Monday, December 29, 2008

Monday Morning Marketeer, Web 2.0, Using Talkcasts to Create Platforms

This show was originally offered on Monday, December 15, 2008 at 9 AM EST and the archived version can be heard at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960 or http://www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com

How many times have you walked into an interview or a sales meeting and the decision maker asks these questions:
How much experience do you have?
Who are your clients?
What makes you an expert?
Why should I hire you or your company over your competitor?

What if on the other hand you have a new product, idea, or service that can make you a lot of money but you don’t have a lot of money to promote it?

Or how about this scenario, you have a great idea for a book or perhaps you have already written one and prospective publishers want to know, what’s your platform?

Another one: You have already dropped a bundle on this outlandishly outstanding website and no one visits it.

Well, whatever your marketing dilemma, talkcasting, podcasting or webinars can inexpensively solve your dilemma.

So what are these social media miracle workers?
Podcast: pre-recorded content to be put up later on the web
Talkcast: live, interactive and archived on the internet
Webinar: is also an audio but it usually a teaching piece and one way only although it can have interactive capabilities but usually they are limited to pre arranged guests to help the webinar host establish her credibility.

These are some great marketing effects that you can create by talkcasting, podcasting or doing free webinars that stay archived on line. I love to give examples from my own life. As some of you know I am a serial entrepreneur with twenty-five years long before the internet as a theatrical or entertainment agent. After twenty five years I was well branded in all aspects of the entertainment business. I owned a theatrical costume business and a monthly “print for heaven’s sake” theatrical journal. I was brick and mortar, regular media branded. After selling this business my serial entrepreneur endeavors led me to a limousine business and I soon became thru intensive networking and word of mouth, also before widespread Web 2.0 marketing, known as the limo lady.

After losing my limousines in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, I embarked on a marketing career since I had always done my own marketing and been extremely successful at it. I was very blessed to be at that time the Public Relations Director on the board of the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. I hung my shingle out and immediately got enough clients thru that association to sustain the business but if I wanted to grow I needed some serious branding.

I had discovered podcasting in my PR efforts for NAWBO and decided that Web 2.0 was the vehicle to not only re-brand NAWBO Greater Pittsburgh but also Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.

One of the ways that I discovered that was quick, easy and definitely within my budget was to use Web 2.0, mainly podcasting which I evolved for my purposes into Talkcasting. Web 2.0 is really not new, just new way of combining your in person networks with on line social networking and viral marketing. So the talkcasting was a great way to go from being the Limo Lady to Techno Granny. Techno Granny is the personification of using Web 2.0 for personal and business branding.

Back to those great marketing results that accrue from using Talkcasts to Create a Platform:
1. First of all you give the people in your extended in person network continual information by making sure that they are on your distribution list that publicizes your talkcast.
2. Under the “New Rules of Marketing and PR” as expounded in David Meerman Scott’s book of the same name, you have created a situation where you do not have to wait for traditional media to cover what you are doing, you use Web 2.0 to distribute your Talkcasts and voila, Get Your Google On!
3. If you are even vaguely good at what you do (and you shouldn’t be doing what you do unless you are great at it) then you are a savant or celebrity in your own field with tons of specialized knowledge. Talkcasting helps you to promote that celebrity.
4. In my seminar “Going Viral When the Economy Has a Virus™, I educate my audiences to understand that you can cure that virus with one good prescription that gets the word out about what you do. Talkcasting if you are diligent and committed to a regular venue and time slot is one of those prescriptions.

Now, do you have to know everything about talkcasting to make it work for you? As internationally known marketing guru Dan Kennedy says, “Good enough is good enough.” Techno GrannyShow™, example of a Talkcast that established me as Web 2.0 Expert, and trust me I learned as I went along. Another example,
Positively Pittsburgh Live Talkcast drives traffic to: www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com . Did I intend for that to happen? No I got the idea when my listeners wanted additional content and I was far too busy to talkcast more than once a week, so I found a platform for an on line community magazine that used audio and video channels, great for getting all of my clients and other Pittsburghers together to Get Their Google On! We weigh in heavily on Talkcasts at this point in time on PPL Mag. Monday Morning Marketeer showcases my trademarked Web 2.0 Gorilla Branding Training™ and my marketing company.
Professionals with Impact™ is a show designed to convince my clients that I can help them Get their Google On and guess what? The experiment works.

I do not talk about these examples to toot my own horn but to let you know that you don’t need to know everything about talkcasting to create a platform for your business, a new product a new idea or even a book. I don’t know what do you think? Is there a book platform in my Talkcasts or any of the others you have heard?

So get started, I invite you to:
a. Use your network to promote your talkcast and at the same time keep yourself in front of it.
b. Don’t wait for the media to toot your horn, toot it yourself by using a Talkcast to give good information to your suspects and prospects to establish yourself as an expert.
c. Promote your niche celebrity by establishing an on line media personality by using the wonders of Web 2.0 by way of a talkcast.
d. Extend your marketing budget without adding anything to it by using talkcasting to brand yourself, your business, your product or your service.
e. Explore the different ways in which people learn by publishing your show notes or turning your talkcast into a blog. This is a 2 for!

Valuable resources:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com free talkcast resource
http://www.talkshoe.com free talkcast resource
http://www.digg.com on line promotion of your talkcast
http://www.blogger.com Google’s free blog site
http://www.wordpress.com additional free blog site

P.S. I use Talkshoe because it does everything for you including invite and promote and it is extremely user friendly.
I use Blogger because it is owned by Google, now who do you think they are going to rank first?

This blog post can be reproduced in its entirety with the following information: © Joanne Quinn-Smith, Monday Morning Marketeer 412-628-5048
Listen at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960 or
www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com on the Monday Morning Marketeer Channel.
Blog: www.marketingmondaymorning.blogspot.com
e-mail: infoatmondaymorningmarketeerdotcom

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Web 2.0, Using LinkedIn to Create Business Credibility

This show was originally offered at 9 AM on Monday, December 8, 2008. The archived show can be heard at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960 or www.positivelypittburghlivemagazine.com

There are an estimated 30 million experienced professionals from 150 industries on Linked In, what a board of directors or live networking meeting that would be and you don’t have to get out of your pajamas.

By resourcefully utilizing LinkedIn, you can brainstorm with industry leaders and network and meet people without leaving your home. Your recommendations by trusted business associates, clients and colleagues are posted for all to see. What a rainbow of collaboration, recommendation and collective knowledge.
But to make this on line collage work, there are things that you have to do.

Please if your profile says, 55% complete, you don’t get it. If it says 85% complete you are closed to getting it, why not go the extra mile.

1. Fill out your profile completely. This means a photo, your website links, links to your blog, and all your past jobs or businesses. If you are a serial entrepreneur or hold several volunteer positions or additional jobs, please do list them. Also list your education, recommend other associates, add a summary and ask others for recommendations. Refer to previous post and show on Creating a Dynamic On Line Profile.

2. Connect with people that can help your business
. Real time connections that are in the trenches just like you. This is not in the numbers as per I have 500 connections, it’s about quality and synergy with what you do. Think about it, you can only keep up with so many groups and so many people. You must think, “does this person’s profile have some synergy with what I do? Does she have some contacts that can help me. Do I have some contacts that can help them?”

3. Maximize your online exposure by taking your profile public. Often if you search on a person, their LinkedIn site comes up as the first page on a search engine. So take the big kid pill and make your profile public.


4.. Position yourself as an expert. New clients want to hire people who are experts in their field. My old entertainment savvy tells me that if you have got it you have to flaunt it because no one is going to do it for you. Block off some time each day to answer questions in your field of expertise. This will usually come from the groups you join.

5. LinkedIn "Answers" feature has created a “knowledge base” where you can get advive on all types of topics that can save you time, money and heartache. There are experts here willing to answer your questions to let others know their expertise. You literally have hundreds of experts at your finger tips. LinkedIn Answers has an extensive user base, makes use of LinkedIn's network topology, and has a ’suggest an expert’ feature. Linkedin is a social network for business people and professionals, so due to its positioning many of its users are experts in their specific areas. Most experts have to specialize to get a deep knowledge in a certain area.
6. Find a couple of groups are synergistic to your business. You spend a lot of time networking in person, why not save your gas and dry cleaning bills and do some on line networking. Find some groups where you can hook up with dynamic professionals who are movers and shakers in groups that can stretch your professional acumen, add to your knowledge base or increase your network. You can do this from the comfort of your computer.

7. Pimp out you Linked in page like you would pimp out your blog. Whether you want to share a workspace with your colleagues, upload a series of slides or attract new readers for your WordPress or Blogspot blog, be sure to check out the latest bells and whistles that you can use to facilitate the end result you are looking for.

8. Use Your Second and Third Degree Connections. This is a great way to get connected with those you may be acquainted with but not know well, you can send invites telling of your connections with others to establish your credibility or you can use those contacts to introduce you. It’s often a great non-threatening way to build your network and meet new people that can help your business or vice versa.

9. Your best customers are your best referrals: In person or on LinkedIn, you best referrals will come from satisfied customers. Do go to your address book and select those clients or associates who will give you a good recommendation.

10. Treat your LinkedIn Profile like an on line media room, celebrate your success, celebrate new developments and your niche expertise. Whether you are a rooster or a hen you can still crow about yourself. Be sure to fill out “specialties” and “Summary” on your LinkedIn Profile.

This blog post can be reproduced in its entirety with the following information: © Joanne Quinn-Smith, Monday Morning Marketeer 412-628-5048
Listen at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960 or
www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com on the Monday Morning Marketeer Channel.
Blog: www.marketingmondaymorning.blogspot.com
e-mail: infoatmondaymorningmarketeerdotcom

Monday, December 1, 2008

Monday Morning Marketeer, Web 2.0 Series, Creating an On Line Profile

The audio show of this article was taped on Monday, December 1, 2008 and can be heard in archived version at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960 or on Monday Morning Marketeer radio channel at www.postiivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com

How many times have you felt horrible because you screwed up a first impression? Well it’s even worse on line because that impression stays t there until you update it and who knows how many people see it. Unlike live networking dozens of people may see your social networking profile in a minute. Your social networking profile page is often the first big impression you make on your contacts
When posting on any social networking site, be sure you post profiles that make people want to know more about you and your business. Here are some tips for you to create a winning ad dynamic profile page that makes your friends and followers take notice and want to do business with you! . Here are some things that you want to keep in mind when using Web 2.0 to Market your business and you create your social networking profile.

Create a Dynamic, Magnetic Profile- This is THE first step in utilizing Facebook, Twitter, Ning, Linked In, or My Space efficiently for business. If you think of Social Networking sites as your on line marketing campaign, your profile page can be considered your “brand.” A strong profile should include: a professional picture, a picture is worth a thousand words. Also include your contact information, your website address, hello someone may want to contact you live instead of just writing on your wall, so you also want to include your phone number and your e-mail address. If you are concerned about spammers collecting your e-mail address, then do what the professionals do, spell out at and dot in your e-mail address.

Here are some ways to create that Dynamic, Magnetic Profile:

1. Flaunt Your Expertise, this is no place to be shy!

A dynamic profile explodes onto the page with your expertise and clearly states why you are an expert, what you expertise is, who your synergistic partners and clients are and flaunts the great results of your work. Please don’t start your profile with family stuff, like single, unwed mother or confirmed bachelor, which has nothing to do with your business and distracts from your purpose which is to market your business successfully on line. Always lead with your expert status so people don’t have to dig into all the copy to find out what type of business you’re in.

2. Make Sure Everyone Knows You are a Human.
Once on some kind of social networking site where I was leaving a comment, the little box used for security reasons and anti-spamming that asks you to type on words or letters and number combinations said, “We want to make sure you are a human.” After you lead with your professional expertise, you want to round it out with some interesting personal information. Include what you feel most comfortable with, such as hobbies, marital status, family info, or fun quirky things you think others might find interesting.

3. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Another part of making sure that prospective clients know that you are human is having a great picture of yourself. Remember in some cases you will never meet the person you are doing business on line with and this is how they create their impression of who you are. Just like in person, I think a great smile is always inviting. Your social networking profile always includes space for a photo of you. Choose a photo that shows your face clearly, not a distant photo of you in a big crowd. Experts say that a picture of you looking directly at the camera will create connection faster with your viewer than pictures of you looking away from the camera. Be honest with your profile picture, too… that means to use a fairly recent photo, not the old standby you’ve been using since 1995.

4. Make it Easy for People to Find You and Connect with Your Expertise.

Be sure to leave links to your website, blog, and other social networking sites so people can move into your inner circle. Be sure all your links are “live” by using http:// in each web address. (Many people just use “www” and miss the traffic that can be visiting their site.)

5. Give yourself the First impression Test:

It is said that in person you have 15 seconds to make a great first impression, in this microwave generation, do you think you have any more time than that. Come on this is the internet, the queen of quickness. You have no more than 10 seconds to make an impression on visitors who come to your social networking profile pages. Some experts say you have less than that. So make sure you define who you are immediately and make it easy to figure out what you do. Also one of my pet peeves is the formats that put all of your information into one run on paragraph, so check the formatting and make sure that doesn’t happen and check it often as formatting may change when social networking sites are updated.
When you have A strong profile page that does these things, you have a better chance of finding the right business connections:

· Establish your expertise
· Establish your credibility
· Define your services and products
· Let prospective contacts know what challenges you can solve and how you can help them.

The idea is to stand out and generate visibility and credibility, so take some time and dress your profile like you would dress yourself for a first date or a first business meeting, otherwise you may not get the second date or the second meeting.


This blog post can be reproduced in its entirety with the following information: © Joanne Quinn-Smith, Monday Morning Marketeer 412-628-5048
Listen at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960 or
www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com on the Monday Morning Marketeer Channel.
Blog: www.marketingmondaymorning.blogspot.com
e-mail: infoatmondaymorningmarketeerdotcom