Mike is the author of I Shall Raise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness (Amazon aff link). He’s a chronic blogger and speaker that teaches business and leadership development from a Biblical perspective. He lives in Queens, NY with his wife and young son.
You’ve read many of Mike’s guest posts here at The Success Center. Here’s a list of his “greatest hits,” if you’ve missed any of them;
Today we’ll discuss what it means to be a Christian entrepreneur, how one can apply Biblical principles to business success, social media marketing, and everything in between!
In this interview you’ll learn;
What it really means to be a Christian entrepreneur,
Guest blogging tips for success,
Mike’s secret technique called, ‘drug dealer marketing’ (trust me, it’s a good one!)
Newbie tips for self-publishing,
How to maximize social media for business,
Mike’s 5 tips for Christian entrepreneur success,
and more!
Check out the interview (run time is 30 minutes) and let me know what you think in the comments below.
P.S. - a full review of Mike’s book will be posted on Thursday of this week instead of Wednesday.
P.P.S. – my apologies for my the low audio coming from my end. Next time I’ll use my “big boy” voice
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
The Bible says that the power of life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21) so I have to believe that success and failure are there as well. Simply put, everything we want to achieve in life, on the job, in our business, and etc. is determined by what we say.
The Power of Words
I believe that our words form the atmosphere around us. Whenever I keynoted a seminar I always started out by having attendees repeat a “success mantra.” It goes like this;
“As I develop my business I will build it by wisdom and it will become strong through good sense. Good advice and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine. Success will follow me because I choose to lead with integrity, good planning, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.”
Here’s video of me explaining the concept to a journalist that filmed the beginning of my keynote at the 2008 African American Leadership Conference (skip ahead to 2:08 for the good stuff!).
I adapted that mantra from a scripture in Proverbs [I can't remember which one due to the gray hairs on my chin, but if you can figure out which one, I'll send you a gift - seriously].
The Bible and Our Success
As Christian entrepreneurs we believe that the Word (Bible) is our final authority and has everything we need to succeed. It’s easy to forget that the Bible also gives us a way to receive the success we want for our business through speaking it out loud.
Speaking the word empowers us, gives us hope, and moves God on our behalf. The Bible says that God is not a man that He would lie, so He has to do what His word says He will do!
What does that mean for us? It means that we can go to God when our business isn’t producing the fruit we’d like to see, speak the Word, and get the help we need. That help may be unexpected income, favor from our peers, God expanding our territory, and etc.
Speaking the Word brings together God super abilities with our natural needs to create supernatural blessings in our life and business!
Christians around the world always wonder why their prayers aren’t being answered – it’s because they’re not putting God in remembrance of His word. I promise, if you include the Word of God in your prayers you’ll see an immediate shift in your situations!
A Scripture to Remember
Let me share with you one of my favorite scriptures that deals directly with God’s promise for our prosperity. It comes from Deuteronomy 28: 3-13 and it reads;
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. 11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
The key to Speaking Your Success
So, how do you manifest your success with by the power of your words alone? It’s as easy as 1, 2, and 3!
First – Make the Scripture Personal!
I love the scripture above because when you make it personal it speaks directly to any financial or business situation you can possibly face.
Let’s start with verse 3. Instead of “You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country” say, “I will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.”
Now, verse 11 – Instead of saying, “The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you,”
say,
“The LORD will grant me abundant prosperity—in the fruit of my womb, the young of my livestock and the crops of my ground—in the land he swore to my forefathers to give me.”
Pretty simple and straight-forward right? That’s how it’s meant to be!
Note: This scripture comes from the old testament so wealth back then was the equivalent to livestock. Continue to speak it as it is and just know in your heart that God understands what YOUR livestock is.
Second – Thank God in Advance!
Once you’ve spoken the scripture out loud thank God for His word, for him performing His word, and for His word coming to pass. This is called, exercising ”faith muscles.” Since we know that God can not lie, and we’re speaking “His words,” then it’s got to happen, right? Exactly!
Be patient, wait on God to move on your behalf, and know that He’s already dispatched the Angels since you spoke it!
Third – Repeat!
Don’t just stop at speaking one scripture, get a ton of them and speak them out loud. This is called “applying the Word” to your situation. You have to repeat the process until you KNOW in your heart and spirit that what God said He’ll do for you HE.WILL.DO!
The Ball is in Your Court
So, are you going to sit in defeat and have a pity party because your business isn’t making the kind of money you want it to make? Or, are you going to take God at His word, speak it out-loud, and watch Him work on your behalf? Give it a try, I promise you won’t regret it. Here’s a great post from Christian Personal Finance Blog on 24 scriptures about business that you’ll enjoy.
I highly recommend purchasing a copy of Prayers That Avail Much the 25th Anniversary Edition. It includes hundreds of prayers on various topics (including business and financial needs) already personalized and ready for you to speak. The ball is in your court – What do you think about speaking the Word to manifest your success? Let me know in the comments below.
Note: Also, for the first person to let me know what scripture was referenced (from the book of Proverbs) in my success mantra, I will mail you a free gift!
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
Note: This post comes from my “Success Tips!” Newsletter archive. I’ll be relaunching it soon so I wanted to give you a taste of what’s in-store from future editions. Sign-up for the newsletter and get ready to succeed!
Today, I’m going to give you the routine I follow to automate my blogging. Before we go any further let me explain one thing, I don’t use nor promote using automatic blogging software. It’s out there, but it highly undervalues the effectiveness of your blog.
Why?
Because the content it generates is either someone else’s or has nothing to do with the niche of your blog.
What I do to automate my blog is simple, straight-forward, and still requires you to put in time and effort into building a successful blog; but it makes things easier for you in the long run.
Let’s get started!
Step 1- Start an Editorial Calendar
Keeping a calendar will help you brain-storm post ideas and keep you organized. A few things to keep in mind when putting together your calendar;
Decide what day(s) of the week you want to post.
If you’re going to post once a week then plan out a month’s worth of blog posts. 2 or more times a week then plan for at least 1 or 2 weeks.
It’s ok if you don’t stick to your calendar every once in a while, it’s there to get you serious and organized about your blogging!
Watch this video I put together below. It’ll show you how to do it, the tool I use, and even my blogging strategy for the Success Center. (Run time: 17 mins.)
Step 2 – Write Your Blog Posts in Advance
Sorry, but there’s no magic pill that will help you put together good content. You just have to put your hands to the plow and get to work! Here’s some advice;
Pick a day where you won’t have as many distractions, get comfortable, and write! My day is Sunday.
Devote at least an hour or two of time with no technological distractions (IE. Turn off your phone, no TV, etc.)
Disengage – Social media is a huge distraction when trying to be productive, log off of Twitter and Facebook for a while.
Step 3 – Schedule Your Posts
If you’re a WordPress user you can schedule your articles to “post” on a later date. As you edit a blog post, look for the ”Publish” tab, go to ”Published On,”andclick edit. Select your future date and time (Time uses the 24 hour clock standard so be careful) and you’re good to go.
Step 4 – Schedule Promoted Tweets and Messages using Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a great social media tool that allows you to manage multiple accounts at once. It’s greatest weapon is the ability to schedule messages.
First, locate the Permalink for your article. It’s the link that WordPress gives to every article you write. You can find it directly under your article’s title.
Select and copy the permalink.
Next, open Hootsuite, craft a message letting everyone know of your new post, paste the permalink into the ”link shortener” box [which is below the main message box], hit ”Shrink it”, click “Send Later,” and schedule your message around the time your blog post is set to “post.”
A few things to note about scheduling messages;
Schedule the messages in “rounds” – I usually schedule messages to post to Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin every 20 minutes. You don’t want to “turn people off” by over-posting.
Switch up your message style – On your first message you might start off with “New Post” but, on the second, give a short description of your article. This keeps your messages fresh and non-repetitive.
Schedule your messages for up to an hour or two and engage with your social networks in between the automatic postings.
Find different things to share within your rounds to keep social content fresh and engaging (IE. quotes, other articles you find useful, etc.).
Having your blog run on automatic still requires you to put in a little work – if you want to build a highly valuable, community-driven, and successful blog. If not, then get some software and steal other people’s content. If you stick to the tips here you’ll be able to have your blog posts written and ready to promote days before it’s time to post. This frees you up to handle other things.
What things do YOU do to automate your blogging? What tools, techniques, or strategies can YOU add to this list? If you’re a beginning blogger, what questions do you have in regards to this? Let me know in the comments below.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
Imagine sending out a mass email telling your clients that you’re quitting and closing down shop. You explain to them that you’ve decided to move on professionally and that you would no longer be available to work on their projects. Can you sense the hesitancy in pushing the send button? Can you imagine the nervous and worried expression that would be strained across your face? This is exactly what I did in early 2007 when I stopped doing graphic design and website development.
I was in a transitional period in my life where I wanted to teach entrepreneurs more and design less. I wanted to make money for my thoughts, experience, and wisdom and I just couldn’t do that designing logos and fliers. Some of my clients understood my position and others were really worried as to how they would keep their projects afloat. I had to explain that “when God is ready for you to move into new territories . . . you gotta drop everything and move.” When you get that feeling then you know it’s time to reposition yourself for success. Last week, I explained how to do just that within your career. Today let’s explore what to do when it comes to your business.
Why reposition yourself in the first place?
The whole goal of repositioning yourself is to #1 – maintain the success you’ve attained and #2 – make strategic moves to become more successful. Pretty simple, wouldn’t you agree?
As a graphic designer I had plenty of clients but I didn’t have a sense of fulfillment in what I was doing. I got more joy in teaching entrepreneurs how to market themselves and how to use the web in advertising their businesses. I wanted to make the change from graphic designer to business coach. In order to do so there were a few things that I had to do.
Leave the extra baggage behind!
As I said, at the start of this article, I had to drop a lot of my clients in order for me to move on and get to the next level. I know what you’re thinking, “Rod, why wouldn’t you just keep them and offer your new services to them?” For the most part, these were established small business owners and churches outside of my target market. They just needed someone to design their fliers, logos, and work with their website . . . they didn’t want me to tell them how to be successful. So why bother? It’s better to leave extra baggage behind than let it slow you down if you’re trying to move. If you hold on to it, you might end up damaging it unnecessarily during the move. And that’s just a pain in the butt. So leave it! Here are a few suggestions on what to do once you’ve “left your baggage” behind;
Keep in contact with your clients and maintain a referral network. This will allow you to pass new business to them and get business from them no matter what new product or service you’re offering.
Don’t totally leave them in the dark, make recommendations of other vendors that can possibly take over their projects.
Maximize social networking to keep in touch. I use Facebook to maintain business relationships and create a greater sense of community among my peers.
Money DOES Grow on Trees, Shake Your Tree of Creativity!
Feeling lead to speak and consult I had to create new products, services, and totally revamp my offerings. I didn’t look for affiliate products to sell or network marketing products (Most of you know how I feel about network marketing anyway). Instead, I created new products and services for my target market. The first was an audio book called, Leadership Wisdom from Proverbs. I started a seminar series which I derived from the content of the audio book. Both were pretty successful and I knew that I was were I was supposed to be professionally. Here are a few tips on creating products and services for your repositioned business;
Do some research to find out what your market needs. Use tools like Twitter, polls, and surveys to listen and organize information for your benefit.
Don’t just look for other people’s products to sell, look within your own talents, skills, and abilities. I made my audio book from my computer with software I already owned, you can too!
Think outside the box! Come up with a combination of products or services and judge which ones will produce the best return on investment.
Don’t totally discard your current offerings of products or services. You might be able to tweak them (add and subtract portions) to fit your new business model.
Take the iron out of the farmer’s hand and brand yourself!
Even though I turned over a new business leaf I still had people calling me to do design work for them. The phone conversations were pretty interesting, “Yes, I used to do graphic design, no, I’m sorry, but I won’t able to do that for you.” I had to stick to my guns and you will to. The best way to get your message across without hurting feelings is to brand yourself (or in this case, re-brand yourself). Personal branding gives you the power to control people’s perceptions of who you are or what you do. Here are a few basic tips to get you started;
Set up your name as your domain (website address) – notice that The Success Center’s web address is rodkirby.com, I assure you that this wasn’t by accident. My thinking is, when people want to find success, they’ll find me. It’s got nothing to do with my ego and everything to do with how I want people to perceive who I am and what I do.
If you’re already using social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook change your posting strategy to reflect who you want to attract. If you’re repositioning yourself to be a lawyer, find useful tips, articles, and things in your life to share that reflects that. You can read up on using Twitter for business here.
Revamp your website or start a blog dedicated to your “new self.” Give people one dedicated place to connect with you, buy from you, or engage with your new “identity.”
Marketing isn’t Dead if you do it right!
If you’re going to position your business to be successful in a new market you’ve got to maximize every available tool to get the word out. This may mean investing in traditional avenues of marketing or giving your time to social media. Do whatever works for you. Here a couple of tips to help you make it through;
Narrow down your social media tools to the ones you’ll invest the most time in. Having a wider range of tools and profiles only disengages you with your market and wastes time. Here are my Top 3 Social Media Tools for Business.
Re-design your marketing materials to reflect your new brand and distribute them at conferences and events. Be sure to include your social media outposts so that people can reach out to you no matter what platform they’re on.
Plan on attending industry events and conferences to enhance your profile, grow an email list, and make connections. Check out AllConferences.com for events listed in industry or area.
When in Doubt, Seek Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding
Whenever you’re in a transitional state of your life, your decisions will have an impact on your business. Whether it’s positive or negative will be determined on the quality of your decisions. So, go into your quiet space and pray for the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to make quality decisions.
Luke 11:9 says,
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace!
What else can be added to this list? What is your current position with your business? Do you feel like you’re being successful or is it time to reposition yourself for success? When I stopped designing and started speaking and coaching I knew that I had made the best decision for my life. Since that time things have grown, changed, and I continue to reposition myself and my business ideals.
I keep referring to my friend Latara because she actually gets the idea behind repositioning. She understands it and it’s exciting to see other people who “get it.”
As for me, I am continually in a repositioning mode because as an entrepreneur I believe that we must always be looking for something new and evolving so that your business stays fresh. As you evolve, God gives you new insight into what you need to do for your business.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
Note: This is not a paid review, however, I do have a few Amazon links included. I would never recommend a product or service that I wouldn’t use myself.
I started my first business at the age of 19, slaved over a business plan for 3 months, and it never went anywhere. I started my business plan where most people start; with a main idea, how much money I needed, and how I was going to market it. I jumped into entrepreneurship without really “getting ready for the jump.” I can honestly say that Melinda Emerson’s book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works is one I really wish I had back then.
Who Is the “SmallBizLady?”
The "SmallBizLady"
Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as “SmallBizLady” is a seasoned entrepreneur who is a professional speaker and small business coach. Her areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media marketing.
Melinda has a powerful story that she shares in this 30 minute interview I did with her back in December. She also shares a lot of great info on business planning, marketing, and of course, social media for business as well.
If you’re planning on starting a business then this is THE book you need to read before you go out and make any major moves. You’ll find it easy to read, well organized, and chock-full of useful information to get your started. What I really liked was that it’s not your typical business planning book as Melinda cares for your total entrepreneurial success – not just your business plan. She also gives advice on maximizing social media for your business and even touches on e-commerce as well. I highly recommend it for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there.
If you’re starting a business you can’t go wrong with Melinda’s solid plan for your success. If you’re a seasoned business owner, buy it as a gift for someone coming into the game. Whoever you are don’t miss out on this one!
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
According to Small Business Facts.com, 47% of small business owners use the internet to market or advertise their business. [Source: Open from American Express, 05/2006] Keep in mind that census data is collected every 10 years so I’m sure that figure has risen.
With the rise in social media marketing for small businesses I wonder if traditional marketing is still relevant for “the little guy?” You remember traditional marketing don’t you?
It included getting some business cards, designing cool fliers to post around town, securing a 30 second TV spot, and maybe even a radio spot to match. But it didn’t stop there, remember telemarketing, direct mail advertising, and the ever reliable word-of-mouth marketing?
I remember a time when you could spend thousands of dollars on an ad campaign and not even break-even from the results. Yet, with a highly targeted and planned social media marketing campaign you can generate more buzz, leads, and sales with a fraction of the cost.
So, let’s open this up for discussion. Is traditional marketing dead? Or is it simply transforming like a butterfly? What are YOUR thoughts? What form of marketing yields the highest return on your investment for YOUR business? Cast your vote below then log in with your Facebook, Twitter, or other [supported] account and let me know how you feel in the comments below.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
(This post was originally published in October 2009 and was updated with new content!)
If a media mogul, with a net worth of half a ba-jillion dollars, offered to share his or her secrets of their success, would you listen? I don’t know about you, but I’d be willing to listen and learn from any media mogul who wanted to share anything with me!
The wisdom, knowledge, and understanding you could gain from that person would definitely be worth paying for. However, there is one requirement to gaining access to this free knowledge, you have to sign-up for their newsletter and share it with all your friends. Would you do it?
I think the majority of you would because you want to take your business to the next level. That’s the place where opportunities come to you instead of you having to knock on doors to find them. That’s where success, prosperity, and the freedom to live your life the way you want is. How do you get there?
You Have to Make Strategic Marketing Moves
Getting the word out about your blog, website, business, products, or services is key to business growth. People won’t know who you are if you don’t tell them. Common sense right? Yet, the Small Business Administration says;
[In 2008] There were 627,200 new businesses, with 595,600 business closures, and 43,546 bankruptcies.
As an entrepreneur I have to believe that one of the primary reasons for all the closures and bankruptcies has to do with their marketing plans. I can’t help but wonder, “how did they spend their advertising dollars?” Did they do what typical businesses do and overspend on print marketing and TV spots? Sure, the economy did make things harder for entrepreneurs . . . but not impossible. That’s why you have to make strategic marketing moves to position yourself for success.
So, what are the secrets to growing your small business?
1. Maximize tools, resources, and information that you already have
If you have a laptop, a mobile phone, and a car then you’ve got an office. Don’t limit your thinking to what you don’t have because God equipped you with everything you need to succeed. If there’s a piece of equipment that’s a “gotta have,” then continue to work with what you have until you can afford it.
2. Build relationships with prospects and create clients for life
Don’t go for the quick sale. Take the time to get to know people, what they want, and what they need. Doing so positions you to generate long-term sales and success. Not doing that makes you sound like a pushy used car salesman . . . and no one wants to buy from that guy.
3. Brand your company and distribute a unique message that declares who you are and what you’re about
What company comes to mind when you hear “We love to see you smile?” What about, “Just do it?” These are themes associated with company brands. You can have that same power but it doesn’t come over night. It’s something you have to build piece by piece consistently. When I went to Social Camp Memphis this year there were people who knew who I was before I said anything to them. That’s the power of personal branding. Make it work for you!
4. Leverage social media and traditional marketing in a way that yields real results
A real result is one that makes a physical impact on your local market. If you can network on Twitter and as a result create relationships that leads to business in your city then you’ve got yourself a real result. Whether you like it or not, social media isn’t a fad and it’s not going away anytime soon. Are you leveraging it to make real results for your business?
You have to build your business with these four walls in order for it to grow and succeed. A tool that can help you build your business and take it to the next level is my newsletter, “Success Tips!”. I mail out tips and advice on marketing and growing your business. If the Success Center is a grand buffet then “Success Tips!” is a plate full of meat that promotes strong business muscles. Each edition builds on one of the four walls of business success above. Don’t take my word for it, look at what others have to say about it;
What Should You Do Next?
So, you’re all stirred up and ready to take your blog, business, product, or service to the next level. . .now what? Remember the ba-jillionaire’s requirements for gaining access to his free knowledge at the beginning? The process is as simple as 1, 2, and 3.
Step 1- Sign-up
Enter your email address below. I hate spam as much as you do so I WILL NEVER sell, rent, or abuse your contact information. Once you’ve signed up, check your email in-box for my welcome letter and be sure to add rodsuccesscenter (at) gmail.com to your safe list.
Note: You can read through the newsletter archives to catch-up on past editions. You’ll find tons of solid advice that will help you market your business.
Step 2- Share
If you found this article helpful please share it with your friends by using the social sharing buttons at the end of this post.
Step 3 – Subscribe
The Success Center is a grand buffet chocked full of information and knowledge on being successful in many different areas of your life and entrepreneurship. You don’t have to sit down and eat it all at once . . . feel free to stay up-to-date on new dishes by subscribing to the RSS feed or via email. I’m proud to say that this blog is updated at least 4 days a week so there’s always something new here.
Your two cents
What else creates a strong business and promotes success? What are you doing to promote growth for yours or what tips have you learned from others? I would love to hear you thoughts in the comments section below.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
If you’re unfamiliar with Foursquare, it’s a location-based social game that let’s you check-in to different venues. The more times you “check-in”, typically with an app installed on your mobile phone, the more points you rack-up. Check-in enough times and you become “mayor” of the venue. Whenever I traveled I would usually use, Ping.fm to let everyone on Twitter and Facebook know where I was, but Foursquare makes it easy since it sends a message for me automatically.
Note: If you decide to join Foursquare, be sure to add me as a friend!
Back to the Story!
Shortly after Foursquare let everyone know my where-a-bouts, I received a Twitter message from, Boomerzzz.
At the #BroganMemphis event last week, Chris mentioned that small businesses missed a great opportunity to “take his money” when he asked [on Twitter] for things to do around Memphis. He received a couple of replies, but, no one really reached out to him to offer anything of value.
However, as soon as I stepped foot into Pensacola’s regional airport, I received a message offering me a free beer. Now, in Memphis’ defense, lots of small businesses are starting to adopt social media marketing. But, if I was a beer drinking man (and wasn’t working) I would have stopped by Boomerzzz for a free cold one.
And, of course, I wouldn’t be able to just have one beer . . . I would have at least paid for some nachos and whatever else my little heart desired. But, that’s the point of their promotion – to get me in the door and let their social kindness do the rest.
The Recipe for Social Media Sales Success
With that being said, I want to offer up a simple recipe for making real sales using social media. I’m not talking about lead generation, building a marketing list, or some other typical social media marketing measurement.
I’m talking about dollars in the cash register, converting a fan/friend/or follower into a client, and etc. You ready? Here we go!
Secret Ingredients
1 Cup of “Target”
2 teaspoons of “Listen”
1 pound of “Engage”
1/2 tablespoon of “Ask”
Directions
Step 1 – Target Your Market
Know who you want to buy from you and where you can find them. For me, I know that my target market consists of small business owners, Christian entrepreneurs, and they can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.
Last year, I put out a survey using Constant Contact (Aff Link; if you sign up you’ll receive a $30 credit into your account!) and now I know the medium age, sex, employment status, and education level of my market as well. This information allows me to further narrow my scope and get the right message to the right people.
Step 2 – Listen to Your Market
Once you’ve found where your market is online (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) it’s time to listen! By listening you are wait for key words, conversations, or any mention of your product, service, or brand to occur.
Many times (especially on Twitter) you’ll get people or companies that broadcast their marketing messages overwhelmingly to their followers. This generates more social “noise” than quality content and forces people to block, filter, or not follow these people at all. Had they listened first before broadcasting they would have more success.
Here are some suggestions on listening within social media;
Using Twitter Search – Look for conversations involving your brand name, product/service keywords, or mentions in real time and jump in!
Using Monitter – This is a great tool that brings in conversations about specific keywords for you automatically on Twitter.
Creating a Facebook Fanpage (here’s mine!) – Round-up supporters of your brand or business and offer unique content to them. You won’t have to “listen” to hard because they’ll already be engaged with your business.
Join Linkedin Groups – Joining a specific group that caters to your interest or market is a great way to narrow down your search grid for customers.
Set-Up Google Alerts – This tool emails you whenever it finds anything regarding keywords that you set-up from around the entire world wide web.
Use Polls, Surveys, and Questionnaires on Your Blog – An excellent way of gathering information and really listening to your community.
Step 3 – Engage with Your Market
Listening is a continuing activity, it never ends because people’s conversations, needs, and wants change. However, as you listen you have to engage with your market. Let them know that you’re interested in the same things they are and you can be counted on as a reliable source for information, ideas, and resources. It’s actually not very hard to engage, here are some ideas;
Share useful tips, advice, information, resources, and articles on Twitter. [Don't forget to share and "talk back!"]
Give exclusive content, promotional discounts, and specials to Facebook Fans.
Teach members how to best achieve a desired action by utilizing the Linkedin Q&A tool.
Produce useful content on your blog, post consistently, and reply to feedback given in your comments section. My best advice is to use an editorial calendar. Here’s a video that will show you how to do it!
Once you have engaged with your market it’s important to ask for the sale or at least make an offer.
Why?
Because, you’ve earned it. Pretty simple huh?
It’s important to note that prior to me landing in Pensacola, Boomerzzz was not engaging with me on Twitter. As a matter of fact, they probably found out I was in Pensacola because they were already following me or picked up my use of Pensacola as a keyword in a search.
Even though they skipped out on step 3 they still would have gotten me in the door because of their free beer offer. That’s the difference between asking for the sale and making an offer. If you’re going to ask me for money, you better be sure I know and trust you. However, the rules change slightly if you’re offering me anything for free whether it’s a consultation, free sample, or beer in your establishment.
Get it?
Recipe Wrap-Up
Remember to target, listen, engage, and ask. This is the recipe for sales success in social media. Chris Brogan’s final tweet of wisdom from #BroganMemphis was to “stop collecting recipes and open a restaurant.” We can’t just continue to gather information, go to seminars, listen to experts, and not implement what’s been said. So, my hope is you’ll take this recipe and go make a large success pie. What say you?
Note: Want more of my best advice on maximizing social media for your business? Check out the “Social Media” section on the Best Of page!
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
If you are following me on Twitter then you know that yesterday I was tweeting live at #BroganMemphis. That’s right, I had a front row seat to the biggest nerd-meet-up [cough - I mean, business meet-up - cough] in Memphis’ history! Speaker, author, blogger, and social media ninja, Chris Brogan was in the house delivering fantastic information on how businesses could maximize social media.
Shout Outs
Big thanks to Amy Howell [follow her if you don't already, she rocks my socks!] for inviting me, Thom Rigsby for making sure I didn’t embarrass myself, everyone who looked like their Twitter profile pic, and Chris Brogan for sparing a moment to give us some advice in the video below.
Tweets of Wisdom
After the quick video you’ll find my tweets from the front row. I’ll also be updating my Facebook Fanpage with another video and pics so be sure to head over there once you’re done. There’s a ton of wisdom in these 35 tweets. So, bookmark this page, save it in Google Reader, and share it with a friend or two because I guarantee it’ll tickle you silly how awesome they are!
By the way, if you’d like to read other awesome tweets from yesterday’s event, type #BroganMemphis in Twitter search to get in on the conversations. Let me know if any of them hit home with you in the comments below. Enjoy!
35 Power Tweets for Social Media Success
#1. Everyone is in sells and everyone is in customer service. If you’re not powering “human business” you’ll end up unemployed.
#2. Social media can be used for awareness, lead generation, education, sales, crm, and community.
#3. 3 Major Buckets of Social Media; listening, connecting, and publishing. Spend 30 mins a day doing each 4 success.
#4. Have a media company mindset – think production, distribution, engagement, and two-way communication.
#5. Definition of “Human Business” – it’s sustainable, relationship-minded, and value-driven. (no shady marketing!)
#6. At the core of Social Media marketing is your database – grow it, feed it, and manage it with care.
listening is a HUGE human-business boom. [tap into it and make use of social media to listen!]
#7. Best way to make a sale is to “be there BEFORE the sale” – get to know people, earn trust, engage!
#8. 12:1 rule: tweet and share 12 times as much as you do about everyone else and then make your “ask”
#9. Don’t count your [blog] “views” as value at the end of the day how much you have in the cash register is what counts.
#10. Don’t use social media tool measurements, use money, number of sign-ups, and generate REAL action.
#11. Human Branding – use real names on social networks, real faces, promote others, get into conversations!
#12. Blog Advice; make sure you have real goals don’t just have a blog to “have a blog.”
#13. Blog Advice; build a content catalog, use an editorial calendar. Need help? Here’s a video http://bit.ly/2BcjB6
#14. Blogger Outreach; start making friends (genuine, friends, not based on how many followers they have)
#15. Measure social media success with tangible goals – not views, but sales and sign-ups!
#16. Human-Business Success; 30 mins of listening, 60 mins. of producing content, 30 mins of responding
#17. Social Media Marketing Success – share! “Free” is a very powerful tool.
#18. Start thinking of a mobile strategy – beyond phones as well (ipad, etc.)
#19. Affiliate Marketing is a great way to make money online. [Offer products you stand behind and don't push them!]
#20. If you’re going to start social media marketing, give yourself 3 months to get into the groove of things.
#21. Damage Control Plan – be “socially chirpy” during the good and the bad times. Response time is less than 24 hrs.
#22. Damage Plans – people who don’t have relationships with their communities won’t be as successful in controlling it.
#23. Linkedin questions and answers is really powerful, groups are amazing. [Don't discount it!]
#24. Posterous is a great tool for posting emails that come out like a blog on the other end. [Very powerful for quick posts!]
#25. Video bridges the generational gap in social media [very powerful tool 4 marketing]
#26. Apps are a real opportunity for digital publishers. Trick is to create useful content. Not just advertise.
#27. Privacy is dead because of the internet. [Win by having as much volume & value as u can]
#28. People don’t look [for services] until they have a need. Use listening tools to reach people BEFORE they need you.
#29. Best way to get companies who aren’t using social media on board is to not confuse them with the “nerd-o-logy”
#30. Twitter has changed the dynamic of how we get our news. We get real-time news faster than regular news channels.
#31. Media Company Advice: get out of the circulation game and get into the “action-game.” They have to adapt.
#32. The new value for media companies online is not subscribers but content/reader engagement. [social currency]
#33. Quick Fact: chrisbrogan starts his day by listening, reading other posts, publishing a few posts, and interacting.
#34. When sharing, share things that you really like. Not just “anything.”
#35. Don’t just “collect recipes,” open a restaurant. Put what you collect into action.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
Scalability, as it pertains to blogging, is a measure of a blog’s money-making potential. If your blog is scalable then it has the capability to not only be a marketing tool . . . but, a business platform. It’s important to note that simply having a blog does not make you money. It’s the value that you create from it that does. David Risley explains that concept further in his post, Reality Check: A Blog Is Not A Business. I highly recommend giving it a read when you get done with this one.
I first mentioned scalability in my presentation, 4 Pillars to Building a Successful Blog. Blog scalability can be broken down into three main categories; products, community, and branding. Let’s explore each area and in the process think of how each applies to your blog.
What Products or Services Can You Create from Your Blog?
Does your content have the potential to be turned into an e-book, e-course, magazine, an actual book, and etc.? One thing you’ll notice about professional bloggers such as Darren Rowse, David Risley, and others like them, is their ability to turn their content into products. How can you turn your content into a product or service? Here are a few suggestions;
Define Your Delivery System – What delivery method would best serve your community who will transition into your customers? Would they rather have one-on-one coaching, a tele-seminar, or a tangible product?Keep in mind that no one delivery system is universal. It’s best to diversify the delivery or spread the product through different mediums if possible. For instance, If you wrote an awesome article on how to bake a cake, why not turn it into an e-book, video presentation, and workshop? Diversification not only gives your customers options but it multiplies your income as well.
Ask for Feedback – I issued a 10 question survey to my blog community and social networks late last year. It was the best thing I’ve ever done when it comes to market research. The biggest break-through was the fact that people wanted products and services to help them solve their biggest entrepreneurial problems. What problems can you solve for your community? Get their feedback and let them tell you!Resources: As many of you know, I use Constant Contact (Aff link – if you sign-up you and I will both be given a $30 credit!) for my survey delivery system and I stand by their services 100%! You can also use the Polldaddy, WP Polls, or Surveys plugins if you have a self-hosted WordPress blog.
How Can You Increase the Value of Your Blog for Your Community?
The reason a business is able to capitalize from their blog is because of the community that thrives there. You see, the more eyeballs that you can attract to your blog and keep engaged while there, the more successful you’ll be. Feeding your community’s needs is only part of the process. Here are a few other tips that should help you increase the value of your blog;
Post Consistently – Give readers a reason to come back!
Use Comments in Your Posts – include reader thoughts in future posts!
Set-Up a forum, message board, or social network – Give Buddypress for WordPress a try!
Where can your blog take you? Can you start a web show based on the popularity of your content? What about a magazine? Radio show? Here are some tips to help you in venturing into new territory;
Narrow Your Niche – Your blog may be about a particular topic, but if you don’t get specific you’ll lose new fans.
Expand Your Reach – Are you making strong connections on Linkedin, Facebook, or Twitter? Use them! Reach out to anyone that might be able to help you.
Focus Your Content – When you produce a radio show or Television show you have to pump out highly focused content to keep audiences engaged.
Seek Advisors – It’s always a good thing to have someone in your corner that you trust and will give you sound advice.
Seek Sponsorships & Partners – Once you have a solid idea of where you want to take your blog bring your ideas to a negotiating table with partners that can make it happen. Remember to have them sign-off on confidentiality agreements before you spill all the beans.
Launch a Pilot Program – Testing a new market is wise and will give you plenty of room to make mistakes and adjustments.
I hope, by now, you have an idea of how scalable your current blog is and you’ve got some ideas on scaling it to all new levels. There isn’t some magic formula to making a butt-load of money from a blog. The key is to work your butt off and create value that can scale it beyond web 2.0 and last. What are your thoughts? Given the criteria, is your blog scalable? What areas of your blog do you need to work on and how can I help you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
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