Thank you to Kate Beles for interviewing and quoting me in this article which appears in the Flagstaff Sedona Business News.

Deciding Whether to Invest in Social Media

Since social media is still so new, it can be hard to find good statistics on the return of investment, and that makes some business owners wary about sinking time and money into the endeavor. However, there are countless stories of very successful social marketing campaigns. Whether reviewing the small local pizza company in Chicago who gets over 50 percent of their business from Twitter, or a presidential campaign that earns large donations via Facebook, it is hard to dismiss the new strategies.

Using social media effectively, whether one is focusing on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, a blog or other applications, is like stoking a fire; it takes watching and tending to ignite a blaze. Most experts and business owners who use social media agree that the returns of social networking are well worth the effort – but only if done right.

Local Business Owners Share Their Insights

One proponent of social networking is Kim Yuhl, owner of Fizz Bath Shop located on Aspen Avenue in downtown Flagstaff. Kim has doubled her profits in the last year, and she attributes a great deal of her success to social networking.  With 9000 Twitter followers, well over 1000 Facebook fans, a successful WordPress blog and an active Google+ page, Yuhl is no slouch when it comes to social media.

“Social Media is a way to develop real interactive relationships with your customers, which you can’t do with traditional marketing,” Yuhl claims. “Social media can help you develop true loyalty, ongoing relationships, get honest feedback, and keep your name in front of the community.”

Mike Russell of MikerDzign freelance graphic design agrees. “Social Media is a great way to reach out to the community, but you need to know the audience you want and develop an authentic voice to speak to them,” says Russell. “Share information that’s relevant to your audience, and they will listen.” Russell’s Twitter strategy is to tweet about things that will interest his audience and customer base, namely Flagstaff news and graphic design.

In a world where consumers are often inundated with the impersonal messages of traditional advertising, the interactive personal voice of social media can be refreshing. Customers want to believe someone is listening to them, not just selling to them. Although social media is relatively new, wanting to know and trust the people with whom we do business is as old as commerce. Some believe social media helps business owners create that type of personal/business relationship on a larger scale, outside the confines of geography.

“People want to do business with people, not a corporate entity.” Yuhl claims. “It works for me and my business just to be real. I suggest you try to have a relationship, and decide how personal you want to be depending on the type of business you run.”

Choosing Applications and Getting Started

Many folks who are new to social networking can find the many choices overwhelming. Yuhl and Russell agree that it is best to just get started wherever you feel most comfortable. It may also be wise to spend a bit of time researching each application, and visit the sites of businesses you like or are similar to your own to get inspired.

Many believe Facebook is one of the best places to start, and it may be useful to note that there are now over 250 million Facebook members.

“A Facebook Fan page will bring most business owners instant gratification,” says Karen Taylor, owner of New Destiny Marketing in Phoenix.

Yuhl agrees that Facebook is a great jumping-off point. “You just want to make it easy for people to find you, so making a Facebook page and sending it to everyone you know is a great way to get started.”

But wherever you do start, these business owners suggest you dive in – but only if you are willing to play the long game.

“If you only have 15 minutes a day, do 15 minutes,” Suggests Yuhl. “You don’t need to spend a lot of time to see results, but you do need to be consistent and provide constant content, even if it’s just a bit each day. And keep in mind that it takes awhile to grow a following – most results won’t be instant.”

Social Media Experts

According to Karen Taylor, she’d rather teach business owners to fish than do the fishing for them, “I think a few hours to teach people how to use these applications and help them get set-up is usually enough. It can be useful to hire an expert, but hopefully that expert is realistic, and helps educate his or her client.”

Some small business owners have someone working for them who is a natural candidate to handle social networking on a part-time basis, but others are wary about relinquishing the responsibility

Yuhl says “I’m not comfortable letting anyone else handle my social media for me, unless I had someone I was sure shared my voice and vision.”

Mistakes to Avoid

Yuhl, Russell and Taylor all agree that it’s important to avoid some common social media faux pas. Yuhl says “the biggest danger is to think you can just get on there and promote your business, without having a real conversation.”

“No one goes to social media to be sold to,” says Taylor. “Once you have contact some other way, then you can sell. Social media is for being social and setting yourself up as an interesting and reliable resource.”

Although social media is social, it’s important to know your limits – and what personal information you’d rather not share. “I suggest avoiding politics, rants, and negativity,” says Russell.

Experts agree that there are few silver bullets when it comes to social networking, but if you can be consistent, personable, and maintain a strategy without being robotic, it might be one of your best time investments.

“If done right, social media can be a great equalizer,” says Yuhl. “It can put a small local business in league with the big boys.”

Social networking might not be a business necessity yet, but it can help any business, particularly a new or small one, stand out from the crowd.

Deciding Whether To Invest In Social Media is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

2010 ended in prayer. I asked for wisdom to determine the best way to impact others through community service while growing New Destiny Marketing, LLC. The opportunities created by executing the answer I received was over and above what I could have imagined.

I was recently quoted in MSN.com regarding the benefits of community service, and I thank Jeff Wuorio for including me in his article and blog regarding Business Lessons Learned In 2011.

http://tinyurl.com/6w5z3mz

A special thank you to everyone who supports, encourages, challenges, and trusts me, and New Destiny with your marketing needs. I am also grateful for the invitations I receive to speak and for those who attend our classes and seminars. When I think of 2012 I am filled with excitement and optimism for my clients, my business colleagues, my family, and myself.

May God bless each and every one of you beyond your wildest dreams.

Grateful For Business Lessons Learned In 2011 is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

My Father, Robert Taylor, made a career out of heading up the Special Effects Department of CBS Television. Dad got to work with many celebrities including one of the most revered journalists of the time, Edward R. Murrow. His show was called “Person To Person”, and it aired from 1953 to 1959. It was “developed out of Mr. Murrow’s belief that human beings are innately curious,” according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications. The premise was that Mr. Murrow interviewed famous people about normal everyday life. Guests were of the caliber of Jackie Kennedy and Barbara Streisand.

According to Dad, when Mr. Murrow was the Chief Foreign Correspondent for CBS News, England he adopted many English customs. One of these was to wear heavy English wool suits with pants that rose to his chest. Consequently the air conditioning in the studio was turned down to 60 degrees at all times. Most of the crew needed to wear a coat while working on the show.

Dad has fond memories of the crew playing poker with Mr. Murrow before they went into rehearsal each week. And, interestingly, one of Dad’s responsibilities was to make sure that there was Cutty Sark Scotch Whiskey sitting behind the scenery so that at the commercial break Mr. Murrow could walk over and take a sip if he wanted to.

Mr. Murrow won over the crew with his quirky, down-to-earth attitude and accessibility. They not only wanted to work with him but to do their best to make the show a hit. What can each of us do to build a team that produces the finest work for our clients?

If you have any questions about how to create a cohesive and successful marketing team please contact me at Karen.newdestinymarketing.com or 623-806-5547.

Edward R. Murrow And A Lesson About Creating A Team is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

The scene is New York City, 1953. A man robs a high-end clothing store and two police officers follow in chase. One of the officers takes a quick shot through the gathering crowd attempting to stop the robber cold in his tracks. Instead of hitting the robber the bullet hits an innocent pedestrian, my father, Robert Taylor. The next day Lorraine Elmo picks up the morning paper. There splattered across the front page of The Daily News is a story about a robbery and the man who was mistakenly shot. Lorraine glances at the photo and realizes it is one of her high school sweetheart, Bob. He is sitting down, leaning against a wall and looking dejected. Lorraine decides she should do something nice to cheer him up. This is especially kind since Bob left her years earlier to join the Navy, and she has not heard from him since. Lorraine’s compassion takes over, and she sends him a get-well note. The rest is family history. Less than a year later they wed. Fifty years later the same newspaper runs a story entitled “A Bullet Called Love” highlighting the life of Bob, Lorraine, their children and grandchildren. One small act of kindness may change the recipients life as well as our own!

“A Bullet Called Love” and One Small Act Of Kindness is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

My father, Robert Taylor, was head of Special Effects at CBS during the golden age of television. Live TV was the norm and even after careful planning there was always the possibility of the unexpected happening.

As my father tells it Jackie Gleason was playing one of his characters “The Poor Soul.” The set was designed so that an old fashioned radiator would spew “cold water” after Jackie hit it with a hammer. The water was actually spray from a rigged fire extinguisher so the effect would look more dramatic (Jackie’s idea). That night the linoleum floor of the stage grew especially hot under the stage lights. When the CO2 shot out onto the floor it created a thin layer of ice upon impact. Jackie took a step, flew up in the air and broke his leg.

Quick thinking Art Carney ran over, grabbed Jackie and quickly pulled him off of the stage. The audience thought it was part of the act and laughed hysterically.

I am reminded that small business marketing is a little like live television. There is always the possibility you may save the day by quick thinking…and no one may be the wiser.

My Dad, Jackie Gleason and CO2 is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

My Dad was the head of Special Effects at CBS Television for nearly 50 years. He has some great stories about the shows he worked on, and he told me one today. Dad got the scripts in advance and was planning a stunt for The Jackie Gleason Show. Jackie was to play his “Poor Soul” character and ride a bike down a 4′ ramp to run into a styrofoam wall made to look real. Dad told Jackie that the styrofoam bricks should be painted so they would slide apart easily upon impact. Jackie insisted that they not be painted. The day of the live TV show Jackie performed the stunt, the styrofoam wall did not budge as Dad had predicted, and Jackie ended up breaking his wrist. Jackie was rushed to St. Claire’s Hospital in New York to recover. The show was telecast live from the hospital the following week and ratings jumped since CBS’s PR Department played up the story to the press.

A great reminder that even if the worst case scenario happens, we should try to see if something good can come out of it.

My Dad, Jackie Gleason and A Broken Wrist is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

Many business owners visit Mashable.com when they want to research innovative and creative marketing ideas. Recently Amy-Mae Elliot wrote an article that first appeared in the American Express OPEN Forum entitled the “Top 5 YouTube Mistakes Committed By Small Businesses.”

Amy-Mae suggests that going into a marketing project with “unrealistic expectations, thinking small, treating a viral video as a commercial, putting all of your eggs in the YouTube basket and basing success on view counts alone” are not wise. Mashable includes an interesting video example for each point.

I would add that creating a small business marketing plan before you launch a project should incorporate your mission, vision, unique selling proposition, accurate targeting of your client/customer, measurable goals and a timetable for results. This way your expectations will be on target and results can be more accurately assessed.

If you have questions or would like to discuss how New Destiny’s small business marketing services could benefit your business please contact me at 623-806-5547 or mynewdestinymarketing@gmail.com

To read the Mashable article please go to the following link:

http://mashable.com/2011/03/27/youtube-marketing-mistakes/

Accurate Planning = Tangible Results is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

“Marketing 911″ Group

A solid marketing plan is launched after much planning and thought, and we eagerly await spectacular results. Time passes, but our goals are not quite achieved. Doubt can settle in as our mind races to possible solutions.

Should we make a change? Perhaps, but what at first appears to be a fix may not be the best way to reach our long-term goals. Questions should to be answered including has our target market changed behavior, has the marketing vehicle we are using become less effective, or does the original plan need a little more time to work?

If faced with this situation seek guidance from trusted advisors to help you brainstorm through the problem. It is important to build long-term relationships with others who care enough about you, and your business to give you truthful advice when you ask for it.

The Power Of Others is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

Resiliency and Determination is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

Recently I recovered from a nasty virus. The kind that you hope will last for 24 hours but ends up lasting for a week. Initially I felt so badly that I carefully planned what I would eat and drink so my body would heal and regain its strength as quickly as possible. As I began to feel better I became inconsistent in my eating and drinking…in other words I ate and drank whatever I felt like at the moment. This turned out to be a mistake, and I prolonged the symptoms of my illness.

Starting out with a great plan for sales and marketing is a given but without consistent execution we can lengthen the time it takes to reach our goal.

Consistency is a post from: New Destiny Marketing