Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on June 12, 2010 under Connecting Moments, social media | 
Yesterday on LinkedIn I found a question started by Pete Radke spurred on by an article he read. His question: Does Social Media Weaken Relationships?
The comments are interesting – some that agree and some that don’t. Here’s what I said:
I believe if we use social media as a way to connect – then yes, it can build wonderful relationships; with industry leaders as well as our customers/prospects. But if we use social media as a marketing tool and spend all our time selling – we run the real risk of damaging our brand.
The timing of this question is interesting. I wanted to write a blog post for my home based business blog and so went into my LinkedIn groups for home based business owners to see what current buzz I would find. In almost EVERY instance – the discussions weren’t conversations, they were links to articles, sales pitches for training sessions, products and webinars. All one way “look at me and buy from me” posts.
Not surprizing – there weren’t any comments. How is that a discussion? How does that build relationships?
I think if social media is used incorrectly, it in fact weakens not only relationships but our credibility and our brand positioning.
The question stayed with me and so I raised it at a business lunch. Here’s what the group had to say:
Some use social MEDIA as another way to push information out. They focus on the word “media” as an extension of their marketing/media campaign and ignore the word “social” altogether.
Perhaps a better way to think of social media is as a social NETWORKING tool. When we think of networking, we think of a give and take of information. Sharing information about our business and our perfect target prospect and in return, asking how we might help others connect with people who can help their business grow.
Someone else at the table offered this personal stat: I try to write eight status updates or blog posts about others for every one post that is a sales pitch for my business.
Interesting.
I have been harping that social media is a great way to connect with customers but if we are still unclear as to how to use this great and free tool as a relationship builder than doesn’t it just become more noise in an ever crowded marketing environment?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on June 2, 2010 under Listening, Missed Moments, social media |
Just saw this link on a tweet The Biggest Shift Since the Industrial Revolution.
If your customer is between the ages of 18-35 – you need to learn to master the art of social media – or at the very least – be listening real close and often to what is being said. Of all of the stats in the article, here is the most valuable one:
“80% of Twitter users tweet using their mobile device.” The author goes on to say “Imagine what that means for bad customer experiences?”
Eighty percent of what, you ask? Maybe it isn’t that many people. Well, here’s another stat for you – “As of this year there are an average of 30 MILLION tweets a day.” And 75 MILLION users. That’s a big chunk of your customers.
So how do you listen on Twitter? Visit Search.Twitter. Click on the Advanced Search button. Enter your company name, your products, your industry key words and see what is being said. You’ll see that you can subscribe to the feed for those key words and be notified the next time someone mentions your company or products.
Take it a step further. Scroll down the Advance Search page and click the sad face and/or the “?” and see the negative reviews and questions being asked within Twitter.
You may not like it – but bottom line – social media, in some form or fashion, is here to stay and we need to jump in this afternoon and get connected.
For those of you in the NE Ohio region – I’ll be conducting a new series of hands-on workshops, once a week for four weeks on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Creating a Strategy starting next week.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on May 20, 2010 under Connecting Moments, Websites, social media |
On Tuesday I attended the Road to Success Business Symposium at Lakeland Community College. I was invited to speak on Earning Customer Loyalty - a great passion of mine, but the best part of my day was the keynote presentation by Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends. She offered 7 trends for small business owners (I wrote about them at Home Based business blog) but one of the trends seemed most valuable for my customer relationships audience.
Create a mobile version of your website.
To be honest I have this on my list of things to do, but it is down at the bottom. One of those, when I get around to it, tasks that I won’t ever complete. Until now. Anita shared these important facts. There are 280 million computer users in the WORLD. Those are the people that can view my AllWrite Ink website and this blog and others that I contribute to. That’s a nice hunk of people. And don’t we want to be visible and available to those 280 million? Of course.
Hold on to your hats. There are 277 million mobile device users in this country (US) alone. Almost as many computers in the world just in the US. People who might want to see my website on their handheld but because I haven’t developed a mobile version – they either can’t see it or can’t navigate easily. Wow.
Isn’t the goal to make it easy for our customers/prospects to do business with us? If more and more use mobile devices to research, connect and purchase then shouldn’t that mean that our priorities need to shift when it comes to developing a mobile version of our website? You Betcha!
So what is the first step? Well, when it comes to social media or technology my first stop is to the source: Mashable. And yep – I found a Guide offering tips and advice for creating a mobile website.
So what is the one great tip? Be visible and available to your customers and prospects where they live. Since more and more are living with their mobile device firmly grasped in their hands; we need to make sure are easy to find and naviagate.
So who’s with me? Shall we make it a goal to create a mobile version of our primary money-making website by the end of summer, if not sooner? Okay – it’s a deal. Let me know how you are doing, what resources you are using and how difficult it is.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on April 30, 2010 under Communication, Customer Moments, social media |
We’ve dabbled in social media. In some cases we have gotten quite good but are we focused? There are many uses for participating in social media, but for me – the best benefit is the ability to connect with our customers – or our potential customers. We have a make or break opportunity available to us when we use social media to actively listen to what is being said about us and our industry and to query those consumers for what is important to them.
I have put together a Customer-Focus Social Media Strategy workbook that I offer FREE to help get you started. This is a workshop that I am invited to give on a regular basis and because I know you can’t come to Ohio and hear me speak, I have created a couple audio files that will walk you through each of the pages in the workbook.
So first – grab your copy of the Customer-Focused Social Media Strategy workbook.
We start by filling out a quick questionnaire.
Here is the link to the audio instruction for completing the questionnaire.
Next – let’s make sure we have all of our account information in a convenient location. Cut down the stress and frustration levels by keeping track of your User Names and passwords.
Here is a lnk to the audio explanation for using the Social Media Account form.
Now we move into the meat of your strategy. Create a Social Media Site Map for each of your brand images. The instructions for this form are broken into two parts:
Social Media Site Map – Part One
Social Media Site Map – Part Two
Okay, you have your direction – you’ve identified the brand message and the target customer, now let’s think about the ways you can connect with those customers. In the audio explanation for Opportunities to L.I.N.C. you’ll learn how often you should participate.
Time to make a commitment. In this final audio, you’ll make your commitment to what social media vehicle you’ll use and how often. I share thoughts on how to fit social media into your schedule. Time to make a commitment.
Best of luck as you put together your social media strategy and begin to connect with customers!
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on April 20, 2010 under Books, social media |
Do you have May 1, 2010 on your calendar? You should. In just a couple weeks the third installment of Age of Conversation hits the bookstores, Amazon and Kindle. This time the focus is on Social Media.
One of the authors, Rick Liebling Global Director, Client Management, for Taylor and author of the Periodic Table of Social Media Elements, graciously invited each of the over 170 contributors to share a little about their chapter in the upcoming book.
In today’s post, he shining the light on me! Thanks Rick! Keep stopping back to EyeCube – the AoC page for updated interviews with many of the contributors.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on April 19, 2010 under Books, social media |
Just recieved confirmation that this blog, Make or Break Moments, is available as a monthly subscription for you Kindle lovers. Reading your favorite blogs on Kindle? Hopefully this is one of them. For $1.99 per month subscription you can now receive the updates on your handheld reader.
Visit, Kindle: Make or Break Moments to subscribe.
Want to set your blog up to be downloaded on Kindle? Follow the simple instructions that can be found at Mashable (of course!).
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on April 15, 2010 under Connecting Moments, social media |
If I were a betting woman I would say that you have joined LinkedIn. You probably have a fairly complete profile and have made several connections with co-workers, past employers and a few colleagues in your industry. You may have done a little research on companies you hope to work with and you may have even taken a secret peek at what jobs are open…but have you joined a group?
I love the LinkedIn groups. It is like getting in a room with a bunch of like-minded people. The group directory allows you to search for groups by location or industry. You can join groups to find prospects, groups filled with your competitors or groups where you’ll recognize a neighbor or two.
But once you join a group – then what?
LinkedIn Groups are a great place to share knowledge, get questions answered or spotlight an upcoming event. Right now I’m using two of my groups to gather stories for my Hate My Customer project. But it is also a great place to take the pulse of your industry and gauge what trends are on the horizon.
As the news hit that we were in for tough economic times I asked the question “will the economy have an impact on the dollars you spend for customer service training?” It was a sad set of answers but most said yes – training would be one of the areas hardest hit on their P&L. A few said they intended to increase their training and a handful planned to keep things the same. Have a question? Ask the members of your group.
Haven’t found a group you like? Start one! Paul Douglas of UBS decided to start a local group in Hudson, Ohio. He sent out a few feelers and soon many of us jumped on the wagon. He challenged us to grow. “Hit 100 members and we’ll meet up.” By the end of 2009 we’d exceeded the mark and in January held our first in person meeting where more than 170 people joined for an evening of networking and presentations. From that group he formed Hudson for Haiti and we raised quite a bit of money that night for the relief effort.
Groups are a great way to make connections, show off your expertise and learn from industry leaders. Make sure you are making the most of your group membership by participating in discussions.
Mashable offers several tips for effectivley management your group.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on April 7, 2010 under Connecting Moments, social media |
“I thought LinkedIn was just for job hunting,” I recently heard someone say. Someone else commented that “I don’t want to be active on LinkedIn because others in my company are involved and I don’t want them to think I’m looking for a job.”
LinkedIn is a wonderful job search tool, but there are so many more reasons for using LinkedIn to enhance and increase your existing position. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is the best Internet tool available for helping sales people, entrepreneurs and SMB owners grow their business.
Guy Kawasaki recently wrote an article on American Express Open Forum outlining the 10 ways to use LinkedIn for small business owners. Mashable, the single most valuable social media resource that I’ve found, has a whole series of articles on using LinkedIn for business.
LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for researching new prospects, connecting with customers, learning more about the industry, solving business problems and establishing yourself as a business expert. None of those involve jumping ship and looking for a new job.
Companies should embrace their employees interest in actively participating in LinkedIn. It shows the company is:
- Engaged in the most current means of connecting, building community and research
- Filled with talented, experienced employees
- Interested in saving time by using the tools available to find the right person in the sales process
- Active in industry groups – participating in discussions, asking and answering questions
So although LinkedIn may be a great way to look for a job – it is an even better way to take employees from good to great. Do you encourage your employees in their LinkedIn participation? As an employee – do you actively use LinkedIn to connect with leaders in the industry and to research your target prospects?
Why not?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on April 5, 2010 under Connecting Moments, Websites, social media |
Have you ever gone on vacation and returned so JAZZED that you just can’t wait to get started on business? Well color me Miles Davis – I couldn’t be any more jazzier. A week away from the office and I am bursting with new business ideas that I want to share with you. (BTW -the picture is of my Mom, daughter and nephew having a great spring vacation!)
They are all in their infancy so comments and suggestions from you will only help to make them better:
Put Customers First: A new online resource. I have just emailed 35 of the top sales associates and business executives that I frequently work with to ask their opinion about what this should include. Should it be a website with frequently updated data? Should it be a Ning – an online community with discussion groups and blog posts and video how-tos? You tell me. If you want to participate in the survey – please visit: Put Customers First – the Survey and answer 10 easy questions.
Policy for Social Media: OMG – I had an enormous epiphany this week. How many companies block their employee’s ability to participate in social networking during the day because they don’t have detailed rules and guidelines for how to participate and what to say? We need a policy and procedure manual that can be customized for each company’s specific needs and levels of comfort. Yes – you guessed it – I’m in the process of writing the manual right this minute. If customers buy from those they like and trust – what better way to get to know them then through social media. Social media allows your employees the opportunity to show off their expert knowledge – which only reinforces your brand. But it does require some guidelines. Visit Policy for Social Media and keep an eye out for the upcoming manual!
We know that customers sign our paycheck. But what if you HATE YOUR CUSTOMER? That question came up at a dinner I attended a few days ago. I was talking about my Make or Break Moments and the whole idea behind Putting Customers First and someone said:
That’s all well and good but what if you hate your customer? Then what are you supposed to do?
LOVE IT. Thus begins my new blog I Hate My Customer – Now What? This in an interactive forum that demands YOU PARTICIPATE. Yep – I’m giving you a place to write all about those dreaded customers that just rub you the wrong way. “The customer’s always right – yeah, sure.” Let’s face it – we all have or have had a customer that we couldn’t stand. How did you handle it? Visit this new blog and spill your guts!
All in all it was a great vacation. And to top it off Kevin Stirtz put Make or Break Moments on his 10 top Customer Service blogs! Woo hoo. Life doesn’t get any better.
So how was your spring vacation?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on March 26, 2010 under Connecting Moments, social media |
I was at the monthly Akron Blogger meeting yesterday and as always the conversation expands to more than just blogging. We all shared our thoughts about social media and what we were currently working on to increase our visibility and credibility on the Internet.
I view social media as the ultimate customer connnector but others in the group referred to it as a way to drive traffic and grow sales and increase profitability.
“And connect to customers,” I would add at the end of someone’s comment. It got to be a joke, but is it really that funny? Am I out in left field?
If the Internet and Web 2.0 represent the Global Conversation then doesn’t the word “conversation” denote a personal connection?
How do you view social media? Since building customer relationships and earning customer loyalty are my battle cry, I view the time I spend on the web as a chance to:
- Learn from the leaders in the industry – read their posts, tweets and answers on LinkedIn
- Connect with those leaders – responding to their comments, jumping into the conversation
- Ask for advice from those leaders and potential customers – what have you seen work? What would you like to see happen? How can we make it better?
- Listen carefully for someone talking about my business and ensuring that if they aren’t happy that I jump on the opportunity to make it right
- Share my thoughts and experiences
Does that drive sales? No. Not really. Is it a waste of my time. NEVER.
How do you use social media? Do you have a strategy or is it hit or miss? Do you have a goal? How do you know if you are being successful?
