October 14, 2009
Video is for national brands with budgets big enough to buy network television time. Right?
Well, sure, but it’s also for your local business. It’s affordable and a compelling way to introduce yourself and your business to customers online. Companies like Schmidt Heating and Cooling in Cincinnati smartly use video on its web site and in its Yellow Pages advertising as a virtual way to shake hands and say hello. Minuteman Press of Lebanon (Ohio) created a television commercial and also posted a version on Google Video to quickly demonstrate all of its services and equipment. The Cincinnati Museum Center announced winners of contest with video on its Facebook Fan Page. And Jeff Zaret, VP of sales at National Processing Solutions in Centerville, Ohio, shares tips not about his company’s credit card processing but instead about ways to improve your customer service. He posted a series of three videos on YouTube.
Each of these approaches is different but they have this in common — their image and sound quality is professional. These are good-looking videos that send a clear message about each of the businesses. So I asked a pro how businesses can get this quality and how they should consider using video to connect with customers. Here’s what Mike Cornett, owner of Visual Media Concepts in Dayton, had to say: Read the rest of this entry »
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Business, Facebook, Social Media, Video, You Tube | Tagged: Business, Cincinnati Museum Center, Facebook, Google, Google Video, Jeff Zaret, Mike Cornett, Minuteman Press of Lebanon, National Processing Solutions, Schmidt Heating and Cooling, Video, Visual Media Concepts, YouTube | 
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Posted by Chris Celek
September 12, 2009
Sometimes this is the request from a business owner: Could you show me how to use Twitter?
Other times, this is the question: Should I use Facebook?
Or this: I’m thinking of using Linkedin. Will it help my business?
My answers: Yes. Yes. Yes.
And: No.
I work like crazy to avoid saying no to a customer but no is the quickest and best answer for businesses considering whether they should use social media to connect with customers. Why? There are other questions and information about your business and your customers to consider first to help you decide whether to spend time on social media and then which tools to use and how to use them.
Here are questions I ask my customers before we ever get close to answering those first questions they ask. I share them to help prompt discussion about what you want to accomplish at your business, too: Read the rest of this entry »
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Comments Off | Business, Social Media | Tagged: advertising, Business, business development, connect, Customers, Facebook, goals, Linkedin, marketing, Networking, sales, Social Media, Twitter | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek
July 29, 2009
How fast can you hire an employee?
Grant Coffman did it within three days of finding a strong candidate using Twitter, the web-based communications tool.
Fast enough for you?
Grant is a registered financial services representative and division leader at Primerica in Sharonville Ohio who needed to fill a spot on his sales team in the northern Cincinnati suburbs. We met on a Monday morning to introduce social media and covered basics about how he might begin to use Twitter as part of networking to get to know people and build relationships that might turn them into customers.
“I went right in and told my boss that we needed to start using this,” Grant says. Read the rest of this entry »
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Comments Off | Business, Networking, Twitter | Tagged: Business, Grant Coffman, Hire, Networking, New employees, Primerica, Recruit, Sharonville Ohio, Twitter | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek
June 22, 2009
Excellent advice at Podcamp Ohio 2 at The Ohio State University on Saturday, June 20 came from a designer, who I expected would share ideas for what makes a web site attractive and usable.
We got that from Daniel Lewis of D. Joseph Design in Northern Kentucky and more. His ideas for what to say on social media sites are perfect for what businesses want and need to do to connect with customers.
Most important thing for business people to know: These tips from Daniel apply regardless of the web site or online service you use. There are lots from which to choose now. And today’s most-popular — Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Flickr, among them — may not be what you’re using 12 months from now.
No matter. Read the rest of this entry »
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3 Comments | Social Media | Tagged: #pco09, Business, Community, connect, D. Joseph Design, Daniel Lewis, Facebook, Flickr, group, Linkedin, listen, network, Networking, organization, Pod Camp Ohio, retweet, Social Media, Twitter | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek
June 13, 2009
Sometimes the old way is just good enough to get the job done.
So why don’t more business people put their social networking contact info on their business cards, brochures and all the pens, cups and magnets they hand out? Just wondering. Read the rest of this entry »
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1 Comment | Business | Tagged: B2B, Business, business_cards, Linkedin, Social Media, Twitter | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek
