From CJ Hayden's Book: "Get Clients Now"

From CJ Hayden’s Book: “Get Clients Now”

In my blog post Social Media Marketing, Does it REALLY Work, Robbie Schlosser of the Magnolia Jazz Band asked a great question. He asked:  “Does time spent marketing with social media have as much earning potential as traditional methods, how does it compare with what it replaces?”

Great question Robbie! In one of the three books I highly recommend to entrepreneurs and small business owners CJ Hayden’s “Get Clients Now” shares traditional marketing methods, amount of time spent  and return on investment (ROI). The basic premise of the model (in the picture) is that direct contact and follow-up, although it takes more time, yields a greater ROI. Those that may cost more, like advertising, take the least amount  time but often result in a lower ROI. When looking at this model you can see that social media marketing can actually fall on either end of the spectrum.

Since 2007, I have been teaching my clients to treat social media like direct contact and follow up. I recommend that they spend 30 minutes two times a day seven days a week until they are viral and then they can go down to 3 to 5 hours a week.

The Social Media Marketing Industry Report authored by Michael Stelzner shows a significant 56% of businesses marketing are using social media for six hours or more every week with significant return on investment. If you combine that with last week’s blog post about lead generation and closing business that is a great ROI.

One person in the same blog I wrote, Abigail Gordon, stated that she spends an average of eight hours a week in referral marketing, which is direct contact and follow up marketing strategy. She even wondered what would happen if she shifted even 2 of those 8 into social media marketing…interesting!

So here are my questions to you:

1-Are you developing a social media marketing strategy that is direct contact and follow-up, or advertising?
2-Are you developing your time accordingly based on that strategy?
3-If you have chosen direct contact and follow-up, as your social media marketing strategy, have you developed your strategy to include “follow up” (lead generation/relationship building) from social media?

Remember I am known for saying: “your job is to market.” Marketing can take many forms– it’s the consistency in your plan, the diversity of your plan, the correct content for the correct plan, and the ability to follow up with the time spent that creates significant return on investment.

 

Ann Evanston, MA, has been named by About.com as one of the Top Six Marketing Consultants, Feb 2011, and recognized in the Huffington Post for her unique approach in using Facebook to increase profits though giving. In October 2008 Ann created the Social Networking Coaching Club, a forum where you get personalized support to learn how to “discover your REAL edge” and make more online in less time with integrity. Ann works with clients who are tired of being blah, blah, blah and want to be BOOM BOOM BOOM!