Successful Blog

How To Socially Date Customers.

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A Post by Matt Krautstrunk

We all know how important customer service is to your long term success as a business. You probably don’t need a briefing on that, so I’ll spare you the lecture on why the “customer is always right.” However, what you probably haven’t realized is the fact that customer relationships are becoming more fragile.

 

We all remember the days, going to the local grocery store with our parents, and having the employees greet us by name. Loyalty is a wonderful thing; however something seems to have changed since the 50’s. Customer relationships aren’t what they used to be, they are becoming more fragile than ever. As businesses strive to create relationships it seems one negative experience can cause a breakup, according to Social Media Paige, “negative online shopping experiences result in brand abandonment. Smart consumers are very unforgiving.72 percent said they would share a negative online experience with friends and family. Another 70 percent said they would turn to a competitor as a result.”

Many managers also fail to realize how important social media is to their customer service. Whether you are trying to attract new customers or keep existing customers engaged, having a social presence gives your company a platform to reach your audience. I think businesses who try to “date” their community are able to retain a higher percentage of customers for life.

Link Multiple People To Your Businesses Social Account. Putting your PR, customer service and sales people on the same account, not only improves your reach but integrates your customer knowledge. Say for instance you only have one PR professional running your Twitter, he/she may not realize who they are actually speaking with. Having an integrated internal social media account improves your communication strategy by leveraging knowledge across multiple units. A good idea would be to add email contacts to your social networks from multiple accounts within your business. You can use your salespeople’s, marketing department, and anyone you deem fit’s email address book to upload their contacts and follow them.

Although it’s important to integrate your internal departments on social networks, make sure they understand their roles. Have your sales person answer all sales inquiries, and all customer inquiries be handled by customer service.

Build Loyalty. Building loyalty is essentially taking your customers on dates. Keep your community engaged, active and excited about your brand. When the spark dies, you are much more willing to have a tragic breakup. Do this u

Solve Simple Problems Transparently A major advantage of conducting your customer service on social media is the fact that everything you do is transparent. Other followers will see your activity and you generate good PR for every issue you’ve solved. Don’t limit yourself on these platforms; figuring out how to work in social in to your strategy will help you keep your date for longer.

Keeping a customer for life is one of the most valuable things any business can ask for. We all know that 80% of business comes from 20% of your customers, so it makes sense to make sure that these people are happy to the fullest extent.

Matt Krautstrunk is an expert writer on postage meters based in San Diego, California.  He writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions at Resource Nation.

 

 

How To Hack Knowledge Through Online Resources

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A Guest Post by Lior Levin

The aim of going to college is to learn new things to further your education. Whichever class you take, it is supposed to help you to get further towards the career that you choose. Unfortunately there are some instances where the tutor isn’t as great at explaining things as they should be. If you end up stuck in a class that doesn’t seem to be teaching you anything then there are some options available to you. Maybe you are learning things but you would like to increase your knowledge even more quickly? If so then you should consider using online resources.

What Are Online Resources?

With the Internet you need to be careful which information you study. There is a lot of conflicting information online. Not all sources are credible. This means that you will need to really search the Internet until you find reliable sources.

Online resources basically comprise of websites, blogs and forums. There are several blogs for example, which are run by students just like you and by university professors. Some are even run by scientists. These types of online resources can be extremely useful and you could learn some really fascinating things.

The Benefits of Online Resources

There are numerous benefits of online resources. The main one is that you get to learn things at your own pace. Perhaps you struggle to ask questions about your course in the seminar? Maybe you find your lecturer too hard to understand? If so then online resources can help you to learn everything that you need to know, but in an easier to understand way. Many of these sites also have a community section where you can meet new college students.
The Best Online Resources

If you are struggling to find decent resources then a good site to try out would be Ted.com. There you are able to view talks on various subjects. If you are studying science then you could listen to Paul Root Wolpe talking about why it’s time to question bio-engineering. Or you could view demos about human exoskeletons. There are so many interesting and educational talks on the site. From science to technology and entertainment to business – no matter what you are studying you should find this resource really useful.

If you have any science related query then a good online resource to visit is Refdesk.com. It provides a large number of links to websites that will give you the answer to practically every science related question that you could have.

Another great online resource that you should check out is the Khan Academy site. It provides information on maths, chemistry, economics and history. The site is designed to try to change education. You will find more than 100 different self paced exercises that you can complete. From algebra to biology and brain teasers to currency – there is so much to learn in the form of videos and blogs on this site.

BetterGrads is helping current students connect with older ones to expand their knowledge base. You could take part in eMentoring and there are great college question and answer resources. It is actually a program that you join, and it is run by a non-profit organization.

Overall the above are just a few of the online resources that can help you with your education. Don’t forget to double check the credibility of each resource that you use. There is a lot of misguided information out there. If you do find a resource that you aren’t sure about then you can always ask your lecturer after class.

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This was a post by Lior Levin who works for a psd to css company that does psd conversions. Lior also advises to the MA in security program at the Tel Aviv university. You can find Lior on Twitter as Liors

Thank you, Lior. I love the way you approach ideas!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Beach Notes: Do Things Differently

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by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

You will never know what you might see!

We are normally at the beach early morning and often see stunning sunrises. On Friday we were shopping by the beach and we had loaded the car up and i was about to get in when Des said: “Look at the sky.” I looked up and saw this amazing sky.
Sometimes we are preoccupied with the task at had that we can miss the beauty around us. We almost missed this magnificent sunset.

Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh

Entrepreneur, Engineer, and Accountant All on Track?

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A Guest Post
by Bruno Deshayes

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Being your own boss is a great feeling. But there is one thing missing. There is no-one to tell you what to do. How can that be a drawback?

The Small Business Juggling Act

If you are on your own running an enterprise you have to be responsible for no less than 3 different functions: the entrepreneur, the engineer and the accountant.

The entrepreneur is the visionary. The one who dreams big plans. The one who has the ability to see beyond our mental horizon. The one who can sense what people really want as opposed to what they complain about.

The engineer is the one who comes up with the goods. The one who disappears in his attic to emerge two weeks later in an eureka moment shouting: “It works!” the geek who fumbles until it runs. The nerd who never sees disappointment as failure but as a learning experience.

The accountant is the conservative type. He has to tone down the other two above. He is risk-adverse and opposes change and innovation. His pride is a good cash flow and a nice steady increase in profits. His idea of the future? Superannuation. His favourite hobby? Cutting costs.

You can see from the start that these people are set for a conflict because their motivations are so different. That could be the reason why small business partnerships fail. Now consider the implications when those 3 roles are concentrated on the one and same person! To juggle those 3 hats you have strong personal discipline and use reporting tools to keep you on course.

Do you have any strategies for keeping all three roles — Entrepreneur, Engineer, and Accountant — on track?

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Bruno Deshayes is a writer, designer and developer who runs an online accounting system, at time-billing and invoicing system and a website to document and keep track of your goals. You can find him on Twitter as @brunodeshayes

Thanks, Bruno! Keeping all three functions going and balanced is important to every business large or small.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

5 Ways to Appreciate Yourself and Enjoy Your Life!

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A Guest Post
by Dia Thabet

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“The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.” ~Sonya Friedman

Self appreciation is an important component for building self esteem and confidence. Appreciating yourself is necessary for your growth in this world as you won’t be able to grow if you think and view yourself negatively.

To learn how to appreciate yourself, follow the 5 steps below:

1. Love yourself

You can not appreciate yourself if you don’t love and value yourself. Loving yourself is not a form of arrogance and narcissism. It is appreciating the gifts that God has given you and the beauties that God has bestowed upon you.

Start today taking 5 minutes a day to express your love for yourself. The more you do this exercise, the more it will become ingrained in you. You can’t ask for a better habit to acquire than loving yourself.

2. Laugh

This is simple, yet people don’t do it often. Make it a habit to laugh every day. Spend time with your children, watch a comedy show, and look at funny pictures. The important is you take action and make laughter a habit in your life.

If you can’t find anything to laugh at, then just fake it. Studies show that even a fake laugh has powerful effects on the individual’s overall well being.

Remember when you laugh, you are showing that you are appreciating your health, hence you will reduce anxiety and stress in your life.

3. Meditate

Taking 15 minutes a day to quiet your mind and thoughts is necessary. Most of the great people who accomplish great goals in life know the importance of meditation; hence they appreciate the art of silencing their thoughts.

Guess what? You are great too and taking those 15 minutes a day to meditate shows that you appreciate inner peace and that you are willing to take the time to clear your thoughts from the negative and harmful thoughts.

4. Exercise

Let’s face it; your body needs to move to stay healthy. Do yoga, aerobics, swim, jog, walk, or join the gym. Find whatever type of exercise you like and enjoy doing and start doing it daily.

5. Talk kindly to yourself

Let me ask you, do you talk to yourself in a kind way? Do you use encouraging and positive words or negative talk? According to studies, more than 80% of people’s self talk is negative. When the majorities make a mistake, instead of looking for the lessons, they start blaming themselves.

Make a decision right now to start talking to yourself in a kind and compassionate way. God has sent you to this earth for a purpose. Know that you are a beautiful person and true gift to the world. Remember, the more appreciation and kindness you show to yourself, the more kindness you will be able to give others.

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.”
Kahlil Gibran

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Dia Thabet writes for the coaching site 2 Achieve Your Goals , You can find her on Twitter as @Dia_Thabet

Thanks Dia! Great start to a weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Does Your Business Embrace Technology Meaningfully?

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A Guest Post by
Matt Krautstrunk

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As bloggers we understand how important interacting with a community on social media is for exposure. We tend to refer to social as “new media,” however when you think about it, some of the ancient social media channels (Myspace, corporate blogs) have been around for over 7-10 years now. The progress that marketers have made on social media channels has almost pushed the medium to maturity, it’s time for corporate structure to follow!

Building Social Media Into Your Corporate Culture

Social media is being used by more and more people to accomplish almost everything from a job search to answering common questions. Just to reiterate how fast social media is growing. See below: According to Econsultancy

  • Tweets grew 250% since January 2010
  • LinkedIn Users grew 100%
  • Facebook grew from 350 million users to 640 million users in one year

But in the B2B marketing industry, social media should extend deeper than just having a LinkedIn. It should be controlled internally and leveraged within each employee. Your employees can be used as vehicles to spread messages about your company’s products and services. With this obviously comes inherent risk, but since social media such a transparent vertical there should be internal social media policies in conjunction with your marketing strategy.

Social Media Policy

Companies are still trying to find a balance whether they should encourage or hide employee social media use. Everything from, the decision to associate your businesses name with employees on social media to governing social media use, social media policies can be laid out to leverage your marketing strategy internally.

For instance, some companies have requested their employees create a separate Twitter account that is strictly professional. This has two key benefits, one is the fact that businesses are able to gain awareness and engagement from each employee’s Twitter, and the other is minimizing the risks associated with standing behind an employee who tweets inappropriate personal material. Businesses should design a clear policy framework for how social media can be used to create synergies not catastrophes.

Improving Workflow

Embracing social media within your company may have some risks, but empowering employees with social media embrace can help your cause. For example allowing employees to tweet during workdays can improve morale and communication efforts. Strategically integrating tools to work within your business can give meaning to each of your departments, according to Charlene Li, analyst at Execunet (http://insights.execunet.com/index.php/comments/creating_winning_social_media_strategies/best-practices/more) , “Anyone can be influential with these tools. Salesforce.com has a new Twitter-like product and calls the people in the company using it, the “Chatterati.” “This internal social group is the connective tissue in the organization,” Li noted. “There is real value being created as people use these tools to get the job done.” Social media is a core element of these innovative companies communication technology, making their employees better, more informed workers. There is an opportunity here for collaboration in the cloud; your employees will have the ability to express opinions and suggestions easier than ever before.

One of the biggest challenges to embracing social media internally is letting go of control. Executives should embrace this technology meaningfully instead of fearing the repercussions.

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Matt Krautstrunk is an expert writer on document management systems for Resource Nation an online resource that provides advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs. You can find him on Twitter as @mattkrautstrunk

Thanks Matt! Great case for taking social media seriously.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!