Fast Marketing Minute

Are you on the fence about creating an audio book? As long as your book isn’t full of images or photos that carry the story, it may be a good idea to expand your outreach and grow sales. 

Let’s look at 4 reasons why you should turn your book into an audiobook. 

* Recent stats show that one out of five Americans listen to audio books. Everybody’s busy, so audio books give people who don’t have time to read, a chance to listen instead whenever they feel like it -- while driving, exercising or even cleaning the house.

* Creating an audio book is also relatively inexpensive. You can pay a service a couple of thousand dollars to do it, or for a whole lot less, outsource the project to Fiverr or Upwork. If you’re brave, you can record it yourself. If you want to do it barebones, all you need is a decent mic, a closet with hanging clothes, and some free audio editing software. I use Audacity for my podcast. Plus, who doesn’t want to hear an audiobook recorded by the writer? You can also look online if you don’t want to narrate yourself.

* It cuts down on printing costs. If you have an audiobook, it’s always in stock. It’s a click away. All your readers have to do is download your book. Then, you don’t have to worry as much about overprinting copies of your book and get stuck with the inventory.

* Audio books also give you audio snippets to use for marketing and promotional advertising.  Take soundbites and create short video ads, social posts or use them on your website to promote your book. Repurpose your content with intention. 

Audio books are yet another example of your ‘owned media.’ Plus, I didn’t mention that libraries love to buy audio books. 

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. If you’re looking for ways to engage your target audience, download a copy of 96 Content Marketing Ideas to Start a Conversation. It’s at RobinSamora.com/96ContentIdeas. Talk tomorrow!

Social proof is key to growing your business. In fact, about 72% of customers won’t take action until they read a review. Here’s what to do when you get a bad review.

What to Do When Someone Writes a Bad Review

Rule #1: Never argue publicly with someone who has given you a negative review, even if they’re dead wrong. This has a poor reflection on you - not the reviewer. Instead acknowledge the problem and apologize for it. Then, take it to the next step.

Rule #2: Always thank the person for their feedback and for taking the time to write the review. Feedback is important and you can always learn something. It could be as simple as how to deal with angry customers without them making you angry.

Rule #3: Get on the same level with your customer. Empathize with them. Explain how you understand how upset and frustrated they must be over the situation. Again, even if they’re wrong, try to understand where they’re coming from and how they feel about it.

Rule #4: This is important. Ask them to contact you directly to resolve the issue offline, off of social media. When responding, leave your direct contact info, so there’s no question on how to reach you. Then, be sure to respond -- in a reasonable amount of time.

Rule #5: Once the problem is taken care of yet, update the status of the review as “resolved.” Explain how you helped the customer and what action was taken. Highlight your superb customer service.

Bad reviews happen, here’s what do to when someone writes a bad review. Know that you can easily turn them into good PR if you handle your customer correctly.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Everyone wants good PR. If you’re looking to build your marketing and get better PR, download a copy of my free report, 52 Marketing and PR Tips to Get Attention. It’s at RobinSamora.com/52tips. Talk tomorrow!

 

We’re all so busy talking about connecting with our customers, that we sometimes lose sight with surprising our clients with ways that show we care.

My colleague, Matt Ward, in his book, More...Word of Mouth Referrals Lifelong Customers and Raving Fans, talks about the 4 Pillars of his Care Package -- which simple in concept, delivered makes a huge impact on building relationships and business.

Here are 4 Pillar Principles to the Customer Care Package to Build Relationships and Customers:

* Overdeliver. Exceed your customer’s expectations and overdeliver -- not underpromise. Once customers see that you genuinely care, they will refer you to others because they’ve seen what you’ve delivered -- and like it. It makes sense to refer you. You do what you say.

* Listen.  Listening is with your ears, but you can listen with body language too, or when you’re paying attention to what’s not being said. Sometimes a facial expression or pause says even more. Voice, tone, and pace count too.

* Surprise. The element of surprise is powerful, but a surprise that’s personalized for a particular person -- based on listening or an observation can change the status quo of relationships -- and bring you closer, because you care. A package from Amazon, you expect is one thing. A surprise package from Amazon, that you didn’t order, is a whole different ball game. You can’t wait to see what’s inside.

* Non-serving acts. If you send a package and include your business card, it’s a marketing tactic. When you send a package, and a thoughtful card -- without any branding, it’s about the person. That’s what you want. More about them, and way less about you.

Other ideas? Ask your customers for advice, collect swag at events that they would love (say they love highlighters), and give your clients reviews on social media -- without them asking.

Remember these 4 ways to surprise and delight your customers.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Check out my Top 40 Small Business Marketing Blog, Robin’s Rainmakers to read all the ways you can grow your business and be a more powerful connector. You’ll find all this info and more at RobinSamora.com/blog. Talk tomorrow!

Public speaking ranks up there with thinking about moving. It can be extremely stressful. Luckily, there are ways to calm your nerves before getting in front of a room or on stage.

Here’s a handful of tips to help you be less nervous and more confident.

* Be prepared. If you’re using powerpoint in your presentation, create an amazing powerpoint. If you’re working from notes, study your talking points and know them inside and out. Practice, but don’t memorize your presentation. Being too prepared can come across as cold and impersonal.

* Wake up in the morning, and remind yourself that you’re the expert. You don’t have to do this just on a speaking day. Do it everyday! You’re successful. People want to hear what you have to say.

* Get to your event venue early. If you’re feeling rushed and flustered, you aren’t going to give your best presentation. And, make sure you account for traffic -- and accidents. Being 90 minutes or 2 hours early is not uncommon. It gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with the room and the people who will be there.

* Before you go on stage, sneak away to the bathroom and do the “superman pose”. You can laugh, but a study from Ted.com found that it actually changes your body chemistry and helps you feel more confident.

* Next, win at the introduction. If you have a successful intro, you’ll feel more confident throughout the rest of your presentation. It will set the tone for a great presentation.

* Practice being uncomfortable. One blogger said he regularly puts himself in uncomfortable situations, including being a nude model. You don’t need to go that far, but do something once or twice a month that gets you out of your comfort zone might be a good idea.

* Just keep swimming, I mean talking. The more times you give a presentation and get in front of an audience, the more confident you’ll be about it.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. If you’re thinking of speaking, you need to build a platform, online and offline. We help you create one. Want to know more? Email me at [email protected]  Talk tomorrow!

If you’re a small business owner, work usually follows you home or maybe you work out of your home. Raise your hand if that’s you? So how do you stay focused and get things done, when everything and everyone around you is demanding attention. 

Dedicate space, time, and boundaries.  Don’t work from the couch while watching the Season finale of Peaky Blinders. Structure is important, so set up and stick to a schedule as if you had an office you had to go, and find a quiet spot that’s just for working. Close the door and walk away when you’re done. It will be there tomorrow.

Don’t procrastinate with displaced productivity. That means instead of writing a blog that needs to get done, you’re doing laundry or buying groceries online because you’re having company tomorrow night. Yes these things need to be done, but you should be focusing on your business priorities. What’s important right now to grow your business.

Don’t isolate yourself or work in a silo. I’ve done that and it doesn’t work. Get lunch with a friend or go for a walk. Take scheduled breaks, even if you’re in the thick of it, and be human. Pay attention to your dog. And scrolling Facebook while you wait for your leftover spaghetti to heat up doesn’t count.

 End the day with a win. If you have an hour left of your work day and just finished a huge project, be done with it.  Call it a day. Finishing on a high note helps you feel like you accomplished something instead of feeling like you left in the middle of a project. 

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Clients always ask what one thing will help me reach my marketing goals the fastest.  It truly depends on what those goals are. If you want a second option, get in touch at RobinSamora.com.  Talk tomorrow! 

 

Even if you apply to be a verified business on Instagram, getting that little blue checkmark isn’t a given. So how do you encourage the approval stamp?

Here are 6 tips to help you get verified on Instagram

Cross promote your content on other platform accounts. Share your posts to Facebook. Invite your LinkedIn and Twitter following to follow you on Instagram.

Grow your following and post things that get high engagement. Be active on your account every day. Well, almost every day if you can.

Don’t be tempted to buy followers though. It’s spammy and Instagram knows that you aren’t actually popular in the Himalayan mountains.

Confirm that your account is public. Private accounts can’t get verified. Neither will accounts that have zero earned media. Being visible on the internet to everyone is the best way to get verified.

Boost your visibility through trending hashtags and industry-specific hashtags. This will also help with growing your following and engagement.

And lastly, be honest and stick to one account. Each user can only have one verified account, so choose the one that best represents your brand, whether that’s your business or personal profile. I’m all about using your true personality on Instagram.  Please don’t lie or be misleading in your verification application. If you do, you may get suspended instead of verified. And that would be a problem.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Would you like a quick online visibilty check?  Go to RobinSamora.com and schedule some time. Talk tomorrow!

If you’re in business, you need to have a plan in place to deal with bad press. At some point or another, it may happen to you, whether it's a slanderous article or something as simple as a steady flow of bad reviews. Either way, you need to know how to deal with it.

First of all, you need a strategy in place so if there’s an incident, you can get ahead of the story. Scrambling to get your stuff together will just delay you from taking control of the situation. Write a brief crisis communication plan, even if it’s just a couple of pags long, and make sure your marketing, PR or social squad is in agreement and on board.

How do you find out about this bad press? Hopefully not from your top client! Monitoring brand mentions through social tools or even just Google Alerts can help you find out about negative brand mentions before they get out of control.

During a PR crisis, and assuming the claim is true, the first thing you should do is take responsibility. Arguing publicly won’t get you anywhere, so react immediately with a transparent tone, and communicate with sensitivity. Even if there’s been a misunderstanding, it’s best to apologize upfront. Then take action or create a plan to rectify the problem.

You should also be prepared for a storm on social media. Everyone has something to say online. Managing your reputation by having a loyal following can help you create a strong base in case of a PR nightmare. Make sure you release any statement you make publicly on social media too. Pin it to the top of your Facebook page. Add it to your Instagram story. Post it multiple times on Twitter, so it’s visible. Don’t hide.

Once you handle the initial situation, assess the problem and come up with a solution. Knee-jerk reactions usually aren’t the best solution. As many before me have said, “Act; don’t react”. Make sure you share your solution publicly and make a promise that “X” will never happen again and explain the plan you have in place to prevent that. It makes people feel safer and more secure, and gives you an opportunity to make amends. I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. I help brands like yours build credibility and expert status.  Let’s set up a Zoom call if you’d like to learn more. Email me at [email protected]. Talk tomorrow!

If you’re in marketing, you need to be able to write, or at least recognize good copy from bad. You also have to update your content on a regular basis.

Even if you haven’t been hired as a copywriter, pay attention to these 5 content marketing tips to improve your writing.

First, you need to set your mind to the task. Sometimes personal things distract you from focusing. Maybe your writing style changes a little or a lot depending on your mood. That’s ok, but make sure you’re in the right headspace to create quality content that’s positive and encourages your audience to follow your advice.

You should also be passionate about what you’re writing. If you’re bored with the topic, chances are that your audience will be too. Write about what you love or something new you’re intrigued by. Be excited about it. Learning is a lifelong sport and keeps your brain young and active.

Don’t build a 10-foot wall with your content. Keep paragraphs to 3 or 4 sentences, so it’s easier to read. Bulleted and numbered lists are even better ways to make your content easy to consume.

If you need a good way to break up this ‘content wall’, use an infographic, chart or other compelling image. You could make your own, or borrow someone else’s, which is usually easier. Just link to the source to give them credit. No one likes a content thief.

Of course, lastly, don’t forget about SEO. Sprinkle in a few of your keywords where it makes sense to add them. Create a killer snippet for search results. Some platforms have built-in tools for that. If you’re on Wordpress, use Yoast.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Get on the brandwagon and learn how to repurpose the content that you write. Download my free guide, How to Turn a 900-Word Article into 36 pieces of content. It’s at RobinSamora.com/900wordarticle. Talk tomorrow!

 

Even though Instagram doesn’t publicly show how many people like your posts, getting likes is still relevant for virality and reach. So how can you get more?

* Join a pod. No, I'm not saying to become a pod person or an alien. An instagram pod is a group of 10 to 15 people in a niche who agree to engage with each other’s content. It creates authentic engagement and comments to boost your visibility. If you can’t find a pod, reach out to other professionals and make your own.

* Let an influencer take over your account for a day. Create relationships with influencers who share your target audience and ask them to take over your account for a day. It will bring new awareness to your brand, get you new followers and earn you some credibility.  Some influencers charge for takeovers, but you could offer goods or services in return for their help. If you have a decent following, pitch it as a way to grow their list.

* Take a stance on something controversial. Share your view on something that’s often argued about or is a major news topic. You probably will get some negative backlash, but attention is attention. Good or bad, people are taking notice.

Sure, you can create “savable” content for your feed, Write longer captions, open up about your business and brand -- plus add more video to your grid, but you can be use non-traditional ways too, without being crazy.  GIve them a try.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. I have Ask me Anything sessions, Monday - Friday at selected times. Get in touch with me at RobinSamora.com and ask what’s available.

Talk tomorrow!

 

If you’re on a mission to create more videos this year, you’re spot on.

Videos are the most watched content on social media. And, if you’re thinking of adding music to those videos, you’re at the right place at the right time because today, we’re going to talk about a handful of do’s and don’ts to think about using music for your videos.

Do use music. I love it, you love it, so use it. Adding music to your video content gives it a more polished and professional feeling. You can find tons of royalty-free usic on sites like Bensound, Premium Beat, and HookSounds.

Don’t forget to read the fine print on the license you’re planning to use. Whether it’s for a tutorial on YouTube or in a TV commercial or web ad, make sure you have a commercial license. The license rights for a song can change by website or by track, so check each one.

Do find music that sounds unique. Choose something that vibes with your brand and the purpose of your video. This is all part of your brandspeak.

Don’t use distracting music. In fact, avoid using music in the background of you talking at all. You don’t want to pull the attention away from your information. And your viewers may get annoyed by it and click out.

Do consider using the same music to open and close all your videos. I do this here on the Fast Marketing Minute. It creates brand consistency. People associate it with your brand before the content of the video, or in my case audio, even begins.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. Are you looking for a brainstorm partner to grow your business? I’d love to be an adviser to your team. Email me at [email protected] and let’s get a date on the calendar.  Talk tomorrow!