by Cultivate | May 29, 2014 | Social Media
Are you a CEO or company leader who’s afraid to hit the ‘Share’ button? You’re not alone.
Leadpostaphobia™ [lead·post·a·pho·bi·a]
noun
a persistent fear of posting on social media platforms while in a leadership role (see: CEO and C-Suite Executives)
Social media has become one of the most influential technologies in the history of marketing and advertising. It has made companies, celebrities, and thought leaders amazingly accessible to the general public.
So what does that mean for companies trying to make their mark on the social world? One simple answer: Your CEO needs to play along.
Today’s consumers dig deep into the companies they’re buying from. They want to know exactly WHO they’re supporting. Shoppers are following companies on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn — anywhere they can get information on who these companies and people really are.
But when it comes to the C-Suite, the biggest problem is that many CEOs don’t know IF they should post to social networks. Even more, they don’t know WHAT they should post, or often WHERE to even start.
A CEO’s 10-Step Guide to Posting on Social Media
This simple 10-step guide will be your prescription to living a socially fulfilling life while avoiding a case of Leadpostabphobia.™
- Have your social media specialist hold a training session for your C-Suite. Become familiar with each platform and which benefits (like joining Groups) each has to offer.
- Create your own profile. It should should be separate from your general company page.
- Share content from your company page — have pride in what you’ve built!
- Share photos or videos of events you attend and present at.
- Post about your company’s events. Don’t forget to add links and photos.
- Have conversations with others in your industry. Social media is a great networking tool — especially LinkedIn.
- ENGAGE, ENGAGE, ENGAGE! People are following you for a reason. They want to hear what you have to say and engage with you. Don’t ignore them or they may start ignoring YOU.
- Show some humility. Don’t be afraid to share your favorite quotes or the team you’re rooting for in the Super Bowl this year.
- Don’t be intimidated. Use your social media specialists, HR department, and other industry leaders as reliable resources.
- Realize that times are changing and this is just another outlet to expand your business and growth — embrace it and enjoy it!
Additional Resources
Check out these other resources I found on the web to make this social leap an easy one!
Get the scoop on how 3 industry giants — Dove, Melissa & Doug, and Harley-Davidson — connected with their customers to reap big rewards in the FREE eBook “Side Door Thinking.”
Now’s the time to get started. Every day you wait is another day you’re letting your customers slip away to brush up on and follow your competitor’s business instead of YOURS.
Connect with us on LinkedIn or check out our company Facebook page or Twitter feed to see how our CEO and staff members are leveraging social media to engage with the public. It’s not as daunting as you might think… In fact, it can be downright FUN!
by Robert Wendt | May 1, 2014 | Marketing Strategy, Social Media
Of all the social networks that have edged to the forefront of the Web, LinkedIn has proven to be of immense value to folks in the business world.
Besides offering professionals a personal profile, options to showcase one’s portfolio or the prospect of drumming up new business, the social network provides a myriad of tools to connect with peers.
One of the most popular ways to do so includes the relationship-building opportunities formed through LinkedIn Groups, the name given to the user-generated forums within the site. Currently, there are more than 2 million groups currently with more than 8,000 being added every day, according to LinkedIn.
And with an average of 200 conversations taking place every minute,
that’s a lot of dialogue and insight an active CEO could be missing out on.
Though these groups span the gamut — ranging anywhere from peer-to-peer forums, to regional business groups and industry-specific boards — they provide a great way to take a pulse on your business community.
The best part of LinkedIn Groups is that you get to be a part of the conversation. As a CEO, it’s a superb opportunity to show off your subject matter expertise and keep your company fresh, relevant and conscientious of the rhythm of the marketplace.
I like to think of LinkedIn Groups as an extension of our marketing strategy, so we always make sure to craft a great impression. While it’s easy to join groups to look like you’re an active participant, it’s a waste of time not to take advantage of the groups’ many benefits. LinkedIn Groups can provide a boon to your business if you can simply make use of their tools.
Here are a few tips to help CEOs get the most value out of LinkedIn Groups:
1. Select the right group for you. Do you want to leverage your business? Build your brand? Network with like-minded professionals? Or provide solutions to your peers? The first step to joining LinkedIn Groups is knowing what you want to use them for. There is no limit to how many groups you can join, but there is a limit to how much time you can actually dedicate to each group. Find out which one brings the most value to the table for you. Look for groups that attract companies or customers that spark your interest, or broaden your reach by connecting to people outside of your circle.
2. Be a resource. Recently, LinkedIn expanded publishing authority across the network. That means CEOs like you can create and publish informational blogs and articles directly to the site. You can also post status updates within a group, or comment on those of your peers. The more you participate in the discussions taking place within a group, the higher your “influence” becomes. You can also extend your influence by sharing your posts through other social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter.
3. Discover new connections. It’s also important to take note of other influencers within the group; they might be a good person to connect with, either on the network or, if possible, vis-à-vis. And they might reach out to you to do the same. Connecting with these individuals not only broadens your influence but also opens your network to other thought leaders, which may lead to new ideas or ways of improving your business.
4. Measure participation. Besides tools like bitly, that allow users to see how many people click on or engage with their links, LinkedIn specifically offers its members Group Statistics. This dashboard, which is accessible on the right-hand side of every Groups page, highlights demographics, growth and activity.
As a CEO, this tool is especially helpful when deciding
what group to spend the most time participating in.
For example, click here to check out the statistics for the FUEL Milwaukee Group.
5. Generate leads. LinkedIn Groups offers a tricky, yet plausible purpose, which includes generating leads. However, it is important not to appear “spammy,” or overly promotional. Instead, use LinkedIn Groups to build relationships, and then leverage these relationships into new business. You can also use Groups to recruit new talent. After all, an individual who participates on these boards is likely to be passionate about their career, industry or business community, which is what most CEOs are after in a new hire.
If there is one thing CEOs can agree on, it’s that we’re a busy, busy bunch. So it makes good business sense to focus on the social network that brings us the most value for our time.
P.S. To help you get started, here are a few of my favorite LinkedIn groups.
Want more LinkedIn tips? Check out a few other previous LinkedIn posts or read through FAQs here.
by Robert Wendt | Jan 23, 2014 | Growth Cycle Marketing, Marketing Strategy
I am sure you have financial metrics, operating metrics, and sales metrics. But does your company have marketing metrics?
Good marketing metrics need to make it onto your CEO dashboard. Marketing done WELL can generate fantastic results, brand awareness, and targeted communications via customized channels. Marketing done poorly will simply be a financial drain on your business. As a CEO, you need to know how your company’s marketing efforts measure up.
Most businesses spend the majority of their marketing budget on creating awareness of their product or service. Digital marketing, broadcast marketing, and trade shows all generate awareness, but they come at a cost. Good metrics, at this very first stage in the marketing process, should focus on cost per engagement — How many people received your message and at what cost? In the awareness stage, cost analysis is essential to get the greatest exposure for your business at the right price.
If your awareness campaigns are working, you should be able to determine (and score) your leads — that includes all people even considering your product or service.
It’s important for CEOs to not only understand how many active leads your marketing department has, but also where they came from and why. Knowing what problems your product or service addresses and where people are looking for solutions to these problems will also help your marketing department deliver greater results in converting leads to sales.
Your actual sales numbers for a product are an easy metric to get your hands on. But determining your conversion rate from leads to sales is a little more challenging. Still, such data are needed to effectively evaluate your sales pipeline, as conversion rates tell you a lot about the effectiveness of both your marketing and your sales departments. If there is not a cohesive, team effort here, the results will have a negative impact on sales and can be the difference between achieving financial success — or not.
Remember: It’s much more efficient to keep an existing customer than to find a new one. In this awareness stage, marketing metrics will help you understand customer churn. Retention programs should be evaluated on their ability to keep and grow a customer. Measuring customer growth and turnover provides metrics that help you understand the customer experience and develop customer loyalty.
Let’s face facts — Customer advocacy is the “holy grail” of any marketing effort. { Tweet this! }
Getting your customers to bring you other customers is what every business strives for. Referral programs and user groups create opportunities for customers to evangelize your business. (Download our FREE eBook “Side Door Thinking” to see how three industry GIANTS — Dove, Melissa & Doug, and Harley-Davidson — connected with their customers to build loyalty and reap BIG REWARDS.)
Understanding the effectiveness of loyalty/referral programs and monitoring your company’s marketing metrics gives CEOs the best indication of the health of their entire organization.
If you want to discuss marketing metrics — or learn how to measure not only the first stage of customer engagement (awareness), but also the other four (to be revealed) — leave a comment below and keep an eye on our Cultivate blog. We’ll be covering the topic of using Growth Cycle Marketing to attract your ideal customers in the coming weeks.
Got a question in the meantime? Connect with me on LinkedIn.
