A2Z Computer Services Inc

Corporate I.T. Solutions, Computer Repair and Web Design in Henderson, KY

Three questions that must be asked when creating a social media strategy

by Leave a Comment

A couple weeks ago, we at A2Z Computer Services, Inc hosted a free seminar at our office for our existing Mad Skillz Marketing customers to help enhance their Social Media presence.  The purpose of this seminar was to show these business owners how to start their Social Media ventures with a strong foundation.  So we showed them how developing a business plan for Social Media that included various Goals, Strategies, and Schedules will help them fully benefit from Social Media.

You might be asking yourself “Really?  A business plan and strategies for using Facebook and Twitter??”

The simple answer is YES.

And to help you, we’ve developed a few questions you can ask yourself to help you get going with Marketing your business with Social Media:

What do I have to offer?
As business owners, we all have something to offer our customers that adds value to their lives, whether that value be our products and services or simply knowledge and information. If we didn’t, then we wouldn’t have been in business for very long.  Are you looking to offer people knowledge or information?  Or perhaps you’re providing them a way to save money with your products and services. Whatever the value-add is that you’re offering, keep it in mind as you develop your Social Media Goals and Strategies.

Who am I trying to reach?
This aspect of your Strategies and Goals will play an important part in your overall Social Media endeavor.  Everything from the content of your posts, to the manner in which you convey your ideas, to even the design and feel of your Social Media outlets, having an identified target audience is very important.  Identifying targeted customer age groups, geographic locations, interests, and other demographic information is vital to developing a solid campaign.

What do I want to accomplish?
This question may sound simple at first, but after much thought it can become difficult to define.  Are you looking for more visits to your website?  Do you want more customers coming to your store or restaurant?  Is finding an alternative means to communicating one on one with your customers your objective?  Finding out your purpose for using Social Media will bring your overall Strategies and Goals together and get you started on the path to using these marketing avenues effectively.

Now, as an example, after answering these questions, a restaurant can develop a Social Media campaign to draw more 18 – 30 year old college students in their doors to try their latest mouth watering appetizers and convince them to stick around for a wonderful week night dinner.

Finally, remember that Social Media is not a one way street.  If businesses are just constantly throwing information out there, hoping to get a few bites, they are really just settings themselves up for failure.  Goals and strategies will help guide a business to truly reap the rewards that Social Media has to offer.

If you have any further questions please comment below and join in the conversation. If you would like assistance with your Social Media Strategy, please feel free to contact A2Z Computer Services, Inc at (270) 830-9590 or send us a message via our contact page.

Why should you use Twitter?

by Leave a Comment

Twitter, although it may not yet have the largest number of users, it’s the fastest growing social networking tool, growing at over 2,000% annually. You might not see a need for it as an individual, you might not see a need to have it for your business, but the truth is that more and more people are using it, and as a business owner, you should be willing to evolve as communication evolves, and learn to embrace and take advantage of these tools. Also note, that these are a way to further your relationship with your customer, not a replacement to face to face and voice to voice contact.

Here’s a short list of some basic ways twitter can help your product:
-Form a closer, daily relationship with your customers
-Offer “twitter-only” specials and discounts
-Free customer service (to an extent), anytime your customer needs it
-Show your customers you’re more than a brand, but also a person

This is just a taste of  what twitter has to offer (and all for free!) Of course there’s virtually an endless list of what you can do using twitter, but I just wanted to give you a little something think and talk about, please feel free to get involved in the conversation and share your thought, questions, and even innovative ways you’ve used twitter to help further your brand.

A Response on Beginning to Tweet

by Leave a Comment

Recently, a client asked us how they could get followers on Twitter. Being new to Twitter, they are of course excited to start using this great tool for their business to better connect with their customers and peers in their field, as well they should be enthusiastic about it. In an email, we replied to their question with a few tips and links to resources for beginners.

We decided to share our reply with you in hopes that you too can grow, add your style and needs to this, and pass it along to others as well. Enjoy!

RE: Twitter

I have a few tips and ideas for you on ways to accumulate more followers and connections on twitter, I also have a few links to online articles that I believe will be beneficial to you as well.

A few simple steps would be:

-Promote your twitter account via Facebook and your web site, add links to your Facebook page and twitter onto your site (your web host should be able to do this for you)

-Promote both Facebook and Twitter in your ads, marquee signs, business cards, etc.

-Put up a sign in your stores, perhaps next to your registers, informing customers to find you on Facebook and Twitter

-When someone “follows” you on Twitter, be sure to “follow” them back

-Be personable and natural

-Allow your followers list to grow naturally

-Don’t try to sell people something in all of your posts

Twitter involves a little more patience than Facebook as far as growth goes, it grows more naturally, but don’t be discouraged by this. Even if you only have two followers, treat it with the care that you would give to it if you only had 2,000 followers. Although there are some common courtesies involved with using Twitter, you have the freedom to morph this to fit your business and life. Therefore the more you use it and the more you observe on it, the easier it will become to think up strategies and set goals for your Twitter identity.

Here are a few links and articles that I think will really help you:

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/best_practices This will help you with some basic practices

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/learning This will help you understand and learn the lingo.

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/case_bestbuy On the left hand side of this page you’ll see a list of other case studies to look at.

http://madskillzmarketing.wordpress.com This is our blog that we update regularly

http://deansguide.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/twitter-strategies-and-tips-for-beginning-twitterers/ This is a short article on beginning Twitter strategy

This should effectively get you going, just remember that although there are a few guidelines you’ll want to be aware of, Twitter is completely open and can be molded to fit your business needs.

A Decree to Small Business Owners

by Leave a Comment

Here at A2Z Computer Services Inc., our new service called Mad Skillz Marketing has really taken off, and we are not surprised. It’s been amazing helping all of these strong business create a presence in the Social Media world. Many of you reading are fairly new to this “revolution” altogether, some of you have had personal social networking accounts for years, still others are just now discovering the benefits that this whole thing can bring to your company.

Living and working in the Southern Indiana / Western Kentucky area, we’re use to small businesses all around us. It’s nothing new for us to know the business owners at our local coffee shop or restaurant. To put it simply, small businesses are all around, and if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you own one or are part of one.

I believe there’s a dilemma that many small business owners face in regards to social media. A lot of people will look to the big companies like Starbucks, Target, all the big guys, and they see that they have thousands and even millions of followers and they then get discouraged because they only have 35 or 100 fans and followers. A quick word of advice…

Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed!

Don’t freak out and give up, what you are doing is important not only for you, but for your customers as well.

Numbers are great, and I hope that one day you too get thousands of followers, but please understand that you have an advantage that the big guys don’t have. Your small size allows you to really connect and really show how much you care about your customers. You have the ability to say something personal to them everyday, to hear about their bad experience at your restaurant and make things right, to tell them about a special offer just because they’re a faithful customer or to even tell them how much you enjoyed the movie that they saw last night. Be content with the followers you have and allow your network to grow naturally, trust me, it will.

Should you create strategies to grow your network? YES
Should you creat a better customer experience? YES
Should you be proactive in finding new customers? YES
Should large numbers be your main concern? NO

The weekend is almost here, have a great one everybody!

Try to discuss ways that you can take advantage of your small size with your employees and coworkers in regards to your business’s social networking, the possibilities are endless, they just need to be thought up by someone!

7 Common Social media Marketing Problems & Their Solutions

by Leave a Comment

Lee Odden on Jun 2nd, 2010    Online Marketing, Other Events, Social Media

Adam SingerThis post is part 2 on Social Media Marketing Best Practices from IMS Minneapolis.  The first post featured Brad Smith from Best Buy who offered insights into their social media principles, guidelines and learnings.

This post includes liveblog notes from the presentation given by Adam Singer of TopRank Online Marketing. Adam opened up noting that according to a research study by Russell Herder and Ethos Business Law, 14% of executives are unsure of social media, yet 70% expect to spend more.

That set the stage for some of the common obstacles and barriers to social media adoption which he focused on in: 7 Common Social Media Problems and their Solutions.

1. Flying blind

Many companies chase social media tactics with no idea about the who, what, when and where of the social web. It’s essential that companies first develop a listening program to answer those “W” questions.   Listening through social media monitoring is critical to understanding brand, competitors and key terms relevant to your audience on the social web. Without a smart listening effort, companies miss key opportunities: marketing, customer service, sales, recruiting, partnering and public relations.

2. Unsure where it fits – who owns social media?

As companies develop their social media programs, responsibilities and resources need to be allocated and that leads to accountability and “ownership”.  For successful social media adoption within organizations, it’s important to establish social media goals and responsibilities in different parts of the organization.  As resources and accountability are identified, the different departments can work to cross pollinate efforts, and work together as a team. Doing so helps leverage combined efforts and from an implementation standpoint, avoids conflicting representation of the brand.

3. Inconsistent participation

Companies need to be consistent with their social participation. Our clients at TopRank Marketing with the most successful blogs are those that post consistently. The solution to more consistent participation is to lead from the top, get executive buy-in. Establish goals and provide a feedback loop to contributors. As they grow, the community will provide feedback. Set aside resources, plan who will create content, monitor and engage. Tap passionate community members and activate them to be brand ambassadors. Create efficiencies through the repurposing of content.

4. Not individual or confident

Believing that people will listen to and find value in what you really want to say requires confidence. Whether you’re right or wrong might not matter as much as being passionate. Now, more than ever, is the time to show leadership and conviction when it comes to social participation and engagement.

5. Digitally unsavvy team

Modern marketers need to understand social media.  Companies don’t “do social”, they “are social”. That means being savvy participants.  There’s good reason for that. According to “Social Technographics of Business Buyers” from Forrester Research:

  • 91% of business buyers read blogs, watching user generated video, participate in other social media
  • 55% of decision-makers were in social networks
  • 43% are creating media (blogs, uploading videos or articles, etc.)

“If you’re a B2B marketer and you’re not using social technologies in your marketing, it means you’re late.” Josh Bernoff, Forrester.

The good news is that you can learn to be social media savvy through training, participation, listening and engagement.

6. Data paralysis

Data should help drive decisions, but don’t let it get in the way of creative ideas from your team. Adam relates the story of one of his clients, Joffrey’s Coffee where he recommended campaign changes based on his personal experience with the social web vs waiting for data to prove a concept. The result was a successful program by all accounts which is often cited as a social media marketing case study by others in the industry.

7. Lack of personalization

Use real team members in your social media efforts. Don’t use some faceless person behind “Brand X”. Forge relationships with others. Put others in the spotlight. “Give to get” and be focused on serving and being useful.  Don’t send in legal right away as an initial reaction to social dissension. Read the “Streisand Effect” for more on what happens when that backfires. Embrace personal brands, don’t worry about them getting too popular because their allegiance is to the brand.

In the end, companies can win on the social web by developing a strategy, experiment and iterate. And if you get lost, you can always get help.