Grow My Company

Cross-promoting your content: working smarter instead of harder

My clients would probably tell you that I'm a bit of a broken record when it comes to re-purposing content. I'm always saying things like, "Cut some blog posts out of that article," or, "Let me see where else I can get that published for you." To me, re-utilizing content is working smart.

If you've done the work and created a great piece, why not post it everywhere you can and repackage it for cross-promotion? If you've retained the copyright on your work, there is nothing stopping you from having the piece republished within another venue, chopping it up for multiple blog posts, and producing a video about the topic.

But don't stop there. Publish a link to your work on your Facebook Page and personal profile, on your LinkedIn profile, on Twitter, and within appropriate LinkedIn groups. Upload your presentations to SlideShare and LinkedIn, and upload your videos to YouTube and LinkedIn. If you find all of this too cumbersome, utilize a free, multi-platform posting tool, like Shareaholic, TweetDeck or Hootsuite, where you can post to multiple destinations with a single action. But be careful though, as it is not necessarily appropriate to post all content everywhere.

I also caution you to carefully consider using article farm sites, as I'm reading lately that these sites actually work against your search rank because links from them are considered bad.

So, the next time you create a great piece of content, add it to your blog or website, and then make sure you spread it around the web. Over the following few days, carefully review the statistics of where your inbound traffic is coming from. The results just might surprise you.

- Christine Pilch

Photo credit: Mac Users Guide

How to buy TV advertising, and what all those sales promo numbers really mean

If you want the skinny on buying TV advertising, here's a crash course from someone who sold and bought a lot of TV advertising over my career. I sold advertising for the local ABC affiliate for several years back in the 90s, and then I spent many hundreds of thousands of dollars annually while acting in my capacity as marketing director for an employer, as well as overseeing media purchases on behalf of many clients within my own business. I've seen all the tricks and tactics to make you spend your money with a particular station.

Stations seem to have finally realized that an average business owner doesn't understand technical numbers like ratings points. They understand plain English numbers in the thousands, so the marketing pieces I'm seeing lately reflects this. Ratings are more technical. Although they're not hard to grasp, the average business owner isn't expected to understand them. Agencies generally buy on ratings and subsequently use these projections/promises of delivery to make sure they receive what they paid for. If you're interested in the definition please check the glossary below. But for now, let's discuss common TV sales tactics.

Household numbers: One of the most common tricks to make poor ratings numbers look better is to use households numbers instead of popular buying demos, like adults 25-54. Think about your clients. It is unlikely that reaching a large number of households would be helpful to you. Household numbers include people of all ages, from newborn to elderly, people in all income brackets, people living in apartments, etc. If you've done your positioning work, you know exactly who buys your services. They are the only people you should be targeting with your advertising dollars. If a station is using household numbers in its promotional pieces, your clients are likely not watching its programming.

Packages: TV sales people love to sell packages that include a couple spots in key, effective areas and lots of spots at times where there is very little viewership. They try to fool you into thinking you're getting a great deal because of the frequency with which your ad runs. Again, think of your positioning. Are your key prospects watching TV at 3AM, 10:30AM, or 2:30PM? Are they watching during the daytime on the weekends? Probably not. Your target prospects are probably listening to news as they get ready for work in the morning and make dinner in the evening, however, so a $1,500 package that includes just 2 or 3 news spots and many spots in other areas may be a waste of your money.

Commissions: Sales people are paid on commission, so it's to their advantage to convince you to spend as much of your budget with them as possible. Many media sales people are honest and will try to find a good fit to advertise your service on their station. Some are not. The best insurance you have is your position statement. Don't buy an area that doesn't have a lot of viewers who are likely to buy your services. Ask for cost per thousand numbers of your chosen demos when looking at proposals, so you can evaluate bang for your buck among areas. Don't waste your money.

Glossary:

Ratings point: One ratings point is 1 percent of all TVs in a market whether on or off. 

Share: A share is a percentage of TVs on at the time.

Book: Nielsen puts out ratings books 4 times per year. Some markets are metered, which means that some homes have boxes sitting atop their TVs that record what station the TV is displaying through the day. Most markets are calculated by diary, however. This method relies on people writing down what they watch at any given time. Although this is the most accurate information available about programming popularity, as you can imagine, it is very flawed.

Projection: A projection is a mathematical equation of ratings from a particular book against viewing levels from another book. For example, TV viewership is traditionally up in the winter vs. the summer in New England, so if you're placing an annual buy, you may ask for projections that include numbers based on the latest ratings book adjusted for seasonal viewing levels.

Don't be fooled into buying advertising that won't work. Go back to basics and judge every advertising opportunity against your positioning. Spend your money wisely.

 - Christine Pilch

Photo credit: William Hook

10 ways to use QR Codes in your marketing

2D codes, or QR Codes, as they are becoming more commonly known, are two dimensional barcodes that are easily generated through a variety of web services and can be scanned with a barcode reader on a smartphone to take the user to a web page. 2D is the general category, but there are many kinds. Among them are Microsoft Tag, Datamatrix, EZ Code, QR Code, and others. Calling them all QR Codes is like calling a bandage a Band-Aid or a tissue a Kleenex.

Most people have probably seen them, but many still don't know what they are. Marketers are finding ever-greater ways to incorporate them into marketing by making it easier for a user to reach a particular page online. Let's face it, it's easier to scan a code than type a URL, so let's review some of the practical applications for QR Codes.

1. Add one to your business card. Think about how many cards are handed out at events and tradeshows for example. If yours contains a QR Code, later on, when the user scans it, you might have an advantage over the rest of the business card stack when the contact lands at your LinkedIn profile, and sees your photo and complete skill set.
2. On printed product literature. Think about the added convenience when you make it easy for a potential customer get more information and/or place an order.
3. Make it worthwhile. Entice the user to scan the code for a special message, information, video, or giveaway.
4. Within webinars or presentations. Use them for a little something extra that isn't accessible to non-atendees.
5. On t-shirts. My first experience with QR codes was a couple years ago at PodCamp Western MA. The code on the t-shirt given to all attendees lead us to a webpage where people uploaded all their media following the event, including videos, photos, and blog posts.
6. In ads. This is a great, easy way to get prospects to a particular web page from within a print ad. I've seen them on billboards too, but I wouldn't encourage you to do something that entices drivers to take their attention off their primary responsibility.
7. In a retail store. How great would it be to be able to go to an instant coupon while you're in a store? That's so much easier than clipping coupons and remembering to bring them with you.
8. For events. A QR Code can send potential attendees right to the EventBrite sign up page or a place where they can get more information.
9. For reservations. A hot, new application at 2011 SXSW makes it possible to users to scan a QR code to save their place on a restaurant waiting list.
10. For instructions. Think about how much greener it would be for people to read, for example, instructions for something they purchased by simply scanning a QR code on the product packaging rather than having to print and insert instructions within the packaging.

One very important factor however; if you plan to use a QR Code in your marketing, make sure that the landing page is optimized for mobile use. Little will frustrate your users more than a busy page with lots of unnessary images.

- Christine Pilch

When does, "Can I buy you lunch?" mean, "I want to pick your brain."

Like all consultants, I deal with my share of casual acquaintances and strangers who look for a ways to get free professional advice. The requests often come disguised within their idea being clever, "Can I buy you lunch?" or "Can we meet for a cup of coffee?"

Too many times I have been lured into situations that make me uncomfortable, frustrate me, and are disrespectful of my value as a marketing/social media consultant when I realize that the person across the table is a taker.

Now, don't get me wrong, I give away plenty of free marketing advice. This blog and my Facebook Fan Page are full of tips, tricks, and advice. I speak frequently and contribute to online communities through comments and discussions. I write articles and create how-to videos that demonstrate the process of doing something and why I recommend it. I also guest post on other people's blogs, and I consult on a complimentary basis with favorite non-profits.

I am a giver. That's my core philosophy.

Things are different for those within my personal circle, but there is a line. If I don't have a close, personal relationship with someone, is it appropriate for them to expect special treatment over and above what I freely offer to everybody else?  

I tossed this out through my social channels and received some terrific feedback about how others handle such requests to essentially pick their brain for free:

Peter said that whenever a casual lunch turns, he laughs and comments, "Wow, look at that, you've just turned this into business!" 

Rob said that he politely comments, "Let's not turn this into a working lunch. We can set up an appointment for that."

Ron said, "You really have to frame it that way. Your time is valuable and you charge your hourly rate for lunch meetings."

Tish said, "...networking has to have a purpose for me. Who are the people who want to network? What do they bring to the table? Will the interaction have a benefit for both of us, or is it one-sided?"

John said, "... Everyone is thinking of themselves, 99% of the time. They invite you to lunch because they want something from you, and you accept because you want something from them."

On the other hand, others said that they view it as an opportunity to impress someone who may become a potential client or referral source one day.

Valuable advice from people I respect.

So I guess I need to dig deeper when an acquaintance requests such a meeting and determine if the exchange has the potential to be win-win.

How do you handle such requests for free professional advice?

- Christine Pilch

 

Photo credit: Deb Harkness 

 

Friday Favorites: 3.18.11

Here are 5 of my favorite or most helpful things I read on the web this week:

1. How to Draft a Company Social Media Policy - "The purpose of your social media policy is to help employees understand what is and what is not acceptable, where the line is, and how, exactly, they should react when someone they’ve never met, and whom they were only trying to help, turns around to call them a HUGE MORON." This insightful post will provide a few guidelines to help get you started on drafting your own policy.
2. Fortune Global 100 Social-Media Savvy, Getting Savvier - There are strong statistics here to give you a quick snapshot of how these companies are using social media. 
3. Which is Better for Social Media Monitoring: TweetDeck or SproutSocial? Before I read this, SproutSocial wasn't on my radar, but now I think it looks like a valuable tool. 
4. Scan a QR Code & Save Your Place on the Restaurant Wait List - This is a hot new app introduced this week at SXSW with terrific potential! 
5. Interview tip: flushing out objections to your potential employment - This 5 minute audio recording is well worth your time, even if you're not interviwing for jobs now. It's basically about closing a deal.

 Well, that's it for this week!

- Christine Pilch

Are you spamming your prospects without even knowing it?

Unsolicited email is considered to be spam by most people. It doesn't matter how great you think your product is or how helpful you think your information might be, if an individual didn't ask for your email, you're a spammer, plain and simple.

Recipients' potential course of action takes many forms: from annoyed deletion, to email requests for removal, to opting-out when available, to reporting you as a spammer. The last option is potentially the most devastating to you. If you're using an email marketing service, you just might find yourself reprimanded or suspended, because all reputable services have anti-spam policies. But if you're sending such email out of your own personal email program, like Outlook, the results could be much harsher. You could actually be blocked by your email host. That means that you can't send or receive email, and you'll likely be in for a battle with your ISP to get it restored.

So, what's a good marketer to do with that handful of business cards freshly collected at some event? You're certain that these people would benefit from your nuggets of wisdom, so how can you safely add them to your email list?

Best practice is to have a welcome email ready to go that invites them to opt-in to start receiving your eZine. I know that this sounds counter-intuitive because this is also unsolicited email, but it's all about perception. This email is an invitation with a promise that they will never hear from you again if they don't choose to opt-in. People tend to be much more relaxed with such a respectful invitation than the harsh intrusion of an automatic email subscription.

Make sure this invitation email has a compelling incentive. Give something away. Have a contest. Make it fun and attractive. Most of all, make sure that this initial email is so jam-packed with great, topic-specific content that they want more. Create desire. Then work hard at fulfilling that desire with every issue.

It's also good practice to use a reputable email management system, like Constant Contact. This ensures that your ISP won't flag you as a spammer. It also provides great internal tools that make the whole process easy and provides clear a opt-out when someone wants to go. There are many email management options, so be sure to do your research before contracting with the most popular one.

Bottom line, though, be respectful of your contact list. People will only accept email from you when they perceive value. Make sure you deliver even more than they expect every single time and they'll stick with you. But don't disrespect anybody by opting them into something that they didn't sign up for. If they didn't ask for it, it's spam, and you're a spammer.

- Christine Pilch

 Image Credit: Microsoft

 

Relationship matters: the delicate vendor / client / agency trinity

Recently someone I follow on Twitter remarked that he was having a spat with a new marketing agency brought in by his client. This person is one of the client's vendors. That got me thinking about how dynamics change when an agency enters the mix.

It is sometimes tricky for vendors to navigate the waters when an agency enters the picture, because, make no mistake about it, the agency will get between you and your client. That's their job. And no strong agency will work any other way, because they can't deliver results if they can't control all the pieces. The client hired them because they don't want to handle all that stuff any more, so you have to find a way to work with the agency.

I have been on the agency side of this equation many times, and I have preferred vendors that I like to work with, but that doesn't mean that I remove the existing vendors when I start a new assignment. I review what has been done, what is in the hopper, and any proposed work. Then I make a decision whether or not a particular vendor can deliver up to my expectations. Ultimately it's the client's decision, but clients generally follow the agency's lead.

You were originally hired by your client for a reason. You are likely very good at what you do, so just be your professional, respectful self, and things will usually work out just fine.

One critical thing to keep in mind, however, is that many agencies have tentacles that spread much further than you might expect. I once worked with a company that had repeatedly run a ridiculous ego-gratification radio campaign around the holidays on a particular station before I entered the mix. The sales rep permanently burned his bridge with me when, fearing that I would nix this tradition, he did an end run and got the company's president to sign a contract without sending it to me first, as he had been directed to do. To this day I have never given that sales person another dollar, and I've had him removed from any account that I've been associated with. He proved that he can't be trusted.

Don't make the sales rep's mistake. The new agency in the mix isn't your enemy. Actually they can potentially open up a whole new referral stream for you if you perform well for your current client.

- Christine Pilch

 Image Credit: Microsoft

Social media friend or foe? The danger of mixing personal & professional

Social media is a communications channel and a means to build relationships. Gone are the days when there was a solid line dividing your personal and professional life. Social media blurred the line, and now it’s fairly common for family, friends, co-workers, subordinates, and superiors to coexist in one’s social media world. But is this smart? 

Revealing too Much 

One of the hardest things about social media is figuring out how much personal information to share. Your social media identity is an extension of your off-line brand, so if you over-share, you run the risk of being perceived as irritating and unappealing. You can also compromise your safety by telling your circle that you’re out of town, and therefore, that your home is empty. You may also be caught in a little white lie if, for example, you called in sick to work, and the next day your boss sees photos from the beach excursion you enjoyed instead. 

No Do-Overs 

Yes, you can delete a status update or post, but with the huge popularity of social media, search engines catalog everything almost instantly. If you post something and want to take it back even 30 seconds later because you’re worried about your professional reputation, it may just come back to haunt you. Think twice before you post. 

Complaining About Your Job 

Even if you’re careful about who you friend on Facebook, or you think you’ve mastered the art of blocking certain status updates from particular friends and lists, it’s just not smart to complain on social media about your job. Twitter is public and Facebook changes privacy setting so often that you risk the information getting to the exact person that you don’t want to see it. 

You Could Get Fired 

Consider what happened to a waitress in North Carolina who complained about a tip she received. Despite the fact that she thought her updates were private, her boss saw the post and fired her. Most people are At Will employees who can be fired at any time for any reason, so don’t provide any ammunition.

- Christine Pilch

 Image Credit: Microsoft

7 steps to increase your chances of successful charitable support solicitation

This is a bit off-beat from what I normally write about, but since many of you probably serve on charitable and community boards, I hope you find it useful.

I have managed millions of client marketing dollars and seen thousands of requests for sponsorship cross my desk over the years. Of these many requests, I estimate that probably 80% arrive with insufficient data for me to take action without soliciting more information. This costs me valuable time...strike one, and makes you look unprofessional and amateurish....strike two.

So if you want to put me, (and other gatekeepers just like me,) in a position to quickly evaluate, submit and recommend the funding of your request, these are the steps you should take for your best chance to hit a home run.

1. Keep it simple and uncluttered. Save a stamp by sending your request via email in PDF format. Realize, however, that such requests have to be printed internally, and most professional printing is done on black & white laser printers, so keep graphics at a minimum and no colored backgrounds. Also, this must be formatted to print on a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper. No odd sizes.
2. Include all options. Although you may be interested in securing major sponsors first, many organizations will be unable to support your cause at a high level, but would, for example, place a less expensive ad in a program book. Make sure you include complete sponsorship options.
3. List ad dimensions. This is where most support requests fail. Listing full page, half page, quarter page, etc, does not help. Ad designers need to know dimensions, so it's smart practice to include them on solicitations. Also designers expect dimensions to be listed width first, then height, as in 7.5"(wide) x 10.5" (high.) If you list them backwards, you will receive ads that won't fit in your book or a lot of phone calls from people who don't think the dimensions sound right.
4. Include your deadline. When is the support commitment deadline? When are payment and materials due? List this info on your request form.
5. Where should the check be sent? Amazingly, many organizations forget to include this vital piece of information.
6. List an email address. Most marketing representatives prefer to send a quick email confirmation of the support contribution and email the ad when it's designed. Make it easy by providing an email address.
7. Remind advertisers early. Most marketing reps are juggling multiple projects, and sometimes things get overlooked. Don't wait until the day that your program book needs to go to the printer to remind someone that an ad is due. Send out email reminders about a week prior.

Your primary objective in soliciting support for your charitable organization should be making it as easy as possible for people to evaluate your request and comply with it. Incomplete information frustrates marketers and makes you look unprofessional. It may even get your request dropped into the trash without serious consideration.

- Christine Pilch

 Image Credit: Microsoft

Hazards of Social Media, Part 2: Online reputation management - protecting yourself when someone puts you in a awkward position

You have likely worked hard your whole life to be perceived a certain way, and this has likely transferred from your offline to online life. You're probably careful about how you speak to people and the things that you say, so they are not misconstrued. You likely have your own personally acceptable code of conduct.

But what if somebody else threatens the reputation that you so carefully guard? What if someone asks you to do something that makes you uncomfortable and could possibly threaten your reputation?

I recently encountered a situation on LinkedIn where a connection of mine wanted to be connected to an author who was connected to someone that I am connected to. So the request had to follow this track:

My friend > Me > My connection > His connection

This is a relatively common request on LinkedIn, and in the spirit of the community, I didn't think twice about forwarding it to my connection, who was a LION (LinkedIn Open Networker.) Such people connect to as many people as possible on LinkedIn for the purported reason of being a resource to the LinkedIn community.

But it quickly became clear to me that this particular LION wasn't interested in doing a good deed without payment. He asked that I write a recommendation on his LinkedIn profile commending his willingness to forward the introduction request.

Huh? This guy wanted me to commend him for doing something that probably happens 10s of thousands of times daily on LinkedIn by people who are just acting in a decent human fashion, doing a favor? After all, this only requires the click of a button, not much effort.

I was uncomfortable with this request because if I recommend someone who treats others this way, then my reputation is tarnished by association.

I tweeted about his request, and once reinforced that indeed, this was an unreasonable request, I messaged him via the LinkedIn network that I only recommend people that I have worked with extensively and know well. But he wouldn't let go without two return emails.

In the first he mentioned that he has 2,500 recommendations from people like me that he has helped. And he's very busy running his own business, yet he still makes time to help others. "Okay," I'm thinking, "Just like all the rest of the LinkedIn community." And I didn't bother to respond.

A couple days went by, and a received a follow up email from him, stating that I must have misunderstood his request. "I was not asking you to recommend me as a person you know or trust, but "my service" as pay-it-forward advocate who helps others."

I still didn't respond. He apparently has a different view of courtesy than I do, and there was noting to be gained by pointing that out.

In another circumstance, one of my clients had one of his LinkedIn connections request that he pass along a introduction to one of my client's connections. His connection was in the professional services field and he wanted to position himself as a resource. The problem was that my client didn't think very highly of this person's skills, and he didn't want to forward the introduction, thereby associating himself as an inferred reference. I told my client that his instincts were probably right, and he should trust them.

In both of these scenarios above, requests were made that could have potentially damaged someone's reputation simply by association. The people making the requests didn't seem to have a problem doing so, and they obviously had the confidence to do so, but they had not successfully impressed those to whom they made their requests.

The message here is to not allow anyone to bully you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable online any more than you would allow it to happen face-to-face. Like it or not, your reputation is affected by those you associate with, and a false recommendation can certainly come back to bite you.

by: Christine Pilch
Christine@GrowMyCo.com
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 Image Credit: Microsoft