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Category: Social Media
New Website, New Staff and More! [VIDEO]
Hello! It has been a while since I wrote a blog article, so I wanted to update you on what is new in the world of Blue Gurus that has been keeping me so busy.
If you prefer to watch instead of read, check out the embedded video blog.
1) BlueGurus.com has a new look! We do this every year, usually in December when things are quieter for the holidays. We update the “theme” every year to show how easy it is to re-brand your website every 3-5 years without having to redo all your content. The content lives in WordPress, and all you have to do is set up and configure a new theme to completely change the look of your site.
2) There is a new Blue Guru on our team… please welcome Melissa Zarda! Yes, she is related to “the” Zardas of Kansas City’s Zarda BBQ. Actually, that is how I met Melissa initially… we were working on the Zarda BBQ WordPress web site together. Since then we have done Spay & Neuter KC together and I am happy to have her on the team. She is a great WordPress web site developer and hit the ground running on multiple projects that we are working on, including a new web site for Mike Pasley and his team at Central Packaging. (The new site is not done yet, but we will put it in our portfolio when it is complete)
3) A recent study shows that LinkedIn is 277% more effective for lead generation than Facebook or Twitter. This is something that we knew in practice for years, but it is nice to see some data to back it up for those of you “metrics” people out there. Follow this link to the article on HubSpot.
4) Hometown Threads Embroidery for embroidering your company logo on just about any fabric, including shirts, briefcases and more.
A Few Questions For The CEO That Says “We Need To Be All Over Social Media”
I’ve heard from more than one person that has called to learn about Blue Gurus and what we do that their CEO/Owner/Manager/Fill In The Blank Leadership Person has told them “We need to be all over social media!”
It always makes me chuckle a bit because I wonder what prompted him or her to make that statement and I’ve been around long enough to know how many knee jerk decisions don’t ever get implemented.
So if you get that question, you can be politically correct and say “Great, boss! That’s exciting! Let’s do it!” . But once you are done with that, you really should start asking some questions that don’t always have easy answers, such as:
1. WHY? (the most important and underutilized question in business today)
2. What do you mean when you say we need to be “all over social media”?
3. How often, or do you even use, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn?
4. What do you think being “all over social media” will do for the company?
5. Are you ready for, and committed to, the entire company undergoing a massive culture change? (Social media absolutely, positively is tied to changing the culture internally and externally. And in most organizations, a real “culture check review” hasn’t happened in a long time…or ever.)
6. Who do you think in the company needs to be involved in this social media effort? Why? (there’s that question again)
7. What do you think social media is all about?
8. Are you committed to executing the social media plan that we come up with, even if that could mean redistributing workload, adding staff, changing processes, and more?
9. Do you understand that you don’t just start “doing social media” and sales come flying in the door?
10. Do you think you will start writing blog articles and that your audience (who you likely haven’t been communicating to consistently for years) is going to read everything you post and then pick up the phone and want to buy?
11. How long are you committed to doing this?
12. Do you realize that the concept of ROI with social media is still being debated? (clearly not as many businesses would be engaged in social media if there wasn’t ROI, but getting your arms around the fact that much of the ROI isn’t measurable is the hard part for most C-level types).
Once you get the answer to those questions, then you’ll really know if your CEO/Owner/Manager/Fill In The Blank Leadership Position is really ready to “be all over social media” or if this will go in the pile of “great ideas that we were never fully committed to”.
Video Used More In 2012: Check Out Jason’s First Effort!
Part of what Jason and I do every day in our roles as Social Media Coaches is consuming information. Not only do we like to, but we HAVE to because the world of social media changes at an unbelievably fast pace.
New social media platforms are popping up every day (Google+, Pinterest, etc.) and it’s our job to determine which of these may “stick” (and have the potential for adding value to our clients) and which are just platforms that superusers get excited about because they provide competition to “the Big 3″…Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
One thing I have believed for awhile now is that video is going to continue to grow in popularity. Many of you may know already that YouTube is the #2 ranked search engine (behind Google, which, not so ironically, owns YouTube).
We’ve seen numerous articles and videos over the last 2-3 years that have been predicting the increased use of video and some larger companies/brands have already done it (Does the Old Spice guy ring a bell?). We believe that 2012 is the year when video will play a larger role in the content marketing strategies of companies…both large and small.
I’ve talked to Jason about this numerous times over the last year and so he dove in and made this short video below. Take a look and let us know what you think. You are going to see a lot more video from Blue Gurus in 2012 and we’re excited to share our thoughts and expertise in a more “live” setting.
If you have trouble viewing the video, click this link.
Are You Embarrassed By Your LinkedIn Profile?
“I Love Your LinkedIn Profile…It’s So….YOU!” That’s what Mary Hutchison, my Realtor and long-time friend, told me after she looked at my LinkedIn profile for the first time. Little did Mary or I realize it at the time, but I would go on to share that story in every LinkedIn 1×1 Profile Training session I’ve done since.
Why?
Because it perfectly summarizes what you should hope people say when they see your LinkedIn profile. I talk to so many people who tell me “Someone invited me to LinkedIn, so I just quickly created a profile and click “Accept” when I get invitations” or “I have a LinkedIn account, but my profile is horrible.”
Keep in mind that people search LinkedIn every day…recruiters, clients, prospects, salespeople, and more. So when your profile comes up in a search and they look at it, does it accurately represent your personal and professional brand?
Whether you’ve come to realize it or not, in today’s world, each one of us is the sole representative of our personal brand. You owe it to yourself (and to everyone who views your profile) to make sure your brand is accurate.
So how do you know if your LinkedIn profile hits the mark? The following questions will help:
1. Do you have a picture? Are you smiling? Is it a good shot of your head and shoulders? Is the background clean?
2. Do you have a well written Summary that shares your professional story blended with things in your personal life that you are passionate about? Does your personality come across to the reader?
3. Have you accurately listed your work history? Did you put a description of each position using “I” language that tells the reader what your responsibilities were, your skill sets, your accomplishments, etc.?
4. Have you listed your Interests, Volunteer Activities, and Groups and Associations so that people know the types of things that you are involved in when you aren’t at work?
5. Do you have recommendations from people you’ve worked with throughout your career? Have you taken the time to give recommendations to people that you’ve worked with that are awesome?
6. Do you update your LinkedIn status at least once a week with information that is helpful or may be of interest to your connections? Do you pay attention to the updates of those in your network?
If you answered “YES” to each of these questions, then you are well on your way. If you didn’t, then I recommend that you spend some time updating your LinkedIn profile until it gets there. After you’ve updated your profile, ask some trusted friends or business colleagues for feedback.
Don’t let your LinkedIn profile be an embarrassment any longer! Get it updated now….or close your LinkedIn account. No LinkedIn account is better than one that doesn’t accurately represent YOU!
Gobble, Gobble!…10 Things We’re Thankful For This Year
It’s that time of year again when people are gearing up to celebrate Thanksgiving. I also know a lot of people (including yours truly) that are really excited to have some downtime to relax and do nothing!
With that in mind, here are 10 Things We’re Thankful For This Year…
1) We are thankful for our clients and the opportunity to help people accomplish their goals every day.
2) We are thankful for those people in our personal and professional networks that help us grow. Every new client for Blue Gurus comes from word-of-mouth referrals.
3) We are thankful to have launched more than 20 great new WordPress-powered web sites, including AdventureTech Group, Corporate Fitness Works, Downtown Council of Kansas City, Galvmet, House of Diamonds, LPF Coatings, Picture Perfect Interiors, Shapiro & McMullen, P.A., and many more.
4) We are thankful that we were able to get past the infamous “2 year mark” for small businesses and that we are quickly approaching our third year of helping small businesses get bigger.
5) We are thankful that LinkedIn continues to grow at an incredible rate, now with two people joining LinkedIn every second. Oh, and did you know that over 390,000 people in Kansas City have LinkedIn profiles representing more than 5,200 companies? It’s all about relationships.
6) We are thankful for applications like CardMunch, Dropbox and RoboForm that save time and allow us (and many of our clients!) to work more efficiently.
7) We are thankful that we were able to take a cruise this Fall with our wives for some much needed rest and relaxation. We believe you have to take time off to recharge your batteries and maintain a healthy balance between life and work.
8) We are thankful that, for the most part, we have successfully avoided people that suck!
9) We are thankful that, in spite of today’s economic environment, small businesses are working hard every day to make things happen.
10) And last but not least, we are extremely thankful for our wives, Trista and Missy, and our families and friends. Without their support, we wouldn’t be who we are or be able to do what we do.
We would love to hear from you…
What are you thankful for this year?