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Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Motivate yourself to stop procrastinating - Aim4Order
Even though your school days are behind you, do you procrastinate on work assignments or projects around the house? Here are some ways to motivate yourself to do better.
Check out this blog from our client, Aim 4 Order:
Motivate yourself to stop procrastinating - Aim4Order
Motivate yourself to stop procrastinating - Aim4Order
Monday, July 13, 2015
The SunWand
Check out The SunWand, it enables you to apply sunscreen, medication, lotion or anything else to your back without any help. Great idea!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
The Ink Slinger, a newsletter from Social Squids
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Monday, March 9, 2015
What would you do?
Last week I found myself in an awkward situation. Maybe you have been there a time or two yourself. Here is my story...
This morning I am sitting in Starbucks for the second time waiting for someone who has not shown up. It is my second attempt on an appointment with this person and getting together was his idea. He seemed rather embarrassed when I talked to him after he missed the first appointment and here I am again. I really thought he would show up this time.
This morning I am sitting in Starbucks for the second time waiting for someone who has not shown up. It is my second attempt on an appointment with this person and getting together was his idea. He seemed rather embarrassed when I talked to him after he missed the first appointment and here I am again. I really thought he would show up this time.
How many appointments do you make with someone and how long
do you wait before you bail? This is someone I’ve known for over a year, but we will not be working together at this point. And, I feel like I can't refer people to someone who doesn't feel I am important enough to keep an appointment.
To make matters worse, one guy is talking loudly on his cell
phone and a couple is having a conversation with someone on speaker phone. The loud guy is talking to his appointment who did not show up either. I clearly heard him say, "That's okay. Whenever you can get here is fine."
I
have resorted to my headphones, which I don’t like to do because I’m liable to
start singing without realizing it. That will not be good in any way.
What is the protocol for being on time?
In my opinion, you
should always be 5-10 minutes early. Then you are never late. I get into panic
attacks if I am stuck in traffic and I think I’m going to be late for anything,
even if it’s just dinner with good friends and there is no time constraint.
Maybe that’s just me.
In the age of cell phones that have alerts to let you know
an appointment is coming up or reminders that can let you know you need to do
something, there is really no excuse.
When I first contacted the guy after
missing the first appointment, he doubted me, checked his phone’s calendar and
admitted I was right. Ouch. Doubting me? That hurt right off the bat. I should
have just said forget it, but I was hoping that we could at least share referrals.
If I’m going to be late, I text or call the person to let
them know. I had an appointment last week and the guy was 30 minutes late. He
messaged me three times letting me know there was an accident on the beltway
and that he was trying to get to the appointment. However, this time I have been disrespected – and for the second time.
Last night I considered sending a reminder email, especially because he missed the first appointment, but I figured we're all adults here and should be able to keep an appointment. Seems like I got that wrong.
Last night I considered sending a reminder email, especially because he missed the first appointment, but I figured we're all adults here and should be able to keep an appointment. Seems like I got that wrong.
I will admit, I missed a doctor’s appointment once. I spent the day with that nagging feeling that I was forgetting
something, but couldn’t remember what it was. Two hours after the appointment,
it hit me. I was embarrassed and felt terrible especially since I would
probably be charged for it. Granted, that was years before Siri was around to remind me. I made absolutely sure I did not miss the second appointment!
Should I be insulted? I am. Should my feelings be hurt? They
are. Should I just chalk it up to experience and enjoy my Starbucks latte? I
should, but I can’t.
OMG. The guy I’m supposed to be meeting just walked in the door and sat down with
someone else six feet away from me. Now I’m really mad and in a completely
awkward situation. I have no idea what to do. I feel like a complete idiot. I am embarrassed, although I should not be.
This is crazy. I should not have started writing this and instead left when I
had a chance for a clean break.
Life sure does throw me curve balls. Did he see me sitting
here with my headphones and typing away at my keyboard or was he focused on his
OTHER appointment with the loud guy I heard talking on the phone earlier.
Apparently, he forgot that appointment too. I am seething…
This has become too angry to be a blog. It has become a rant.
This has become too angry to be a blog. It has become a rant.
The guy didn’t even go up and get coffee, offering me an
escape route. I am trapped like a wounded animal. Being generally
non-confrontational, I am at a loss. I just want to escape with what little
dignity I have. At least his back is to me as I contemplate my predicament.
What would you do if you found yourself in this situation?
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Freedom of speech
In the wake of the events of the past few weeks, many people throughout the world are realizing just how precious the right to freedom of speech is. As Americans, we sometimes take this right for granted. Between the terror events in France and the Sony movie The Interview, we are now seeing how some other people view our freedom.
In my business, I have the opportunity to write about a wide
range of topics. The most controversial I have gotten in my work has been
organizing your clothes closet or picking a team that might win tomorrow’s game.
But I know I have the right to write about whatever topic I chose. This is not true for
some people.
As a college intern, I worked
at a Baltimore television station during the American hostage crisis in 1979
that took place in Iran. It was an exciting yet scary time to be in the news
business. The Associated Press and United Press International alarms were
ringing in what we called “the wire room” all evening, every evening with news
updates and bulletins. Every time the alarm went off, my heart jumped.
Back then, we didn’t have a 24-hour news cycle, social media
or cell phones. Okay, maybe there were cell phones, but they were about the size of a
shoe box and few people owned them. At the TV station where I worked, they
didn’t even have computers. We typed on typewriters with large keys so the
stories could be put directly into the teleprompter for the anchorman.
As a young adult, it was the first time I was exposed to terrorism. I also learned a lot about patriotism and freedom during my internship. It has been a long road from that job to creating Social Squids, but freedom of speech has been there all along.
With the technology of today, people use freedom of
speech and social media to instantly send images and words to the world. With
this freedom people have gotten themselves into all kinds of trouble from “sexting” to
sending out things by accident. Of course, many also use it for sending funny, informational, inspirational or newsworthy
messages.
As citizens of the world and especially as writers, we
should remember how precious this freedom is. Some people have paid the ultimate
price. We should take advantage of our freedom of speech and use it wisely.
Je suis Charlie.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
How do you telecommute when the “tele” is not working?
I found myself in a bit of a dilemma yesterday when my
&#%$ cable/internet/phone went out right in the middle of a phone call with
a client. With a large deadline looming, I was in a panic. It seems that every
time I do have a problem with my internet, it happens during a big deadline.
What to do…
I refer to my neighborhood Starbucks my “branch office.” The
branch office comes in handy when doing writing or website jobs. Unfortunately,
for this job I need all of my old files in order to do the work. Starting with
old ads, changing expiration dates or making other alterations, is part of what
I do. In this case, I need to have all of my files handy.
This is where the cloud comes in handy. Too bad I haven’t
quite made the commitment for a cloud company. I wrote some web content about
the various cloud companies and it did more to cloud the issue for me. Pricing, storage space and ease of
use are all considerations and I have not yet made a commitment. Lucky for me,
things have been so busy lately, there has not been a lot of time to think
about it.
But, the time is now. Putting off the decision will result
in more stress. Who needs that? A decision will be made, and soon.
Like most graphic artists, I am not a fan of doing graphics
on a laptop. The screen on mine is so small that it becomes frustrating, even
if I connect a mouse to do some of the finer Photoshop movements. But when push
comes to shove, a laptop will have to do.
My desktop computer is a Mac Mini. Those things are amazing.
One time the power went out during a bad storm and I just unplugged my computer
and power cord, and took them to someone’s house. By simply unplugging their
computer, I attached my Mac Mini to their monitor, keyboard and mouse. Then I
was good to go. My old files were on CDs in a binder that was easy enough to
carry along. Using other person’s wifi allowed me to finish my job without
moving any heavy equipment. It was relatively stress free.
A digital fax service, in my opinion, is much more useful
than an actual machine when switching from laptop to computer to another
location, etc. Many times I avoid printing anything (saving toner/ink and
paper) by just looking at the fax on my screen.
Lucky for me, the internet was fixed back before I even
figured out what to do.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Dealing with the computer illiterate
Yesterday I had a meeting with a
prospective client about setting up a website. He is a very nice man, but
really had no idea what a website does or why he should have one. He never
thought about it before because he doesn’t really use a computer.
I see less and less of this type of
person. Most people, even many of my relatives over the age of 80, at least use
email and Facebook. Not this guy.
It was difficult explaining things
to this man because I had to define the terms I was using as I went along. That
often got me sidetracked. The man wants to sell something on his website that
he makes by hand. He said he’d rather be working with his hands than using a
computer. Obviously.
My explanations included how a
search engine works and what it does, what Etsy.com is, Facebook, web hosting, domain name, etc. The poor
man’s eyes glazed over when I talked about setting up a PayPal account so he
can sell his products online. Of course, I had to explain what PayPal is and
how it works. “How would I get the money?” he asked after a 10 minute explanation. I had to start from the
beginning again.
Luckily, I am very patient. Years
ago, I taught word processing in adult education. It was the same situation.
The idea of switching from typing on paper to on the computer screen is
confusing at first. I explained everything to this man as thoroughly as I
could. I’m sure everything I said to him was a confused jumble in his mind when
he left.
As a result of the conversation with
this man, I have decided to write out some definitions/explanations to hand to
people when I get together with them. It is my responsibility to explain what I
do and all of the terms involved to a prospective client. I can either email
(if they have email) or hand a prospective client the paper so when they go
home and discuss it with people, they will have a better idea of what I do.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Perspectives
Today I visited a Baltimore City civil trial involving
someone suing a bar after a family member was beaten to death back in 2010. I
have nothing to do with the case except knowing an attorney who is involved,
but since I love reading crime novels and watching cop shows I thought it might
be interesting.
The man responsible for the beating death is already in
prison, but shuffled into the courtroom donning a Department of
Corrections jumpsuit, leg irons and elaborate handcuffs. It was quite a show
taking all of the shackles off the prisoner during his courtroom appearance.
I
avoided eye contact. However, considering there were only a handful of people
in the gallery and I was only one of two people who were not witnesses, it was
difficult not to lock eyes with him every now and then. Thankfully, he was not
facing me during the session.
He had an opportunity, representing himself, to ask
questions of any of the witnesses because he is also a part of the lawsuit. He
only asked a question of one witness, the bartender, but I’ll get to her in a
minute.
The testimony was so dry at times that all six jurors and
two alternates were having trouble keeping their eyes open. One alternate was
obviously nodding off through most of the testimony. I hope they don’t end up
needing him. One juror seemed very interested in every word, but even he was
having trouble staying awake.
It was not until the bartender, who didn’t call 911 when the
fight broke out, gave her rather bland answers that people started to perk up.
It was her outfit rather than her testimony that woke up the group. She
appeared in court dressed more for clubbing than testifying. Her skin tight
leggings left little to the imagination. Her constant hair flipping and
fidgeting were also a distraction from her words.
Is there really a price for your pain and suffering? The
family of the victim was offered a pretty large amount of cash, but turned it
down hoping for a bigger payday by going to court. It seems to me that the
lawyers make out better than the victims in lawsuits.
As we left the building when court was adjourned for the
day, we were stopped in the hallway for our own safety as prisoners were being
loaded into or out of a couple vans. Once again I avoided eye contact. I have
no idea why. They were shackled and there appeared to be at least one guard per
prisoner. But it was still a creepy experience.
There were two times in my life I came close to testifying
in animal related court cases. Once I was an expert witness in a case about a
house full of reptiles that exploded. I was hired to talk about the values of
the animals involved. The case was dismissed and that was the end of it. Lucky
me, I was paid handsomely for the few hours of work I did.
Another time when I was running an animal rescue, I took in
a bunch of animals confiscated in a cruelty case. Again, I never made it to the
witness stand. I’m glad about that because I was a nervous wreck just thinking
about it.
Today as I left the courthouse, I felt an overwhelming sense
of relief even though I was not involved in the case. I think it was
instinctual. The bumper to bumper ride up the JFX was as welcome as the fresh
air of freedom.
If you are ever considering committing a crime, I recommend
visiting a courthouse, even if it is a civil case. That will definitely get you
on the road to being a good citizen.
Friday, July 25, 2014
We need more brains!
Have you ever had a great idea, but after pondering it for a
little while, you are not quite sure if it will fly or not? It happens to me
all of the time. I get all excited about some business or plan and then once I
think about it for a day or two, I lose my momentum. Instead of letting great
ideas fall by the wayside, why not bounce ideas off of another person and see
what they think about it?
Brainstorming sessions are valuable in business. If you have
someone you can trust with your secret business ideas, ask to have lunch,
dinner or even coffee with them. Let them hear your idea and come up with ways
it might work, or reasons why it won’t. Either way, you should take advantage
of this significant resource.
The name Social Squids, came from such a meeting. My friend
and I got together for coffee and I told her that I needed to come up with a
name. She’s an illustrator, very talented and creative in her own right.
The starting point was the fact that I like animals, so we
decided the name would have something animal-related in it. We brainstormed
great name ideas, terrible ones, silly ones and eventually one of us – I’m not
even sure which one of us it was – came up with Social Squids.
I kept doing this thing with my hands, wiggling my fingers
and moving my arms outward. I was thinking about how social media reaches out
into cyberspace. Not only did we come up with the name, we came up with the tag
line too – We have far-reaching tentacles.
Paying someone for their opinion has its value, but
brainstorming with one, two or a small group of people, will help you find
problems, solutions, more in-depth ideas or sometimes cheer you on for your amazing
business proposition.
So, find more brains. Bounce ideas off of your friends in
the business community. Sometimes these ideas might seem impossible, but give
it a try anyway. It can be an incredibly valuable tool for your business. Just
be careful you share your ideas with people you trust and who are not going to
take your idea and use it for their own.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Is your web contest too complicated?
I received an email from a company the other day about their upcoming contest. I’m going to show the actual steps you need to take to enter the contest, but also change any identifying information.
1. From DATES OF CONTEST visit our COMPANY Facebook, Twitter
or Instagram accounts to gather a daily clue
2. Use your clue to find the hidden ITEM on our website
3. Click the ITEM to receive the secret words
4. Collect the words of the day for all 5 days to create the
winning phrase
5. Enter your submission on our website between DATES OF
CONTEST for your chance to win 1 of 10 prizes!
I don’t know about you, but by the time I got to step three,
my eyes glazed over and that was the end. I understand that this contest was
developed to get people to engage in the company’s website and social media
sites, however, most people are not going to spend that much time trying to win
something. Maybe if the prize was a couple million bucks, people might do it.
But this was for a basket of products that are worth a few hundred dollars at
best.
Many companies use the “find the hidden item” idea on their
website in order to get people to look at the entire site. That’s a great idea
in itself, but adding all of the other rules of this particular contest makes
it a little too complex for the average person. You would have to be totally
devoted to the product in order to do this. And those people are already
customers!
People may click on the first link and then lose interest.
Once you complete all of the steps, you still only have a small chance of
winning. Website visitors might find this scavenger hunt frustrating. That is
not an emotion you want prospective customers to feel.
Sure – have a contest! That is a fantastic way to get people
fascinated with your site and products. Intriguing people is the name of the
game for online sales. But, when designing the contest, try to engage without
annoying your page viewers.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Why my dog is named George Karl
I lost my retired racing greyhound, Andy Warhol, to cancer
in early February. It was sudden and shocking, and I'm still trying to get over
it.
I started to foster a new dog and my life got turned on its
ear. He is mischievous, curious and wants to lift his leg all over the place.
To add to the confusion, the poor animal has been walking around with no name
for over a month now. He will respond to Dog or Doggie, because he's been called that for so long. He came with the name Coji Love. I have had four other
greyhounds and I do not like to keep their racing names. It seems like he has a
new life, he should have a new name. Finally inspiration intervened.
For the past month every time people visited my house,
they came up with 10-20 different name ideas. I even tried an online survey
where over 60 people voted and still was not satisfied. Most of the name
suggestions were pretty good, but I couldn't find the one that sold me.
While watching the Washington Wizards game on TV the other
night, a name popped into my head. And that name was George Karl.
George Karl is an inspiration to everyone he knows and
millions he does not know. He battled cancer twice and won. He is a former NBA
player and coached five NBA teams in his career. Years ago, he coached Sean
Kemp when he was with the Seattle Supersonics leading them to the NBA finals. More
recently he led the Denver Nuggets and Carmelo Anthony. Last year, George Karl
won Coach of the Year with Denver, and yet they did not renew his contract. He
now works doing commentary on ESPN. It would be great to see him coaching again
some day.
While undergoing cancer treatment a few years ago, his girlfriend Carol, kept a
blog, that I read faithfully to follow his progress. The blog is still there to inspire others.
Out of the four greyhounds I have owned, three have died of
cancer. My hope is that with a name like George Karl, cancer will be frightened
away from this guy.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Common bonds and business growth
I met a prospective new client last week and we found out we
had a lot in common in our personal lives. That can make a deeper connection
with a client, better than simply making a sales pitch. And, she hired me on
the spot. That does not always happen.
Finding a niche market might for your business could
incorporate discovering new business associates with common interests. As an entrepreneur, you
should always think about any social occasion as a networking occasion. Without
being “salesy” or pushy about it, you can talk about what your business does
with people anywhere at any time. You might find new avenues to marketing your
business.
Certainly, there are times when you walk in the door,
present your information and the client will either hire you or not. But when
making a deeper connection with the person, you feel more like friends and less
like business associates.
According to some business coaches, you need to make the
prospective client know and like you before they will hire you or buy your
products. Finding common ground is a great way to persuade them that you are
worth hiring.
Personally, I prefer to work with clients whom I like as
people. It is only natural to feel that way. I’m an animal lover, other animal
lovers make good clients for me because there is an understanding that goes
beneath the surface of the business relationship.
Does that mean you should never work with individuals or
companies that share nothing with you? Of course not, common ground just makes
the relationship easier.
I have many clients whom I have never met. We communicate
solely through email and I know nothing about their personal lives. I get along
with them just fine, however we do not share a deep connection. If they found a
better deal, they would probably drop me in a heartbeat. Not so for people with
whom I have a more personal connection.
Get to know a little bit more about your prospective clients
and you just might end up with more business.
Monday, January 27, 2014
To trade or not to trade...
I am currently trading services with a client and
considering doing it with another. Over the 26+ years of being in business, I
have had the opportunity to trade with a lot of people. It does not always work
out to be an even trade, and it doesn’t always end well.
So, trade or no trade?
Personally, there have been things that I could not afford
that I really wanted. Every now and then, I found a situation where I could do
work in exchange for whatever it was. Sometimes my clients had the same issue.
They needed someone to write a newsletter or create a logo or for their
company, but didn’t have the money to pay for the service. Usually, these were
fledgling companies, like my own at the time.
Back when I first started my freelance business, I could
almost always work a trade to my advantage. I traded for veterinary services,
pet supplies, baseball tickets and plumbing work. Once I traded for maid
services for about a year. That was beautiful, except the woman was always
complaining that my house was dirty. Really? Isn’t that why you need a maid? I
admit, I definitely got the better end of that deal!
Once I traded typesetting work for restaurant gift
certificates. I used one gift certificate to take out a friend for her
birthday. I used another to take another friend out to dinner. In exchange, she
gave me a tv, a garden hose caddy and a tetanus! Yes, she was fully qualified
to administer a shot (I had no insurance at the time). Things were a lot
simpler back then. Ah, those were the days…
Not sure if trading organizations still exist, but I was a
member of a one in the early ‘90s. The problem was, the monthly fees were due
in cash and there was a cash charge for each transaction. I never did very well
within that organization. I had hoped to trade for a chain link fence, but that
didn’t work out for me. Direct trades worked better for me. The IRS says you
have to pay taxes on any income, including trades. You are supposed to declare
the value of the traded item.
Trading is a little different for me now. I rarely do it and
only do it when I really want or need something. You might considering trading
for your business, it can be a way to buy something when there is no cash
handy.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Social media for business in 2014
People, especially the 18-35 demographic, are using their
cell phones more and computers less. Ads are showing up everywhere in the
mobile realm.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram are
leading the pack for social media right now. Of course, that can change almost
overnight with social media. Because of the nature of the beast, things happen
in an instant.
To keep your business on the cutting edge of the social
media revolution, you need to be active. Whether or not you advertise on social
media sites is up to you, but you should get involved in some way if you are
going to keep up with your competitors.
What will happen in the coming months? No one really knows.
Little apps or sites that no one uses now, might just be the biggest thing
since Facebook. Social media users are fickle.
Check your Klout.com score. See how you stack up against
your competition. Get analytics for your website and see if your clients are
coming from social media sites and whether they are using computers or phones
to reach you. Look at your website on a mobile phone and see if it looks the
same as on your computer.
Let’s say goodbye to 2013 and welcome faster, more sleek
apps, social media and mobile sites in the coming year.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Use images to your advantage
A professional studio photo is best, but really just having some kind of image is better than nothing. Put your business logo if you do not want to show your face. If you do not have a logo, use a photo, illustration or icon of something that relates to your business.
If you repair cars, you could have a photo of a car. A
chiropractor could show an image of a spine. Computer programmers can have an
image of a computer. You get the idea.
Let your clients and prospective clients see that you are an
active business and post on your page often. People love photos, videos and
infographics. Instead of posting a statement, add an image to pique the
interest of your audience. These images help to shape your brand. This is not
just for your Facebook page, your website should have images as well.
You have only a few seconds to get the attention of your
prospective client. Photos work really well to help grab people and keep them
on your page.
Do you have Google Analytics? I’ve talked about this before.
If you do, check out your website’s bounce rate. That is when a person only
looks at your main page and “bounces” rather than looking at other pages on
your site. In print media, this is the equivalent of someone reading a front
page news story and then going to the page where it is continued. If they
“bounced,” they would only read what is on the front page.
Are you grabbing people’s attention? If you are, you will
have a low bounce rate. If not, you need to figure out what your prospective
clients want to see and give it to them. Add images that relate and add them
often to get the best response to your website, social media pages and blog.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Making the most of trending topics
Other times there are sports figures, politicians, criminals, natural disasters or other current events trending. Anniversaries of big news stories often make the list.
What are trending topics? These are the most popular topics
on social media right now. They change, usually many times per day. But the big
stories always are on the list. Search engines also list trending topics so you
can find them on Bing or Google.
By using the hashtag (#) and a trending topic on Twitter,
your term becomes searchable. So, if wild fires are trending and you put
#wildfires in your post, people who search for that hashtag will find your
information. You need to stick to the topic for this to be effective. You can
send good wishes to people who are in danger of losing their homes from the
wildfires. If you have a product, say smoke detectors, that have a natural
connection with the trending topic it works best. You can use that to your
advantage and help funnel traffic to your social media pages and your website.
Make sure it is a natural fit. If you check trending topics
every day, you will find something every now and then that works with your
business. You cannot force the issue. It can backfire and result in people
making negative comments.
Keep posting on your social media pages. Make it a daily
habit. You will find that you gain new followers, likes and connections.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Create content that gets attention
One way to attract people to your business is to create
great content on your social media sites. Whether it is a silly meme or a
serious article, you need to do things that bring awareness to your brand. The
difficulty lies in making statements that get you noticed by your target
audience.
Is it funny? People love looking at funny pictures and
anecdotes. There is plenty of funny material out there, just make sure that you
use something that is not copyright protected. There is nothing funny about
taking someone else’s work and using it as your own. Silly situations that are
highly unlikely or even impossible, make the viewer smile, which helps them to
like you.
Inspire your target market. Sometimes the post can be a
statement or blog that gives your audience something to ponder. Inspirational
quotes are popular ways to get attention. Maybe the quote hits home with someone
you know and want as a client.
Does your status update have the wow factor? If you post
information that some people find unbelievable, but yet is true, you can attract
a lot of attention. People, some of whom are potential clients, like to make comments
on and forward posts that contain impressive information.
Other posts pull at your heartstrings. Sad puppies than need
homes, veterans who are out of work or homeless people are issues that bring up
emotions in most people. Those deep feelings bring attention to your post.
If your comments are not politically correct, you may end up
with the wrong kind of attention. You want to make people smile or think, not
incite a riot. Stay away from religion, politics and current events that are
highly polarized. You can certainly post that information on your personal
pages, but you do not want to alienate any group on your business pages.
All in all, people respond to content that pertains to them.
If it is interesting, funny or emotional to your friends, connections,
followers or people who like you, the relationship is there. Try to correspond
with your audience as often as possible, daily if you can manage it.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
How do you know what social media is right for your business?
It seems that every day a new social media platform arrives on the scene. Trying to figure out which ones work best for your business can be confusing. It does not matter whether your business is business-to-business or business-to-consumer. Here are some clues to help with the decisions.
Everyone can benefit from the mass appeal of Facebook and
Twitter. There are so many people on these sites that you can use the shotgun
approach to finding business. That is when you send you message to so many
people, a percentage of them must be
interested. You Tube also has a wide appeal, but you have to have to create
interesting videos that people want to see.
If your business can show before and after” photos like
home improvements, makeovers, dog grooming, etc., the more visually oriented
platforms will work great. Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Vine are excellent
ways to let the visuals do the talking. For businesses that are creative, like
illustrators, photographers and web designers, the visually oriented apps are
your best bet. Show off your work!
An accountant, lawyer or medical practice can benefit from
using blogs. A blog can be more targeted, especially if you use appropriate
bookmarking sites to spread the word. Blogs can have a mass appeal as well,
especially if you have a topic that is appropriate for a wide audience. By
offering tips, you let readers know you are an expert in your field.
All social media helps you get your business name in front
of an audience every time you post. Conversely, if you only post occasionally,
you are losing that audience. By using the right social media platforms, you
will become a household name. Once that happens, people will begin to think of
your business when they need to hire someone in your field or make a purchase.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
11 ways to make the most of QR codes
QR codes are popping up in all sorts of places. These weird, little, square symbols are the new way to take smart phone users to any web page. How can you use QR codes to help with marketing your business? Here is a list of ways you can make these scannable codes work for you.
Signage: There is only so much space on a sign. QR codes are
found on large posters or signs in bus shelters, in bathroom stalls, on public
transportation, schools, sporting events or other places where people walk
past. Get more traffic by adding a QR code to your sign.
Advertising: Magazine and newspaper ads are using QR codes
more and more to encourage people to go to the website of the business to get
special offers and company information.
Borchures and flyers: Brochures and flyers can be found on
retail counters, left under windshields, in doctor’s offices or handed to
people. A QR code can give much more information or take potential clients to a
video or slide show.
Packaging: This is a great way to
go from someone purchasing your product to someone learning more about the
business that produces the product. Get people to go from purchaser to devoted
fan.
Name tags at events: Scan in
business information about a person on the spot.
Business cards: There is barely any room to write much of a
message on a business card. A QR code will let people read the whole company
mission.
Real estate for sale signs: As potential buyers see a house
for sale, they can stop and scan your QR code, which can take them to a virtual
tour or lots of pictures of the interior before they decide to call the agent
about the house.
Subscription links: If you have a brochure, sign or flyer
and want people to sign up to be on your mailing list. A QR code will quickly
get them to the right page.
On an interactive map: A map of an area can add QR codes for
readers to get details about interesting landmarks.
On giveaway marketing materials: Key chains, refrigerator
magnets, nail files and even pens have little space for more than a logo.
Adding a QR code will take them to your site to see details about your
business.
RSVP on invitations: Make it easier for people to let you
know whether or not they will attend your event with a QR code for yes and
another for no.
I need a QR code for my business if you need a QR code for your business.
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