Marketing Your Business

CKME Marketing Tips 101: Marketing Plan Tips

2009-07-06T00:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes business professionals get so wrapped up with new ways to market that they forget about the basics. While the internet and social media have opened up some great doors, it still is important to have a balanced marketing plan.

Small businesses typically have a limited marketing budget. That doesn't mean you can't run with the big dogs. It just means you have to think a little more creatively. Here are some tips that go back to the basics:

Call your vendors or associates and ask them to participate with you in co-op advertising.
Send your existing customers referrals and buying incentives.
Have you thought about introducing yourself to the media? This free publicity has the potential to boost your business and position you as an expert in your field.
Invite people into your place of business by piggybacking onto an event. Is there a concert coming to town? Are you willing to sell those tickets? It could mean free radio publicity. If that is not your cup of tea, how about a walkathon that is taking place in your area? Why not be a public outreach and distribute their material?
Attend chamber or other networking events and bring business cards. Make sure to send a follow up email or card to those you meet within 24 hours. (Remember to add them to your LinkedIn network.)

Whatever you choose to do, do not forget to track & measure your marketing efforts. This enables you to notice what's working and what's not.

When was the last time you evaluated your marketing plan?

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

Chris Kokalis
President/CEO
CKME Group Inc.
414-755-2410 Milwaukee Office
310-492-5058 LosAngelesOffice
www.ckmemarketinggroup.com
www.socalliveonline.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ckmegroup
www.midwestbusinessexpo.com

Edited by Brenda Bernstein, www.TheEssayExpert.com

CKME Marketing Tips 101: LinkedIn Groups Are A Powerful Tool

2009-06-29T00:30:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for ways to share press releases or news articles, or to seek out new clients? Linkedin groups are a great way for you to connect with others in your geographical area or with individuals who share a similar interest. Groups allow you do my favorite three things: learn, market, and network. You also have the opportunity to create your own group, and, as of last week, to create subgroups within your group. This article focuses on five major ways you can use your LinkedIn groups to enhance your LinkedIn and professional experience:

1. Add value. I talk about adding value all the time because I feel it’s the most important way to participate in groups. When you share articles, information, and your expertise, you come across as an expert in your field or industry. Start utilizing the news feature and share one or two articles a day and you will start noticing you will get more connection requests and individuals looking forward to your articles. The news tab is also a great place to post press releases.

2. Participate in & start discussions. In group discussions, you can seek expertise, ask questions, and discuss topics that are important to you and your group members. If you prefer not to start discussions, then make comments on other people's discussions.

3. Use the Jobs tab. The Jobs tab is one of the most under-used features of LinkedIn groups. If you have an opening or are looking for work, start using the Jobs tab in the groups you belong to. Don't be afraid to post a job that you might have seen somewhere other than on LinkedIn if you think it could be beneficial to someone looking for work.

4. Send messages. One nice thing about belonging to groups is that it gives you the opportunity to send messages to fellow group members whether you are connected to them or not, without having to send a connection or introduction request.

5. Join groups. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. Why not join as many as you can and start getting involved? Get your name out there, start participating, promote your events, ask questions, and get advice. If you have a particular interest or are in an industry and you don't notice a group for that industry or interest then start your own group and promote it to your network.

Groups can open doors for you. I have met many people through the groups I belong to and have even found new clients because I have shared value and participated in group discussions. I even have my own group called the Business Success Network which I have designed to give people another option to learn, market, and network.

What groups do you belong to? Have you started your own groups? Where have you gained value?

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

CKME Marketing Tips 101: Take advantage of the applications LinkedIn offers

2009-06-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

LinkedIn is constantly adding value and features. One of the features on LinkedIn that seems under-used is the applications feature. I use several of the FREE apps myself and have found them to be very beneficial. Apps allow you to spice up your LinkedIn profile, and to share information such as Word documents, blogs, recommend books, and even upcoming travel plans. Thanks to the application blog link I am able to have my weekly blog linked directly to my LinkedIn profile. There are currently 10 applications that you can take advantage of on LinkedIn. Below you will find information about the various apps:

Amazon Reading List

Amazon’s Reading List application allows you to discover what the people in your network and industry are reading. Start by adding the books that are relevant to you– those that you’re planning to, are currently, or have already read. Likewise, you can discover the latest books that your network and peers in your industry are reading.

Huddle Workspaces

Huddle Workspaces is a free service that allows you to collaborate with any of your connections privately and securely. Instantly create a project and invite specific connections to join in and collaborate. Brainstorm, exchange ideas with discussion forums, and monitor your progress with RSS feeds. Forget the days of sending around email attachments, as Huddle allows you to directly co-edit your documents and spreadsheets and keep track of the changes made as a team.

Box.net

The Box.net application helps you post your important data on LinkedIn. Collaborate, share, and exchange your important documents with your specific connections on LinkedIn. In addition to providing free storage and collaboration features, you can also feature key documents directly on your profile. This tool is perfect to showcase your latest work, past deals, or portfolio.

Slideshare

Share your presentations with your colleagues and connections LinkedIn. With the SlideShare application, you can view the presentations of all your connections, find experts on certain industries and topics, and share important presentations with your own connections and the rest of the LinkedIn network. You can reinforce your professional reputation by embedding SlideShare presentations in your LinkedIn profile to feature your portfolio and work.

Blog Link

Connect your blog to your LinkedIn profile and get the most of your relationships. Blog Link helps you and your professional network stay connected. Blog Link automatically pulls in the latest blog posts from around your network so you can stay up to date on the latest posts from your trusted connections.

Company Buzz

What are your customers saying about your company? Every second thousands of people are sending out messages about companies and industries on blogs, twitter, and across the internet. Company Buzz taps into this information for you to find the relevant trends and comments about your company.

My Travel by TripIt

See where your trusted professional network is traveling and when you will be in the same city as your colleagues. The My Travel application allows you to meet up easily at the next industry event, or to re-connect with old friends.

Google Presentations

Google presentations are a professional way to introduce yourself and your work. Add a presentation to your LinkedIn profile to showcase a recent talk or presentation, display a visual portfolio of your professional accomplishments, or introduce yourself to recruiters and professional contacts viewing your profile. It’s easy to get started. Upload a Powerpoint file or use Google’s free online application to create your presentation, then post it to your profile for others to view.

WordPress

Looking to connect your WordPress blog with LinkedIn? The WordPress Application allows you to connect and stay connected with your LinkedIn network by synching your WordPress blog posts with your LinkedIn profile. Once added you can select to filter your posts with a special LinkedIn tag in addition to displaying your personal WordPress icon.

Polls

The Polls application is a market research tool that allows you to collect actionable data from your connections and from the professional audience on LinkedIn.

To download any of these applications click on the applications link on the left menu bar or go to http://www.linkedin.com/apps. What's your favorite LinkedIn app?

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

CKME Marketing Tips 101: Expand your LinkedIn network

2009-06-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

The way business is being conducted is changing. No longer can you do everything on your own.

Having a large network on LinkedIn can be beneficial whether you use the site to network, look for a job, or market your business. Having a large network makes you a resource for others with whom you can share information. You will also be able to utilize the expertise of the people you are connected with, and to create possibilities for business transactions.

I am by no means saying you need to have 15,000 direct connections to make LinkedIn worthwhile; however, there is nothing wrong with having a large network. The way I look at it, every connection could be beneficial in one way or another. When anyone sends me a connection request, I look over their profile. Nine times out of ten, I connect.

Below are five tips to help you expand your LinkedIn network:

1. Give value. I have talked about this before in past blog posts. If people view you as someone who provides valuable information or if you are always paying it forward, you will receive countless invites to connect. Share news articles, information, expertise, and give advice, and you will draw others to you.

2. Utilize the features LinkedIn offers to import contacts from Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook, and other web mail contacts. These are the people you already know. The process is very simple and LinkedIn walks you through it.

3. Invite people you meet to join your network. One of the first things I do after I attend a networking event is invite the individuals I got business cards from to connect with me on LinkedIn. Often these individuals already have profiles; if they don't, you may have just introduced them to the power of LinkedIn!

4. Ask for introductions. If you come across someone on LinkedIn who is connected to someone you know, and you want to connect with them, utilize the introduction feature. LinkedIn makes this a very simple process.

5. Join groups. I have found that groups are one of the easiest ways to expand my network. Groups offer a platform where you are able to send a message to fellow group members whether you are individually connected to them or not.

Having a strong network on LinkedIn can give you the satisfaction of helping others to achieve their goals, while achieving your own goals at the same time. Would that be worth connecting with some people you haven’t gotten to know yet?

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

Chris Kokalis
President/CEO
CKME Group Inc.
414-755-2410 Milwaukee Office
310-492-5058 LosAngelesOffice
www.ckmemarketinggroup.com
www.socalliveonline.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ckmegroup
www.midwestbusinessexpo.com

Edited by Brenda Bernstein, www.TheEssayExpert.com

CKME Marketing Tips 101: A new social media site worth checking out

2009-06-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

Since posting my blog on jumping on the online video bandwagon I have been searching for social media platforms where people can post videos. I became aware of a new site that I thought I would share with everyone. RezBuzz is a platform where business networking meets social branding.

RezBuzz launched last week and offers opportunities for all. Whether you are looking for a job, or just wanting to network as a means of growing your business, whether you are an executive looking to build an online video presence, or a company who benefits from online video branding, RezBuzz is a way of doing business networking in the digital world. And the video component makes it entertaining, effective, and interactive.

The site is simple to use. The first thing you do is fill out a free profile, which will ask you to check off whether you are looking for work, or just on the site networking. Once you fill out the profile, you can peruse the features of the site and arrange to create a video.

For those looking for a job, RezBuzz allows you to create a video resume. The site offers three ways to create one: a webcam feature to create on on the spot, an upload feature to upload your own production, or an option to get a professional video resume (PVR) produced by a RezBuzz production crew in your area or at your college campus. Job seekers can find jobs by area or by industry.

Individuals and companies can create a dynamic customizable profile for free which provides another opportunity to brand and market. Not to mention the ability to post videos. Companies and recruiters use the site to identify top talent, save time and money, and and get to know candidates.

The site is still in beta mode as it recently launched and RezBuzz is continuing to add new features. I was very impressed at how simple the site is to use and how simple it is to set up a profile. I expect to hear more great things about RezBuzz as the site continues to grow. Go to www.rezbuzz.com and create a free profile. Let me know what you think.

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

CKME Marketing Tips 101: What's your LinkedIn success story?

2009-05-31T22:10:00.000-07:00

Many people have stories about how LinkedIn has helped them or their business. Here's mine:

A good friend of mine, Katie Felten, introduced me to LinkedIn in July 2007. I dutifully set up a profile and did not do much more. It wasn't until early 2008 when I realized how many people I knew were also on the site. That’s when I began putting more time and energy into building my network.

From then on I have been hooked.

I have been able to connect with and help hundreds of people because of the tools LinkedIn provides. For example, in April I opened a CKME Group office in Los Angeles. I built a networking base of over 500 business connections in the LA area before I even arrived in the city. That foundation allowed me to jump start things in LA. If it weren't for LinkedIn, I may not have been able to start a successful branch of CKME in a city over 2000 miles away. Another example is my connection with the new editor of my blog, Brenda Bernstein (The Essay Expert). We are helping each other: she edits for me and I give her valuable marketing advice.

LinkedIn can do amazing things for you and your business -- but always remember it's about helping other people first. If you help enough people, good things will start happening. In my situation and for many others, that's the power of LinkedIn.

What's your LinkedIn success story?

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

CKME Marketing Tips 101: Jump on the online video bandwagon

2009-05-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

I had someone ask me last week at one of my LinkedIn Live events, "what's the next big thing that's going to hit social media?". My answer to them was, "Online video marketing." More and more, businesses are utilizing online videos to market themselves. Are you?

Last week Nielsen released some interesting numbers that show that Web and mobile video watching are experiencing skyrocketing growth. Nielsen’s Three Screen Report, which measures the viewing habits of Americans in terms of TV, the Internet, and mobile phones, shows that while TV viewing might still be dominant, online video usage is up by 53 percent since this time last year, and the number of people watching video via cell phones is also up by an impressive 52 percent.

Online videos offer an inexpensive way for you to market yourself or your business. There are several ways to use videos online, whether you want to market a product or service, promote an event, or run a commercial. You can place your videos in various places on the web such as your website, youtube, and even your facebook page. While LinkedIn & Twitter CURRENTLY don't allow us to post videos on our profiles, you still can promote links to your online videos.

Creating an online video is simpler then you might think. Not all videos require an expensive production team. Below are five tips to keep in mind when it comes to online videos to market yourself or your business:

1. Use a quality camera. While your online video does not need to be made with a $100,000 camera, always remember that your video represents you and often your business. Find a good quality digital camera -- not a cell phone camera or webcam! If you don't have a good camera, borrow one from a friend or family member or rent one (which often costs less than $50/day).

2. Remember: Presentation is everything. Don't use a sheet as the backdrop of your video. Find a place to shoot the video that represents you or your business. Great potential locations for your video are your office, a local park, or even a city attraction. Just remember you might need to get permission to shoot your video in a public place, especially if you’re using the video for promotional purposes.

3. Keep your video short and to the point. Make sure you edit your film so that your video isn't more than 2-4 minutes long. If you are marketing your business online through video, people won't pay attention to it if it is too long.

4. Be creative. You want your video to be catchy. Involve your staff or friends and family in your video projects. Use props, add humor, and be unique. Search youtube for videos related to your business and see what others are doing.

5. Expose your video. Your video does nothing for you unless it is viewed by people. If you don't want to look for each and every video sharing website to start promoting your video, you can go to Tube Mogul. Tube Mogul will help get your video out to these websites and can help you advertise and promote your business. If you want to go the long way around, you can post the videos yourself on all of the popular video-viewing sites. Most sites will let you post for free. Also remember to share your video with clients & prospects.

Have fun creating your videos. You never know… You could become the next youtube sensation!

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

Chris Kokalis
President/CEO
CKME Group Inc.
414-755-2410 Milwaukee Office
310-492-5058 LosAngelesOffice
www.ckmemarketinggroup.com
www.socalliveonline.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ckmegroup
www.twitter.com/chriskokalis

CKME Marketing Tips 101: Presenting Yourself as a Professional

2009-05-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

In business, no matter what our strengths and weaknesses are, and no matter which side of bed we woke up on that day, it is important to come across as professional. We have all heard, "Dress to impress," "Make sure you’re well-groomed," and "Never interrupt people while they are talking." These are great pieces of advice. There are, however, other areas of your presentation that you need to focus on when it comes to professionalism. This week's blog is about one of them in particular: Writing.

Whether it's your resume, your LinkedIn profile, or your website content, professionally written content builds your reputation. It shows that you’re educated and that you know what you’re talking about. Unprofessionally written content does the opposite. Let’s take your LinkedIn profile for example. If your Summary or Work Experience descriptions in your LinkedIn profile contain spelling or grammatical errors, a potential employer might simply say, “Next!”

One more thing about LinkedIn (my favorite topic of conversation): You do not want a recommendation showing up on your LinkedIn profile that is not professionally written. And if you are a recommender, take care to write that recommendation well! The care you take reflects not only on the person you’re writing it for, but also on you. Errors in recommendations do not look good for either the writer or the recipient. Yet would you believe that more than half of all recommendations on LinkedIn contain errors? That’s what Brenda Bernstein, who carefully reviewed 20 LinkedIn profiles this month, reported to me based on her reviews.

I myself am not the most talented writer and have learned the hard way. Someone who read one of my pieces of writing sent me a straightforward and tactful email making me aware of errors I had made. How embarrassing! From that day on I have made it a point to read over everything that I write several times. I also have built a relationship with a writing expert, Brenda Bernstein (www.TheEssayExpert.com or http://www.linkedin.com/in/brendabernstein), who now reviews many of my writings, including my press releases and this blog. It is always a good thing to have a second set of eyes double-check for errors. As they say, “Every writer needs an editor!”

Brenda contributed her expertise in compiling the following list of tips (by no means exhaustive) for writing professionally:

1. Don’t write your professional writing like you’re in a chat room. I know, it takes so much longer to write "tonight" instead of "2nite," but the latter is just too informal. Use real English! ‘Nuf said (hey, rules are made to be broken!)

2. Use proper grammar and sentence structure. Use discretion when starting sentences with “but” or “and.” Avoid run-on sentences and sentence fragments. One tip is to read your writing aloud to make sure it makes sense!

3. Don’t write as you would speak, unless you are writing a very chatty blog. So, like, you know, I totally do not even do that OMG! When you're in the world of formal writing, leave out words and phrases that are not essential to getting your point across. Avoid using well, like, for sure, you know, and any other phrase that takes you back to your high school years.

4. Proofread! Use a spelling and grammar checker at the very least, and come back to your work a day after you write it to give yourself a fresh perspective. With our social media profiles, it is especially easy to get ourselves in trouble with our written words because there is no spell checker. Do not use that as an excuse! Copy and paste your profile into Word or another program with a spell-checker before you publish it to the web.

5. To facilitate tip number 4, do not wait until the last minute to write your copy! Hastily written material is more likely to contain errors and to reflect less favorably on the writer. Give yourself the time and space to write an impressive and professional product.

One of the services Brenda Bernstein offers through www.TheEssayExpert.com is reviewing LinkedIn profiles to check not just for writing errors, but for the organization, strength and style of the profile. I recommend this service for anyone looking to improve their social media image. In addition, she is currently offering free blog post reviews where she will check for writing errors and suggest organizational improvements. If you would like her to review your social media profile or take a look at your blog post, feel free to email her at brendab@theessayexpert.com. Mention this blog to claim the free blog review offer, which is good for the first 10 requesters!

When it comes to professional writing, you can never be too careful about how your writing looks and sounds. You never know who might be reading..............

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com. Also do not forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

As a follow-up to this blog and to help more people, starting Monday May 18th I will be conducting a FREE weekly half-hour conference call to answer marketing questions. This call will take place Monday nights at 8pm eastern time (7pm Central/5pm Pacific). The number for the conference call is (712) 432-0111 and the access code is 358020#. Again, this is a FREE conference call for anyone with marketing questions! On tonight’s call (May 18), Brenda Bernstein will also be available to answer your writing questions.

Chris Kokalis
President/CEO
CKME Group Inc.
414-755-2410 Milwaukee Office
310-492-5058 Los Angeles Office
www.ckmemarketinggroup.com
www.socalliveonline.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ckmegroup
www.twitter.com/chriskokalis

CKME Marketing Tips 101: Getting the most out of LinkedIn

2009-05-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I read for a second time the book "LinkedWorking" written by Frank Agin & Lewis Howes. The book talks about ways to be successful on LinkedIn. I don't know Frank however I have spoken with Lewis a couple of times and he is a great guy, very passionate about LinkedIn. I highly recommend reading the book. In the book you will find LinkedIn tips along with several LinkedIn success stories from various business professionals, including one from my best friend & fellow LinkedIn expert Katie Felten. The book is available on Amazon.com or the book's website www.linkedworking.com.

LinkedIn is about building relationships. Agin & Howes talk about making the most of your LinkedIn relationships, something many of us could improve. LinkedIn is more then just connecting with people.

What are you doing to get the most out of your LinkedIn connections? Remember networking is about finding ways that you can help your contacts and hoping in return that they will help you. Often times I see people on LinkedIn with the me me me mentality. These individuals typically do not have success on LinkedIn or in business.

In order for LinkedIn to work, you need to make sure you are making the most out of your LinkedIn relationships. Below are five tips to help you make the most of your LinkedIn relationships. If you follow these tips you will not only feel better about yourself, you will get more out of using LinkedIn.

1. Make recommendations: We all know the amazing feeling we get from receiving a recommendation. Go through your LinkedIn contacts and think about your clients, vendors, or anyone else with whom you do business and send them recommendations. You will be surprised at how much this will mean to them, and often they will send you a recommendation back.

2. Offer help to your contacts: Go thru your contacts each day and reconnect with five connections. Ask how business is going and find out about their new projects. Offer your help and expertise.

3. Make introductions: If you know someone that could help or possibly do business with another of your contacts, introduce them. A simple introduction goes a long way and you never know what might come out of that introduction.

4. Start Groups: If you have an interest in something and can't find a group on LinkedIn, start your own group. It's also important to share your group with others, especially your contacts. Groups are a great way to become a leader, others will reach out to you for your expertise.

5. Take it one step further: Pick up the phone & call your contacts, schedule lunches, send greeting cards, and add your contacts to your other social networks. Make the most of your Linkedln relationships.

LinkedIn is like everything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it.

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

Chris Kokalis
President/CEO
CKME Group Inc.
414-755-2410 Milwaukee Office
310-492-5058 Los Angeles Office
www.ckmemarketinggroup.com
www.socalliveonline.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ckmegroup
www.twitter.com/chriskokalis

CKME Marketing Tips 101: Did you know you can update your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter profiles all at the same time?

2009-05-03T23:17:00.000-07:00

I hear clients say to me all the time I just don't have the time to update my status on all the social media sites I belong to. Well now they don't have an excuse thanks to ping.fm. Ping.fm is a free website that allows you to update your status on several sites at once. Its easy to set up.

Ping.fm currently supports more than 30 services, including microblogging platforms such as Twitter, Plurk and Jaiku, social networking web sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Multiply, instant messaging applications such as GTalk Status and Aim Status, and most of the popular blogging platforms. Once you’ve set up a Ping.fm account and added your credentials for the services you use for social networking and social media purposes, you’re ready to return to your Ping.fm dashboard to send messages out to all of your profiles at once.

Adding you social networks can be a challenge for those who don't have there usernames/passwords remembered. I suggest writing them all down prior to setting up your ping.fm account. Ping.fm does a pretty good job of making the process as seamless as possible.

On the main page of the site which they call the dashboard page, you can send out messages to your selected services. You can choose to have ping send your message to all of your services, or you can also filter profiles by “micro-blogs” or “statuses.” A character counter also lets you know the size of your ping, which is vitally important for squeezing your message in under Twitter’s 140-characters-per-tweet limit, for example. And a “Record Video” link allows you to stream a video recording directly through Ping.fm.

My favorite feature of ping.fm is the ability to send out messages through “from” multiple locations. A huge array of “Services/Tools” on the dashboard allow you to set up your Ping.fm account so that you can ping via email, SMS, instant message, Facebook app, iPhone app, desktop app, and so on. This feature allows enormous flexibility in allowing you to send a single message from anywhere and distribute your message to a large number of profile destinations quickly and easily.

Ping.fm is a simple, easy-to-use, and effective tool that help you get more accomplished with your social media profiles

www.ping.fm

Have a marketing question? Send me an email to ckokalis@ckmemarketinggroup.com, also don't forget to check out www.soccalliveonline.com to learn more about our LinkedIn Live networking events.

Chris Kokalis
President/CEO
CKME Group Inc.
414-755-2410 Milwaukee Office
310-492-5058 Los Angeles Office
www.ckmemarketinggroup.com
www.socalliveonline.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ckmegroup
www.twitter.com/chriskokalis

Marketing Tips 101: Did you know you can create a company profile on LinkedIn?

2009-04-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

There are many cool things about LinkedIn, one feature that i believe is under used is the Company Profile feature. It's just like creating a personal profile, but for your company. Many large corporations like Fox, Disney, and NBC have company profiles on LinkedIn, do you?

Setting up a company profile is a free feature of LinkedIn. Below are the 3 steps in creating a company profile:

Step 1 After clicking on the companies tab in LinkedIn, click on add company. Here you will enter your company name and your email address. This ensures that you are a current employee of this company and that your company doesn't already have a profile.

Step 2 Provide some company information. Things like website address, number of employees, a short description, and the company's type and industry. You may also want to include the headquarters. Include as much information as possible as this is a way to promote your business.

Step 3 You can a add a logo if you would like and also you have the option to name related companies.

That's all there is to it, pretty simple.

Creating company profiles on LinkedIn may help businesses attract new employees, which has the potential to be useful. Also interesting is the way in which company profiles have become public, meaning they can show up in search results and give businesses an extra edge with Google.

You can take the pages owned by Amazon and Intel as examples. According to LinkedIn's Joe Betz , "We've got over 160,000 company profiles, which anyone can now link to, . . . run through a translator (Yahoo! in German), etc.. These company public profiles are densely linked both with each other and with our member public profiles, making for a pretty substantial web of publicly available data."

Holding a seminar

2008-07-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Holding a seminar comes down to three honest questions.

You have a great idea that you’re passionate about. It’s time to share it with the world… or a room full of people.

Sound familiar?

In many cases, the emotion of a new idea (starting a business, taking a vacation or, in this case, holding a seminar) needs to be countered by honest answers to simple questions. Is it really a good idea to fill a room full of people for a seminar? Use the following questions to determine that answer.

Is the content relevant?
The challenge for any organization is objectively reviewing content. This can be very difficult, as it requires the removal of ego or emotion. The question “Is this worthy of a seminar?” should really be “Regardless of what I think, is this worthy of a seminar?

Does your topic touch the audience’s “pain point?” You can identify relevant topics by simply listening to clients, identifying recurring issues in target markets, even listening to the morning news. (“Increasing Sales in a Slow Economy” was one idea that came to mind while listening to the news while driving to work.)

Will the seminar provide fresh perspective or new information? To ensure your future seminar content is different, survey attendees to learn which portion they found interesting, or the topics they want to learn more about.

Do we have a good speaker?
Audiences want to be entertained. Good speakers know this is their responsibility. So how do you find a good one?

Is the speaker easy to understand?If your best speaker is soft-spoken or shy, allow her to “team teach” with someone who is outgoing and confident. The right teammate makes an average speaker better. Team teaching reduces the burden of preparation; provides a more relaxed learning environment; and keeps the audience engaged through the alternating personalities, styles and experiences.

Is the speaker confident on the subject?
It’s not rocket science. The best way to ensure a confident speaker is study and practice. Memorize the content’s fundamentals (the “who, what, where, when, why and how”) and practice answers to common questions. Another option is to divide and conquer: Survive the presentation by delaying questions to the end. The speaker will feel more confident, and it’s likely that the presentation answered many questions.

Is the speaker excited about the subject?
An audience wants to feel involved. The speaker’s energy makes this happen. You can gauge energy through the speaker’s movement and vocal emphasis. But your most important barometer is the audience. Can you “see” the audience paying attention, asking questions… even smiling?

Are we committed to marketing the seminar?
Most organizations won’t have the advantage of a famous speaker to help promote a seminar. They’ll have to invest the time and money necessary to create awareness (advertising) and buzz (networking).

Marketing a seminar requires knowledge of the target market, the message that resonates within it, consistency and attention-getting splash. But seminars are not a new item on the marketing landscape. Audiences will look for answers to the following questions:
Credibility. Is your speaker is worth their time and money?
Location. Is your seminar’s location as enticing as its content?
Deliverables. What will they receive for their investment, and will these items help them after the seminar?
Networking. Can they meet with other business owners, civic leaders, etc?
One-on-One time. Can the audience meet the speaker after the seminar?

Answers to these questions will prevent a time- and money-sucking mistake or result more market awareness, credibility and business.

Blah, blah, blah. Just keep it simple.

2008-06-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Blah, blah, blah. Just keep it simple.

Many times we run into businesses that feel the need to show all things (and say all things) to establish their identity within the marketplace. Fight this urge. Look what happens when messages are designed to be short, repeatable and resonate with an audience.

When Bill Clinton campaigned for his first term as President in 1992 (was it that long ago?), the basis of his campaign theme was simple: “It’s the economy, stupid.” Clinton, a little-known Governor of Arkansas, stayed focused on this message and repeated it often.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Sixteen years later, the nation is in the clutches of the Obama v. McCain presidential campaign. Obama’s message? “Change.” And McCain’s message is…

…Anyone? ... Anyone? …Bueler?

To avoid the misconception that this is an endorsement – God knows how my opinion influences the masses – I’ll admit that I tend to vote conservatively. (Now that half of you have immediately defined me as either pure evil or stupid, thanks for considering CKME.) But, from a pure marketing perspective, I see Obama as the front-runner due to his clear, simple message: “Change.”

So…

…How clear is your message to your public? How easy is it for your clients, prospects, vendors and staff recognize you from the competition? Are you – and what makes you different – easy to remember and repeat?

Whether it’s a corporate tagline or a campaign theme, it’s vital to take the time to make sure your message is simple, easy to remember and different from the competition. It should begin to answer the question, “Why should I pick you?”

Chances are, if you can answer this clearly and quickly, your target market will vote you to the top.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Not the most glamorous, simply the most important.

2008-06-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Want to know what drives a multi-million dollar company insane?

Consider the following scene:

You have a free evening and want to go to a movie. There are two you would really like to see. Both run at the same time.

The ads on TV piqued your interest. Yahoo! and YouTube had great previews with all kinds of information. The studio PR machines, working in full force, had likeable heroes from both movies on Leno and Letterman last night. Judging by the fact that one is co-marketing with McDonalds and the other with Burger King, it’s clear these movies are big budget flicks designed to entertain.

While this life and death decision rages in your head, you take the garbage to the curb and run into your neighbor. He saw both movies.

Decision made.

During one a two minute conversation (over a smelly bag of bad dip, diapers and old carpeting), one studio saw millions of marketing dollars fizzle.*

That’s the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

With all of the money spent on branding, advertising, search engine optimization, Internet strategies – pick your tactic, it’s amazing how little effort is directed toward one-to-one marketing. As more marketing tactics battle for our attention through TV, radio, billboards, The Internet, magazines, bathroom signs and gas pump messages, consumers have become more adept at tuning them out. (Be honest – do you remember even one percent of the banner ads you saw when surfing the web today?)

However, it’s still very difficult to tune out a one-on-one conversation (unless you’re married). It’s more important than ever for business to develop marketing messages that are short, punchy and to the point so that they are successfully sent and repeated from person… to person... to person… to person…

Don’t misinterpret this message. It isn’t, “All other forms of marketing are bad and ineffective.” In the scene above, both studios accomplished their initial goals of inform, intrigue and excite. All marketing tactics have their place. Advertising, The Internet, PR and cross-promotions are all viable options for the right product (at the right time and for the right audience).

The real message? Never underestimate or ignore the power of word-of-mouth as a viable marketing tactic. Unlike other options, it can make you just as easily as it can break you. Your marketing strategies should ALWAYS include word-of-mouth and the messages you want relayed through this unending channel. In essence, it is the foundation of marketing. Word-of-mouth was there before symbols were written on cave walls, and it will be there long after the Internet is viewed by kids as a quaint antique.

* Of course, the other studio assumed the credit for your decision. But even the winner knows there are millions of conversations like yours that could be lost.