The whole idea was to gather a group of dynamic women from all sorts of backgrounds and professions to chat and discuss….life.

Turns out, our group is awesome!  Some of us are single, some are married. Some of us have kids and some don’t. Some of us are just embarking on the journey of self employment while others have successful and established businesses. The one thing we share, passion.

Little introduction was needed last night as most of us knew one another through online communication so conversation flowed easily. We just kind of picked up where we left off online and chatted away. Soon, we were gabbing so excitedly it was as though we’d been getting together like this for years!

We talked about life, balancing family and career, growing our businesses and everything in between. We asked for advice and gave some advice and just listened to each other’s stories. There was an enormous feeling of support and inspiration floating in the in the air. Or maybe that was the wine

Naturally, most of us went home and tweeted about our evening and posted pictures to our facebook pages. The response we’ve received from others has been unbelievable! Many want to know how to join and others simply want to tell us how wonderful they thought the idea was.

You know, if I had a dime for each time someone asked me “but how do I make money from social media” I’d have that waterfront office I’ve been dreaming about. It’s so much more than making a sale! It’s about engaging with people in a meaningful way to, over time, generate business, create leads and best of all, build friendships.

I am feeling so fortunate and absolutely inspired by the group of women I shared dinner with last night. Our group will grow to 11 and I look forward to my next post where I get to introduce everyone!

   
@AprilEnnis, @cwartman, @insightpei, @peihouses, @Rachel_Photo , @nutritionistPEI

Being a new business owner has me finding myself in a vast array of situations these days. Networking at events with many different personalities, working with clients from all sorts of backgrounds and communicating with colleagues I don’t always see eye to eye with.  I have clients who invite me to their homes and ask me to stay for dinner and others who have their assistants schedule our meetings and wear suits to work.

 To my friends and family this is not exactly a news flash but now and then – I get a little anxious. In unfamiliar situations I tend to get really nervous with butterflies, sweaty palms, racing heart…the whole nine yards. Now I know I’m not the only person in the world to get like this but it seems not many people like to talk about it.

For the longest time I couldn’t understand it but I think I’ve discovered the issue. I was scared people wouldn’t like me. What if I didn’t wear the right thing, use the right language or come across the right way?  What if they didn’t like me and in turn, didn’t hire me?

With the support of my family and friends and the guidance of the many wonderful and successful business owners I am surrounded by I have come to this realization. If you’re always you, you can never go wrong. It sounds easy enough but I consciously practice this each and every day. When I’m in a situation and don’t know the answer, I’m honest. When everyone in a group agrees with something and I don’t, I tell them (when they ask). I don’t try to be something I’m not, even if it means going against the grain or risking *gasp someone not liking me.

I feel as though a weight has been lifted in a sense. Of course I still get nervous but it feels different now. I don’t obsess like I used to “why did I say that!” or “I should have said this!”. As long as I’m being me and being honest, I have less to be nervous about and not as much convincing to do.

I think it’s important that we don’t let people typecast us. Just because I’m a marketer I should use certain terms or just because you’re an accountant you should act a certain way. Not everyone is going to hire you or even like you and that’s ok. If you’re authentic and genuine you will attract the kind of client you truly want to work with and at the end of the day you will both be happier because of it.

It all came about one day when I sent my resume to our local college with an email that basically said I know about marketing, if you ever need a sub I may be able to help. To my surprise, I received an email immediately after asking if I could meet.

I met with a man whose job was to coordinate various short courses that the college was often asked to facilitate for a variety of organizations. As I sat in his office that day and listened to him explain to me that he needed someone to teach a basic computer class I immediately felt nervous and a bit outside of my comfort zone.  After learning more about what the course would entail, we agreed to proceed.  

I showed up at the College just a few short days later to meet my class. I had spend the entire weekend before, day and night, writing lesson plans and playing the “what if” game in my head obsessively. I wanted to be sure I was prepared for anything that was thrown my way.

They first lady was already there waiting for the class to arrive, 45 minutes early.  She looked about 50 and a little uneasy sitting in the student lounge waiting for the rest. I introduced myself and immediately felt a connection with her. Very warm and down to earth. As we chatted 2 more ladies entered the lounge, both about the same age as the lady I was speaking with. Here I stood with 3 ladies about my mother’s age as young college students sped through the halls around us making their way to their classes, laughing and giggling. Like they belonged there. 

Next we were joined by a gentleman who very sweetly shook my hand and asked if he could take the bags I was holding off my hands. A true gentleman from the beginning.

I led everyone down the hall to our classroom and eventually we had a class of 9 mature students. I could tell they were anxious about the idea of learning something new and feeling a little bit like they were the last people on the face of the earth to now know how to work a computer.

I don’t know how many times I explained the difference between right click and left click…countless. I don’t know how many times I explained “the Google”…countless. I don’t know why every time they send an email to each other they spend the next minute and a half saying “Sally, did ya get it?” “not yet” “how ‘bout now?” “nope” and then why they finally receive the email, spend another minute and a half celebrating it. Baffling.

The class is over now and I have mixed emotions about this. Sad that I won’t see them everyday now and laugh so hard that it gives me a pain in my side. Sad that this short journey has to come to a close. Happy that they are walking away so much more confident in themselves and their abilities with a new found sense of accomplishment.

This post may not be directly related to marketing but I think its message is lovely. Putting yourself out there can be intimidating.  Whether it’s teaching a new class or learning a new skill, it’s not always easy to step out of our comfort zone but the rewards can be life changing.

To Sally, Judy, Linda, Nancy, Tom, Barb, Sylvia and Corrine, thank you for the laughs, the learning and the memories

Yes, life is busy but we do the best we can.

You know what helps? Planning and scheduling. Rarely do we wait until the chaos of the morning to figure out who is taking the baby for her needles that day or who is going to the home and school meeting that night. We plan these things in advance, talk them out and write them down so we are able to make the best decisions for our family and not last minute “desperate” decisions. Knowing what is coming up and how we are going to handle things helps us gain control of the chaos.

This is the reason why organizations need a marketing plan. To plan, analyze, schedule and prepare for what’s to come. All too often do I answer my phone to people in a panic, “I need your help getting customers now because I need to pay my rent next month” or “I started my business 6 months ago when I had clients and now that I’m done with those clients I have no one…help!” They wait until the chaos has hit before they decide they should plan. Often times we can come up with a quick fix to get the job done but wouldn’t it be much more efficient to plan ahead?

You can start the planning process yourself today by taking any spare time at work (even 10 minutes a day) to search for upcoming events you would like to take part in. Tradeshows, mixers, fundraisers, parades or any other event that you always say you wish you’d known about sooner. Plug them into a calendar.

Next, think about an event or promotion you’ve been meaning to host for a while but could never find time for. Make a list of all the things you would have to do leading up to that event or promotion and plug them into a calendar.

At the beginning of each month, scan through the next 30 days to see what is on your “to do” list and chip away at them one by one. You will find that most of the tasks are as simple as making a phone call and best of all is the rewarding feeling of crossing tasks of your list!

Ten minutes early, I walk up to the counter, order my usual and begin to scan the shop for a man who looks as though he’s waiting for someone. I find him sitting in a corner table, as though he had been there a while. That’s one thing I’ve come to notice about entrepreneurs, they’re rarely late.

 After a handshake and a few informalities, I ask him to tell me about his business.  The excitement and passion that illuminates from him as he talks is contagious. He tells me what inspired him to begin the business and where he sees its future. He talks so fast about all his fantastic ideas (which they are) and plans for the future, it’s almost hard to keep up!

It’s only when he quiets and looks at me with expectant eyes that it hits me…I have no idea what he does. Embarrassed, I politely explain that I must have missed something and ask him to, in as few words as possible, tell me what exactly what it is he does. Again he launches into a wonderful talk about the business but still at the end, I’m left confused about what he does.

Since then, I have faced this challenge with many new clients and for a time, struggled with it myself. You need to be able to tell people what you do in a quick and clear manner. From your employees, to reporters to potential customers, the first step in success in business is deciding (and then relaying) what it is you do. If you were a marketing consultant you might say “I provide practical, affordable and effective marketing services to small businesses and non profit groups” (which is me) as opposed to “I do marketing”. If you were a print company “I provide high quality print materials for great prices” instead of “I do printing”.

I can relate. As a new business owner it’s sometimes scary to think about putting “what you do” into words for fear of limiting yourself and possibly losing customers. At the beginning you’ll do just about anything to pay the bills! You need to trust me here, the best thing you can do for your business is to narrow your focus. With so many marketing messages floating around out there you can’t afford to send mixed signals.

Whatever the case may be, you need to wrap your head around what you want to do, who you want to serve and what makes you different. The cardinal rule of marketing. If you can’t tell me what you do, who will?

Like most consultants however, I am finding myself learning (and adapting) as I go. What can I be doing to better serve my clients? Now, although my specialization is still in preparing practical, affordable and effective marketing plans, I also teach small business owners about marketing themselves and I help them implement any of the marketing components they need.

Lately, one of the biggest requests coming my way is “Can you manage my social media marketing for me?” Although I am very familiar with the area and have suggested that my clients be participating through most of my marketing plans, the amount of people wanting to outsource this surprised me.

After much thought I have decided that yes, this is something I will take on. So many small businesses are looking to jump on the social media marketing train and are just too busy to get the job done themselves. Social media marketing takes a strong strategy, lots of monitoring and most importantly, time.

Before passing over your Blog, Twitter, Facebook or any other social networking tools, there are some things you should keep in mind. In most cases, these tools are best used for allowing others to get to know you better and to build relationships. If you are not the one managing these sites yourself, your followers, fans and online friends may not be getting to know the “real” you. If you are simply trying to drive people to your website or blog, or looking to provide links and info, hiring someone to do this for you may be a smart solution. It’s important to remember though that most of the relationship building through these sites happens by replying to those who write to you or by asking questions and beginning conversation with others.

If you are considering hiring someone to take on this task for you or are thinking of passing the reins to someone in your office, be prepared to allow someone else to represent your business. Spelling mistakes and errors in grammar are all things that reflect back on your business. Will they be posting personal views that are not shared by the company? How will they deal with questions, concerns or complaints? These are all things that need to be very clear from the get go.

The great thing about hiring someone is…you won’t have to do it. Once you clarify all the details and find someone you trust you won’t have to worry about missing out on the biggest marketing tool out there. Social media marketing is FREE and when done properly, measurable.

Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s start with the basics. What is Social Media Marketing? Wikipedia reads “Social Media Marketing is the act of using social networks, online communities, blogs, wikis or any other collaborative Internet form of media for marketing, sales, public relations and customer service.” You’re most likely familiar with the terms Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and You Tube as they are some of the more popular social media networks. 

Now, how to use Social Media effectively is another story. The beauty of Social Media Marketing is its conversational and allows your fans, friends, and followers to connect with the more human side of your business. Although you have objectives in mind when beginning this process, the key is to reach them tactfully.  You want to interact with your online community and provide them with information relevant to them. If you are forever trying to sell to them, they will simply stop listening. Like all of your marketing efforts you need to have a Social Media Strategy.

The benefits that come from using Social Media Networks effectively are undeniable. Dell for instance reported 6.5 million dollars in sales last year due to their Dell Outlet Twitter account. Not bad!

Yet while the benefits are undeniable, there are still plenty of sceptics out there. Common concerns include:

• “What do I do if I get negative comments?” I say, there are always going to be people out there who have negative things to say, this way you can interact with them directly and personally put the fires out.
• “I just don’t have the time!” You need to make the time or find someone within the organization who can. This is big and it’s just going to get bigger. You need to get in the game! A properly constructed Social Media Marketing Strategy will help keep you on track and cut down on the time you spend on it.

So today I challenge you. Take the first step and research these opportunities. Ask your friends and co workers for their thoughts and make the decision that is right for you and your organization.

Join me in January as I host a workshop on this topic and we explore this phenomenon in more detail including which Social Networking Communities you need and which you can skip and how to construct a Social Media Marketing Strategy that really works.

Click here for more info on this workshop.

Kerry-Anne

For starters, I had to take a closer look at who I was trying to sell to. Were we compatible? Was I offering them something that was going to help them reach their objectives? Then I went back to some of those individuals who previously said no to me and asked them why. To my surprise, they all had very similar responses; not enough bang for my buck. They wanted more. From there it was easy. I came up with a package deal and included many more benefits once they signed up. I then set a limit on the number of advertisers I would accept to create a sense of immediacy and eliteness.

The following Wednesday was a big day for me. Telling my boss I recruited 3 new advertisers that week was so rewarding. It also taught me a big lesson. Marketing isn’t just big budgets and major ad campaigns. Regardless your size, it’s about focusing on your target market, finding out what they need and delivering that.

Until next time…

Kerry-Anne