The One Big Mistake That's Killing Your Content

In my other life, I am a theatre artist: a freelance director. I direct between three and seven shows a year. Every show that gets out there is subject to criticism and, let me tell you, everybody's got an opinion. I've had people completely trash what was, arguably, my best work to date. And I have had that other imposter as well: unearned adoration.

So, I guess have grown quite a thick skin in the last twenty years and I have the ability to soldier on despite the possibility of heavy criticism on the other side. But most of us aren't lucky enough to have that background and we make the big mistake of worrying what other people will think of what we write or otherwise publish. Worrying about what others think will kill your content faster than the internet forgets a tweet storm.

But, you say, it's human nature to worry about what other people think of you. Doesn't it have to be good, I mean, really good? Doesn't it have to be perfect? I can't make one mistake! The white paper has got to be twenty pages long and meticulously edited; or the movie has to be done with a professional flare or it's no good; or the infographic needs to be chock-a-block with facts and figures....! Wait a second? How long is all this going to take?

While you are carefully putting together your amazing project, other people may have posted dozens of times with short, punchy movies, blogs, and graphics that catch the eye, make a point, and inform. Which is better, right now? I hate to say for all of you striving for perfection: short, clear messaged media is what is getting seen, read, reblogged-posted-tweeted.

Right, then. We need to learn how not to second guess ourselves. We need to learn how to press 'send' or 'publish' or 'post'. Read it once forward, once backward, do a spell check. Leave it a couple of hours and read it again or get your favourite proof-reader to take a look. Read it once forward, once backward, do a spell check. Accept that it will never be perfect. Press 'send'.

That idea is worth repeating: Accept that it will never be perfect. Press 'send'.

The way the interwebs are evolving, it's better to get that content out there consistently and reliably than to worry about any one of your posts being a magnum opus.

Good luck out there!

Jacqui Burke is a freelance social media marketer committed to helping small business build their profits through social media. Take a look at her website at www.jaybirdsocialmedia.com

In the Social Media Gold Rush, We Can Forget The One Thing That Will Guarantee Us Success

Social media marketing is rather like a gold rush, right now. People are coming from the four corners of the earth to try to win some gold. Small and large businesses, alike, are pulling out their pick axes. Some are definitely striking it rich but some are just digging in the dirt, and contradictory advice is coming from all sides.

But that's not necessarily the fault of your local social media expert, because the really fun part of the process is this: the major social media sites keep digging up that gold and moving it. Of course! I would, too, if I were them.Their goal is to make more profit through advertising. Our goal is to get the word out there without spending too, too much money. Hmmmmm....

Folks who enjoyed serious success early on have now found their gold has been moved. For example: SEO providers have been optimizing the heck out of websites over the last few years, carefully sprinkling keywords everywhere, streamlining the look and the feel of the site (many sites look exactly alike these days), and generally doing a great job. So why is Google throttling the traffic to these sites? Well, it's kind of like going into a casino and knowing how to count cards. Eventually, they kick you out.

The game is changing drastically it seems almost minute by minute. Even as a blog get posted, its advice is going stale (I guess including this one!). Business might feel pressured to jump and jump fast to adjust their marketing strategies and through it all forget one important thing.

What's that? Their Customer. The one person who can really tell a business what they should be doing.

In these crazy times, we need more and more to get back to the basics of marketing.

1. Who is our Customer?
2. What does s/he want?
3. What does s/he need?
4. How is s/he finding what s/he needs?
5. Where is s/he looking?

Answering these questions will give you a much clearer idea of how to use social media to market to your Customer. Your approach can be thoughtful. Your website can be designed to appeal to the very folks you are trying to attract.

For example, if you are a personal trainer offering exercise coaching and you determine that over 65% of your potential clients are women 45-55 years old, you might choose Pinterest as a marketing platform because Pinterest is most popular with women. You might soften the lines and the colours of your website. You might promote yourself in terms of the bikini body as opposed the six pack.

Or if you are a clothing manufacturer and you determine that your customers are mostly male, 18-24, you might consider Tumblr, a micro network that attracts teens and youth. You might update your site to be quirky and interesting to young people.

Your Social Media Director or Consultant should be talking, all the time, about your clients and what they're doing online, what sites they're visiting online. Because if your Customer is there, then that's where you want to be too. Avoid turning over too, too much dirt to find the gold. Follow your Customer.

Jacqui Burke is a Social Media Consultant based in Toronto, Canada. http://www.jaybirdsocialmedia.com

You're why we're here. How can we help you?

5 FREE Social Media Tools I Use Every Day to Build My Business

1.       Hootsuite
http:www.hootsuite.com

Hootsuite is a posting platform that allows you to post across platforms at once, schedule posts to go out during the day, and generally do pretty much anything you can do on your various social media sites but from one location. Free up to five social media connections. Essentially, this platform allows you to reach more people with one post, and get all your posting done at one time. Natch!

2.       MailChimp
www.mailchimp.com

Mail Chimp is a tool for sending out graphically rich, appealing emails but, also, it keeps track of your list maintenance for you. You don`t have to do a thing! With email STILL being the number one way to connect to your potential clients, Mail Chimp has proven to be an invaluable tool. Free up to 2,000 contacts.

3.       Google Analytics
http://www.google.com/analytics

I am religious about checking out my and my clients`s stats every day to see if I can catch trends as they happen, or push more what works. Google Analytics is a solid tool to see where your traffic is coming from, visitor behaviour, and can even track conversions.

4.       Many Contacts
www.manycontacts.com

Want to increase your conversion rate? Use Many Contacts! Not only does this site make form building easy, it collects your data for you (and syncs it with your Mail Chimp – or other email service) automatically. Awesome!

5.       Google Keyword Tool
https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner

If people are looking for your business online, how are they searching for it? Use Google Keyword Tool to increase optimization and boost your keyword strength. This is totally free but you need a google account to use it.

These tools are really great. If you need help setting these up or consulting, I am available for consulting and training on a reasonable per hour basis.  Contact me:

http://www.jaybirdsocialmedia.com

info@jaybirdsocialmedia.com

@jaybirdsocialmedia

+647-292-0210

What Google wants, Google gets. 3 Ways This Can Build Your Business RIGHT NOW.

 

How can what Google wants affect your business?

1. Google wants Google+ to be more popular than Facebook.

Well, who wouldn't? One way Google is encouraging this is favouriting posts on Google+ pages on its search engine; so, posts on Google+ rank very high up on Google Search ratings. For example, if you post on your Google+ business page about a flower special you have for your florist business in the beaches, that post may, very well, hit in the top 10 searches for 'Beaches florist' on Google. Google represents two out of every three searches made online; so this effect is nothing to sneeze at. 

How long will this effect work? Until Google gets what it wants or abandons the strategy.

How do I take advantage of this?

1. Create a Google identity (if you haven't already)
2. Make a Google+ business page (make sure your profile is complete and your business verified).
3. Research keyword searches that are common for your business using the (you guessed it) absolutely free Google Keyword Search Tool.

2. Google wants to be your Gateway to the World.

Right, right? If everybody is looking for products, services, and destinations through Google search and Google maps, then Google becomes one of the most powerful marketing engines on the planet. They have developed FREE tools that help you connect with your clients right now.

Google Places is a business registry that is linked with Google Maps, allowing your business to show up on a Google maps search of your area. This is critical, now that folks are searching primarily for products and services on their cell phones. They will be attracted to your business simply because it has a listing on Google Maps and it's located just around the corner increasing walk-in traffic and local awareness of your business.

Businesses listed in Google Places also enjoy a dominant spot on the right of the google search results page for local searches.

How long will this last? Until Google gets what it wants or Google abandons this strategy.

How do I take advantage of this?

1. Create a Google identity (if you haven't already)
2. Create a Google Places listing. Make sure that your listing is complete, with hours of operation, etc., and fully verified.

3. Google wants to be the #1 Referrer to the World

K, again. Who wouldn't? Currently, potential clients believe online reviews left by strangers and, of course, reviews by family and friends ahead of traditional forms of advertising. Google Places allows customers to leave testimonials on your products or services. After 5-6 testimonials, a rating out of five stars will show under your listing, increasing a client's perception of the reliability of your business.

How long will this last? Until Google gets what it wants or Google abandons this strategy.

How do I take advantage of this?

1. Get a Google Places listing for your business.
2. Encourage good clients to write a testimonial for you by sending them a direct link to a review form. Here is an example of that link:
   
   
   https://plus.google.com/115505053294590812173/about?gl=US&hl=en-US&review=1
   
   The long number in the middle of the link is your Google Identifier. How do you find it? Simply copy and paste it from the url of your Google Business Places listing.

There. Three things you can do.

Do me a favour: if you liked this post, go ahead and click on that Google Testimonial link and give me a good review. I'd be honoured.

If you want to take advantage of these techniques but feel daunted, we're offering a flat rate to set this all up for you -- for a short time only. Contact me:

Contact me:

website:  http://www.jaybirdsocialmedia.com

email: info@jaybirdsocialmedia.com

twitter: @jaybirdsocialme

phone: +1 647-292-0210

Skeptical? 3 Compelling Reasons To Get Your Website Mobile Ready

If you are to decide to spend the time and money it takes to upgrade your website, you have to know it's worth it. Here's three reasons (with back up data) that tell us we can't afford not to make the change.

Internet users are moving onto mobile in incredible numbers. They are accessing, researching, and making buying decisions on their smart phones. But a huge percentage of websites (estimates are over 80%) are not optimized for mobile. Their sites hard to navigate (most mobile users will just bounce off) and, indeed, harder to find. The Internet is competitive. You want to be there when your customer comes looking:

1.   Cell Use Is Our Number One Choice For Accessing The Internet

As of February 2014, cell access of the Internet outstripped PC access
(SOURCE CNNMONEY CITING ENDERS ANALYSIS):

Mobile devices accounted for 55% of Internet usage in the United States in January. Apps made up 47% of Internet traffic and 8% of traffic came from mobile browsers, according to data from comScore, cited Thursday by research firm Enders Analysis. PCs clocked in at 45%.

As of January 2014
(SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER, WASHINGTON DC):

• 90% of American adults have a cell phone
• 58% of American adults have a smartphone
• 32% of American adults own an e-reader
• 42% of American adults own a tablet computer

2.                 Consumers Are Researching/Making Their Decisions On Mobile

SOURCE: TELEMETRIX:

50% of consumers are using their smartphones exclusively to start their research and 31% continue through the process and make buying decisions online. Of the 50% who start their research, only half know what they’re looking for when they start. The other 50% can be influenced by brand marketers.

SOURCE: GOOGLE RESEARCH

 A startling 82% of consumers are using their mobile phones to help them make buying decisions while inside your store with comparison pricing research but, also, using merchant apps.

Of those users, 60% expect their business solution to be within walking distance and 33% are looking for pertinent details:  phone, location, business hours.

3.  More And More Consumers Are Coming Online Via Mobile

SOURCE: EMARKETER

Smartphone uptake is massive. According to eMarketer, the low cost of smart phones will result in 2 billion in use by 2015. We recently tipped over the 1 billion mark. And projections are over 5 billion by 2017. We are at the uptrend of a burgeoning market. Projects say that over 90% of Internet users will be accessing the Internet via their phone alone.

As I said, you can't afford not to do make your website mobile ready. We are offering a free service to take a look at your site and let you know what you need to do and how much it will cost. Get your FREE Assessment*, today!