No – I didn’t buy my likes or followers, but now that I have your attention – I’d like to share some Social insight with you. It may apply, or it may not – but hopefully – if you’re not already aware of the pitfalls of ImpSmeedFigs (Impressive Social Media Figures), then hopefully I serve as your beacon of light today.
So – today I saw this:
I’m not in the business of naming and shaming, so I won’t.
But what I will do is point out the less-than-obvious. Unless you’re someone remarkably well-known, or a startup brand taking the world by storm – the chances of having follower and like stats demonstrated above are, as my dad used to say, “not impossible, but highly unlikely”.
Allow me to give some background. This particular chap’s profile is just a website address, to an online clothing store. There is no location information. There is bio information. His profile or cover picture is nothing profound – and yet, he proudly boasts over 14,000 followers, and over 80,000 likes. Unlikely.
So – before you get completely stuck on analytics and influencers – and before you are led down the wrong path by people with impressive influence – remember: These stats can be completely inaccurate, fictitious and…. BOUGHT. What you want to look for to identify a true influencer is:
Keep your eyes open.
If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.
Find the real influencers – become a real influencer – the old-fashioned way. Through integrity and hard work.
Almost 2 months ago, I left the corporate life. The corporate world of which I have been a part for over 13 years. More than my entire school career. So, pretty much the biggest chunk of my life so far.
I took a risk and decided to do something brave. I decided to give it a go. With one hand in my husband’s I took a leap and decided to dedicate myself, fulltime, to Fresh Brew Marketing. And here I am – still going.
Sitting at my desk, while pondering my short journey so far, in between Social Schedules and event plan layouts, I, for some strange reason, started scrolling through my friend list on Facebook and it dawned on me just how many there are of us who have taken the same leap of faith – and given it their best shot. Believed in a cause so much, that they dedicated their lives to it.
Some made it. Some are making it. Some didn’t quite get there. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. What had me pausing over my cup of Alta Rica, was the fact that we’d all done something so brave – which many people never, in all of their lifetimes, get to attempt. Who cares if we make it, or if we don’t? Who cares whether we become the Next Big Thing or not. What matters is that these people have stood up and said, “I believe in myself enough to put my life into my own hands, and give this a go”.
And so for a minute, I was filled with such pride to be among peers who have demonstrated bravery, determination and a sense of self-belief that has taken them to the other side of the employment table. For a minute, I was completely overwhelmed by the strength that we as an unintentionally-united group share, and I realised the power that I hold in my hand – to be able to share, spread the word, encourage and support – these brave men and women who are not making a fuss, but just getting on with life and doing what they have dedicated their lives, and some the lives of their family, to doing.
So – next time you see one of us share a blog on our Facebook wall, or a photograph of what we’re getting up to, or we ask you to “spread the word” – know that it’s not just something we say to sound hip and trendy. We genuinely want you to help us grow and develop. We genuinely want you to tell people about what we do. We genuinely want you to think about how YOU can help US in your own business.
And to those amazing customers and clients who have believed in the ability of Fresh Brew Marketing, and the ability of Katy Roberts – I am forever thankful.
So – in the spirit of sharing and spreading the word – next time one of your mates shares a post from their business blog – just click share.
To all you self-employed superheroes, my hat is suitably doffed.
This week, while having the fantastic opportunity to work on a new customer account and exploring the wonderful platform that is Quora (a Q&A social media platform) a little more to promote new business avenues, I came across a question which started the thinking juices.
The question was, “What are some common beginner mistakes in content marketing and how does one not get pointed at and told “you’re doing it wrong”?
Dripping with insecurity, this question floored me.
We (by “we” I mean “us marketing folk”) are social people. We like to share – but it’s also about drumming up noise. Noise to direct traffic to a point. Noise to get people to know about us (or our brands). Noise to make a point. And sometimes, noise, just for the sake of making noise. We’re all guilty of it.
And for a few minutes, I thought back to the starting block of my own career in Marketing – the overwhelming intimidation I felt by all these GREAT resources, top tips, 10 facts, Quick Start Guides, 5 rules, 7 insights that you see in the social hemisphere. And then there are the inspirational, 2 minutes with Richard Branson, the “One thing my mother taught me”, the influencer thought processes, the 30-second thought-provoking video – also aiming to direct traffic, shout about your brand, make a point etc – but in a slightly more passive aggressive way.
Make no mistake – I am a massive fan of the Top Tips and 5 rules content – but at the point of starting out – and taking my first step into the world of representing a brand publically – it was exactly these pieces of quick-fire content that overwhelmed my thought process. Yes, it quickly developed my sense of discernment in terms of who I want to listen to and who I choose to unfollow – but the daunting thought that I was about to leap into the super fast swimming lane alongside professional athletes who live in an “eat-or-be-eaten” marketing world was more than I could bear.
So – looking at my Quora Question-Poser – I took a slightly different approach to the 93 other people answering the question. I was a little more real.
You don’t HAVE to be the best at what you do, when you’re starting out. You don’t need to be. You find just 1 or 2 people that you consider to have great advice and tips – you take what you like, you learn as much as you have the capacity for, you dip your toe into the water…. followed by your ankles, then your knees… and when you’re ready – you jump into the kiddies lane and paddle your way around, until you’re ready to swim under the lane separator and speed up.
There’s no Complete Marketing Degree that will teach you everything you need to know. There are good ways of doing things, and there are bad ways of doing things – but there’s no 1 thing. Marketing is ever-changing. Don’t be scared of it. Embrace it.
Just find the lane that suits your speed, and when you’re ready, you find a buddy, and then you speed up.
This subject has probably been blogged to death. So excuse me if I re-hash something you may have already heard before. Perhaps this time, someone who hasn’t quite caught the penny that dropped, will finally… just… get it.
Your aim: You want people to know about you.
Ok – so let’s start there. Chances are, you probably already have a website. (Let’s not talk about Facebook pages at the moment – although they may serve the same purpose as a website – they need to be treated in a somewhat different light).
So – you want people to come to your website, to learn about what you do. Because that’s where you tell them about yourself, your services, your products, your thoughts, and it gives them a way to get in touch with you. But how do you get people to voluntarily visit your website without you tricking, paying, begging, blackmailing them to do so?
Simple.
(it is, really).
You give them a reason to.
And that’s done through CONTENT.
Here are a few ideas of content generation that may get you started:
Keep a look out for Part 2 of this blog – which will equip you with HOW to use content to get traffic up.
In the meantime, happy creating.
I have a little bit of a stationery obsession. I just love stationery. Pens – different colours, ink viscosity, nib widths, rollerball vs felt-tip, markers, files, binders, paper clips. And my favourite thing to do is to arrange it beautifully on my desk so that I always have what I need, when I need it – and I’m not one of those people who frantically start looking for a pair of scissors on the day that I need it – when I haven’t needed a pair in over a month.
Anyway. So today, I took on 2 new customers. And, as is customary, I colour-coordinate (yes, I’m that sad) the colour of the notebooks, to my client’s brand – and today, I needed a blue and a green notebook. So, off I trundle to the local supermarket to see what I can find.
Living in a beautifully (albeit slightly sleepy at times) town in Dorset – we are not spoilt for choice. If there’s a notebook or a fancy pen, you take it. The closest Staples store is miles away – and simply wouldn’t warrant a ginormous trip for just a blue and green notebook. So the supermarket will have to do.
I’m lucky this time – and the last two on the shelf, are exactly the colours I’m after. I grab them up, along with a copy of Country Life and trundle back home.
It’s not until I get home over a cup of tea, that I notice the barcode sticker on the back of each of the notebooks. You know the stickers I’m talking about…. the ones with the barcode – that you scan when you check-out, and then never give another fleeting glance to.
Sitting neatly under the barcoded, on this sticker – are 3 little icons.
A Twitter icon
A Facebook icon
A QR code.
On a straight-forward, no funny-business, hardcover A4 notebook.
When was the last time you looked up a social profile on piece of non-descript stationery?
So on this occasion, slightly intrigued – I went online, and checked out just who Nuco-International (the producers of the notebook in question) are.
Here’s what I learn:
Interesting.
So – it did work.
Adding a little social information to a barcode sticker on the back of a notebook sold in a major Supermarket chain.
Not quite sure about the QR code though – but I guess there must be someone else like me out there that may find that useful.
Nice to meet you, Nuco. And thanks for my notebooks.