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!
Webmarketing 123 did a study that found some awesome statistics regarding social media marketing, direct leads and actual sales generated. Since 2008 I have known this to be true I watched it save tremendous time and effort and increase new business I would have never found otherwise. They found that B2B and B2C companies are generating qualified leads:
47% lead generation on Facebook
35% lead generation on LinkedIn
34% lead generation on Twitter
This is why I created the SoMe Funnel, (I taught it in my presentation for the US Small Business Conference, you can get the content here) to help people see how to generate more leads though their social media. It’s critical to create systems that capture those leads, so you can follow through. (smartly and legally of course!)
In addition, the study found that 55% of B2C businesses have closed deals in social media (all three sites above) and 41% ofB2B businesses have closed deals on Facebook! That is impressive! Sixty percent of companies intend to ramp up their social media marketing efforts in 2012. Do you have a plan? How will you engage your potential customers online? Remember customers are smarter than ever before! They want:
smart timely relevant content
engaged businesses that are responsive to their needs
the ability to have a voice as a consumer and be heard
Combine your system with content that speaks to your market and WATCH what happens!
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
I had an interesting experience when it comes to practicing “givers grow” as a small business owner. I am at a place in my career with the development of things to achieve where I need a coach. This has been something I have thought about doing many times in the past; I just wasn’t ready!
For years, one particular coach has been recommended to me by clients and friends. This woman is obviously smart and savvy and gets results for her customers. Every time I see her at events she tells me I need to achieve this goal for my career, and she’s the one to help me. I look at her website, and I can see that she does EXACTLY what I need. I have talked to her about my struggles and limiting beliefs around this goal at parties and networking events and she always looks at me wide-eyed and says she can’t wait to help me. And I have walked away, not ready.
Recently, I was at a conference and another woman who does the exact same type of work was there. I walked up to this woman’s booth, and we started talking. I shared with her my desire and goal and that I felt like I needed some help. She immediately asked me about five questions and then offered me a “givers grow” idea. She suggested a powerful next step that actually excited me and motivated me and made it easy for me to keep moving forward before I ever considered hiring her.
About an hour later the other woman, whom I’ve known for years, appeared and we started to talk. She knows now that I am trying to achieve this goal in my business. And again, wide eyed, she looked at me and said, “I can’t wait to work with you.”
I have to tell you right now I am more motivated and more excited to give my money to this woman I just met who offered me help without payment over the woman I’ve known for years who I know gets tremendous results. Do you know why?
Do you practice the “givers grow” model in your business? Do you look for ways to offer help to people before they ever pay you? Do you realize that you remain on the hearts and minds of potential customers when you do?
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
I recently was the opening keynote at BLP Connect in Los Angeles. One hundred and twenty five entrepreneurial woman gathered for a day of learning about “connection.” Over the years I have realized that my work with my clients is more about their voice, and how they energetically connect online to grow and profit (and feel good about it at the same time)! My psychology degree really makes what I do powerful! Speaking that day I wanted these women to see the power of letting go of their fears about connecting online, and truly allowing their power and energy to shine through what they sell, product or service. For the first time I would release what I have developed as The Influence Factor.
Does your brand energetically resonate with your fans, referrals sources, partners and press opportunities online? Over the years working with countless women to transfer their Brand online, I observe so many where there is a disconnect with their Influence Factor. So many people shift their energy when they get online to do their marketing. They become what I shared as the “Marketing Robot” at the BP Event! (Yes I did the robot from the 80’s on stage!). See a bit here:
Don’t become what you are not! Being the best YOU you can be is what creates The Influence Factor. Don’t forget it, don’t leave it behind. I have recently developed a series of over 40 questions that help me to assess the power of your voice, the five core areas you might disconnect, and how to channel them to your Influence factor. They will be a part of my book!
The Influence Factor is first about who you are. It’s your values, your belief systems, the way you view the world, it’s your energy. It’s how you think and feel. I often meet clients who say, “I want to be able to sell my business. I want to be able to have an exit strategy and if I put my energy into the business. It won’t be sell-able.” that is so far from the truth! Every SELL-ABLE, VIABLE, THRIVING business has this. Your energy will make your business come alive, your energy will make your business grow, your energy will make your business have values that another company would want to buy. And it will create customer connection.
When you find your voice, and dynamically connect it to what you do, everything changes. See, social media is a dynamic energetic space. Watch connection happen when you do!
Want a SNEAK PEEK of some of the questions from Ann’s upcoming book? Get the passcode today!
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
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Ann Evanston, MA, has been named by About.com as one of the Top Six Marketing Consultants, Feb 2011. She is an international speaker, consultant and coach specializing in the Influence Factor.
I recently heard a woman whose estimated net worth is 90 million (no, that is not Oprah) say that polarity is critical for success. She said: “the opposite of love is indifference. When you have people who love you and hate you, you have polarity and you have a brand”.
I have been known to say that wanting to be “liked” can be dangerous. That if people don’t disagree with you, you might be vanilla. I think this applies. See, she is RIGHT. But her net worth is only 90 million….if you disagree.
Each of these brands has success and polarity. I find many leaders and entrepreneurs have difficulty with this when they start out. Especially the first time someone disagrees with them. It’s great they disagree! I once watched Tim Ferriss speak to this and he told the crowd you either ignore what people are saying (he chooses not to watch) or you get a tough skin.
Have you created polarity? Or do you struggle with people not liking you? Are you playing it safe?
Oh, yes, who was that woman, net worth 90 million? Tyra Banks.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
