Today’s best tip on referrals comes from Tim Nagle, fellow Duct Tape Marketing coach.  His advice:  “Actively Market for Referrals” – a great quick read!

Watch this video from John Jantsch:

The Referral Engine from John Jantsch on Vimeo.

Introduction to the primary ideas contained in the book The Referral Engine by John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing.

In reality, we all look the same.  How can you expect your prospective customers to pick you when they see no obvious difference between you and your competitor?

• “Strawberries are strawberries, right.  I’ll look for the store with the lowest price.”
• “All plumbers are basically the same.  I wonder who’s the cheapest in town?”
• “There’s a mechanic on every corner in this town.  I’ll call around for who can do it for less.”

oh . . . not to leave us out . . .

• “I just need someone to help me understand social media marketing.  I’ll search online and pick the first one I see on Page 1 of Google.”

It happens to all of us.  In one sense of another, we’re all a commodity. (By the way, Wikipedia defines commodity:  “A commodity is some good for which there is demand, but which is supplied without qualitative differentiation across a market.”)

Nancy Beth Guptill, one of my fellow Duct Tape Marketing coaches located in Canada, shares this insightful article, drawing on John Jantsch’s ideas that “every business is a commodity business.”  Differentiation is the key to winning this battle.

Scott Ginsberg also relates “How to sell a commodity and still win.”  Great practical ideas from the guy with who wears a Nametag everywhere he goes (now, that’s different)!

-Randy

]]> http://www.marketingtwins.com/uncategorized/pick-me-the-challenge-of-selling-the-same-thing/feed/ 0 http://www.marketingtwins.com/uncategorized/facebookfanpage/ http://www.marketingtwins.com/uncategorized/facebookfanpage/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:37:12 +0000 updater http://www.MarketingTwins.com/?p=5324

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak to an enthusiastic crowd at the monthly networking event “Coffee & Spiels” sponsored by the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce and hosted by DBU Hurst-Colleyville campus.  In summarizing my presentation yesterday, here are “5 Ways to Engage & Interact with Your Facebook Fan Page”:

1. Magnetic Attraction - your Fan Page is a mini-website in and of itself, but it’s not enough.  Linking it to your hub of activity, which is your website, ensures that while you make “touch points” with customers and prospects on your Fan Page, you will find greater success in directing that attraction to your website.  Because so many people are immersed in the Facebook culture, it makes sense to, first, draw their attraction to your Fan Page because it operates within the same environment (they don’t have to leave Facebook to connect with you).  Then you offer a compelling reason (or multiple reasons) to go out of Facebook to your website.
2. Free Billboard Space for You and Your Fans – who couldn’t use a few more ambassadors, evangelists and sales people – and without having to pay them!  Because setting up a Fan Page is free, you have no financial barrier in doing so.  Facebook is a word of mouth playground – referrals and shout-outs are happening all the time.  For the same reason as mentioned above about keeping people engaged without having to leave Facebook, your Fans as well need an outlet to point their friends to that stays within the social networking site.  Plus, maximize the shareability (is that a word?) that comes with Facebook.  When someone clicks on “Become a Fan” (at least as it is worded now), all of their friends see it in their personal profile feed.  Or if you post a link to an article or some photos of an event on your Fan Page (not a status update though), your fans see it in their personal feed with an option to “Share” it on their profile for all their friends to see.  All that publicity is free.
3. Free Showcase for Your Products and Services - by putting product photos on your Fan Page, or adding videos of you describing your unique services, you are like a brief commercial for all that you have to offer.  This is tantalizing and tempting for your fans who will be compelled to “see a larger gallery of work” or “learn more about the details of this service” on your website.
4. Get Your Fans to Do Something Besides Just Become a Fan – so what that someone clicks on the “Become a Fan” button when their first come to your Fan Page?  Once they do that, they are most likely directed to the Wall tab, and then left to fend for themselves on how much investigating they do on your Page (hint:  most people just click away because they are not that motivated to do the tour unless guided!)  Don’t settle for DEFAULT – differentiate your Fan Page by directing your customers and fans to specific places on your Page.  When we customize our clients’ Fan Pages, we encourage them to have a unique “Welcome” tab that also encourages the new fan to do more than just “Become a Fan” – they could watch a video, download a free report, donate, or link to your main website (see our gallery for examples of what I’m talking about)
5. Participate and Promote Your Fan Page – one more obvious point: make sure that you actually engage with your fans!  There’s nothing worse (oops, we’ve been guilty a time or two early on) than when a fan makes a comment on your Page but they are left with no response from you.  Creating a Fan Page is like opening up a satellite office – you’ve got to man it or it will appear to be nothing more than a facade.  Post regularly to your Wall (but don’t overdo it; your fans may not be as interested as you are).  Don’t overly self-promote, either (see my article from last year on how to be less narcissistic on social media).  Also be sure and promote your Fan Page with a link on your website and in your email signature.

Linkedin offers you an incredible opportunity to also showcase your expertise as a blogger, presenter, problem solver and dynamic player in your industry.

Linkedin affords you a powerful social networking platform that is noticeably different than Facebook.  It is almost 100% professional!  No mafia wars, getting tagged in high school photos you wish you had never been reminded of, and a much more focused agenda.  The strategy you need to employ is to find a good balance between going for the kill and nurturing a long-term relationship.  The former is aggressive and can be a turn-off although the tenacity will open doors.  The latter is perfect for social media that fosters a relationship approach to marketing; however, it need not be too passive.  Here’s a helpful article on being a “hunter” and a “farmer” in your sales approach.

If you are wanting to use social media tools like Linked in to pursue a new career or land that first job after graduation, you will likely need a social media resume.  I also pass on a number of good quality links on using Linkedin specifically in your job search.

In additional to these ways to use Linkedin to market your business, come join our Linkedin webinar for only $35 Tuesday evening at 8:30p CST.    Two more nighttime webinars left this month!  (click link below)

Gone are the days of a stale, static website.

If your site doesn’t act as a hub of activity, coming and going, receiving and sending . . . then it is virtually dead.

Making your website your hub allows:

1. Capturing the Lead - you don’t have time in a typical 5 minute conversation to tell a prospect everything there is to know about you and your business.  Having a hub of information and education allows you to point them to something tangible besides simply saying “go to my website.”  You can direct them to specific pages, or an opportunity to watch a video, or download a complimentary whitepaper or free report.  In doing so, you’re also able to capture the email address of your prospect in exchange for something of value.
2. Tracking your activity - know who is coming in and at what point they land.  Tools like Google Analytics help track this.
3. Educating your prospect - if you understand marketing as “getting people with a specific need to KNOW, LIKE and TRUST you,” you have to believe that not every single contact is going to result in an immediate transaction.  You’re not a broom salesman trying to capture an exchange of funds each and every time you meet someone.  You are cultivating relationships and you are desperately trying to educate your prospect.  When they are aware of the full range of benefits and the seriousness of NOT doing anything about their problem, then you create a compelling situation that gently forces them to make a decision.  Through education, you have convinced them of their need for you.
4. Demonstrating thought leadership – no matter your industry, your prospects are looking for the leader – someone who can navigate clearly, direct people to solutions, answer questions and alleviate fears.  Linking your blog to your site (ideally it should be integrated into your site – but if not, you should at least have a blog), and then subsequently linking your Linkedin account to it, tweeting your Twitter updates to it, and pointing people from Facebook to it – these are the ways to showcase your leadership.  Of course, by definition, leadership hardly exists without followers,  but don’t give up.  Every leader starts with one follower (yourself), then maybe a spouse or group of friends, and then adds to the flock.  Don’t wait to start leading your industry until you have followers – that’s backward.
5. Promoting your stuff – in balance, this piece should exist as part of your hub strategy.  If your prospects see you educating them all along the way and leading them with thoughts they never had before, then they will permit a fair amount of self-promotion.  Just keep it in balance.

When your hub exists in this way, it provides an easy-to-follow formula for a social media strategy.  When you are tweeting, adding a link on Facebook, or submitting a YouTube video, think about how you can H-E-L-P your audience:

• H – point them to your hub – everything goes back to the main source of education and information!
• E – educate them – this is part of your “compelling process” (as opposed to your “selling process”)
• L – lead them – give them unique thoughts that challenge, convince, and compel
• P – promote yourself and your products – kept in balance, you are allowed to do this – but don’t over do it!

How are you using your website hub to H-E-L-P your prospective customers?

-Randy

Image credit:  Clark Airport

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2009/08/10/5-tips-for-getting-more-from-facebook/

ALERT: If you are managing your brand based on your reaction to next weekend’s newspaper headlines, you will be too late!  People are talking about you online right now!  Don’t let a day go by without alerting yourself to what they are saying.

The WSJ posts a very practical article on using Twitter to avert a PR mess! Some real-life, practical examples from the big-boys….certainly can give you some ideas for using Twitter as well!  Here’s a NYT article on the same subject:  reputation management.

When you are dealing with reputation management, it is important to know what’s being said about you.

There are several Twitter search options, but recently Twitter modified its HOME page to include a powerful search option.  If you are using TweetDeck like we do, there are some very powerful and practical search functionality.  TweetBeep is another simple alert system for strong reputation management – similar to Google alerts for Twitter.  If you are not using Google alerts, you are also missing out on a simple feed that tells you when people are talking about you and your brand.

There’s alot more to say about managing your brand’s reputation online.  But with such a strong popularity of Twitter, I wanted to give you some practical ideas on using Twitter in your reputation management.

Twitter Twaining Camp is THIS month – the session for the 7th is closed, but the 14th and 21st dates are still available.  Only $40 and you can learn what the world is talking about!

image credit (boy at top of this post):  davidszondy.com

Susan Wilson Solovic of SBTV.com writes an informative article, reminding small business owners not to jump too quickly into lower prices just to make a sale.

In her article, Susan says: “Keep in mind it’s much easier to cut your prices than it is to raise them. If you lower them now, it’s going to be difficult to increase them once the economy takes off again.”

Read the entire article here.

REGISTER HERE TO SECURE YOUR SPOT!

Happy Independence Day!  The Marketing Twins salute all our troops – those who served in years past as well as those stationed around the world (including here at home) – you have served your country well.  Well done!

Our next Double Take LIVE Broadcast will be announced Tuesday!  Can’t wait to tell you who this is . . .

Randy & Donny