to ensure that you will be providing value to your audience. Title evaluation scorecard (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/12/checklist-content-marketing-titles/): This checklist walks you through the essentials for creating relevant, engaging headlines that will draw readers in. Keyword selection checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/01/keyword-selection-content-marketing-seo/): 12 questions to ask to make sure you are targeting the most relevant keywords for your business. Content publication checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/08/content-marketing-checklist-13-things-you-must-do-before-you-publish-content/): Key steps to help you prepare your publication for optimal reach, engagement & ROI. Content distribution template (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/05/content-marketing-distribution-template/): This template will walk you through the need-to-know basics of Content Distribution. Blog post promotion checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/05/7-things-to-do-after-writing-a-blog-post/): Check out these tips to help get you started. Localization checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/03/3-keys-to-content-marketing-localization/): This checklist of tips and considerations for localizing the content you’ve created. Content marketing success checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/06/checklist-for-measuring-marketing-success/): This checklist walks you through how to measure content marketing success. The Triangle of Relevance (http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/3-angles-to-create-magnetic-content-with-the-triangle-of-relevance/): Maximize relevance to inspire user interaction. Step-by-Step Templates for Mapping your B2B Content download them in one PDF (http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BarbraGago_Persona_Mapping_Templates.pdf) Here are seven ways to research your buyer for content marketing. Understand what your buyers want and be relevant, helpful and valuable to them. 7 Ways to Research Your Buyer for Content Marketing (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/03/research-your-buyer/) How Do Buyers Consume Content? Ask These 20 Questions (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/03/buyers-consume-content/) 4 Questions Answered About Buyer Personas (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/04/4-questions-answered-about-buyer-personas/) Creating Valuable Content: An Essential Checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/04/valuable-content-checklist/) Build Your Content Calendar: 3 Easy Steps (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/build-content-calendar-steps/) Using the Valuable Content Checklist: A Step-by-Step Guide for Different Content Types (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/04/using-the-valuable-content-checklist/) Setting Content Marketing Guidelines: 5 Templates to Drive the Process (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/01/content-marketing-guidelines-templates/) 42 Hot Tips for Compelling Content Marketing (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/hot-tips-compelling-content-marketing/) Developing a Social Media Conversation Calendar (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/12/social-media-conversation-calendar/) Content Marketing Checklist: 13 Things You Must Do Before You Publish Content (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/08/content-marketing-checklist-13-things-you-must-do-before-you-publish-content/) Build Your Content Calendar: 3 Easy Steps (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/build-content-calendar-steps/) Managing the Content Marketing Process (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/06/managing-content-marketing-process/) Repurpose Content (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/tag/repurpose-content/) Editorial Calendars (http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com/marketing_interactions/2010/07/using-editorial-calendars-in-b2b-content-marketing.html) A 2-Step Editorial Calendar Template that Can Boost Your Content Marketing Productivity (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/08/editorial-calendar-template/) 5 Editorial Calendar Keys to Keep Content Marketing and Publishing on Track (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/10/editorial-calendar-for-content/) Build Your Content Calendar: 3 Easy Steps (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/build-content-calendar-steps/) A Simple and Indispensable Template for Content Marketing Distribution (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/05/content-marketing-distribution-template/) Monthly Editorial Calendar Worksheet click to download full-sized PDF version (http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/01-Filled-in-Monthly-Editorial-Planner-Worksheet.pdf) Weekly Editorial Calendar click to download full-sized version (http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Filled-in-Weekly-Editorial-Calendar-Worksheet.pdf) Download 100 Content Marketing Examples (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/education/ultimate-ebook-100-content-marketing-examples/) Developing a Social Media Conversation Calendar (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/12/social-media-conversation-calendar/) How to Organize Your Blog Content with A 3-Step Post Tracker (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2014/01/organize-blog-content-post-tracker/) A Content Marketer’s Checklist: Editorial Calendar Essentials (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2014/11/content-marketers-checklist-editorial-calendar-essentials/) 9 Questions to Help You Prioritize Content Creation [Template] (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/questions-help-prioritize-content-creation-template/) Ideas on types of content for various stages of social media (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/12/social-media-content/) 7 Ways to Research Your Buyer for Content Marketing (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/03/research-your-buyer/) How Do Buyers Consume Content? Ask These 20 Questions (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/03/buyers-consume-content/) Creating a Content Marketing Team and Workflow Plan (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/10/content-marketing-team-workflow/) Choosing the Right Content Marketing Technology: 14 Critical Questions (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/03/right-content-marketing-technology-critical-questions/) How to Choose the Right Content Type for Social Media Success (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/12/social-media-content/) Creating Valuable Content: An Essential Checklist (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/04/valuable-content-checklist/) Setting Content Marketing Guidelines: 5 Templates to Drive the Process (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/01/content-marketing-guidelines-templates/) Creating a Content Marketing Team and Workflow Plan (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/10/content-marketing-team-workflow/) Build Your Content Calendar: 3 Easy Steps (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/build-content-calendar-steps/) Simplify Your Content Marketing Strategy with a One-Page Plan (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/01/simplify-content-marketing-strategy/) Avoid these mistakes user-generated content (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/04/the-biggest-mistake-in-user-generated-content-learning-from-lego/) A Cornucopia of Content Marketing Inspiration (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2014/11/cornucopia-of-content-marketing-inspiration/) What Are the Essential Skills For Content Marketing Teams? (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/05/skills-content-marketing-teams/) Checklist: 15 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Content Marketing Project (http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/06/checklist-15-questions-to-ask-before-starting-a-content-marketing-project/) Social Media Training for Non-Profits (http://newmediatoolkit.org/social-media-training/) How Nonprofits Use Social Media for Real Results (http://mashable.com/2010/05/03/non-profit-social-media-results/) Social Media Policy Cautionary tales about the importance training the right, responsible people to manage social media GreenPeace and Nestle’s (http://www.jmorganmarketing.com/brian-solis-engage/) and BusinessWeek (http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/may2009/ca2009058_089205.htm) Check out these Social Media policies online for examples (http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies/) Advice on Social Media Policy, read Employer Perspectives on Social Networking (http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/MAN/843285164x0x350040/4e59cf4b-1d29-470d-922f-062e815c629e/Employer_Perspectives_on_Social_Networking_Survey.pdf)
- Please don’t hesitate to contact me personally if I can be of assistance. I love to help people grow their businesses!