Put up your hands if you believe that referrals from satisfied customers is one of the most reliable ways to grow your business? Great ~ leave those hands up. Now, if you already have a Facebook page for your business, put your hands down. Those of you with your hands still raised are passing up an invaluable platform for letting your most enthusiastic and loyal customers refer you to their friends. Establishing a social media presence, and maintaining it, doesn't have to be confusing or painful or expensive. Eschewing it is the equivalent of leaving growth (and, therefore, revenue) on the table. The foregoing was the tenor of a recent presentation that Write and Polish gave to our weekly chapter meeting of Business Network International (BNI). BNI, for those unfamiliar with it, is a networking organization whose goal is to pass referrals within a vetted group of businesses. We believe in it, and the success of BNI and other networking groups similarly organized and focused seems to bear out our own positive impression. It is generally understood and agreed that a satisfied customer can provide the best advertising that a business can hope to have. Testimonials are a standard part of certain marketing pieces. LinkedIn has a recommendations section that works on the same principle. Some businesses, though they may believe in the power of referrals, do not feel that they need social media. You would be surprised at the number of people in that room, whose BNI membership already testifies to their belief in the long-term return on investment of referral-based marketing, who do not participate in social media. Businesses with a social media presence of any kind are depriving themselves of a virtual meeting place where their customers and clients can testify for and refer them. It's really that simple. That is a particularly glaring omission for smaller/local businesses that may have a harder time competing against "big box" equivalents. But, someone will have to update it! That is one of the objections that we hear. And, yes, it is great to have new and engaging content to keep you looking fresh -- the same as it is important to have new and engaging content on your website (without going into detail, doing so helps your search results). Conveniently, this is a two-birds-with-one-stone situation: add new content to the website and then promote it on Facebook and Twitter (or Tumblr or YouTube or, or, or...). There are other benefits: engaging in conversation with your prospects helps convert them to clients, and it helps cements loyalty of existing customers. But the single most important aspect, in our opinion, of a company's social media presence is the ability of your public to behave as friends/fans, checking in and telling what a good experience they have had. Why is it important? Not because it makes the proprietor feel good, though it certainly can. After all, each of us appreciates an "atta-boy" every so often. But, really, the key is that fans are complimenting the business "in public," where their own friends can see it. They are standing on the figurative street corner and telling everyone who happens by that a particular plumber gave them great service. Or that a real estate agent went the extra mile for them. And that they found just the right thing at the new shop on Main Street. And that they had a fantastic meal at a particular restaurant. They are referring the business, consciously or unconsciously, to their own friends. That's the point -- a percentage of your customer's friends will see what and who it is that they are Liking and commenting upon, and stand to be influenced by it. Everyone on Facebook becomes a celebrity endorser in his/her own circle of acquaintance. And it is access to THOSE people, who may not have tried your product or service, yet, that you as a businessperson want. Just as in the three dimensional world, where you should be asking, at the end of a job or transaction, for your customer to refer you to others, social media enables that same referral to happen in cyberspace, right away, and to dozens or even hundreds of people at once. Write and Polish is happy to consult with small businesses that are not certain how to go about establishing a social media presence, or that don't want to have to fool with doing status updates, but wish nonetheless to reap the not-inconsiderable benefits.
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Writer and Polisher Christie was surprised this morning to receive a gift of a tee-shirt, bearing the legend at left. Our friend, Kathy Novak at ReMax Newport Realty is a fellow grammarista, and was so tickled by this that she had to share it! She had our mutual pals at Sign Shop of Racine (as you can see -- they do shirts, too!) make it up and brought it to our networking meeting earlier today. And, Christie has been wearing it and grinning ever since! Thanks, Kathy! Yes, you ARE reading that highlighted section correctly! We just added this little number to our Facebook album, Why the World Needs More Proofreaders. Ever notice how ironic some of these proofing errors seem to be, for one reason or another? We never noticed that Satan was an anagram of Santa! FWIW, while the sale at Dillards may include cloths (fourth line), it's likely that they meant clothes. It's a far less entertaining typo, but still more evidence that someone else needs to look these things over prior to publication. or File Under, 'Don't Let This Happen to You'We recently spotted this problematic shelf sign, and just had to share it as a cautionary tale. We inquired with the shop where this was discovered, and were told that these labels are provided by Aveda Corporate. It has been called to their attention, and it remains to be seen if it is addressed. As we see it, one of two things happened here:
If the former, then clearly, the solution is to ensure that a well-read or otherwise disciplined group of people are producing written, client-facing material, such that errors will be discovered in a proofreading step that is always part of production. If the latter, then the company (whether, in reality, a whole department or a single executive) preferred to run the risk of the pedestrian consumer thinking that the company had made a mistake as a trade-off for the consumers in their demographic who might not recognize the word 'chamois.' From a marketing standpoint, as well as an educational one, we think that the down-side of looking imprecise is worse than the downside of using a term that someone may not know. After all, many of Aveda's products contain herbs and oils and whatnot that may not be immediately familiar to everyone who patronizes them. But, the company assumes that the professionals in their licensed shops will educate the consumer about these things. Why would the chamois cloth not fall into this same category? Naturally, we are not suggesting that a company with a great reputation like Aveda is demonstrating an overall lack of care that one should project onto its products. Every once in a while, a mistake just slips by even the most diligent of people. However, particularly for smaller businesses that do not have a national reputation preceding them, the safest route is to go the extra mile to eliminate errors. This avoids the danger that a prospective client may be turned off by the possibility of a slipshod way of doing things that extends into the business' work -- whether as an electrician or a health care provider or an IT professional. We recently provided copy for the home page of our friends at YAY! Mail, a local provider of subscription-based communications services. The service is useful to both businesses and individuals who value the personal touch of a tangible item, sent through the regular mail, but need to harness the power of technology to get it done efficiently. And, let's be honest, making something simple often determines whether or not it gets done at all! As fans of communication ourselves, we think it's a great idea. Click through to learn more about how YAY! Mail can both simplify and personalize maintaining contact with colleagues, clients, prospects, friends and family. We are happy to report that we are helping our friends at Daniels Chiropractic Office again, this time with an update to their tri-fold brochure. After several years with one piece, they decided it was time for a refresh, and came to Write and Polish to work on it. We'll share it with you when it's complete. In the meanwhile, if you live or work in the Racine, Wisconsin area and you're experiencing physical discomfort from an injury, have chronic back/neck pain, suffer from frequent or severe headaches, or are just interested in living a healthier life, contact Daniels Chiropractic. We had a great event, and Write and Polish was so pleased to be able to co-ordinate it. We've now issued the final press release, updated the event page with the results, and composed and delivered all of the follow-up letters to be printed and mailed. We "live tweeted" throughout the day (#GMBF), as well as jotting down notes for the benefit of next year's festival. The kids seemed to have a great time (hover over the picture at the top of the event webpage, and you'll see!), and one parent paid EMO (Ensemble Musical Offering -- the event sponsor) and Write and Polish (in our capacity as coordinator) a terrific compliment: her “daughter left [the festival] so excited and so thankful to play violin. She said it was one of the most fun days of her life!” The first place winners in each age group and category (six in all) will have the opportunity to perform at upcoming EMO concerts. Thanks for the opportunity, EMO! And thanks go each of the entrants, their parents and teachers, for their hard (and fruitful) work. We recently added About the Artisan and blog-style News pages to the website of Embellishments, a working artists' studio and gallery shop located in Milwaukee's Shops of Grand Avenue. We are providing continuing work to the website and building the shop's Facebook presence, particularly in advance of the November 10th Grand Opening. We encourage those of you in southeastern Wisconsin to make a point to patronize this artist, and our friends everywhere to support smaller, local businesses and craftspeople. 9/26/2012 0 Comments Fresh Post to 'Why the World Needs More Proofreads' Album -- Not What You Expected to Find at the Local Grocery!Martha and Herb got a surprise when perusing the weekly specials ~~ Here's a new gem just added to our Proofreaders Paradise album at Facebook. Once upon a time, there was a grocery store manager/ owner/decision-maker who didn't think it was necessary to pay for proofreading.... Embellishments, a working artists' studio & gallery shop, recently began operations as part of the Pop-Up Artist leasing program at Milwaukee's Shops of Grand Avenue. The shop will focus primarily on jewelry in a range of styles from historical to steampunk to just plain funky, but will offer a variety of other handmade items as well, many produced on-site. Jewelry repairs are also available in the shop, performed by proprietress A.J. von Tauffkirchen. Write and Polish, in addition to doing some other bits of marketing and publicity, this week set up a Facebook page for the establishment. It's early days, but if you like art and those who make it, jewelry, eclectic shops in the mall, or simply small business owners, follow the link at the beginning of this article or click the logo and "Like" the shop. Then, plan to stop by next time you're in the neighborhood. Embellishments will throw a Grand Opening celebration on November 11th, with some introductory offers lasting through the remainder of the month. Further details will be forthcoming. Social Media and the Small BusinessWhile social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other networks may seem like a fad or something that "the kids are all into this week," they provide an unprecedented capacity to hang out a shingle, get the word out, and succeed, all on a small budget. Will today's social media turn into something else in 5-10 years? It's almost guaranteed that it will. Does that mean that investing resources right now in using existing media to build an audience for your business is a waste? Clearly, we think it does not. When the people are on Facebook and Twitter, use Facebook and Twitter. If they go somewhere else, then follow. And, don't be afraid to try out the next thing before everyone else does. There's far less value in being the last one to the party! If using social media seems like a good idea, but is something you as a small businessperson have not had time for, contact us to talk about how Write and Polish can help. |
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March 2015
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