Day One Live Blog Recap: Affiliate Management Days West 2012 #AMDays |  |
- Day One Live Blog Recap: Affiliate Management Days West 2012 #AMDays
- Flaws and All: Being Human Is In
- 5 Final Ways to Qualify Marketing Help
- Are You Ready For The New Facebook Pages?
- New Strategy Shapes Up for Small Business
| Day One Live Blog Recap: Affiliate Management Days West 2012 #AMDays Posted: 13 Mar 2012 02:30 PM PDT
The AMDays conference focused solely on helping merchants learn how to make their affiliate programs more successful, how to recruit and support their affiliates better, and how to sell more through affiliates. However, Small Business Trends wasn’t the only one covering the event. Additional live coverage was being broadcast from the blogosphere of this first ever conference. So I’d like to bring you a list of all the coverage from day one of the event (or, at least, all the ones that I could find):
AMDays would like your opinion on your preference for the location of the next Affiliate Management Days East conference, which is coming in October 2012. Please express it by participating in the poll “Location for Affiliate Management Days East 2012: Boston or Florida?” Stay tuned! A live blog recap of day two of this event is coming soon. From Small Business Trends |
| Flaws and All: Being Human Is In Posted: 13 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT "Human nature dictates that people have a hard time…really trusting other humans who (pretend to) have no weaknesses, flaws, or mistakes." ~ Flawsome, Trendwatching
It's the flaws that show the character and the quality of a company. Not that we're looking to make mistakes, but the truth is, mistakes happen. And how you deal in the tough times can set you a part from others in your industry. I just finished reading the March 2012 Trend Briefing, FLAWSOME. Turns out that being human is in. Cool, since we can't be anything else. According to Trendwatching:
That includes being open (transparent), personable (relatable) and honest (sincere care and concern). So, how do you make the most of your flaws? Act Like You CareEmpathy and a position of humility can go a long way. People need to feel like:
I'm not sure that arrogance serves us well in regular life, but I'm certain it's a terrible idea when your company has created a possible error. Even during the investigation phase, act like you care and communicate that concern. Just be sure to teach your people to do the same. Move QuickDon't make them wait. When there is a complaint on the table, find out what happened, how it happened and how to keep it from happening again. And then let the person with the complaint know as soon as possible. Talk Like a HumanAccording to TrendWatching, it's about "human brands…brands with some personality." So when you communicate with your customer, sound like a human and not a robot. We are not perfect, we cannot be perfect, but here's a secret — if you choose to, you can "out care" the competition. And that gives them something else to talk about. Make Real ChangesIt doesn't matter how nice, empathic and humble you are if you keep making the same mistake. So take real efforts to solve the problem in order to avoid future issues. At the same time, how you talk to your clients during and after a complaint carries weight. Going silent is usually a bad idea. Communicate well. Communicate often. Ultimately, choose to care about your clients because it's the right thing to do and it's good for business. The Trending Brief is filled with examples of companies who are flawsome and foolish. My favorite is the Domino's Pizza Turnaround.
From Small Business Trends |
| 5 Final Ways to Qualify Marketing Help Posted: 13 Mar 2012 08:30 AM PDT In this final part of my three part series on qualifying marketing help I offer a few more ways to do it. Why so many? Because the difference between hiring marketing help and hiring the right marketing help can make, or break, your business. It's one of the most important, and toughest, decisions any business owner will ever make. And, like a marriage, it's better to do some extra qualifying upfront to avoid being stuck later because you didn't.
To recap the list from part one (of this three part series) titled “3 Ways to Qualify Marketing Help:”
Now, for my final few: 7.) Awards and Press: This one can be a bit controversial because while awards can be a great litmus test for some, for others, not so much. The argument is that few award shows factor in "results" as a winning criteria. I can appreciate that argument. Also, if an agency is doing lots of boasting about their awards, it's often a way of overcompensating for weaknesses in other areas. On the other hand, if someone has no awards, that's not good either. So, seek a happy medium. Press-worthy work is another good litmus test because great press can be a great, free, added benefit for you. So, find out if they've gotten any. If they have, are we talking the local Penny Saver, or The New York Times? 8.) Are they a respected industry thought leader? The more respected they are in their industry, the better the chance they're truly good at what they do. How can you know? Do they get invited to speak? Do they get interviewed? Have the agency principals been published in the trades? Are they on Wikipedia? 9.) Do they make it easy to work together? This is one you might not have considered. The fact is that investing in marketing help is a scary proposition for most business owners, especially first-timers. A smart marketing resource will be aware of that and have an easy way to start the process and test the waters. 10.) Are they driven and truly passionate about their business? It’s one of the most important, yet most overlooked items on the list. If you’re passionate about your business you’ll want to work with someone equally passionate about theirs. Sometimes you can simply hear it in their voice or see it in their eyes. You can also tell by how they present themselves online. Does it feel inspired, or rudimentary? 11.) How well do they market themselves? This one almost seems dumb because you'd assume that any marketing firm looking to help you would be awesome at their own marketing. Not true and I've heard all the excuses: "Well, I guess I'm like the shoemaker with no shoes."…. "Hey, I'm just way too busy with my clients."… yada, yada, yada. Don't buy it. The last thing you want to do is to hire a marketing firm that sucks at marketing themselves. To conclude I'll repeat a last key point that I mentioned in my first post regarding referrals. Referrals are an obvious, logical way to find help and they often work out fine. I don't list "getting referrals" as a qualifier because everyone already knows that. What they may not know — and what this series addresses — is that a referral is just a starting point. I could probably add a couple more to this list, but if you follow these 11 guidelines you'll be well on your way to finding the right, qualified, marketing help. This is the final installment of this three part series. Check out part two, “3 More Ways to Qualify Marketing Help.” Good luck, and “Happy Qualifying.” Handshake Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends |
| Are You Ready For The New Facebook Pages? Posted: 13 Mar 2012 05:30 AM PDT If you've logged into your Facebook brand page lately, you've seen this notification:
It's happening. On March 30th, your company's Facebook page will look very different than it does right now and there's nothing you can do to stop it. That means you only have a couple of weeks to get your Facebook brand page in working order so you don't look oh-so-outdated when the update is officially rolled out to everyone. To help get you prepared, below are some of the biggest areas you should be concerned with to get yourself ready for the big dance. Your Cover Photo First it happened to your personal profile, now it's coming for your business page. One of the most dramatic changes that will happen to your Facebook brand page is the adoption of a cover photo. Just like your personal cover image, your company image should be 852 pixels wide by 351 pixels high and should be something that will grab a user's attention. Use your cover image to get across your business' key message, to shock and awe a potential customer, to compel someone to take an action, to generate interest, etc. Whatever you pick, make sure it introduces and represents your brand in a positive way. It's worth noting that Facebook has already banned the use of certain words inside your cover image to prevent businesses from using these photos as advertisements. You can't talk about prices or percentages off, you can't include an email address or Web site URL, and you can't include any commercial calls to action. There are Facebook ads for that. This post has some really creative tips to rock your timeline cover photo to help you get the most out of it. Your Profile Photo Now that your cover image is being used to really draw in and attract users, Facebook is recommending that you use your logo as your profile photo from here on out. Remember that his box will overlap slightly with your cover photo, so don't be afraid to work in some integration if creativity strikes. Give Important Stories More Prominence No two (or three or four) Facebook updates are the same, nor do they mean the same to your business. Some updates are created to start a conversation, while others may be important updates about your brand or customer alerts. To help differentiate, Facebook has released three new features to make some updates stand out from the rest – highlighting, pinning, and milestones.
Potential business milestones to consider:
Admin Panel To access your Admin panel in Facebook, click the radio button located on the right-hand side of your screen to maximize it. Once in there, business owners will be able to see new notifications, new likes, see Facebook insight data, and access their new message center (detailed later). Because it appears directly in-page, it's easier to access and more top of mind for business owners. I'm hoping this will encourage SMBs to take advantage of this data and use it to make social-sharing decisions.
New Message Center The new messaging feature is one that I'm most excited about because it will help marketers deal with customer service issues in a more private, effective manner. According to Facebook, fans will now be able to message business owners directly, instead of simply leaving comments on your wall. While this unfortunately does give small business owners another inbox to check (which Jay Baer isn't too thrilled about), it does allow customers to be more discrete with sensitive issues and gives them a new way to engage with your brand. It's worth noting that business owners will NOT be able to initiate a message conversation with users. The user must be the one to start it. The new Facebook Timeline brand pages about to roll out are a big change for everyone using the social sharing site for business. However, by preparing for it and getting your page in order before things officially roll out, you can increase your engagement and interest with your audience. From Small Business Trends |
| New Strategy Shapes Up for Small Business Posted: 13 Mar 2012 02:30 AM PDT There’s a new strategy shaping up for small business, one having less to do with plans set in stone and more with strategic thinking on the fly. Here are some resources you might consider to drive your small business in a new strategic direction. Big ChangesStrategic thinking takes the lead. As mentioned above, the new small business strategy takes an new approach but allows your business to stay poised for innovation. Here’s how get started with a whole new way of thinking. Fast Company Deciding to quit the big time. Quitting your full time job, especially a good one at a large and successful company is a huge decision, especially if you are doing so to start a business of your own. Here are some things to evaluate. Bloomberg Businessweek Books for EntrepreneursFor Better or for Work. If you’re an entrepreneur in search of an inspiring read, look no further. Ivana Taylor gives us this review of a book many entrepreneurs will want to check out and make part of their library. Small Business Trends Staying informed online. The Internet is not only a marketing tool for small businesses but also a great information resource. The trouble is that some don’t know how to use it for all it is worth. Sales Tip A Day A New ApproachSmall business has a new office. Many small businesses may start in the home, but soon that could be a thing of the past. New Websites offer an easy way to find a workspace that is right for you. Smallbiz Technology Big marketing mistakes for small business. A part of thinking about your small business strategy may include rethinking your marketing plan. What are you doing now to market your business, and is it good or bad for you? Youngentrepreneur The Next LevelA guide to changes in Facebook marketing. Here are some links that lead us through still more changes in store for Facebook business pages. With FB a huge part of small business marketing these days, these changes are critical to understand. Scott Fox Saying goodbye to limitations. Starting a business on your own can be daunting enough. So why start your business with the wrong mindset. Here’s a whole new approach to consider no matter what business you may be in. Support a Work At Home Person Bringing in CustomersWhat McDonald’s can teach you about branding. You may not think of the fast food leader as the right role model for your small business, but the truth is some marketing tips can be gleaned from this burger marketing power house. Marketing Nerd Tips for nurturing leads. How many potential customers does your business have? If you haven’t worked on nurturing those leads into buyers for your products and services, here are some simple strategies you might want to try to turn potential customers into sales. Go Visible From Small Business Trends |
A number of sessions from the 
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