Start 2014 with purpose! A social media purpose that is...

How often have you sat down at the computer to work on your social media presence, only to feel overwhelmed, distracted, and ultimately unsure of just what it is you are doing and if you are being effective? 

You are not alone! 

Everyone has found themselves there at one point or another. In fact, most businesses are unsure of how to make the most of social media to support their particular business.

If you are tired of losing valuable hours of your time on your social media networks, then this 2-hour training session is for you.

Come in with NO plan, but leave with a purpose
This training workshop was developed based on the theory that you learn 90% of what you actually DO versus 20% of what you read. 

Throughout the workshop, you immediately apply the techniques to your own business through the series of worksheets built into the training session. 

This means that not only are you learning, but in 2 hours you are also defining your business's social media purpose!

What you get: 

• An actionable plan to take home with you, customized for YOUR business
• Hands-on training workbook filled to the brim with worksheets and valuable information
• Digital copy of the workshop
• Free access to on-going support via my closed [insert name here] Facebook group
• Discount code to "The 20 Minute Marketer" e-book/webinar series coming in 2014.

Information:

Tuesday, December 10th, 2013

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

TD Canada Trust 
5679 Hazeldean Road (at Huntmar)
Stittsville, ON


Cost: $60.00 + HST

There are only 10 spots available!
Register today by emailing me: info@theroguepeamarketing.com

Don't wait until January to take a BIG step forward in you marketing strategy. By attending this 2-hour training-workshop, your business will be better positioned to maximize the results your social media efforts while reducing the time spent online - all by defining your social media purpose.


Want to see what we'll be covering? Here's a sneak peek at the training materials.


Translate purpose into success
The key to experiencing success in anything is determining what goal you are trying to achieve. This training workshop will do just that! I do away with the clutter and cut right to the chase -focusing in on what is the BEST way for you use social media that has the most impact on your customers.


Bring a friend, save $5: If you sign up with a friend*, you BOTH receive a $5 discount off the registration cost. *Must sign up at the same time, in advance only.

Additional incentive: sign up NOW for my email newsletter (at right) and you are automatically entered into a draw for FREE admission to the workshop. Deadline to qualify is 11:59 p.m. December 9, 2013.

Advance registrations only! 

Are you ready to start off the New Year with more focus and purpose driving your business online than ever? It's as easy as sending an email directly to me at info@theroguepeamarketing.com!

Looking forward to seeing you!

Nancy

The customer, NOT CONTENT, is king!

It's hard to go anywhere online lately without seeing the phrase 'content is king' thrown about in all kinds of business discussions. It's an expression that has permeated into all corners of the web, and for good reason: businesses are realizing that consumer engagement is key to their sustained growth and existence.

Social media has enabled what was once a primarily one-way street for marketing to consumers to become the epitome of two-way communication, and with that came a platform which enabled consumers to talk back to the businesses and corporations that have traditionally been speaking AT them rather than WITH them.


While I agree that content is absolutely necessary if you have any sort of online presence and wish to connect with your customers, looking at content like it is the most important piece of the puzzle takes the focus off what really should be the focal point: YOUR CUSTOMERS!

Don't get me wrong - having stellar content is where it's at. Content provides VALUE to you customers, and gives them a reason to remain connected with your business. But what you decide to share, post, write - the content itself - should be determined by examining what is important to your customers. The bottom line is...

Customers must be the key driver for your content strategy. 

It's the CUSTOMER, NOT CONTENT, THAT IS KING.

This goes right back to the central tenet of my marketing training mantra: VALUE MARKETING. 

VALUE MARKETING is the process of orienting your marketing strategy around what matters to your customers - using their needs, interests, concerns and attitudes to determine what VALUE you can provide to them. This creates a much stronger connection to your existing clients and potential customers, and in turn,  forms a much more loyal following. 

 If you'd like to learn more about VALUE MARKETING, and how to improve the quality of your interactions with your customers, contact me for a no-obligation 1-hour review of your current online strategy. 

Best of luck,

Nancy

PS - Remember to sign up at the right to receive great tips and a discount code for upcoming training sessions and downloads directly to you!

Social media management: Win the fight for control once and for all!

Reading time: 4 minutes

Just because social media is on 24/7 doesn't mean you have to be. I've too, felt the need to always be connected in case something new comes up. While social media is  always 'on' and new things are always coming up, it usually isn't urgent.

The TRUTH: Social media doesn't have to be the insatiable beast we have come to know.

Follow these 3 tips to successfully manage your social media networks, maintain your sanity AND improve productivity in the process!

Tip #1: Know your purpose

Being on social networks is different than actually being productive with them. To be productive, as with any aspect of marketing your business, you need to have an identified purpose for what you are doing. This is otherwise called an objective. 

Setting objectives is a challenging process but it is essential. If you want to make the most out of ANY marketing activity, defining your purpose by setting objectives is a must. Social media is no different. 

Here are some sample objectives:

• Reach new audiences (as measured by new likes)
• Engage audience with brand (as measured by comments or shares, retweets, repins, etc.)
• Encourage action (be specific - more sign ups for a newsletter? more downloads of a free tool?)

Identifying why you are on social media in the first place goes a LOOONG way to making it work for you, and not the other way around. Remember, the key is to make it measurable.

Tip #2: Set a time limit and stick to it 

Social media can often feel like the demanding child that is always begging for attention. It keeps calling you, drawing you in to it's vortex of time-sucking. Yes, I did just make that up. ;-) 

The point is, YOU have to take control over your time by setting a time limit and sticking to it. Sure, you will feel like there is so much more you could have done when that buzzer rings, but the reality is, while social media never turns off, neither the world nor your business will end after you log off. 

A very wise and web-savvy marketter named Lynn Terry taught me that you ABSOLUTELY can get what needs to be done in 15 minute blocks of time per social network. Do this as often as fits into your routine or lifestyle. Ready to give it a try? Go!

HINT: You know that purpose you defined earlier? This is where having a purpose comes in handy. Now you can make the most of your time online by focusing only on those activities which support your objectives. Which leads to the next point...

Tip #3: Make a list of your daily (or weekly) social media "to-do's" by network

Make a TO-DO list for each social network you are actively engaged with. This helps keep the distraction-clicking to a minimum, boosting your productivity. 

For example, make a list of keywords relevant to your business and purpose. Keep this list handy, and perform searches each time you go online. When you find interesting things, share and comment on them.

More examples of objective-oriented tasks for social networks:

• Want to extend your audience and reach? Find 3 new people to follow each session. Comment on their content, say hi' and introduce yourself.
• Look specifically for content that you can share on other networks (this is dual-use time because it fuels your need for content elsewhere, ie. find article links on Twitter and repost them as a status updates on your own Facebook page. Include the article link for your readers and voilà! You have new content to engage your audience/followers)

POP QUIZ: Have you noticed that a lot of the activities are related to engaging via commenting and sharing? 

This is important because you want to provide VALUE to  your audience and also contribute VALUABLE comments to other ongoing conversations in established communities where your audience hangs out. This is important because it makes your business (BRAND) look good. By not only 'selling' yourself and your business, by offering more substance through engagement and content, you are creating a more personal and valuable connection to potential customers. And isn't that what we, as business owners want?

For more on the value of building relationships, what I call VALUE MARKETING, and why it is the KEY to establishing brand loyalty, check out my other blog post about why you should be building relationships, and NOT selling your business.

Best of luck, 

Nancy

PS: Want to receive more one-on-one help with marketing  your business? Join me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRoguePeaMarketing

Want to be unforgettable to your customers? Here's how...

Short and sweet, here is the first in a series of 

VALUE MARKETING tips: 

Small business success tactics: #1 mistake to avoid

As a small business owner, it's very easy to be overwhelmed with how to approach building your business. How do you reach more people? How can you attract more customers? When will your efforts result in revenues?

Want to know the #1 mistake to avoid?

Don't build your strategy around selling.

Focus on BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. 

Whether you are building your business online or offline (although now, most people recognize the power and importance of integrating all activities to achieve a common goal) the ONE key to remember is the importance of building relationships, not selling your business. This should be the focus of EVERY touchpoint you have with your customers and target market.


It's so easy to overlook but the importance cannot be overstated: building your business means building relationships. That is PRIORITY #1.

HERE ARE 3 TOP TIPS FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

1. Solutions and answers go farther than any sales pitch you can throw!

Because customers are looking for solutions. They are looking for value. They are looking for ways to improve their life in some aspect. BE THE ANSWER!

Showing how your business can provide SOLUTIONS to all of the problems and ANSWERS to their questions provides so much more value than a marketing spiel. .By treating each potential customer and existing customers as REAL people, you are building those relationships, creating devoted fans and people loyal to your brand. They are your best assets towards long-term, sustained growth.

2. Use EVERY touchpoint to your advantage.

These are simply every point of contact with your business that a person could potentially have. From Facebook and Twitter, emails, in-store visits with customers - all of these represent opportunities to engage, interact and build relationships. 

3. Keep the dialogue authentic. BE REAL.

By remembering that behind every interaction is a REAL person, you can ensure that HOW you are interacting is authentic. Think of how you would like to be spoken to. Everyone wants to feel valued and that they are more than an number, statistic or peg in the revenue ladder.

Honestly, I think taking this approach simplifies things. It certainly has for me. Focusing on customers by engaging with them in authentic ways, to help them find solutions to their problems is not only satisfying for them, it is much more fulfilling for you too. It goes a long way to building a strong following and foundation of loyal users for the long haul - an asset you cannot build overnight when the going gets tough.

Summary: Putting in the time consistently contributes to the long-term sustainability of your business.

Best of luck,

Nancy

P.S. What is the best way you have found to engage with your customers? Special offers? Coupon codes? Incentive buys? Share your stories.

Small business success: EASY, FREE weekly organization worksheet

Since I started my business, The Rogue Pea Marketing, I have been working on several projects simultaneously. I have always used a notebook to scribble my daily to-do's and stay organized when I worked my full-time job and this seemed to do the trick. But now that my days were filled with multiple clients not to mention household responsibilities and activities, I found I needed a new organization system. Low and behold, the Week-in-a-Peek time management worksheet was born!

Here is a quick look:

I know I'm not the only one struggling to remember all the 'To-Do's' in a week, so here it is for you. Download a copy for yourself for FREE at this link to the worksheet.

Printing instructions: ensure that you have selected 'Shrink oversize pages' in Size Options. I make this in Photoshop and did not account for margins, however, selecting this takes care of it, no problem!


If you know of anyone else who would benefit from this super easy, fast organization tool, be sure to share the link or send them to visit Rogue Pea blog too!


And remember...
The key to success lies not in not adhering strictly to rules and schedules, but making the best of things when life strays from our plans.

Best of luck!

Nancy

P.S. Do you have a go-to organization method for daily tasks? I would love to hear about how you manage your small business and stay organized with family life. Leave a comment below!

Branding your small business: time for a makeover?

Purpose of this blog post is to provide a straightforward way to begin a brand makeover. This seems to be a sticking point for many small business owners – where to begin?!

Start at the beginning: what is branding?

Branding. It's more than a just a logo, slogan and company colours. A brand is how your business is known by the customer – it is the combination of the qualities, customer expectations and value your business provides. Sounds complicated but it isn’t. No master's degree or marketing firm needed either. In fact, since YOU know your business best, drawing on your own knowledge and familiarity about your business and your customers is the best way make your brand stand out. It comes down to asking the right questions, focusing your answers and then using that information to build your brand.

Below is a short, to-the-point brand makeover worksheet. By completing the questions, you will be on your way to reinvigorating your brand, whether you are brand new to the game, or an old pro.

Mini brand makeover worksheet

By taking a few minutes to answer these three questions, you will be able to help yourself refocus your brand by providing key information that focuses on the VALUE you provide to your customers. 

Download it FREE. Here is a screen grab to see for yourself.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9kf2dkudrrde40v/MiniBrandMakeover_worksheet.pdf

1. List 3 things that your customers will get from you that they won’t get from your competitors. (HINT: What does your business do better than anyone else? This can be part of the experience of buying from you, not only limited to the product or service itself.)

1._________________________________

2. _________________________________

3. _________________________________

2.    In one sentence, state why your customers come to your business. (HINT: refer to the 3 things in question one to ensure this statement shows why your business is different, what you do better, and the VALUE you offer to them).

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________________________________________________________


3. Make a list of the TOP 3 things you would like your business to BEST be known for.

 1.    ____________________________________________________________

 2.    ____________________________________________________________

 3.    ____________________________________________________________

These questions provide a great baseline for building (or rebuilding) your small business brand as they answer the right questions. The key is defining what sets your business apart AND provides value to your customers.

As always, I am happy to discuss any questions or clarifications that may help you complete this worksheet. Enter a comment below, or go directly to my Facebook page where this post will be listed as well. I am here to help – ask questions!

Best of luck! ~

Nancy

P.S.

If you would like to take this worksheet a step further and actually start to implement the information you entered, I have a bonus PDF worksheet that will help you create your brand positioning statement AND a ‘how-to’ guide that will show you how to translate this information into your brand

What you get: It provides tangible examples for how, with ease and little effort, you can communicate your brand to your customers consistently. If you would like to receive this additional resource, please submit your email address at the side. Your email will remain 100% confidential and will not be shared with any other site, person or entity. J