Diet:: Day 33

[click for enlargement] [infographic via here::special thanx]

Let Video Brand Your Business...

When it comes to using video as a platform for marketing and branding your business- and, if you're 'lucky' - producing a viral hit {imagine if, the over 33.5million...yes, that's MILLION- hits that this video generated, were your potential/actual clients/sponsors/advertisers?  You do the ROI}- you can certainly take your lead from today's brides. These ingenius social media mavens, have, through the magic of You Tube, unabashedly share with the world {literally} pieces of their wedding dream. From surprise 'first dances' to the imaginative wedding party processionals, these couples have transformed an American institution into a personal brand! Their video viral successes have scored them their 'fifteen minutes' of fame...otherwise known to those of us in business as - FREE PR- on several morning news talk shows and evening magazine show. 

Suffice it to say, that, as business owners, you have already begun to make the correlation of the 'curious' viewers being your target audience and the thousands of hits being equivalent to the sponsorship opportunities for advertisers {think:: ROI}.  And we won't begin to talk about the almost limitless branding possibilities of what the FREE PR would do for our businessess....

Not real sure how to use video to market your business?  Here are some ideas from my friend, John Jantsch, over at Duct Tape Marketing ::
             

  ■ Interview customers and capture testimonials and success stories

  ■ Interview employees as they discuss what they do and how they help customers

  ■ Record a greeting from the CEO – don’t sell, just let them know your story

  ■ Use video as a call to action in your email campaigns 

  ■ Add video to your Google Maps profile, Facebook Fan Page, and LinkedIn profile

  ■ Create product and service training videos showing customers how to succeed

  ■ Record FAQs with real prospects or customer posing the questions

  ■ Interview your key strategic referral partners

  ■ Create all manner of “how to” video and screencast to help demonstrate your expertise

I'm sprinting to put these suggestions into action.  How about you?  Besides, what do we have to gain?
I want your thoughts...leave them.

Why Do I Need to be involved in Social Media Networks?

{original post here::special thanx}

People love to share their experiences, passions and memories with like-minded people. Social media platforms provide the perfect conduit for creating those connections.  Thirty four percent of on-line users post their comments/opinions about a product and/or brand on a social media platform.  Thirty six percent on on-line users think more positively about businesses that are present & visible on a social media platform.  What all of this amounts to is, even if business owners do not fully understand the concept of  utilizing social media as a marketing tool, we need to fully understand that we {business owners} are no longer totally in control of what is being said about our businesses.  This being said, business owners need to plan a strategy around social media networks that involves their active engagement and participation.

Your business needs to be 'PART OF THE CONVERSATION'