Talk with your customers with podcasts so they can hear you when they’re ready

January 31, 2011

Business owners frequently tell me that they’re uncomfortable with making decisions about what to say to customers online. They want to use Facebook or a blog but they don’t know what to write about. And they’re certainly not about to get in front of a camera to talk about their products or services and then share it on YouTube.

But customers want information they can use to solve a problem or answer a question today. They’re looking for tips, advice and insights that will help them. Businesses that provide that information — and do so without direct sales pitches — can build relationships with customers. Help them today and put yourself in position to do business when the customers are ready for you.Chris Jensen, president of Audio Concepts, talks about using podcasts for business

Customers also want information in a format that is immediate and easy to digest and in a format that they prefer. Podcasts allow your customers and potential customers to hear, in your own voice, the attributes and benefits of working with your company, says Chris Jensen, president of Audio Concepts in Bath, Ohio. And sometimes it’s just easier for a business owner to share information by talking about what they know and do in business. Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off on Talk with your customers with podcasts so they can hear you when they’re ready | Business, Podcasts, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek

The Facebook math you should learn to improve your business fan page’s bottom line

November 29, 2010

You update your status on Facebook. You share your events. You post photos into galleries. And, you add video. All on your business fan page.

Your Facebook fans then all see all of your great content. Right?

Little chance.

Here’s a fact of Facebook life that all businesses need to know – and live by – to make your fan page work for you. Today’s tip comes with a huge assist from Jay Feitlinger, owner of StringCan Interactive, an online marketing and social media agency in Phoenix, Ariz. Jay attended a Facebook developer conference earlier this year and paid close attention to Facebook’s explanation of the formula used to determine what content shows up in your news feed.

Facebook's Edge Rank Formula for determining where updates appear in top news feeds

Facebook uses its Edge Rank formula to determine where page updates appear in top news feeds, Jay Feitlinger writes in Website Magazine this month.

Jay shares his take-away notes from the conference this month in Website Magazine, including the math that makes Facebook work. The bottom line for businesses: “If you post content on your page that does not follow the … formula you are wasting your time, as updates will not be seen by your fans,” Jay writes. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment | Business, Engagement, Facebook, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek

Before tweeting, connecting and friending, answer me this: where are your customers?

September 12, 2009

Sometimes this is the request from a business owner: Could you show me how to use Twitter?

1102203_23617898Other 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 »

Comments Off on Before tweeting, connecting and friending, answer me this: where are your customers? | Business, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek

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