Posts Tagged ‘sales performance’

Using a Model in Product Photography

Posted: March 30, 2013 in photography, Social Media
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cpStage032813-1-2Making the most of each picture is difficult, especially when there are so many moving pieces. Getting the subject to sit, pose, relax and then place the food perfectly can be a seriously difficult procedure.  In this scene I had a difficult time with lighting. No artificial lights, studio lights or flashes were used to take this pose. Being a small company has its challenges.  The main being building up equipment for an adequate photo shoot.

I had several photographers better than my self give me so good critique on the photo, I would welcome yours.

My favorites of this scene really hinge around the subject. Her pose and face are calm and reassuring, the fireplace mellows the scene.  My dislikes: I could have done a better job with the food arrangement.

I welcome your thoughts.

What will be the outcome of inserting a spile into another’s social media stream?

Posted: January 11, 2013 in sales, Social Media
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cbs6It was only a matter of time before the obvious happened.  Media outlets seeking a profit would use their influence, and social media stream to launch commercials during their periods of no news.  As you can see by the picture, I posed a question to the media channel asking what the outcome would be of selling marketing bandwidth to businesses seeking to grow their revenue.  The question was genuine. Is marketing for others on your channel a catch 22 for businesses? Businesses have to make money to survive, just like me & you. We cannot naively think they operate on good looks and charm, though many of their anchors are attractive. Ultimately, none of us survive on good looks alone. So, what is the answer?  Will the payout work? Or will the approach cloud what people come expecting to hear?

I see two possible outcomes to this argument.

Outcome One:

From a consumer’s perspective, we don’t engage on social mediums to be sold, but to be entertained.  When I engaged with the media source, I was expecting news, not a plug for a business.  My first reaction was hollow.  I read the feed thinking I was getting something new in the entertainment medium of news, only to see something I wasn’t expecting. Noise. Noise that did not match the voice I was expecting to hear.  The respect of a news media source was now altered to sell.  Puristically, I expected news, reality was they had to pay the bills too.  Which brings me to my point: If you are going to alter your voice for revenue – before we stake our spile into a holy sap tree for syrupy goodness and yes, we all do it – your voice needs to be protected.  There is only so much sap in that holy tree, are you willing to sacrifice your established voice for a new tone?

Outcome Two: (more…)

Go a Head, be Social & Chill Your Marketing Message

Posted: December 17, 2012 in sales, Social Media
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Go ahead, be social.

Go ahead, be social.

Adding a splash of humanity into your marketing campaign is worth the distraction from the marketing schedule.  The detour may not spell immediate ROI for your business, but will play a determining role in profits.  As you can see in the picture I took for one of my clients, there is no marketing message represented in this picture.  Or is there?  I say there is .

Marketing is more than just pushing product. Marketing is also about connecting with the soul of humanity.  (tweet this quote: Click Here)

We may buy a product because of a perceived (more…)

Black Friday ROI for Social Media in Retail

Posted: November 26, 2012 in sales, Social Media
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One thing is for sure. Change will happen. As the Social Mediums grown in their life cycle from start-ups to revenue producing there is bound to be plenty of change. The algorithm changes in Facebook have increased their revenue while at the same time decreased the exposure you can expect from marketing on that medium. Twitter has made some changes to their design while making the technical aspect of using the medium for marketing another challenge.
With all these changes, is the ROI still apparent for New Media or Social Media advertising?
Great question. Potentially Facebook and Twitter could have a significant part of ecommerce if the model was there, but they have not capitalized. Black Friday is a great case and point for this discussion. According to Blodget with Business Insider, last year Facebook Contributed 1.68% to sales, this year they lost an entire point (2012:1). Could this be due to their change in algorithm? Possibly. Twitter on the other hand contributed in 2011 a whopping .02% to sales and lost all that ground this year. Why? Have these mediums lost the influence? Or are they mediums designed for a different kind of ecommerce?
Social Media, Facebook & Twitter, are both word of mouth mediums. I may look for input as to where someone is going on Black Friday, but I’m going to get sales information directly from the source. Why? On Black Friday the regional nature of some stores means prices may not be consistent throughout the entire area, Facebook and Twitter can do little but encourage you to check out their local sales. Retail is difficult for social. A website with a check out basket may significantly increase the odds for this type of business.
So where can social and new media best be applied?
Social and new media may find the best application in the service industry where word of mouth is the best source for information. Several times a day I see people using social media to request information on local service providers. Once the recommendation is made, the search moves to the business’ new media and social media pages. The service providers I serve in real estate, title insurance, new homes and accounting all have seen significant rewards in the design of marketing plans for their social channels and new media platforms. My clients and I have seen the value of being interconnected on many mediums to spread the word.
New Media Marketing is interdependent like a rubber band ball. When you start pulling off the bands you are bound to get snapped. (click to Tweet this quote)
Each layer of new media requires that you be interconnected for maximum exposure. This interconnectedness can maximize your micro-marketing and image enhancement. When done correctly you eliminate noise, expand audience and convert lookers into buyers. Does the investment equal the reward? Having sold over $8M worth of real estate on new media, specifically social media, I can say it does work. Tailoring the message to fit, engage, enhance, and convert is only the beginning. There are several additional steps that can be identified through a marketing analysis, but we will leave that discussion to another day.

Contiguity is a new media marketing, branding and strategy provider in Richmond Virginia.
Blodget, H. (2012) ‘Guess What Percent Of Black Friday Online Sales Came From Twitter Referrals?’ Business Insider p.1. http://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-online-sales-from-twitter-referrals-2012-11#ixzz2DIGGmO5C [accessed 25 November, 2012]

Micro-Marketing on Social Media

Posted: July 23, 2012 in sales, Social Media
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Finding the soul of social media

Micro-marketing is a revolution.  Not one that began as TechCrunch reported the shift, nor as Econsultancy researched for empirical data.  Micro-marketing began decades ago signifying the end of one revolution and the beginning of another – we are now enjoying the benefits of the personal revolution.  Iconic items like the PC and Sony’s WalkMan were all evidence of the coming change.  Change which has sped up, increased in momentum and is now permeating how we demand for and consume product.   This new demand requires a focused message describing why consumers should trust you, a message delivered with watchful ear and a silent mouth. The personal revolution emancipates people and requires marketing to adapt – Micro-marketing.

Tweet this Quote:  The personal revolution emancipates people and requires marketing to adapt – Micro-marketing

Micro-marketing did not start with social media on Facebook nor did Twitter help focus a message in 140 characters.  These social media platforms did help establish the demand for  Micro-marketing, but they do not mark the beginning.  The mark revealed by Social Media is the longing and innate desire to be acknowledged, respected and understood as an individual.   The desire to be treated as an individual is now a mandate.  Labels. The label people carry may still be “consumer” but the innate desire each person commands is the desire for individuality. Micro-marketing is here to stay. The time to Micro-Market is NOW.

Tweet this Quote: The time to Micro-Market is NOW.

So how (more…)

Social Media: Discover the Soul of Your Business

Posted: July 16, 2012 in sales, Social Media
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Social Media Exposes the Soul of Business

“Best practices” of social media tell us to avoid religious and personal talk at all costs.  Is this practice really helpful?  Do people really only want a sterile company message?  While it is a good idea to keep potentially explosive content to a minimum, I’m going to make a case for sharing some soul.

People have souls.

Decisions of lasting consequence are seldom determined without interaction deep within. Some rely on analytics. Analytics is important, but not the final decision.   Deep within each of us we make decisions, usually guided by our soul then we find a way to rationalize the outcome analytically.  So how does this apply to selling product on Social Media? Great questions.  Great questions because…

Product alone is static…. (more…)

Google Penguin Update & Content That Can Win in Social Media

Posted: July 2, 2012 in Social Media
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Social Media Content

The Penguin Updates by Google have really helped small business.  Now content plays a bigger role than creating content to be found by Google algorithms, which is a good thing when you are the expert creating content.

Why did this happen?

Recently I needed to search for some in depth information about a specific topic.  In the past this would have been a relatively easy search. Type the key word, let Google do its work and voila – my results. Only it wasn’t that easy.  I searched for twenty five minutes plus only to walk away discouraged with the results of my search.  What did I find in my search?  I found a multitude of sites trying to sell me something, others with useless information linking to other sites selling things, and worse no organic and meaningful information that would help me with my solution. As a Social Media nerd, I knew what was happening.  Content had been drowned in the polluted waters of content created for SEO.  There was no physical way for quality content to get a breath among the pages of content referring to other sources – sources developed for financial gain.  Thirty pages into the search proved fruitless.  Companies had figured out how to cheat the code and raise their products to the top.

Now, Content Prevails.

No more can (more…)

The Magnifying Glass of Social Media

Posted: June 25, 2012 in sales, Social Media
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Social Media Magnifies Your Business

Magnification. What every business owner would like is to have their product magnified in the eyes of buyers and convert that magnification into revenue for their product or service. Converting a conversation into revenue can be accomplished, though it is not easy. So how is it done?

First, you need a platform or channel where engaging a buyer is possible. Many choose Facebook due to its wide acceptance, though there are other platforms able to engage, the determining factor for which channel to choose should be the nature of your business, you may find Pinterest to be your best channle.  Understanding your business will determine which channel will have the quickest payout.

Second, post quality content and design every interaction as an invitation to the prospective buyer to engage in a face to face meeting. This can be challenging, but possible. Most people resort to billboarding product on their chosen channel with an endless stream of product or service monologues. While this approach may make you feel like you have adequately represented your product or service, don’t be surprised if a consumer’s response is absent. Consumer’s distrust advertising and you have just turned a social engagement into another marketing effort.
Third, social media (more…)

Social Media Strategy Mirrors Robert Kennedy College’s Collaboration Practice

Posted: June 21, 2012 in sales, Social Media
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social media strategy

The strategy of social media is interaction.  The more interaction a post receives the more people learn from each other.  The more people share their thoughts, ideas and stories the more we connect.  Apply this to a business and the results are converted into revenue.  It works.  I can vouch for plenty of revenue by using social media.

The strategies embraced in social media are not new.  Robert Kennedy College, administrators for my MBA through University of Cumbria, have been using the same philosophy of content sharing to connect ideas in an education environment.  Each class embraces a written forum where conversations, thoughts, ideas and education are pounded out on the keyboard.  Each post must be crafted with care, intention and accuracy to portray the exact meaning.  Accounting equations, financial management ratios, organizational behavior theories, each conversation is meticulously crafted, word-smithed and  posted.

I’m sure you must be asking, is it difficult?  (more…)

Groupon’s business value proposition & Robert Kennedy College

Posted: June 20, 2012 in sales, Social Media
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Groupon Value Proposition

Recently on my Social Media Facebook page (follow Contiguity.co here) a follower posted a question about the value of Groupon to the consumer. I did a little research to see what the value proposition Groupon poses to the client as well as the inherent value they provide to the business. The end result for the consumer and the end result for the business are diametrically opposed, or are they? Since I have finished up my MBA Financial Management Module at Robert Kennedy College, the administrators for the University of Cumbria in England, I will do an assessment of the business proposition.

First, we need to understand Groupon’s business plan. The plan is fairly simple. The Value proposition from Groupon is to contract with a local business to offer a discounted deal, advertise the offer to the public, collect the money from the public, cut a check to the business for their portion and let business begin. The offering to the public is a limited time offering with an expiration date.

Customer Perspective: The perceived return on investment from the client is high. Groupon expects each business to offer a 50% off deal to the consumer who will purchase the certificate. The value of the money spent provides a perceived high Net Present Value. I have actually purchased one such certificate to a local restaurant, I will tell you my perspective later.

Business Perspective: The 50% off Groupon encourages the business to sponsor is only a small part of the sacrifice each business makes to contract with Groupon. Of the remaining revenue of 50%, the business only receives 50% of the revenue. Example if the certificate’s face value is $100, the certificate is sold to the customer at $50. Groupon receives $25 for their services and the business receives $25 of revenue for a sacrifice of $100. A financial loss in this situation is completely inevitable, the hope is for the loss to remain isolated and the customer will thoroughly enjoy the services and will return as loyal customers paying full price.

Results: The financial results

(more…)

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