Social Media Consulting • Lead Generation • Social Networks • Blogs

Denver Social Media Marketing Club

Facebooking…Tweeting…Blogging…Digging…Googling…

Emailing…Confused?

Ever wish you had someone looking over your shoulder, assisting you step-by-step, as you make your way through Social Media Land?

Are you a small business owner who knows you should have an online social media marketing plan and strategy, but no time and you need to know more as you jump into social media marketing?

Did you take on a new role at work, and are now responsible for the social media strategy and implementation for your company?

Maybe you would just like to learn how to get online, connect, share pictures and communicate with family and friends.

Or you need a time and place to get your social media marketing done AND have a group of friendly faces to chat and network with.

Well help is here: THE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING CLUB! 

The Social Media Club is a hands-on group that meets to

• LEARN more about options and ideas in social media
• CONNECT and network with others
• GROW your knowledge, business and community by using social media tools and marketing techniques

NO MORE EXCUSES!  Set aside time to work on your social media marketing strategies, meet and connect with new friends and learn how to navigate the online world.

Things To Do At the Social Media Marketing Club:

• Create your Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or Twitter Profile or learn about Twitter tools and shortcuts
• Write and schedule blog posts.
• Get  pictures/videos off your camera and to Facebook, Flickr. Picassa, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
• Work on your social media marketing and internet marketing strategy
• Prepare your next Email marketing campaign
• Learn the basics of how to use Facebook and other social networks
• Post updates and learn strategies to engage your community
• Find tools that assist you with your online marketing
• Connect and grow your community
• Get assistance and answers  from a LIVE PERSON

This group is open to anyone, and assistance is there if you need it.  You will need to bring your laptop (WiFi-ready), a project to work on and lots of questions. We will share great tips, yummy treats and drinks.

WHEN:  Monthly

TIME:  Times may vary. Please check the latest schedule at: Social Media Marketing Club

WHERE:  Microsoft Store at the Park Meadows Mall – In the Theater, 8505 Park Meadows Dr., Suite 2095, Lone Tree, CO 80124, 303.824.6772 Theater

COST: $12.99 per session or $30 for three meeting. Limited seating.

Save more with our pre-pay options

One meeting $12.99 Three meetings $30.00

 Are you part of a group or organization, and would like to bring a customized Social Media Club to your location?  Contact Jo Guerra at socialjo1@gmail.com or Teri Virbickis at teri@ui-creative.com to set up a time to discuss your needs. .

“We believe in the power of social media, PLEASE PASS this  to your friends and network.  The synergy of a community and its people is what makes social media such a powerful tool!”

About Your Hosts

Jo Guerra
Your Marketing Gal

Seasoned business owner originally started in 1993 as a wholesaler/importer of jewelry and accessories. Imported from and established relationships with suppliers in over nine countries. I’ve had online presence since 1996.  I started implementing social media strategies for my jewelry business – often being listed on the first page of a Google search.

Because of my background, I understand the unique needs of small businesses. Although my specialty is training and working with companies to develop their online, social media and traditional marketing plan and strategies, I help my customers look at the whole picture to propel their brand – often implementing free and low-cost strategies. 

I’m passionate about social media knowing that small businesses can compete and grow their business organically just as easily as the big corporations. I also assist in the incorporation of tools that simplify social media marketing and really empower businesses to bring their marketing in-house, should they desire. This strategy includes increasing their online footprint and being found – the inbound marketing way.

I’m a constant learner and take a variety of classes from business to fun including film acting and photography. I love walking, cooking healthy and working out.

Teri Virbickis
U&I Creative

Teri is a savvy, sharp, extremely creative, and results driven marketing communications professional with passion for B2B and B2C marketing solutions. Teri graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Education.  Her 18+ year career in Marketing, Communications, Graphic Design, Web Design, and Social Media Marketing is an asset to any business, large or small  She strategic thinker with a “roll-up your sleeves attitude”. She uses her innovative and out-of the-box creativity, to take ideas and create tangible, impactful marketing solutions.

A self-proclaimed “Impactologist”, Teri is able to put the “WOW” factor in your marketing initiatives. She has a reputation for delivering excellence through flawless execution of projects and marketing campaigns.  She is connector, known for building relationships and connecting with customers to meet and surpass their expectations.  Her unique ability to “sculpt fog”, creating clarity from chaos, helps her customers see and implement opportunities.  In the end, she is a Customer Champion driven by the challenge to make a difference, while building and implementing cost effective marketing solutions that impact bottom line revenues.

Teri spends her free time traveling in the mountains of Colorado, playing and coaching women’s volleyball and behind her Canon camera, capturing images of Colorado.  She is an amateur photographer, with professional aspirations. You can follow her Picture This… Adventures Behind the Camera blog at www.adventuresbehindthecamera.com.

 

Email Marketing Campaigns: Are You Spamming Your Contacts?

Just because you are following the rules of the can-spam act does not mean you are not pissing off your potential or current customers.

When you meet someone at a networking event, should you put them on your email list without their permission? I was privy (carbon copied) to an exchange of emails between two people recently that belong to a networking group that I organize. One of the ladies sent an email to another lady she had met the previous night. The email read:

“I just wanted to ask if it would be okay to include you when I send out my monthly newsletter highlighting my current … specials. If yes, no need to do anything. If no, just reply to this e-mail with a “no”. I’ll completely understand.”

I had actually received this email a few weeks earlier and I thought it was fine if she sent me her newsletter. She was asking me. However, the receipient viewed the email differently and they apparently had an exchange which finally resulted in the recipient answering:

“The way I read that, you either put me on the list already, or were going to if I didn’t respond. Perhaps I misunderstood, or maybe you could write that differently so it’s more clear.

Another thing to consider is internet etiquette: Many people would consider your email to be spam, whether it technically fits the legal description or not. Since the email you sent was sent to people you met on Thursday, asking for permission when you got their card might have gotten you several happy subscribers. Doing it this way has the potential to create a bad impression of you, and might cause one of the following reactions:

1. People who didn’t read the email fully, but saw you were talking about your newsletter, just deleted it  - not realizing you were going to send the newsletter if they didn’t respond.
2. They then will be annoyed when they start receiving it, since they didn’t opt-in. They’ll either delete it every time they get it, getting further annoyed, or unsubscribe, because they didn’t sign up.
3. Since it’s so easy to send people to junk mail in Outlook and block your address, you’ve now lost the opportunity to talk to these people in the future.

Imagine how uncomfortable both you and the recipient will be when you meet again at another networking event. If they put 2 and 2 together, they might even mention this to others people there, which will damage your reputation, and keep you from making valuable contacts,.

They might report you as a spammer, or at the very least, complain about you.

Although this may sound extreme, it’s based on my conversations with hundreds of people about what they do when they get newsletters they didn’t ask for.

When my clients want to ask people to sign up for a newsletter after meeting them at a networking event, this is what I usually suggest they do:

1. Send a personal email - not a bulk email to everyone they met
2. Tell them you enjoyed meeting them, and remind them of your conversation so they’ll remember you,
3. Ask if they’d like to keep in touch, and then include a line about your newsletter, with a link to your website where they can sign up.
4. Better yet – put a newsletter sign-up link in your signature file. “

My email marketing plan included sending a similar email to the few hundred people whose cards I had gathered. I was going to ask permission to put them on my email list and tell them to send a “no” should they decide not to subscribe to my monthly email marketing newsletter. I did not send it this. This woman was absolutely right. I thought about all my LinkedIn contacts and other people I’ve met that have taken the liberty of putting me on their email list without my permission or without even asking. So, I changed the strategy and included a similar message to the following:

Subject: Permission for Your Marketing Gal Nesletter

Hi (first name),

Hope you are doing well. I met you at (place) and you took a social media class from me. I am wondering if it is okay to include you in my monthly newsletter with info on social media, business tips, networking and educational events. I like to be asked before I opt-in. Please reply to this email with a “Yes” if this is okay.

Thank you,

Jo Guerra
Your Marketing Gal

Over 35% of the people responded and said “yes”. Funny thing is that until recently, I would hit the unsubscribe button and not report any email as spam – thought I was doing the pay-it-forward karma thing. My computer crashed about six weeks ago. Four days after I got it back – after spending hours reloading my software and files, I received an email from someone I did not recognize. Nice gal – again I hit the unsubscribe and went straight to a Trojan virus almost crashing my computer again. That pretty much got me off the nice person mode. Now if I don’t recognize the email, I do hit the “report as spam” button. I am so not taking any chances anymore.

Oh and the lady that had sent the email asking to put people on their list also changed the way she asks contacts to be on her list - asks them to say yes, should they want to receive her newsletter. See we all win and learn.

Here’s the link for the Cam Spam Act if you want to see if you are complying or not when you send emails: http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-Compliance-Guide-for-Business. According to the website the Can Spam Act: “covers all commercial messages, which the law defines as “any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service,” including email that promotes content on commercial websites. The law makes no exception for business-to-business email. That means all email – for example, a message to former customers announcing a new product line – must comply with the law.”

So, how do you approach your email campaigns? If you are connected to someone on a social network, do you put them on your email list without their permission? When you meet someone, do you ask them for permission to send them your email newsletter?