2 In a Row

Yes, I'm writing two posts in a row today because after I finish this post I will STILL be a post behind. Last Thursday I went to a Small Business Expo and I'll talk more about that experience in my next post. Today I want to share my notes from a workshop I went to there that was presented by Ranx Media (http://www.ranxmedia.com/).

Preface: The founders of Ranx Media are a couple with two children working from NYC. The wife was born in a communist European country and she defected with her parents at a young age and came to live in the United States. This company, among others, are the result of her hard work.

Social Media for Small Businesses (notes) 

• 60% of businesses are engaged in social media
• social media ---> any media where an audience has the ability to respond
• Google: pay-per-click, optimizing the user experience
• eCommerce, email marketing, social media, podcasts, video, blogging ----> all roads lead to website
• connections + conversation = buzz effects

Facebook:

• 350 million people could be diagnosed as "addicted" to Facebook
• 1.06 billion users
• 80% prefer to connect with brands
• 54:46  Men:Women
• 12.1 min per day is the average time spent on Facebook

LinkedIn:

• 161 million users
• 70% outside the United States

Twitter:

• would be the 12th largest country in the world

Top Priority Items:

1. REALLY good CMS website
2. blog as part of the website
3. sales funnels/lead generating (newsletter optional)
4. social media integration on site
5. SEO/PPC

• digital presence should present advanced competency
• advisor/friend more than sales person
• CONTENT IS KING!
• fresh content
• easy to updte
• provides good landing pages for searches
• connects with audience
• EMAIL IS QUEEN!
• no discounts ---> PROVE YOUR SERVICE!
• mirror your target market
• speak their language
• pair email with social media
• 5-7 touches to close a client