Grasping the basics of marketing is very simple. In fact, you probably don’t even need a degree to be successful at marketing your business or yourself. The secret to successful marketing is to have a customer oriented mindset. If you think about he customer’s needs before the your needs, chances are that you will be able to market well.

Just like marketing your business, when you market your online content, you need to focus on the people who matter: your visitors.

Staying in Tune with Your Audience

Lessons in Content Creation 101 tell us that your website and its information need to revolve around what your visitors are looking to find. Truthfully, this sounds very easy but it’s a tough concept to grasp. In a perfect world, an online copy writer would know exactly what his customers need and would deliver but we don’t live in a perfect world. Instead, we succumb to ideas, advice, and urges that stray from our overall mission: meet the customer where they are.

This website, for example, exists to help businesses and entrepreneurs get a jumpstart on all things social media, including marketing, email lists, current events, and hard-to-understand concepts. It’s not easy to create content, though…especially content that is written to solve your problems and answer your questions.

In order to create as much targeted content as possible, we take a “tell it to your mom” approach. This helps us walk through tutorials, break down concepts, and fully explain what is happening in the realm of social media.

Develop a method or line of thought that will help you create content that is useful to your audience and that answers their questions before they need to ask.

Understanding the Behaviors of Your Visitors

Let me tell you a little secret…

The best ways to stay in tune with your audience is to talk to them and to retrace their steps.

A simple question or survey can go a long way. If you’re feeling up to it, send out an email survey to your list and gauge their need for content. How many people want to know about the eating habits of sloths compared to koala bears? How many readers are interested in high school education compared to middle school and elementary school? There is A LOT you can learn from your visitors if you simply ask.

Beware: asking questions makes you vulnerable to skeptics. Some people will spin your questions as revelations that you don’t know you topic. Before you dive into a survey or panel interview with clients, be prepared for those who aren’t on your same wavelength.

Retracing your visitors steps is probably the best way you can get to know them. Finding out where they have been can have a huge impact on your future publication calendar.

If you haven’t signed up, you should begin using an analytics tool, such as Google Analytics. These types of tools will allow for you to see what content is most popular amongst your visitors and what content they aren’t touching. This will allow for you to create material suited for your visitor’s needs. Want to gather more interesting data? Analytical tools can tell you:

- How much time the average visitor spends on your site; thus, you can figure out how to keep readers for longer
- How many pages a person visits each time they come to your site, allowing you to integrate more pages to your site to keep your visitors reading your useful content
- What keywords your visitors are using to find your site, which can help you with search engine optimization (SEO) and content creation

There is a ton of information you can learn from an analytical tool. If you’d like to learn how to set up Google Analytics for your site, stay tuned for a multi-part series that will begin next week on using Google Analytics.

Today’s Action Steps

With a ton of new knowledge in your brain, I’d like to challenge you to do a few things today:

First, think of a way to keep your mind centered on useful and beneficial content creation. Is it a note on your computer? Is it an accountability partner? Is it locking yourself in a room with a laptop and desk lamp for 12 hours a day? (Not recommended by the management team.) Find your focus agent and use it.

Next, ask five visitors to your site or members on your email list why they come to your site and what content they find useful. Pick their brains and see if they will open up to you. If it’s a success and you get good feedback, implement it. If not, see if you can engage with others. Know thy visitors.

Finally, research Google Analytics. As I said, I’ll begin diving into Google Analytics a bit more starting next week. Trust me – Google Analytics has become one of my best friends as I strive toward online marketing excellence.

As always, please use the resources below to share this article on your favorite social media site. Also, did you know that Folk Media is on Facebook? Become a fan and you could win a free website consultation! If you became a fan because you read this article, email me and let me know.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by nkzs

Writing is important. We all know that content is one of the most important aspects of a business and without writing, you can’t produce content. Needless to say, it’s pretty critical that you have a good handle on writing, or a good editor, before you disseminate valuable content to your customers.

Wait–don’t leave yet. If you’re the guy or gal that thinks writing isn’t your strongest quality, you’re not alone. You don’t need to be good at writing to succeed; you only need to know the critical elements that create writing success.

There is no better role model or influence to turn to than Seth Godin. Seth Godin is a business/media strategist who takes pride in helping people. However, his books don’t always top the charts and his blog is rather short and simple. He understands the important aspects of writing and he goes from there. You can do that, too.

Connection

One of your foremost goals when writing should be to connect to your audience. Frankly, without a connection, you have no audience. Who wants to read something that isn’t appealing or interesting? I know that I don’t.

Creating a connection with your audience will get you far in your career as a writer. Seth Godin creates connections using stories, one-liners, and memorable but short quotes to get you thinking. It’s like he is right next to you holding a conversation.

Also, connections enable readers to keep coming back to your content. If they can relate to you one time, they will long for that connection the next time.

Memories

Our memories map out our lives. Memories of happiness will encourage us to continue on a certain course and painful memories will guard our hearts forever. When writing, make sure that you create good memories for your audience. You don’t need to be a super sophisticated writer to create memories. You don’t need to pen brilliant words. In fact, all you need to do is be authentic and down to earth.

When you’re authentic with your audience, they trust you and they begin to open up to your words. Make sure that you captivate them with your realness and use that to create positive memories for your readers.

Remember, positive memories come in handy when you release new content because those people you’ve touched will recall their experience with you and will return the favor time and time again.

Value

You’ve heard us talk about it before and this isn’t the last time we’ll touch on it: creating value for your customers is much better than anything else. If your customers know they are getting a product with a high value, they a more willing to be repeat customers and spread the word.

Value does not mean a low priced product. Sure, lower prices might be more appealing at first but if you can provide free content that has a large value, you’ll immediately attract potential customers and win market share.

We all want to be valued. When you’re writing, make sure that you give away as much information as possible. Don’t hold all of the cards because the more hidden you are, the less people will trust you.

Creating connections, memories, and value will help your writing stick.

Seth Godin is a master at writing and you can be, too. Take some time this week to practice connecting, making memories, and creating value through your writing. You might actually surprise yourself…

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Right Brain Resource

Picture this: You’re in a business meeting with the CEO of your company and you are part of a content creation committee. Your business is losing money and it’s going out the door fast. Your boss asks you to come up with a few ideas on how to keep business from going to your competitors. What do you do? How do you save your business?

Do you lower prices? No, it’s not necessary.

Do you create more products to expand your customer base? No.

When you need to turn your business around or when you are trying to dominate your market, the secret lies in the customer experience. It’s not all about prices or products; it’s about the experience the customer has with you and your business.

Case Study: Starbucks

We all know that Starbucks is in the coffee business and they are a pretty dominating force. They serve millions of lattes, mochas, and fraps each year to citizens looking for their coffee fix. But, have you ever considered why a coffee chain with extravagant prices and small serving sizes is so popular?

It’s the experience.

With Starbucks coffee, you don’t just brew up your typical Foldgers blend and add whipped cream. Instead, you get to see your coffee created from the bean. And, once the barista has handed over your beverage, you can sit and enjoy a cozy atmosphere with good music and comfy furniture.

When you buy a Starbucks coffee, you aren’t paying for the drink; you’re paying for the experience of the drink.

If you can learn how to create a great customer experience, you can set your prices a little higher and grab a large portion of the market share. Customers don’t want to be another number or another dollar. Customers want to have an experience that is memorable and that leaves a good impression. If you can create that, you’re golden.

Creating the Experience

Now that you know what your customers want, it’s time to give it to them.

Before we dive in any further, I need to remind you that:

Price and products don’t necessarily create positive customer experiences.

You need to realize that changing the price on your product isn’t going to instantly make the customer experience better. Very few customers mind paying a higher price for a product they know offers them a better experience than similar options.

When you’re brainstorming about increasing the customer experience, think about these things:

• Bonus offers (ex. free gifts or products)
• Customer service or support (ex. 24-hour support or on-call resolution)
• Atmosphere enhancers (ex. music or other add-ons that relate to the senses)
• Complimentary items (ex. free coffee and donuts when you come in)
• Conversation or interactions (ex. free once-a-week teleconference)
• Discounts (ex. $100 off your next purchase or one month free)
• Partnerships (ex. $25 off your next purchase at Ray’s Remodeling)

This is not an exhaustive list but it should get you started. My hope is that you begin to focus on the customer’s experience rather than the price they are paying.

If you focus on the customer, you won’t be going out of business any time soon. Some businesses tend to focus on semantics and a pretty look rather than the customer and they end up falling out in the end. The secret to earning more money with your products has nothing to do with price manipulation or customer content. It has everything to do with the customer experience and how they perceive your business. If you leave a good impression, they’ll keep coming back for more.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by roland

If you ask some bloggers, they’ll tell you that when they write a blog post, they’ve created a work of art.  Without a doubt, their blog post is the best on the Internet and it should be making the front pages of Digg and Delicious, not these other hacks and their stupid content. They’d say, “Seriously, who would ever choose to read these stuff over my awesome blog posts?”

If you’re one of those bloggers, I have news for you…

Your blog post doesn’t cut it. A work of art? No, it’s a work in progress at best.

Do you think that when Michelangelo was sculpting his ultra-famous David statue that he was satisfied the first time? Or the second? Maybe on the third but probably not.

What about Da Vinci? Was the Mona Lisa right the first time or did he have to do some extra work? He’s not here to tell us but I’m probably thinking it wasn’t an instant hit.

I could list hundreds of artists, movie producers, writers, and business folks who didn’t get it right the first time but I think you get the point.

Believe it or not, your blog posts are in the same boat as the David statue and the Mona Lisa; they aren’t perfect the first time around.

Humble Pie is Good for the Soul

I’m right there with you; it’s tough to humble yourself and realize that your work, life, and passion isn’t the best on the first time around. We naturally want to be good at everything we do but we’re not.

It’s extremely important to humble yourself and become a person who revises work instead of creating soul-satisfying material the first time around. If you do, you will be able to develop your writing style more than you can imagine.

Since I’ve started blogging two to three times a week for Folk Media, I’ve become a better writer. For example, I never used semicolons but now I try to implement them often in my writing; they just make things flow better (and look cooler). Also, my writing used to be fluffy and off topic. Not so much anymore.

Revising my blog posts for Folk Media has given me a better sense of my style and has allowed me to grow.

Humbling myself to a position of a writer AND editor can work wonders for your content and progression as a blogger or writer.

The Challenge

I normally would challenge you with something like, “Try to go back and revise at least five of your most recent blog posts.” Well, that’s well and good but it’s not what I think would be the most beneficial to you.

Instead, I’d like for you to commit to becoming a writer and editor for the next 60 days. It’s two months that you might have to work a bit harder but it will be worth the work.

We’re going to call this the 60 Day Editing Challenge. In this timeframe, there are no specific requirements to meet; whatever works for you is what I want you to undertake. Instead of just writing, posting, and repeating, throw in some editing here and there. Go back and revisit some older posts and see what you can improve. It could be call of your content or only a select few articles.

On Sunday, August 29, the challenge will end. Starting now, I’d like to hear your experiences with incorporating editing into your blogging mix. It could be a success story or a challenge you’re facing. I want you to email me and let me know your thoughts and comments about what you’re undertaking.

I hope that you can become a better writer and editor in the future and not just the next 60 days. Its a process that takes time to develop but it will help you for the rest of your life.

Don’t let your blog posts suck any longer; take some initiative and edit your copy after you’ve posted it. Remember – masterpieces aren’t created the first time around. Practice and hard work really do make perfect.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by JJR

Content is king. You’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again and again.

Without content, what is your website or Twitter profile or Facebook fan page? Nothing. Content drives and inspires your readers and visitors. Solid content leads to solid partnerships and reader dedication, which then converts into paid membership and consumer loyalty. So, if you had lackluster content, how would that model function to your advantage?

It wouldn’t.

The key to any successful blog or social media campaign is to create life-changing content that keeps your viewers coming back for more. Great content, not publicity or promotion campaigns, should be a main focus when publishing online.

Some would say life-changing content is nearly impossible to produce but I’d say it can be done in a matter of minutes. It isn’t hard to develop. In fact, it only consists of two elements – the why and the how. Once your deliver the why and the how to your readers, you’ve inspired them with a passion to do something, and oftentimes, there is no stopping a person with a mission.

The “Why?” Factor

It’s natural for humans to ask why something is the way that it appears. We start early, at around two years of age. We’re naturally curious and want answers. This basic fact of life doesn’t change when we graduate college, get married, start a family, or work our way up the food chain of corporate America.

People want – and need – a why.

If you’re going to create life-changing content, you need to first focus on they why. People, whether its bird enthusiasts or business people, won’t implement your words unless you tell them why they should. It’s the law of the land and you need to give this information in order to create change and to drive productivity.

Without explaining the “Why?” factor, your efforts will be wasted.

Explaining “The How”

There is another truth about human nature – we want to do something immediately. If we can’t do it right away, we don’t want to have any part of it. Some people can hold off and wait for results to happen but in a world where information is accessible instantaneously, waiting is not part of our personality profile.

Explaining the how is ridiculously important and doing it in a succinct manner is just as crucial.

You’ll notice that the content you read on this site isn’t excruciatingly long or wordy. Sure, some articles and content require a bit more time but for the most part, you can come and read a blog post in five minutes or less. How long is five minutes? A portion of your lunch break? The moments before driving your child to school? The time you have while your mate uses the restroom before you go on a date? Five minutes and it’s over. That’s what we like.

Also, sharing how to do something, whether its create a birdhouse or implement an SEO strategy, is what really gets the job done. You can dissect the “Why?” all day long but without explaining the process, your content is useless.

Down-to-earth, life-changing content is only a few minutes away once you understand the process. It’s simple:

Your words will carry greater meaning once you can meet the needs, both why and how, of your readers. Whatever you do, don’t think that you can’t make a difference because simple and powerful content is within your grasp.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Markus Rodder

Everyone has heard the old adage, “Money makes the world go ’round.”  Well, that’s only partially true.  Money does play a large part in making the world function but there would be no need for money if there were no products.  The development of a reliable product is critical to the success of any business and it’s essential to the success of your social media campaign.

What Is Your Product?

It might be tough for you to identify your social media product.  It’s not something that you sit around and ponder when you have nothing else to do.  In fact, you probably don’t even know what it is.  But, it’s important to identify your social media product because if you don’t, your social media strategies and campaigns will be unsuccessful.  You’ll be wondering aimlessly through Facebook Forest and Twitter Town without knowing what you’re doing.  We don’t want that, do we?

In order to understand your social media product, think about the content you are creating in your various social media outlets.  Do you retweet quotes or great blog links?  Do you post information about animals?  Do you dish the latest Hollywood gossip?  Your content is your product.  Let me repeat that – your content is your product.

Why Is Your Product Important?

Your product shapes your online reputation and how other people embrace your efforts.  It is human nature, whether we like it or not, to immediately judge or stereotype someone when we come into contact with them, even online.  Why do you think people follow you on Twitter or comment on your blog post?  They’ve judged you to be someone who knows what they’re talking about and they want more.  They want you and your product.

Your product determines the success or failure of your online presence.  Bottom line.  No questions asked.

How Do You Develop Your Product?

If you’re completely new to online media and social networking, congratulations.  You don’t have a product yet and there is a wide world of opportunities waiting for you.  If you’re a seasoned social media vet and don’t like the product you’ve created, you can change.  It might not be easy, though.

If you’re looking to develop or change your product, begin by thinking of things you dislike.  No, that wasn’t a typo.  Think of some things you dislike.  Now, write them down or put them in a text file under the category of “Non-Products.”  When brainstorming, it’s much easier to think of things you don’t like than things you do.  The world of possibilities broadens and more potential products can be recognized simply because you’ve thought about things you don’t like.

Next, list a few items or issues that generate a feeling of indifference.  You don’t care either way.  It could be socialism, sports, or Shakespeare.  After you’ve listed your indifferent items, jot down some things you favor or are interested in.  Make sure that you list the opposite of the things you don’t like.

You’ve just created a huge product catalog in a matter of minutes.  At this point, determine the ideas that you want to run with and do it.  It’s your product and your creation.  Make the most of it.

Remember that content is king and your content is your product.  Don’t be a salesperson for something you don’t enjoy.  Create and use content to develop the social media persona you want.  It’s your world; go for it.

Quick Tips for Products

Keep your list of products and non-products in case you want to enhance your product catalog at a later date.

Don’t be afraid to try new things or to become involved in unfamiliar areas.  This is what causes growth.

If you’re changing your product, make your followers and friends aware.  They’ll probably support you.

Whatever you do, keep it passionate and authentic.  Don’t create a product that doesn’t reflect the real you.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by madstamper

Why You Should Think Before You Tweet

One of the most difficult questions you are faced with when starting to use Twitter is “what should I write?” Some even ask, “what can I write with only 140 characters?”

While it does seem limiting, I’ve found that having only 140 characters to work with is actually quite empowering. With the limited space one is forced to be concise and brief.

Twitter’s basic question is “what are you doing?” For many this question is a turn off. It causes people to answer it literally with phrases like “watching TV” or “eating a ham sandwich.” An executive or professional sees these posts and assumes that Twitter is a pointless group chat.

Others take a more proactive approach and see the question as “what has your attention?” This leads to a better answer. There are lots of things that can hold your attention. You might be interested in the current political climate. You may have recently bought a car and noticed the new safety features. Your business might be launching a new product and are very busy and excited because of the imminent launch date.

What you had for breakfast better be pretty unique

About two-thirds of all human communication is gossip. We love to hear the nitty-gritty details of other’s lives, loves and losses. So it is no surprise that mist of the chatter on Twitter people are talking about what they had for breakfast or the fact that their cat just peed on the rug.

While there is a place for a few daily “here’s what I’m doing” tweets, be careful to balance these with 10 times more posts that add value to your followers. As a leader you are held to a higher standard in your communications.

Whining is pitiful

Please don’t whine on Twitter. We’ve seen Twitter become a virtual complaint desk for some individuals. This type of communication is unbecoming.

Look for ways to add value

If confused about what to say on Twitter, think about ways that you can add value to someone. Given your professional experience and training, how can you be helpful to others? If you are a tax accountant – do you have tips on the current tax laws? As a professional business coach – are you able to tweet some pointers on dealing with difficult clients?

Look for ways to reveal your character

Beyond the value that you provide by giving actionable and helpful tips, be sure to reveal things about yourself and your character. For example, instead of posting about the fact that your cat peed on your rug, consider tweeting about your love of cats and how they remind you of working with business people. You are still adding insight and value into your tweet while at the same time revealing a personal side, your love of felines.

Things To Tweet

Anything helpful

Don’t just limit your twitter posts to helpful things inside your industry. Always think about ways to be helpful to your followers in any area of life. Do you own a roofing company – but have just discovered a great new restaurant in town? Post a twitter message about it. Your followers will not only appreciate the recommendation, but will again get to see your personality and character.

Anything thoughtful

Wish someone a happy birthday. Congratulate a follower on a job promotion. Be engaged with your community enough that you can be thoughtful. The ability to be thoughtful comes from listening and will skyrocket the respect your followers have of you.

Be engaging

Remember that if you are bored with your Twitter posts, then your followers are probably ready to unfollow you. Take the time to study basic headline writing. These skills will make you a much better tweeter. The goal is to be engaging. Boredom is the unpardonable sin.

Tweet things entertaining TO YOUR FOLLOWERS

Think about the audience you’ve developed and tweet in accordance. The basic rules of communication apply. Just because you are interested in 17th century English literature doesn’t mean your followers like it. Always post with your audience in mind.

Things to think about as you prepare to Tweet

• Remember your Twitter etiquette
• Including spaces, you only have 140 characters. Make it simple.
• Do NOT spam or only tweet about yourself/your company and what you can offer.
• Find articles with your area of interest (Google alerts are a good place to get these). We also suggest starting by following specific bloggers, networking and joining groups, in LinkedIn., etc.
• Show your followers that you care, give back to the community
• Write to be retweeted. Produce quality material which will in turn, get it retweeted.
• Tweet at peak times, but also share again for other’s in different time zones. Cross reference and cross link.
• Comment on the comments you receive, engage, and listen.
• Share content that adds value to your Followers.
• Be clear, consistent, concise, simple and valuable with your tweet content.
• At the minimum, post a tweet once every 48 hours.
• Think before tweeting, use correct punctuation, grammar and spelling.
• Learn and grow from others (..and remember to pay it forward. If you think it’s valuable information, your followers will as well).

How To Tweet

Get to your home screen

By now we’ve covered the mechanics of sending out a Twitter post. In this section we would like to explore the construction of the content of a Twitter post.

Head over to your home screen and you should see your big update box ready for your message.

Think about keywords

When you are writing your Twitter post remember that you are creating searchable content. The keywords you use are important. By strategically thinking about the words you use in your messages, you will be able to attract people who are looking for what you offer.

For example, if you are an attorney specializing in entertainment law, the majority of your potential customers probably won’t search for the term “entertainment law.” They might search the word “trademarks” or “copyright” instead. So in that case it would be wise to use these words in your Twitter posts.

Think about length

The length of your tweet is important. If you want someone to retweet your message, you will need to leave enough space for them to add in “RT @yourusername” in front of the message. If you use up all 140 characters, they won’t be able to retweet.

Also consider the length of any web address URL you include. There are several services that will shorten a URL for you to include in your post. Our favorite for a quick shortening is TinyUrl (www.tinyurl.com)

Follow these tips and you should be well on your way to making powerful Twitter posts that will get you Twitter followers and build leadership.

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Joel Mark Witt is a producer, author, and speaker who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. He is also the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership Send him an eMail: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.

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Get the book “21 Days To Twitter Leadership” The Step-By-Step Guide On How To Twitter, Get Twitter Followers And Position Yourself As The Leader In Your Industry In Less Than 10 Minutes Per Day.

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People think in stories and narratives – not in data and facts. Is your business taking advantage of the storytelling abilities online? In this audio series we cover the four “C’s” of building a business narrative: Content, Characters, Crowd, and Capitalize.

Here are five social media strategies recorded last week during my daily audio updates on Utterli. (Utterli is a free voice recording service that allows you to record a message using your cell phone and then post that message to the web). .

Monday: Building A Business Narrative

Tuesday: Business Narrative: Content

Wednesday: Business Narrative: Characters

Thursday: Business Narrative: Crowd

Friday: Business Narrative: Capitalize

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Joel Mark Witt is a producer, speaker, and new media leader who writes about social media and its impact in the business world. He is also the Founding Director of Folk Media. Send him an eMail: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.

Subscribe to the Folk Media Insider eNewsletter. It’s a free monthly newsletter packed with tips, tools, strategies and resources to take your business to the next level online.

*Photo by Olivander