5 Mistakes Businesses Make in Social Media

Who wants to make the same mistake twice? No one. Wise entrepreneurs learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others...including the wild and crazy world of social media. The following are 5 mistakes that can set your social media campaign back. We don't want that to happen to you so take a moment to "learn" from these tips (we sure wish someone would have mentioned these in the beginning).

Mistake #1 - No Plan
Imagine if you started a business without a mission or business plan. Imagine you didn't know who your potential customer was or what products you were going to sell. Do you think it could be a recipe for disaster? The same goes for your social media. Take the time to plan your strategy BEFORE you dive in to posts and status updates. It will keep you focused in the long run and allow you more success.

Mistake #2 - Picking the Wrong Platforms
You can drive yourself crazy trying to manage twenty different social media sites and the odds are - unless you have a whole social media team - you won't excel at any of them because you are spread too thin. The idea is quality vs. quantity. Part of your Plan (stated above) is to consider where do your potential customers hang out. Is it Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Pinterest, YouTube? Ask your clients  and narrow your focus down to one or two sites.



Mistake #3 - Tracking & Tweaking
Social media as a business is not a "just for fun" tactic. This is a legitimate marketing venue. Just like coupons, advertising and other marketing ploys, you have to measure your success to know how it's working. If you don't track what you are doing and make changes when you see success or failure - you're wasting your time. Most of the social sites offer analytics and there are free resources available.

Mistake #4 - "Push" Selling
When you spend all of your time pushing your followers and fans to buy - their going to do the opposite. They'll unfollow or unlike you and odds are, they're never coming back. Social media is about building a community and providing valuable information. Think about those potential customers and what they are interested in. Do they like DIY tips, quotes, funny images, special discounts, contests etc.? Give them what they want (integrated around your business/industry of course) and soon you'll be engaged in "pull" marketing which creates a much stronger relationship. They'll WANT to buy from you and will probably share those feelings with their friends too.

Mistake #5 - Thinking this is Easy
Social media is a huge venue for business and because there are so many tools available, it's easy to get sucked in to thinking this is all a piece of cake. It isn't. Creating a social media platform that engages with followers and nudges them on their way to becoming customers is HARD WORK. You didn't start your business without education of some kind, right? It's time to start learning the tricks of the trade and educating yourself so you can maximize your social media plan.

BONUS MISTAKE <--- (Quite possibly the biggest of them all!)
Giving Up Too Soon
There is no getting around it - social media takes time. Success won't happen overnight and if you're only spending a few minutes a day on your posts, it's going to take a long, long time to reap rewards. Expect to dedicate at least an hour a day to your social media marketing. Social media is about building relationships and there is no shortcut to creating trust. Remember, you have a plan and you are going to need to dedicate at least 6 to 9 months to achieve measurable results. Don't quit just yet!

Photo credit: Edn.com

Understanding the Superstitious is Smart Business

Friday the 13th is associated with many elements of superstition; black cats, spilled salt, broken mirrors...but business performance? Many would say no - but in fact, a reported 9 percent of Americans are superstitious about the ominous calendar day and studies show that $800 million to $900 million in business revenue is lost on days like today.

We know that baseball players are superstitious about their favorite bat or pair of socks but business men and women have their own 'lucky' traditions. Whether it's that favorite suit for an interview or reading their horoscope before selling stock - it may seem irrational but according to Stuart Vyse, professor of psychology at Connecticut College, these actions are understandable, especially in times of economic uncertainty.

"In the business world, there is a tremendous amount of randomness in the market and people seek ways to gain control over these events, even though they can't," he says. "What you wear that day, the coffee that you drink--these things can't affect the outcome of the day's business, but people engage in this [behavior] to feel like they've done every possible thing to manage the outcome."

Although Vyse isn't a proponent of irrational behavior, he acknowledges that there are certain psychological benefits, such as more confidence and a sense of comfort, linked to superstitious rituals. "Crazy or not, you feel better having done [them]."

How can Lucky Numbers Work for Business?
You might not believe or buy into supersition but as a business - you need to takes steps to  mitigate losses on days like Friday the 13th. Plus, you can capitalize on positive superstitions.In the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Block and Kramer point out that some successful marketing campaigns based on the number seven, considered lucky in Western cultures, can draw positive attention from customers.

Icelandair, for example, ran a promotion allowing customers to add on excursions for $7 each, provided they booked by 7/7/07. Another was Wal-Mart's "Lucky in Love Wedding Search," which granted seven couples a free wedding ceremony and reception for 77 guests on the lucky date. "That campaign was very successful," Kramer says.

Acording to Entrepreneur.com, hundreds of millions of dollars are lost on Friday the 13th because humans are naturally risk-averse. Although it's not always done consciously, there's a tendency toward less decision-making, Block says. "People don't do as much shopping and don't leave the house--and there's less flying." But by simply making people aware of superstitious behavior, it can bring out their more rational side, reminding them it's just an ordinary day.

Home store Crate & Barrel, Kramer recalls, ran a "Lucky You" campaign on Friday the 13th. "They played off the superstition and got people to come out anyway." Because consumers are not always aware of the extent to which they rely on superstitions, this is perhaps one model that businesses can follow.

Kramer concludes that it's important for business owners to be aware of any superstitions held by their target market. "Then they can both capitalize on [this knowledge] as well as avoid mistakes."

Are QR (Quick Response) Codes just a fad?

Are QR Codes, these little square pixelated boxes seen in advertising in magazines, on signs and even in television commercials really here to stay?  According to a study by comScore, 14 million mobile phone users in the United States scanned a QR code in June 2011.  That's 6.2% of the total mobile audience focusing on a QR code or barcode to seek information. That number is set to rise as the smartphone takes over the current mobile marketplace.

The study went further to breakdown men versus women users, age groups, household income and where and when they scanned QR codes.  QR Scanners were more likely to be men (60.5%) and aged 18 to 34 (53.4%) and had a household income of $100,000 or above (36.1%).  Mobile users scanned QR codes on their mobile devices at a rate of 58% from home while 39.4% scanned QR codes from a retail store with 24.5% from a grocery store.  Nearly 20% scanned a QR code from work while 12.6% did so outside with 7.6% scanning a QR code while in a restaurant.

"QR codes demonstrate just one of the ways in which mobile marketing can effectively be integrated into existing media and marketing campaigns to help reach desired consumer segments," says Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile.

In business layman's terms - it is about getting noticed - being found - answering a need.

QR codes fit with the trend today of  having information at your fingertips and the ease to enter it into your contact list for future reference. Still think it's a FAD?  Think again - get your FREE business QR code from Qlixite.com and start using it and tracking more traffic. "See a need - fill a need!"

What Makes a Good Coupon? (And What Makes A Bad One)

Some people spend their whole marketing careers creating the definitive "Good Coupon" (ie: a coupon that brings the customer to you and yet doesn't cost too much in profit) and avoiding a bad coupon (usually a coupon that gets no response). Small business owners can see a dramatic improvement in their profits by offering coupon. To make a good coupon, you need to think like your customers. What would make you clip that coupon and go use it? What kind of coupon calls you to check out that business if you've never used them before? What coupons do you pass on?

Pick A Product/Service to Discount that your Customer is Actually Interested In
A coupon advertises a discount for a limited period of time on a product or service. You may have an low cost/high profit item that you WANT people to purchase however if that's not the item that is currently bringing customers in the door, your coupon (unless a deep discount) is not going to be as effective.

Don't Limit Who Can Use the Coupon
People dislike fine print. There's nothing I despise more than when I take a coupon and try to use it only to learn that my coupon does not apply to me because I am an existing customer. Why would you not want to reward your current customers for shopping with you? If you are discounting a service that only a very limited number of people can use, make sure you are offering a variety of coupons at the same time that together will include everyone.

Create Urgency with An Expiration Date
Expiration dates create an sense of urgency that your customer will need to act quickly to use and benefit from the coupon. Experiment with expiration dates. A date that is too close can be disastrous if your marketing strategy doesn't get the coupon out in time. Plus it doesn't give people enough time to redeem it. A date too far away will be forgotten. Depending on your advertising, what your discount is and the nature of your business, 2 weeks to 1 month can be a good time frame for a coupon expiration date.

Offer a Discount not just a Coupon
Statistics show that people don't respond if a coupon's face value is too small. I recently saw a coupon for a medical office that offered $1.00 off an office visit. Their visit costs, on average, $35.00 so their coupon gave me less than 3% off. That doesn't make me want to respond to that coupon at all. In fact I was almost turned off to the business itself for offering such a sad coupon. This is where you need to put your customer hat back on. If you see 10% off, 15% off or 25% off coupons - which do you respond to? You may cringe at the idea of offering a 25% off coupon but think about successful chains like Macy's which focus millions of dollars on this marketing strategy that people come shop with them more if they believe they'll save with their coupon.

Create a Coupon Strategy and Go For It!
If you want to do a semi annual or annual deep discount coupon then plan it out and market accordingly. If you want people to consistently check your website or store for coupons then offer a variety and consistently market them. Whatever you decide to do - plan it out and execute it. That doesn't mean you can't modify your plan as you find coupons that work or fail. It means you are taking an active role in this side of your marketing strategy.

Mobile Marketing Website: 5 Easy Steps to Get Started

Are you thinking about mobile marketing? Wondering how you can use mobile marketing to connect with customers?
The good news is that mobile marketing is not too complex.
Here are five things you can do to get started in mobile marketing. Once you’ve mastered the steps below, you’ll see that mobile marketing is a great way to open up new revenue streams for your business.
Ready to get started?

#1: Set up your mobile website
This is actually easier than you might think. One option is to use the automated systems offered by many companies. Essentially, they take your existing website content and auto-format it for a mobile screen.
WordPress has some plugins that do a pretty good job of this and ThisIsMyDomainUSA has an automated system that does it, too when you buy a .mobi domain. But for the best user experience, I recommend you focus on one of the options outlined below.

Your mobile home page should have a clean and simple design. On the left is the standard 60 Second Marketer home page seen on a smart phone. On the right is the mobile version of the site.

Option number two is to use one of the many plug-and-play platforms offered online. These companies actually create a separate mobile website that is completely independent from your regular website.
Just Google “How to set up a mobile website” and you’ll find a number of companies doing this. There are some good organizations offering these plug-and-play systems, but there are also some real losers, so do your research before you choose a company to work with. Mobicanvas.com, GetGoMobi.com and Onswipe.com all seem to have good solid platforms to work from.

You can build and manage your website quickly and easily!
A third option is to add a simple line of code onto your existing home page that “sniffs out” the screen size of the person visiting your site.
If the person visiting your site has a screen that’s more than 600 pixels wide, they’re probably coming from a PC and are directed to your regular site. If the screen is smaller than 600 pixels, they’re probably coming from a mobile device and will be redirected to pages designed for a smartphone screen.
Out of these three options, the third option is the best approach. Just ask your web designer to do a search for “mobile website redirect code” and they’ll find plenty of options like this one on CSS-Tricks.com.

Redirects are a critical step in ensuring your website is search-engine friendly.

#2: Claim your business on location-based platforms
You should claim your business on location-based platforms like Foursquare,Gowalla and Facebook Places, especially if you have a brick-and-mortar location.
Claiming your business just means that you’re raising your hand to these services and saying, “I’m an official representative of XYZ business and want to be listed on your platform.” Claiming your business is similar to calling up the phone company to get a free listing in the Yellow Pages, only now you’re reaching out to these location-based services instead of Ma Bell.
Once you’ve claimed your business, you can start using these platforms to run mobile promotions. For example, Chili’s ran a promotion where everyone who “checked in” to their locations using Foursquare got free cheese dip.
Better still, Chili’s improved on the promotion by making it so that anybody who checked in at another store within 200 yards of Chili’s got the same offer. Yup, you heard right—if you checked in at the florist next door, you got a digital coupon for free cheese dip at the Chili’s a few steps away. Brilliant!
Users can unlock the free appetizer coupon at participating restaurants by checking in at Chili's through Foursquare.

#3: Immerse yourself
You can’t fully understand mobile marketing until you use mobile marketing. So when you get through reading this article, grab your smartphone and mess around with it—check in on Foursquare, buy some shoes using the Zappos app, do a voice search using Google Voice Search—just get comfortable with all your smartphone’s nooks and crannies.

The Google Voice Search App lets you speak your queries without pushing any buttons, and also lets you do local searches without specifying your location. Faster web search with fewer keystrokes.
When you’re ready to take a deeper dive into your smartphone, download theStarbucks mobile payment app and use it to pay for your next cup of coffee. That way, you can look even cooler than the guy who ordered the “double whipped mocha Frappuccino with a twist of whatever to go.”

You can pay for your Starbucks drink using the Starbucks Card Mobile app!
The more you use mobile media, the more you’ll see that it’s really not all that complex. It’s just the newest marketing channel in a long line of marketing channels introduced throughout the last several decades.
Tip: For smartphone overachievers: 1) Download LinkedIn to your smartphone, 2) enable your Bluetooth function and 3) open up the LinkedIn application. In the LinkedIn app, you’ll notice an icon with two people shaking hands called “In Person.”
Find someone in your office who has LinkedIn installed on their smartphone, then “bump” your phones together. Ding! You’ve just used Bluetooth to exchange your LinkedIn profile without having to type a word. LinkedIn's app allows you to bump smartphones to exchange information.

#4: Run a mobile ad campaign.
A mobile ad campaign is great for all kinds of companies, but particularly good for companies that have brick-and-mortar locations. After all, if you own a restaurant, wouldn’t you want to have an ad pop up when someone searches for “restaurants near my house”?
Mobile ad campaigns can be bought on a cost-per-click basis, a cost-per-thousand basis or a cost-per-acquisition basis.
Sound confusing? Don’t worry—just visit any of the most popular mobile advertising platforms (like Millennial Media, iAd from Apple or AdMob from Google) and they’ll walk you through the distinctions and how to use the services.
AdMob provides innovative solutions for brand and performance advertisers, effective distribution for app developers and revenue opportunities for mobile site owners.

Qlixite's QR Code

#5: Scan a QR Code.
QR Codes are those little barcode-like squares that are popping up all over the place. For an in-depth introduction to QR Codes, you can check out How QR Codes Can Grow Your Business.
QR Codes (or their closely related cousins EZ Codes, Microsoft Tags, SPARQCodes, etc.) can be scanned by smartphones. Once scanned, they drive you through to mobile web pages that offer discount coupons, bonus content, special offers or some other additional content.
How to download a QR Code reader to your smartphone:
 Turn on your smartphone and open your web browser.
 Visit BeeTagg.com or Sparq.it and click the link that says “Download QR Code Reader”.
 Launch the app and hold your phone’s camera up to a QR Code. The app will automatically scan the code.

Bottom Line
By now, you’re probably realizing that mobile media really isn’t that complex. It’s just like social media or email marketing or organic search, the only difference is that the delivery mechanism is a smartphone or a tablet computer instead of a PC.
These are just five of the ways you can kickstart your use of mobile marketing. There are probably dozens more.
What are your thoughts? What mobile marketing tools have you tried out that you’d like to share with our readers? Leave your comments in the box below.