“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you”.  Dale Carnegie

Even though social media sites make it much easier to develop connections – a cornerstone principle for all sound marketing systems – cyberspace “followers” are not the same as cyberspace “friends.”

If your ultimate goal is to use social media marketing sites to grow your business, then it’s imperative that you turn followers into real friends – and that requires a genuine connection.

No matter how tempting it is, don’t do the opposite and mistake illusion for reality. Go the extra mile and do what’s necessary to strengthen, not weaken, the “human bond.”

How Do You Turn Strangers Into True Friends and Fans?

First realize this is not an event but a committed process of building relationships and rapport with your targeted audience… one which helps them to know, like and trust you.  When done correctly, it provides the opportunity for online business owners to achieve their ultimate objective of acquiring and retaining loyal and profitable customers.

For some of you, the conversion “journey” will be a straight and speedy highway directly to a sale … but the vast majority must be prepared to take a slower, more methodical route.

In order to achieve this, you’ll need to create an online environment that makes your audience feel welcomed in a warm and sincere way and makes it easy to take action.

It’s similar to inviting people to your homes. I’m sure that most of you greet your guests at the door with a broad smile, handshake or hug; offer them something to drink or eat; suggest they sit in the most comfortable chair; etc.

You don’t bombard them with stories about how great you are; ask them to lend you money or borrow their car or leave them on their own to wander aimlessly around your house.  This may seem like a far-fetched illustration, but hopefully, you get the idea.

Here are just some of the ways you can transform your followers into genuine friends…

• Acknowledge personal details – “ping” them on their birthdays, ask about their families and share stories about your own, offer to help them with a personal problem, etc.
• Discover the topics your followers are passionate about and mention or discuss them in your online conversations
• Provide them with warm introductions to likeminded friends and colleagues Read the rest of this entry »

Effective marketing is a strategic mix of many factors ranging from developing a compelling message to a psychological understanding of your prospects and customers basic needs.  An important part of the mix to create a “look and feel” of your business that enhances your identity and core message.  With that end in mind today’s post is about using color in your marketing.

The colors you use in your marketing (stationery, signs, office decor, brochures, business cards)  — play an important role in engaging and motivating people. Colors make strong statements about your business. Guerrilla Marketers know that colors can sometimes speak louder than words. They stimulate emotions, excite, impress, entertain, persuade. They generate negative reactions if you don’t understand them. Lasting impressions are made more quickly than ever so consider their meaning to prospects.

While developing the curriculum for my Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification Program I came across this list of color descriptions created by Jay Conrad Levinson, the Father of Guerrilla Marketing.   I think you will find it interesting.

Red evokes aggressiveness, passion, strength, vitality. In business, it is great for accents and boldness, stimulates appetites, is associated with debt.

Pink evokes femininity, innocence, softness, health. In business, be sure you’re aware of its feminine implications and associations.

Orange evokes fun, cheeriness, warm exuberance. In business, it’s great to highlight information in graphs and on charts evokes positivity, sunshine and cowardice. In business, it appeals to intellectuals and is excellent for accenting things. Too much is unnerving.

Green evokes tranquility, health, freshness. In business, its deep tones convey status and wealth; its pale tones are soothing.

Blue evokes authority, dignity, security, faithfulness. In business, it implies fiscal responsibility and security. Plus it is universally popular.

Yellow is an optimistic color that almost always evokes a positive response. Yellow gets you motivated; it stimulates creative and intellectual energy; it’s cheerful and easygoing. Read the rest of this entry »

Inviting visitors to contribute and be a part of your website is a strong tactic in creating a profitable site and something that is easy to do. Conversation is a process for turning your website guests into interested prospects. It turns interested prospects into purchasers and turns purchasers into lifelong customers.

Invite your visitors to take action and do everything in your power to ensure that they take you up on your offer. Enticing customers with something that is free and part of your product is an easy opt-in conversation piece. For example:

-The attorney who asks prospective clients to call her office to schedule a free consultation.

-The weaver who wants his prospects to send for a free fabric sample.

-The dance instructor who invites her visitors to sign up for a free tango class.

All of these examples show an opportunity for conversation between you and your prospective buyer. Not only does this entice a customer to become more physically involved with your product or service, but it allows you to draw them in and see more benefits from your offer.

Another way to involve customers more closely (to increase the likelihood that they’ll return) is with interactive involvement devices like quizzes, surveys, blogs, and “ask” campaigns to engage your visitors.

Following up with customers, new subscribers, or anyone who shows interest keeps you and your product or service in the visitor’s mind.

Remember that there are many opportunities to engage your visitors through the internet. Take advantage of resources and connect with customers whenever you’re able to.

The following short story is a great example of how thinking “out of the box” can get you new business even in a tough economy.

A savvy restaurant owner knew the value of asking the question, “What other businesses do my customers patronize?“

Realizing that competition was fierce in their neighborhood this owner used imagination rather than pure marketing dollars to spread the word of her terrific food. Here was her Guerrilla strategy:

She distributed coupons for two free dinners to all the hairstyling salons within a one mile radius of the restaurant. Of course the stylists checked out the restaurant. Because the food was as fantastic as advertised … the hairstylists talked it up to every one of their customers at the salon! And as you know lots of information is exchanged at a local hairstyling salon or barbershop. News spread fast and her business became the talk of the town!

Read the rest of this entry »

For a downloadable version of this list–> click here

1. Blog regularly and set up Ping.fm to distribute content to Facebook, Twitter and other sites

2. Create downloadable PDF’s with valuable content and active links back to your site (like the one above)

3. Use signature files on all emails with call to action

4. Approach online partners and retweet each other when appropriate

5. Post in discussion and newsgroups in your industry

6. Write articles and submit (google “article submission”)

7. Set up your own Twitter account and share valuable information

8. Give testimonials to others with your web address

9. Create offline ads with your web address Read the rest of this entry »