What is Follow Friday on Twitter? #FollowFriday #FF

 What the heck is Follow Friday? Simply put...it is an amazing recommendation tool used exclusively in Twitter.

On *Fridays Twitter users give a shout out to other Twitter users that they want to recommend to the Twittersphere. The hashtag #followfriday or #ff creates a running stream of these recommendations.

This is a very powerful tool if used correctly. The #ff recommendation that gets the most bang for the buck is one that mentions only 1 Twitter user per post. The reason for doing so is that you want to give a genuine, targeted recommendation. I see many people send out a #ff with multiple usernames in it with no reason why I should follow them. People don’t click on these…trust me. Multiple usernames adds no value to the recommendation.

Here is an example of a #ff post that will get some clicks:

“Happy #followfriday! Check out @tonyrobbins ... in 5 months I have made more progress with my life, health, relationships and business using his tools than I have in the last 45 years”. (I know this is more than 140 characters but he has been a game changer for me and I love to share things that will help people. Credit where credit is due)

Here is an example of what not to do:

“#FF @mcort @atimarketing @yvetteulloa @daveulloa @brilliantjeni  @garyvee @dickc @ryandeiss @WorldVentures @hootsterqr @stevelinder @johnassaraf”

When you take the time to share #ff recommendations you will see that very quickly people will do the same for you. You never know who might recommend you to their network of millions, right?

* Please note, Friday is by far the day of the week that I get the most new follows so… I’m pretty sure it works like a charm!

Michelle Corteggiano

Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal



Social Media ROI?

Obsessed with figuring out ROI (return on investment) in social media? Many are ... and frankly that’s because it’s their job!

I am currently reading The Thank You Economy written by one of my mentors...Gary Vaynerchuk, a man with a brilliant grasp on business, our new economy and social media. He touches base on ROI in his book and I wanted to share an excerpt that I think ALL BUSINESSES NEED TO READ:

“Nielson conducted a study on what drives consumer trust – 70% of people turn to family and friends when making purchasing decisions. Where have people been talking to their family and friends lately? Facebook reports that 60% of the people online are going to social networks with half returning every day. If there is ROI in friendship and family, there is ROI in social media.” 

“We often forget the symbolic relationship between trust and ROI.”

“If consumers trust other consumers more than they trust traditional advertising, and the platforms to convey their trusted recommendations are now reaching billions, the ROI should start to enter the ‘no brainier’ zone”

So what does this mean? It means it’s past time to build strong relationships with your network. Relationships that will stand the test of time and new competitors because you were their source for (insert your product, service or opportunity here) before anyone else. Once you have built a bond that strong it would be very difficult for your competition to nudge their way in.

It’s time to build massive brand advocates, people who will go to bat for you and promote you ALL of the time. It’s time to treat every 1 person that enters your network as your only customer and bend over backwards to make sure they are happy…even if they haven’t done business with you yet! THEY WILL if you treat them like no one else is, I promise that!

Looking back to my very first piece of content I put on my blog 4 years ago…I described a new phenomenon called attraction marketing which is exactly the business/marketing world we all live in now. If you have not embraced this yet, HURRY UP!!!

“Getting back to the basics, it's the rebirth of the....You help me and I'll help you "relationship building" theory. It's like going back to old school marketing in the days where people did business with someone because they knew, liked and trusted them.... unlike recent times where the company with the biggest advertising budget wins (which by the way, is a dying statistic). Throwback means the reappearance of an earlier ‘way we do business’ characteristic dating back to the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ days.  Attraction Marketing is just that....Throwback Marketing!”

Your social ROI is directly correlated with the bond of the relationships you have built with your network Now…GO GET SOCIAL and treat every new person in your network like they are your best friend!

Michelle Corteggiano

Need help setting up your social presence? Two options:

• Do-It-Yourselferes - Build Your Social Brand (BYSB)

• Save 300-500 hours...Let ATI do it for you! Our Build Your Online Brand ( BYOB) program is designed to give you a completely setup social presence withtraining on how to manage in 30 minutes a day! This turnkey setup will allow you to focus on what's important to your brand...building relationships

 Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal

Social Media Marketing Predictions for 2011

First, let’s discuss exactly what social media marketing is. It is about the creation of a social brand encompassing marketing, PR & customer service. Basically creating a highly trusted relationship online with your customers... "Building Relationships 140 Characters at a Time".

Look for these HOT trends in 2011:

Mobile Ready - Stats show that 53% of people accessing websites are doing it via mobile devices! If you do not have your site set up to be mobile ready, it will be difficult to view and you will lose traffic. HINT: If you use Wordpress install the plugin WP Touch right away for this

QR Code Marketing -QR (Quick Response) Codes bridge the gap between traditional marketing and technology. Simply put, you have a scan code (sticker or image) that you can choose where the scan directs to. So for instance, it may go to your website, a product page, to your personal contact info etc... Endless possibilities, watch this one!

Geo-Location Based Marketing - Facebook Places, Foursquare and Gowalla to name a few. As people use a geo locator to check in at your establishment you will gain mass exposure to their network. I recommend you prompt check-ins at your business for free marketing. Along with check-ins, Facebook Deals was created to go along with the check-in. When people check-in you can offer a deal created only for geo location users...brilliant!

Facebook - Look to Facebook to lead the way in social media marketing.  Watch for much more advanced fan pages including things such as, shopping carts, landing pages with multiple tabs, reveal landing pages (visitors click on the like button for something in return), iframes pulling over your website to your fan page, advances contests etc...
Also, watch for a huge increase in quality Facebook advertising.

Relationship Marketing - The boom of social media marketing prompted the question...how do I do this? The answer, contrary to many fan page actions, is to build relationships and offer good useable info. 2011 is the year businesses will begin to understand how to build the relationships online properly and to create a process to convert their network into business (including email marketing campaigns). Savvy social users want to see value before doing business...just like the olden days. I call this throwback marketing. Brands that don’t add value will find themselves under fire from consumers!

SM Budget - If you do not have social media in your marketing budget...GET IT THERE! It’s not going away, it’s cheap and it is powerful. You may have to reallocate funds from another area but the predictions are that 71% of businesses will be allocating monies to social media marketing

If you are already playing in the social world...step it up a notch, maybe two. If not, get there and don’t waste another minute... you are already behind the eight ball. SMM is only going to get bigger and better!

Michelle Corteggiano

Word of Mouth, The Farmers Market & Social Media

What do the farmers market, word of mouth, social media and business marketing have in common? Read on:

So, last Saturday I took my good friend Jami to the Traverse City Farmer's Market for her very 1st time (you're welcome Jami).

As soon as we got there I told her that I needed to make sure we stopped by the booth that the Amish people had because they have the best home made granola you have ever tasted! As we continued through the market I was  building up the anticipation of the visit to their booth...and now she wanted some granola too!

So, we finally make it to the booth and there were about 10 people in line. I start talking to the people around me about the granola and quickly engaged with everyone in line about how good this stuff is and how I make sure to buy the biggest bag of it so it can last until I get back to the market. No biggie right......Well check this out:

EVERY person in the line bought a bag of granola on my recommendation! Ye ole "word of mouth advertising" at it's finest. Would they have bought it anyways if I wasn't there? Maybe some of them would but, because I spoke up, they all took action.

Now, let's shift this theory to using Social Media for Business Marketing...the hottest topic since Clinton's cigar :)

• People listen when someone speaks out...I just demonstrated that
• Statistics show that the trust factor online is 3 times that of face to face interaction
• Social Media has now taken over the #1 spot as far as activity on the internet...it just beat out porn &
• By 2010 Gen Y'ers will outnumber Baby Boomers .....96% of them are on a Social Network (Hint: they are your customers)

Those 4 points alone should give you a pretty good idea that it's definitely time to explore the world of Social Media marketing. With Social Media, "word of mouth" becomes "world of mouth" and your opportunities becomes infinite!

Things change, trends evolve and businesses must adapt. As businesses gravitate towards this type of "world of mouth" advertising it will become very apparent that the first one's in each industry will quickly rise to the top as #1 in their markets. What are people saying about your brand online?

So, get there and get there fast because this little secret is leaking out all over the place. Right now is when you need to begin, why put it off another day?

Michelle Cortegiano

Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal

Social Media Revolution

Yes people, I was right, the Social Media Revolution is here! I have chills from this and I am speechless...yes me, speechless. Well, not really, I do have something to say to all the Social Media doubters.........

I TOLD YOU!!!!

Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal

12 Ways Business Can Engage, Interact and Attract Customers Using Social Media

Being in business, you already know that the person who is most likely to do business with you is the one that already has. Marketing time and dollars are much less when marketing for repeat business. Social Media allows you multiple free avenues to interact with “your” customers, followers and fans. These mediums host very captive audiences….your audience! If you haven’t already figured this out, Social Media is a powerful way to engage, interact and attract the right kind of people, it's called Attraction Marketing.

I have compiled a list of ideas on different ways businesses can engage using Social Media.

Live Interaction

Give your customers a way to interact with your company in real time. People love feeling like they have access to you. Assign the duty to a trustworthy employee and have them monitor any area where customers can interact. (many SM sites allow for real time conversation, I highly believe Twitter is the best place for this)

Promotions

Long term: Post a standing offer to friends & followers that can be accessed only through Social Media channels. Discount codes, free report, free item of interest, buy one get one, newsletter, free consultations etc…

Short term: Offer a one or two day only special. This can be extremely effective for restaurants, hotels etc. On a slow day, post a short term offer to help drive traffic to you that day

Free Trial Offer

New product, why post a limited time, limited amount of free trials. i.e.: The first 500 people to click here can claim their free trial of X. (of course the link takes them to your site where they can access the info on how to get the trial) This will build you a nice list of targeted consumers.

Sneak Peek at Coming Attractions

This is a powerful way to get your customers hyped up for a new product or offer. Give them a sneak peek at what’s coming out and let them know when it will be available. Use this tool to grow huge anticipation of its launch.

Polls- Please Help Us!

Polling your customers will prove to be an ace in the hole for your business. Use this tool to find out what the customer would prefer. After all, they are who you will ultimately market to, with info collected through polls you can give them exactly what they asked for. Don’t be afraid to just say….”Help us Figure This Out”!

Discussion Boards

People love to chat with each other in Social Media. Offering a discussion board is like opening up a big huge billboard for all of your customers to see. You will learn a lot about their wants, needs and habit by studying their discussions.

Special Offer to Social Media Followers Only

By offering something to Social Media users only, you will teach your customer that your SM hub is the best place to go for the newest greatest info and offers. This will also help you to track your ROE (return on engagement) in Social Media.

Announce New Product Info

Building anticipation, announcing and launching new products in the Social Media world is very effective. Like I mentioned, many of these people are already your customers and word of mouth is by far the best way to spread news. By keeping your followers informed they will inevitably spread the word for you. Social Media helps create evangelistic customer, the best kind to have. It’s like having millions of salespeople out there working for you.

Suggestions/Feedback

Let your customers chime in. I have often wondered why every company doesn’t capitalize on this tool?!? Here’s my take on this; part of being good at what you do is becoming an expert on everything that has to do with your industry. While continually learning, growing and becoming the best that you can be, it is very easy to lose site of the big picture (or should I say simple picture)…what the customer actually wants. I know that all businesses get to a point where they so engrossed in their world that they find it difficult to see it from the customers point of view. I have noticed that when I get to that point, if I ask for suggestions from my followers, that the answer becomes very apparent and usually it is very elementary.

Video

Statistics show that compared to print advertising, video has 800% more response rate with customers. The good news that goes along with this statistic is that YouTube makes it very easy to pop a video on your site and to link to the video in Social Media. Even better news….because of YouTube, amateur video is the norm, so you don’t have to spend a ton of $ on video production. Go get yourself a Flip Camera and get going! Video is a strong way to connect with people. It makes they feel like they know you and in the know like and trust world, know has proven to be 90% of the equation as far as doing business.

Giveaways

Give something away! The word free attracts people like crazy. Use this tool to get people to join you on your Social Media pages where they become part of your captive audience.

Customer Vote

Got something new coming out? Need to know what would sell best between 2 different colors, sizes or styles? Want to know which logo you should use as your new logo? Want to know what people want next? ASK THEM!! They will tell you and then you have the best solution to the issue at hand.

Photos

Posting photos and allowing your customers to post photos is one of the smartest things you can do! People love to look at pictures….especially pictures of themselves. Currently, Facebook hosts over 3.5 billion photos…need I say more?

Of course there are things businesses need to watch out for in the Social Media world. But just like everything else, with a little monitoring, things can be kept in check very easily. If you are not currently using Social Media to market your business you are going to lose if you keep your head in the sand.

Michelle Corteggiano 

Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal

Social Media Marketing; 5 Big Brands Embrace it as a Powerful Avenue

In December of 08 it was predicted that 2009 would be the year that Social Media Marketing would be embraced by businesses as a viable marketing avenue, even though it brakes the mold for "traditional" marketing. Several months into 09 it was apparent that not only was this prediction dead on....Social Media was taking the marketing world by storm. Check out some of the big wigs jumping on the wave!

Starbucks

Starbucks launched their “My Starbucks Idea” blog about 1 year ago. It allows its customers to make suggestions and vote on others suggestions. The most popular ideas & opinions are taken, reviewed and acted upon. As a follow up for participants, Starbucks created a blog called “Ideas in Action” which gives updates on any changes made as a result of their customer’s suggestions. Listening to the voice of the customer is powerful…. After all, who knows what the customer wants more than the customer him/herself?

Starbucks also has a Facebook Fan Page. They use a lot of the features on it, including video, events, etc. They post industry related news, contests, new products and much more. They also promote specials only available to Social Media followers. Their fan page won the first month’s Facebook Blue Ribbon Award.

Following suit in Twitter, they have 2 different accounts, one for “Starbucks” and one for “My Starbucks Idea”. The speed at which Twitter moves makes these accounts the fastest way for Starbucks to interact with their customers, instant ideas and answers…who doesn’t like that?

Zappos

Zappos  ha s lively Facebook and Twitter accounts. They allow you to meet Zappos’ employees and build a connection  with them. Zappos has its own Twitter account, but it also aggregates its employees’ Twitter accounts on twitter.zappos.com . Using your employees as advocates in Social Media is an explosive way to reach new audiences. (this must be monitored very closely in case of a disgruntled employee, Zappos has done a great job of that by starting this site) Their Facebook page also has a lot to offer with videos, fan photos, and anecdotal stories of Zappos employees’ lives at work. In Social Media marketing, the simple fact that your customers feel like they know you and your employees will be the #1 draw to your brand!

In addition, Zappos has a network of blogs on a variety of topics, not all of which are connected to Zappos products, like its “Workout Tip of the Week.”

Twitter is no stranger to Zappos either. They have a corporate page where they post and their CEO, Tony Hsieh, has over a million followers! Way to go Tony, you have figured out that transparency attracts prospects.

Vitamin Water 10

Vitamin Water 10 is one of the first companies given Facebook’s Blue Ribbon Award. Vitamin Water 10 is probably my favorite business Fan Page because of how they use it. They offer a lot of things to keep their fans engaged such as; allowing fan photos (usually holding their vitamin waters), polls, promotions, and videos – even previews of commercials.

When advertising on TV, instead of sending people to their website, they send them to their Facebook page. They are no dummies, they know where their audience is! They also advertised their fan page on ESPN.com where they focused on their discussion of the Kobe/Lebron match-up.

Although new to Twitter, vitaminwater10 has begun to post regularly, keeping fans abreast of what’s up in the Vitamin Water world.

H & M

H & M allows its Facebook fans’ comments to be its fan pages’ homepage. This probably helps to increase the level of fan interaction – one of the reasons H & M was awarded Facebook’s Blue Ribbon Award. The page also gives updates on the new lines, videos, promotions – such as Fashion Against AIDS, and asks for customer feedback.

H & M also has a Twitter account where it gives updates on everything H&M is involved with.

Also falling into the category of Social Media, they post YouTube videos through their own account so everyone can watch what is going on. By the way, did you know video is the most effective way to reach an audience on the Internet?

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola has a very large Facebook page with one of the highest number of fans to date. They have incorporated a wide variety of photos, products from all over the world, Coke employees and fans, and Coke memorabilia. They allow most of the content to be driven by the fans. One interesting thing about their fan page is how it was set up; two fans originally created it and rather than compete with a page that had already gained great popularity, Coke asked the creators to represent them. You can even see a video about their experience on the fan page.

Coca-Cola also has a Twitter account which they started only a few weeks ago. There is a lot of conversation going back and forth with some interesting news that attracts followers.

Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal

Social Media Marketing: 1° of Effort in Business Separates the Good From the Great

At 211° water is hot... at 212° it boils. With boiling water comes steam....And, stream can power a locomotive. One extra degree makes all the difference!

In a book I just read, Mike Masterson creator of multiple multi million dollar companies, explains why any buisiness that isn't doing $1 million dollars in annual sales needs to focus 80% of their time on selling and marketing.

 Social Media Marketing, Are You doing it yet? Becasue your competition is:

It's your business, you are responsible for your results.... It's time to turn the heat up with Social Media Marketing!

Let ATI Attraction Marketing teach you how to crush your competition in Social Media!

Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal

Local Businesses Crush it Using Social Media

Social Media integration a.k.a. Social Media marketing is inevitable! Take a look at how a couple of small businesses in a small town are properly using Social Media effectively to quickly gain highly targeted customers.

 Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal

Jon Stewart on..... What the @%$# is Twitter

 Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Twitter Frenzy
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran