Social Media: Is your company social media Image suffering as a result of stinking thinking?

Social Media: Is your company social media Image suffering as a result of stinking thinking?

Social media has changed the way companies do business, leveling the playing field for everyone in the marketplace. It has created a nightmare for public relations experts, making them have to regroup and relearn everything that they thought they knew about public relations. Imagine graduating from some fancy high priced university, with a journalism degree, marketing degree or business administration degree, only to get a job as some head of marketing in charge of business development for some corporation, and now you have the responsibility of setting up the company’s social media marketing strategy. Suddenly you are overcome with anxiety; because you realize that you do not have a clue about social media, how it works, what drives it, how the cogs in the system move and how to maintain them to get the results you are looking for.

Disclaimer, this is not a blog about bashing people with credentials, if you have taken the time and spent the money to get an education you ought to be commended and congratulated and respected for your accomplishments, congratulations to you. The truth of the matter is that many people even those who have credentials from some of the worlds top learning institutions have no clue when it comes to social media. This is one reason why there is such a demand for Social Media consultants, social media community managers, social media evangelists and the list goes on. Many companies when seeking for social media talent, have no clue what to ask for, they expect the social media consultant that they are looking for, to have all the skills in the world, but then do not want to pay them for their skills.

It amazes me that billion dollar companies would rather seek to retain the services of an unpaid social media intern, handing them their most prized possession, which is their companies brand to experiment with online, in the social media market place, then act surprised when their brands image is damaged. Would you take your Bentley and let a drunken person drive it? If not, why take your companies brand and hand it over to an unpaid intern, giving them unrestrained access to your company’s sensitive information because you do not want to invest in the services of qualified social media professional?

Some companies now have decided to “empower” their employees by allowing them to tweet on behalf of the company, indiscriminately in the name of extremely fast customer service. All companies would like to humanize their brand, but there is a difference between portraying a dynamic image for your brand and, just being crazy. Having 10,000 corporate spokes persons on twitter in the name of expedited customer service just does not sound like a sound idea to me. This is a recipe for a disaster if you have no sound social media plan to implement such a strategy.

The reality of the new social media marketplace, demands for company public relations experts to have an open mind. The rules of the game have changed, its not about who has the most credentials from which university, at the end of the day social media marketing is all about these two things

1)      Who has access to the most social media tools

2)      Who knows how to use his tools the most

You might argue that, I am over simplifying the case, and you are entitled to your opinion, but when you look at social media today, that is what it comes down to. It does not matter if you have a PHD, in whatever field, if you do not know which social media tools to use for which social media strategy, your PHD, is of no use.  If you cannot identify ways to curate SEO compliant content for your blog, your PHD, cannot help you when it comes to social media. If you cannot come up with a social media strategy that can distribute your blog articles over 800 blog submission portals, it does not matter what your credentials are. If you cannot tell me how to manage unlimited social media personas at the same time, your credentials do not mean anything. If you cannot come up with a strategy to distribute your YouTube videos to hundreds of video submission sites at the same time, to increase traffic to your website via social media tools, then it does not matter if you have the title of CEO behind your name, you still have to hire a social media consultant who knows what they are talking about.

It’s time for businesses to recognize that social media is critical to their companies online health. Too many businesses are suffering online because of stinking thinking, this notion that demands for social media consultants to be their panacea for all their woes. When your car breaks down, you do not call the nanny to come and repair the car. Social media consultants specialize in different things; it would be wise to do your due diligence when hiring a social media consultant. A social media consultant is not necessarily an SEO expert, nor are they website designers. Take your time and find out what they specialize in, and pay them for it. Do not let your brand die, in the social media market place because you are too scared to act. Doing nothing about your brands social media persona, will do nothing for your sales. Don’t delay the surgery any longer, act now.

Graham Odenyo is the Social Media Strategist and Project Manager of a successful Digital Marketing Social Media Mobile App Marketing Agency located in North Carolina. We work with companies to help them create and manage their own customized Global Social Mobile footprint plans for their businesses. We are a full services Social Mobile Marketing firm, offering fully customizable Global Social Mobile Footprint plans, from the conception of Mobile Apps to email marketing, to blogging, search engine optimization and YouTube video optimization keyword domination. For more information please go to
>> http://goo.gl/QWtKRy

Who is handling handling your social mobile footprint account for your company?

Who is handling handling your social mobile footprint account for your company?

The Virtual Marketing Department is a relatively new uncharted territory. Many companies simply just do not know how to position their brands in the Android Market place, neither do they have a social mobile footprint plan for their business. With so many devices and modes of delivery, you have to know what you are doing how it relates to your customers. What is a global social mobile footprint?
It is your concept crafted into an Android Mobile App, weaved into into a video, merged with Search Engine Optimization filtered through mass media high premium content distribution portals and social networks through geo targeting specifications. Instead of hiring a Marketing Director for your company or outsourcing your  is handling handling your social mobile footprint account for your company or outsourcing your companies social mobile footprint plan to unpaid interns who are working under sweatshop conditions, why not use a company that does not rely on guesswork?
Let us handle your companies social mobile footprint account, it will cost you much less than you would spend on payroll for a Marketing Director. You will have the luxury of not having to hire those unmotivated unpaid marketing interns, who are more worried about getting hired permanently, than producing results for the company. 

Not many companies can design a global social mobile footprint plan for your business, then execute it for you to your specifications. We can. We will create your global social mobile footprint plan from conception to delivery of product. What is a global social mobile footprint? It is your concept crafted into an Android Mobile App, weaved into a video, merged with Search Engine Optimization filtered through mass media high premium content distribution portals and social networks through geo targeting specifications. If you did not understand all that, the good news is that you do not have to understand it, that is what we specialize in. Customized Mobile Apps and global social Mobile footprint solutions for your business. 

Sending you 1,000’s of referrals has a high probability of producing hundreds of sales for your business, which means new clients; and growing profit stream for you. What does your global social mobile footprint for your business look like? Do not try to figure it out for yourself, go to the website below, and contact us for more information, so we can customize one for your business.
https://goo.gl/4lwYpU

https://socioplayer.com/v/AO8

<iframe width="500" height="400" src="https://socioplayer.com/v/AO4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Do you have a social media strategy or is your plan a laundry list of bad ideas?

Do you have a social media strategy or is your plan a laundry list of bad ideas?

Yes, I asked you that question, someone ought to. In today’s social media arena things are evolving at such break neck speeds that only the best can survive the tide. If you witnessed hurricane Katrina on TV, or was actually in it, then you saw what kind of force a mass of water can wield. When a flood is on its way there is no time to play about, you have to find a way to get out of danger and quickly too. In social media, many people are getting caught in disaster like situations and they have no plans or strategies, to use to help them navigate the social media floods.

There is a difference between a well thought out plan, and a laundry list of ideas that were scribbled down on a napkin at the coffee shop during your lunch break when it comes to social media. A good social media marketing plan, covers all aspects of social media, a bad social media marketing plan on the other hand is similar to a laundry list of ideas scribbled on a napkin during the lunch. It simply does not work when you need it to.

What are some laundry list characteristics of a social media marketing plan compared to a well defined social media marketing plan?

1) Dependence on cheap social media software without doing your due diligence simply because you have seen that particular advertisement on numerous occasions, as you were surfing the web on facebook. Be careful, just because you hear great things about some auto posting software, does not mean that that software works well or that it is good for you or your client’s social media campaign.

2) If you are still using the same outdated social media marketing strategies to market your business that is a clue that you do not know what you are doing. Here is a dead give away, if you a reading a social media marketing plan and they are talking about how to take advantage of MySpace, or telling you that all you need to succeed with your social media campaign is face book and twitter, burn that book.

3) If you’re social media marketing plan cannot accommodate the sales needs of your client, that plan is nothing but a laundry list and not a solid social media marketing plan. Social media marketing is all about customer engagement with a view to achieve brand loyalty eventually. You social media marketing plan should take care of both the needs of the companies sales department as well as the needs of the marketing people.

4) If your social media marketing plan does not identify who the customers advertising demographic is, and is solely dependent on guesswork, that should make you see red flags all over the place. Why, a social media marketing plan that does not have a defined purpose is the same as the blind leading the blind. When you do not know where you are going, all roads will get you there “eventually”. Do not waste your time and money marketing to non buyers. Use data analysis to identify your best prospects and employ tactics you can measure, such as direct marketing.

5) A social media strategy that emphasizes the need to over sharing the information is not a good strategy. You do not need to have people mad at your brand or business so as to generate some negative feedback for your brand. This would qualify as an item that would need to be deleted from that alleged social media marketing plan.

6) A good social media marketing plan accounts for the need to hire qualified professional social media managers to manage your company’s social media accounts. A laundry list however will convince you that your company does not need to hire a social media manager because you can do everything by yourself.

7) Lack of results can be seen when there is no initiative being shown by the social media marketing planner. A social media marketing laundry list, simply tells you to post things on twitter and facebook and wait to get to the promised land. A solid social media marketing plan will encourage you to get out of the office and go to trade shows, film yourself at the trade show and use your social media marketing platforms to distribute your media to numerous people at the same time. Remember that the social media world is a dynamic one, so one needs to stay updated with the latest industry trends.

8) If you ever read something in your social media marketing plan that tells you that there is no such thing, as negative publicity in social media, you need to burn that book immediately. In social media marketing, what you do not know will hurt you. Meaning you or your company should not engage in aggressive overkill promotions, bombarding your customers and prospects. This is a guaranteed way to irritate your audience and get your emails blocked. Respect the people who have' opted to hear from you by sending  them messages that are relevant to their needs, that is what true customer engagement in social media is all about.

9) A good social media marketing plan will advise you to make sure that you are monitoring your customer’s comments on your social media platforms. Where as a social media marketing laundry list, will not tell you why it is important for your company or brand to pay attention to what is being said about you, respond directly and immediately and move conversations offline whenever there's a complaint.

Graham Odenyo is the Social Media Strategist and Project Manager of a successful Digital Marketing Social Media Mobile App Marketing Agency located in North Carolina. We work with companies to help them create and manage their own customized Global Social Mobile footprint plans for their businesses. We are a full services Social Mobile Marketing firm, offering fully customizable Global Social Mobile Footprint plans, from the conception of Mobile Apps to email marketing, to blogging, search engine optimization and YouTube video optimization keyword domination. For more information please go to 
>> http://goo.gl/QWtKRy

Social Biz Connect - Kenya's hidden Social Networking Gem

Social Biz Connect - Kenya's Hidden Social Networking Gem

As a social media consultant and expert, I am always intrigued with the discoveries of new social networks. Among the many hundreds of social networks I have come across was one that was very unassuming but yet very dynamic. This social network, has not had the notoriety of the huge social networks yet, but that will change soon. What I like about it most, is the fact that it is the first fully functioning monetized social media platform originating from Africa, Kenya in particular.

Excuse my Bias, as I am a Kenyan American ( proudly so ), having gotten that disclaimer out of the way, I am honestly convinced that Social Biz Connect deserves a worthy mention, based on its merits as social network, compared to other social networks based in Africa. One would think that I am trying to bash other social networks, but that is further from the truth. I write this article because I am convinced that this new social network from Kenya, has a lot of potential to become a premier business platform that could potentially open up Kenyan commerce to the rest of the world.

There is a worldwide need for the understanding of social media and its applications both for commercial reasons as well as personal reasons. Indeed social media and social networking is not just a luxury it is an extremely vital survival tool in this digital age. Businesses are now discovering that social media strategy is a part of business and that ignorance in social media is deadly mistake, that can make or break a business. But why is the existence of Social Biz Connect , which after all is a social network based in Kenya such a big deal?

Considering the fact that the cost of Internet access in Kenya is extremely expensive, and that the average Kenyan citizens does not have the luxury of having access to the Internet easily, the vision of the creator of this social network has to be commended, seeing the rate of growth that this social network is currently experiencing.

Social Biz connect is not just an awesome social network, it's also an awesome social network that is providing it's members a means to make an income. Why should that matter? As we all know, unemployment is an issue worldwide, but when you happen to be in Africa, being a young person who is unemployed, can make for a very difficult life. The ability to provide an income generating vehicle for the millions of Kenyan youth and essentially anyone else in the world, is not only ingenious on the part of the creators of this social network, but it also helps in reducing the need to engage in illegal activities as a means to earn an income.

To the western mind, sure the social network looks like a facebook clone, but to the millions of people who are now able to support their families in Africa as a result of this social network, its an answered prayer. But I digressed. How does this social network compare with other social networks in Africa?

Here are a few African social networks, and my reasons why I recommend Social Biz Connect over them

Kenyan List
http://www.kenyanlist.net/
Awesome social network to meet other Africans, but there is no monetization feature, meaning you do not get paid for being a member there.


Afro Terminal
http://www.afroterminal.com
Awesome social network to meet other Africans, but there is no monetization feature, meaning you do not get paid for being a member there.

Africans Connect
http://www.africansconnect.com
Awesome social network to meet other Africans, but there is no monetization feature, meaning you do not get paid for being a member there.

Sodere
http://www.sodere.com
Awesome social network to meet other Africans, but there is no monetization feature, meaning you do not get paid for being a member there.

African Zone
http://www.africanzone.com/
Awesome social network to meet other africans, but there is no monetization feature, meaning you do not get paid for being a member there.

Naija Pals
http://www.naijapals.com/ 
Awesome social network to meet other africans, but there is no monetization feature, meaning you do not get paid for being a member there.

Streemount
http://streemout.com/ 
Awesome social network to meet other africans, but there is no monetization feature, meaning you do not get paid for being a member there.

So you get the point, there are many social networks in Africa, these are just a few. My reason for sharing these social networks and using them as an example, is simply to show that none of these social networks, is monetized. Meaning that the only people who benefit from these social networks are the owners. And why should that matter? If you are going to spend considerable amounts of time online on social networks, why not get paid for it? Monetizing social networks, is not only an awesome idea for the members of that social network, it also attracts more advertisers. And you might want to argue that Facebook does not pay you for your time spent on its network, and that is a legitimate gripe. My question to you would be, if Facebook is not paying you, why are you still being faithful to them? Why not spend your time on a social network that is paying you? Truthfully, whether or not you go to facebook, it will not hurt them, they will not miss you, they have already made their money off you already. So it's time to wake up and start getting paid for the time you spend online on social media. Go to the website and sign up for your free account , take a look at all the features, products and services offered.
>> http://www.socialbizconnect.com

If you enjoy spending time on social media, join us for free on Million Dollar Television Network, the Worlds first online Television Network, where you get paid to watch TV online, sign up for your free account now

>>  Million Dollar Television Network

Graham Odenyo is the Social Media Strategist and Project Manager of a successful Digital Marketing Social Media Mobile App Marketing Agency located in North Carolina. We work with companies to help them create and manage their own customized Global Social Mobile footprint plans for their businesses. We are a full services Social Mobile Marketing firm, offering fully customizable Global Social Mobile Footprint plans, from the conception of Mobile Apps to email marketing, to blogging, search engine optimization and YouTube video optimization keyword domination. For more information please go to 
>> http://goo.gl/QWtKRy




 

“Factors to consider when creating a social media marketing plan for your Social Media Marketing agency

 

 It is vital to create a long term Social media consultancy business plan that will allow you to eventually expand into other social media markets online. The goal is for the plan that you create to be able to anticipate the needs of your client’s way before they start contacting you for your social media services and expertise. Your planning should take into account various factors in social media as it is a dynamic field. You social media marketing agency should know what the industry trends are, and should have identified areas in the industry where you can add value to the industry. The intention is to be able to address your client’s basic needs, wants and desires in social media, then later explores the other areas of marketing in social media as they come up. Once you have proven to your clients that you can deliver a sound customized Global social media marketing strategy for their business or brand, it will be much easier to obtain your clients business when it comes to implementing the next stage of your social media marketing strategy. You need to see this first see this brainstorming exercise in the creation of your own social media marketing consultancy, as part of a blue print for your social media consultation firm.

You see this is about creating a long term social media marketing consulting empire, a virtual empire of social media products and services that all starts with one tiny seed in the form of a referral from your first client, who hires you or your company to manage their company’s brand through social media online. From this foundation you can then do your due diligence and take a look at the industry research and make educated decisions, about what strategies to consider for your clients as they grow in the social media arena. Think about it this way, this is your business and that is your client, you know what their current social media are, and you needs also know that those needs will change in the future; so you become creative and proactive within reason. Each of your clients has a different level of knowledge when it comes to social media. Not everyone speaks social media fluently, some just have no clue. The other fact is that, if they speak social media, they just do not have the time to do social media. They are just too busy running their business, which is why they are coming to your social media consulting firm to begin with.

For example, I am a social media strategist, so I analyze my client’s social media picture and create appropriate solutions to address their needs. I might decide that a client needs all the resources I have in my toolbox, and will have to build his social media reputation from the floor up, or just set him up with the basic social media plugging. Since not everyone speaks social media, I have to speak social media in their language, and make it easier for them to understand. Why? How will I sell them other social media marketing services to my clients when they need them, if they do not even understand what the basic social media package that they have consists of? The truth is that social media is always changing, and it is ever becoming more comprehensive, running almost every aspect of our lives? That is not a far fetched statement, it’s the truth. Have you seen commercials on TV, where people us their Smartphone’s to lock the doors of their houses? They are using mobile apps, which are all tied into social media tools, so there will always be a need for social media expert in the next 50 years.

Social media is not just about facebook wall posts and twitter messages only, social media runs, our lives, our cars, our health systems, how we book our airline tickets, are you getting the big picture now? I realize that if I have to branch out and start selling other social media products and services to clients without a plan, I will fail. I have to create products and services that can be customized to each clients social media needs. Now that I know what my strategy is, and how I will carry it out, I now start putting my plan into action. From this point on, all I have to do is go out and get clients and deal with them on a case by case basis. That might sound a little off to you, maybe it doesn’t even make any sense, but the truth of the matter is, there are no two businesses with similar marketing needs for their brands. Each company has different marketing needs when it comes to how they want to market their brand and position their company in the market place. The only way for you to know what each company needs and wants, is by doing a social media qualification on them so as to see how to service their social media accounts online. Fact, if your clients marketing efforts are not working for them now, they will not work for them tomorrow.

Think about your social media marketing products and services before you start marketing them to your potential clients. Your intention is to grow a social media consultation firm that can compete with any other social media marketing firm, by offering products and services that people actually need and want. When you look into the social media marketing arena there is a forest of social media experts, some are very competent while others leave a lot to be desired. Your social media products and services should be able to appeal to as many people as possible. I know that there are clients who are not interested in getting a mobile app built for their business, but they are interested in having their coupons distributed to their clients on their Smartphone’s via social media, and vice versa. I could use the cooking bait to reel in the coupons fishes (meaning the clients who need to have their coupons for their business distributed to their customers via social media)  with the mobile app fishes (meaning the clients who need to have a customized mobile app built for their business).

When your Social Media marketing plan for your social media marketing firm has been established, and the foundations have been reinforced, your company structure will come together smoothly and you will start seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of new business from social media client’s referrals. We all have dreams and aspirations, that we would like to see realized one day. You might be thinking that the idea of owning your own social media marketing consultancy sounds crazy, but that by itself is not crazy. Many huge fortune 500 companies started from garages people’s kitchen tables.

It all starts with that tiny idea that will not let you rest. There is no such thing as a stupid question, if you do not ask questions you will not get any answers. All you need is some confidence and a little faith and some elbow grease. We have to have dreams, big dreams and work towards realizing these dreams. The social media marketplace is wide open for those that are wiling to do the work. No one in your circle of naysayers can argue with your results unless they choose to be up against the truth of your success.

Graham Odenyo is the Social Media Strategist and Project Manager of a successful Digital Marketing Social Media Mobile App Marketing Agency located in North Carolina. We work with companies to help them create and manage their own customized Global Social Mobile footprint plans for their businesses. We are a full services Social Mobile Marketing firm, offering fully customizable Global Social Mobile Footprint plans, from the conception of Mobile Apps to email marketing, to blogging, search engine optimization and YouTube video optimization keyword domination. For more information please go to >> http://affordablemobilemarketing.info , or send us an email at Godenyo@affordablemobilemarketing.info , http://www.linkedin.com/in/lippon/

Could your social media marketing plan learn some lessons from scuba divers?

Scuba divers are a rare breed of people; they love to go to the deep dark depths of the sea. They have the ability to remain calm in the presence of sharks and other predators, and still make it out of the adventure without becoming fish food. If you watch the discovery channel or the nature channel on cable TV, you will see how tempting deep sea fishing can be. It will make you want to go scuba diving in the deep depths of the waters, make you experience an adventure like no other. That’s what deep sea diving will do for you. For those that enjoy deep sea diving, they can be considered to be in the company of the best of the best scuba divers that you will ever meet. Watching them in their element, will make you want to consider a career in scuba diving, indeed deep sea diving is the most challenging aspect of scuba diving, it opens up the under water world in ways that we never ever fathom.

In today’s social media market place the waters have gotten very deep. Technology has evolved and the ways we interact with our customers as we market out brands online, has been radically altered forever. Many social media managers are getting very frustrated because they cannot keep up with the constant changes in technology, it’s not just about having a facebook page and tweeter account any more and expecting loads of traffic to ones website. Not having a social media marketing plan to navigate the social media waters is like expecting the small sea fisherman to give you advice on how to prepare for a successful scuba diving expedition. What qualifies as a scuba diving operation when talking about social media versus a small fisherman on a boat on the sea? What distinguishes a scuba diver from a deep sea fisherman? Skills and knowledge, end of discussion, either you can do what you claim you can do or not

In social media there are those that only know about facebook, twitter and pinterest, no more no less. These are small sea fishermen. Then you have the technologically savvy social media experts who approach social media marketing campaigns with strategies that are well thought out and formulated. These are the small sea fishermen who are not just content with staying above the social media sea in the safety of a boat, they claim to be experts in social media, but have no clue about what they are doing and are getting their customers websites and IP addresses banned by search engines, because they are violating search engine etiquette, costing their clients a lot of money in the process. When you engage in conversations with them, they talk about social media strategies; they want to know about social media delivery systems and which demographics match with their brand message. When you make the mistake of asking a social media small sea fisherman, for a social media marketing plan, you cause them such distress that they end up going into panic attacks.

A competent scuba diver know his tools very well, they are familiar with things like regulators , scuba tanks, lead weights, wetsuits, fins masks and breathing equipment. A competent scuba diver also has a respect for the tools of his trade; they know that their lives as well as their livelihood are dependent on the sound condition of their tools. Consequently scuba divers are more focused because when it comes to scuba diving there is no room for mistakes. A scuba diver has to be able to survive the dive underwater, on the water and above the water as well. A small sea fisherman on the other hand only has to worry about his boat and the fish that he is trying to catch. He does not have to learn other special skills like the scuba driver or use special equipment because his job description does not call for it.  

Are you a scuba diver or a small sea fisherman when it comes to social media? Is your business or brand depending on the skills of a small sea fisher man to navigate in deep sea social media waters that require scuba diving equipment? When you go to websites like craigslist and see advertisements for job postings for social media manager interns, it tells you what kind of company you are dealing with. A real social media client who has invested a lot of money, to build their business or brand, will not turn over their social media accounts to be managed by an unpaid intern. That is the equivalent of hiring a small sea fisherman to do the job of a scuba diver, they just do it. How can you tell the small sea fishermen online when it comes to social media online? The small sea fishermen are the ones peddling the cookie cutter word press templates and cheap software on websites like fiverr.

Beware of these small sea fisherman social media types online, they are dangerous. Social media is a dynamic animal that evolves everyday. Anyone who is still trying sell you 200,000 backlinks to your website in a month using SEO software, is a small sea fisherman sending your social media brand straight to hell. Google and other search engines have changed their software configurations, and they are on the look out for people who are selling you 200,000 backlinks to your website in a month. The way to get your website ranked at the top in today’s social media marketplace and search engines, is through generic traffic methods. When someone sells you 200,000 backlinks in a month to your website, on a website like fiverr, all they are doing is setting off red flags. Getting that many backlinks to your website at once, in such a short period of time shows that you are using robot software to boost your traffic.  All that does is make google and other search engines ban your IP address for cheating. This is not what you want to do for your social media marketing campaigns.

Think about it, what is the first thing that comes into your mind when you think of robots tracking your movement as you surf the web online? People do not like robots and cookies on their browsers because of what they do to people’s equipment. The same is true when you buy 200,000 backlinks to be built for your website in one month so you can get massive traffic and better ranking for your website. The search engines are looking for legitimate human action and interaction, they are not looking for robot software to get on their systems and leave viruses and hack into their systems. Leave the small fishermen who do not know what they are doing alone. Please do not pay someone to dump thousands of backlinks onto your website so quickly so as to get your website banned from search engines, work with people who know what they are doing and will monitor your websites backend.

Who are the small sea fishermen in social media? The small sea fishermen in social media are the ones who are still trying to sell you cheap private label software that teaches you outdated information that has no value based proposition for your brand. Before you decide to become a scuba diver so that you can explore deep sea fishing you need to know what you are doing. Consult a social media manager that can help you with a solid social media marketing plan that will not only get your brand recognized online, but also construct a social media marketing plan that will enhance your security online. Are you using the services of a social media manager that is spamming people, in the guise of driving traffic to your website? If they are using mobile apps to engage your customers, what more are they offering you? Are they only providing you a mobile app that can only give out coupons and that’s it? Anyone can do that, the question is what more are they offering you to get more people to download your mobile app? Ask a social media small sea fisherman that question and they will not have an answer for you. When a scuba diver is underwater, they have to be on a constant state of alert, they have to be able to look out for predators, and understand the gestures of predators and act accordingly. A small sea fisherman in social media, do crazy things like tweet the same message 30 times a day, without any idea about understanding how twitter works.

These small sea fishermen in social media do not really care about their clients. They are just out to make a quick dollar and are not thinking about servicing their clients for the long term. If you ask a small sea fisherman for a geo targeted social media campaign for a specific geographic area, they break into a sweat. They do not understand their client’s business needs or the demographic that their clients are targeting, and what social media campaign is appropriate for which client. There are a lot of people claiming to be social media experts, and they are making all sorts of crazy claims that they cannot justify. A small sea fisherman in social media cannot tell you which of the over 850 search engines in the world are appropriate for your content. Let a scuba diver who is familiar with the environment in the deep waters of social media guide your strategy, deal with people who will make sure your baclinks are built well and that they will not cause your IP address to be banned so you cannot be able to access the internet.

A small sea fisherman in social media only knows of the google search engine, they have no knowledge of other secure browsers which do not allow google robots to spy on you. Knowing about internet security and appropriate firewalls and when to use them is of utmost importance to both the client as well as the social media manager who is running the campaigns for the company. How can you protect your client’s information if your own computer as a social media expert is not protected?  When surfing the internet from an unprotected computer with no firewall protections, you expose your computers address to malware and other bots that roam the internet looking for unprotected internet connections to place cookies and viruses and spam on peoples computers. A small sea fisherman in social media will not make this connection and will not only expose their computer to viruses but also their client’s computers when they send their clients emails from their virus infected computers. Avoid small sea fishermen in social media who cannot tell you how to get your mobile app accepted in the android market place after they have built your mobile app for you. The whole reason for getting a customized mobile app for your business is to increase your traffic consistently; it’s not just about QR Codes for your customers to print coupons. Your social media mobile app strategy should go further than just the dispensing of coupons on smart phones.

Many companies are being ripped off when it comes to social media because they do not know any better. Demand a robust social media marketing plan when considering social media marketing in your media buying budget for your company. Get specifics; get a solid social media marketing plan that works. Get a Global Social Mobile footprint plan for your company that is something you will not be able to get from your small sea fisherman on social media. Get a plan that can do some deep sea social media scuba diving, that is where your company’s brand needs to be at, where all the other sharks and go getters are hanging out at, not with the small sea social media fishermen who are using your business as on the job training for their unpaid social media interns.

Graham Odenyo is the Social Media Strategist and Project Manager of a successful Digital Marketing Social Media Mobile App Marketing Agency located in North Carolina. We work with companies to help them create and manage their own customized Global Social Mobile footprint plans for their businesses. We are a full services Social Mobile Marketing firm, offering fully customizable Global Social Mobile Footprint plans, from the conception of Mobile Apps to email marketing, to blogging, search engine optimization and YouTube video optimization keyword domination. For more information please go to >> http://affordablemobilemarketing.info , or send us an email at Godenyo@affordablemobilemarketing.info , http://www.linkedin.com/in/lippon/

Is your social media speech lost is translation when speaking to potential clients?

Is your Social Media Speech lost in translation when speaking to potential clients?

 One of the biggest problems facing social media professionals is the ability to effectively communicate with their clients what the value for their social media expertise is. For this reason many clients are checking out of the conversation mentally, resulting in the loss of potentially lucrative social media management accounts. Your client has come to the realization that they need the help of a social media manager to help them come up with a comprehensive social media marketing strategy, along with a scheduling plan to guide them in the implementation of the social media marketing plan.

Let’s make the discussion relevant and throw in a scenario or two, to help illustrate the point. Your client needs to know what they will do about their social media dilemma, they do not know where to start, where to go, how to get there, or where it ends up at, and how much it’s going to cost them financially and other wise. A good way to lose your client and have them check out on your conversation, as if you are speaking social media sign language is by doing this. Get up in front your client in your very well furnished conference room with the projectors and all the high-tech stuff and engage them in a 2 hour fully packed power point presentation.

Tell them stuff like; we will make sure that your social media account is extremely effective in disseminating information through engaging content. Meaning we will build and manage massive volumes of complex social media data for your social media account. Tell them how, your company has 10 or more experts in social media with a combines history or 150 years worth of cumulated social media expertise in the firm. Make sure to add that your company will build for them the most sophisticated Customer Relationship Management software that comes with military grade encryption to protect their system.

Tell them how you will fuse it all together with your unique social publishing content publishing machine, that will manage and all sorts of media types and formats from one portal. Are you getting my drift? Sometimes we forget what our priorities are, when it comes to how we are talking to potential clients who need our social media services and expertise. Initial consultations sessions are not your invitation to give your clients a social media convention by going on and on in long winded technical conversations that your clients do not understand. It makes the client look at you look like you are communicating in sign language, when they clearly are not deaf. Literally!

Your client would best be served by a condensed version of the same conversation that is simple, and takes into account their level of proficiency in social media. Your social media client who owns a small dry cleaning service in your city, does not need an elaborate series of youtube videos about dry cleaning to be distributed all over the internet. They might just need a simple mobile push button campaign with mobile coupons along with their social media properties with a map to their business attached in the message, so that their consumers can know where to go to redeem the mobile coupons appearing on their smart phones.

Keep it simple; do not lose the client with heavy social media analytical information that bombards your client’s mental faculties, making them check out of your conversation.

Sometimes all your client needs is a twitter and facebook account management to get them started. They do not need to have twitter, facebook, LinkedIn, pinterest, instagram, and squidoo accounts all at once, that’s why they came to you for advice. Help them out so that they do not get frustrated. Want to make sure that your clients do not check out on you, when you are talking to them about your social media services? Build value, by explaining to your clients why they need you manage their social media accounts. Your clients need to understand how using social media will benefit them, when it comes to selling more of their products and services online.

You clients will need to know that having you or your company manage their social media accounts, will help them maintain better relationships with their current customers.

You clients will also need to know that it is within their best interest to let you become their permanent social media consultant for their brand, because you are a social media expert who knows how to engage with others online professionally and ethically and is always meeting new people who would be interested in getting introduced to their brand or business.

You need to explain to your client that you can help them manage their social media campaigns more efficiently and profitably, by teaching them how to institute new systems that will help their business identify new potential clients who are serious about purchasing their products and services through your prequalification methods.

You need to explain to your client that you will help them manage their customer referral management system, so as to allow the company to get more referrals from current clients, while limiting negative feedback about their brand online, so that their brands image is not subject to injury from negative comments about their brand online.

Lately many companies have started implementing ambassador programs into their social media marketing plans, in which these companies have their current customers introduce their company and brand to potential prospects via incentivized actions. While this can be a good way to generate some referrals for your company, it has to be managed well and constantly monitored. The drawback with this method of promotion in social media, is that it can backfire if you do not know what you are doing and could seriously damage the image of your brand.

One of the good qualities of a good social media manager or marketing firm is their ability to understand, exploit and manage the use of social signals (activity on social media sites) in search results. It's a good idea for small business owners to get involved with social media now so they're prepared for today’s social media climate, in which their social media activities become a major factor in the search engine rankings. Local small businesses have historically relied on yellow pages and traditional advertising, which make it hard and nearly impossible to track Return on investment. With most people searching for products and service on Google and the other 800 plus search engines in the world, businesses need to use a Global Social Mobile marketing plan online to stay competitive.

Graham Odenyo is the Social Media Strategist and Project Manager of a successful Digital Marketing Social Media Mobile App Marketing Agency located in North Carolina. We work with companies to help them create and manage their own customized Global Social Mobile footprint plans for their businesses. We are a full services Social Mobile Marketing firm, offering fully customizable Global Social Mobile Footprint plans, from the conception of Mobile Apps to email marketing, to blogging, search engine optimization and YouTube video optimization keyword domination. For more information please go to >> http://affordablemobilemarketing.info , or send us an email at Godenyo@affordablemobilemarketing.info , http://www.linkedin.com/in/lippon/

Are you an ugly Betty when it comes to social media?

No one ever wants to be told that they are ugly, and people generally do not like calling others ugly. Then again there are those that self absorbed and are so preoccupied with themselves, with no concern for others. Maybe that does not describe you, after all everyone likes you and you are the life of the party. Have you ever met an ugly person? What did that make you feel like? If this is making you uncomfortable it should. Ugly Betty is the one that the kids do not like because; she is not pretty or attractive. Maybe she even has a mean spirit to boot; we all agree that we have seen an ugly Betty somewhere. My point is, no one likes looking at ugly things.

In social media, there are certain things that you can do, that make your brand stand out in a negative way. Most people think that social media is only limited to facebook and twitter, and posting stuff online, and this is not so. When was the last time you looked at a recently done website? Did you see a social media icon somewhere on the website? Yes your website is also part of your social media brand experience, and as such it needs to be handled with care.

What are some of the things that you could be doing, that make your social media look like an ugly Betty online? Let’s start from your website before we go into your mobile apps and social media applications.





a) Could it be that when people go to your website, it takes too long to download?

b) Could it be that when people look at your website, they are turned off
    becauseof too many graphics and colors, making it painful to look at?

c) Do you have some crazy type of music that plays on your website as soon as
    someone loads your page, and graphics are flying everywhere?

d) Could it be that you have a blog that has too much information but very little
    substance?

e) Could it be that your blog is turning people away because you have too many
    products and services that you are trying to sell on your blog. People cannot
    enjoy your content because they are being confronted with a sales pitch every
    which way they turn when they are on your website.

f) Could it be that you have inappropriate content on your website, that is
   Objectionable to your visitors and you have not picked up on that?

g) Could it be that people are being turned off by your website, because there are
    Typing errors on your website? It makes you look sloppy and careless

h) Could it be that you are losing your subscribers because of too many drip feed
    messages from your newsletter sending them junk mail offers and spamming
    their email accounts?  Treat your customers like you would want to be treated,
    do not take them for granted and abuse them with your newsletter. The leading
    marketing gurus are notorious for saying this “The money is in the list”, what
    they do not tell you is that if you abuse that list, you lose money in the final
    analysis when people start unsubscribing from your list.

i)  Are you abusing your blog or website, by posing irrelevant content that does not
    belong there? For example, there is a popular website called fiverr, where
    people do gigs for $5.00, you will be surprised to find people who will post
    other peoples content on their blogs regardless of whether the content that they
    are accepting, is a good fit for their blog or not. Don’t get me wrong, there are
    benefits of using fiverr if you know how to use it wisely, but for the purposes of
    building your social media brand, you cannot just accept other peoples content
    onto your blog wily nilly. It devalues your blog and makes it irrelevant and
    eventually you will get relegated to the search engine graveyard for lack of
    organic content.

Before you start worrying about social media and youtube videos and wordpress plugins and other things like that, clean your brand first. You have heard people say things like “don’t judge a book by the cover”, what they are saying is that you ought to give others the benefit of the doubt before you make assumptions about them. In social media it actually works the other way round. People will look at your social media presence and based on what they see, they will make a determination real quickly as to whether they will stay on your website, come back to your website, like your face book page, or download your mobile app if you have one. You only get one chance to make an impression and that impression has to count for your brand or business. There are millions of websites out there no is obligated to come to your website.


 

Getting people to your website is already hard as it is, to now show them an ugly website only serves as a disservice to you, your company and your brand. Besides, how much money do you have to throw down the drain before you get it? Appropriate business social etiquette is very important to your social media brand. Understand what your brand social network profile is all about, in other words, stay in your lane. Keep your business and personal interactions separate. For example, do not post business related information on your business profile. For instance, you do not want to post pictures of your vacation when you were drunk and or your high school reunion pictures, you get my drift. Doing that just makes your website ugly, as that content becomes objectionable to your visitors and it negatively affects your brand.

This might sound like a contradiction, but its not. Yes you have a brand and an image to maintain online, but that does not mean that your website has to be boring. Create a positive contrast in your social media experience. All businesses have a time when everyone cools off and relaxes, like during company picnics. It makes good sense to post positive content on your blog. Posting a video of you and your employees having good clean fun, on a company trip is good for your brand. It shows that you have a personality. We already know that you are serious about your business. Take a moment and breathe its good for your health.





Social media should not be a stressful experience for your visitors; it should bring them closer to your brand. Do not make your brand ugly by doing all these things described above.

Graham Odenyo is the Social Media Strategist and Project Manager of a successful Digital Marketing Social Media Mobile App Marketing Agency located in North Carolina. We work with companies to help them create and manage their own customized Global Social Mobile footprint plans for their businesses. We are a full services Social Mobile Marketing firm, offering fully customizable Global Social Mobile Footprint plans, from the conception of Mobile Apps to email marketing, to blogging, search engine optimization and YouTube video optimization keyword domination. For more information please go to >> http://affordablemobilemarketing.info , or send us an email at Godenyo@affordablemobilemarketing.info , http://www.linkedin.com/in/lippon/

Social Media: Tired players injure the easiest

Can you imagine how difficult it was for companies to market their “Brands “before the creation of social media? Putting together a marketing plan for a company in the past was an expensive undertaking that did not really assure any company any returns on their investments, as it pertains to their marketing budget. In those days when there was no face book, twitter, LinkedIn, your advertising options were fairly limited. Yellow pages and newspaper advertisements along with TV and Radio were the only, portals available for reaching the masses. Those who controlled these mediums of advertising dominated the advertising marketplace. For those companies that had to advertise their products and services to the masses, they had no choice but to spend copius sums of money to the dominating advertising companies at exorbitant rates.

This business environment created a gladiator like environment, for advertisers and companies looking to advertise their products and services. You either had to pay to play and hang in there until you were the last man standing. Tired players who could not afford to play were soon phased out, as companies continued to fight these wars for their market share. These companies soon realized that they were caught up in an endless that slowly but surely depleted their marketing budgets. Gradually many companies that could not keep up with the big boys and girls, simply found themselves being forced out of the playground. Tired players simply got injured quicker for lack of financial stamina.

Marketing and advertising have been around for a long time, and any company that has products and services has no choice but to spend money on advertising. As the social media landscape continues to evolve getting more sophisticated, companies, brand managers and marketing managers and advertisers are being forced to adjust and change their plans. Adaptations are being made and marketing plans and advertising budgets are constantly being revised. Just because your company has a huge marketing budget for a social media marketing plan, does not mean that your brand message will reach the masses. Frequent changes in the social media marketplace create an unstable unpredictable environment for companies, brand managers and advertisers.
 
Many companies and so called “Social Media Managers” are struggling with Social Media; they are working tirelessly spending all sorts of money blindly. It’s like the top pick professional athlete that does not take the time to take care of their body by resting, to regroup. Doing that only leads to a lack of conditioning, which in turn then leads to the athlete injuring his body again. Tired players always injure the easiest. As these athletes get injured, it has a domino effect on their whole team; the team begins to lose its rhythm and soon cannot function cohesively as a unit. To succeed in today’s social media jungle; one has to have more than just facebook, linkedin, and twitter profiles. One needs to have a comprehensive social media marketing plan designed for their company or brand, it is what I like to refer to as a “Global Social Mobile Footprint Plan ". Any business owner worth his/her salt always does their due diligence before starting a business. This is why they take their time to make sure that they have a business plan, mission statement set in place, before they open their doors for business.

 

How come, people think that they do not need a Social Media Marketing Blueprint for their Social Media campaign for their business? Does a competent coach knowingly put the tired players back into the field to play, knowing that their athlete is not able to perform at their peak? No they do not? Why? Because they know that tired players injure the easiest. So why would you as a business owner spend huge amounts of cash, on guesswork, when it comes to marketing your business through social media? Does that even make sense to you? Talk to a soccer mom, or any parent that has a child that plays any sort of active sports activities, and you soon realize that they are terrified that their children my get hurt on the field. These parents are worried of the sports injuries that can affect their children and the expenses financial and mental expenses that accompany such sports injuries when they do happen.

 
Similarly when it comes to marketing your brand in the internet and social media market place, brand managers and companies need to be concern for the health of their brands. A week social media marketing campaign that is not well executed is the equivalent of getting a sports injury, in the social media marketing arena. The costs associated with the rehabilitation of a companies brand and image in the marketplace could be staggering. Think that the Social media health of your brand online is not so important? Think again. Can social media hurt your brands image? YES it can, if you do not know how to use it.


The lack of a well defined Social Global Mobile footprint plan for your business will leave you with the equivalent of a sports injury and will slow your company’s growth and bank account. Why spend money on advertising if your advertising is turning your clients away from your brand? Does that even make sense to you? Many professional sports teams always schedule their teams training during spring. Consequently as a result of all these sporting events, the number of sports related injuries spike, so do the expenses that come with them. When it comes to your social media planning, can your business or brand survive another “spring training camp” like cut throat marketing season? Does your brand have a marketing plan in place that can sink or swim in this social media sea that is filled with sharks? Is your social media marketing campaign dizzy? Are you running out of breath? Meaning, is there a mechanism in place that assures your customers that their social media information will be secure and free from bots online? When designing a social mobile footprint plan for your company, how does your social media manager ensure that your company’s treasure, which is your brand, is protected from Bots online? Injured players injure easiest. If you do not want to get inured by bots online, you need to set up a secure base of operations. Keep your clients, not the robots that are crawling your server looking to place spy ware on your clients social media campaigns while you run them.

There is no quick fix for a concussion, they require immediate medical attention, and anyone that takes them for granted does so at their own peril. There are no home remedies or one size fits all solutions in social media. A robust social media marketing Global Social Mobile footprint plan takes the following factors into account when crafting a marketing strategy for your client, or their brand.

a)       What type of secure delivery methods should be employed when running a social media campaign for 
           a client?
b)       What is the appropriate mode of delivery for your client’s content?
c)       Who is your clients target audience?
d)       Is the content engaging so as to ensure loyalty?
e)       How frequently should a campaign be run?
f)        In what geographic area should the campaign be run?

These are just a few of the concerns that have to be addressed when designing a social media marketing campaign. Always be proactive and anticipate potential problems and have a back up plan to back up the backup plan. If you just start throwing out links and tweets out there on the internet, all you will do is attract the attention of search engine bots that will blacklist you. Sorry but that is the truth, search engines are now looking for spam social media, and you do not want to get caught up in that mess. Don’t become a casualty of the social media battle ground, it will cost you more than you are ready to part with financially and in other ways too. Remember! Tired players injure the easiest, be proactive and self police your companies brand in the social media marketplace.

Have you ever wondered why people gravitate to the next new shiny social media toy that beckons at them? It is because society has programmed us to always want the newest shiny toy that just came out. Look at the cell phone industry, they always have a new cell phone being released, and millions of people simply just cannot resist their charm. They will line up at 3am in the morning to buy the latest cell phone from their favorite manufacturer. This is the same sickness that many advertisers and brand managers suffer from. They have heard that for them to be successful in their advertising efforts, they have to spend huge sums of money on social media. They have become social media junkies, addicted to the next new Mobile App, Social Network. They have no sense of direction, and do not demand accountability from the social media providers that they spend their hard earned money on. They are like sheep being lead by a pack of wools, and if there is one thing that predators are good at noticing, it’s the tired animal that cannot keep up with the pack. They know that tired players injure easiest.

Is your company depending on some unpaid college intern for your company's social media marketing plan? What makes you think that they have your company’s interests at heart? Can your company really afford to entrust your social media marketing needs to the hands of an unpaid intern, whose preoccupations are just to get a job from you or someone else? That is the same as putting an exhausted athlete to play with no rest, they will get injured. Tired players injure the easiest. If the tired players in social media are the ones that injure the easiest, who are the winners in this game? The winners in social media are the ones who take the time to plan their social media strategies, and not leave anything to chance. They are the ones who demand a social media blueprint plan for the social media marketing needs. They have realized that the social media run is not a sprint but a marathon. They have been burned financially, and are tired of spending tons of money on cheap autoposting, cookie cutter software that do not produce any results because they cannot adapt as technology changes. They have been bitten financially and have realized that spending money of cheap social media software solutions that do not really offer any value for their companies brand only injures their brand. Again, tired players injure easiest.


If you do not want to be the tired player that injures easiest in social media, you have to make deliberate decisions and take deliberate actions that produce specific results. You get what you pay for, pay for garbage, and get garbage. Garbage in, garbage out, simple as that. In Social Media there are no short cuts, no guessing. There are no free lunches in social media, You can either continue spending your hard earned money guessing, or you can choose to spend your social media dollars on a customized Global Social Mobile Media marketing plan for your business that get you the results that your brand deserves period, you pick your poison. The Social Media race is a dynamic marathon, always evolving; there is never a clear cut winner in this game. The same applies to the big players too, that is why you always see Google adapting and coming out with new products and services. When it comes down to it, the question is, do you have a solid social media marketing plan that can evolve with the currents in the social media sea? Is your social media strategy a dynamic or it is based solely on facebook, twitter instagram and linkeidin?

When it comes to social media marketing, it’s not about winning or losing, it comes down to planning and strategizing. For example, there is no benefit in having 1 Million people like your facebook page, if you do not have a plan to engage them after the fact to increase your sales. You have to have a plan to manage your social media experience online, and it cannot be based on guesswork and goodwill. You have to have a blue print that guides you on how to move from point A to point B. Does your Social Media marketing plan take into account what your customers needs are? Who is your target demographic? What research have you done? Who are your competitors? What types of Social Media methods are they using? What kind of results are they getting? If you cant answer those questions with your social media marketing plan, then you and your company, like the tired player are about to get injured financially very easily and very quickly.

Graham Odenyo is the Social Media Strategist and Project Manager of a successful Digital Marketing Social Media Mobile App Marketing Agency located in North Carolina. We work with companies to help them create and manage their own customized Global Social Mobile footprint plans for their businesses. We are a full services Social Mobile Marketing firm, offering fully customizable Global Social Mobile Footprint plans, from the conception of Mobile Apps to email marketing, to blogging, search engine optimization and YouTube video optimization keyword domination. For more information please go to >> http://affordablemobilemarketing.info , or send us an email at Godenyo@affordablemobilemarketing.info , http://www.linkedin.com/in/lippon/