Is Your Company Using Social Media to Support Or Spam?

With online media being the "new media" and Social Media Marketing companies showing up more and more, it is important to know if you are utilizing your social media marketing campaign in the right way.

Social Media Marketing is not spam marketing, although it seems many today have taken the all out blitz approach. 10 posts a day in forum or another stating you have the best product or how great your company is.

The purpose of a online media campaign is to engage in a conversation with your customers, befriend them, teach them, and give them knowledge in your particular niche. You want to become a trusted friend and advisor to the community you are building.

A great example of this is a colleague of mine, Erika Rich AKA WebErika, she uses her blog to inform her community of changes in technology and social media. She does not send out 15 Facebook posts a day about how she is a great online media marketer, nor does she tweet it, or broadcast in that manner in any other fashion. She simply informs her community and engages in a conversation with them. She gives them the information they need to be successful with their social media.

As people read more and more of her "free" information time and time again, they build a trust with her, and then they put two and two together and contact her about their Social Media needs. They go to her because she was confident enough to give them information, because she IS the expert, so when it comes time to beef up the Social Media campaign they contact her. This is how social media works.

The quickest way to get unfanned or these days unliked is to spam people with the same boring sales pitch about your company time and time again. It is of utter importance to share meaningful information with your community, and answer any questions or concerns they may have.

That's right, concerns. Believe it or not, as much as it would be great, not everyone has had a great experience with your particular company. What better way to find out, provide feedback, and fix the issue, than to have an open "two way" communication with your community.

That is the objective of Social Media Marketing as simply as I can put it. Once you have the objective in sight, it should be much simpler to implement the proper campaign and meet that objective.

As always I look forward to your comments and questions.

North Georgia Small Business Blog was founded by Scott Rich, President of SirWebby Development and Optimization with the purpose to help inform and educate small business owners about the importance of a well developed website presence and social media marketing strategy.

As Scott saw this transition within his own business he found it difficult to find someone knowledgeable in online media marketing. What started as a need progressed into a hobby, then a passion, then a business opportunity, leading to the decision to put his business up for sale and start SirWebby Development and Optimization.

Scott writes for the North Georgia Small Business Blog and welcomes any small business owner who would like too submit a story or post one of their own. Please visit http://northgeorgiasmallbusiness.com.

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The Promotional Media Player - Use Technology to Promote Your Company

A Promotional Media Player will help you to ingrain your company information into your clients and future clients. Media Players will help you promote your company, make your company more unforgettable, and to help your company be more distinguishable. A Media Player is a high class, premium promotional gadget or a tasteful marketing tool. It is also a fun and useful giveaway at a variety of venues.

Music to their ears

A Promotional Media Player is the latest technology. It is the best promotional catalyst or item on the market.

They are compact.

They are light weight.

They hold music as well as office and personal data.

They are popular

Use them on an airplane.

Use them while working out.

Make the Promotional Media Player your marketing tool because it is something that people will want to use for years to come. Stay ahead of the others with this innovative promotional and marketing tool. The thing to remember is that the media player as well as the message that it carries has an impact on your future clients. The useful and tasteful Promotional Media Player is something that will give people a positive view of your company.

They have a lasting impression

You will have name exposure to the one holding the media player

You will have name exposure to those around the person holding the media player.

Plenty of room to advertise your company name, company logo, phone number and website address.

Promotional Media Players get the word out about your company and help people to remember what your company does. It's a competitive world so use a competitive promotional and marketing media player. Communicate with the potential clients. Show them that your company is in the 21st Century with this latest technology.

Make your business stand out loud and clear

Show your appreciation to your clients, valued customers and/or employees. A Promotional Media Player will create goodwill towards your company's image. A great promotional item, like a media player, will bring the crowds to your booth at a convention. This will generate even more publicity to your company.

Every business wants to outshine and be at the top of the game. With a Promotional Media Player your clients, potential clients and/or employees will hear what you have to say. Help them keep organized at home and at the office.

Because the media player can be used almost anywhere they won't forget to place it in their suit, coat, purse, briefcase or back pack as they head out the door.

Give your potential customers something free like a Promotional Media Player. When people get products for free, they feel more appreciative. They might even feel like they need to give something back to you with their business.

Remember that a Promotional Media Player is a high class, premium marketing and promotional tool. The media player as a marketing tool or promotional gadget will help you stand out and be remembered where ever it goes.

Matt Franks is director of Fluid Branding, the UK's leading online supplier of promotional Media Player items and other Promotional Products. You can also find a wide range of Eco Friendly promotional products, including Recycled, Organic and Sustainable items at Eco Incentives.

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Social Media for Business: Top 5 Reasons Your Company Should Be Using Social Media

It's no secret that social media should be an essential ingredient in your business plan if you want to attract customers. Though traditional forms of media advertising like radio and television commercials, billboards and magazine ads are still effective, they are also costly and fleeting. In contrast, using online media for business allows you to reach a larger number of customers for a lower cost. Most importantly, it gives you the opportunity to connect and engage with your customers, building a relationship of trust. Here are the top five reasons your company should be using social media to reach out to your community.

1. Integrate with the Way Your Customers are Using the Web

When the Internet first became popular, it worked much like traditional forms of advertisement. Communication went one way. However, online social platforms open up the street to all forms of traffic. As the Internet continues to evolve, this new form of media allows for interactions and facilitates discussions between all participants. As many of your customers are already used to having the ability to share their thoughts via the web and to communicate with others online, it's essential that your business is available and open to their participation.

2. Connect and Engage with Your Customers

The segment of the population using social media continues to grow every day, as more people turn to popular sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with friends and family, promote businesses and watch what others doing. Though you may not be an advanced "new media practitioner," many of your customers are at least using its basic form to stay in touch with what's going on. When you can connect with these users through online media channels, you make it easier for them to find you. Your company name will naturally show up in the places they are already spending time, making their discovery of you a seamless process.

3. Establish Your Brand Credibility

Many customers will want to search for the reputation of your business online before signing up, so a strong online presence can make them more comfortable with your company. Not only does this it allow customers to research and find you before making a decision about your company, it also gives them the chance to get to know you. Social media facilitates two-way conversations, making it easy for customers to directly ask you any questions they may have. Additionally, it allows you to check in with them and keep them informed about what's going on with your business. When customers have an opportunity to get in contact with you directly, they will undoubtedly trust your business more than your faceless competitors who are not using this interactive platform.

4. Develop an Online Presence

One of the most important benefits of social media for your business is a simple one. When your company is actively involved with several forms of online media, there will be more results for your business within Google and other top search engines. First of all, this makes it easier for customers to find you. Many customers will only look at the first few search results, so it's important for you to be at the top of that list. Additionally, customers will trust a business with numerous search results more than they will trust a company with a single result. When you're involved in online social networks, a Google search for your company's name could bring up multiple pages such as a company website, Facebook page, Twitter stream and LinkedIn profile. In the eyes of your customers, this will ultimately position your company as a leader in the industry and one that's dedicated to building a strong online presence.

5. Your Competitors are Already Taking Advantage of this Powerful Tool

When you know your competitors are already using this powerful tool to their advantage, there's no reason that your company shouldn't also be reaping its benefits. Social media can help to build your presence to the world and allows you to compete with other companies in your niche. More and more people are basing their business decisions from online search results and information. By using social media for business, you can develop new opportunities and reach out to a larger audience. You may even find significant benefits from potential investors and media coverage. As everyone is doing their research online today, you can't give up the chance to get your company's name and image out there.

Though there are many different forms of social media available to your business, the most important thing you can do is to begin taking advantage of it immediately.

And I'd like to help you get started, download my 17-page guide here: Social Media Marketing.

Enrique Barba is owner of Sway New Media where he provides premium SEO services, Social Media Management and Marketing resources.

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Times Company to Repay Carlos Slim Early

9:54 a.m. | Updated The New York Times Company said Wednesday that it would pay back the $250 million loan from Carlos Slim Helú, a Mexican telecommunications billionaire, on Aug. 15, freeing itself from one of its larger financial obligations.

Peter Foley/Bloomberg NewsThe New York Times Company will settle its debt with Carlos Slim Helú on Aug. 15.

The repayment will come three and a half years before the loan is due and five months sooner than the company initially planned to settle the debt.

Janet L. Robinson, chief executive of the Times Company, and Arthur Sulzberger Jr., chairman and publisher of The New York Times, said in a message to employees that the company’s strengthened financial position enabled the early payback.

“Our ability to pay down this debt at this time is directly linked to the decisive steps we have taken to improve our financial flexibility over the past two years,” they wrote. “We remain focused as we move to the next phases of our business plans and as the uncertain global economy and the ongoing volatility in our industry continue. But today we take pride in this moment.”

The Times Company ended the first quarter with $352 million in cash and short-term investments on hand. The total cost of the loan, with a 14 percent interest rate, was approximately $279 million.

While the company will incur a $46 million loss on the prepayment in the third quarter, savings on interest over the next three and a half years will exceed $39 million each year.

Mr. Helú and members of his family hold about 7 percent of the Class A shares in the Times Company.

The Times Company has taken other steps recently to firm up its financial position, including a deal last month to sell most of its stake in the Fenway Sports Group, owners of the Boston Red Sox. It sold 390 of its 700 Class B units of the Fenway Sports Group to three separate buyers in a deal for $117 million. It now holds a 7 percent stake in the company.

View the original article here

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Does Your Company Have a Social Media Plan?

Social media and conversation marketing have the potential for transforming brands like no other communication methodology ever employed. The reason? It transforms the fundamental nature of the traditional brand/customer relationship. Historically, companies have used traditional media to advertise in a uni-directional way. It used to be all about broadcasting a message - with feedback loops tied chiefly to the ultimate purchase of a company's product - or worse, no purchase at all.

Thanks in part to the transformative impact of online social media, that brand/customer relationship is experiencing a sea-change.. As increasingly informed and savvy consumers begin to demand more transparency and honesty from businesses they support, companies are no longer able to hide behind an ability to fully control the message. Steadily, businesses are now leveraging social media as both an offensive and defensive means to forge new and solidify existing relationships while building trust through transparency. The most successful of these organizations are now doing much more than simply monitoring the consumer pulse... they are engaging and interacting on a real-time basis with existing and potential customers, throughout the entire buying cycle.

In some respects, today's businesses face the same challenges that early marketers experienced with emerging print and electronic advertising mediums, the most important of which is building meaningful and lasting relationships with new and existing customers. The key difference this time around is that successful marketing efforts increasingly hinge on the ability to reciprocate, in authentic ways and real-time ways, with a growing and increasingly sophisticated online consumer audience.

That's why, planning for consumer engagement through social media is an increasingly central consideration for today's business owners!

However, the pitfalls of a poorly or ill-conceived plan are myriad, and social media and conversation marketing by themselves are only a part of an integrated marketing solution. Although it's important to stress the value of building relationships through social media, it's incredibly difficult to achieve success when you're developing those relationships in an unstructured fashion.

Thus, social media is not to be performed in a haphazard way. Rather, it works best when applied in a logical sequence using a more structured approach. The mistake that most often leads to frustration and ultimately, abandonment, is not having a plan of attack!

Instead of thinking of social media as a freestanding tactic, first consider how you can add social media components into your existing marketing plan. Before you begin any social media campaign, you should think about incorporating these three elements specific to these marketing channels:

1. Know what you don't know. 2. Determine how much time you have to commit to a social media campaign 3. Understand your audience objectives within each social network 4. Dovetailing social media objectives with where your customers "live"

Know What You Don't Know

Social media and conversation marketing are not ends unto themselves... like traditional marketing, they are simply tools, albeit transformative tools, to building brand, market affinity and sales. And while it may be too much to expect even the wisest "old dogs" to learn to master all the nuances of these "new tricks", true wisdom stems from surrounding yourself with people who get it. Don't let fear control, instead become intellectually engaged in ways that leverages your knowledge of your core business, customer and products and work with teams who can help convert your vision into the social media and conversion marketing space.

Social Media Time Commitment

It's essential to understand how much time you have to devote to social media. The online world is a vastly different place than the traditional advertising space largely due to the lightning fast and highly reciprocal communications the web presents. In terms of product marketing, people now have the ability to share experiences, provide recommendations and promote products and services with speeds unmatched in other forms of media. Positive experiences, as well as bad ones, are shared easily and can make their way through the online landscape with an immediacy never before experienced.

As a result, dipping a tentative toe in social media waters without knowing how to swim (or at least tread water) is a prescription for looking at the sky from the bottom of a pool. Nor is it right to spend time developing valuable online relationships, only to appear and disappear like a social media ninja. The best results are often achieved with steady participation, constant communication and engaging interaction with your audience. People will want to hear what you have to say as long as it provides real value to the community.

But note, online communities can spot an online poacher from a mile away! Savvy users of social media know what this term means but for those of you who don't, online poachers are only there for one thing: to use social media merely as a platform to broadcast their marketing messages in much the same manner as they would with traditional media. Don't fall into this trap. Make sure that you are prepared to get involved in more than a one way communication.

Ultimately, the only way to succeed is to make time and commit to an on-going online relationship campaign. Know that once you decide to engage your customers in the virtual world, there should be no turning back.

Understanding Audience Objectives Within Each Social Network:

What is the audience objective within each social network? The great thing about social networks is the ability to pinpoint with precision special interest groups that dovetail nicely with your company's mission. But beware the trap of hitting the "right" audience with the "wrong" message.

For example, professional networks like LinkedIn are not really the best place to deliver your sales pitch as they often fall on deaf ears. For instance, if your company sells women's high fashion clothing, you'll likely miss your mark with a buy now sales pitch on the 1,550+ entertainment groups found on LinkedIn. Here, you'll be better served offering helpful content relating more to industry news, trends, jobs and advice. On the flip side, Facebook's 100,000+ entertainment groups offer a tremendous opportunity to find and interact with audiences that may already be talking about your products. This may sound like marketing 101 stuff but no social media plan should be undertaken without understanding network- specific audience objectives.

Dovetailing Social Media Objectives with Where Your Customers "Live"

This said, where do you go online to find that audience? Social networks, much like traditional marketing channels, do tend to cater to specific audiences. However, unlike offline marketing mediums, social networks require companies to engage with consumers on their own terms. Therefore, it's important to do some research to find out which social networks are right for your business' message.

At a high level, social networks like LinkedIn focus more on professionals while Faceook and MySpace are more informal and cater to X and Y gen audiences alike. But the real value (and opportunity) with sites like LinkedIn and Facebook rests in the ability to get involved with a variety of mini networks such as Groups, Pages and Causes.

Here, businesses can find and interact with consumers in a highly relevant setting. Say your company sells high performance mountain bikes. There are currently an amazing number of Facebook Groups (3,600) devoted to mountain biking and over 35 on LinkedIn! Your company's target audience is here and might already be talking about your products so why not join in the conversation?

Facebook allows companies to create a free Fan Page where your product evangelists can "Become a Fan" and get breaking news, tips and even special Fan discount offers. In addition, Fan Pages can be marketed to other Facebook users much like the way Google's AdWords paid search service works. If your company doesn't already have a Facebook Fan Page, it is highly recommended to start one now.

The internet marketing era may have only come about in the decade or so but the rate of evolution is, to put it mildly, a revolution. We haven't yet reached the pinnacle nor can anyone say for sure where social media will be or what role it will play in business communications in the coming years but one thing is certain, having the right plan and committing to its proper execution will place your company at the forefront of the new age of digital communications.

Jim Gibson is the Publisher of Online Media Today, the business owners magazine for online marketing. Jim is also a principal at GibSEM Group, a boutique internet marketing firm located in Los Angeles, CA.

Find us online:

http://www.youtube.com/Onlinemediatoday
http://www.facebook.com/Onlinemediatoday

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6 Ways to Choose a Media Buying Company

Choosing a media buying services firm can be a difficult and confusing task. This report offers guidance in choosing the buyer that is right for your company.

1. Cost

As a general rule, established media buyers and advertising agencies get a 15% discount from television and radio stations. This means that an ad you would buy for $100 will cost the buyer only $85, the difference being retained by the buyer as payment for services. For this reason, using a media buyer shouldn't cost your company any more than doing all of the work yourself.

Depending on the size of your budget, some buyers may rebate a portion of their discount back to you. While this may seem attractive, it may not be the best strategy - as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. As you'll see from the other five ways to choose a media buying services company, additional services are important, and will often increase the percentage that the buyer will charge. With large placement budgets, these services are well worth the investment.

2. Media Strategy vs. Media Placement

Of the many companies for which we buy media, some of our clients are very educated and some, quite frankly, are not. That's okay, but you need to make sure you know where you fall in that category. If you are experienced in buying media, you might find yourself more comfortable with a buying agency that merely places your buy. On the other hand, if media buying isn't your strong suit, you will get much better results with someone who has the ability to help you develop your media strategy.

As you begin the process of choosing your media buying agency, first identify where you need the most assistance. In reality, anyone with money can buy media. It takes someone who is good at it to do it well. Make sure that your buyer knows that you expect him or her to conduct the research and verify that the buy will yield the best results.

3. Experience

As stated above, anyone can buy media. Obviously, you want someone who will get you the best placements at the best possible price. Unfortunately, it's difficult to gauge a good buyer from a bad buyer, and although the media sales reps know, they aren't likely to tell you. When you explore your media buying services agency, ask about the staff that do the actual buying and negotiating. Our agency, as well as many others out there, choose to hire people who have sold media before. Why? It often yields better results.

In negotiating a media buy, it's all about give and take - both sides have to win. If the buyer "wins" too much, the result is often pre-empts (when your advertisement is pulled and replaced by something else) and less than optimal schedules. If the media outlet wins too much, you end up paying more than you should for advertising. Inside experience is extremely helpful in a buying negotiation. An experienced buyer will understand both sides of the equation. He or she will know where there is wiggle room and how to get the most out of a budget while keeping the integrity of the buy intact.

4. Posting

Perhaps one of the most important services that a media buying agency can offer is posting. Many buyers won't talk to you about posting because, unfortunately, they don't do it. As a matter of fact, few people even know what posting is or understand how it works. Here's a quick explanation.

When you buy media, you are charged based on the number of people that the station predicts will be watching a particular show. Of course, like weather predictions, media companies can easily miss the mark. Sometimes more people watch than were expected; sometimes less people watch. If more people watch, you made a lucky buy and got more than your money's worth. On the other hand, if a placement falls short, the media outlet owes you those eyeballs. Of course, the station doesn't tell you when they under-perform; you have to tell them that you want ads to compensate for their shortfall.

Posting is done on a weekly, monthly or quarterly schedule where the buy is compared to the actual viewers or listeners. When you are short, the station owes you. If you get more than you paid for, nothing happens. If you aren't posting, you could be throwing large sums of money away. As a matter of fact, in 2008, as a result of the writer's strike and the election, our agency found an average of 25% under-performance on TV for our clients buying in North Carolina. In other words, the majority of television advertisers in North Carolina completely lost 25% of their advertising investment. 25%!

As you might guess, posting takes a great deal of time which is why many buyers don't offer it as a service (or they offer it, but don't promote it). Often, when one buyer is much less expensive than another buyer, the less expensive buyer is not posting. In most instances, it's a better idea to pay the higher percentage because you will get back that money - and more - through the gains you get from posting.

5. Tracking

The best way to know if your advertising is working is to track it. There are many ways to track advertising - some that cost time and some that cost money. Either way, tracking is an important part to any media campaign.

For some buyers, the only tracking that is done is tracking the buying schedule. While this is very important (see Posting above), tracking the success of your advertising is also important, as it will help you determine future media buys. Many media buying agencies use creative methods to track success. Sometimes, this might be as simple as setting up a series of unique phone numbers for each ad. In some cases, however, tracking can be very involved.

When you sit down with possible media buying agencies, make sure to discuss their experience with ad tracking. Often, they will be hesitant to offer their best ideas before you sign a contract, but you should be able to get a feel on their tracking skills.

6. Other Services

As you know, many media buying companies are self-contained agencies that offer no other services. On the other hand, there are also buyers that are part of agencies offering a wide range of marketing services. There are benefits to both models.

"Pure" media buying companies focus on that one aspect of their business, and couldn't care less where you get your creative or other services. Depending on your specific circumstances, this could be a good thing.

On the other hand, there are also benefits to working with an agency that offers a wide range services including advertising production. First and foremost, integrated agencies are often able to suggest ideas that go beyond just your buy. Further, producing and buying the media helps streamline the process for you, and in most cases, makes for a stronger buy since the buyer has an intimate understanding of what the advertising is hoping to accomplish.

In the end, it's important to know as much about your media buyer as possible so you can choose which services might be of best use to you. Also, if you are already working with an advertising agency, discuss this with your buyer so that he or she can make sure that you have the best experience possible.

John T. Mims, APR, is a senior partner with Altyris, a full-service advertising and public relations agency located in High Point, NC. For more information about Altyris and their media buying services, visit http://www.altyris.com.

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