Twelve Quick Uses for Social Media in the Marketing Mix

I constantly meet with SMB owners who confide in me that they “don’t get twitter”. Sometimes they are outspoken about their feelings that social media has yet to find its place in business. However, in most cases they admit (with a feeling of guilt) that they just have not figured out the value. Yet, they know others have found value. In Michael Kahn’s article A Dozen Applications for Social Media from the Chief Marketer site, Michael summaries why business should care.

Here are the 12 uses he promotes:

1. Listen to Your Consumers

2. Talk to Consumers Face-to-Face

3. Brand Yourself as an Expert

4. Monitor and Respond to Customer Service Issues

5. Manage Reputations, React Quickly to Crises

6. Create Massive Conversations about Your Brand

7. Dominate the SERPs

8. Optimize Ads to Perform … Just like Search

9. Microtarget Ideal Users

10. Harvest Data With Custom Apps and Sweepstakes

11. Promote Coupons and Deals to Sell Products

12. Create More Engaging Display Ads

I’ve long advocated that small businesses should get into social media first by listening to customers; so it’s no surprise to me that “customer service” uses of social media rise to the top of Michael list. If you are not doing any of these things, it is time to take your head out of the sand. Your competitors are doing it already but if you’re lucky maybe your competitors are less focused on the customer service applications.

Here is the link to Michael’s article… http://chiefmarketer.com/disciplines/online/0922-social-media-applications/

Good Karma, Good Business

Last week, I heard a speaker present on the subject of business networking and good Karma. Now, whatever your feelings are about fate, destiny or Karma, this speaker made some very irrefutable points about influencing others with selfless behavior. As she postulated, the top three ways to rack up "Karma points" (my words, not hers) are to 1) help someone with a health issue, 2) help someone financially and 3) to show genuine interest in someone's children (such as being a coach, teacher, scout master, etc and really truly helping their child). The more I thought about it, the more I knew this was true. From my own experience in helping families through the Cure JM Foundation, I know my family has received even more benefits from good fortune and inward strength to battle JM. And I am sure you've had an experience mentoring a younger colleague or helping to find someone a job which has come back to ultimately benefit you. In fact, I'd argue LinkedIn is built on this premiss. But what truly drove the point home for me on a world-wide scale was an article I read in this month's Mental Floss Magazine, http://www.mentalfloss.com/magazine/. The article, titled "How to Win Friends and Inoculate People" is about the Navy's new mission to export medical support to countries around the globe.

"As you read this, U.S. Navy ships the size of shopping malls are cruising full-speed toward troubled ports, ready to invade. But the professionals on deck aren't snipers or SEALs; they're highly skilled doctors and nurses acting on orders from the Pentagon. "

The article stated, in just 2 1/2 months, the navy treated 100,049 people, 13,238 animals, conducted 1,657 surgeries and filled 135,000 prescriptions in Central and South America. These are called Soft-Power missions. Of course these types of mercy missions are not new for the United States. However, the mega-scale of these new Soft-Power missions may be foreshadowing a radical foreign policy shift. And not to be out done, other countries, like China, are following suit.

"During the Cold War, superpowers fought for control of the Third World by selling arms and staging coups; today, they're competing to be the world's best helpers."

So bringing it closer to home, what have you done today to launch your "Operation Good Karma"? You and your business will be better for it.