Fast Marketing Minute

Not feeling social enough for social media? We’re all human, and it’s OK. But, your presence on social media does matter. When you’re in this kind of funky mindset and not particularly on your ‘A Game’ here’s what you can do.  Share what others are saying online, comment thoughtfully, and take time to visit the online groups you signed up for, but may have forgotten. Those groups could be on LinkedIn or Facebook, private forums, community message boards or sub-reddits that you’re interested in. You can also check out Quora.

If you’re on Instagram, it’s easy to scroll to see who’s following you or you can unfollow people without a ton of effort. Instagram is the perfect platform to be on if need some down time, but still want to stay active – assuming of course, you’re on Instagram.

Remember, a flower doesn’t bloom every day and neither do you. Take advantage of your energy highs and lows in business and in social media. Whatever you do, just make it count.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Want more insight on social media branding? Check out my blog, Robin’s Rainmakers. It’s just been recognized as a Top 40 Small Business marketing blog by Feedspot. Go to RobinSamora.com to sign up and stay up-to-date on the latest marketing and PR tips and articles. Talk tomorrow!

Hi, it’s Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute.  I’m your marketing and PR expert on Alexa, and here to help you grow your business and brand.

Want to get a better ranking on Google without spending a ton of money? Here are 3 ways to do that – for zero ad spend.

First, write great content that’s optimized for SEO. Blogs are a great example. Quality content drives traffic and improves your search rank. Second, get more backlinks. Backlinks are links from other sites to yours. They’re one of the most heavily weighted Google ranking factors. Incoming links from high authority domains bring in traffic and seriously improve your search ranking. And third, improve your website’s page speed to make it as fast as possible.

There you have it, 3 tips on how to improve your marketing and organic Google ranking.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Are you looking for feedback on your online branding? Reach out at RobinSamora.com and let’s book 15-minutes, it’s my treat. It’s my way of meeting you and seeing how I can help. Talk tomorrow!

If you do a lot of networking, you know that one of the most important people in the room is the event organizer. They usually have the inside scoop on who’s at the event, who the movers and shakers are, who you need to meet, and who to totally avoid.

If you have a particular event organizer in mind, make bonus points by asking them how you can help build their buzz. By offering to be of service, you just made yourself a willing partner and advocate who’s interested in the event organizer’s success – not just your own. Plus, you’ve started a relationship and made a connection with someone who may refer you new business or lead you to your next event or speaking gig.

What does Gary Vaynderchuk say – Jab jab jab right hook? Give give give and you’ll get. Make event organizers your best friend and they will always look out for you.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Would you like a cheat sheet on networking tips to grow your business?  Download my free copy of How to Work a Room without Being There. It’s at RobinSamora.com/HowtoWorkaRoom. Talk tomorrow!

Everyone knows that Google is the #1 search engine in the world and can help you find almost anything. And, if you’re a speaker, it can be one of your greatest research tools to find speaking engagements. Use Google to check out upcoming conferences that highlight your expertise and put you in front of your target audience. You can also check out who spoke at a major industry event last year or learn about new conferences that look promising.

When you’ve done all your research, write a short pitch to the event organizer in charge of the conference or event, and include a link to your website, a speaker one sheet if you have one with titles of your talks, some background information and don’t forget links to your social media. Every helping hand in promoting an event is important to an event organizer. In a sense, that’s part of your obligation, written or otherwise when you’re chosen as a speaker.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. If you’re a speaker, you’re also an expert and probably looking to build your online brand every chance you get. Ask me about my personal branding package for speakers – you can reach me at RobinSamora.com. Talk tomorrow!

Have you just written a book and need reviews? Here’s an idea. Send copies of your book to industry leaders and ask for their comments. To speed up the process, create a few sample reviews as an example, but suggest they customize it, so it feels like their own.

How will this help get free publicity? Influencers will be saying good things about you and aligning with your brand. It’s a win-win for both parties. And everybody loves free publicity.

So how do you find influencers in your industry? Check out Buzzsumo.com, do a search on Google, and don’t forget about micro-influencers. Depending on the genre of your book, you can also get reviews on sites like GoodReads, Book Riot and Kirkus Reviews – and I didn’t even mention Amazon. Plus, you can tap your list, social media fans, clients, and PWLY – that’s people who love you.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Reviews are important if you’re writing a book or running a business. Creating a review strategy is one of 20 different marketing and PR strategies I develop in a customized marketing plan. Reach out to me at [email protected] if you’d like to hear more. Talk tomorrow!

Are you familiar with National Today or National Day Calendar? You should be. They’re two websites that list significant (or not-so-significant dates) to help with your online and offline promotional plans. You can participate in established events, like Take Your Dog to Work Day, National Tooth Fairy Day, or even National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. Other designated weeks or months align with more serious causes, like National Bullying Prevention month and Breast Cancer Awareness month, both in October. Maximize your PR by aligning with these days (weeks or months) on social or in a pitch to local media.

You can create posts, social graphics, articles, write stories on how this “day or week” is important to you – or you can just have fun with it. Online and brick and mortar locations often create specific campaigns around the special day. Some marketers use it as a refreshing change up. Whatever you decide, take a look at the entire year and choose what you think best represents your brand. Just be sensitive to your audience to keep their trust.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Do you have a marketing idea or challenge that you’d like to talk about? Reach out. You can find me on LinkedIN @RobinSamora. Just mention Fast Marketing Minute so I know who you are. Talk tomorrow!

I’m your marketing and PR expert on Alexa, here to help you grow your business and brand. There’s never a been a better time to outsmart your competition than now. And a great way to do that is with Free PR.

Start tooting your own horn.

It’s not obnoxious or evil to be smart, talented, or an expert. Promote yourself in an authentic way, even if it feels uncomfortable. Get over being uncomfortable fast, and share content, events, and posts on your website, blog, social media, and articles. And don’t forget to use relevant hashtags, especially on Instagram. There’s so much going on with Instagram right now. HubSpot has a great publication that you’ll want to download. It’s their Instagram Engagement report and you can find it on HubSpot.com.  

Be sought out as an expert on a certain topic.

If you do just one thing, sign up for HARO Alerts.  HARO stands for “Help A Reporter Out,” and it does just that. Helpareporter.com is essentially a database connecting journalists and bloggers with expert sources, like you, allowing brands to tell their stories. Reporters may need help with content, a quote about a trending topic, or hey, even tips on “How to Get Free Press.” Sign up for HARO and respond to the query in a way that’s short, sweet, and on point. You may just get published!

Talk about what’s going on in your company.

Discuss industry news, breakthrough products or tricks of the trade. Use a tool like Buzzsumo to see what’s trending and tie your product and service to popular topics, and share content that’s hot. I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Download my free guide, 52 Marketing and PR Tips to Grow Your Business and Promote Your Brand at RobinSamora.com/52tips. Check out a year’s worth of free marketing ideas to build visibility, credibility, and of course, profitability. Talk tomorrow!

Even the most engaged follower will get disillusioned if you keep using the same-old, same-old social media content. Article after article, post after post is so boring. Try some new approaches. Ask for an opinion. Throw out a question and see who jumps in with an answer. People are naturally competitive, so it’s perfectly fine – in fact fun to shake it up with a quiz or contest. Even if you offer a silly prize, you’ll be surprised at the number of responses. People love to win! 

Jump on the brand wagon with day of the week hacks. #MotivationMonday. #Throwback Thursday. Check out NationalToday.com or NationalDayCalendar.com and see what national day aligns with your business —  like National Redhead Day or National Hug Your Cat Day. There are also national months that you may know, like National Bullying Prevention Month — but also Couple Appreciation Month and National Iced Tea month.

You can share short videos answering FAQs or how-to-tips, announce new products, special promotions or repurpose evergreen content with new graphics.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Have a burning question? Pick up the phone and ask. Reach me at RobinSamora.com. Just mention, Fast Marketing Minute so I can thank Alexa. Talk tomorrow!

Want to Grab Your Customer’s Attention with Guerilla Marketing Strategies? Let’s look at three.

Pop-ups

Ever think about a pop-up store as a fun and innovative way to get fast exposure? Ask a local business if you can set it up in front of or in their store, or purchase booth space at a popular local event. Bring only your best, favorite products (not your entire inventory), and think about including items that customers can’t normally get at your location to create FOMO, fear of missing out.

Geocaching

Create a geocache in front of your retail location. What’s geocaching? It’s basically a treasure hunt. A cache can be anything from a tube with a note to a large box with trinkets inside that people have left for you to find. Creating a cache is easy once you download the app.  You have to pay a membership fee of about $30 a year, but it could be a worthwhile investment, especially if you get a lot of traffic.

Geo-fencing

Geo-fencing marketing uses your phone’s GPS to give exclusive content based on your location and ad campaign. It’s incredibly affordable, effective, and easy to do. If you were an auto dealer, you could set up a geofence aimed at pinging buyers at a competing dealership. The more locally targeted your message, the better, especially if that’s where your customers are.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Here’s my offer today. Go to RobinSamora.com and schedule a 20-minute complimentary PR Evaluation for your business. Ideas are on me. Talk tomorrow!

Let’s face it. Social media posts can get boring if you don’t put a little zip in them. Zip for social media can mean creating graphics, adding video, and changing things up, often. One tool I love to create social media graphics with is Canva. With 10 million users strong, you’ll love their user-friendly platform. You can design images, covers for your social media pages, infographics, quotes and more. Depending on the platform you’re using, and the look and feel you’re after, there are ton of other options too, like DesignWizard, Piktochart, Befunky, Pixlr, Pablo and Lumen5

Social media graphics are an extension of your social brand and connect your target audience with your business, products and services. If you DIY, or hire a freelancer, make sure your graphics are consistent with your brand guidelines (color, fonts, style) as well as your brand personality (voice, tone, message). The point is, when someone sees your brand online, you want them to know it’s you.

I’m Robin Samora, host of Fast Marketing Minute. Download my free guide, 52 Marketing and PR Tips to Grow Your Brand at RobinSamora.com/52tips. You’ll get a year of weekly marketing and PR tips to mix and match – and grow your business. Talk tomorrow!