2. October 2009 by admin.

When it comes to considering social media as part of a marketing strategy, most business people are of the same mind: it sounds like a good idea, but the specifics about its utility are vague. Is YouTube for you? Should you flirt with Flickr? And what in the world is Twitter?

Social media are marketing tools that use the internet to disseminate messages. These media are comprised of various online communities that, once you join, allow you to shift back and forth from being the audience to the author. Here are brief descriptions of a few of these social media outlets:

• Blog – A personal online diary.

• Flickr – Upload, share and view photos.

• YouTube – Upload, share and view short videos.

• FaceBook – eDirectory that allows you to create, view and share a personal info page.

• Twitter – Mass text messaging of up to 140 characters

• LinkedIn – Business networking site that allows registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business.

• Digg – Discover, share and view content \ from anywhere on the Internet. 

- Amy Biemiller

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26. August 2009 by admin.

Avoid these three common mistakes made by countless corporate newsletters, and you’ll be on your way to producing a valuable marketing tool that develops deeper customer relationship.

• Don’t promote your product – Instead of promoting your product, tell about solutions that come from your product, For example, instead of writing about the large number of residential fire alarms your company sold in the last quarter, tell how 50,000 families have protected themselves against fire.
• Don’t write about internal goings-on – Instead of writing about how 100 employees enjoyed a lovely holiday bash in December, tell how 100 orphans enjoyed the secret Santa gifts company employees provided.
• Don’t profile employees – Instead of interviewing your employee of the month, interview your customers and have them tell why they like working with your employee.

– Amy Biemiller

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3. July 2009 by admin.

With the economy in a mess, the human response to marketing messages has changed. The last thing anyone wants to hear about, and therefore will be less likely to respond to, are messages that are fear based (‘Don’t miss out!’ ‘Last chance!’). Consumers are now more likely to respond to messages of reliability, safety, and stability.

How can you market better in a tight economy?

To consumers: Target how your service or product will protect or increase the value of what a a person has or how it will increase their or their family’s comfort or safety. Includ einfo about how satisfied others in the community are with you, your service and your guarantee.

To businesses: Target how your product or service will help them do more with less. Unbundle products and services and price separately to show you are transparent and trustworthy.

- Amy Biemiller

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1. June 2009 by admin.

Not every interview is a perilous journey through a minefield of potentially disquieting questions. But there are two types of questions you should always be prepared to answer the right way, to avoid shooting yourself in the foot.

What if… or What would you say if… - Any question that starts with ‘what’ and includes ‘if’ is a hypothetical question. Hypothetical is bad. You’ll already come prepared to the interview to discuss your ‘Must Air Points,’ so use those. Respond to hypothetical questions by saying “I can’t respond to a hypothetical question, but I can tell you that..” and then insert your Must Air Point.

So-and-so has said… - So-and-so may have said exactly that, about something completely different or in the context of a fuller answer. Your response to such a question should be “I’d like to read the full text of that comment before I respond.”

- Amy Biemiller

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30. April 2008 by admin.

Just how well are you communicating with your employees and customers? Not as clearly as you should, if you have no agreement on message.

Here’s a test: look at the communications coming out of the different departments in your company. Really look at the materials and read the message. Look at e-mail signatures, department intranet landing pages, the corporate website home page, the newsletter, your print ads, your sales kits? If the sales department communicates about value-added service, HR communicates about a caring environment, and marketing communicates about pricing, you have multiple messages and little clarity.

Pick a message, any message. Agree on it. Use that message in all your communications. You’ll achieve clarity, and a solid brand standard.

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9. April 2008 by admin.

Professional speakers know the one trick to getting an audience to be receptive to their message: have a practiced, interesting opening. The practicing part is your own responsibility, and you are sure to understand the value of preparation. But how do you come up with an interesting opening?

Next time you need to address a group, choose one of these six sure-to-draw-attention openers:

1. Present a fact

2. Ask a question

3. Open with a challenge

4. Recite a quote

5. Tell a story

6. Introduce a displayed object

 –Amy Biemiller

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1. April 2008 by admin.

Research shows a listener will decide how or if they will respond to voicemail within 10 seconds of hearing the message. Rushing through those 10 seconds does not serve you well. If voicemail had a warning label, it would read: “For best results, speak your name and return phone number slowly and clearly.”

Take the time to practice your voicemail message. Learn how to slowly say your name (especially if the message recipient has not met you before), by pausing between your first and last name. Provide your phone number with care, enunciating each number, not spewing all 10 digits in one syllable. And for best results, repeat it at the end of your message.

–Amy Biemiller

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17. March 2008 by admin.

The reporter is calling or e-mailing, or the news cameras are on and in your lobby. You are already prepared with a statement or information. But interviews can often get off-track and result in statements that do more harm than good. Do you know the three things you must NEVER say to a reporter?

“Off the record “– Take this out of your vocabulary – there is no such thing. If you don’t want something in print, don’t say it.

“No comment” – This only makes you and your company look bad. Consider responding to questions you do not want to comment on with a statement like this: “I’m not the best source for this information. You should speak to so-and-so.” Or “Once that information is available from the such-and-such agency, we can share it.”

Jargon and its first cousin, rhetoric – You may know what the M-Quat is, or the CAGR, but your audience won’t. In addition, any reporter worth his or her salt will read between the lines of a rhetoric-laced response and dig deeper, possibly causing you so much more discomfort. Stick to short, simple and specific answers.

–Amy Biemiller

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