7 Myths About Social Selling That You Probably Believe

Here are the myths and the opposing ideas:

1. Social selling takes a lot of time.

Actually, you can get enough done to see results with just 30 minutes a day.

2. You have to know a lot about social media to do social selling right.

If you wait until you’re a master at social media, you may never get started. Basic skills and some common sense are all you need to do well. The whole social selling thing is far less technically challenging that it appears.

3. Social selling is all about the data.

In part, that’s true. But the data is useless without all your well-tested sales experience. You’re not anywhere near being obsolete.

4. Social selling can be automated.

Again, some parts can be automated – like content sharing, and some email marketing. But you must reach out to contacts with customized messages that show you’ve done some research on them. Nobody likes automated social media messages.

5. All content is shared via social media.

Email is a more active sharing channel than social is. There’s actually more sharing going on via “dark social” than on any social platform.

6. It’s okay to stick with cold calling.

Not if you want to be competitive.

7. Social selling means LinkedIn marketing.

Surprisingly, Facebook and Twitter outperform LinkedIn for some social sellers. It depends on your business and your particular social selling techniques.

Want all that in a nutshell? Here it is:

Don’t get spooked by social selling. You’ve already got all the essential skills you need to do it well. Learn a bit about the different messaging tactics and the etiquette of different platforms, and you’ll do fine.

  Source: http://bit.ly/1RQ6oHK

8 Valuable Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

The feminist in me (which is pretty much all of me) bristles a bit when we talk about women entrepreneurs as a separate group that requires preferential advice. But unfortunately, we still live in a patriarchal society and as much as I wish I could deny it, women are still treated differently in many areas, including entrepreneurship.

There are also a lot of double-standards out there when it come to how female and male entrepreneurs are treated. Yet, starting in a lower position than our male counterparts, female entrepreneurs are forced to work harder and often outperform men.

All of that being said, I have to admit that it is still somewhat helpful to see advice out there that is specifically tailored towards women and how we interpret and are interpreted by, the world.

Here are some of the best pieces of advice I’ve seen for women entrepreneurs recently. I should add that, if we were to put this advice into a Venn Diagram, while all of it would be useful for women entrepreneurs, a lot of it would also be useful for all entrepreneurs whether male or female, and a lot of it would also be useful for women in general.

1. Find your passion. If you’re going to be spending most of your waking hours working towards something, try your damndest to make it something you’re truly passionate about.
2. Keep your home and work life separate. This can be a huge challenge for those who work from home, and if you’re diving into a startup venture full-time and can’t afford an office space, you’ll almost definitely be working from home. If you keep your schedule too flexible, customers and clients will take advantage of it, causing unnecessary stress.
3. Form real connections with other women. I’m not saying join a twelve step program for women entrepreneurs (does such a thing exist? That could be a genius startup idea in itself!) but get out there and meet other women who are in the same boat. Get yourself a kickass mentor, or create a group if one doesn’t already exist in your area.
4. Network your face off. Even if you’re far from a social butterfly, you can still network with the best of them. Being a successful networker is a learned skill. Knowing the right people, or even just knowing the people who know the right people can be incredibly beneficial when you’re trying to build and grow your business. It can also help you become part of a community of likeminded folk.
5. Don’t start a business just for the money. Sure there are a lot of serial entrepreneurs who jump from one venture to the next and chase trends and money rather than what really interests them. This works, but not often, and it can take a long time before you start actually making money, so it’s best to make sure you enjoy what you’re doing so you don’t burn out before the money even comes.
6. Be brutally honest with yourself. If you can’t be honest with yourself, how can you be expected to be honest with anyone else. It’s challenging at first, but you need to be able to see your own strengths and weaknesses with a critical eye, and assess shortcomings or needs for additional support with unbiased judgement.
7. Ask for help when you need it. This goes along with the previous tip. Don’t try to conquer the world single-handedly. The most successful entrepreneurs know when to ask for help. Be strategic about it and know that it’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of good judgement and awareness.
8. Take risks. Almost every aspect of entrepreneurship involves taking risks, and while some might end in failure, the ones that don’t can be very rewarding. Just remember to enter these risks with the confidence that you will succeed.

 Source: http://bit.ly/1pN1NJO

6 SOCIAL MEDIA TRUTHS EVERY BUSINESS PIONEER SHOULD UNDERSTAND

The modern business owner cannot assume a website is the only thing a company requires to tide through this digital era.

Two of the most volatile worlds collide when we mix business with the Internet. The former has to heavily depend on the latter to grow, stay afloat and survive in the competitive world of marketing.

Online marketing has become one of the most popular and efficient ways to not just reach new customers but also to understand and evaluate current trends and requirements. The modern business owner cannot assume a website is the only thing a company requires to tide through this digital era.

Social media is a powerful weapon in the field of marketing and is a double-edged sword at that. If used correctly, it can lead to enormous growth and positive publicity; whereas, if left unsupervised and unmonitored, it can be the cause for a downfall in no time.

There are a number of things one must keep in mind while investing time and money in online marketing. The few truths of the ever-changing world of social media, which one must abide by, are noted in this blog post.

Planning your marketing strategy

Out of the main giants of social media, the one that is often the most neglected is the one that may have the most potential if utilized in the right way. Google Plus must be used optimally when planning your online marketing strategy. It may still be in its infancy, even now, and is usually overshadowed by bigger fish in the social media field like Facebook or Twitter, but it has amassed a niche crowd in a short span of time.

Google Plus has the advantage of being linked with other Google services and will ultimately be able to provide your ad campaign with a wider audience with less investment of energy and resources.

Google Plus allows a company to start off its social media campaign in fresh light and with a clean slate. It has unique features such as “huddle” and “circles,” which allow for the grouping together of like-minded people, creating a ready consumer base for your idea/service/product.

Building your brand online

The reach provided to companies by social media platforms is unimaginable. Ranging from the youth right up to centenarians, everyone is taking to these websites and online portals to connect, share, debate and discuss events and ideas.

While it is not an easy task to get noticed and make a dent on the shiny, polished exterior of this world, once you do manage to crack the code to what catches the eye of your target audience, you will sail through. In order to do so, you have to be well aware of what makes your product(s)/service(s) better than your competitors.

Every day you do not use social media platforms, your rivals are getting the better of it and, ultimately, gaining from the exposure — not just in terms of reputation but also regarding consumer base and loyalty.

Building your brand online is the way to go in this day and age of flux. Review reporting is an ingenious method to gauge your growth and study trends which could become a rage in the future. This can only be done if you are a part of the cult that believes in social media advertising.

Increase your digital presence

Many people, if not most, who use the Internet usually have Facebook and/or Twitter and Google Plus accounts. This ready customer pool is always accepting of unique things or ideas that have potential.

Keeping your brand visible in these circles will increase your digital presence by multiple folds. Social media spreads across laptops, tablets and smartphones. This not only improves your visibility but also increases your reach. The number of people using smartphones has increased; and, simultaneously, the digital market has expanded.

Boost traffic with SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is another important aspect of maintaining your online presence. Many SEO experts say the easiest way to hide a dead company is in the third page of Google’s search results, and those words couldn’t be truer.

If your company doesn’t get listed on the first page then you automatically lose against your competitors who do. Once you begin to get clicks on your website and climb the rankings, your focus should shift to ensuring that the clicks are converted into actual customers. This will boost the traffic on your website and help your business grow.

Combine traditional and digital marketing approaches

While engaging in social media, the tertiary benefit is that your offline play becomes much stronger. This marrying of traditional and digital marketing is the key to a successful campaign.

The online strategy will increase your visibility and keep your product/service fresh in the minds of your target audience so that the traditional methods of advertising can build on a pre-established consumer base.

Grow your customer base

The biggest, and possibly the most underused, advantage of marketing via a social media platform is that every single share, like or comment creates a channel for your product/service’s page or post to be featured on the newsfeeds of thousands of people you didn’t even know had the potential to become your customers.

This vast untapped pool of virtual population can be used to not just boost click rates on your website but also, in the long run, increase the number of loyal and happy customers your company serves.

Engaging in conversations on posts over social media with those who take the time to give you an appraisal, and taking concrete steps to solve their grievances, will help you receive the goodwill of people you did not even know would stumble upon your post.

Social media marketing is a tough nut to crack; but once you realize how powerful a tool it can be and how gigantic the potential is, you will waste no time utilizing this approach as a main method of advertising. Social media has sealed its position as one of the most important ways to reach millions of customers — and with minimal resources and investment needed. It allows you to reinvent your marketing strategy every few months, or years; and the best thing about the Internet is that, although it can be ruthless at times, it is also very forgiving. You can’t help but be noticed when you use the Internet as a tool to grow your business if you do it right.

  Source: http://bit.ly/1UJgXN6

4 things you can do to become a better manager today

 

Effectively managing people is difficult, and no one is born knowing how to do it.

Fortunately, management can be learned. We suggest following these four steps, which are simple, but time-tested:

1. Set appropriate goals.

Goal-setting is essential. It helps employees prioritize their activities and focus their efforts. When setting goals with employees, you should make sure that they are SMART goals (specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistically high, time and resource bound).

The goals must also be meaningful to the employee. Sufficient rewards for goal achievement and consequences for failure should be specified. This will ensure that the goal and what's needed to achieve it will rise to the top of the employees' "To Do" list.

Near the end of his life, H.L. Hunt, the self-made oil billionaire, was asked to name the requirements for success. He answered, "There are only two real requirements for success in life. The first requirement is deciding exactly what you want [setting goals]. Most people never get to that point. The second requirement is determining the price that will have to be paid to get it, and then resolving to pay that price."

2. Develop a plan to achieve the goals.

After setting goals with the employee, put together a plan to achieve them. To accomplish any individual goal, the employee will need to commit to a set of actions. A goal without an action plan is just a dream. It’s not real, and it’s not likely to happen.

Most people don’t understand how to break larger projects, goals or tasks down into actionable steps. As a manager, you can use your experience and knowledge to guide the employee. Keep the number of actions from becoming overwhelming by limiting them to what the employee can reasonably accomplish within two weeks. Set dates and even a deadline that makes sense, for when the employee will complete each action step. This will create the urgency necessary to complete the work in a timely manner.

Finally, holding a meeting that occurs at the same day and time each week will give you a mechanism for checking on progress and creating a natural deadline for your staff. The meeting can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as an hour, but should be comprised of three segments:

• First segment: Have the employee report to you on his or her progress.
• Second segment: Give the employee feedback and help him or her overcome obstacles that stand in the way.
• Third segment: Set new actions, including dates and times for completion.

3. Empower the employee.

To maximize the probability that your employees achieve their goals, empower them. That means three things. First, you must properly train your workers to do the tasks necessary to achieve their goals. This includes giving the employee enough time to practice the new skills so that they become proficient.

Second, motivate your people. Rewards for success and consequences for failure should be specified. But keep in mind that an environment that relies solely on either rewards or consequences will create a dysfunctional culture: You will have employees who either become used to a country-club existence or live in fear of making mistakes. Neither is conducive to long-term productivity.

Finally, remove roadblocks that are within the company’s control. Make sure that people have the tools, equipment and information they need to do their jobs. Removing roadblocks also includes developing effective policies and procedures.

4. Assess performance and make adjustments.

Once the above three steps are complete, you will need to assess performance and make any necessary changes. We’re not talking about annual performance evaluations. A formal review may happen only once a year, but effective management requires assessing performance much more frequently.

For employees who are new to the organization or learning a new task, you may need to assess performance daily or perhaps even more frequently. Get away from your desk and computer screen and walk around the area where your employees work. Stop to talk and ask questions. Be available and interested.

Employees who have demonstrated competence may require only a weekly meeting to stay on track. But, in either case, you should take an active role in monitoring and commenting on performance, to benefit both the organization and the employee.

Managing people is difficult. It’s not an exact science, and there is no magic wand to ensure you always get it right. In fact, you won’t always get it right. Even outstanding managers make mistakes. The good news is that managing people well is a learned skill.

With work, you can improve your capability in this area. A concerted effort on your part is required. But if your company is going to thrive, your skills as a manager will be of paramount importance.

   Source : http://read.bi/1PSHvVI

3 Tips for Using Pinterest to Drive Sales

Pinterest has become a powerful marketing platform. While social has long considered an awareness raising activity, marketers are more committed this year to making a clearer connection from those endeavors to increased sales. This is one area in which Pinterest shines, driving both traffic and commerce online.

The biggest challenge for businesses on Pinterest is making sure their Pins are seen, and seen by the right audience. The solution to this challenge, says Lux, is understanding the Pinterest audience and whether or not your product is a good fit.

With 100 million active users, Pinterest is not nearly as big as some of the other big networks. However, the biggest demographic on Pinterest are women aged 25 to 34; most likely Millennial moms interested in fashion, DIY, cooking, home decor and shopping. Pinterest users also differ from those on other networks in one very specific way: They prefer to follow brands than notable celebrities and influencers.

Lux had these recommendations for how to drive traffic, and ultimately sales, from your Pinterest marketing efforts:

• Choose your target wisely. Pinterest has robust analytics that can be used even before you spend any money on promoted Pins, said Lux. Experiment with Pins, then use Pinterest analytics to find out what’s working, then choose keywords based on what your audience is most interested in.
  

• Use optimized, high-quality images. In this age of visual media, image quality is extremely important. In addition to professional quality photos and graphics, Lux said there are tools like Canva that make editing easy. Include descriptive text and keywords to improve the likelihood of your Pins bubbling to the top of the search.
  

• Use Rich Pins. Lux noted that most have seen Rich Pins, where a complete recipe or article appears within the Pin. Product Pins, which are a type of Rich Pin, includes important product details like the name, price and availability lead to higher conversion.

For small-business owners on the fence, Lux noted that converting a personal account to a business account is very simple:

With just a little bit of code on your website, it can’t hurt to try and use the analytics at least, even if you’re not going to pay for Promoted Pins.

Readers: Are you using Pinterest for your business?

Source : http://bit.ly/1Kub3ff

4 Steps to Identify Your Target Market

 If you are getting ready to launch a startup, or you are preparing to add a new product or service to your list of offerings, you must have a target customer profile mapped out and clearly defined. Unless you prefer sending your marketing dollars straight to the trashcan, of course.

A lot of startups fail – that’s not news. But, a lot of them fail because they did not define their target market and failed to learn the in and outs of it.

So if you don’t want to end up in the same boat, try applying these 4 steps.

Develop a Profile of People Who Will Purchase Your Product or Service

Begin with creating a simple list of the people who would want or need what you wish to sell the most. Once you have your list, you can begin dividing the people into categories. The categories you use will depend on a number of factors. For example:

• Are you B2B or B2C?
• Do you sell a luxury service, or something that is a necessity?
• You could divide by gender, geographic location, market (retailers, distributors, consumers, wholesalers), income, or any number of categories.

Once you have your categories, you can begin collecting data for each one. Are the people in a particular category married or unmarried? Do they have disposable income? What are their politics? Do they travel? If you don’t feel comfortable making these assumptions yourself, you could do a little market research by using surveys and polls to collect data. Ultimately, you should have a few different customer profiles.

Identify the Customer Profile Who Wants or Needs What You Sell The Most

Once you have your list of profiles you can sort them in priority order. Essentially, you want to identify the profile that is most likely to have the problem that your product or service solves, and is most likely to have the ability to purchase your product or service. Then categorize your other profiles in order after that.

“When considering who is most likely to have the problem your products or services can solve, don’t just think in terms of physical need. Stress, comfort, reputation, and vanity are also things you should consider as needs when identifying your target customer. Remember that luxury and entertainment products solve problems as well” – says Harsha Kiran, CEO of BargainFox.

Another thing to take into consideration is which customer profile has the most to lose if they do not find a solution to their problem. This is very important, because it can be used as a sales and marketing angle when you target that particular group.

Look at Your Customer Profiles and Determine Which Ones Aren’t Having Their Needs Met

Here is what you have identified so far. You know which customer profiles have the most to lose if they do not find a solution to their problem. You know which customer profiles are most likely to have the problem that you solve and also have the ability to buy your product. You also know their interests, values, hobbies, etc.. The next thing to determine is which customers aren’t being reached by your competition.

The best way to deal with competition is to avoid it altogether. This means identifying untapped markets, so you don’t have to fight for your space. Take a look at your competitors marketing efforts. Who are they going after in their ads? If they blog or are active on social media, who are their posts trying to connect with? What about their branding? Who is it designed to impress? If you see a customer profile on your list that is being largely ignored by your competition that could be your sweet spot.

Pick Your Primary Target Customer Profile

Ultimately, the group that you target with your marketing efforts should fall into as many of the following categories as possible:

• Most likely to have the problem that you solve;
• Able to afford your solution;
• Has the most to lose if they do not find a solution to their problem; and
• Not being targeted by your competition.

Once you’ve made this identification, you can use the information you have gathered to tailor your marketing to reach that audience.

Source :  http://bit.ly/1NdzJXd

3 Social Media Trends to Look for in 2016

It seems as if social media trends change daily. In 2015, we saw major changes to the Facebook newsfeed, the dawn of live-streaming applications, and a whole bunch of content everywhere. To me, it seems clear: businesses have an issue with content. Your clients might be saying, “Wait a minute; we’re creating content just fine,” but here’s an alarming statistic: 69 percent of business-to-consumer marketers created more content in 2015, and 70 percent of business-to-business marketers also created more content.

The alarming word here is “more.” In an effort to battle 0% organic reach on platforms like Facebook, the ongoing strategy has been to create more content to cut through the clutter. But is this really the right path forward in 2016?

My answer to this is simple: quality over quantity. A brand that is too focused on the brand message as opposed to communicating with its consumer is a brand that will fail on social media in 2016. It’s time we really start to understand our consumers, because 2016 will provide brands a real opportunity to harness the power of consumer-driven content and brand affinity.

Here are three big trends I see really taking off in 2016:

1. Channel building.

Simply put, many brands are on multiple channels, but the content strategy isn’t working. Instead of cross-promoting the same content on all channels using the copy-paste model, brands will need to make the switch to a model that speaks specifically to the audience on each channel. Work to build specific audiences on the different channels—because they’re all so different.

We know that the LinkedIn audience is comprised of mostly C-level executives, so let’s help our clients understand that there is a better channel suited for community events, contests, etc. In the same vein, branded content will not generate any organic reach on Facebook unless you’re providing an awesome incentive to engage, so make sure you’re working paid budgets into the 2016 mix.

If a message is important and you want people to see it, be prepared to invest $2 in promotions for every $1 spent creating a piece of content. Don’t just drop a piece of content on a social network and hope it sticks, give each piece of content a runway to succeed.

2. Live streaming.

Content on social media that contains video is proven to be more engaging. Brands are beginning to use videos for customer service outreach and to show personality. In 2016, new applications like Periscope and Facebook’s new “Live” option will allow brands the opportunity to engage on a new level. Attending a trade show? CEO giving a keynote? Hosting a grand opening? Stream it live and give consumers a real look into your client’s brand and “who” they’re all about.

Notice I said “who” and not “what” – the sooner our clients can differentiate between the two, the faster they’ll see success on social media. It’s not about what a brand has; it’s about who they are and how consumers will identify with them. Many marketers think consumers are too busy to consume their content, but if content is relevant, the audience will consume it. Relevancy creates time.

3. Influencer marketing.

About 25 percent of all branded search results is user-generated content. That means a quarter of the content about your client’s brand is not developed by your marketing team. Yikes! Influencers, brand advocates, and even employees are talking about your brand online.

Remember the phrase: “word of mouth?” It’s happening on a massive scale, but your brand can weigh in. Businesses are making more than $6 on each $1 spent on influencer marketing.

Source : http://bit.ly/1No8V81

5 business secrets you’ve probably never thought about

Forget the Fountain of Youth. In the competitive global business market, “secrets for success” are much more valuable. Everyone from Fortune 500 CEOs to startup founders wants to succeed in both profit and performance. Great ideas for transforming and increasing the viability of a business, along with its products, services and longevity, are not hard to find. The “what worked for me will work for you” business tips are everywhere — quoted in industry magazines, spoken at conferences and heard in podcasts. They’re passed around by board members and touted by consultants.

But when you’re in the thick of day-to-day business operations, it’s often too difficult to stop and consider these points – you’re efficient, we get it! So we’ve assembled our 5 favorite business secrets to save you some time and help you meditate on how to use them for business success.

1. Evolve into an expert generalist

The rules of business are constantly shifting. Having a unique background in various topics (outside of your specialty) will equip you to adapt with the various changes. Better yet, it will allow you to take control of them.

Orit Gadiesh, chairman of Bain & Co, coined the term “expert generalist” to describe a professional as:

“Someone who has the ability and curiosity to master and collect expertise in many different disciplines, industries, skills, capabilities, countries and topics., etc.” As such, professionals can draw on their palettes of diverse knowledge to recognize patterns across multiple areas and focus deeper in order to perfect their knowledge.

Beyond Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour Rule (Outliers), being an expert generalist is finding the sweet spot between expertise in a singular industry and general knowledge across many. It’s easy to listen to your subconscious when it says you don’t have the time to take a creative writing class, read that book on environmental protection, or subscribe to the web class on home brewing. Next time that little voice questions your focus, remind yourself that having a wide breadth of knowledge and experience will allow you to approach your business with fresh perspective. Struggling with something new mirrors the way businesses struggle with challenge resolve. Get curious, get outside your comfort zone and grow your business as a byproduct of this continuous quest for knowledge.

2. Integrate volunteering into your personal and professional creed

Surprisingly, day-to-day business practices are not a key factor for success. It’s about the value of giving back, investing time and talent in the community and the character of your employees. Encourage employees to dedicate time and effort towards at least one cause that is aligned with your company’s mission.

Follow the unspoken rule of some of the most successful global companies leading by example. Consider Microsoft’s program where employees can request a donation grant of $25 per every hour volunteered (minimum for four hours annually). Set up a donation-matching program or enact a small-scale version of PepsiCorp’s, which places Pepsi employees as volunteers in areas around the globe to assist with projects related to the corporation’s giving initiative.

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group and big believer in philanthropy, proves you don’t build a $5 billion fortune based on greed.

“Philanthropic work undertaken not just by the CEO, but by any employee, is an asset to the group as a whole, bringing in new perspectives and relationships that the group wouldn’t otherwise have. So encourage your employees to contribute, off the job and on and in time people in your community will learn that business can bring positive change.”

3. Invite Diversity

Take the concept of diversity beyond the mandatory (and important) HR training and fully embrace the cultures and qualities that makes coworkers different. Consider the theory of diversity among socially distinct newcomers.

Katherine Phillips, Senior Vice Dean of Columbia Business School, researched the impact of newcomers on quality, finding that discomfort can be debilitating to quality decision-making. A benefit of bringing social diversity to the boardroom is that employees in the social majority are more likely to express perspectives and offer critical reviews than when there is not a social diversity present.

“Oftentimes when people think of the effects of diversity, they focus on the one or two people in the minority, instead of thinking about how the diversity impacts the majority of the group,” Phillips was quoted during her time as Kellogg School of Management Associate Professor. “In diverse groups, everyone is more likely to focus on the available information and to bring in new ideas, not just the people who are ‘different’.”

Ask interviewees and employees what makes them socially distinct from the company’s current majority. Ask about hobbies, where their viewpoints differ from those of their past employers and what inspires them. Break free of the paradigm that people who look “different” also think “different”. That is certainly not always true.

4. Rise to a Routine

Did your mom ever tell you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day? Nutrition aside, she had a point. Some of the most successful business leaders adhere to a morning routine. Having a regular wake-up time and engaging in consistent, calm habits – an energizing yoga session, jog around the neighborhood, reading the news, meditating for 10 minutes – can give you the mindset to tackle the stress, issues and challenges that will come at you throughout the day.

Knowing in advance what your morning will look like allows you to feel proactive, effective and in control. Carry this same sort of competence to all aspects of your business; think holistically about yourself and your business… it all intertwines.

5. Treat Yourself by Treating Others

Toss out the age old Golden Rule. Don’t treat others how you want to be treated, but rather, as they want to be treated.

This mantra (which you should immediately tape to your computer) requires deep knowledge of who your current and potential customers are. It drives you to go above and beyond; to really listen to what others have to say. You cannot anticipate everything your customers will want, which means you need to talk with them constantly – in face-to-face meetings with a wide open door for feedback – and genuinely listen.

Institute this perspective with everyone: employees, vendors, customers, strangers… You’ll develop a habit of being nice, respectful, courteous, positive, goal-oriented and customer service focused. Respect is subjective, but imagine the personal relationships and professional respect your demeanor will attract.

Source : http://bit.ly/1WLO4MS