Tag Archives: marketing

Iron sharpens iron

Leave a reply

In olden times, the iron edge or blade of a tool was made sharper by working it with more iron.

The process of putting the two surfaces together delivered a change that wouldn’t happen otherwise – both pieces of iron would stay the same.

Switch this into our world today. What’s this got to do with you and I?

It’s about showing up in places where you’re not 100% confident and doing your thing anyway. 

Testing yourself against experts and learning along the way.

We grow through taking action, doing the things we find hard and that we don’t want to do.

Pushing hard through barriers and blocks (some real and some imagined) and making mistakes.

This happens all the time with people new to using Social Media and creating content. 

It’s hard to keep showing up at the beginning, feeling like we’re out of our depth and way behind everyone else.

But this is the signal that you’re in the right place. 

This is your test. You’re in the process of changing for the better.

Hang in there.

The most valuable skill in business

Leave a reply

The list of business skills is enormous, but which one is the most valuable?

Each non-fiction business book has it’s hot favourite.

Sales is always up there, especially because you can so easily convert the value into the metric of cash.

Communication and leadership skills are also important and often lauded as ones to work on at all opportunities.

One of my favourites is negotiation. It cuts across so many other areas of our lives and has a huge effect when you understand the psychology at play.

And the list goes on…

Marketing, coaching and project management…

Networking and looking after the numbers… 

Their importance can differ depending on who you follow or talk to.

What comes top of your list?

What I want a Social Media Expert to know and do in 2020

Leave a reply

Here’s a list that could work well as a checklist when looking to hire someone to help with Social Media for your business. 

There are a lot of people offering Social Media services because it’s a ‘hot’ sector right now. 

Businesses that traditionally don’t play in this space – web and graphic designers, for example – are adding it to their list of things they can do to help you, but beware.

Some are amazing and have tremendous skills and experience, but there are a vast number who should be avoided at all costs.

Here’s the list:

  • Their own Social Media profiles are excellent examples.
  • They show up frequently creating helpful, informative content.
  • They are not ‘post and disappear’ merchants – they engage online and do it all the time.
  • They are on the main platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (yes, Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube – and have live platforms with content posted in the last few days.
  • They do the work themselves rather than offshoring it to keep the costs down.
  • They have decent numbers of followers because they have been online and creating content for a long time. 
  • They use a mix of content – writing, video, audio and images.
  • They have excellent testimonials and recommendations (Facebook, LinkedIn and Google especially)
  • They value their skills and charge appropriately. (If prices seem cheap, the services usually are, too.)
  • They don’t claim to know ‘everything’ on any specific subject.
  • They can help to identify ideal clients and position brands the right way.
  • They know the difference between a blog and a website. 
  • They know how to listen online and spot key trends.
  • They understand how to interpret data and use it to improve results, especially on websites and working with written copy.
  • They have basic how-to knowledge as well as strategic ability.
  • They’re not afraid to make public predictions about where Social Media is going.

I’m sure there are more things but this is a good plcae to start.

Please use this list as a guide and add to it wherever you like. Also, let me know where you think I may be wrong and leave a comment. Thank you!

Face-to-face networking never loses its appeal

Leave a reply

high five

For all of the talk about the importance and relevance of social media that comes out of me and many other people, there is still a huge amount to be gained from the face-to-face version. My argument would be that in today’s online world, the value of face-to-face networking at its best has actually increased.

I attended the Sydney CBD BNI networking group this morning and had a great time meeting some new people and hearing about a range of high-performing businesses of all shapes and sizes operating in the city. It’s a great example of networking done well, but my invitation to attend this group came from a face-to-face meeting and a very rambling conversation with one of the members.

I have also had two requests for my services today from two connections who have met me, one of them only once, and neither of whom were connected to me on social platforms before we started talking.

Yes, we need to have a strong presence online and build our businesses this way – this tide is rising quickly and we need to stay afloat in order to reap the benefits – but we must never overlook the strength of the traditional methods. Trust can form much more quickly from having a broader conversation and trust in any relationship is what really matters. Use your social channels to grow the relationship and develop even greater levels of trust and you will see some excellent growth in time.

Big changes in our world since 2009

Leave a reply

I’ve picked 2009 because that’s when I started on Twitter. I was based in the US and was told by a good friend of mine working in print media in the UK that I should take a look at ‘this Twitter thing’ to stay in touch with news, views, etc. while I was away from home. After a lot of listening and lurking in the darkness, I finally got stuck into it and began my own small journey into the world of content and beyond.

trump-facebook-page

Fast forward to today and look where we are now. Digital platforms sell everything you could ever need and they are the go-to tools for marketers of all kinds. If you’re selling anything and everything, from goods and services to a candidate for the US Presidency, where do you go? You go where the ATTENTION is, and today it’s almost all ONLINE.

If you’re in business and you’re looking for growth and want to reach out to audiences old and new, you need to be where the attention is and be speaking the language that your audience is wanting to hear. Some time spent thinking what this means for you can pay huge dividends and if you want any help along the way, this is what I do everyday, so give me a shout.

The Brand Called ‘You’

Leave a reply

the-brand-called-you

Tom Peters wrote this seminal article for Fast Company magazine a long time ago but it remains relevant, share-worthy and full of important justification for putting the effort into developing your own brand, whoever you are and whatever you do.

Read it here: https://www.fastcompany.com/28905/brand-called-you

The quick-read:

  • Big companies know that their brand matters and spend zillions on standing out
  • Become the CEO of ‘Me Inc.’
  • The web makes it easy for you to make your branding work through lighting up your efforts
  • Make your own plan and write your own pitch – what do you do that adds value?
  • Market it HARD and OFTEN, any/every which way you can
  • When you’ve built your brand, use the power it can give you, e.g. bigger, better projects
  • Every once in a while, reinvent yourself – new goals and ideas, new definitions of success? GO!!!!