Alberta Business Marketing

There is lots of discussion in various small business communities throughout the world around the topic of Return On Investment (ROI) with Social Media? As an owner of a successful small business IT firm and now a partner with Ulistic, understanding ROI is not only important but essential for success in your business operations.  What is the ROI on a piece of software?  What is the ROI on that lunch with a prospect?  What is the ROI on hiring your first employee? But there is more!

Personally, I think simply focusing on ROI is very shortsighted.  I understand how important it is that your business is profitable and sees a return on the investments made however I think the deeper question is “what is the return on opportunity” or “How can my business capitalize on the opportunities out there”?  For me this is much deeper and really hits the core of why we do what we do.  I believe this is what makes our team at Ulistic different, we have and continue to run profitable and a successful business.  We know what it takes to be profitable, where to reach your markets and a unique approach to looking at the entire picture and the impact on your business.  Then we share this information with our consulting clients.

How does this tie into Social Media?

What is the ROO with your marketing efforts?
What is the ROO in having the talented staff member fielding support calls?
What is the ROO of being present in the online communities?

You have to understand the opportunity and what potentials exist in your target market.  I speak about casting your net and the importance of knowing where to fish for maximize effectiveness plus have nets out there which catch less fish (The Long Tail).  But you also need to know when the fish are hungry. (Thanks Bob Burg).

During our Calgary Social Media Workshops which Ulistic holds every couple of months for business owners, we focus on the importance of looking at the potential opportunities associated with simply being present online.  I remember how T. Harv Eker would open his Millionaire Mind intensive with every single time “80% of success is just showing up”.  This goes for your online marketing and social media activities as well.  You need to show up, that is the first step but of course it is not the last step. You need to have a presence, now there are tricks so it doesn’t consume all your time.

What opportunities are you missing by not having a presence on the mainstream social media services?  I shared recently online with you about how Google is now archiving tweets on Twitter.  Twitter, Facebook Pages, Digg, LinkedIn and many others are importance networks to participate in and do you play in these sandboxes?  David and I cover the importance of search and your social circle during our Calgary SEO courses and plus the importance of having effective online strategies in our Calgary social media courses.

What is the ROO for your online fishing (marketing)?  To me, it is so much more than talking about Facebook, Twitter and other online services.

Tags: Blog hosting services, bob burg, Business/Finance, Calgary, Facebook, Facebook Inc, Google Inc., importance networks, LinkedIn Ltd, media activities, media courses, media services, online communities, online fishing, Online social networking, online strategies, Social information processing, social media, Social Media Ventures Inc, T. Harv Eker, Technology/Internet, Twitter, Twitter Inc, web 2.0, World Wide Web
Posted in Marketing, Online Marketing | | Comments Off

There is lots of discussion in various small business communities throughout the world around the topic of Return On Investment (ROI) with Social Media? As an owner of a successful small business IT firm and now a partner with Ulistic, understanding ROI is not only important but essential for success in your business operations.  What is the ROI on a piece of software?  What is the ROI on that lunch with a prospect?  What is the ROI on hiring your first employee? But there is more!

Personally, I think simply focusing on ROI is very shortsighted.  I understand how important it is that your business is profitable and sees a return on the investments made however I think the deeper question is “what is the return on opportunity” or “How can my business capitalize on the opportunities out there”?  For me this is much deeper and really hits the core of why we do what we do.  I believe this is what makes our team at Ulistic different, we have and continue to run profitable and a successful business.  We know what it takes to be profitable, where to reach your markets and a unique approach to looking at the entire picture and the impact on your business.  Then we share this information with our consulting clients.

How does this tie into Social Media?

What is the ROO with your marketing efforts?
What is the ROO in having the talented staff member fielding support calls?
What is the ROO of being present in the online communities?

You have to understand the opportunity and what potentials exist in your target market.  I speak about casting your net and the importance of knowing where to fish for maximize effectiveness plus have nets out there which catch less fish (The Long Tail).  But you also need to know when the fish are hungry. (Thanks Bob Burg).

During our Calgary Social Media Workshops which Ulistic holds every couple of months for business owners, we focus on the importance of looking at the potential opportunities associated with simply being present online.  I remember how T. Harv Eker would open his Millionaire Mind intensive with every single time “80% of success is just showing up”.  This goes for your online marketing and social media activities as well.  You need to show up, that is the first step but of course it is not the last step. You need to have a presence, now there are tricks so it doesn’t consume all your time.

What opportunities are you missing by not having a presence on the mainstream social media services?  I shared recently online with you about how Google is now archiving tweets on Twitter.  Twitter, Facebook Pages, Digg, LinkedIn and many others are importance networks to participate in and do you play in these sandboxes?  David and I cover the importance of search and your social circle during our Calgary SEO courses and plus the importance of having effective online strategies in our Calgary social media courses.

What is the ROO for your online fishing (marketing)?  To me, it is so much more than talking about Facebook, Twitter and other online services.

Tags: Blog hosting services, bob burg, Business/Finance, Calgary, Facebook, Facebook Inc, Google Inc., importance networks, LinkedIn Ltd, media activities, media courses, media services, online communities, online fishing, Online social networking, online strategies, Social information processing, social media, Social Media Ventures Inc, T. Harv Eker, Technology/Internet, Twitter, Twitter Inc, web 2.0, World Wide Web
Posted in Marketing, Online Marketing | | Comments Off

When does Social Media stop being viral and start being infectious? It is happening right now.

Over the past year and a bit, many social media professionals have been sharing the importance of having a quality video done by a professional, a great blog or some sort of social media marketing message with an aim to take it viral.  Taking something viral online is not easy, it takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and focus. Most of time we sit back and scratch our heads asking why it didn’t take off?  The video which goes viral is something silly and has no real message behind it – how many dancing babies are shared across the Internet?

There is a shift occurring out there, many services are teaming up or putting in connectors to hook into your LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter accounts looking at farming your existing contacts to connect into their new network.  What is the difference between viral and infectious?  I am beginning to think that many social media services are now looking at ways to become infectious instead of viral.  What do I mean?

My experience with Naymz

I will take my recent experience with Naymz.  Naymz is trying real hard, in my opinion to become the next LinkedIn.  The jury is still out on Namyz as another online social media service to put effort into.   There are just so many of these services out there like Plaxo, Naymz and Biznik to name a few.  My experience with Namyz has been a tad bit embarrassing and the reason for my blog post today.  This is where the infectious mindset sets in and it was totally my fault.

I am starting to see more and more of this behaviour from the upstart social media services and those struggling for attention are heading.  In this example I will focus on my experience with Naymz.  With my approval (insert slap in face here) Namyz went through my entire LinkedIn contact list and emailed every single person asking them to join Naymz.  Wait!  I just did what?

Another area of concern is around “Connect with Facebook” and “Twitter Open Authorization”.  When we grant access using these tools and services infects our online communities, what do we do next?  Is my entire Friends or Follows list now open to this application who used these services to connect?  What happens to my reputation online or my trusted colleagues?

When is enough, enough?

Tags: Community websites, Facebook, Facebook Inc, linkedin, LinkedIn Ltd, media marketing message, media professionals, media service, media services, Naymz, online communities, Online social networking, Plaxo, Social information processing, social media, Technology/Internet, Twitter, Twitter Inc, web 2.0, World Wide Web
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Is social media right for your business? I really don’t know unless I know what your goals and objectives are for your business.  Also it is important to understand who is your target market is and perhaps the biggest question, are people using social media services looking for what you have to sell?

I recently read an article by a Calgary Social Media Support Specialist on why your Calgary business needs to be on social media.  I have respect for the author of this article however I need to share my views on why the article is leading a typical small business owner down the wrong path when it comes to social media.  I really don’t agree with this article at all and to be honest it is pretty standard for a lot of the junk out there today.  It is this sort of FUD which is leaving many business owners uncertain about social media and the purpose of social networking in their business.

Social Media in my opinion is important but it is not for everyone.  This is where our team at Ulistic helps Realtors, small business owners, IT Professionals and many other types of business understand your entire online marketing strategy.  Not to toot our own horn too much, but we are business people first, teachers and educators second, consultants third and then somewhere deep in the order of priority, guys who understand social media.  We use social media in our business but it is NOT for what many of our peers in the industry will try to tell you.

The author of this article talks over and over about building followers, lists of friends and great connections.  True, social media can do this for the selected few.  But, let’s be real, the average person really only has about 25 followers on Twitter, about the same on LinkedIn and maybe 100 friends on Facebook from their high school and college days.

One other items the author talks about is that your competitors are beating you out of customers because of social media. If you are losing customers it is because of your lack of service or a sales/marketing delivery not because of social media is winning them away.  Yes, a client may read a post and follow a link to an article, but think about it, if you are giving exceptional service what do you have to worry about?

Online marketing is more than social media.

Social media is just one small component of your overall online marketing strategy for your business.  I am not saying you should ignore it as social media does have a place in your business.  However if you focus on your blogs, Google reviews, your marketing website and your own personal network, social media strategies can fit in very naturally and actually support what you are doing in your marketing activities.

This is what we strive to achieve for everyone who engages with us at Ulistic.  Service comes first and our mentoring and coaching program helps every business understand what needs to be a priority and what are nice to have, according to your goals, objectives and desired outcomes.  If some consultant says you need to be on social media or you will go out of business, without sitting down with you and understanding your business first, turn around and run away really fast.

Also, the last myth to squash, social media may help on some search rankings.  A great blog, an awesome website, your business articles and engaging in the online community will help you more than simply sending out a few tweets, putting someone else’s link on your Facebook page or posting a someone else’s story in your LinkedIn group.

Learn the truth about social media for business by contact Ulistic today.

Tags: author, Blog hosting services, Business/Finance, Calgary, Consultant, Facebook, Facebook Inc, Google Inc., LinkedIn Ltd, media services, online community, online marketing strategy, Online social networking, personal network, search rankings, Social information processing, social media, Social network service, social networking, Support Specialist, The Facebook Era, Twitter, Twitter Inc, web 2.0, World Wide Web
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What a crazy week that just finished?

Lots of interest from business in Calgary looking to understand more about the power of social media in business and what tools will serve them the best.  How can small businesses take advantage of what these almost mission critical online services?  What can they do combined with skilled and trained people for their overall success of  business?

All I know, there is more and more information to share with all of you over the next few days, weeks, months and maybe years.  Social Technologies are rapidly becoming part of our daily activities if they haven’t already.

First off, the following folks need to be publicly thanked:

• Frank at the Blackfoot Inn – Frank saved the day for us during our Calgary social media training course with a handy USB wireless adapter.
• The entire team at GoForth – Thank you for just being who you guys are and your support of Ulistic
• Mike Iem at Microsoft – Thank you Mike for the opportunity to serve the Microsoft Partner Community once again as part of the 5W25 training sessions.

Lots of discussion this week about how to we can employ Social Media in business and what all of our businesses can do right now to start to build a competitive advantage for themselves online.  Don’t take my messaging the wrong way, social media services are still just a spoke in your overall business development activities.  It is an awfully big one and gaining in importance.

One of these crucial online or social media services is the power of blogging.  How can a blog benefit your business?  Why should you blog?  I personally feel if you are a President of a corporation or small business and you do not have a blog you are doing a disservice to your staff, customers and those in the community who are looking for someone to learn from or follow.

Blogging for me is an essential part of your business recipe book.  It doesn’t take much to get started either.

There are a number of reasons why you and your must have a blog.  Some of these reason range from being a thought leader in your industry or community right through to having a mechanism for you to share information with your customers and staff.  Maybe you simply want to spread the word about the great things your non-profit is doing within the community as well.  Blogging in business or community is all about providing valuable content to those who find what you got to say interesting.  This can range from those who don’t know you to those who know you best.

What is your story?

We all have a story to tell and the best blogs come from those who take their natural ability to share stories and take these stories into the online world for all to read.  Some of the best blogs I follow are simply stories about what and who the reader is or who has influenced them.  How can you tell your story online and position yourself in front of the pack?  Who can you influence without knowing who they are?

A great blog can do this for you, sometimes all it takes is for you to simply start.  Get down in the ready position and fire your own starting pistol.  Over the years, working with many Calgary business folks and all the way up to my facilitation duties with Heartland Tech Groups, I have found simply starting to be one of the biggest challenges for a number of business owners.  Sometimes we just need to shelf our fear of looking stupid or failing aside and just get started.  I know that is easier said than done for many.

The nice thing with blogs is that you can always go back and tweak it later.  But you can’t tweak what you don’t do.

I love the fact in life sometimes we can take the re-test.

Tags: blog, Blog marketing, Blogger, Business/Finance, Calgary, Cityblog, Computing, heartland tech group, media services, online world, President, Social information processing, social media, technology, thought leader, Virtual world, World Wide Web
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