Top 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes

The Top 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes
and How to Avoid Them!

It’s all the rage. People the world over have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and other social networks. So it stands to reason that business owners too are flocking to these sites in search of free advertising and a way to reach large numbers of people with their marketing message.

But most every business is making the same old mistakes that have given them a bad name ever since the online world came into existence. If your business is making any of these mistakes, stop it because it’s costing you more than a few lost sales – it could well be damaging your company’s reputation!

Mistake #1: Missing the Point of “Social”

People come to social networks and the chat rooms and usenet groups that preceded them NOT to be marketed and sold, but to SOCIALIZE, meet new people, make new friends, and maybe even learn something new. So when a business plows into any social network and leads off with a full-power marketing message, users tune out.

As in all things, it’s better to build a relationship before you make your sales pitch. Worse, when a business leads off any relationship on a social networking web site with advertising, they will lose friends and followers, and those that remain will likely tune out future messages. This is by far the biggest complaint you’ll hear from those who love social networking web sites.

As a business, you’ve got to first build relationships, then provide value, and literally allow your friends and followers to ask you about what you have for sale. While it sounds like this would never work in the real world, you’d be surprised to find out just how powerful and how effective it can be to sell to people who really do consider your business to be a friend.

Mistake #2:  Not correctly setting up their profiles

Have you ever been asked to be a “friend” or to follow somebody on a social web site and when you go have a look at their profile, there’s no photo, no information, and few people are even following them?

This is a key point for you as a business owner, especially in today’s market where “hiding behind your e-mail” just doesn’t cut it. Your customers want to know all they can about you, about your company, and about the products you offer. They will get very jittery when the basic information they would expect to find on your social networking profile is nowhere to be found.

Mistake #3: No Activity/Postings

What have you been up to? What’s new with your business? There are literally thousands of things you could be posting to your social networking pages, so why then do so many businesses fail to have any meaningful postings on their pages?

When I see this, I wonder why they even want to connect with me in the first place. The lack of updates or posts in their account suggests to me that they are not in this game to socialize.

Maybe they just want to connect with me so that they can send me their marketing messages, yet provide nothing of real value in return. In any event, I rarely, if ever, connect with any person or business that does not show signs of actually using their social networking account!

Mistake #4: Talking Over People Instead of To Them

You want people to respect you. In fact, you demand respect if you’re going to give your attention to anybody. Why would it be any different for those in your social network?

It’s not. Yet far too many businesses simply use “drip marketing” and “broadcast marketing” techniques that are downright disrespectful to those they are hoping to do business with!

No, you don’t “drip” on people, you engage them, encourage them, motivate them, and inspire them to do business with you. This is the stuff great businesses are made of, and it’s also why some people have tens of thousands of friends while most others have very few.

Mistake #5: All Sell, No Value

In the early days of e-mail, a very common question was “how often can you send a sales letter to your mailing list?” The answer was illustrative. The thinking back then was that you could send out one sales piece for every 3 content pieces you’d send to your list, and nobody would really mind.

The same idea holds true in social networking. Give your followers real content, give them real value, and they won’t mind what you send them a promotional message now and again. This is the best strategy I know of for creating a following of hungry buyers.

It just won’t happen when all you can do is send one sales letter after another to the very people who make it possible for you to live the kind of life you want to live. Think about it.

Now get out there and make the most of your social marketing efforts!

Be Outstanding!
Robert Imbriale
‘The Motivational Marketer’
http://www.MotivationalMarketing.com

The Measure of Your Success

Sometimes you just have to scratch your head and ask, “now what?”

This has been the sentiment of so many people I’ve been speaking to over the past few weeks who are looking around and seeing a world that is very different than the one they grew up in.

And it’s not just the economy that’s got them puzzled. It’s the attitude of their customers, that has changed.

There has been so many changes out there that people are just ready to throw up their hands and give up.

There is a better way to deal with all these shifts in our society and burying your head in the sand is just not your best choice.

It has been said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going and that holds true to this day.

It’s time to step up your game, it’s time to push harder, it’s time to find a new way of getting things done, of attracting new customers, and it’s time to dig a litter deeper into who you really are to find out what you’re really made of.

My focus has been on those companies, those people, and those ideas that are working, that are succeeding, and that are making a difference.

While they are not always easy to spot, they are out there if you’re willing to look for them.

You and I have heard for years that what happens out there is far less important to us than what happens in our own thoughts, but is that true?

I’ve been running a little experiment of my own and from what I can report back to you right now, it’s absolutely true and not only is it true, it creates changes you can really see in as little as 15 minutes.

So try this for yourself. Instead of repeating over and over again how bad things are out there, look for the one thing that you can point to that isn’t bad, and might actually be good.

As you do this, you’ll be in a position to begin feeling a little better. The more you do it and the better you feel, the better things will begin to go for you in your life.

I know it’s a little thing, but isn’t life really made up of a series of little things anyway?

Find the little things that can make you happy right now. Maybe it’s the upcoming football game, or maybe you’re going to eat something fun for dinner tonight. Maybe, you’re just happy that you’re getting over the flu and starting to feel like your old self again.

Yes, life can come down hard on us, and often there’s little we can do to avoid that from happening, but what we can do is manage how we deal with it.

I have come to believe that in anything that happens it is possible to find some measure of good along with the bad. And since you can’t focus on both at the same time, it’s actually a decision you make to either see the good side or the bad side of things.

In the end, the measure of your success can be traced back to how many times you sought and focused on the good side of life.

To me, knowing you’re out there reading this message really does make me smile.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey with me.

Be outstanding!
Robert Imbriale
‘The Motivational Marketer’

The New Year is Coming Fast.. Are You Ready?

It seems to come too quickly every single time. The end of the year, but honestly, it’s one of my favorite times of year.

This is when you start to forget about the current year and look forward to what’s coming up next.

Do you have a plan for 2013?

Do even know what kinds of things you should be focused on right now?

I have some ideas for that I share in a new episode of the Motivational Marketing Show.

You can listen to it right now by visiting:

http://www.motivationalmarketing.com/archives/223

You can also subscribe to this podcast in iTunes and you’ll get each new episode the moment it is released!

I mean the very moment too! When I upload a new edition of the podcast, I can see it in my iTunes within minutes, and people who subscribe to it are usually downloading it right away.

Here’s the link to subscribe now:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/motivational-marketing-show/id263907247?mt=2

One last thing, if you have not yet grabbed my latest e-book, “Professional List Building Secrets” go ahead and download it now from http://www.UnlimitedLeads.com

It’s my gift to you to help you do the most important thing you need to do for your business; build a big list!

Enjoy your weekend!

Robert “The Motivational Marketer”

You, Me, and Politics.. Seriously!

If you’re at the helm of a business, any business, you’re probably a lot more like a politician than you might imagine.

Hear me out on this one since it could be the difference between the success or failure of your business venture. This is a lesson I learned the hard way, so pay attention.

What is the main job of a politician?

No, it’s not to go to Washington and get stuff done. Nope, that’s a necessary evil, but it’s not the main goal for them.

Their main goal is to convince YOU that THEY are the champions of ideas that you AGREE with. If you translate that, what you get is they are selling you on a product called ideas and if you like what they are selling you pay them with a vote.

That’s why our current president has been seen by many as the “Campaigner in Chief.” There’s a lot of truth to that description. After all, do you really believe that the President sat down at his desk one night and wrote up a 3,000 page health care bill?

Of course not! What his role was in that was simply to SELL you on the idea that this bill would be a good thing and to secure the enough votes to get it passed. In other words, get enough people to buy into it that they paid for it with their votes.

So how does this apply to you and your business?

Why am I talking politics when that is so obviously not acceptable in today’s overly-sensitive society?

Truthfully, we do need to be talking about politics. We do need to find those points that we agree on and move forward from there. Not talking politics only makes the powers that rule over us stronger. It’s not the time to be meek, it’s the time to speak up, speak out, and be heard!

Now, what I’ve just shared with you is also a powerful business- building strategy!

You see, you’re job is to sell people on the idea that what you have to offer is going to be good for them. The only difference is that instead of asking them for a vote, you’re asking them to vote with their dollars.

If you can’t or won’t champion your ideas, your products, and your services, who’d going to do it for you?

Even Apple, to grow to become as successful as they have become champions their products. I’m sure you’re heard the late Steve Jobs talk about Apple’s product being the best in the world. People hear that, agree with it, and they vote with their dollars in buying what Apple has to offer.

Nothing would make me happier than to know that you’re ready, willing, and able to stand tall, and stand proud on your podium as you champion your business to those who would most benefit from you what you have to offer.

There is NOTHING wrong with holding a strong belief about what you offer. Yes, you will be criticized, you will have to endure those attempts from people to get you off your podium, but in the end, you’ll be happier for having stepped up.

Now, if you like this idea, go ahead and share it with your friends and associates because keeping quiet is not the pathway to success.

Tony Robbins says, “Success leaves clues.”

I can tell you that it’s true, and not only that, it’s more important right now than ever before that you pay close attention to this powerful success strategy.

If you thought that things moved fast on the Internet, now you add the major, unprecidented shifts in our economy on top of that and what you have is a very chaotic situation that you’re going to need real help to navigate successfully.

So what can you do right now to start making your way back on track?

First, pay close attention to those few people in your circle who ARE making things happen right now, even in these turbulent times.

For instance, I’ve been looking for the marketing strategies that are really working great right now and I wanted to see real results and not just a blog post on how great a person thinks their new marketing strategy is.

To get a good feel for what’s working, I’ve been tuning into a LOT of webcasts recently. I’m looking to see how many people are showing up, what the presenters are sharing, and at the end of the webcast, what they are selling.

Remember, success leaves clues and to find those clues, you’ve got to tune in!

I’m alson joining more mailing lists again and reading a lot of e-mail from other marketers in this industry as well as several others where I have a business footprint.

All of this has lead to me to this conclusion; what worked up until last year is no longer working. And this is after decades of these things working like clockwork!

So what’s changed?

Everything has. Our customers are more diligent with their money. They have less of of as more and more of their income is getting eaten away by sky-rocketing healthcare costs, increased taxes, inflation, and even loss of income.

This, on top of the fact that most home owners in this country are sitting in homes that are worth 40% less then they were just 4 years ago. Many more are “upside down” on their mortgages meaning they owe more than their home is worth.

Now, from everything that I see coming in the near term, it’s going to get worse before we can even have hope that things will improve. If we re-elect our current President, I see things getting much, much worse.

While I’m not a huge fan of Mitt Romney, he may well be our best hope of starting to turn the tide in getting our economy back on track. You simply can’t spend your way to success and we’re seeing the weight of this flawed approach take us down even faster.

Our job right now, is not to avoid talking politics, it’s to bring up the conversation anytime, anywhere, with anybody.

I find that I’m doing that more and more with clerks in the stores I visit around town. You want to know what surprised me the most?

Every single one of them wants Romney to win in November!

You see, the business owners thrive or perish on the strength of the ecomony around them. When our customers button down their wallets and stop spending, we all suffer. And that includes the government too.

Wealth happens for everybody when money changes hands. That’s when taxes are generated, profits are made, and jobs are created.

So where is the success today, right now?

Business owners are literally giving their stuff away for much, much less than they would otherwise get in a better economy.

Their goal, as I see it, is to get people to join their mailing lists. Yes, they still need to make something from these folks, but it won’t happen just yet.

The strategy here is to use this time to build a large list so that when things do begin to turn around, they will have the most valuable asset any business could ever own: a large list to market to again and again.

I think this is a very smart strategy and that by sticking to it, living off the scant profits these efforts will bring for right now, but planning to really make an impact under a better economy.

So what should you be doing right now?

What about building a list?

Or creating products that you will be able to sell for years to come?

Or maybe it’s time for you to set up your first business and now is the perfect time for that.

The idea you want to embrace here is that now is not the best time to be selling, but it’s a great time to be building your foundation upon which you will erect your empire.

If you do this now, I promise you when things get better, and they will get better, you will be sitting pretty and will leap- frog out ahead of the rest of the pack.

Now go ahead and start laying your foundation because the time will never be better than right now for that.

How Times Have Changed and How You Can Profit Starting Right Now!

In my last message to you, I mentioned that things have changed, but I did not go into much detail on how they have changed.

One reader, Patrick O., pointed this out and asked if I might share my thoughts on how things are different now.

Knowing how things have shifted and changed is an important tool in trying to figure out what’s coming next, so let’s get into this by looking back just a few short years ago, say just before Obama became President.

Was the economy roaring? No, in fact it had already begun its decline. Around that time, companies began to lay off workers. The numbers were not surprising, at least at this time.

For small business owners, things were starting to slow down, people were being a little more cautious about how they were spending their money, and hiring was sluggish at best.

From 2008 to the present day, things have gotten much, much worse. I have a bird’s eye view of small business since working with small business owners is my primary role in life and can tell you that not one, in any industry, has managed to escape the challenges of this dismal economy.

As with all things, there is a silver lining to all the bad news out there. With hardly any new jobs being created over the past couple of years, and more people being cast aside, what you want to pay attention to is what these people are doing once their unemployment checks stop coming.

From what I see now, there is a HUGE part of our population, I would guess it numbers well over 20% now, of people who have been unemployed and have been unsuccessful at finding another job.

No, I don’t at all believe the “official” unemployment numbers as they have clearly been “fixed” to make it look as though things are not as bad as they are. A simple look around all all the people you know will give you a much better idea of just how bad the situation is.

You have to ask, “what will happen with all these people?” When the government checks stop coming, they have a few options. First, they can claim disability. If you’ve paid attention to the numbers, you’ll note that this is popular route for many who have burned through an astounding 99 weeks of unemployment checks.

The second option, and one you’re seeing more and more people choose, is to start their own business. It’s this segment of the population that you want to pay attention to.

These are the people who will help guide us out of this economic mess and who will create the next generation of Apple, Microsoft, and HP.

Each one of these now major companies started during the worst of times in the 1970′s. Today, they are the cornerstones of our economy.

I am looking for these people, I’m looking to help them, to support them, to train them, and to help get them up and running because they are the ones that will make the biggest difference in our world.

Change comes, not from government, but from individuals with a dream. People who dare to follow their passions and who lead others by setting the example of what’s possible.

Government, by contrast, is reactive in nature, uninformed, inefficient, and absolutely not creative in any manner. So they have zero ability to affect positive change in our world and in fact, tend most often to deter and interrupt success.

You, as an individual can be creative, you can follow your passions and make your dreams a reality. You can create a business that will support you and your family for decades to come.

This is where the energy, the creativity, the joy, or what I like to call the life force really is.

Put your attention on those things that mean something. Look for people who dare step up and who are ready to take charge of their own lives and create a future they can be proud of.

These people will be your customers. They will be the ones that will create jobs, who will stimulate the economy, and who may in fact, change the world.

Today, you might think about companies like Facebook, or Instagram. You can literally sit at home, write an “app” and walk off with a billion dollar buyout a year or two later.

Things have indeed changed, and not all of it is for the worst. Information is the new “hot product” and that includes all the tools needed to both search and store it so that it’s there when you need it.

Think about the Kindle, the iPad, the Nook, and all the other tools being sold at a breakneck pace, all designed to help you consume more information.

You have some choices to make for yourself. You can decide to “stick it out” and “see what happens” or you can step up to the plate and make a play that could very define not only the rest of your life, but of many others whose lives you will touch along the way.

There is much to do, much to be gained, and now is the best time to get out there and get to work!

Be outstanding!
Robert Imbriale
‘The Motivational Marketer’
http://www.RobertImbriale.com

3 Questions to Help You Thrive

In these rapidly changing times, figuring out what to do next can be a real challenge.

Do you give up and look for a job? That’s probably not going to help since there are few jobs to be found.

Do you start your own business? Yes, if you can CLEARLY answer the following questions.

1) What do you have to offer?

This is the question the trips up most people, but if you take some time to answer it, you’ll find that starting and building a business will be much, much easier for you.

So what can you offer to the market? Are you skilled at something? Do you have knowledge about something that you could offer to people who don’t yet have that knowledge?

Or can you perform some task or build projects that other people need to have done for them? Remember, just because somebody can do something for themselves doesn’t mean they want to and often times they prefer to hire somebody to do it for them.

2) Who would want what you have?

This is a simple question and an important one to ask. Who, very specifically, would want what you have and be willing to pay you for it?

That second part is important. A person, or company, has to be willing to pay for what you have to offer. If they are not willing and able to pay you, they are not what I could consider to be a viable prospect.

3) How can you reach those that want what you have?

This is where you begin to think about marketing. How will you get your message in front of those people that both want and can afford to buy what you have to offer?

Are there groups, clubs, associations, magazines, mailing lists, e-mail newsletters, social media groups, etc. where large numbers of these people can be easily found and reached?

When you take a moment to look at these 3 questions, and take some time to answer them, you’ll put yourself in a position of power from the very first day.

Let me share with you how I’ve applied these questions to my own business and what I’ve come up with for a very specific market.

What do I have to offer?

I have many things, but one in particular is the ability to conduct great interviews. Not only that, I’ve got a compete studio with professional grade gear that can record my interviews and turn them into finished audio CD programs. And, on top of that, I’ve got a publishing side of my business that can take those audio CD’s and get them on the market and in every bookstore in the country.

Who would want what I have?

There are probably a few groups that could benefit from what I have to offer, but the group I feel is most likely to want and need what I’ve got is the professional speaker.

How can I reach professional speakers?

There is an association of professional speakers with thousands of members. There are multiple groups on Linked in, Facebook, and pretty much every other major social media web site. These people are visible, easy to reach, and not only have a burning need for what I’ve got offer, they can afford to pay for my services.

So how did I implement this?

I built a web site at http://www.EmpoweringSpeakers.com

I’ve got a person who is helping me to contact professional speakers and let them know what I’ve got to offer.

I’ve posted ads on Facebook, in Linked in, and I’ve e-mailed the professional speakers I know personally. I believe that within just a few short weeks I’ll fill up this program and will actually have a waiting list of speakers looking to be interviewed.

So that’s one way to get started, and although I’ve been in business a long time, the market has shifted so very much that I have had to find new ways to build my business.

I would love to know what YOU are doing to change your business too.

Go ahead and send me an e-mail and let me know what’s working for you and if you are needing any help.

Be outstanding!
Robert Imbriale
‘The Motivational Marketer’
http://www.RobertImbriale.com

The Key to Building a Business That Will Make You Wealthy

It never ceases to amaze me how many people I meet who think that just because they have a business, a web site, some products to sell, that they, by default, should be wealthy.

Really?

You mean just because there is a car in garage, I should be able to win the Indy 500?

Or because I own a pair of running shoes, I should be able to run in and win marathons!

You know that’s not how it works. In order to win, you’ve got to put in the effort. In order to put in the effort, you’ve got to doing things you really enjoy, or else it will be far too much like work and you won’t do it.

Early on, I recognized my passion for marketing, but not just the run of the mill nuts and bolts marketing. I found the greatest joy in truly understanding people and how and why they act the way they do.

Hardly a day goes by where I’m not observing, learning, testing, and gaining a new understanding of how and why people do the things they do. This is not work, it’s my passion.

Why I rose to the top of the industry so quickly is because I was passionate about my craft.

It does NOT happen by accident.

Last night, you likely watched the Grammy Awards and what you saw were people being honored that are mostly very passionate about their craft. The more passion they have for what they do, typically, the better they do in their careers.

So what about you?

Are you doing something you love to do today? Or do you find that the most fun in your day comes around lunch time and after the work day is done?

I used to live that way, until I just could no longer allow myself to play by those rules. So I quit my job and made a promise to myself that I would never again work for anybody else as an employee because that is clearly not who I am.

That was back in 1995 and although I’ve seen some rough times, faced many challenges, and came close to bankruptcy on several occasions, I would do it all again.

Your life is what you make of it. This is your time to make the kinds of decisions that will result in a life you can can happy to live every single moment.

The hardest part of this is getting to a place where you can believe that what I’m sharing with you here is real. Once you believe it, you will indeed begin to take the steps necessary to move yourself more into alignment with what you’re most passionate about.

I’ve got much more to share with you on this topic, and if you want to hear it for yourself, you can get it here:

http://www.ultimatewealthpublishing.com/products/More-More-More.html

Yes, you can have it your way.

Be outstanding!
Robert Imbriale
The Motivational Marketer
http://www.ultimatewealthpublishing.com/products/More-More-More.html

Getting more of what you really want now

You are involved in a war, and whether or not you come out a  winner will largely depend on how well you can defend yourself  against a constant onslaught.

Now that’s a peppy little message guaranteed to kick of your day!

The battle that I’m referring to is one that you MUST win if you  have visions of succeeding in life. It’s a battle you’ve been in  since the day you were born, but it’s also a battle you can win,  if you’re willing to.

The key, of course, is that you’re willing to win, and that you  believe that winning is even possible.

If you’re with me on this, let me give you some more information  on this war and how to win it.

Success requires that you focus on the things that you really  want and tune out the things you don’t want. It sounds simple,  but in reality it’s one of the biggest battles you’ll face in  life.

You see, every where you look, your attention is being turned to  things NOT wanted. From the news you see all day, everyday, to  the conversations you’re having with friends, family, and co- workers.

All of it is about things you DON’T WANT, while very little time,  if any, is dedicated to being focused on the things you really  want most.

It’s not all your fault. As a society, we’ve been trained to look  at the bad stuff, to be focused on the disasters, the mis- fortunes, and the dark side of the political structure.

It’s so well ingrained in us all that we barely notice how  negative we’ve become!

This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the way you need to be in order to  make it in life. It’s no mystery that people are literally  attracted to those of us who are POSITIVE. I like to think of the  little + sign when I think of something positive as ADDING to my  life experience.

But how can you re-train your mind to focus more on things that  make you smile even in the face of a constant and un-ending  onslaught of negativity?

I’ll admit, it’s not easy, but the good news is that even if you  modified your thinking by a mere 10%, you’d see big shifts in  your  life. Just 10%, or 6 minutes of every hour, will make a  measurable difference in your life!

Now, I’ve got a powerful tool for you today that will give you  the strategies that work to get you back on track, fast!

These strategies are the ones that I use to get myself back in  the game whenever I’ve been “over-exposed” to things I don’t want  to be focused on and need to be in a more positive frame of mind  now.

http://www.ultimatewealthpublishing.com/products/More-More- More.html

You can win the battle, and win the war, and live a life filled  with things you really want most, but it won’t happen unless  you’re ready, willing, and able to make some changes to your  thinking right now.

Why not make this year your best one yet?

Be outstanding!

Robert Imbriale
“The Highly Motivational Marketer”
http://www.RobertImbriale.com

It was the worst year of my life..

It was New Year’s Eve and I was so excited that I could not contain myself! You see, I had created a list of things that I wanted to accomplish in the coming year that included nearly 30 items!

Oh, I simply couldn’t wait to get started and I was telling everybody I knew about what I had planned.

I was eager, I was bold, and I thought that I had it all figured out and that year would be my best ever. Turns out, it was the worst year of my life.

What happened?

Where did I go wrong?

Well, the following year, there I sat with my big plans for the coming year and it finally hit me. With better than 27 new plans on the table how was I ever going to be able to give each one enough attention to see that it achieved the success I knew it could?

The answer surprised me. And it took a while before I fully understood it all, and it took even longer for me to make the corrections I needed to make in order to indeed succeed at higher and higher levels.

Today, those lessons are burned into my brain and I know that I’ll never go back to making the mistakes I once made that caused me to have one bad year after another.

In fact, I am now, right now, today, as I write this, pairing DOWN my list for 2012 so that I only focus on those projects that will indeed result in big successes.

I have become a master of staying focused. I learned the hard way that although I thought that I was focused but was really never focused, just excited, and that lead to more failures than I care to remember!

Now, if I could show you a better way to put yourself in a position to have a winning year in 2012, would you listen?

More importantly, would take action on what I share that is sure to give you a much better shot at making 2012 the best year you’ll have to date.

And, would you, after experiencing the results, continue to use my strategies in years to come so that you can continue to experience better and better years ahead?

Of course, I would expect that you’re answer would be a resounding YES!

My proven strategies for staying focused can be found here:

http://www.ultimatewealthpublishing.com/master-the-art-of-staying-focused/

Be outstanding!
Robert Imbriale
The Motivational Marketer