Social Media Marketing and Gourmet Cooking With The Social Media Chef, Chris Tompkins » Blog

Are You Tired of Trying to Figure Out What a Blog Tour Is? If So…You’ll Love This

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:24:29 +0000

In the online marketing arena, my peers and I tend to get sucked into using lingo that can sometimes be a bit too “exclusive”. Much like other industries where the terminology can not only be off-putting, but can cut you right out of the conversation, the online community can be a bit tricky sometimes to navigate.

For me, I really hate it. I think there is nothing worse than reading an article with the goal of getting actionable tips….and then finding yourself Googling ten of the terms in the article in order to make sense of it? Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve been guilty of this in the past as well. That’s why I try to be as clear and to the point as possible. Our time is precious, so let’s just get to it, right?

This brings me to “Blog Tours”. I’ve seen this broadcasted far and wide, but never really saw an explanation that I thought hit the nail on the head.

Basically, toss the “cool” terminology out the window and think of this as a “blog comment” strategy. I’m sure you have gone onto a blog (or even a website) and read an article that at the end allows you to put in your comments. A simple idea, but it packs a punch!

Commenting on blogs is a wonderful way to build more links to your online point of sale, or your company website. In terms of SEO (search engine optimization) – it is definitely a golden child.

But how do you do this? Here’s my BLANK rules of blog commenting:

If you are using blog commenting for SEO purposes, before you even take time to read the article, scroll to the bottom of the page to make sure that there is a place for you to key in your website when you comment. If this is not here….there is no way to link you (unless you register to the blog or community which can be time consuming).
If you have to comment via Facebook, it will not pack the SEO punch that you are looking for. Again, having a spot to key in your website is the best option.
Once you’ve decided to comment on a post, first read the full article to see that it’s message is in line with your brand. You can disagree, but make sure that your comment is not vulgar in any way.
Think of the next three ideas as a “compliment sandwich”. Begin your comment by agreeing with a few points made in the author’s article.
The second part of your comment (the ‘meat’ of your activity here) should be you sharing your expertise. If you agree with the whole article, maybe share a quick story of something that has happened to you in this arena.
Round off your comment with a note of thanks for the article or something similar. You don’t want to sound too canned, so make sure to make it personal.
Then after you post your comment (or sometimes before) there is a button you can push to have all future comments sent to you via email. Click this, as you want to see how people react to your comment as well as have the opportunity to jump back in if needed.

It’s that simple. I suggest to help you FIND these blogs (which is the most time consuming effort), use a site like StumbleUpon, Zite, Scoop.it, Trap.it, AOL Editions, or even Google Currents to find random blogs within your company’s niche category. This site is easy to use and very straightforward. You can also you sites such as Alltop or even a simple Google search for keywords.

My final piece of advice is to make sure you do this on a consistent basis. If you comment on one blog a month, the SEO impact will be non-existent. I say shoot for two comments a day and keep up with it. After a week you will get in the groove and it will become second nature. Also there is a wonderful side-effect that I’ve found in searching around the web – you might learn something new!

Can’t Catch Up? Maybe a Daily Marketing Schedule is in Order

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:17:27 +0000

There is nothing worse than getting into the office and immediately feeling two days behind. Go on, admit it…you have felt like this more often than not.

Is it because you are ineffective at your job? Nope.

Is it because you have no time to get anything done? Nope.

Is it because you don’t have a daily marketing plan? Bingo!

Whenever I speak about marketing plans (either online, to potential clients, or while speaking at events) eyes begin to glaze over. So please stick with me on this. I’m not going to talk to you about building the perfect marketing plan – I’m going to talk about how to build your perfect daily attack plan.

I’m going to assume here that you are currently using various marketing tools, and that your goals are crystal clear as to what your company’s goals are.

So, let’s move on to the plan.

First, grab a piece of paper and write down the days of the week that you work (if you are closed/don’t work Sat/Sun, leave these out). We want to focus on the “active” days of your week.

On another sheet of paper, write down everything that you are currently doing to market your business. For example, your list could look like this:

Facebook Marketing
Twitter Marketing
LinkedIn Marketing
Email Blasts
Trade Advertising
Google AdWords
Link Building
Blog Writing
Press Release Writing

Now, we step it up. Decide which needs to happen for each of these activities on a daily or weekly basis. If you are doing link building, this is something that happens everyday. So it needs to be listed every day of the week – but also with the EXACT actions that you need to take. Maybe your link building strategy is 100% built around blog comments. If so, then your daily activity would be “Link Building: comment on 5 relevant industry blogs”. Simple as that!

Then add the rest. If you are on Facebook, maybe you have to post an update, reply to comments, and engage with 3 new pages. Add this to the list. And so on.

My top tip is to pin point exactly what you want to do for each item that you have listed - per day or per week. This will help you get through these tasks quickly without having to constantly remember what you have to get done on a given day. This way, if your day goes south as soon as you turn on your computer, you can motor through this list later in the day when you finish putting out fires.

And it works! I have instituted this for my staff (as well as myself) and it does save lots of time AND it can grow organically. For example, Pinterest is a new site that just popped up and now it has been added to our daily marketing schedule with tasks associated with it each day.

I say give it a try! There is no risk when it comes to getting organized and saving precious time.

Why Bother With LinkedIn? Because Others in Your Industry Are!

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:09:10 +0000

If you are on LinkedIn already, you may be familiar with the following information. But if you are still trying to figure out how LinkedIn is relevant to your company (or just want to know if your marketing is a little off the mark on LinkedIn)….read on!

You may know that LinkedIn is one of the premiere social networking sites for professionals to connect, share, discuss and hobnob with one another. What you may not know is how many professions and professional categories that LinkedIn currently services.

While you may be in a niche within a niche inside of a niche professional category, chances are that there are many other professionals networking on LinkedIn just like you.

But as always, the proof is in the pudding. Here is a comprehensive list of all of the professional categories that have vibrant LinkedIn communities. Scan through and see if you find the one that best describes your organization, and THEN make sure that’s the one you categorize yourself under on LinkedIn. Without further ado, here is the list:

Legal

Government

Consumer Goods

Arts

Organizations And Non-Profit

Recreation, Travel And Entertainment

Corporate Services

Agriculture

Transportation

Manufacturing

Construction

Service Industry

High Tech

Education

Media

Medical And Health Care

Finance

So, as you can see, there are absolutely TONS of categories represented on this professional networking site. I’m a firm believer in LinkedIn networking and LinkedIn marketing – so I hope this list will give you that extra push to dive into LinkedIn and either renew your efforts on the site, or if you haven’t already – see what sort of outcomes you can achieve for your own company!

Healthy Rhubarby Muffins

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:46:35 +0000

Rhubarb is one of those ingredients that I always try to slip into a recipe when it is in season. The tart stalks with their brilliant ruby glow really add something special for those that eat with their eyes as well as their mouths.

I came up with this recipe when I was scratching around for a muffin idea for my dad. He is also a rhubarb lover, but I wanted to put a little bit of a healthy twist on it. This recipe is too simple and the resulting muffins are absolutely delectable.

Let’s go shopping:

*1 1/2 cup of brown sugar

*1/2 cup vegetable oil

*1 1/2 cups of diced rhubarb

*1 egg (room temperature)

*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

*3/4 cup fresh buttermilk

*1/2 cup walnuts (broken to bits by a rolling pin)

*2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

*1/2 cup of wheatgerm

*1 teaspoon baking soda

*2 teaspoons baking powder

*15-16 cupcake cups (or muffin cups)

This recipe tends to make more than the yielded 12 – usually around 15-16.

Start off by chopping the rhubarb.

Then move onto chopping the nuts.

In a mixing bowl, add the following and mix together: 1 1/3 cups of the brown sugar, buttermilk, egg, oil, vanilla, rhubarb and nuts. Once this is fully mixed, add the rest of the ingredients (except for the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon).

Start mixing. I like using a Wellbake silicone whisk.

Beat it all together until all of the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Work fast here as it will begin to thicken the slower you move. Also notice my silicone whisk…it was supplied by WellBake Silicone Cookware and works a treat!

The perfect consistency.

Next up – preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grab you muffin/cupcake pans and quickly douse with cooking spray. If you want to avoid this, use a silicone muffin pan like I did. Mine were courtesy of the great people at Wellbake.co.uk. Its great because you use no oil and they pop right out (and its a cinch to clean).

The Wellbake Muffin pan I used.

Then pop in the cupcake wraps into the holes. Very carefully (and quickly) add the mixture to each of the cups until each is 3/4 of the way full. These WILL rise, so don’t fill to the top unless you are looking for some nuclear looking muffins.

Fillin' that pan!

Ready for the next step!

When you are done, dust with the sugar and cinnamon and pop into the oven.

Dusted and ready for the oven.

These will usually be done in 25 minutes, so check on them around that point and test with a toothpick to see if they are completely cooked.

Are they done yet?

When done, take out of the oven and put them on a rack to cool. Then warm with butter and jam or right off the rack and into your mouth. These are addictive…so you have been warned!

A warm thank-you to the wonderful people at WellBake Silicone Cookware for sending through their great products that made this recipe turn out so perfect!

The finished product! If only this were scratch and sniff....

Thank You For Being a “Twitter” Friend

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:57:46 +0000

Twitter autoresponders. I love this topic because it is such a polarizing one. Some people love them, some people hate them…and let’s just say those that hate them REALLY hate them.

What I am talking about here are what appears to be ‘stock’ messages that show up in your Twitter Direct Messages folder from the new Twitter users you just followed.

I’m sure you are familiar with these. The better messages will say something like: “Thanks for following. I tweet about sports medicine and have more information on my blog www.sportsmed.co.uk”.

The worst ones will say something like this: “Someone is saying something bad about you. Click here to find out:www.whocares.com”.

Obviously the second one is straight spam, with the user probably involved in some affiliate program where they get paid for click-thrus. But many would argue that both of these are spam, as they are auto-generated.

My thoughts? Different strokes for different folks. Personally I believe if you do not have the time to personally say hello to each new person who follows you, these auto-direct messages can be very helpful. They allow you to get in front of the person and share exclusive information about yourself or your business.

My two rules?

1. Make it Juicy. When I read a good auto message on Twitter, I will click the link, reply and all the rest. It will drive me to action. So if you choose to go down this route, be sure to make it count!

2. No Bait and Switch. Don’t lure the person with a message that doesn’t mirror what they will see on the other side. Be 100% transparent…this approach always works beautifully online.

Now, how do you do it? There are loads of services out there (free and paid) that will enable you to generate these auto-direct messages. I’ve tried many of them and there are two services I would suggest. The first is a paid service called SocialOomph.

SocialOomph (https://www.socialoomph.com/) is a pretty robust third-party agent that helps you handle many aspects of your social media campaign. I’ll let you go through the site and check out all of the bells and whistles. Right now I want to focus on how to quickly set-up an auto-direct message for Twitter.

Here are the quick steps:

1. Register and/or login to SocialOomph. When you register, you want to choose the service where you are able to send “Welcome DMs” to your new followers.

2. Once you are registered and paid, go to the left hand side menu there is a button for “Social Networks”. Click on that and follow the directions for adding your Twitter account.

3. Now that you are registered, go to the left hand menu again, this time choosing “Direct Messages”. Then click “Edit Welcome DM” and choose your Twitter account.

4. On this page, first click the box next to “Auto Welcome”. Then, in the “Send This Message” write your 140 welcome message (remember to follow my two rules above).

5. Underneath this you have the option to “Auto Follow” which means that anyone who follows you, you will immediately follow back. This can be tricky, so I would use this with caution.

6. Last, I would click the box next to “@Replies Digest” to receive the email updates as it is a great way to track your engagement on Twitter.

The other site is called Tweet Manager. It is a wonderful service, just visit them online and follow the very easy to follow steps that they provide. It is much easier to use than SocialOomph and currently doesn’t cost a penny to use.

And there you go! From then on in, your new followers will receive a welcome message. Again, this method is not for everyone, so try it and track its effectiveness for your campaign. Twitter marketing, like other social media marketing, is organic and can be tweaked when needed.

Get the Tweet Outta Here: How Often to Tweet

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:02:10 +0000

Since Twitter has exploded onto the scene, it seems that we can’t even watch the local evening news without someone asking us to “Tweet them”. Celebrities are tweeting about their failing relationships, politicians are tweeting the final nail’s in their campaign coffins, and businesses are sharing press releases with gusto!

So where do you fit into the messy, fast and furious Twitter-verse? Good question.

I think finding your way on Twitter does take time, research and a good plan. But once you have these crucial elements a new question arises: how often should I tweet?

I love this question as it seems everyone has a different perspective on the correct answer. Some believe that it has to be based on time, others based on topic. While both of these are good points, especially for targeting purposes, they really don’t answer the question “how many”.

Let me throw my hat in the ring and attempt to not only answer this question, but give you a quick template on how to do it.

I believe that consistency and a plan are both crucial to a successful Twitter campaign. With every plan, I believe there should be a good mixture of activity so all of your bases are covered. Twitter gives you a few options in terms of activity/interaction and I want to focus on the main venues here: tweets, mentions, direct messages and re-tweets.

So, as you can see, there are several ways that you can communicate with others on Twitter. First, think about how much time you will be able to dedicate to marketing on Twitter everyday. Maybe you have a couple of hours (lucky you) or maybe just 20-30 minutes a day (which sounds realistic). Using this time frame, consider how many actions that you will be able to complete during this time and create a daily plan.

While this is a bit more practiced and could be labeled “not spontaneous” I think when you are a busy person (which I know you are) you need to tick things off your daily list with great speed. If you don’t, then things probably slip away from you and end up in the dreaded “Ah, tomorrow’s another day” pile.

Here’s a sample of how many “tweets” and other Twitter activities that I would suggest you execute on a given day with a little description of the importance of the activity:

Tweets (2): These come directly from you/your company and will contain content that is engaging, entertaining and/or educational. Share links, photos, videos, quotes or updates pertaining directly to items that you target market (followers) will enjoy reading and will be eager to share.

DMs/Direct Messages (2-5): These messages are sent privately between two Twitter users. If you have a relatively small number of followers, these do not come in fast and furious. They will once you begin to amass followers on a daily basis. Take 2-5 of the DMs that you receive and send a personal response to the Twitter user. This will help you get in front of your followers yet again and add that “personal touch” that many miss on Twitter.

RTs/Retweets (2): These are tweets from another Twitter user that you are sharing with YOUR followers with the click of a button. I suggest finding two influential Twitter users in your product/service category and RT (share) their tweet with your followers. This is a great way of getting in front of that influential person, while also sharing good solid information with your followers.

@replies/Mentions (2): When you type @ in front of a Twitter user’s name, your tweet will be shared within their main Twitter stream. Choose two influential people and tweet them about something that they have shared, or even something that you have seen in the media outside of Twitter – anything on topic. This is a great way to connect with influential people in your niche and will help you connect with more quality members of your target audience.

So my total for the 20-30 minute Twitter user is a consistent 8-10 per day. As your Twitter following begins to grow, you will need to spend more time as you will receive more mentions, RTs and DMs. By the time this happens though, you will be in a groove and will be able to handle everything that comes your way. When you do this everyday, you will hit your stride and after the first month won’t even need to worry about the number of Tweets that you put out. It will become second nature and the whole process will become organic.

Another good thing to mention is that there are tools such as TweetDeck and Hootsuite that can help you schedule your Twitter activity so that you don’t always need to be in front of the computer when your Tweets go out. Be aware that you should not depend on them 100% as it is helpful to keep a watchful eye on the live activity on Twitter. Also, sometimes these sites will go down for maintenance….and you could make you lose all of your scheduled activity. Just keep an eye on your actual account so that you are not shocked when you check back and see that your scheduled Tweets did not go out for the last two weeks.

I hope this sheds some light on how to get your act together on Twitter. If you can tweet more than this, do so! If you can’t, don’t! It is all about consistency – so only bite off what you can chew.

The Definitive Link List of Online Marketing Resources

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:17:34 +0000

We all know that putting together the definitive list of marketing tools is nearly impossible (and pretty daunting). There is just too much good information out there, not to mention that my team and I find new and exciting sites every day!

Over the years I have been compiling a list of online marketing sites from my friends, colleagues and just plain old excellent sources in the wonderful world of marketing. I was taking a look at it the other day and thought that I would share it all with you.

Here are some of THE BEST resources when it comes to marketing your business. Click and read any combination of the following blogs and be dazzled. Let them know I sent you and if you like what you see, make sure to subscribe to their RSS feeds.

Without further ado…..here’s the list (of course, my favorite is the first one!):

Go! Media Online: http://www.gomediaonline.com

B2B Marketing Insider: http://www.b2bmarketinginsider.com

TrueYouMarketing.com: http://www.trueyoumarketing.com/

Read Write Web: http://www.readwriteweb.com/

Emergence Marketing: http://www.emergencemarketing.com/

MarketingProfs: http://www.marketingprofs.com

Traffick: http://blog.traffick.com/

Marketing Interactions: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com/

Michel Fortin: http://michelfortin.com/

Smart Bloggerz: http://www.smartbloggerz.com/

How to Change the World: http://blog.guykawasaki.com

Social Media Explorer: http://www.twitip.com/

Neuromarketing: http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/

Marketing VOX: http://www.marketingvox.com/

Influential Marketing Blog: http://www.rohitbhargava.com

The Brand Builder Blog: http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com/

SmartBlog on Social Media: http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/

SEO MOZ: http://www.seomoz.org/blog

Search Marketing Standard: http://www.searchmarketingstandard.com/

Social Media Darwinism: http://pauldunay.com/

AdPulp: http://www.adpulp.com/

Jason Keath: http://jasonkeath.com

Yoast SEO Blog: http://yoast.com/cat/seo/

Majon International’s Official Internet Marketing Blog: http://www.majon.com/blog/

Stokefire: http://www.stokefire.com/blog/

Dominique Hind’s Collective: http://dominiquehind.wordpress.com/

Conversionation: http://www.conversionation.net/

Design For Users: http://www.design-for-users.com/

Small Business Search Marketing: http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/

Conversation Agent: http://www.conversationagent.com/

Get Elastic: http://www.getelastic.com/

twitip: http://www.twitip.com/

Chris Brogan: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/

idaconcpts: http://idaconcpts.com/

Marketing 2.0: http://www.marketingtwo.net/

blogstorm: http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/

REEL SEO: http://www.reelseo.com/

Zero-G Creative: http://zerogcreative.com/blog

Steve Rubel: http://www.steverubel.me/

HubSpot Blog: http://blog.hubspot.com

Jay Baer’s Convince & Convert: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/

Conversation Marketing: http://www.conversationmarketing.com/

We Are Social: http://wearesocial.net/

WindMill Networking: http://windmillnetworking.com/blog/

Branding Strategy Insider: http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/

Brian Solis: http://www.briansolis.com/

Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! : http://www.damniwish.com/

HigherVisibility Blog: http://www.highervisibility.com/blog/

The Search Agents: http://www.thesearchagents.com/

Mint Blogger: http://www.mintblogger.com/

The Future Buzz: http://thefuturebuzz.com/

ClickZ: http://www.clickz.com/

Doug Haslam: http://doughaslam.com/

Marketing TechBlog: http://www.marketingtechblog.com/

copyblogger Blog: http://www.copyblogger.com/blog/

ShoeMoney: http://www.shoemoney.com/

Jim’s Marketing Blog: http://jimsmarketingblog.com/

Chris Baggott’s Email Marketing Best Practices: http://www.exacttarget.typepad.com/chrisbaggott/

PR Squared: http://www.pr-squared.com/

Drew’s Marketing Minute: http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/

Webbiquity B2B Marketing Blog: http://webbiquity.com/

Duct Tape Marketing Blog: http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/

Marketing Pilgrim: http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/

Compete Pulse: http://blog.compete.com/

Ypulse: http://www.ypulse.com/

Jonathan Volk: http://www.jonathanvolk.com/

Dose of Digital: http://www.doseofdigital.com/

Brand Architect: http://www.collings.co.za/

Chris Moody: http://www.chris-moody.com/blog/

Bad Pitch Blog: http://badpitch.blogspot.com/

MarketingSherpa: http://www.marketingsherpa.com/

ChasNote: http://chasnote.com/

Wonder Branding: http://www.wonderbranding.com/

Church of the Customer Blog: http://www.customerevangelists.typepad.com/blog/

Wired PR Works!: http://wiredprworks.com/blog/

Media Bullseye: http://blog.customscoop.com/

Content Marketing Institute, Joe Pulizzi’s Blog: http://blog.junta42.com/

Mari Smith: http://www.marismith.com/mari-smith-blog/

Seth Godin’s Blog: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

WebInkNow.: http://www.webinknow.com/

Ingrid O. Catlin: http://www.ingrid-catlin.com/

The Social Media Marketing Blog: http://files.scottmonty.com/

Insights & Ingenuity Blog: http://insightsandingenuity.com/blog/

TopRank Online Marketing Blog: http://www.toprankblog.com/

Success Works: http://www.seocopywriting.com/

Eat Media Blog: http://www.seocopywriting.com/

Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang: http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/

Straight Talk with Nigel Hollis: http://www.millwardbrown.com/Global/Blog/StraightTalk.aspx

Writing on the Web with Dr. Patsi Krakoff: http://writingontheweb.com/

Google+: Do I Need a Personal Profile or a Page?

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:51:02 +0000

Just when we thought it was safe to rest for a second, another social media site hits the scene to shake up those marketing plans. Again.

Since its inception at the end of 2011, Google+ has grown astronomically and stole the spotlight by snagging more headlines than any of its competitors.

As the site continues to grow, it continues to define itself as a major player in the social media marketing arena. NOW businesses too have the opportunity to throw their hat in the ring with Google+ Pages for professional purposes.

While to some it may seem straight-forward how to use Google+ Pages for business, many are confused as to how to set up brand marketing on the site.

Much like Facebook – Google+ has some ground rules that you have to follow. Remember before Facebook Pages, how many companies registered their business under a personal profile…and when Facebook Pages was implemented, were left out in the cold and had to start over? Thankfully Facebook has fixed this problem and now those who were out in the cold can transfer their info over to an official Facebook Page, but what a pain, right?!

Google+ moved quickly on this front in order to trounce this confusion and to get users started using the Pages quickly. But the question remains: if I am marketing my business in Google+, do I use a Google+ Profile or a Google+ Page?

Here’s the skinny. The best way to get the most out of your time on any social site is to follow the guidelines that are presented when you sign up. If they are asking for your first and last name – its a personal profile. If they are asking for your business name and website – it’s a Google+ Page. Pretty straight-forward right?

Here’s a little curve ball for ya…in order to create a Google+ Page, a personal profile must be presented. Yikes! What do I do now?

First, don’t worry. Think of your Google+ Profile as you would your LinkedIn profile. You can list your interests, achievements, work and educational history, as well as social media links and lots more. Update your profile and interact on Google+ as if you were on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter in a professional way.

Now on to your Google+ Page! This is pretty much a similar format to your Facebook Page, Company Twitter or LinkedIn Company Profile. Here, updates will be in your brand’s voice and carry information that your company wants to share to engage your audience.

So to keep it short and simple, use both profiles to market yourself and your business on Google+, as this will give you two areas of coverage. Not interested in having your personal details connected? Keep your personal profile sparse. I think it is best to fill everything in, but everyone is different. Here’s one way to look at it; The internet is a pretty open place, you can find out just about everything and anything about someone – so rather than hide behind your business, be transparent! Although there may be some good reasons that one may not want to be the spokesperson for the company’s

Google+ or LinkedIn page, the trick here is in how you manage your privacy settings, and what content you put online.

I was listening to an online radio show from the UK yesterday that said that of 300 hiring firms, almost all of them had ‘researched’ social media sites regarding individual candidates – the takeaway from that should NOT be negative…rather – solidly build, manage, and populate your social media sites, and they will be your living resume! (And if someone is interested in speaking to you about a job offer – they will usually contact you utilizing your offline contacts!)

Once you have yourself setup – dive in! The conversations are lively and you will be able to connect with lots of interesting people and drive brand awareness like never before.

27 of the Best Healthcare Marketing Websites

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:16:15 +0000

One industry that my firm is doing more and more business with lately is the healthcare industry. All areas of this field – from recruiting, hospital groups, medical facilities and clinics, to individual physicians and practitioners – seem to be jumping on the social media scene. With the Age Wave and Baby Boomers demanding better, cutting edge, state of the art care – their ways of learning, communicating with their practitioners, and telling their friends about that care will advance too…and social media is the vehicle!

As we are always ones to keep up with the latest and greatest in marketing for all business segments, we have been compiling a list of resources to use to keep up to date with all the trends.

I shared this list with a healthcare client of mine and they went through the roof and suggested that we share it with all of you. As you can guess – I loved the idea!

So below is a list of all of (my) favorite healthcare and medical marketing websites and blogs that have the sharpest and most informative content to help those in healthcare market their businesses more effectively.

Enjoy and make sure if you like the blogs, let them know I sent you!

KevinMD.com: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/
The Healthcare Marketing Exchange: http://www.healthcaresuccess.com/blog/
Weekly Probe Marketing: http://www.weeklyprobe.com/category/marketing/
MedTouch Blog: http://blog.medtouch.com/
Dose of Digital: http://www.doseofdigital.com/
Medical Marketing: http://blogs.estcomedical.com/
Hospital Impact: http://www.hospitalimpact.org/
KBM Group: http://www.kbmghealth.com/blogs.aspx
Medical Marketing Blog: http://www.mednet-tech.com/newsletter/
The Healthcare Marketing Community and Blog: http://healthcaremarketing.ning.com/
ePharma Rx: http://blog.intouchsol.com/
Healthcare.Marketing: http://hospitalmarketinganas.blogspot.com/
Quaintise: http://blog.quaintise.com/
Health Care 3.0: http://healthcareandthesocialweb.ning.com/
ND&P
Enabling Healthy Decisions: http://georgevanantwerp.com/
Healthy Conversations: http://www.trajectory4brands.com/blog/
Medical Marketing Blog: http://omnimedicalmarketing.com/blog/
Gandolf’s Marketing Magic: http://www.gandolfsmarketingmagic.com/
Medical Web Experts: http://www.medicalwebexperts.com/blog/
HealthBlawg: http://healthblawg.typepad.com/
RX MD Marketing Solutions: http://rxmdmarketingsolutions.com/healthcare-marketing-blog/
Hospital Marketing Journal: http://hospitalmarketing.blogs.com/my_weblog/
Health Care Leadership Blog: http://www.healthcareleadershipblog.com/
Kru: http://blog.kruresearch.com/
The Healthcare Marketer: http://thehealthcaremarketer.wordpress.com/
Dan Dunlop: http://www.wellsphere.com/dan-dunlop/134463/posts
Healthcare Marketing Success: http://healthcaremarketingsuccess.blogspot.com/

Are there any more that you would like to add to this list?

10 Things That Will Make Your Marketing Plan a “Good Thing”

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:46:57 +0000

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that not every business in existence has a marketing plan. But the question is: WHY NOT?

The honest answer is the fact that many of us have an aversion to the word PLAN. It immediately scares and intimidates us. Also, who knows exactly what needs to go in it and how you pull it all together?

Hard questions, but I think once you dive in and identify your goals and pinpoint your target market – you are ready to examine what is actually the toughest part, the marketing mix. Sometimes we can get overwhelmed with so many options, but here are some of my favorites and ones that I suggest to get my clients.

These are a mixture of online and offline marketing tools – ‘mixture’ being key. Notice that there are 10 items on the list, not 1. A marketing plan includes a blend of different tactics….not putting all of your eggs in one basket.

1. Email Blasts: Email blasts are great for getting your information in front of your target audience on a consistent basis. Make sure that they are packed with good information and that you schedule them on a regular basis.

2. Article Marketing: A great way to increase SEO and awareness is to share your blogs and articles on article marketing sites. Make sure that they are keyword heavy and really show off your expertise!

3. Advertising: While not an option for everyone, advertising in the media can reap wonderful benefits. Whether it is a free ad placed in Craigslist or a two page center spread in Fortune magazine, advertising is a wonderful way to get your message seen.

4. Social Media: PR is offline public relations and social media is its online sibling. While a relatively new addition to the marketing mix, this powerful medium not only helps you engage on another level with your target market, but humanizes your brand. It is a great way to engage your audience in real time.

5. Content Marketing: This is a very important, while widely ignored, aspect of the marketing mix. At the end of the day, if you have nothing to say or share – what reason does anyone have to listen to you. Press releases, blogs, articles, blurbs, announcements and the rest need to be a part of your strategy so that you have enough wonderful content to push through your various channels.

6. Public Relations: Another tried and true method of getting your brand name in front of the masses is through a media centric public relations campaign. Using talk radio, television, newspaper and magazines to get your content and brand out there is a wonderful way to grab attention and get more people interested in you and your message.

7. Video Marketing: Video is one of the greatest ways to engage with your audience. After all, YouTube is the second largest search engine (after Google). The biggest problem? The myth that it is expensive and time consuming. As more and more videos hit the web, there are more companies coming along, offering seemingly cost-effective solutions. Also, the technology for video is so advanced that you can even buy a couple pieces of equipment and hit the ground running yourself!

8. Contests and Promotions: These are very important aspects of your marketing mix as they drive traffic and interest like wildfire. Make sure that these “customer grabbers” are part of your strategy and be careful to not overuse them!

9. Podcasts: These are another one that, much like video, people tend to shy away from. But with sites such as iTunes and BlogTalkRadio out there….it is simpler than ever before. By following the instructions you can have yourself out on the airwaves in no time and into the iPods and speakers of your target audience.

10. Events: There are two sides to this one. You can attend an event or hold an event. Make sure to take part in events that are cost effective, not cost prohibitive. If you are going to spend $15,000 for a three day exhibition, have the average customer bring you $150 and think you can score 5 new clients – skip it! Brands like Sony and Simon & Schuster can handle it, but if you are a smaller business, make sure to do your homework and count the cost before!

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many more things that you can throw into your own marketing mix. In order to make the perfect marketing plan, look at the 10 items listed above (in addition to your own suggestions), put them against your strategy and objectives and then match them up with your budget.

As a lifelong marketer, I know how small these budgets can be. Anytime I hear “marketing budget” I’m always reminded of something a fellow marketer said to me once. “My boss wants me to create a Taj Mahal campaign for 50 cents.” Pretty much sums it up right?

So start off with the least costly items and then add in the rest. These are not written in stone so if something stops working, drop it and plug something into its place. Just make sure to never replace a successful activity with an unproven one. If your $25,000 quarterly advertising spend is garnering $100,000 in business…..keep it going! I’ve known many companies to jump at the latest marketing activity to the detriment of their successful marketing activity.

To end here, planning is not something that should bog you down and is also not something that can only happen at the beginning of the year. As the landscape for us marketers is constantly changing, be adaptable and be informed. An educated flexible marketer is a successful one!