You have a “situation”.
And no it's not the guy from Jersey Shore, it worse if that's possible. Someone is upset with you, your company, or your product or service. Maybe they tell a few people, or even call and speak to someone . Maybe they don’t. Maybe what they do is tell a few thousand people their displeasure….online. What’s worse, you don’t know it so you can’t try to fix it. Your reputation is now in jeopardy.
This happens millions of times a day. Customers are now finding it easier to read and do more reviews about you online. They are becoming more available and consulted before a buying decision is made. Now it is even being done with the flick of their phones. Does it mean anything? Well, you tell me.
Research shows people are more likely to do business with companies that have reviews. 70% say they consult product reviews or consumer ratings before they make a purchase. Now if they are good or bad and how the user deems them is another story. Would you still use a product or service if the reviews are bad? How about if there was no reviews at all? Which is worse?
If any of these things matter to you and your business, maybe you should look into Reputation Management. The idea is to have a place where you can go and actually see what your customers are saying about you from many different places around the web. You can address those negative reviews as soon as they happen. Stopping potential negative customer sentiment. You can also see what you are doing right, get great insight and see that your making progress as a business.This not only gives you a clue that the girl answering the phone is more worried about texting her friends instead of helping customers, but it shows your potential customers you care. It also does something else. Sharing why and where are you are mentioned when people are talking about your particular business category or even your competition. Like social media can do, and yes, it checks there too. Maybe you’re not being mentioned at all, and that’s not good either. It’s an alarm, a tool, and a time and money saver. So, whats that worth to you?The best news is there are some great services out there and they are very comprehensive and economical. These tools are probably some of the fastest growing business utilities out there because there is no erase button on the web. Finding a potential problem and at least show you’re trying to fix it can make the difference between sale or fail. Can you risk that today?
Friday, February 4, 2011
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Social Media ...from SPACE!
"Captain Kirk, can you "check in" from your communicator?"
This week social media took another leap for mankind as the first Foursquare check in was made from space. While it's not the first time for SMM in the stratosphere, it was pretty cool.
NASA's T.J. Creamer sent the first"tweet". Now if we can get some aliens to join in we can see just how advanced we are in space. Can you imagine how that communication would read? " you earthlings are using what? to do what?" (translated of course)
Now that astronaut Douglas Wheelock has "checked in" people can try and figure out how in the heck they can get the 'NASA Explorer' badge. You only need to be 220 miles over earth and hopefully have enough oxygen to make it while you check in. Maybe we could get the guy who sent his IPhone in space last week to try it.
Obviously the folks at Foursquare were giddy when this happened and now the "Explorer" badge will be a coveted item, but how about being the "mayor"? That might take some time.
We officially started using Foursquare as part of our social media campaigns recently, and if you don't know what its all about, I urge you to become more "check in " friendly and "check" it out.
This week social media took another leap for mankind as the first Foursquare check in was made from space. While it's not the first time for SMM in the stratosphere, it was pretty cool.
NASA's T.J. Creamer sent the first"tweet". Now if we can get some aliens to join in we can see just how advanced we are in space. Can you imagine how that communication would read? " you earthlings are using what? to do what?" (translated of course)
Now that astronaut Douglas Wheelock has "checked in" people can try and figure out how in the heck they can get the 'NASA Explorer' badge. You only need to be 220 miles over earth and hopefully have enough oxygen to make it while you check in. Maybe we could get the guy who sent his IPhone in space last week to try it.
Obviously the folks at Foursquare were giddy when this happened and now the "Explorer" badge will be a coveted item, but how about being the "mayor"? That might take some time.
We officially started using Foursquare as part of our social media campaigns recently, and if you don't know what its all about, I urge you to become more "check in " friendly and "check" it out.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Is anybody Listening?
I talk to business owners and sales reps everyday. What’s amazing to me is they can’t seem to get together.
The business owners need more sales and so does the sales rep. So what’s the deal? Two things:
1. The business owner doesn’t trust the rep is looking out for his business, so he isn’t listening.
2.The rep is just trying to make a sale, so they don’t listen.
Nobody is listening.
I know some good reps and some great reps. The difference between the good ones and the great ones is… the great ones care. That’s it… they care. Actually taking the time to find out what’s wrong with the picture, what they can do about it, and offer to help the business owner get there. It could be as simple as that, they listened.
Sometimes I think we get too wrapped up in techniques, agendas, and the “one size fits all” approach to marketing a business. You and I both know it’s different today. There are too many places your customers seek and find information to make a buying decision. Could it be that you are not where they are looking these days? Listening is still the most important thing you can do. Whether you are the business owner or a sales rep. If you don’t know that your business should be where potential customers are spending their time, and it’s online by the way, you should listen to your rep. There are so many ways you can effectively market your business and not break the bank doing it. Social media,mobile coupons, SEM, SEO, content sites and display ads to name a few. As a rep, if you work in the digital space and don’t believe that the business owner you’re sitting in front of needs to be there, you should find another job. It’s not listening to his real needs that keep you and him from success. It all starts with a goal, a plan, and following the steps to get there…and that all starts …..with listening. So why don’t you two get together?… and start listening.
The business owners need more sales and so does the sales rep. So what’s the deal? Two things:
1. The business owner doesn’t trust the rep is looking out for his business, so he isn’t listening.
2.The rep is just trying to make a sale, so they don’t listen.
Nobody is listening.
I know some good reps and some great reps. The difference between the good ones and the great ones is… the great ones care. That’s it… they care. Actually taking the time to find out what’s wrong with the picture, what they can do about it, and offer to help the business owner get there. It could be as simple as that, they listened.
Sometimes I think we get too wrapped up in techniques, agendas, and the “one size fits all” approach to marketing a business. You and I both know it’s different today. There are too many places your customers seek and find information to make a buying decision. Could it be that you are not where they are looking these days? Listening is still the most important thing you can do. Whether you are the business owner or a sales rep. If you don’t know that your business should be where potential customers are spending their time, and it’s online by the way, you should listen to your rep. There are so many ways you can effectively market your business and not break the bank doing it. Social media,mobile coupons, SEM, SEO, content sites and display ads to name a few. As a rep, if you work in the digital space and don’t believe that the business owner you’re sitting in front of needs to be there, you should find another job. It’s not listening to his real needs that keep you and him from success. It all starts with a goal, a plan, and following the steps to get there…and that all starts …..with listening. So why don’t you two get together?… and start listening.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Do you Yahoo? Your customers do.
I came across a stat that may surprise some people. A half a billion people, yes with a "B", Yahoo everyday.
It is the most visited "destination" site on the internet. After all, of the 24 most visited destination categories , Yahoo sites are almost always in the top 3 in each. omg!, Shine, Yahoo shopping, Yahoo Games, Yahoo Sports,Yahoo Mail, Yahoo home page, any of those ring a bell?
While we may Google a lot, did you know that only 5% of an average internet users time is spent on search? The thing is, we are after content.
The destination sites on Yahoo offer just about anything and everything. Many of the searches you do on Google actually return links to Yahoo sites in the organic results.
Another interesting fact is that 13% of all online users are on Yahoo. That is reason enough to interested as someone who wants to get their wares in front of people to sell, market or brand.
That is where Yahoo behavioral targeting comes in.
They have a formula to do two things for their clients, brand and target.Yahoo knows a lot about their visitors. From the ads we see, click on, websites we visit, and the things we search for. Even when we leave Yahoo, those tracks tell them where you have been and what you have been doing. They take that information and show you things your already interested in.
So for advertisers , their display ads show to only who is looking for their products or service. No wasted advertisement on people who are not interested in your product or service. It's a pretty neat deal.
It has been available only to national advertisers until recently, but now as a local business, you can effectively target or blanket a message that can actually follow your target customer where ever they go on their local Yahoo pages. Maybe the best part is, it's' affordable and local.
What is the message your trying to get out? Maybe you should think about (insert their catchy sound effect)Yahooooooo,ewooooo.
It is the most visited "destination" site on the internet. After all, of the 24 most visited destination categories , Yahoo sites are almost always in the top 3 in each. omg!, Shine, Yahoo shopping, Yahoo Games, Yahoo Sports,Yahoo Mail, Yahoo home page, any of those ring a bell?
While we may Google a lot, did you know that only 5% of an average internet users time is spent on search? The thing is, we are after content.
The destination sites on Yahoo offer just about anything and everything. Many of the searches you do on Google actually return links to Yahoo sites in the organic results.
Another interesting fact is that 13% of all online users are on Yahoo. That is reason enough to interested as someone who wants to get their wares in front of people to sell, market or brand.
That is where Yahoo behavioral targeting comes in.
They have a formula to do two things for their clients, brand and target.Yahoo knows a lot about their visitors. From the ads we see, click on, websites we visit, and the things we search for. Even when we leave Yahoo, those tracks tell them where you have been and what you have been doing. They take that information and show you things your already interested in.
So for advertisers , their display ads show to only who is looking for their products or service. No wasted advertisement on people who are not interested in your product or service. It's a pretty neat deal.
It has been available only to national advertisers until recently, but now as a local business, you can effectively target or blanket a message that can actually follow your target customer where ever they go on their local Yahoo pages. Maybe the best part is, it's' affordable and local.
What is the message your trying to get out? Maybe you should think about (insert their catchy sound effect)Yahooooooo,ewooooo.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
So why do I care about Twitter?
Because it can actually do what most of us want to do. Save you money.
When you follow “tweets” on a company Twitter page, it can do several things. Let customers or potential customers know more about you, and tell them in real-time exactly what is going on now. A good example of how it can also save you money and be found in this story
While more and more companies and people are using this service and it grows at its current rate, I believe we will see it become even more a daily part of our already
“daily use media” lives.
When you follow “tweets” on a company Twitter page, it can do several things. Let customers or potential customers know more about you, and tell them in real-time exactly what is going on now. A good example of how it can also save you money and be found in this story
While more and more companies and people are using this service and it grows at its current rate, I believe we will see it become even more a daily part of our already
“daily use media” lives.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Hours increase on Facebook and Twitter
The latest stats on how much we are using Facebook and Twitter are really no surprise. It is a trend that has gained momentum for some time.
We are spending more time on them, making them the most popular online destination globally. Gaming is right there and so is IM.
Recent Nielsen numbers show a rise in time spent from 3 to 5 hours, and a rise in unique audience. Twitter had 18.1 million unique visitors in December of 09, making them the fastest growing site. Still think it’s a fad? You can see for yourself here.
We are spending more time on them, making them the most popular online destination globally. Gaming is right there and so is IM.
Recent Nielsen numbers show a rise in time spent from 3 to 5 hours, and a rise in unique audience. Twitter had 18.1 million unique visitors in December of 09, making them the fastest growing site. Still think it’s a fad? You can see for yourself here.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
"Pants on the ground" is a good example
I'm sure you have heard, seen, and probably talked about the latest viral craze. The song "pants on the ground".
The Idol contestant who won't be the next American Idol. His song and story has spread across the web like wild fire. The song has already shown up on the video sites,Twitter has been a blur, and there will be links everywhere. It's a great example of how something can grow, be shared and become a topic through the social media outlets immediately. This is how viral really works.
While the tragedy still unfolds in Haiti, Twitter was and is a major part of communication and news during and after the quake. Texting for Haiti has reportedly already raised two million dollars so far.That's a good thing.
For fun or for good, this is what communication is today. Be a part of it or not, its your choice. If your business that is not involved social media, it may be time for you to think about it a little harder.
The Idol contestant who won't be the next American Idol. His song and story has spread across the web like wild fire. The song has already shown up on the video sites,Twitter has been a blur, and there will be links everywhere. It's a great example of how something can grow, be shared and become a topic through the social media outlets immediately. This is how viral really works.
While the tragedy still unfolds in Haiti, Twitter was and is a major part of communication and news during and after the quake. Texting for Haiti has reportedly already raised two million dollars so far.That's a good thing.
For fun or for good, this is what communication is today. Be a part of it or not, its your choice. If your business that is not involved social media, it may be time for you to think about it a little harder.
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