Facebook 2012 Update: Summary of Mari's Smith's Webinar

If you didn't catch Facebook Expert Mari Smith's webinar yesterday on Facebook 2012, here are some of the high points to get you caught up.

Mari recommends that these "to do's" are on your daily Facebook checklist:
• Check your Business Page hidden posts (click on Wall to see them). These are typically spam but check here often so you don't miss an important message.
• Respond to comments and questions promptly (within hours not days).
• Check out Insights to see your page metrics. See which posts are being viewed the most and how many Engaged Users you have. Use this information to gauge what posts draw the most attention.

She threw out a lot of random tips such as:
• Try to "edutain" which is to provide quality content in a fun, engaging way.
• Use all of your other social media networks to grow your Facebook page.
• Short status updates have better engagement rates than longer ones.
• Increase your "shares" and it will increase your page's visibility.

Mari offered an interesting tidbit of what's coming soon on Facebook:
• One to one email capability to your fans (they're testing or rolling out this functionality in Asia now). This can really change the way businesses use Facebook to market directly to their followers.

Hope these help you to use Facebook more effectively for your business!

Can You Use Pinterest to Help your Business?

Have you heard of Pinterest, a pin board social media network that's growing and getting a lot of attention? Pinterest is an invitation only site where members "pin" or tag images of their favorite or important things. Members create various boards based on a theme or topic (food, travel, decor, etc.) and pin images to them. Members can follow each other and "like" or "repin" (share) images on their own boards.

The site has become popular among women so if females are your business' target market, Pinterest is the place to be. If you have a very visual product and can entice customers with images, Pinterest may help your marketing efforts. While the site discourages outright product promotion, businesses are using the site to drive traffic to websites, execute contests or just be a source of inspiration.

Read American Express Open Forum's recent tips article with lots of links to Pinterest pages of popular brands.

Can this site be useful to your business? Please share if your business is using Pinterest and how.

5 Reasons to Create a Facebook Landing Page

Have you created your Facebook landing page yet? Why do I need one, you ask? If you're serious about using Facebook to enhance your business, then a landing page can serve many purposes:

Introduce Your Business-

For people who aren't familiar with your business, a landing page can familiarize them with your products and services.

To Make Your Business Unique-

All Facebook pages tend to look very similar unless you take the initiative to customize your page. A landing page allows you to introduce your business to visitors the way you want to!

Reinforce your Brand-

Using a landing page, you can make your company and product brands highly visible. The profile photo just doesn't offer businesses enough to accomplish this but a landing page makes it easy.

Promote Events and Offers-

Change your Facebook Landing page to reflect your current offers or upcoming events.

Encourage the "Like" Button-

A landing page can explain why someone should like your page and what benefits they may receive: discounts, daily tips, links, photos or news. Encourage them with an explicit "like us" directive, similar to the one on my landing page (design by Ruzow Graphics).


For help with your business' Facebook page, call Jocelyn at 203.377.9980.

CAN SPAM Act- Don't Risk Paying $16,000 per Email in Fines!

If you use email for your business, then you need to be familiar with the CAN-SPAM Act. The US government created this law to give email recipients rights and to provide guidelines that all email marketers must adhere to. Spammers in violation risk having to pay up to $16,000 PER EMAIL in penalties!

Are you complying with the CAN-SPAM Act's requirements? Here's a rundown of the rules:

-Give recipients an "opt out" option that is clear and conspicious. Once recipients opt out you must honor their request within 10 business days. Most email service providers will do this automatically for you.

-Don't use misleading headers or subject lines. Your domain name and email address must tell recipients who you are. No aliases!
Also, deceptive or misleading subject lines are in violation. If you tell recipients one thing in the subject line and something different in your email, you're spamming.

-Include your location. A valid PO Box or street address must be included in your email.

Spamming isn't a good business practice and will only hurt your reputation. Please know that this law isn't just for bulk email. It applies to all commercial email- even for small businesses. Keep your email marketing in compliance with the CAN SPAM act and you'll be on the path to executing successful campaigns.

How To Manage Negative Feedback on Social Media

Many businesses are delving into social media as an integral part of their marketing. Social media offers customers, prospects and the general public the ability to provide instant feedback, commentary and reviews of your products and services. It's important to monitor what is being said about your business on social media sites and to be prepared to react to any negative comments.

The most important part of your corporate reaction is to stay positive. Try to turn the feedback into an opportunity to acknowledge the point being made, address a problem and provide a solution. Respond promptly to these comments to show the public that you're receptive and making an effort to resolve any issues. Once you publicly acknowledge the issue, feel free to take the problem offline via email or a phone call to work it out at a personal level.

In most situations, simply showing your appreciation for the feedback and making an attempt to resolve any problems goes a long way.

What issue have you addressed on social media and how did you handle them?

Marketing Copy that Informs, Persuades and Sells!

Since my last few projects have included updating or creating marketing-friendly copy for clients, I thought that would be a good topic to blog about!

Whether you're writing web copy, a seminar promotion or a brochure, try to keep the following pointers in mind to maximize the effectiveness of your messages:

-Address your readers' problem, issue or "pain". If they can identify with the experience you're describing, you'll get their attention right away.

-Include the benefits the reader will realize from your product or services instead of just listing features.

-Avoid using industry lingo that might be foreign to your audience.

-Tell a story: try using a true client experience to illustrate your point.

-Provide evidence to back up what you're promoting: research, testimonials, case studies, etc. These solid facts will help to sway your reader.

Try to be informative, persuasive and always put yourself in your reader's shoes when writing and reviewing your copy.

Looking for Local Publicity? Check out Patch.com

By now many of you may be getting your local news at Patch.com. Owned by AOL, Patch covers news in almost half the states in the US including Connecticut.

Find out if there's a Patch in your town or in the towns where you do business. They are looking for community news, local events, calendar items and many are soliciting columns written by local residents. They also welcome photos and videos.
Read the news at your Patch site regularly and email your Patch editor when you have information about something going on in your community. Got some exciting business news like the opening of a new store, an upcoming seminar or the launch of a new product? Let your Patch know! Their popularity is growing so much, they're giving the community weeklies and some daily papers a run for their money!