by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Sep 3, 2014 | Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
Back in the day, and yes I’m dating myself here, there was an ingenious advertising campaign devised by Wendy’s using the slogan “Where’s the beef?” Everywhere, from Saturday Night Live to the White House, people were asking “Where’s the beef?” and poking fun at investigating where the true value of something resides in comparison to face value assumptions. Back in the day, Wendy’s used the campaign to highlight the fact that Wendy’s burgers were actually larger than Burger King or McDonalds, and that these competitors had simply used larger buns to create an illusion.
Recently, I’ve been looking for the “beef” in my social media marketing. Like many small business owners I wear a lot of hats, and fortunately my passion for my business far outweighs the tremendous hours that are required. Particularly as a small business owner, I have to be discerning about where I spend my time and how.
Social media at times feels a lot like those competitor burgers – enormous yet not a lot of meat or substance. It’s a delicate balance to keep up with social media etiquette, find relevant and interesting content and even retweet and repost others’.
I’m fairly new at social media, having dragged my feet for years, but I could quickly see that you could spend all day every day attending to social media endeavors and still never quite get done, let alone have any time left over for your “real” job. I’ve enthusiastically embraced that social media is an integral and important tool for us to use. The reality of incorporating social media into my existing responsibilities created additional challenges. Social media takes a lot of TLC, patience, and dedication, and success doesn’t often happen overnight, or look like you expect it to.
Recently I found myself creatively asking my social media coach that old Wendy’s question, “Where’s the beef?” I began to list the justifications for my perceptions. Almost any small business owner could recite them in his/her sleep:
- There are only so many hours in the day.
- I’ve got to put my time where it makes the most sense strategically.
- Every hour I spend doing one thing means I’m not spending it doing another.
- [Fill in your own!]
By the end of our conversation, however, I realized that I’d unwittingly fallen into the same illusion that the viewers of the old Wendy’s commercials had suffered. I’d been looking at the numbers associated with my social media initiatives rather than the quality of those relationships themselves. In other words, I’d been looking for the big buns as the burgers rather than the beef itself.
Is it more impressive to say that you have 25,000 twitter followers than 5,000? You bet! In the course of two months since I started with social media, I’ve gained a few hundred net followers. Does that compare with the visions of what I could gain during that time? Not even close. The numbers had been how I was defining my success and had also over time become the source of my frustration.
But just as the bigger buns created the illusion of delivering bigger burgers, the focus on numbers is also an illusion. There are numerous ways to create a massive following, from purchasing followers, to setting aside my operational tasks and focusing exclusively on social media initiatives. That would get me the big buns I desired, so to speak. But that’s not what I really wanted. I didn’t want just big buns – what I really wanted was a good, high quality burger.
That’s what I need to remember, what every small business owner needs to remember when they start asking, “Where’s the beef?” Those efforts we make, every new social media connection made organically, adds the quality into the burger you’re creating.
“Social media is the vehicle, not the destination. You can’t just ask, ‘What’s the ROI of social media?’ You have to ask, ‘What’s the ROI of specific activities that we engage in via social media?” Hal Thomas
I’ve created new relationships with those in our audience who are genuinely interested in who we are, what we offer, and want to partner in ways that benefit both of us. The “beef” in social media isn’t really about the numbers. Yes, it looks impressive, but the true growth comes from the quality of the relationships you form. Within the past two months, we’ve found new columnists to write for us as well as new radio guests and those burgeoning relationships were formed easily and swiftly in ways that we never could have done without social media. The “beef” has been found and the quality of that beef will continue to feed my small business in ways that a couple of fluffy, big buns never could on their own.
Guest Author:
Christine Andrew
Christine Andrew is the founder and CEO of CoSozo, a wellness and empowerment media company she created in response to what was ultimately the terminal illness of two of her loved ones. CoSozo, literally Greek for “Healing Together” was founded on the desire to bridge the information gap between the alternative and allopathic medical worlds and empower individuals to make informed decisions that align with their own personal beliefs.
Christine held a long and successful career in the biopharmaceutical industry, primarily in the development and implementation of quality systems. As a consultant, Christine worked with manufacturers both within the U.S. and internationally to prepare for and successfully pass regulated industry inspections and also to develop systems and strategies to produce and maintain quality standards.
Today, Christine has what she calls “the best job in the world” using the powerful platform that CoSozo has developed to bring the spotlight to issues, information, and resources that can help people everywhere live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 13, 2014 | Leadership, Marketing, Social Media
Status quo or stand up and command market share? It isn’t so simple to grab a piece of the pie when there are billions of social media users and companies searching for and sharing information. You need to find your niche, your voice or something that sets you apart from the rest of the digital ecospace to glean even a few minutes of visibility.
You don’t need to blend in with the rest of the crowd but rise above and be a little unique. Whatever that means to you, do it authentically. Do it from the heart.
Don’t think of social media as purely a soapbox to sing your own praises. It is a tool to connect, share, educate and network, imparting value and enriching the lives of others. Be that someone that people look to for information and problem solving.
As you begin to develop your relationships and nurture your connections, the ROI is a natural occurrence when you focus on the real inherent value and purpose of social media – fostering the connections.
In a recent interview with my good friend and client, Patti Blackstaffe, president of Strategic Sense Inc, her thoughts about rising above the crowd were that too many people focus solely on the competition which only leaves them sitting WITH the crowd. Her recommendation is to leave competition out of the equation and pay attention to relationships and collaboration.
In the interview she offered 3 ways to do this:
1. Analyze what kind of relationship the customers are really looking for
2. What they want to share
3. Getting to know them intimately
Here’s what Patti said about analysis:
“People are looking for connection, relationship – this is a relationship economy. If you are without a means or way of connecting with customers, potential customers and the public, you have no choice but to be left behind.
You don’t have to use every social tool available, but analysis of your market and the type of relationship your customers are seeking is vital for knowing what to choose.
Leadership is about connecting the dots from the lead seat in your company all the way to the customer, knowing what they are looking for from you, gives you the option of creating a relationship they can get from no one else.”
[Tweet “It’s all about customer interaction, not fancy webpages or how often you post #RelationshipShare”]
Patti goes on to talk about sharing:
“Looking for market share? Look for relationship share.
One example is NAISH a kiteboarding company – they understand how to market, how to reach their customers. Do they sell kites? Sure, but that isn’t their main market, their market is building an experience, and their customers cannot build an experience without the relationship factor. Looking for video from them? They share the video of the adventurous customers who buy their kites. How did they know how to do this? They know their customers, intimately!”
Pertaining to customer intimacy, Patti gave this prime example:
“Does your executive, or even your sales team visit customers? Knowing what questions to ask is great, but what if you created a “day in the life” program where you spend a day in the life of your top 4 customers, what would their work-day look like and what do they need? Imagine a database filled with suggestions and solutions to meet customer needs, selectively using the many tools available to you through social media and other marketing genius, interact with them and make a difference.
This is how you increase relationship share!”
If you really want to stand out from the crowd, then build relationships. People buy from people. Add the human touch. Pull your focus away from what you want to give and get to know your customers and your audience by what they really need.
[Tweet “YOU are the CRO: Chief Relationship Officer. #relationshipmarketing”]
“Too many business owners and sales people try to sell their product or service, neglecting the fact that their customer is a person. In fact, the customer is a person who has feelings, influences and a mind of their own. They want to be connected with, and to trust and believe the person from which they are buying.” Rebecca Wilson
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 5, 2014 | Social Media
What do we know about those lurking in the background of our computers? Sure there are plenty of psychos but there are millions of would be friends, colleagues and partners. Sometimes it may seem like a microcosm of voyeurs or people jumping up and down screaming, “Look at me! Look at me!” But when you filter out the noise and crazies, you find some pretty awesome people.
People who are educators. People who become close friends, clients or business associates.
When Human Resources Expert (and an admired social media friend), Jennifer Miller recently messaged me inquiring about ‘resume tips’ for an article she was writing, I was delighted to comply! Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter.
One thing I’ve learned from colleagues I met through social media – they are a generous bunch. Case in point: this article started as a FB message and grew into this wonderful series of resume writing tips, courtesy of Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter. Thanks, Jacqui! Jennifer Miller
Take a step back and really review the inventory of your network. It blows my mind. There are people across the world that I never would have had the opportunity to meet or connect with if it wasn’t for social media. It is an extensive amount of work to live and maintain an online presence, but the benefits are beyond imagination.
On a recent vacation back home, I was blessed with meeting two amazing people that I only know from online. Across the miles, we have developed deep connections, shared intimate details of our lives and done business together. To finally meet in real life was a treat. We planned our 16 hour drive home around geography, highways and byways to make this happen.
The relationships you cultivate behind your keyboard can develop into some of the most joyful and satisfying connections, widening your authentic network. People get to know you via your posts, interactions, comments, circles of influence and platforms. They see a glimpse into your life AND your business. There’s no need to stand on ceremony or pretend to be someone or something you’re not.
The emphasis on content is largely due to it being a way to create human connections, an opportunity to present who you are as a company, as opposed to what you do. It’s an exciting time to be involved as the opportunities for creating real, meaningful relationships are there, waiting, and the audience is looking for engagement. Andrew Hutchinson
Be you.
Connect.
Share.
Over the last 8 years, I have watched my circle expand with some absolutely dynamic individuals and companies alike. My business has grown considerably, without traditional advertising. It’s all via word of mouth and building a solid online presence. It is always an honor when someone choses Ace Concierge as their virtual assistant partner because it requires a leap of faith and a great deal of trust to do business with someone you’ve never met.
My personal relationships are bar none. True treasures that are daily gifts imparting inspiration, laughs, real friendship and a shoulder when needed. There were many times over the years that these “virtual” people have been there when I needed them most. Irreplaceable. I am truly grateful and maybe indebted to social media for giving me the opportunity to meet such an amazing group of friends and actually, my virtual family that sometimes is able to move into one on one in person hugs.
While this may not be a standard blog post filled with trending topics and educational content, I hope it helps to display one of the more vital aspects of social media networking that makes all of your digital connections possible.
Whether business or personal, life online revolves around relationship marketing.
While establishing a presence across social media is important, making lasting relationships is the key to long-term success. Rebekah Radice
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 29, 2014 | Content Marketing, Social Media, Time Management
Turning on your computer or your phone is similar to opening the floodgates of hell for information overload. With daily bombardments of blog posts, news and websites, it is no wonder our brains haven’t exploded from over consumption. You can spend exhaustive hours reading, processing and filtering information every single day while just sitting at your desk or local coffee shop. It is an abyss or a dark hole that sucks you in and tightens the grasp on your brain. Fingers of words encapsulating your every thought, every move to retain your attention and drive you to take some kind of action.
The seduction and lure of content is the possessive lover of our society. The soft caress of the enticing paragraphs tickling your mind to keep you reading, distracting you as the hours tick by unnoticed. Until the end of the day when you wipe the sweat off of your brow, wondering where the hours went.
“Information overload” is one of the biggest irritations in modern life. There are e-mails to answer, virtual friends to pester, YouTube videos to watch and, back in the physical world, meetings to attend, papers to shuffle and spouses to appease. A survey by Reuters once found that two-thirds of managers believe that the data deluge has made their jobs less satisfying or hurt their personal relationships. One-third think that it has damaged their health.” The Economist
This may seem a little melodramatic, but think about the time you actually spend consuming all of this intel. It is the nature of the beast in your digital environment, trying to garner the newest, the latest, the greatest, the biggest, or the best, for your business, yourself, your clients and your community but heck, what a job in and of itself.
How would we conduct our businesses or gain knowledge and insight into social media without the research and reading? We need it. We do it. But at what cost?
With each article or piece of content, you must consider what to do with it next: like, comment, share, purchase, join, blog about it, bookmark it, or even search more about the topic. When you share it, you will think about where you will repost it and not just your own social channels but what about places like bizsugar.com or inbound.org? The possibilities are numerous.
Researching and reading isn’t just a simple process in your online world. There is more action to be taken which helps to build your engagement and community. It’s strategy and tactics. Sure you enjoy reading the content and probably learning something new, but it is what you do after that which counts even more.
You have a business to operate and make successful yet you must operate online as well. How much time can you invest or do you invest in maintaining your presence, building your reputation, connecting, networking, sharing, reading, commenting and engaging?
You know the drill. It is an extensive, arduous process that takes you away from truly focusing on your core business. While all of this is a “requirement” for your business, you need to develop some systems and processes enabling you to balance your time and efforts to be more productive and efficient.
Tips for Romancing the Data Overload:
- Make a list of the blogs, platforms, thought leaders and news aggregators you like to visit on a daily basis. Keep track of any daily content alerts you receive – more data to be consumed. You hopefully have created targeted lists or groups on each of your social media channels so you can easily locate those thought leaders and colleagues whose content and engagement you value most.
- Create a schedule of when you will interact, search, curate and share content. Allot yourself a specific amount of time so you don’t get sucked into a worm hole of reading and distractions. Use a timer if you must.
- Stay focused and resist the temptation to jump around from one platform to the next. Multi-tasking your reading and activities is not only a time waster but harmful to your health. Bookmark posts or use a “read later” tool like readability.com if something really sparks your interest. Add it to your swipe file if you feel it is a great idea generator for a later blog post.
- Unsubscribe from content that is no longer of interest or just clutters your inbox
- Set clear boundaries on your time – tune out and stop crunching the content
- Understand that it is physically impossible to read and digest every byte of data that is pushed your way. You are constantly inundated with new content every nanosecond. Can you really process it all? No and you don’t have to.
Staying current is important for your knowledgebase and success of your business, but if you are buried in the content surplus every day, then who will run your business? Your clients?
Managing your social media, online reputation, digital space, community and marketing is a full-time job, BUT so is running your business. Your laundry list is a mile long to effectively manage each of them and it is pretty much a catch 22 to be able to marry the entities together without being a drain on your effort. Don’t let your data overload seduce you away from your company, your life or your goals. Learn to filter what you need and when. Execute an effective plan with time restraints and a set strategy.
It’s time management. It’s teamwork. It’s about creating a balance.
The systems and processes you design for your business and social media workflow are key toward scaling your company as well as creating the optimum online community.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 9, 2014 | Delegation, Small Business, Social Media, Virtual Assistant
Do you feel as though your day flies by without a minute to spare? Maybe you even missed lunch, got home late, or forgot to pick up something at the store? Gosh, I am sure you know the feeling. You are constantly on the go and doing something BUT is that “something” productive and getting you closer to your goals? Simply being busy isn’t results oriented.
Being productive means getting things done. As in you’ve actually accomplished something, not just filled out a fake status report marked “complete.” Learn how the work you do makes it to the finish line and how it adds to the bottom line of your company. Craig Golightly
At the end of the day have you reviewed your long laundry list and found that you still have a lot of washing to do? Well, you are not alone. Your entrepreneurial spirit is driving you to do it all and be it all, no matter what the cost. No matter what the activity.
You should seriously consider the busyness and the low payoff tasks versus the real core drivers of your business that produce the income. The tasks and projects that ONLY you can and should do.
If you are entrenched with 10, 20+ hours a week on social media management, curating content, writing, editing, proofing and scheduling blog posts, calendar management, writing newsletters, creating documents and templates or acting as the project manager, then WHO is operating your business?
Value your time!
Honor your skills!
As I mentioned in: “Leveraging Time and Your Core Genius,” when you are able to maximize your potential by focusing on your core genius, you become more productive and effective. While there are many daily business tasks that require attention, it doesn’t necessarily have to be on your time. Delegating the lower return projects and tasks gives you back your time to build your business, develop strategy, nurture relationships, foster loyalty, seek partnerships, and focus on your bottom line.
I received an email from an exceptionally valued long-time client who shared her To Do list with me. She stated: “These are just a few of the things I need to grow my business – and I am failing at doing them, but when I do, it totally pulls me away from the work I NEED to do that is billable.”
Her statement firmly relates back to leveraging time and focusing on what you do best to build and cultivate your company.
The following are some of the tasks and projects that she must faithfully devote her time doing in order to continue to expand her business. What an expansive undertaking! Remember: Time is money! Invest wisely.
Are all of these her core genius? Certainly not, however; they are must do activities for business development and progress.
- Keep my Social Media up to date for all these areas:
- Links, research, updates
- Linking to all other things I do – I.E.: when I write a blog post, making sure it is pushed out to every single place.
- Doing key word searches in Google to make sure key wording is in every article for the most relevant search terms.
- Document management systems – keep all my documents on the shared drive (in the cloud) up to date and in order by first cleaning up the mess I have going now… – including but not limited to:
- Client files
- Website files
- Corporate files
- Marketing materials
- Research documents etc.
- Source potential clients in my geographical location who are in start-up to med-sized businesses, active in Social media and who may or may not need idea sessions to get their business further along
- Requesting a meeting for me
- Setting it up
- Reviewing and updating my calendar so I keep better track because I always fail to put things in calendars
- Meet with me via Skype once a week to see what needs to be done and doing it
- Use my contract template documents for me and update them for each new client as it takes me days to get to these.
- Review and edit all files sent to all clients or outgoing parties
- Do all my research for the topics I write about so they can be backed by data
- All invoicing and receipts for clients
- All sourcing of industry related expert themes
- Managing my LinkedIn polls
- Creating my surveys for clients
- Creating templates for all my follow-up reports for each facilitated session
- Taking all of my current documentation and finding ways of repurposing it
- Taking all of my product development efforts and interviewing vendors
- Responding to and dealing with all incoming email from all websites with initial contact to let them know I am here and I did get their email, and when I will respond
- Setting up of appointments with clients, prospective clients, peers
- Researching all speaker opportunities and sending out my speaker packages and filling out the applications
- Researching all clients who have recently undergone a merger or acquisition and sending the change management brochures out to them
- Develop templates for my processes so I am not reinventing the wheel every time I work with a new client
- Updating my BIO on every single software site I have it listed (and tracking where that is) so I can ensure it is always consistent every time I change it
- Updating the company project software for me at the drop of an email – because I cannot always log in
- Managing the company project software and following up with deadlines of contractors
- Using your network to get them to post my quotes on quote sites so I continue to build credibility
- Sourcing the least expensive book editors to edit my writing of each chapter of the book I never have time to edit.
- Kicking my butt and making sure everything I say I “want to do” becomes an actionable item in the company product software and is due to YOU to review for me – rather than my leaving it in there without a date and just “wishing” it would happen
So, after reading this list, how many of these tasks do you hold on to that keep you working IN your business rather than ON it? We sometimes don’t realize all of the day to day activities that go into growing our companies, as they have become second nature while we are on autopilot.
All of these tasks and projects are NECESSARY but divert your attention from the most important facets of your company which ONLY you can do. These are the low payoff, non-income generators that aren’t the best value of your time.
ACTION ITEM: Record every single task, project or activity for one week, noting which line items are income producers, core genius or something that was a time robber and should have been outsourced.
Come back to me in one week and share your list. Let’s talk strategy and outcomes.
“One of the most critical was the ability to learn how to effectively delegate. It is a skill that every upstart entrepreneur must master if they wish to grow their business. Without delegation your business will be limited by your own time and energy.” Matthew Swyers
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jun 25, 2014 | Small Business, Social Media
Participating on social media platforms can present many challenges from knowing when to post, what to post and how to engage. While we all know that utilizing a variety of channels is important to your marketing funnel, it can be a daunting, time consuming task to establish and grow your community. I hear it every day. My clients can spend 20+ hours a week buried in social media, which also takes them away from their business.
It is a big investment of time and energy. So many individuals or companies will create a profile, upload a few posts and then desert their networks. This action does not translate to results. If you are going to set up shop then you must actively participate to reach out and maximize your opportunities. The data clearly defines social media growth and it will only continue to explode over the coming years. Each platform offers you the digital ease of connecting on an infinite scale if done properly.
Social media success is developed on a solid foundation comprised of several components which help to build your credibility, following, loyalty and thought leadership. It takes time to build a loyal following and that is only achieved through mutual dialog and building relationships. Social media is not just a soapbox to taut your company, yourself or your achievements. The old adage, people buy from people holds steadfast.
Social Media Success via Weigh Your Mind
If you were at a cocktail party, you wouldn’t rush up to someone and abruptly hand them your business card and begin to discharge your elevator speech. Refrain from the same ME ME song on social media. Build relationships with an authentic voice and humanize your brand. I know when I have attended networking events or even establish a new connection with someone and they immediately deluge me with websites, posts, things to download, things to sign up for or I receive unsolicited emails, the “hair goes up on the back my neck.” Just don’t do it! It is a tremendous turnoff.
Reduce your angst and free up some time by implementing some systems and processes that will work for you. Test them out and create a schedule that you will adhere to. Don’t jump around – stay on task. There are always ways to work smarter and enhance your marketing efforts. These become your everyday routines, part of your calendar to help maintain not only your sanity but streamline your efforts. If you are all over the board, jumping from task to task or briefly stopping in on your networks when you think of it, you are decreasing your efficiency and of course, effectiveness. Always have a plan of attack.
Social media has to be done right. To execute properly, you have to begin strong, know what to do and what to avoid. Brett Relander
Become the Ninja: Simple Social Media Tips
- Identify your social business goals
- Learn about metrics
- Understand ROI
- Create a social media strategy
- Perform a social media audit
- Discover tools to help you search, curate, share and measure
- Plan your profiles with keywords and custom images
- Set up alerts for keywords, interests, thought leaders AND competitors
- Better engage with your influencers by creating lists and columns on your social channels
- Use and track hashtags
- Review profiles and websites
- Get listed on directories
- Create your content plan with a balance of rich information to share and how you will give back to your community.
- Be authentic and build relationships
- Tailor your content for the right network
- Use humor
- Compliment others and share their content
- Create captivating images
- Post some promotional content
- Automate and push some relevant content leaving you time to engage
- Delegate some of your social media management, saving the personal interactions to build your brand
These are just a few of the suggestions I recommend to my clients either for them to implement or to discuss as part of the Ace solutions. If you’d like a few more ideas, click on: 20 Time Saving Tips for Your Social Media Workflow – The key take away is to design a PLAN to implement and stick to in order to save some time and be more efficient with your social media marketing.
Just start somewhere but T H I N K about what you are doing and why. Always, always be real and give back to your audience. It isn’t just about you, it’s about them and creating the kind of relationships that you desire to be a part of. Yes, of course you need a strategy and tactics. That goes without saying but when you begin from the human standpoint, that is half of the battle to nurture your global network.
“Humility, gentleness, and helpfulness go so much further and open doors you cannot imagine. Think from a higher level and try to see beyond today. Some hard work and insight will bring you to paths that will reward you so highly, it’ll make the little inconvenience you incurred so worth it.” @AnnTran_
Best of success and please do share your thoughts and tips with us. We value your input.
