Social media experimentation is start-ups’ rocket fuel

Brands must validate their existence on social media to win the hearts and minds of their customers

After a series of experiments, Jeremiah Gardner found Twitter to be the best platform for his audience. 

In a world where customers are smart, competition is fierce, and change is easy, business success cannot rely on a tight message, a pretty promise, and a large megaphone. Instead, success depends on inviting customers on a shared journey toward creating real value.

We all know that social media has transformed the communication landscape. If the conventional approach to branded communication was akin to an American football team’s play-reset-play-reset cycle, today’s brands must act more like a Premiership football club; constantly evolving, adapting and iterating different strategies, tactics and players to create value that delivers on your goals.

The challenge for businesses, no matter the size, is clear: deliver value or fail.

Lean branding, in short, is about discovering how to build a passionate, value-centered relationship with an audience through experimentation, validation, and iteration.

Experiment, validate, iterate

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool that enables businesses of all sizes to not just communicate in one direction (traditional media ‘broadcasting’) but platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Yammer, have shifted communication to multi-directional.

As Brant Cooper, Bestselling author of The Lean Entrepreneur, says: “It is both synchronous and asynchronous, it is both real-time and time-lagged, it is one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many. You have to exist on multiple channels and prepare (if not invent) the next one.”

To find success, an organisation must discover the most effective channels and the strongest mediums in which to connect with its customers. This means before you develop a strategy for Twitter or a content calendar for Pinterest, you must validate (through experimentation) the influence of the specific channel you’ve chosen to reach your chosen audience.

To be most effective, narrowing your choices down to one or two highly influential channels, where the demand for the content being delivered can be demonstrated, will create the most traction.

Validated channels = more customers.

Lessons from the frontline

Recently, this principle was taken to task. In anticipation of launching my crowdfunded book, The Lean Brand, we were faced with the challenge of developing an audience around a completely new concept – lean branding. Without a “product” to show, a pre-set audience, or a familiar topic to rely on, we turned to experimentation to learn how to foster this new relationship. Social media marketing was integral.

Step 1

To start, we worked to discover which channel to use by delivering the same posts, over time, across multiple channels and measuring the result. Was the message received? Did people engage with it? Did they share it? If so, why? After a few iterations on our experiment, we found that for our campaign, Twitter showed the most engagement and had the most passionate audience in terms of the many retweets, shares, and direct conversations coming from those first few posts.

At this stage, we had validated the channel, but not the content.

Step 2

To validate content, we began to experiment with different types of posts: sentences from the book, quotes from other authors, photos, blogposts, and other articles we found interesting. We wanted to learn who our audience was, what they were passionate about, and what they were interested in learning from us.

The result?

People loved to have candid connection with us directly. They wanted to hear about the progress on the book, they wanted to ask direct questions, and they wanted to get to know me, as a person, more intimately. So, we followed their lead. If I wrote a sentence for the book that I felt was great, I’d turn to Twitter to test that sentence out. If we found a particular article to be relevant, we’d share it and measure the result.

The learning we gained through our experiments enabled us to build, in real-time, a passionate audience around the book. (That passion was clearly demonstrated with the funding our crowd-publishing campaign at 184% of our goal).

No matter your endeavor, experimentation will illuminate the path to success. No “Top 10 Tips,” or recommended best practices can lead you to building the passionate audience you intend to build.

As much as traditional marketing experts may flinch at the notion, control has shifted into the hands of brands and entrepreneurs willing to experiment, validate, and learn in pursuit of building real relationships with their audience

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/sep/08/social-media-experimentation-is-start-ups-rocket-fuel

Top five tips to launch a business with a new baby

Launching a business is always hard work but it’s even more of a whirlwind when you have a new baby.

 

Despite the extra challenge, entrepreneur Chloe Brookman says new mums should seize the opportunity of flexible time and a period of change and just go for it.

 

“If you wait for every element to be in order before you start then you will be waiting a very long time. Get started. Launch right now,” she says.

 

“Launching a new business while being a full-time mum is hard work, I'll be the first to admit it. But it's so very doable as many women have shown, it's just a matter of being passionate, organised and focused.”

 

Brookman founded baby furniture company Olli Ella in 2010. They now distribute across the world to a wide range of retailers and directly.

 

She shared her top five tips with StartupSmart below.

 

1. Don’t fret about the perfect business plan

 

A new business is a lot like a new baby. You may understand what it could entail but it’s not until you’re dealing with the day-to-day challenges and changes that you get a feel for what you’re nurturing.

 

“A business plan is just that: a plan. We never did one, and I think that this one of the factors that has enabled us to propel our brand; we were completely flexible,” Brookman says.

 

2. Set goals to stay nimble and sharp

 

Setting goals in six month batches helps an evolving start-up stay nimble and on target.

 

“We knew where we wanted to be in the next six months and once we got there, we reassessed and set loose goals for the next year,” Brookman says. “A very basic plan with an outline of your business vision, goals and next steps is all you really need, that is unless you are going to be asking for outside investment.”

 

3. Start small and self-fund if you can

 

Once you take on investors, your flexibility is limited by external expectations that need to be met.

 

“If you can, self-fund your business venture without seeking outside investment,” Brookman says. “Have a look at your business, a good honest look and you will see that doing it yourself is actually doable.”

 

Olli Ella chose to manufacture their products locally to make it more manageable.

 

“We had two options: to manufacture overseas in high volumes, low cost but with large profit margins for us. This would involve hefty start-up capital, a warehouse, costly trips overseas – the list goes on. Our other option was to manufacture locally in small volumes, high cost and low profit margins for us. We opted for the latter,” she says.

 

4. Build the right community around you

 

For new business owners, surrounding yourself with the right advisers is the most important thing you can do.

“Whether or not you are an expert in your field or, as in our case, are entering a new field in your new business, you will need advisers. Speak to as many people as you can who are experts in their field, write out a list of questions, and sit down with these experts and pick their brains,” Brookman says.

 

Developing a supportive community goes beyond just advisers. It should also include a network of business owners.

 

“Navigating the launch of a new business is daunting at best; it's unknown waters and can be very lonely, even when working with a business partner. To help combat this start your own network of fellow female entrepreneurs; these can be people that you know, meet at networking events, or find through Gumtree or Facebook,” Brookman says.

 

She adds that keeping the group to fewer than 10 people and meeting monthly creates a sustainable approach.

 

5. Learn from your mistakes

 

“This is the greatest adventure that you are about to embark on. Love the lows as much as the highs, welcome mistakes because you will grow from them.”

 

http://www.startupsmart.com.au/home-based-business/work/life-balance/top-five-tips-to-launch-a-business-with-a-new-baby/2014020611635.html

Why “Going Viral” Means More Than Getting Pageviews-Digital Marketing Summit at SMX - Sara Critchfield of Upworthy

Growing Your Million-Dollar Network

As a business coach and consultant, I’m often asked, “How were you able to get major corporations, celebrities, presidential candidates, millionaires, and even billionaires to partner with you and champion your business, products, and services when you were first getting started?” The next question is usually, “Is it possible for me, as an average person, to also build a multi-million-dollar business network?” You bet it is!

Nearly anyone can build a multi-million-dollar business network if you understand two key insights:

• Insight #1. Everyone is accessible if you raise your value to that person or company and approach them with enough “polite persistence.”

• Insight #2. Always focus on what is in it for the person or company that you want to help you. 

Four powerful tips for building your network

1. Target leaders and early adopters to achieve maximum results quickly

People generally fall into certain categories: leaders, early adopters, followers, and then everyone else. If you need assistance, start by targeting the leaders in your niche. Next, move on to the early adopters, and lastly, the followers.

• Visionary leaders and companies who are known for innovation and being on the cutting edge should be your first target. They are more likely to take risks on new ventures and individuals. As key influencers and opinion molders, their endorsements will carry significant weight, which will help your project or venture quickly gain momentum with the media other major players and the general public.

• Early adopters (those individuals who are always the first to try new things) should be your second target. Early adopters typically have large networks. If you can solve their problems, they can give your idea, project, or company a strong push early on. 

• Followers should be targeted last as they need social proof before making decisions. Since they require validation from others before taking action, it will take longer to receive a “yes” from them if you do not already have a significant track record and major endorsements.

2. Identify and raise your value to get more people to help you

Most people make the mistake of seeking help with an “I need” or “I want” mentality. Instead, you should focus on the value and benefit that you can create for the people that you want to help you. Take inventory of the skills, assets, and contacts that you bring to the table which can help them. You should not ask or expect “something for nothing.” You will have much greater success when seeking partners if you appeal to their self-interest rather than their sense of obligation or good will. Even if you don’t have upfront cash to compensate people, you can always:

• create an income opportunity for them

• refer business to them

• generate publicity for them

• connect them with influential people in your network

• help support their favorite cause or charity

3. Offer turnkey solutions to avoid resistance

You can significantly increase your income, credibility, and odds for long-term success by offering turnkey solutions. By presenting well thought out, ready-made, and proven solutions that require little to no work on behalf of your mentors, colleagues, joint-venture partners, and customers, you can dramatically increase your buy-in, support, sales, customer retention, and referrals. Profit lies in reducing the amount of work that others must do to receive the benefit that your idea has to offer.

4. Follow up with polite persistence to get a “yes!”

Successful individuals and decision makers in major organizations are very busy people. They have many issues and opportunities competing for their time. So, when approaching these busy individuals, you will often hear “no” initially. Don’t be discouraged. Many people will need to see your marketing message up to nine times before they take action, which is why education-based marketing campaigns are so important and extremely effective.

Ultimately, 80 percent of your success will be the result of your soft skills-;your ability to network and form mentoring relationships, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and political alliances. Those with limited networks are always the last to know and the last to be helped. Without question, your network is a direct reflection of your net worth. Leverage these four great tips now to expand your relationships and your business and income opportunities.

http://www.inc.com/visa/growing-your-million-dollar-network.html

Facebook Boosts Event Visibility With New Ad Format

The new format is designed to help brands bring awareness to their events within Facebook’s network. How can business marketers get the most out of this offering?

To enable businesses to reach even more people, Facebook is introducing new tools designed to help Pages better promote their events.

Previously, event listings were only shown in Facebook's right-hand column on desktop. But now, brands can display their events in both the desktop and mobile News Feed, as shown below:



Page owners can create this new type of event ad in both the Ad Create tool and Power Editor.

In addition, hosts can now access some metrics in the right-hand column of an event Page, including the number of people who've seen a link to the event on Facebook, the number of people who've viewed the event, and the number of RSVPs (joins, saves, and maybes) to the event.

Commenting on the new event response ad, Gary Stein, senior vice president (SVP) of agency Sterling Brands, says, "Anything that can get a brand into the News Feed is a good thing," as Facebook has been limiting brands' ability to get into this "prime space."

While Stein believes Facebook's "Events" feature presents a big opportunity for business marketers, he says few brands have tapped into this offering.

"Events really draw focus to a brand and not enough brands take advantage of it," Stein notes, saying that brands should think about the things they have been doing and decide if they can add events to their strategy.

"[An event] also creates a new call to action (CTA), which is to attend. That is an easy thing for people to say yes to, especially if it is just to tune in online or something," Stein adds.

How can marketers get the most out of Facebook's "Events" tool? Use it judiciously. Brands shouldn't bombard consumers with events just to get attention, Stein says. "Only create events for things that are momentous and meaningful. A brand should try to not create too many events or events for trivial things," he says. "That will just get people grouchy."

This new events ad format will be available in the coming weeks to Page owners around the world.

 

http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2362627/facebook-boosts-event-visibility-with-new-ad-format

How to Ensure Your SEO Strategy Delivers the Right Traffic

When it comes to SEO, achieving first page rankings and getting more traffic is one thing, but what about ensuring those rankings deliver the right type of traffic to your website, traffic that will actually convert into new customers?

Here are three steps to ensure that your SEO campaign delivers the right traffic to your website.

Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience

You know your customers. So, identifying your target audience should be the easy part, but when it comes to SEO, this isn't always the case. If you offer different service or product lines, your target audience may comprise of a number of different segments. This makes identifying your target audience for SEO purposes much more difficult.

 If you attempt to go after every possible customer in one fail swoop, your SEO strategy will most likely fail. Instead, methodically carve away the different segments, and target them incrementally. When you achieve success with one segment, then move onto the next. This is necessary because depending on the type of business you're in, each segment may have very different needs and wants.

 How do you identify which segment to target first? It's a good idea to start with your most profitable and least competitive segment, so you can quickly start generating a return on your investment.

Step 2: Select the Right Keywords

Once you've identified which segment you want to target, the next step is selecting the keywords those prospective customers will use when searching for your product or service.

When selecting keywords, don't just look for the ones that deliver the highest search volume. Put yourself in your customers' shoes, and look for keywords that make sense from their perspective. There is a lot of "advice" out there about choosing keywords that have an ideal combination of search volume and competition. However, all of that is irrelevant if you fail to choose keywords that prospective customers will actually use when searching for your products or services.

In addition to choosing relevant keywords, take the purchase intent of those keywords into account. You can have two very similar keywords that indicate very different intentions by the searcher. Keywords with high purchase intent are more likely to convert than keywords with low purchase intent, and are typically long-tail keywords, with lower search volume, and less competition.

Example

For example, let's say a contractor that specializes in kitchen remodels is considering the following keywords, "kitchen remodel" and "kitchen remodeling contractor." The keyword, "kitchen remodel" is much more attractive initially because the data shows that it receives significantly more search volume than "kitchen remodeling contractor."

However, there are two reasons why "kitchen remodeling contractor" is the better choice. First, it has far less competition, and the contractor actually has a shot at achieving first page rankings. Second, someone searching for "kitchen remodel" could be looking for a number of things, not necessarily a kitchen remodeling service. They could be looking for pictures as inspiration for a future potential remodel, or a how-to because they intend to attempt a remodel themselves.

While it is possible that someone using the "kitchen remodel" search term could become a customer in the future, someone searching for a "kitchen remodeling contractor" is likely ready to execute their remodel, and is simply looking for the right contractor.

Step 3: Provide Content Your Customers Care About

 

The next step to ensuring the right visitors find your website is by providing them with content they find relevant and useful. Your website's content should be able to answer your customers' questions. So, think about what your customers typically want to know prior to doing business with you, and make sure your content answers those questions.

 

Here are a few examples of how this can be achieved:

1. Are you selling a service that requires a high level of expertise? Publish posts to your website's blog regularly to show that you're an expert in your field

2. Do your customers typically want to see examples of past work? Provide a project gallery to showcase your previous projects, and supplement it with testimonials to reinforce trust and credibility.

3. Do you sell a product that your customers typically like to compare against other products? Provide a product comparison review that shows why your product is the better choice.

By providing content that your customers care about, you're not only satisfying their needs by answering their questions, but you're also giving them an avenue to find your website.

Conclusion

To ensure that your SEO strategy delivers the right traffic to your website, identify your target audience, select high purchase intent keywords your prospective customers will actually use, and provide them with relevant and useful content that answers their questions.

 

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2356679/How-to-Ensure-Your-SEO-Strategy-Delivers-the-Right-Traffic