Social Media Consulting • Lead Generation • Social Networks • Blogs

Denver Facebook Marketing Boot Camp Part 2

Part 2 of Denver Facebook Marketing Boot Camp took place on March 25 in the Denver area. This small-group workshop consisted of different strategies for marketing a Facebook Page including contests, inviting friends, events, connecting yoru blog, Facebook applications, claiming your page and much more. The group of business owners followed step-by-step to learn creative ways to market their business on Facebook - and to make sure they were adhrering to Facebook's policy. The workshop included a book detailing the different Facebook marketing strategies. Here is the presentation.

 

Facebook Denver Boot Camp Part 2

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Ready for a workshop to take your online marketing to the next level? Check out Your Marketing Gal's calendar. Or contact us via email or at 303.632.2928.

Top Ten Tips for Great Web Videos

The Top Ten Tips for Great Videos was the topic for the Denver Entrepreneurs, a local group of small  business owners that get togther to network and learn. Kevin Campbell, a seasoned videographer with Kevin Campbell Films,  shared his  tips for creating videos that aren't boring or talking heads.   And he should know. Kevin is a true professional and has even sold a feature film to Lionsgate Entertainment - now that's impressive. The following was taken from the PowerPoint presentation he shared. Counting down for the top ten.

10. Don't expect miracles. Be realistic about your video goals. If a website has video, expect:  

• 52% increase in viewers taking action
• 30-40% increase in clicks for information
• 16-20% increase in phone calls
• 30%  will make a trip to the store
• 24% will make a purchase

9.  Web video is a social medium.  According to Forrester Research,  “...any given video in the index stands about a 50 times better chance of appearing on the first page of results than any given text page in the index" for Google. 

Spread your video to the following sites:

• YouTube
• DailyMotion
• MetaCafe
• Break
• Veoh
• MySpace
• Revver
• Blip.tv
• WeGame
• Tangle
• 5Min
• Game Trailers
• LiveVideo
• RuTube
• Facebook
• Vimeo
• Current
• Funny or Die
• eHow
• Megavideo

And how do you measure results? Through Google Analytics, TubeMogul or Brightcove. Oh and a big tip - get a YouTube channel.

 8. Don't sell, Tell a story. Stories communicate what you are trying to say much more effectively.

Remember this Where's the beef commercial? 

Lucid Brake is a perfect example of telling a story. Unfortunately, they did not have their contact information.. Coincidentally the creators of Lucid Brake happened to be at the Denver Entrepreneurs meeting where Kevin presented.

 7. Know your audience.

And what are the best type of videos?

• 57% branded video
• 40% product or service demos
• 37% customer/employee testimonials

6. Look for visitors to your website. Don't try to sell a product.

5. Keep the video short and simple. Web video is not a television show so get to the point.

Oops, this video is not exactly HGTV.Wonder if it was made to sell the home or appease the home owner.

Best way to tell your story:

• Pay attention to the three-second rule
• Have only one conflict per story
• Tell how you solved the problem
• Have an ending (call to action)
• And do this all in one minute

Kevin's great advice - especially after trying to watch this video for a few seconds. You have just a few seconds to engage with the audience or forget it.

4. Don't bore the audience. And don't just be a boring talking head.  Click on the picture to see what not to do for a talking head.

A school for web video? Wonder if the web video director was gone that day. Click on picture to see video. 

3. Have a call to action. Make it easy for the audience to find you and have your contact information prominently displayed.

 

Here are some simple calls to action:

• Offer a discount 
• Ask viewers sign up for your email newsletter or "Like" your  Facebook Page
• Ask them to spread the word by sharing on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, blog and email

2. Make it sound and look professional.

Make sure you have the right microphone and equipment.  Observe the rule of thirds.

When it comes to editing your video, use  iMovie for Mac and Adobe Premiere Elements for a PC. Learn to edit your video on YouTube or Lynda.com.

1. Don't forget to put a video on your website home page. And optimize it for keywords.

Social Networking Success Strategy for Denver Realtor

Mark Kinslow, a Denver Realtor, believes in keeping in touch through social media venues like Facebook. But, it’s the face-to-face that counts in his business.

It’s amazing how many people I run into that confess they need to be on social media. It is like I am the priest and they are using our time together to be absolved of not being on social media or not being diligent about using it. Is it right for everyone? Are you nobody if you are not on social media? 

Mark Kinslow believes that it can be part of the mix. When a met him a few months ago, I saw a well spoken young man with a nice demeanor – not pushy, yet confident. The kind of person you enjoy being around. Quite helpful to his peers and knowledgeable about social media. I was speaking to one of his groups, The Edge, a local Denver area leads group, about using social media for business. His 30-second commercial included an important fact: his team had sold over 30 homes in 2010 – a great feat for the Denver area market.

So, after the meeting I asked him, “What led to your success in this market? What are you doing right? Would love to know the ingredients you feel have contributed [to your success].”

His response:
The main thing we are doing to make our success is just doing what works. You said you were in the business previously and to be honest the more things change the more they need to stay the same. Lots of agents forget that our business is mostly from past clients, friends and family. Networking with people is a must. Facebook and other social media are amazing ways to keep in touch but they still do not compare to face to face meetings. I use social media to get face time with my people.

I can talk to someone on Facebook every day and it means little when you can sit down and have a beer or coffee in person. We do lots of marketing to our sphere and that is where we get our deals from. I don’t like working with cold leads as they are mostly a waste of our time. I like having a large web presence that is only found by someone who is looking for me because a friend, past client etc., ...refers someone to me [and] they can check me out. It saves time and effort.

…I have been running businesses for a long time, I managed a Motorcycle Rental shop as well as our corporate fleet (7 stores in 4 states) and I understand dealing with people pretty well so that got me my background on talking to people and overcoming objections, I did that from when I was 18 till 21 then I got my licensee and opened my own shop which went out of business in 2007 and I decided rather than be a part-time agent I would just do this full-time and .it has worked out pretty well.

Well said, Mark. Oh and congratulations on such a great formula for success. Want to meet Mark and his team? Visit his Buyers blog or Sellers blog.  

When I work with clients, I look at the whole picture, not just the social media part. If you get on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, you are not going to be successful overnight. It takes time to nurture your community and grow your online presence. There are many ingredients to creating a good online and offline marketing strategy. And social media is not magic. But it can certainly part of the overall marketing plan.

Ready to get started on a good online plan? Download your free “Create Your Social Media Marketing Plan” workbook to start on your path to a manageable, successful plan. Or contact me if you’re ready to be coached to success for using online and/or traditional marketing strategies for your business.  

Have a success story you want to share? Just include your contact information as a comment or contact me. 

 

Get Your Free Walk On Video for Your Website - Denver Entrerpeneurs Meeting

Steve Stone of Option MultiMedia will be showing us great examples of what you can do to

make your website have some real pizazz with walk-on videos. You'll see videos he has created plus he'll share his site, Media Fur, where you can add your own generic video to your site as well - for free. If you have a walk-on video, you are apt to convert many more visitors. 

As always, we'll have our power networking time with 30 second commercials and plenty of time to network after the meeting. RSVP if you'd like or just show up. This is a no-pressure networking event with 20 to 45 dynamic business owners.

About Options MultiMedia
Bring your website to the next level by adding State of the Art Multimedia elements. Online Video, Online Publications, Video Testimonials, 3D Animation, eLearning / Training & other multimedia. We are a Full Service Multimedia House that specializes in online media at an affordable price. We are experts and positioned to assist. We enhance and support your business or marketing campaign. The options are endless and are limited only by your imagination. We want to work with you and are very open to your ideas and not afraid of trying new things.

Why should you care?

Over the next two years, The FrontPage of everyone’s website will start resembling a TV commercial more & more. Advertisers have spent billions of dollars on TV ads and they know what works. They know they have 3-5 seconds to grab your attention and they aren't doing it with text. They are capturing your attention with Video and Audio. The FrontPage of your website is no different than a TV commercial. You better grab your perspective clients attention or they won't go into the add-on pages to see the content. We are a visual society. Good impressions equal sales.

Online Video leads to sales!. "Of the 80% of viewers who had watched an online video ad, just over half had taken some sort of action. Nearly a third had checked out a Web site, while 22% had searched for more information, 15% had gone into a store and 12% had actually made a purchase".

With video & multimedia you can show the real business behind the printed words. With video the customer can see the authentic you. A video provides additional information to your potential customer that makes a positive emotional connection. Emotional connections are remembered. Video & Multimedia will distinguish you from competitors.

The Denver Entrepreneurs is sponsored and organized by Jo Guerra of Your Marketing Gal in Denver, Colorado. Because of her business background in international business and importing, she understands the unique needs of small businesses. Her specialty is training and working with companies to develop their online, social media and traditional marketing plan and strategies. She helps her customers look at the whole picture to propel their brand – often implementing free and low-cost traditional and online marketing strategies. Marketing services include social media marketing plan and implementation, social media management, SEO and keyword selection strategies, blog and website creation and branding.

Is Article Marketing Good for SEO? Matt Cutts Says No

Article Marketing Promotions - Are they worth the time? Not according to Matt Cutts of Google.

The question in this video posed to Matt Cutts is: Is article marketing good for SEO (search engine optimization) and how are the backlinks treated when other websites republish the same article? According to Matt, the sites that normally republish the articles are not the highest quality, nor are the articles high quality. Matt suggests publishing great content and using good social media to spread your original articles so that people are linking to your content  organically.  It is not an "incredible value add" . What do you think? Have you written articles to be used for article marketing? What kind of results have you seen?

 

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Social Media for AmeriCorps Job Seekers

Here is my presentation for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) in Denver, Colorado for their Life After AmeriCorps Day. I will be speaking to them on March 9 and am really looking forward to connecting with them. We are going to do an exercise  on texting and see what kind of grade they give themselves for having complete sentences and not abbreviating. I know, I text also and take shortcuts, but unfortunately, we are judged - especially by prospective companies that we want to work for or do business with.  Perhaps some day we will be learning this language of abbreviations -well  give us at least 40 years.

Social Media for AmeriCorps Job Seekers

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Here's a summary of the NCCC:

Our Corps Members are 18 to 24 years old and are taking part in a 10 month National Service Program, commonly referred to as the domestic Peace Corps.  The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps allows members to work with and provide their services to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations all over the country.  This year, our members have worked in schools, done trail building and environmental work, done construction with several Habitat for Humanity and similar affiliates, and spent countless hours with FEMA in the gulf to assist in the region’s recovery from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, and Gustav. In return for their commitment to service, our members receive room and board, a small living stipend, and an education award upon completion of the program. 

About 1/3 joined the program right out of high school, the about 1/3 have completed a few years of college, and about 1/3 have earned a Bachelor’s degree.  Our members come from diverse backgrounds, and so have a variety of needs as they work to develop their “Life After AmeriCorps” next-step plan. As a program we are committed to helping our members achieve their goals in any way that we can by providing resources and highlighting exciting opportunities.

 

Social Media Workshops & Classes in Denver

Your Marketing Gal to teach social media classes in the Denver area specifically designed for small to medium sized businesses. Learn the latest online marketing techniques to propel your small business to success. Social media marketing classes and workshops will be taught by Jo Guerra of Your Marketing Gal in Denver, Colorado.

Three social networking classes to be held in Denver include:

• Create Your Social Media Marketing Plan, Tuesday, March 15, 2 to 5pm, $49. Propel your business online and attract targeted customers with the right plan.
• Linkedin: Profile and Business Basics, Wednesday, March 16, 9 to 11:30am, $46, Colorado Free University. Profile basics, building connections, keyword strategies, building establishing your expertise and much more.
• Social Media Marketing Club, Thursday, March 10, 9 to 11am, Microsoft Store, $12.99. Bring a social media project to this interactive hands-on meeting and be guided by two social media specialists.  

Facebook class and workshop coming in April.

Schedule is available at Your Marketing Gal calendar.

Information on individual classes is available at Your Marketing Gal . Or contact Jo at SocialJo1@gmail.com or 303.632.2928.

About:  Your Marketing Gal in an internet marketing firm located in Denver, Colorado. Jo Guerra, owner of www.YourMarketingGal.com is a certified Inbound Marketing Consultant and Internet Marketing Professional. Your Marketing Gal helps  small businesses grow by developing and implementing strategic internet marketing plans. Services include social media marketing, social networking, blog creation, blogging, keyword selection, local search, search engine optimization & video marketing. 

 

LinkedIn Profile & Business Basics Denver Class

LinkedIn is the premier social networking site for business, but how you use Linkedin makes a huge difference in its effectiveness. Did you know that you are 40 times more likely to receive business opportunities through LinkedIn if you have a complete profile? Discover great tips for creating an effective profile that attracts prospects, customers, power partners, or hiring managers to you.

Understand the basics of social media etiquette and optimize your profile with keyword enriched descriptions. Learn to update your status to reflect your expertise in your field and discover how to join and engage in groups. This class is taught in a lively presentation format, but it helps to have knowledge of basic computer skills to follow along.

Class is Wednesday, March 16, 9 to 11:30am at Colorado Free University. Register at Colorado Free University or call 303.399.0093. $46 plus $10 material fee. 

An entrepreneur/business owner for over 16 years, Jo Guerra, owner of Your Marketing Gal. LLC, is a traditional and social media marketing consultant. She helps small businesses grow and attract targeted customers by developing and implementing strategic internet marketing plans to include social media marketing, social networking, blog creation, blogging, keyword selection, local search, search engine optimization and video marketing.

The New Facebook Pages - From Fan to Facebook

The new Facebook pages just rolled out on Thursday, February 10^th and as all changes with Facebook, get used to them. After March 1, you won’t be able to use the old format. So, now that they are Facebook pages, and not fan pages, let's look at the differences.

The row of pictures at the top is similar to your personal Facebook profile. If you don’t like them, just hover over them and click X. Looks like that’s a good idea for my row as my old graphic for my Facebook page is showing.

The navigation boxes we loved at the top that were similar to a website, are gone. You now have a list on the left side that shows your navigation.

Here's the old one:

And the new one: 

Before wall posts showed in chronological order. Now you have two Wall filters. You can set a default filter based on your preferences.  I toggled between the two and will probably stick to the chronological order. However, there were a lot of complaints on Facebook's announcement page, so I'll have to check and make sure I can toggle between the two once I upgrade my page permanently. 

If change is something we need to get used to, and you have to if you are using Facebook, the best thing is that you can use Facebook as your page to interact with other pages. You can actually comment now as your page, which means you can organically grow your following and community and join like-minded people. You can also feature pages you like on your page. If you hit the “Edit page” button, you can set how you post on your page, as yourself or your page. Or you can hit settings at the top right corner.

Warning, if you are using  your personal page as your business page, I read that Facebook is cracking down on this practice by disabling the profile page and the email associated with it. I always say that people that use a personal page for their business are taking the chance of doing a lot of work to build their community and then losing it all. And when I see a personal profile used for a business, I know they are either rookies or are getting some bad business advice.  

And the worst thing for a lot of people: static FBML is gone after the 11th of March. What does that mean? Back in August or 2010, Facebook announced that developers should start using Iframes to develop pages. But it looks like a lot of developers were not aware of this after reading different forums.  If you have a page created on FBML, it looks like your page will be okay - at least for now - as it is "grandfathered" in. 

Want to read it about the Facebook page changes from the horse's mouth? Here's Facebook's announcement. And here's an article from PC World. 

Are you ready to create your page? Here is Facebook's step by step guide to create your page.  Oh and please like my Facebook page at Your Marketing Gal. 

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know by posting here. 

 

 

Free Keyword Search Tools - Pump Up Your SEO

One of the most important things when creating an online marketing strategy for your company are coming up with a list of keywords to use in your copy, website, blogs, etc. If you build it, will they come? Perhaps, but not as fast as if you devote some time to developing your keyword list and paying attention to the competition. You want keywords that have low competition but still rank high as far as traffic. And you normally want keyword phrases - not one word keywords.

Search engine optimization is an art and a real specialty. Many years ago I paid a company a nice chunk of change to do keyword research for me. Guarantee top 10 - yes on some obscure search engines. Waste of money. I received more hits to my website from my blogging - and yes, I was very strategic with using and picking my keywords. So educate yourself a bit if you decide to hire someone to help you with your keyword strategy.

Here are a couple of places to look for keywords that can give you a better idea on what keywords to use.

Both Wordtracker and Google have free keyword research tools. And here are the links for both:

1. Wordtracker: https://freekeywords.wordtracker.com. Update, Wordtracker gives  you a seven day free trial. 

2. Google keyword search tool: Google Adwords Keyword Tool

Keep an excel spreadsheet with your list and pay attention to the competition. There are a lot of other tools as well that you can use. Some paid, some not. Which ones have you had success with?