Wednesday May 23, 10am-2pm
Amplify your Marketing Campaign for maximum impact

Make your campaign assets work cohesivlly for maximum impact.  What are campaign assets?

• Campaign material
• Staff
• Volunteers
• Board members
• Traditional Media
• Social Media
• Your entire network (online and offline)

• Laptop or tablet (not required but will be useful)
• This workshop includes a review of your current campaign with specific feedback.  Please bring materials with you as well as links to online material/assets.  If you are still cooking up new campaign ideas – bring your ideas!
• This workshop also include refreshments and lunch.  If you have specific dietary needs, please send me an email prior to the event.

More details / Register

We list our website on everything.  It’s on our email signature, magnets, business cards – even the 1,000 pens and golf tee promo items we have in our swag closet.  I design print material everyday where close attention is given to online contact information - but now what?  What happens when someone actually types that address in their browser to check us out?  Here is a quick and easy 15 minute checklist for your website/online presence. 

 Pull up your website on a mobile device / and or tablet

• Granted – not all users are mobile – but it’s growing more that way everyday.  What does your site look like on a mobile device? You need to know what your customers are experiencing.
• How long does it take to find your contact info (phone, address)?
• Make a list of the top 3 things you are hoping a customer might accomplish on your site.  Can they do it easily?
• Are there forms?  Can I fill them out easily with my mobile device?

Google your business

I love it when a conversation leads to the “hit by a bus” scenario!   Allison Carter of Roundpeg tweeted today the importance of owning your own passwords – it’s dangerous to let your consultant (or even just one person in your organization) own them.   So it got me thinking…… what if your marketing director, external marketing partner, intern (or whomever you use for communication help) were hit by a bus – or even not so tragically just took a job somewhere else?  Would they have left a trail of info that anyone could pick up and carry on with?   How many sites, online profiles and online tools does your business use?  Things could get messy if you don’t plan ahead to ensure access to all your online profiles/tools.   

So what can you do about it?  Here’s a quick 3 point check list to see if you have control of your access:

1.  Make sure you have a master list with username/password and email address registered with the account for ALL sites you use. Do you have a consultant or external source who makes updates for you?  Don’t leave your access in someone else’s hands.  Even if you have your own internal marketing team with control – you NEED a master list with a back up person.  Never leave it in the hands of ONE person.

2.  Create your own internal email address to use for social sites.  Example:  Don’t let the external consultant use their email address (or your intern use their gmail address)  to claim your foursquare listing or register your twitter profile for example.  You’ll have trouble down the line  if your relationship goes sour (not likely if you picked a reputable company but why take a chance) or if say they get hit by a bus (seriously – there are a lot of buses out there).   Create an email address to use across the board like social@ my company .com – and have them use that for registering.  This is a long term relationship right?  So give your consultant access to that email address to use on your behalf.  Take a few extra steps to set up – but it’s smooth sailing afterward!

3.  Own your own domain.  You may have someone who maintains your website  - but you need to own the domain (www. your company .com) – that is – have it registered under your name and not theirs.  Why?  You want control.  If your outsourced help has registered it for you – they CAN convert your account over to you – so ask. You can even continue allowing them to renew it for you – but insist on access to it.

If you found any outages – get on it.  This sort of thing can’t wait.

TeuxDeux

I follow Summersault web development and they have a feature called “Productivity Monday” where they share sites and apps that, you guessed it, can improve your productivity.  A while back they featured TeuxDeux – an app to manage your to do list and offer reminders.  I read up on it, installed it and then forgot about it.  I actually forgot about it for about a month.  So why feature it as a praise worthy app?  Once I remembered it was there – I really started to use it.  I now check it daily if not more.  I can list items I need to do – mostly tiny fragments versus large projects – and they roll over to the next day if I do not check them off.

Pros:  

• I feel more organized and have a place to drop tiny things I need to remember to do
• I can look back on the calendar to review items completed
• I  can pre-schedule to-do’s ahead of time

Cons:

• There is no push notification or alert.  This would be handy  to remind me to check in, check off things.

Print Vendor Job order App

This app is not one that most would use – unless you are a print reseller.  Why am I sharing it?  Because I love it’s efficiency and regardless of the product you use – seeking out vendors that provide  clear, direct, on the spot access to accounts can seriously change work flow.  I use a commercial print vendor that only sells wholesale to designers and print houses.  I typically have a dozen print orders in que at any given time and given that printing is only 25% of my business I don’t have time to babysit the orders.  At the same time – it’s 25% of my business and I need to stay on top of it!! There are endless numbers of printers to choose from – so why did I choose this one?  They are within driving distance – so I consider them local.  Their ordering, production and shipping methods are so streamlined I could process orders in my sleep and their quality is top notch!  Why should you care about this one?  If you cater to clients that order multiple items from you – this type of service is one that will set you apart and make your clients more productive.    

Pros:

• I can check the progress of any order from prepress to shipping
• I can request a callback or shoot a question off about a specific order all from within my app (and my callback request already includes my order number – no need to look that up!).
• I can cancel orders and initiate a refund if the job has not started production yet  (I’ve done this from within a clients office when they had a last minute change.  Had I waited until I got back to my office it would have been too late.)
• I feel in control and can answer a clients question at any time about their order.
• They also provide a branded link (looks like my brand) that I can send to my clients where they can track their item at any given time.

Cons:

• Currently – I cannot click on the tracking/ship number to verify delivery from within the app.  I know they are working on that one.

In summary: I’ll admit – most apps on my phone fall in the “fun” or “nice to have” category and I am quite addicted to Words with Friends and Bloon Tower Defense (I’m getting good at it!!) – and then there are the ones that really make a difference in my business.
Words of advice:  Vendors – what can you do to improve your customers experience?  Small Business Owners:  seek out tools that can improve your productivity.  There are TONS to choose from. I personally seek out vendors and services that offer tools like this when seeking out solutions.  Even more exciting – I just learned my credit union is launching new apps in May so FINALLY I’ll feel up to speed there too!

Center City Development Corp. and Richmond Social have declared February as the month we get all local businesses on the map!  Google Maps that is.  We are making a group effort to get all local business to claim their business listing on Google places during the month of February 2012. 

How do I do it?  Go to www.Google.com/places  – the tool guides you through.  If you do not have a google account, you will need to set one up.  You can also sign up to attend the next Education Series for hands on help on Feb 29.  Sign up at:  http://centercityeducationalseries.eventbrite.com/

For more information you can read the entire posting on RichmondSocial.org or contact:

Kaitlin Vaughn kaitlinv@mycentercity.com
Center City Development Corporation
814 E Main Street
Richmond, IN  47374
(765)-962-8151

Warm Glow Candle Company is seeking a Marketing Director.  Dog and Jean friendly workplace   Please see details from them below:

The Marketing position is a key position with the Warm Glow family. In this position Warm Glow is looking for someone with cutting edge technology yet with traditional insight into the media market. We are looking for a proactive person not reactive. Someone who can come up with marketing plans for all seasons and in a variety of different marketing venues. Organized, self-starting, very motivated and needs to think outside the box is a must, would need to be always planning for the next event and using new approaches to each new campaign.

Warm Glows product catalog is an essential part of marketing, here at Warm Glow we need someone to be able to entice new customers and encourage out existing customers.

Marketing at Warm Glow uses a variety of different marketing media’s, billboards, newspaper, magazine ads,  radio, television and social media.

Flexible hours and being able to negotiate for the most competitive pricing is a must.

Please contact:

Warm Glow Candle Company
Jackie Carberry
519 W. Water St.
P.O. Box 127
Centerville, IN 47330
jackie@warmglow.com

5 Shareable Reads this week:

9 Ways to Improve Customer Communication On Your Website

Top 10 Marketing Infographics of 2011

12 Most Underutilized Brand Touchpoints 

The World of Social Media 2011 – VideoGraphic

+ One just for fun:

Nothing to do with business whatsoever – but something I plan to try in Jan.  I may make it to Jan 5th.  We shall see!
30 Day No Restaurant Challenge

So many of us are spending much time and effort posting to 3rd party sites and worrying about content elsewhere -but we forget to tend to our homebase.  It’s far more important to tend to your own website than to post lobby pictures on Facebook.  So here is my advice….

Don’t post another FB post before doing this 6 point spot check on your own site!

Homeplate" by syntheticpanda via Flickr

1.  Pull your own website up on a mobile device – what does it look like?    Be sure to try several smartphones and tablet varieties  if you can get access to them.  It your site is not easy to browse on these – make it a priority to fix it.  

• Depending on your business/org type – you’ll want to check for the basic things that customers might need to do on your site via mobile devices:  Fill out a form, make a donation, get directions, purchase an item, check your menu, etc…  Take the time to check them out and go through the process just like your customer would. 
• Get help from a local professional like Summersault.  Don’t be afraid to get a quote – you’ll never know what to plan for it you don’t.
• If you are a small fry like me – try wordpress.com  - easy to use and mobile friendly.
• Other tips for mobile friendly sites can be found here:  8 Simple Steps to a Mobile Friendly Site

2.  How long does it take to find a phone number or contact info?  People still use phones for actually making calls – don’t make it too hard to find!  I actually looked up a guy the other day to call and found his twitter, facebook, linkedin, youtube and oodles of other social links and never found the number.  Sometimes you just want to call a person (at least I do!).

3.  If your “about page” only contains your mission statement – you need an overhaul.  There has to be something more important about what you do besides your mission statement and the fact that you started business in 1975.

4.  If you are a one person team – don’t write in 3rd person.  Especially not your bio – we know you wrote it.  Write like you would actually talk face to face to someone.  Don’t use words you have to google (or those that your audience would have to google)  - just talk plainly.

5.  Create a “meet the staff/team” page if you don’t already have one.  People work with people.  Don’t forget the people.  Check out this post from Smashing Magazine with 20 “meet the team” examples.

6.  If you are not blogging – get blogging.   Create your own content and share that on third party sites.  Link back to your own stuff.  Not sure what to blog about?  Here are a few ideas.

• FAQ – take simple basic questions your customers ask every day and write a simple post to answer it.  Blog posts do not need to be pages and pages of research. They can be short and sweet.
• If you don’t like to write – record short video posts and post those.
• Google it.  Serious – you should.  If you are an insurance agent, google “insurance blog” and start following agents already doing it.  Once you get started – your own ideas will start to kick in.

So that’s it.  A few simple things you can do as you start the week.  Have anything to add?  Did I leave off a website pet peeve of yours?  Add it below in the comments.  I’d love to hear from you.

Things you need to know about me – Rachel Hughes.

I’ve held a number of jobs during my 30 years in the work force: pizza maker; ice cream scooper; free-lance writer; director of a day care center; consultant; administrator for a state weatherization program; ad designer; restaurant reviewer…. Some were more impressive than others. Some were more fun than others. All taught me valuable lessons.

Current job # 1

I am a wife, mother and grandmother. This is my most important job. For eight years, I was a single mother. No one has a harder job than single moms. There were times when I had to water down the milk in order to make it last until payday. I shopped at Goodwill and garage sales for Christmas presents for the kids. We had refrigerator stew (you may call them left-overs) A LOT. But through it all we had each other and when all was said and done, I ended up with some pretty terrific kids. This job taught – and continues to teach – me that nothing is impossible as long as you have faith and patience. But mostly faith.

Current job #2

I am a restaurant owner. This is my ‘before 7:30 a.m., after 5:00 p.m. and on the weekends’ job. Earlier this year, my husband, Ron, and I acquired Tom’s New York Deli, a quirky little restaurant downtown. We are working to find that balance between keeping the best of Tom’s and introducing different menu items that will entice new patrons through the door. Soon, we will be changing the name to The Tin Lizzie Cafe, in honor of our 1924 Model T Roadster. We’ll be introducing our new logo, sprucing up the façade and putting some paint on the walls. This job has taught me that no matter how good your intentions are, you can’t please all of the people all of the time and if you let that one negative comment get to you, you’re defeated. It also taught me that having the right partner is the most important part of owning a business. Yeah, my husband rocks!

Current job #3

I am a Development Officer. I have been a fundraising professional for nearly 20 years, most recently at the Wayne County Foundation. Call me crazy but I love this job. I love meeting people, learning about their passions, and then helping them find ways to support local charities and students. It’s not about asking for money. It’s about building relationships that connect people with passion and resources with organizations and students who can benefit from their generosity. This job teaches me daily that every gift is important and meaningful and there are a lot of generous people in this world who put others first.

Bobbie asked me for 6 things, I think, but as I thought about and wrote this blog, I discovered that most things in my life revolve around these 3 jobs. Jobs that I feel very blessed to have and am grateful for every day.

Rachel Hughes, MA, CFRM
Development Officer at Wayne County Foundation
rachel@waynecountyfoundation.org
@RachelHughes

The first one will be this Wed Sept 21 from 9am-1pm.  You do not have to stay for the entire window – it’s just an open free space where you can come and bring your current project and bounce ideas off of other professionals who will come to do the same thing.  I personally plan to attend and get feedback on a couple creative pieces I have been working on.

Why would this type of event or “meet-up” be useful?
-Practice a presentation you’re working on
-Bounce ideas off of the group
-Perhaps you have a tech question – swap your knowledge with others who may have already figured out that same problem.
-Enjoy working in a group setting

Who should come?

Anyone is welcome.  This if perfect for the self employed or small business.  Also perfect for those who make up one man departments within their company and need a fresh pair of eyes to share and collaborate with.

How do you sign up?

Just show up!  It is suggested you bring whatever you are working on and just settle in.  You can bring a laptop if you have one available – wifi provided!  You can contact the organizer – Jason Whitney at the Innovation Center with any question:  765-962-8151 or jasonw@mycentercity.com