Fast Marketing Minute

If you aren’t doing video, then you’re missing out on some huge marketing potential. Video is watched by 85% of internet users each month and it’s way more captivating than text alone. And here’s a stat, 88% of marketers who use video are happy with their ROI.

So where do you start?

Stories are a great place to play with video. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook - try all three if they work for your brand and audience. Best part? If the stories don’t work, they’re gone in 24 hours. If they do, you can save them to your highlight reel (on Instagram at least). Stories last 10-15 seconds - up to 30. Have some fun experimenting with the graphics too.

Then, there’s Facebook Live. If you’re not sure about what to do here are a few suggestions; host a Q & A. Give a live tour of your office. Stream live from a big event. People want to watch because they have FOMO, so going live can help create instant buzz for your business.

Looking for something really simple? Use GIFs. They grab attention and almost everyone thinks their funny. So pick a funny one, ok? Don’t use them everywhere, but sprinkling GIFs into your social content and emails can grab attention. You can even make your own GIF on Biteable.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Hope is not a marketing strategy. If you’d like some insight on how to grow your business and meet important goals, get in touch with me at RobinSamora.com. Talk tomorrow!

Do you sometimes feel lost on what to do on social media. Well here are some ground rules to live by.

Be responsive. People want an answer, and they want it now. Not sure about how to respond? Ask your team to help get the answers as quickly as possible.

Let’s get back to your team. If one of your staff has a huge accomplishment, gets a promotion or   experiences a milestone event, share it on your company’s social media. The same goes for sharing positive customer reviews. Spread the love.

Get creative with your content. Add a graphic. Make a quick video. Create a poll. Ask questions. Switch things up. If you post the same types of things all the time, people will get bored And no one wants that. You’re supposed to be social!

You also want to make sure you’re posting often enough. At least 3-4 times per week. Daily is better for some platforms, but not for all. Don’t think you have to be everywhere all at once.

Also, don’t forget to interact with your following’s posts in an authentic way. It will make them feel special, like you care. And everyone loves that.

Most importantly, for social media to be effective, you need to measure your results. You can’t know what’s working if you don’t look at the numbers. It’s easy to figure out what content works best for you when you look at the metrics.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute, I love helping clients go from invisible to visible. From 1 to 1,000. If you want to get to know me a little bit better check me out on Instagram. I’m at @RobinSamoraPR. Talk tomorrow!

Creating a personal brand isn’t just important, it’s really important in selling yourself and your business to a potential customer. So how do you build a great brand, one that delivers results?

First, you need to become a resource that people like, know and trust. Post articles as a thought leader.  Give a talk as a subject matter expert to a local industry group and partner with groups that align with your values. Your LKT factor is based on your expertise and how you share it with the world.

Next, provide value to your following. Write blogs or record podcasts that can actually help your target market. Be a little less “yay me” and a little more “how can I help you?”

Don’t forget to walk the talk. Live your brand values and follow your own advice. Be consistent with your brand personality and all of it’s elements, online and in person.

That said, embrace your imperfections. We’ve all made mistakes in business and in life. We’ve all been up at 4 am worrying about something. Share what you’ve learned from these mistakes and experiences with your audience. It humanizes you and makes you relatable. Transparency is underrated. So important in building trust.

Lastly, do the Google test. Google yourself. Google your business. What comes up? Do you like it? If not, make a plan to change the conversation -- the search results.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. I love helping clients build their brands. If you need help building your expert status so you can get noticed, check out my website then email me directly at [email protected]. Talk tomorrow!

If you’re going to be in the public eye, you better get ready first. Your career could take off in an instant, so it’s best to be prepared. Famous words from a former Girl Scout.

First you need an iron-clad media base. Your website and social media showcase your expertise. They act as your 24/7 sales team, so make sure they look good. Keep social media G-rated… ok PG-13.

Learn how to write a great press release and have your media contact list pre-loaded in your email. Be ready to newsjack, that’s commenting on current news, at the drop of a hat, so you can be the first pitch in your contact’s inbox.

Next, show that you’re passionate about your business. People care about people who care. (I know that sounds like a Barbara Streisand song). Show your passion on stage and on every platform. It’s you and your brand personality TV producers are looking for. A media darling, not a media dud.

Lastly, if you want to be on TV, make your own video content. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to get better with time.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute, I love helping clients go from invisible to visible. From 1 to 1,000. If you need help promoting your brand, online and offline, shoot me an email. I’m at [email protected]. Talk tomorrow!

 

If your company is B2B, LinkedIn should be part of your marketing mix. I’m not talking about having a company page. I’m talking about YOU working to get leads on LinkedIn.

First you need to be active. Post content that your target audience is interested in. Articles, news, your thoughts on current industry trends. And interact with your connections by commenting on their posts and their promotions. (If you need inspiration, connect with me on LinkedIn!)

Build your network a few minutes each day looking at your “people you may know.” If you know them, hit the “connect” button, but first send a note. Don’t just add a bunch of strangers.

Look through your connections’ connections for qualified potential leads. Then ask your shared connection for an introduction or a referral. This is a great way to slowly build your lead list.

Spend 30 minutes per day, 3-5 days a week on LinkedIn to build your business. Put it on your calendar, so you won’t forget. Consistency is the most important part.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. If you’re looking for a fun and engaging speaker who loves helping people grow their business, call me. I’m at RobinSamora.com.      Talk tomorrow!

 

Sending a press release can be scary. If you make a mistake, you may be haunted forever. Kidding. Fact though, it will live somewhere in cyberspace.

Here are 4 common press release mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake #1:  You don’t include an about section. Provide a two or three sentence summary and history of your business so the media has context about your business. The more research a reporter has to do, the less likely you are to get a story published.

Mistake #2:  You include pronouns like “you,” “your,” “we,” and “us.” You want it to sound like someone else is writing the press release about you, so always write in the third person, except in your quote.

Mistake #3:  You don’t include a quote. If a member of the media doesn’t have to reach out for a quote, you’re making their job even easier. Plus, releasing a canned quote gives you some control over the tone of the article.

Mistake #4:  Your release is too long or too short. Keep it between 400 and 650 words. The sweet spot seems to be 450, which is about a page.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. I’m teaching a new course, How to Get Free Press with shortcuts I’ve learned over the last 20 years. If you’d like to learn more, email me at [email protected]. Talk tomorrow!

 

Sometimes companies jump the gun on press releases and sometimes they wait too long. Other times, they might not even send a press release. How do you decide if and when you should write one? Ask yourself these 3 questions.

Is it newsworthy? Consider the timing, significance, and human interest of the information. In short, will people outside of your company care?

Does it fit your brand message? Staying on brand and consistent in your messaging is critically important for your online and offline image. This press release will live on the internet -- forever -- so make sure you really want it out there.

And lastly, do you have the talent and experience to write a professional press release? If not, are you willing to pay someone who does? We can’t all be content superheroes. Me included. Sending something out that has improper grammar or even just a bad flow might get ignored, shoved to the bottom of the pile, or worse, published as-is.

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then do it. Write and send that press release and do it with gusto.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @RobinSamoraPR. Learn the marketing shortcuts to make your brand rock n’ roll. Talk tomorrow!

 

Consumers want to buy from a brand they like, know and trust. And now more than ever, we live in a society that thrives on connection and personalization, so give it to them.

Get people to like you through having a strong brand and a product or service you can stand behind. A great company story on your website can help, too. As you build your like, know and trust factor, you’ll also gain more business and believability.

Let people get to know you and your company through social media. Instagram especially is the perfect place to get a little personal. What are you up to? What’s going on in the office today? Did you get a surprise gift at your door? Was it a puppy? With almost 70,000,000 dog owners in the US alone, there’s definitely a dog friendly audience!

You can also earn trust through good customer service. Raving reviews and testimonials are your best friend here. Connect with happy customers and make them ambassadors for your brand.

L, K and T are linked, and they all build off each other.

If you want to get to know me a little better, follow me @RobinSamoraPR on Instagram and Facebook.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute, I write marketing and detailed action plans that work. If you need help growing your business, contact me at RobinSamora.com. Talk tomorrow!

BERT is the newest Google update, and it’s a big one. In short, Google now pays more attention to prepositions and looks at the importance of the relation of words within a search query. It’s a little technical, but let’s talk about how it’s going to affect your business.

In order to rank well with this roll out, you need high-quality super specific content. No more generalized titles like, “how to have a good website.” Instead write blogs about “how to use Yoast to optimize your webpages.”

Length isn’t important as long as the content is on point and isn’t stuffed with keywords.

Focus on long-tail search terms and answer the question quickly but fully. You want to write for Google. Play the game and you’ll be rewarded with better rankings and valuable traffic.

In the end you may lose some visitors, but the only traffic you’ll be losing are people who weren’t really searching for your content and probably wouldn’t have converted anyway.  So it’s a good thing, really.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. I’m all about marketing 24/7. If you’re looking for a strategic work session for your company, contact me at [email protected]. Let me know how I can help you and get your company back on track. Talk tomorrow!

 

Google+ may be dead, but Google My Business is alive and well and still a very important place to post. You don’t need unique content on GMB. Post what you’re using on social media.

Share sales and promotions. If there’s a sale going and you write about it, it may entice a customer or prospect to click. Think of Google My Business as basically a free ad or free publicity for your business. What’s not to love?

Highlight your products. Set up a cool “photo booth” to take pictures in. Write a short to the point piece about a new promotion or event. Let people learn more about your business with practically zero clicks.

What else can you post? Blogs, videos, podcasts, press releases. Offer a freebie. Share what’s new and relevant about your company.

But, no matter what you’re posting, use eye-catching images. The preview is small. You need to get attention. Use something simple and fun.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. I’d love to connect with you on Instagram. You can find me at @RobinSamoraPR. I’d love the follow! Talk tomorrow!