Strategic social media marketing advice from your peers

(Salisbury MD) Lara Nieberding has announced that they have successfully completed the one-of-a-kind VAClassroom Product Launch Support Specialist Course designed to equip Virtual Assistants and Online Professionals with the skills to launch all types of products on the web.

It is no secret that the world has been going through tough economic times over the last few years in what has been called the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. At the same time, entrepreneurship has grown, and new and existing businesses have started launching all types of digital products online. As Social Media gains more and more prominence, entrepreneurs have discovered the value of building a following and are now seeing the Internet as the easiest, most cost-effective and robust channel for their product launches. The challenge is that there are so many important aspects to successfully launching a product online, and many businesses fail because they do not have a workable system for facilitating their product launches. Consequently there is a desperate need for a “product launch support specialist” to help manage a business’s pre-launch, launch and post-launch activities. That is why Lara is excited to be adding Product Launch Support skills to her business, having gained cutting-edge knowledge, tools and tactics that enable them to fully coordinate and implement her clients’ online product launches from start to finish.

“I had no idea I would love managing product launches!” Lara said. “I am so glad I took the training because I found a new area to apply my skills.”

In VAClassroom’s Product Launch Support Specialist Program, Lara was taught the building blocks of a powerful online product launch, including how to conduct a product feasibility assessment and how to build an effective product launch strategy and action plan. They also learned the steps to creating a product launch success sequence, including mind-mapping tasks in the pre-launch, launch and follow-up phases, and recruiting and managing a product launch dream team. In addition, they received training in developing squeeze pages, free offers and video for the pre-launch phase and learned how to leverage blogs and Social Media to build buzz and anticipation, ultimately building a timeline of activities for a launch. Furthermore, they learned content syndication and product launch socialization strategies to build a targeted audience, as well as strategies for evaluating results to prepare for the next launch. Most importantly, with innovative product launch support skills and tools, Lara is now better equipped to provide the most relevant services to her clients to help them effectively promote and launch all types of products on the web.

Lara Nieberding is The Data Digger, offering a wide range of niche services, including Internet research, social media and online business management. Having received the Product Launch Support Specialist Certification, she is pleased to add cutting-edge Product Launch Support services and tools to her business. This certification also entitles her to ongoing training as technology develops so she will continue to offer quality up-to-date Product Launch Support skills to her clients.

For more information, visit:

For more information, visit:

http://TheDataDigger.com

Lara Nieberding

The Data Digger

client@thedatadigger.com

410-713-4391

Social Networking-Step into the deep end of the new marketing wave

The internet has opened us up to more; more information, more commercials, and more staying close. With that exposure to more, it has also put a death knoll on marketing campaigns as we knew them. Traditional tactics of putting an image out there for a company do not work anymore. People want connections; they want to feel they know the company inside and out. They do not want to be treated like mindless shopaholics.

The internet has shown customers that information is king and conversation is next in line for the throne.

Gone are the days of the customer not caring where the stuff they buy comes from. Too much is at stake these days, including the environment and jobs. People want to know where what they buy comes from, and they want to feel like there is a personal connection there. Customers want to trust you, and building trust cannot be done in a 30 second advertisement.

Social networking has also opened up businesses to respond to customer needs instantly.

The internet has trained all of us to expect things yesterday. We no longer wait for letters to be sent through the mail, we send them by magic instead so they arrive in moments. Your customers expect you to communicate with them with the same speed and efficiency. With social networking you can respond to customer needs, wants, and concerns with the touch of a button.

Lastly, social networking lets your customers know that you are dependable. When a customer posts a concern, and you respond to it immediately, you are further building trust. This way both current and potential customers know that you listen and respond to their needs. Letting customers post their problems publicly may seem a bit odd, but everyone knows that no company is perfect. Letting them know that you care about satisfied customers, and if they are not satisfied you will work until it is right, then customers will flock to you.

Social networking also allows the business to post meaningful information in more than one place.

Your customers are already using social networking.

By using it as a business, you are able to post hours of operation, maps, addresses, and contact information on more than just the company website. This allows customers to find you more easily.

Do you need small business support regarding public relations? Do you wish you had craft business support in the area of public relations? If you answered “yes” to these questions then it is time to hire me!

I can help you integrate a press release into your marketing strategy using social media to improve your public relations.

clipped from www.conversationagent.com

How to use a checklist to do better PR

• what’s the main story?
• does the content map to the business intent?
• have you utilized the insights and research available to you in the course of writing?
• how is this piece fitting in the content toolkit you’re making available to customers?
• have you compared notes with all sources?
• how is the piece fitting to the editorial calendar of the people in your outreach program?
• is your language approachable? Have you taken the opportunity to simplify/educate?
• do you have the right people/quotes in the piece, and is everyone’s name
  spelled correctly?

Customers will drive other customers, so use social networking as a platform to allow them to communicate with each other as well as with the company. Give your customers a voice, let them tell the world why they love your product or your service, and

The world will arrive at your door.

After you have established traffic to your website and a following for the blog, enter into the social sites. Create a fan page on Facebook, tweet your company’s happenings or about blog updates, put a complete company profile on MySpace, network with other professionals on Linkdin. No matter how you do it, getting the word out there is crucial. Even so, keep in mind that social media is not all about talking, it is about listening too. Use this platform to hear why your customers are your customers.

They will thank you in sales.

Next, get a blog. There are a ton of blogging platforms out there, and different ones offer different features. At the very basic level you will want your blog to reflect relevant content to your readers.  Post information about your company a logo, and to post pictures of what is happening at your company. This is the second main tool that should be used to reach potential and current customers. Your customers are not doing business with your company, they are doing business with the people at your company; the ones answering the phones, reading emails, or packing boxes. Let your customers know who those people are and what they do for you.  Even if you are a solopreneur, share, let your customers know about you and how you do business.  Let your customers know where you are heading next, and how the company is evolving to help them better. Granted, this is a lot of work but well worth it;

The information that you share about your products and company can drive customers to you in droves.