Yakity Yak

This Saturday, March 10, 2012,  I will be on the radio (at 7:30am – yikes) speaking with Martin Johncox about all the new tools that one might or might not need to be involved in. Click here to see the entire upcoming schedule.

Saturday, March 10, 2012: New social media. Pinterest? Foursquare? GetGlue? If you feel like you’re being pelted with new social media platforms, help is on the way. Jennifer Harris, Internet content specialist at D&B Supply, will help us make sense of some of the newest platforms. Since 2005, Jen has been helping businesses and clients adopt new social media with BlueLine Marketing, Caffeinated Marketing, MPC Computers, T-Sheets, Consilio and Citadel Broadcasting. Jen and host Martin Johncox will discuss a few of the new social platforms attracting the most attention and how to figure out which you might want to try out.

How to Communicate with FB Timeline

How to Communicate with FB Timeline

march 1, 2012: Here is a post that I did for D&B letting our customers know how to find out how to communicate with us one on one and how to enter contests now that we switched to Timeline.

Funny update: Our local NBC affiliate, KTVB, wrote a story and published it a few hours after I did about how to communicate with the new Timeline. I am a bit flattered. http://www.ktvb.com/home/related/KTVB-switches-to-Facebook-timeline-layout-141087563.html

She’s Alive

February 9, 2012: I am still alive and implementing everything I have taught, consulted and trained others on with D&B Supply. Life. Life couldn’t be sweeter.
I will be writing more about our implementations along with what we want to do on our web team of 2.5 ppl that serve 11 stores in 2 states.

My Move To D&B Supply

On Wednesday March 23, 2011, I accepted a new position at D&B Supply as their new Internet Content Specialist!
Great job with a great local company. Funny how things happen…I started pursuing this job in this company almost 16 months ago.
I was unemployed and couldn’t get an interview anywhere in Boise. “In this current economic state” if you were in marketing, you were screwed…especially if you carved out a niche for yourself in this crazy new intranets type of marketing. Ahem.
I had to do something to get the needle to move so I put myself out there and said “I’ll give ‘it’ away for free– if you buy me coffee and my twins chicken nuggets”. I finally had some interest! Most ping backs were from out of town and I helped some via email but the best free coffee talk came from right here in Boise.
My daughters friends dad, whom I spoke with frequently at birthday parties and school functions, was “the IT guy” at D&B and “got it”. He was working to move the company forward in business through the website and new media. When I put out the call for free coffee and nuggets, Joe made a meeting happen -with him, the CEO and the head store manager. Wha? Crazy!?!
I talked their ears off for two hours, drank too much coffee and knew I wanted to work them someday. Down to earth people – aka: normal! I was asked if a job would ever come available at D&B in this capacity, would I be interested? Absolutely!
Fast forward 16 months, two jobs and lots of resumes later, they called. Actually, I got a tweet. 😉 Then email, then interview #1…#2…and then the offer. Wow.
I will be creating content, managing existing content and help gain momentum for bigger things.
I can’t sleep right now I am so excited- and I haven’t had any coffee since 10:15AM! Wish me luck and look out, things are just getting good.

*enter cliché “lets do it” type music here* whooohoooo!

What Is Your Cost Per Person?

March 23, 2011: If you are a small business & you do not know your cost per person…go grab your keys, lock the door & put up a sign that says “Sorry, Out of Business”. I could be much more crass and say “Sorry, We Had a Good Business Idea, but Don’t Know What A Business Plan Is”.

Why Should you know this simple number? (If you don’t know it, go here to calculate and convert for your type of biz – or here for another good article)
Every opportunity to promote your company that comes along should be calculated on how it will benefit your bottom line. Don’t get sold on how many eye balls see you, how many times your name is mentioned or who you are gong to be associated with (of course these are essential to know when calculating your RISK & ROI of each promotion), it’s about WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? And let’s be honest, you don’t have “general branding” marketing dollars – do you? So be picky where you spend those valuable marketing dollars.

Let’s Crunch Some Numbers:
You are selling a widget.
Using the above formula, you have figured that your cost per customer is (X) and you have an opportunity that fits both your demographic & psychgraphic profile of your desired client. Your objectives & strategy line up as well (if you don’t know what these are – find your sign).

I am not a math wiz – but here is what jen math looks like:  Y/X=Z

Cost Per Customer: $10
Opportunity: $500
Need to sell 50 widgets to make the opportunity pay for itself.
…and of course you have added some kind of tracking (text, phone number, super secret word of the day, funny face, certain product etc) that will tell you EXACTLY where those 50 people came from.

I found this blog comment on a post on MarketingProfs.com when I was subscribing – now I am not & I can’t find the link. sorry, looser link….but some good info regardless that I scraped while researching for this post.

On top of that, I’d calculate the ROI by looking at:

Cost per Acquisition (CPA) = Cost of campaign / Number of sales

Return On Advertising Spend (ROAS) = Total Revenue Resulting from Sales / Cost of campaign

PROFITABLE Return on Advertising Spend (PROAS) = (Total Revenue Resulting from Sales * Margin) / Cost of campaign

My favorite is CPA. I use it to compare advertising campaigns quickly

PS: Thanks Tac – I needed the push.

My First Client: Cobalt Off Road Center

This is going to be a series of how I am going to assist Cobalt with their Marketing as a whole – not just radio.  Some people here at Citadel have told me not to waste my time or get sucked in to the “social media thing”.  Really? I don’t plan on doing it for them, rather teach them the reasons WHY they should be engaging, HOW that works with their strategy and WHERE it integrates with their radio campaign.  Follow along and you can do this too.  This post is mainly about STRATEGY & our first steps.
I am going to use the POST method – brilliant, precise and it works. Buy the book, you won’t be sorry.

Background:

  • Cobalt doesn’t have a social presence – perfect! I don’t have to undo terrible practices. (mainly a business can NOT be a “friend” – you will eventually get shut down from FB & loose ALL THAT DATA).
  • Cobalt has opened up a retail Off Road Center that is on the same lot to their customized Truck Equipment shop in Nampa on Karcher Road.

P-People:
Who do we want to know about us?
Jeff (their offroad specialist) wants the customer who is going to be a long term, year long customer. They spend money every month on accessories for their vehicle. The lift kit guy is great, but after spending $4,000 in one shot – he might not come back for a while.

O-Objective:
What do we want to accomplish?
We want to build a data base of new customers – to build a fire, you must first start with kindling.-thank you Greg Stielstra.

S-Strategy:
How will the relationship with the customer change?
We want people to talk about the Cobalt  Off Road Center when they think of truck accessories in the Treasure Valley.

T-Tools:
Which technology tools will get us to the objective?
Since I AM in radio – we will use that medium in prime areas (Bob & Tom on The Eagle) as well as Traffic spots and very targeted day & times on both country stations: Kissin’ 92 & KQFC.  We are going to direct people to the station websites with the keyword COBALT where listeners will sign up to be on Cobalt’s monthly eNewsletter list. Jeff is going to use MailChimp – keeping those that opt in “in the know” for sales, new products & company news.  Increase awareness and stay in front of the customer.

Future:
FaceBook business page presence with objective to interact and create community with the off-road & accessory enthusiasts.
Open House in April to celebrate Off Road Center
Possible affiliation with The Eagle’s broadcast of BSU Football games for 2011/2012

How I Would Use FaceBook Places

How can you, the local small business owner, use FaceBook’s “places” in your marketing mix? (when I say “mix” that means everything from how you answer the phones to how much you spend on a monthly basis for attracting new customers & of course keeping the oldie but goodies).
PLUG-PLUG: I SELL FOR CITADEL & WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU DO THIS!

Here is how I would use FaceBook Places:
(of course I would have the following IN PLACE already…)
1.  Great reputation already WITH OUT FaceBook
2.  A scheduled and impromptu editorial & promotional calendar on what is communicated “out”
3.  Policy & procedures on how to deal with negative nilly’s (be kind & treat others the way you want to be treated)


With the above…
1.  Have a tool that allows you to see INSTANTLY when someone “checks in” with Places.
2.  Do one of the following with-in MINUTES of #1-
a. respond to the person with a “Thank you! Be sure to sign up for our eNewsletter at the front desk with Alice – we give away all kinds of good stuff every month! If you tell your server ‘I love Kermit the Frog’, appetizers are on us! Cheers!”
or BETTER
b. go find that person, thank them, bring them a drink, a flower, a $5 off coupon, a hug…..do something! What kind of appreciation would YOU want from a place that you love?

Why?
Hind site is 20/20.  Wouldn’t you LOVE to be that guy who discovered how to sell on the internet FIRST?  This is that opportunity.  FaceBook (along with the many other location base services) are figuring out how to tell you who your customer is, where they are & when they are ready to buy. Information is power – you are the superhero!

ESP with a tad bit of opt in voyeurism at its finest.

This post was inspired by an eMarketer interview with Emily White, Senior Director of Local at FaceBook.

Hello Boise Citadel Radio

Jen has landed! Stability is good. Paycheck is good. Cubicle is good!

On Monday, November 29th, 2010 I started my new job as an Account Executive with Citadel Radio. I will be consulting with clients about their marketing practices (love that!) and why a combination of radio, web, text is a fit for XYZ business.  I will be representing 96.9 The Eagle, 93.1 Hit Music Now & 92.3 Kissin’92.

I have always believed that Radio is a good fit in a marketing mix when messaged properly.  (although Jeff Caves stated on Tuesday “so, your going to take a crack of selling traditional?”)  I truly do believe, and always have, it is your messaging, honesty, integrity, reputation and service that will make you successful – whichever medium you choose to be successful on.

I will not be out there selling to selling. I have this desire and need to help people make a difference on their bottom line…it’s the Mama in me: help & change & help & change.

Success is not a matter of luck, it’s a level of happiness that I will achieve.
All my love,
-jen

Social Media Diagram: Circa 2008

I am preparing for an interview today & ran across Hub Spots Media Diagrams…that they ran across and posted 22 of them in May.

I did this diagram for MPC in October 2008, right before I was laid off (literally days before) and 2 months before they closed their doors.  It was a very wide-reaching plan for the company social media plan that I was developing.  The plan was rogue since the VP of IT didn’t believe in social media at the time and controlled the website, so this was our plan to go “out there” and make a presence for ourselves based on our new internal bloggers and the success of Michael Boss’ podcasts.  It sort of reminds me of looking at my daughters writing two years ago and thinking “whoa, you have come a looong way baby!”  But what is funny is that so many SMB’s are not even close to understanding how this non-linear approach works and how it can benefit their pipeline and business bottom line.

Thank goodness I save all my notes!  This was originally white boarded, diagrammed out on paper then I believe I used Publisher to make it pretty…in a stick figure way.  I printed this out quite large and wrote “THIS IS WHAT MY BRAIN LOOKS LIKE” where people passing by my isle cubicle could see it…

 

 

 

 

 

What I find funny two years later is how we avoided the MPC Corporate website so blatantly! Our “go to” web page all landed on Diigo.  I would have to conclude that I wasn’t buying into FriendFeed at the time & I was seeing that Diigo was going to give us better SEO feedback.  I was obviously throwing “everything” at the wall and hoping that one way would stick.  It would have been so cool to ride this out…hopefully I have my chance here soon.