Sollé Coaching » Marketing Strategy

3 Steps To Creating Content for Social Media

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 05:03:36 +0000

photo © 2009 Smithsonian Institution | more info (via: Wylio)You have heard (been bombarded with) how in online marketing and social media platforms, content is king? You’ve heard it. Read it. Watched it. And it does make sense: We have so many better options to spend our time on than read about a company that is simply interested in increasing sales and only interested in announcing sales, discounts, etc.

Yet creating content can be daunting. In the beginning of working together, new Sollé Coaching clients question whether they have anything valuable to say, or they don’t know how to create valuable content. So we have a 3 step program for them. Assuming you have a marketing strategy in place, and you have identified your target audience and their needs, here are 3 steps to get you started:

1) Reading: Don’t worry about creating original content yet. Simply interact with existing content created by others. Read blogs, LinkedIn Group discussions, Twitter conversations, Facebook pages, etc. Then join the conversation – give a short comment, hit that Like or ReTweet button, ask your own questions, or answer questions others have posted.

2) Writing: Share links (on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn) and state your opinion on it. Start creating your own blog posts and other content. Guest blog for others in your area of expertise. Write eGuides, white papers, or Ezine articles. None of these works have to be pulitzer prize winners or reveal earth-shattering facts and revelations! And creating your own content should not mean that you are now finished with with Step#1. These two steps go hand-in-hand. Interaction is always a necessity to drive traffic to that beautiful content you create.

3) Multi-Media: Now things are getting fun! Spice things up and include videos, podcasts, photos, and slide shows. Share your content and expertise by using different mediums.

What are some challenges you have (or have had) with content creation? What are some mistakes you see being made?

Who Do You Blog For? Here’s My Secret Audience

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:36:48 +0000

photo © 1931 National Library NZ on The Commons | more info (via: Wylio)If you are a regular reader of this blog (Gracias!), you know that I regularly preach Targeting. Targeting and Strategy. Targeting and Strategy and Measuring.

And I get a lot of questions on how to write a blog for your target audience. We even discussed this on #blogchat today on Twitter.

I find it very daunting and pressuring to write for a vast, faceless audience. It’s also very impersonal for me and when I write, it is a very personal experience. So I blog for one person and one person alone.

No, it is not my husband. Sorry darling. I actually made her up. She personifies my target audience – their needs, education level, marketing knowledge, fears, questions, life-style, and more. It is easy for me to write directly for her and answer her questions in a manner I think she would understand and enjoy. It also removes the pressure of writing to a faceless crowd.

Have you given much thought to this? When you write your blog or post on Facebook or send out your traditional marketing – who do you write for?

4 P’s of Marketing – Revolutionized!

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 00:32:08 +0000

Have you heard of the 4 P’s? If you didn’t grow up in a cave, you have probably heard of the 4 P’s of Marketing – Product, Place, Price, Promotion. The 4 pillars of Marketing. The 4 ingredients of Marketing Mix. The 4 elements of a Marketing Plan.

Do you see the importance of the 4 P’s of Marketing? I mean, this is the stuff marketing is built on! This is the stuff we marketers want to wall paper our office in – or get tattoos of.

Then came SIVA. The customer-focused revolutionization of the 4 P’s. Product was suddenly “Solution”. Place is now “Access”. We don’t dare discuss Promotion but rather “Information”. And it’s not about Price anymore but “Value”.

Just when you thought it’d be nearly impossible to update that 4P’s tattoo into a SIVA tattoo, I’m here to tell you I don’t believe either of them are 100%complete anymore. They lack what I refer to as the 5th P – Platform. Marketing strategies can no longer simply pose the question ‘Should I be on a social media platform” but should rather ask “Which is the right platform for my business”. And the online marketing aspect of a marketing strategy is so important that it has to stand on its own as it’s own pillar.

What do you think? Does every marketing strategy involve the 5th P? Should it?

Gettin’ Fresh With Cottonelle – And Other Marketing Mistakes

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:06:37 +0000

Do you remember Pepsi’s cross-cultural marketing faux pas when its “Come Alive With The Pepsi Generation” translated into “Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From The Grave.” Seriously Pepsi, you couldn’t find a single Chinese person on this planet to ask before you launched that campaign?

Or how about the famous “Got Milk?” marketing campaign that was so successful here… a little less successful in Mexico with “Are You Lactating?”.

We’re used to companies making these mistakes in different markets. But seriously Cottonelle – You made this mistake in your own backyard? They are calling their Fresh Flushables moist wipes campaign “Get Fresh With A Friend.” Do you not know Mr. Cottonelle Ad Agency what ‘getting fresh with someone’ implies in slang in this country? You’ve never heard people say “He was trying to get fresh with me…” to imply sexual interest? A quick googling of the phrase “get fresh with someone” would have enlightened you.

Well Cottonelle’s marketing agency, you can take comfort in the knowledge that you weren’t the first and won’t be the last one making slogan faux pas. I’m sure others will follow as new campaigns are launched for the holidays and new year.

So what is your favorite commercial currently? Or funner yet… your favorite slogan faux pas?

How To Create A Living Marketing Strategy

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:39:43 +0000

photo © 2010 Steff | more info (via: Wylio)
In yesterday’s blog post about why usual marketing strategies are useless, I promised you I would share with you the components of a successful and living marketing strategy. This is by no means everything that I include in a client’s marketing strategy, but it will help get you started on the right path. Drum roll please!

1) Market Assessment - What is the market up to? What have been some industry trends? Don’t stop here. Define what these mean for your business.

2) Your Business’ SWOT Analysis and a Competitor Analysis - Self Explanatory I think. If you don’t know what SWOT is, ummm, Wiki it. And then use this information to figure out what your competitor is doing better, what you’re doing better, what is within your control to improve. (This information is also the foundation of the branding and differentiation process.)

3) Segmentation of Target Audience - Do you have an unendless amount of time and resources? You don’t? Then you need to figure out who you will spend your money and time on. And then it’s critical to segment or categorize your target audience so you can customize your message for each group. Otherwise, if you continue to send irrelevant information, you will condition your audience to ignore your message.

4) Business Goals – Notice I have said Business Goals. Not just Marketing Goals. Marketing touches every aspect of the business. And the marketing goals need to be aligned with the business goals. Oh, and better make them SMART goals. And throw in those realistic milestones that my clients and business partners laugh at me about. (Disclaimer: I’m a Google Analytics Junkie and Milestone-Calendar (who, what, when) Junkie). The progress needs to be analyzed at least monthly.

5) Positioning and Message – What is the perception you need to create? What is the message you need to portray? What story should others tell about you? Who does it need to reach? What is the keyword?

6) 12 Month Rolling Media Plan - Media includes both traditional media (TV Commercials, Radio Ads, etc) and online marketing media platforms; in other words: commercials, ads, promotions, contests, Social Media tactics. And that pesky budget must be considered too when planning. Audience, reach, and frequency are all important components of a Media Plan. This is your roadmap but flexibility is also important as things might change in the next 12 months.

Once you have all this, don’t stop. Remember, you are not just collecting this information to have a pretty strategy sitting on your shelf, collecting dust. Now you need to determine what the marketing implications are of all your findings. How does all of this info you gathered affect your marketing and your business? And then you can start planning marketing tactics. And the right media mix. The perfectly balanced promotions. The branding. The content.

How could your business benefit from a marketing strategy like this?

Why Marketing Strategies Are Usually Useless

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 01:58:11 +0000

photo © 2008 Prabhu | more info (via: Wylio)
I can give you many analogies or illustrations to help you understand the importance of a Marketing Strategy. Or I could use the fear tactic.

But I’m more interested in why you don’t think you need a marketing strategy. It’s probably because you also think you don’t need a business strategy unless you are applying for a loan. And we have countless college textbooks and professors to thank for this. Yes colleges! They have an idea of a strategy that is completely useless and that you somehow struggle through and then put on your shelf to never look at again. So I completely understand when businesses think “Why even take the time for something I’ll never use?”

Because you will use it. The marketing strategies I’m talking about aren’t textbook-modeled-dust-collectors. I’m talking about marketing strategies that you have to look at every month to see where you are in your road map and where you need to go yet. It’s the plan you need to turn to in order to plan your promotions, advertisements, online activities, social media tools, and to track your performance.

In order to not be lost, you need two pieces of information. Where you are. Where you are going. In order to start a successful branding strategy, you need to know what the current perception is about your brand. And where you want that perception to be in the future. These are the roadmaps that a well-written marketing strategy does for you. It’s your money. Your resources. Your time. Your business. Your reputation. Your brand. Take control of it.

And in tomorrow’s blog post, I will show you the components of a successful and living marketing strategy. Please try to contain yourselves – I know the excitement is killing you! Here’s to your success!

Don’t Even Think About A Website!

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 01:54:19 +0000

photo © 2006 Purple Slog | more info (via: Wylio)
Dorothy had the yellow brick road to follow. Captain Kirk wandered aimlessly around space, putting out daily fires.

Which one do you want to be like. Hint: Not suggesting you wear a blue plaid dress but I’d go with choice A.

Most companies (yes just most, still not all!) understand that an online presence is a must and a website is an intricate part of that. So they hire a web developer and Voila! They have a website… Oh, and they started the project from the wrong end.

Where is the strategy?

How does a website fit into your overall goals? What are your business goals to begin with? What is your brand personality? How do people currently perceive your company? How do you want to be perceived and what are the right steps to get there? What kind of visual branding do you need to represent your brand and brand personality- what colors, fonts, pictures, layouts, logos? Is your current logo right or does it need an update? What have been the trends in your industry? What does your competitor field look like? What are the needs of your target audience? What kind of content will you create? How will you budget your time and resources? And once you have a beautiful website, how are you going to draw traffic to it? How will you know if it’s working or not? What metrics will you use to measure things – and let me tell you, measuring traffic is not enough.

So if you start with the Website rather than a marketing strategy, are you following a well thought-out path or going nowhere at warp speed?

Why Giving People Choices Has Ruined Marketing

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:31:49 +0000

photo © 2009 Jeff Golden | more info (via: Wylio)
When radio and commercials were first invented, commercials aired, people listened. Yet when cars and stereos were equipped with programmable stations, people surfed the radio when a commercial came on.

When TV and commercials were first invented, commercials aired, people watched. Yet when more stations were added and the remote control was invented, people surfed the channels when commercials came on. And when Tivo was invented, people skipped the commercials completely.

These media channels didn’t work because they were great. They worked because audiences and consumers didn’t have a choice. TV without a remote control meant you were tied to that TV station. When tuning your radio manually and finding the station was difficult, you were tied to that Radio station.

Giving consumers options has meant consumers opt out of commercials and advertising. So if all you are doing is taking your traditional marketing methods – advertising – and applying them to the Internet where consumers have options, how effective do you think you will be?

The Most Important Change Your Business Must Face

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:48:41 +0000

photo © 2008 Sammy0716 | more info(via: Wylio)
Business as we know it is going through an evolution. Industrialization and the printing press changed things. And so did the Internet. Can anyone even imagine doing business without the Internet or without Email anymore?

And Marketing has changed as well. No longer are consumers convinced by ads alone. Long gone are the days of producing glossy ads or commercials as the main tactics of marketing. Every marketing study shows the declining trust in advertisement. Consumers trust peer reviews, not fancy ads or TV Commercials. Traditional marketing will simply no longer work completely on its own.

That doesn’t mean all the traditional marketing lessons we learned are now useless. Segmentation – still necessary. Strategy – still necessary. Industry research – still necessary. All of it is still necessary. Social Media will not work without defining all of these components. These components just have to be woven with Online Marketing. Not “should be” but “must be”.

I had the privilege of hearing Mayor Giuliani speak a few weeks ago, and in his speech, he summed it up perfectly: “Don’t be afraid of technology. This is the world you live in. If a country or person is not plugged in to the Internet and taking advantage of all its tools, you’re not going to succeed in the next 20 years. You will be left behind.”

Has your business added Online Marketing and Social Media to it’s strategy? If yes, how has it helped you. If not, what is holding you back?

Biggest Blogging Mistakes You Make – The Sequel

Günes Yilmaztuerk — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 03:43:03 +0000

In yesterday’s “Biggest Blogging Mistakes You Make” blog post, we listed 1o mistakes and established 2 things: You are what you write. Even experienced bloggers make mistakes. Miss Dyson’s quote to “Always make new mistakes” doesn’t apply to blogging.

OK, so we apparently established three things. We’ll list the rest of the mistakes bloggers make in Letterman style (because we’re cooky like that) and start with #10:

10) Blogging like you’re lecturing, without any hint of personality. Zzzzzz.

9 & 8) Rambling on and on. Keep it short people. Break it into several posts. We’re the fast-paced-ADHD-society. And that blog better be separated into short paragraphs and lists. Oh, and we want pictures too!

7) Neglecting to educate yourself about your industry trends/news and your customer’s changing needs.

6) Copying other people’s content without giving credit. Not allowed in school. Not allowed on the blogosphere. Don’t ruin your reputation. Citing content doesn’t diminish your expertise, it shows that you play well with others.

5) Neglecting subject lines. Are they interesting and enticing enough to get people to even start reading your blog?

4) Don’t interact with commentors. You are privileged that people are spending their time on your blog. Do you know how many blogs are out there! (Me feeling quite privileged right now that you are reading this…)

3) Don’t interact with other bloggers. As Mr. Mack Collier says: You can’t function as an island. Look at it this way: The bloggers you interact with have a loyal readership. When you repeatedly interact with them, it’s the perfect way to take advantage of someone else’s readership base!

2) No commitment. When you first start a blog, it can be lonely. You’ll blog and no-one will read for maybe months.Keep producing interesting, valuable content and commit to earning the title of “blogger”!

And the Number One Biggest Blogging Mistake You Make Is: (are you hearing a drum roll?)

1) Blog without a strategy. Oh, this was #1 in the Biggest blogging Mistakes You Make post as well. Hmmm. This Turkish Marketer must be trying to tell you something.

Looking back, I should have broken some posts into 2. Lesson learned. Hence this sequel. Oh, and I also need to work on the credit thing. I get lazy with giving photo credits in my blog posts. Shame on me.

So be honest, which blogging mistakes have you made or are still making?

Photo Credit: Scion_Cho - http://www.flickr.com/photos/scion02b/2684518880/