Successful Blog

How Amazon Became the “Default”

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When I need to buy something, whether it’s a set of s’mores skewers or the latest bestseller, I click on over to Amazon.com first.

It’s taken me a while to recognize this behavior, because I was doing it very unconsciously.

Amazon.com logo

How did this happen?

Amazon.com is my “default” place to buy things. They have simply removed every trace of friction from the shopping experience. To the point that other factors like price and diversity of selection take a back seat.

You may not have the resources of Amazon, but you should aspire to be the “default” provider of whatever service or product you offer.

Remove Purchase Friction:

Answer Questions

Amazon has to sell you things that you can’t feel or touch, so it has to provide you with every single bit of information you might want before buying. Consider the lessons of Marcus Sheridan, “The Sales Lion,” who saved his pool company (and built an empire) by answering every single question right on his website.

Establish Trust

As an entrepreneur, you may not have a recognized name. But Amazon started somewhere too. They incorporated a ratings system for their shopkeeper program so that you can clearly see reputation as a buyer. Look for ways to build trust with your prospects and customers– whether it’s social proof, testimonials, or being maniacal about follow-through.

Remember Your Customers

One reason why Amazon is the default is that they store my credit card information, and they remember everything I’ve bought since the site went live. I hate having to go find my purse, pull out my credit card, and type in those numbers. Have you thought about ways you can streamline invoicing for your customers? Do you offer different options for billing, discounts for annual payments? When your customer contacts you, can you pull up a record of their purchase history?

Offer White Glove Delivery

Recent news items about drones, food lockers, and other innovations coming from Amazon make it obvious that they are very focused on delivering as fast as possible. How magical is it that you can, with one click, have a book delivered to your device in seconds? What parts of your product or service can you deliver for instant gratification? Perhaps you can make sure that the customer receives some component of the service immediately, even if the whole transaction can’t be instantaneous.

Be Proactive

Amazon will sometimes offer me recommendations, remind me of family birthdays, and provide other proactive information as I need it. When you see an opportunity to add value to your customers, do it! If you see an article that is directly relevant to your prospect’s challenges, go ahead and send it. Be proactive and be useful.

Reaching default status is the Holy Grail of sales. Think about it…when was the last time you switched toothpaste brands? Do you get all confused when your favorite product changes its packaging?

All of the key points above relate to one thing–considering the customer’s thought process and experience first.

Focus on removing any trace of friction from the customer’s buying process, and you might earn a spot as the “go-to” provider.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Do You Have Designs on a Mobile App?

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asuccess 52114As a business owner, what were your top goals coming into 2014?

Some may say lowering their budgets, while others may point to making better hires. Still others might have focused on becoming more adept at social media.

No matter what your primary objective was when the calendar turned to 2014, thinking about how you can improve your business model should be a never-ending focus of what you do.

With that said, how mobile is your business? Specifically, does your business offer a mobile app?

If you don’t think about the following information from j2 Global and eMarketer:

  • Barely 13.5 percent of small businesses noted mobile marketing was a top priority for them;
  • It is projected that more than 45 percent of Americans will use the mobile Internet at least once a month this year;
  • Nearly 70 percent of those individuals running small businesses state they have used or will use Facebook mobile apps in their marketing efforts this year. Meantime, nearly 43 percent have used or will use mobile Twitter apps, while just over 34 percent have used or will be using mobile YouTube apps.

Don’t Wait for a Mobile App, Get it now

With those numbers in mind, what are some reasons you need to get with the right mobile app design company and push forward with a mobile app this year?

Among the reasons a mobile app can be beneficial to your small business:

  1. Consumers are on the go – Face it, many consumers are shopping while at work, running around doing errands, or from the comforts of home. Yes, many people still shop in person, but there is a growing block of people that can increase your revenue stream when they can be mobile shoppers. The bottom line is mobile apps, tablets and smart phones have revolutionized how Americans shop. Even if someone doesn’t buy a product or service from you, having a mobile app is crucial in order to provide customers with product and service information (see more below on marketing), directions to your business, your hours of operations, contact details and more;
  2. Your competitors likely have one – While you can’t be fixated 24/7 on what the competition is doing, it is a rather safe assumption that your competitors have mobile apps. In that case, they’re already one step ahead of you if you don’t offer one;
  3. Data gathering – Although some businesses still rely on a paper trail of information to see what customers shop for, purchase etc. more and more are finding mobile apps can serve as a treasure trove of data. In a day and age when money is tight and time is of the essence, having key data with which to rely on is important. When you target current and potential customers with ads, knowing what their likes and dislikes are via mobile app data gathering saves you time and money;
  4. Affordable marketing – With a mobile app, you can spread the word about the products/services you have to offer. By utilizing the incoming data that you can receive by having an app, you can target your marketing efforts towards those most likely to buy from you. When you find relevant people, you focus in on them, allowing you to drive more sales.

Now that you can see all a mobile has to offer, take the time to find the right product.

Yes, there are countless app designers to choose from, but which one is best for your brand?

First and foremost, find one that comes with high recommendations.

Along with word-of-mouth, be sure to visit the designer’s website and check their social media action on Twitter, Facebook etc. Look to see what kind of social interaction it is they have with consumers, along with how often.

Also do a Google search of the company’s name, looking for any flash points.

If they’ve received a number of customer complaints, have had issues with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or have stability issues with their finances, those are all red flags.

In a day and age when mobility is key, is a mobile app on your priority list for 2014?

Photo credit: KROMKRATHOG / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about a variety of subjects on the web, including small business, social media and finances.

Mastering a Social Media Career

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asociallle

Are you an avid Facebook user? Do you enjoy keeping friends up to date on your activities with multiple Twitter posts? Do your pins get re-pinned on a regular basis from Pinterest?

You just might be able to turn your love of social media into a career.

Career Options for Social Media Fans

You can begin as a content writer for social media sites and work your way up to manager and finally to strategist.

There are also other jobs in between these options that range from providing the content to organizing it to incorporating social media into an entire marketing strategy.

The different jobs require various experience or education and provide different levels of income.

Starting at the bottom is the content writer that can earn between $14,000 and $60,000 annually based on experience and the job demands. Public relations managers and social media strategists can earn six figures in the larger cities.

How to Get Started

If you want to know how mastering social media can turn into a career, you have to get away from your computer and meet the professionals.

Attend events, conferences, and seminars on social media. Don’t just sit in a corner and listen; use these opportunities to network. Pick the brains of those who are successful to find out what they did to get where they are.

Social media is just beginning to be viewed as a viable career choice. Because of this fact, there aren’t a lot of training guidelines and requirements to go by. Instead, it is more important that you stay updated on changes in the industry.

Know the latest technology and news about social media. You must know them in-depth, understand the newest tools and applications. You must know what is current, but also where social media is headed.

Of course, some standard education will put you ahead of the game.

A background in marketing and public relations or even journalism can give you an edge over the competition.

Perhaps the best advice for people who want to have a career in social media is to develop a strong online presence on social networks.

By creating networks and demonstrating your ability to gain a strong following, you can show your skills to potential employers.

Finding Jobs

Put your contact information on your sites to make it easy for people who stumble across your profiles to contact you. Join groups and establish strong profiles on networks such as LinkedIn to enhance your visibility.

Also, don’t be afraid to approach potential employers.

See a company that you’d like to work for that either doesn’t have a social network nor has one that is ineffective? Send them a message and let them know how you can help them. You have to be able to tell companies why social media is important and why you are the right person for the job.

As social media continues to grow and develop more credibility, more businesses and organizations will increase their interest in it.

This means that there will be more jobs for people like you.

Photo credit: my6essentials.com

About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including SEO and social media.

Break the Grip of the Rip

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This little stretch of beach occasionally has dangerous rip currents.

The sandbars strung along our part of the coast create strong, narrow currents that run perpendicular to the shore. Unsuspecting swimmers can quickly get pulled far from the beach. If they don’t know what to do, they require emergency rescue to avoid drowning.

avoid the rip current

Marketers can get sucked into the grip of a rip current too.

“You need to post 20x per day on Twitter.”
“You have to have 50,000 Facebook fans.”
“The audience will only read short posts.”
“The audience will only read long posts.”
“We need to strip every link out of our blog posts because Google might blacklist us.”

These rip currents pop up, suck lots of unsuspecting swimmers out to sea, and then dissipate.

How to Break Free of a Marketing Rip Current

Keep your feet planted on the ocean floor

  • Find resources and publications that aren’t trendy. That means more reading Harvard Business Review blogs and less Buzzfeed.
  • Be sure you have someone on your team who will help you focus on your mission when you’re tempted to chase after the latest shiny object.

Remain calm if you get caught

  • If you notice that you’ve gotten sidetracked and sucked into a marketing rip current, don’t just start trashing everything. Go back to your marketing plan, your goals, and your strategy, and remove anything that’s not feeding into them.
  • If you need to take corrective action, do it systematically once you’ve figured out how to proceed.
  • Sometimes it’s hard to remain calm in the face of danger. If you suddenly lose half of your website traffic, or a major client decides to leave, be sure you have a trusted advisor or mentor who can help you navigate the issue. Don’t try to go it alone.

Try to regain your footing and call for help immediately

  • Come up with a plan of action for recovery. If the rip current meant that you suddenly found yourself on page 10 of Google search results, put together a detailed strategy to regain your position.
  • You can iterate and test. Your strategy doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” Learn about how to do simple A/B testing.
  • Use your data. Numbers don’t panic; use the analytical tools at your disposal to help you sort things out.
  • Don’t try to “wing it,” if you’ve got a problem that needs professional assistance. Consider hiring a consultant or contractor who specializes in the issue (an SEO, a digital marketer, a web designer, a PR pro).

Swim parallel to shore to escape the current

  • When you realize you’ve been pulled out to sea, it’s tempting to swim like crazy, straight for shore. Instead, try a path that makes the most sense for your situation. Rip currents aren’t very wide, so if you swim sideways for a bit, you can return to shore safely.
Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Why You Shouldn’t Put Your Title on a Business Card

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(Updated in 2020)

By Rob Young

If you’ve sought help to create the perfect business card you’ve probably found many people insist that you include your title on it. While including your title on a business card has its uses, in some cases it does more harm than good. Whether you’re the founder of a startup or an employee in an international company, these are a few reasons you might consider removing the title from your business card.

business cards

It can make you complacent

Printing your title on your business cards after you’ve just launched your start up might make you feel important, but it could be counter-productive. While it can inspire some people to take bold decisions and work night and day to ensure their business is a success, more commonly this false sense of importance clouds judgement and contributes to a false sense of achievement that leaves you vulnerable to complacency.

Leaving the title off your business card is a great (and free) way to remind yourself that you still have plenty to achieve — who knew that getting rid of a title could provide so much motivation?

You can appear egotistical or delusional

If you you’ve given yourself a fancy sounding title in the hopes of impressing potential clients, business partners or even your employees, be prepared for the opposite, especially if you appear young and inexperienced. At best people could think that you have an inflated ego, which might put people off from working with you. Worse still, you might just come across as delusional, with an unrealistic and immature approach to business.

It limits you

A job title is meant to give people an idea of what you do, but sometimes it can unintentionally give them a false impression of what you don’t do and if someone thinks you’re incapable of doing something and chooses not to pursue a relationship with you your business card might as well have been a blank piece of paper. Leave the job title off your business card and you give yourself the flexibility to adapt your responsibilities and abilities to the individual situation. And remember, as long as you have a pen handy, you can always add information to a business card.

Going incognito has its benefits

You might imagine that it’s always best to introduce yourself as the boss, but if you’ve ever seen Undercover Boss you’ll understand the value of being able to assume a different role. Whether it’s trying to leverage a better deal with a supplier or find out what other people really think of your company, the ability to be a chameleon in business comes with many benefits.

It’s a conversation starter

Maintaining a little bit of mystery is a great way to pique someone’s interest. Remove your job title from your business card and you’’ll find that people will start asking what exactly it is you do. This is a great opportunity to really sell yourself and the business you represent, you don’t have to reply with just your job title. Just bear in mind that removing all your details from your business card will only make you look foolish and incompetent.

It looks elegant, bold and chic

It’’s universally accepted that your business card shouldn’t be overloaded with information. Being ruthless and leaving out unnecessary details is a straightforward way to make an impact with your business card. Think your title is a necessary detail? Think again. Your email address or contact telephone number is essential, your title is an extra.

To avoid politics and resentment

Titles could lead to resentment and jealousy in a company. You could say that such employees shouldn’t be appeased by leaving job titles off business cards, but if something so simple could lead to a more productive company culture shouldn’t it at least be considered, especially when there are so many other reasons to ditch titles?
Do you really need that title?

Of course there are plenty of valid reasons to include your title on a business card, if you’re dealing with businesspeople with inflated egos, for example, they might consider titles important enough that they only want to deal with people they believe to be on their level. What’s important is that you don’t assume your job title should automatically be on your business card. Instead weigh up the pros and cons and do what’s best for your business or career.

Author’s Bio: Rob Young is Head of Online Marketing at business card printers MOO. He likes to share his knowledge and experience on a number of topics including networking and design.

Photo Credit: antoniocasas – homofotograficus.com via Compfight cc

Book Review: Spin Sucks, By Gini Dietrich

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Gini Dietrich is on a mission.

She is aiming to shift the practice (and then the perception) of the public relations profession, one mind at a time.

It’s a tough row to hoe, when we are inundated daily with reports of sneaky native advertising, journalist fakeouts, and “astroturfed” social content, much of it generated by so-called PR pros.

But Gini and the Arment Dietrich team represent the good guys, and in her new book, Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age, she explains exactly how communications, PR and media relations can be done with integrity and still get stellar results.

In fact, the tectonic shift is taking place everywhere. Power that used to reside in the hands of a few gatekeepers is now democratically spread out to the masses. You can no longer spray out a press release to a purchased list of emails and hope for the best. In a strange way, the digital tide is forcing us to hone our storytelling craft by taking away the crutches we used to rely on. Spin Sucks is full of real stories of success and #FAIL, told in Gini’s down-to-earth style.

Spin Sucks, by Gini Dietrich

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is running a business (large or small), regardless of whether you’re working with an agency or doing it guerrilla style. If you are working with an agency, this book will give you a great baseline knowledge of an integrated marketing/communications/PR/media relations strategy. If you’re going it alone, use the book to experiment and be successful enough to hire a team of pros.

Key Takeaways from Spin Sucks

  • Be a storyteller, not a spinner.
  • Content creation is a long-term strategy, not a quick fix.
  • Create assets that reflect a mix of paid, earned, shared, and owned media.
  • Be honest and transparent in your dealings with the public; manipulation will backfire.
  • It’s time to stop working with content farms, scrapers, and plagiarists.
  • Get comfortable with the fact that your customers are really in control of your brand.
  • Learn to say “I’m sorry” with no embellishment or caveats.
  • The best way to repair online reputation is by overwhelming the negative content with your own great, useful, customer-valued content.
  • If you want to be prepared for the future, stay tapped into all of the disciplines that make up marketing communications…the lines are getting blurrier and blurrier.

What’s your best communications “war story?” Have you had to deal with a communications crisis?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Disclosure: I was given an advance free digital copy of this book for review purposes; however that in no way altered my opinion or the content of this review. My personal story of guerrilla digital PR is mentioned in the book.