5 COMMON SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES

None of us can get away from the fact that our social and business worlds are changing at an incredible rate. Social Media is impacting on all of us whether we are aware of it or not. It is so easy to fall into the Social Media Mistakes Trap. In my opinion it is going through its ‘Marmite phase’ – you either love using it or you hate it!

If you are in business and ignoring the need to get social and join one of the many platforms e.g. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn you will be losing business because of your non-engagement.  There is no getting away from it Social Media is now a vital part of the marketing mix. Ignore it at your peril!

Whether it is personal use of Social Media or business that are many traps to fall into and mistakes to be made. Why is this? Because most people learn how to use Social Media by ‘Sitting with Nellie’ (learning from how others do it). This can be a risky strategy as you can pick up other people’s bad habits and make loads of social media mistakes. On a personal level that may not be a problem but for businesses it can be a major problem.

SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES

So here are the top 5 Social Media Mistakes that I have noticed and some tips to overcome them….

1. AVOIDING HAVING TO USE SOCIAL MEDIAThis is extremely common social media mistake in the start-up and small business market as Social Media is time consuming and yet another skill to learn. The problem is that your competitors, large and small are already ahead of the game and you will be losing business to them. 80% of people now have mobile technology and a high percentage of these use it to find the products and services they need instantly. People want information immediately and are using social media to get it.
   Top Tip – start small with one Social Media Platform and learn how to use that well.

2. NOT REALISING SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES SPREAD NEGATIVE MESSAGES, FROM DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS, LIKE WILD FIRE!I had a problem with a cleaning company who ignored my emails of complaint for 2 weeks! Big social media mistake! As I had found them on Twitter I used the platform to voice my complaint only to have them ‘throw a wobbly’ online where everyone could read it.
   Top Tip – The customer is really king online as such a public arena can damage your reputation immediately so follow these golden rules:
   1. Never ignore it as it will escalate as many people love a good moan!
   2. Welcome the complaint and show how you are going to solve the problem for them.
   3. Never get defensive, aggressive or tell lies in your communications because everyone can read it.
   4. Take the conversation offline by communicating privately with them.
   5. Publicise online how you have solved the customer’s problem and where possible get them to say how happy they are with the outcome.
3. NOT CAREFULLY CHOOSING THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO USE FOR YOUR BUSINESS.Consider if you’re in the B2C (business to consumer) or B2B (Business to Business market). This is important as you do not want to waste time and money ‘fishing in the wrong pond’ for customers.
   Top Tips – Facebook is a very good B2C platform where LinkedIn is best for B2B. If you have a highly visual business then consider Pinterest or Instagram. Use Twitter to engage with people, grow a following and drive traffic to your website.
4. USING SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE SAME WAY AS ANY OTHER MARKETING TOOL, TO PUSH YOUR SALES MESSAGES OUT THERE.This is a huge social media mistake made by businesses, large and small. This is a very different marketing medium. It is a social medium for building relationships. Ask yourself this question, “Would you go to a networking event and stand there talking to complete strangers only about you, without listening to them or creating a two way communication?” No! Then consider that you are being seen and listened to by countless numbers of people globally.
   Top Tips – Create a dialogue with those who contact you foe help and advice and those who interest you. Develop new relationships with them and after some time, wherever possible, take the relationship offline by arranging to meet up with them. It is amazing who you meet and how it can help your business blossom.
5. AVOIDING USING TWITTER BECAUSE IT’S LIKE AN ALIEN LANGUAGE!I know just where you are coming from if this is what you are doing. I hated Twitter with a passion! I could not get my head round it or see its use. Yet done properly, it is one of the most useful marketing tools for driving traffic to your website. Of course you then have to ensure that your website leads the user to either buy or take action by making sure you have your ‘Calls to Action’ on it and that it is responsive – works perfectly on mobile technology.
   Top Tips – Make sure your website is responsive and has a number of ‘Calls to Action’ on it so that it helps grow your business.  Read the book The Tao of Twitter by Mark Schaefer. It changed my life and my perspective on Twitter.
   

Check out our FREE Business Resource – Tips for Using Social Media and REGISTER NOW for your FREE monthly Resource eZine and our weekly Blog

CHRISSIE WEBBER  Has been 'Powering Business Potential' for over 26 years. She is a trainer, coach, public speaker, social media and blogging enthusiast. An entrepreneur for 30 years she has started and run 4 businesses. The first one failed after 7 years and taught her to be positive about learning from failure. The second is still going after 26 years! The third was set up to promote her book 'Weight Loss, Life Gain'  and the fourth Chrissie Designs Jewellery was set up to promote her hobby of designing and making wire work and bridal jewellery. She lives in South Wales,UK near to her family and grandchildren.

MARKETING – 10 MOST COMMON MISTAKES

Marketing is an essential part of business development, yet it is an area that my clients always want the most help with. So this got me thinking. What are the mistakes (in my opinion) that many people make regarding their marketing?

1. Not realising that marketing is a mixture of ingredients essential for business success. All you need is to pick the ingredients, add your own and create a winning combination:

* Business Cards                       * Marketing Literature                         *Newsletters

* Press Releases                       * Events                                            * Advertising

* Networking                              * Blogging                                          * Public Speaking

* Social Media                           * Articles                                            * Public Relations

* Sales Activity                         * Mailshots                                        * Competitions& Giveaways

2. Not getting on-board with the Social Media revolution! This is a fatal mistake as your competitors large and small will begin to take your market share. That’s if they are not doing so already!
   
3. Not having a responsive website. Since April 21, 2015, Google are use mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal in search results, rewarding websites that are fully optimized for mobile platforms.
   
4. Not knowing how to use Social Media for business growth. Personal use of social media is not the same as business use. Social Media plays a vital role in today’s Marketing Mix. It is much more strategic and content driven especially as Google algorithms now rank new content on websites very highly.
   
5. Not updating your website regularly (every day where possible) with fresh content. Now that Google is ranking fresh content on websites, so highly, it pays to use a content management system such as Scoopit.com
   
6. Avoiding sales activity. This is often justified by reverse prioritisation. By that I mean putting low priority work, you like doing, as high priority in your mind e.g. working on products or services that no customer has asked for but you think they need.
   
7. Not having clear marketing, sales and social media strategies and action plans. Without strategic actions to cover all these areas you will be working harder not smarter and your return on investment and time will be compromised.
   
8. Not including social media and contact details on all social media platforms, marketing literature, including business cards and web presence. Never miss an opportunity to give people all the options of how they can connect with you. With so many channels of communication open to us these days you do not know which ones potential clients use most.
   
9. Not having a consistent brand image across all marketing activity. Instant recognition is what it’s about these days. This is easily done by using your corporate colours and logo across all your marketing materials and social media platforms.
   
10. Not ‘blowing your own trumpet’ across ALL your marketing mediums when you have achieved something worth shouting about. This is such a British trait and one we need to get over! People love to hear good news and it will amaze you just how many of them will contact you to congratulate you. Success breeds success so don’t be shy. Polish up your trumpet and start blowing it! 

If you need any help, especially with your Social Media  then contact us for a FREE consultation. We offer training, mentoring, coaching and public speaking services.

Check out our FREE Business Resource – Tips for Using Social Media and REGISTER NOW for your FREE monthly Resource eZine and our weekly Blog

Are You Getting Enough?

Are you getting enough? Now there’s a question! For many business owners the answer is NO when it comes to the topic of CPD (Continuing Professional Development). We all give ourselves excuses – “I don’t have enough time!” “Training is expensive” “I don’t know what I need” “I don’t know where to start as there is so much I don’t know!”

From my experience these are common and understandable responses. When you are running a small business, so much learning is done by the seats of your pants. Yes, I too have been guilty of neglecting my CPD in the past.

Have you ever stopped to think about how this could be holding back your business potential? Worse still, have you considered the risk your business is under if you are not skilled to manage its future development?

In other professions; accountancy, law, medicine, financial services, they have a professional and legal responsibility to keep up to date with their own personal development. Recording their CPD is essential as is documenting the CPD hours they undertake every year. If they do not do this they risk having their careers terminated.

These are drastic measures for non-compliance and yet it is no different for business professionals. You also risk your livelihood if your CPD does not generate a knowledge and skills levels to match the needs of your business and your clients. It is one thing to know your service or product inside-out and back to front, however the same is true for developing, running and managing a business. There is always something new to learn.

I learnt this the hard way when I found that none of my potential customers, for my bespoke wedding jewellery, were actually reading my emails. My marketing campaign was not working as these brides-to-be were on Facebook and Twitter. They never read their emails!

My heart sank at this realisation as I had been actively avoiding any use of Social Media. Why was this? The amount I needed to learn was overwhelming. Then when I started to play around with Facebook and Twitter I found it even more scary because it was like entering another world!

So I bit the bullet and found a training course and I have not looked back. However, CPD is not just about training it encompasses all areas of learning….

• Face to face training Courses, workshops, seminars
• Online courses videos, podcast, webinars
• Books, eBooks, eCourses, Articles, Blogs
• ‘How to’ videos and eBooks
• Coaching and Mentoring

If you want any help with your CPD then get in touch and check out the FREE Business Development Resources on my Website www.chrissiewebber.co.uk

Self Development Helps Grow Your Business

I was working with some clients recently, helping them with their business planning. There was one problem. I realised that there was one glaring omission from every business plan and template I have ever seen. There is never any mention of self development. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an ongoing requirement of all other professional bodies from accountants to solicitors. So why is it not a professional requirement for business people?

With so much free training for start-up businesses (especially in Wales) it is a wonder that they do not develop the habit of seeking out training to keep their learning and business skills growing. Sadly many do not. Why is this? In my opinion it is because people do not readily value their own self development especially when they get help, advice and training free in the start-up years.

The mind-set seems to be one of ‘get some free training first’ then just develop the business. Many get so bogged down with ‘doing’ the business that they believe they have no time for self development.  Others don’t want to pay for training as they still expect it all for free!

This is a sad reflection on business as a profession. Surely it is even more important, if you are running your own business, to keep increasing your skills and knowledge. After all, there are a million and one things to learn especially if you are a freelancer or sole trader.

Wouldn’t it be useful if all business plan templates included a section for self development? Here are my ideas of what would be included.

1. An individual skills analysis SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) – covering all areas of the business and technical requirements.
2. Research findings for required courses and the costs – Also including low cost/free training such as books and YouTube tutorials.

3. A prioritised list of skills needs – Prioritised both by need and cost.

4. A scheduled action plan of when the training should go ahead.

5. A post-training evaluation Reviewing the effectiveness of the training in terms of skills transfer to the business (2 – 3 months post training)

Without this level of planning and evaluation time and money can be wasted on self development that does not support business growth.

Also don’t forget that training events are a great place to network and do business. So even if the training is not as good as you had expected you may pick up a great lead!

How to Get Results From Market Research

One of my clients recently gave me the best piece of market research advice I had been given in a long time. He said “Chrissie, it is time for you to launch dirty.” In other words just do the market research by getting my new prototype product out to the public and finding out their many different reactions to it.

For many months I had been talking about developing a series of Business Development e-Courses. I had even put together a Top Tips audio/visual video – 21 Different Ways to Create a Successful Business – with the idea that it may be a format worth using for the e-Courses.

So why was I holding back, procrastinating about letting anyone view it and give me the market research feedback I needed? The answer was, my own belief that it was ‘not good enough’ – yet. I was tinkering with it because deep down I thought it was too simple, my voice-over was just awful and nobody would like it!

The truth is, without market research you never know if you are going in the right direction, producing something that customers will want and pay for. So much time can be wasted trying to make something perfect before it goes out. One company who have learnt that it works to ‘Launch Dirty’ is Microsoft and look how well this form of market research works for them. We, their customers tell them what improvements to make and they listen!

So I ‘Launched Dirty’ and sent out my Top Tips video – 21 Different Ways to Create a Successful Business – in the form of a competition and accompanied by a short questionnaire to generate the market research feedback I need.

It is already generating valuable feedback and the most amazing thing was that the first business to respond was the largest VAT specialist company in Wales. They loved my concept so much that we are now working in collaboration to produce some specialist VAT e-Courses!

So ‘Launching Dirty’ is not only great for market research it can also generate the most unexpected results.

To enter the competition and receive your FREE Top Tips Video with a chance of

winning a 12 month e-Course

CLICK HERE

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SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – PLAYING CATCH-UP?

Are you being left behind in the fast changing business and social media marketing arena?

Are you not sure about this? Then ask yourself the following questions…..

• Are you using social media marketing for your business?
• Is your social media activity planned and integrated with your marketing strategy?
• Do you regularly analyse your social media marketing activity for its Return on Investment (ROI)?
• Is your website responsive, working perfectly on all mobile technology?

If you answer no to one or more of these questions then it may be time for you to do some ‘Catch-Up’ Marketing.

Why is this? Because many of your competitors are poised to steal your market share by being social media marketing savvy and website responsive. With 80% of internet users owning Smartphones (Smart Insights, January 2015) the increase in searches for local businesses and services has gone mobile. Social Media is now the marketing tool of preference as it is instant and cost effective. That is the case if it is used well social media marketing terms.

So, are you in need of some social media marketing help? If so here are a few tips to help you move forward…

1. Do not run away and bury your head in the sand because social media marketing is scary! Some years ago I was faced with having to get on the social media marketing bandwagon. My jewellery customers were no longer using emails. They were all on Facebook and Twitter. Having discovered this I rebelled against this new technology! I was 60 years old and comfortable with my old marketing ways. The thought of learning something new and alien was daunting. Eventually I joined the social media marketing revolution and found an evening course. This led to me to completing a foundation degree in Social Media. It was either that or loose business! 
2. Make sure your website is responsive. Whilst out with my daughter, recently, we wanted to find somewhere for lunch. Without hesitation she used her mobile phone to search for local restaurants. All restaurants with slow and unresponsive websites were rapidly rejected. Those without easy to read menus and prices were also rejected. Can you afford to loose business to your competitors by not being social media marketing savvy? 
3. Choose the social media marketing platforms that are right for your business. Learn how to use them well. Every day I see businesses wasting time and money following bad social media marketing practices. They have no idea how to use social media marketing effectively. For example, on LinkedIn I regularly have people endorse me for my business skills. Many I have never met or worked with and yet they write me an endorsement. Would they go up to a perfect stranger at a business event and tell them how wonderful their product or service is? No! So why do it as part of a  social media marketing strategy? 
4. Find experienced people to do your social media marketing for you if you do not have the time. Always choose very carefully who you use to outsource your social media activity to. Make sure you manage what they are saying or doing as your business reputation is at stake. I know a business who outsourced their social media to someone who had no idea how to handle a complaint on Twitter. There defensive attitude was seen by millions and quite clearly damaged the businesses reputation. 
5. Plan and implement your social media marketing campaign well. Include a content strategy that integrates all your other marketing activity. Often I see small businesses who use social media marketing only as a tool to shout about themselves and promote their goods and services. Why do they do this? Probably because that’s what the big brands do and these people just follow blindly. The point they are missing is that the big businesses have already built their brands and customer relationships. For small businesses, social media marketing is about engaging with potential customers, building relationships and being genuinely endorsed by regular customers. This takes time and strategic planning to achieve successfully.

Start your game of social media marketing catch-up today and give me  call if you want any more help.

GOAL SETTING SUCCESS – DREAMER OR ACHIEVER?

PLAN YOUR GOAL SETTING Many years ago I was introduced to the concept of written goal setting in December for the year ahead (although you can do this at any time of year). This meant being very specific about the actions I would take to achieve business success. My friend explained that before you write your […]
The post GOAL SETTING SUCCESS – DREAMER OR ACHIEVER? appeared first on Chrissie Webber.


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7 Tips to Be Happy at Work – Shake off The Back to Work Blues

Monday morning tips to be happy at work …

1. Greet your colleagues with tales of the positive things you did over the break.
2.  Organise your work and prioritise the list to include tips to be happy at work .
3.  Choose something you love to do which has a ‘quick win’ – now get stuck into it!
4. Work through your list starting with the high priority work and DO NOT skip anything.
5. Priorities all the interruptions so they do not impact too negatively on your planned workflow and your tips to be happy at work .
6. Evaluate your achievements at the end of the day and feel the motivation factor.
7. Make your plans for another great day tomorrow with lots of tips to be happy at work !

(Resources: http://workingmomsagainstguilt.com/back-to-the-office-for-me/)

7 Business Development Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Business

I don’t know what came over me the other weekend but I has the urge to sort out my office at home. This is definitely a business development activity that is rare for me! Spring was obviously in the air as I caught the decluttering bug. It didn't end there either. You know how motivating it feels to have good clear out? Well my motivation was so high that I went on to clear my box room, dining room, wardrobe and utility room all in one weekend!

This got me thinking about the importance of having a good spring clean in the business at this time of year. This is a great time to do a major review; clear the old things out and make room for new ideas and strategies. So here are some of the areas I am concentrating on in my Business Development Spring Clean…..

1.  Updating my Marketing and Social Media Strategy - creating a weekly analytics analysis and quarterly review updates for the year ahead as part of my business development.

2.  Tidying up my filing both in the office, on my computer and on the cloud - it is surprising how much this can trigger new thoughts and ideas.

3.  Evaluating the effect of projects on the bottom line - making decisions to change or close those that are not effective and listing new ones to be explored in the future.

4.   Evaluating the financials as part of your business development – making sure your weekly and monthly financial management was effective over the past year and highlighting actions for future improvements.

5.  Evaluating the sales activities – ensuring that the annual sales goals have been achieved and creating action points for further improvements and monthly reviews over the coming year.

6. Analysing the team skills and effectiveness – creating clear personal development plans for myself and the team, identifying any skills gaps and making decisions about how to fill them.

7. Undertaking a ‘What If’ Scenario Planning Session - this is where you look ahead, identify potential problems, market and political changes and create plans to overcome them as part of your ongoing business development. (Look out for a future blog when I will outline this in more detail}

Have a great time Spring Cleaning Your Business and let me know how it helped to raise your motivation levels.

4 WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR BUSINESS FOR SUCCESS

Staying in your personal comfort zone is the easiest thing to do but it won’t get you to where you want to be in business! Running your own business is about stretching yourself out of your comfort zone, taking personal risks and developing yourself.

This point was brought home to me recently at a networking event I attended. One of the other business owners was a young man who has run his own IT business for several years in Lancashire (near where I was born!). Due to circumstances he moved his family and business to South West England about 18 months ago.

This was the start of him stretching the boundaries of his comfort zone. Up north he had developed a successful business organically from the people he knew. He had not advertised or networked to gain clients. As for cold calling on potential customers that was way outside his comfort zone that he never gave it a go. Word of mouth had been his business development pathway. How excellent is that?

The new move meant that whilst he kept some clients in the north of England, working for them remotely, he still had to develop contacts and business round his new location. So he had no option but to stretch himself out of his comfort zone. He was lucky however, to meet a great mentor who has challenged his procrastination. We all need people like this who know how easy it is to put off the things we hate or fear doing. So what were the fears he has overcome and what can you learn from his actions?

1. Moving his business and starting up in a different area.

Nothing is ever impossible if you are willing to take a risk and have a well thought out plan of action.

2. Getting out and meeting potential customers through networking.

Businesses are grown through relationship development, be it face to face or via social media. To succeed you have to first put yourself in the right arena and ‘fish in a pond’ where potential clients want your services.

3. Cold calling on customers and following up

This is the one thing that successful business people do well but for most people it means a huge stretch outside their comfort zone. Be it face to face or via the phone the fear of rejection is a major barrier to business growth and success. Don’t fall at the last fence though by not doing the follow up calls or visits – this is where the prospects become customers.

4. Maximising his message delivery by giving talks and presentations

Fear of all fears, for many, this is one of the biggest ‘stretches’ anyone can do. It is only practice that will build your confidence and don’t forget to find a way of capturing the contact details of all those who found your message of interest.

What an inspiration he is! I have no doubts at all that his business will continue to go from strength to strength.

 

Resources: http://bit.ly/1bQpSZl

Reduce Your Fear & Find Success

I was contacted the other day by a new client who is starting a business after 18 years employed by one company. The problem is that she is scared. In fact she would not be normal if she was not!

Setting up your own business is a scary life change and a healthy level of fear is good. The problem is the fine line between fear that focusses your mind into action and the level that paralyses you and stops you moving forward.

So how do you tell one from the other?

• You give yourself (and others) excuses for not getting started e.g. I am too old to start a business. (Colonel Saunders (Kentucky Fried Chicken) was 66 years old when he started his business!).
  
• Your mind is completely full of all the problems, things you don't know and negative thoughts that it is impossible to even think of an action let alone start to take them.
  
• You listen to friends and family who tell you not to be so stupid or 'get above your station in life'.
  
• You focus so much on the enormity of setting up a business that you can't even see the small steps to take to begin with.
  
• Your thoughts revolve round your fear of failure.

Time to let go of all this fear and negativity! 

Focus on the positive

Start with baby steps

Remember you cannot fail, only learn

Find yourself a mentor or some support

Start to visualise your new identity as a business person

Believe that you have the potential to be successful business person

Fill your mind with positive thoughts

Surround yourself with positive supportive people

Believe you are never too old to try new life experiences

NOW GO OUT THERE, 

STRETCH YOURSELF AND DISCOVER YOUR FULL POTENTIAL

10 Tips to Reduce Your New Year Resolution Slippage

Got your New Year Resolutions sorted? 

Fired up and ready to get going?

Got your New Year's actions and goals planned?

The question now is how long will it last? Come on let's be honest with ourselves. We are only human and no matter how good our intentions are, many of them (if not all) will inevitably slip.

So how do we reduce or better still prevent slippage?

1.  Make your resolutions achievable - small goals can be easier to achieve.
You know what they say, a chocolate elephant is more easily eaten in small bites!

2.  Write them down and review your progress weekly.
I write mine down every Christmas and tick them off as I achieve them - a great motivator.

3.  Share your resolutions with others who will support and encourage you.
This is a must for those resolutions that are hard to achieve.

4.  Create realistic deadlines and review dates.
Review your progress, update your actions and deadlines and you're more likely to stay on track.

5.  If it is a repetitive resolution that you always brake then either ditch it or change it.
Your success is linked to how much you really want to change so think carefully.

6.  Work out how you sabotage your resolution success.
We sabotage our success from a subconscious level for reasons such as:
                 * People we love and care for may not like the change
                 * We have a deep belief that we are not good enough or strong enough
                 * We don't really believe we can achieve it
                 * We are doing it to please others and not ourself

7.  Link them to something that gives you passion or strongly motivates you.
Keep your motivation high by focussing on how success makes you feel

8.  Make sure the pain of the need for change is greater than the pain of the change.
Be that physical or emotional pain this is important to success

9.  Work at fully identifying yourself with the outcome of your goal.
Success depends on you fully identifying yourself with the changes your resolution will create

10. When you are tempted to break your resolution focus on the pain.
By remembering the pain you will feel if you break your resolution it is easier to stick to it


Good luck and let me know how and when you achieve your resolutions.