Fast Marketing Minute

Have a virtual event coming up and not sure what to do? Listen in for a few tips.

Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime, one thing we all have in common today is that we’re forced to get over being camera shy. With everyone in front of screens, how do you create a virtual event that will drive traffic, be engaging and memorable at the same time?

3 Marketing Tips to Create an Awesome Virtual Event  

1. Make your guest list count. You may want to invite everyone, but don’t. Invite the right people. Knowing your target audience is the first step. And knowing how to reach them to invite them is next. Is it with social media? A direct invite? Email? Who you invite is just as important as what you want to present.

2. Determine the best format. What don’t you get when you attend a virtual event? Personal interaction, of course! Sitting in a live 60-minute seminar with 100 people in the audience is different than staring at your screen for an hour. And that’s boring. Encourage people to use the chat feature, add giveaways and allow information to be available in an “on demand” format so participants can find the information they want when it’s convenient for them.

3. Make your audience want to tune in. It’s hard to substitute human interaction with a virtual presentation, but you can make your next online event a can’t miss event by asking well-known industry leaders and celebrity speakers to join you — plus giveaway cool stuff, too.

Despite the fact that you’re not in-person, virtual events can still be an effective way to teach, sell and engage with your audience. And a note to those of you who still aren’t virtual experts, like me, do the best you can. Be human, genuine, and always be yourself.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com, then schedule a call. Talk soon!

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Need to build a virtual marketing team? Here are some insights to help you get there.

Putting together a rock star marketing team can feel like an uphill battle when you’re sifting through resumes and meeting candidates in person. But when you can’t meet face-to-face, the decision-making process can be stressful.

Basically, you need a roadmap to build a virtual marketing team.

5 Ways to Build a Virtual Marketing Team 

1. Position Yourself with New Graduates to Attract Talent. Does your business offer a specific skill that you can use to teach and develop talent? Check out getting involved in classes where you might find  potential employees and future leaders.

2. Use Your Employee Networks. Has your team worked for another company in your industry? They may know other skilled workers. Don’t be afraid to ask if they have recommendations in their own networks for someone to hire that might be a good fit.

3. Keep a Record of Previous Applicants. If you’ve received 200 or more responses to your last job posting, remember you’ve screened or interviewed multiple candidates with potential. Remind them to keep an eye on future postings, even if you didn’t hire them. And always hang on to their resumes. The hiring environment can change quickly and you might want to go back for a second look.

4. It’s all about building relationships. Skills on paper can only show so much. It’s about as good as you’re going to get right now when almost everything is online. Do they fit in your company culture? Will they make a great addition to your team? Make sure to schedule interviews at least a few times and assign a sample project to see their level of expertise and what it’s like to work together.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com, then schedule a call. Talk soon!

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One of the best ways to get free publicity is to be a guest blogger. Here are some tips to pitch the right way.

4 Guest Blogging Tips to Market Your Brand

1. What’s your goal? OK be real. Why do you want to create content for other sites? Are you looking to be recognized as a go-to resource, drive traffic to your site, gain backlinks or align your company with a reputable site. Be clear on the reasons before you think about pitching — and do your homework well in advance so you’re prepared.

2. How do you find relevant blogs? Don’t waste time researching sites that don’t give you what you need. Be sure they cover topics relevant to your brand and industry. You can ask other industry experts, clients, colleagues, or do your own research using keywords. Try sites like Buzzsumo, SemRush and Moz that have a high domain authority.

3. Does the site accept guest articles?  Get on the website and take a look around for guest blogging guidelines. If you can’t find them, another way to find them is by reading article bylines. Contact the editor or look on LinkedIn if you come up empty handed.

4. Is your pitch on point?  Do you have a new perspective on a topic that’s relevant to their readers? Write a compelling subject line, get to the point in no more than three paragraphs, and bonus points for writing a meta description (156 characters or less) to show SEO relevancy.  And just a side point, never ever use exclamation marks in your pitch.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com and let’s connect. Talk soon!

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Building a brand can take your life from behind the scenes to in the spotlight. Listen to some key branding tips coming right up.

5 Marketing Tips to Build a Stand-Out Brand 

1. Build your online platform with a goal. What’s the purpose of your content? Make sure your message is authentic so you can build your brand from the bottom up with a solid foundation. That helps you stand apart from your competitors on social media and your own digital footprint.

2. Be consistent. If you have a logo or tagline, use them everywhere that’s appropriate in your branding. If there’s a question, refer to your style guide. Content should be aligned with your brand — and nothing too risky unless that’s what your brand is all about.

3. Don’t let the haters get you down. You can’t please everyone. I said it. Instead, direct your focus on who you want to attract as an audience and connect with them in a real way. Think about doing business with your ideal client and attracting them with your content and vibe. After all, a personal and business brand is a vibe and people will judge you on it. Good or bad. Make it awesome!

4. Engage to create brand loyalty. Have fans or customers who love your brand? Reach out and thank them! Encourage your readers or viewers to share the love online. Positive engagement, as simple as being warm and genuine on Google My Business, creates the possibility of creating a personal relationship.

5. Keep your eyes open. Are there brands that complement your own? Think about contacting them for co-marketing to enhance your brand identity and reputation. Do you follow a competitor? Keep an eye out for what makes them stand out. This can inspire you to do something different or take you to the next level of what you’re offering to stay current.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com and let’s connect. Talk soon!

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Is pop-up marketing right for your brand? Before you make that decision, listen to a few tips.

Is Pop-Up Marketing Right for Your Brand?

Who would have thought that the term “pop-up” would be something fun and exciting and a welcome change from an ad that you don’t want to see. A pop-up experience is basically a limited opportunity for consumers to experience your brand. It’s like a now or never event that creates FOMO. It might not happen again or you might not have the same access so act now or miss out!

Have an online business and looking to have a live experience? Or maybe you have a storefront and want to test your online presence? A pop-up can be a great way to find out how your customers will react and engage with your brand.

3 Pop-up Marketing Must-Haves 

1. Where will your pop-up be located? While there are restrictions with the pandemic, a live pop-up event is still possible. You just have to work out the social distancing rules with the venue you’ve chosen.

2. Think about your end goal. Do you want create positive engagement with your customers beyond how they usually shop with you? Are you looking to create a buzz with a sense of urgency? Do you want to test something new online? Timing can boost the success of your event, especially if it’s around a high-traffic holiday.

3. Tie it all together with social media. Whether you’re doing a live event or one that’s virtual, tie everything that happens with the pop-up back to your company’s website and create a social media plan that supports it. Keep it simple, straightforward and be creative. Take a ton of photos and videos too

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com.  Talk soon!

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Think that marketing is all you need to grow your business? What about adding digital PR to your marketing mix? Here’s what it can do for you.

Marketing Tip: 3 Reasons Why You Need Digital PR 

With all the focus on marketing, sometimes it’s easy to forget about getting PR and free PR is my specialty. How can digital PR help you?

1. Earned media is believable. It’s what other people say about you. It’s not about you tooting your own horn. It’s about third-party mention. You can’t buy that in ads — or least, you shouldn’t. The best kind of PR comes from someone else writing or talking about you. Build a strong brand, be authentic, and stick to your story.

2. Digital PR builds brand authority. When you’re sharing thought leadership, and doing it consistently, you’re building an expert platform that your prospects, clients, and other industry leaders notice. And, the competition notices too. Share your content, opinions, events and published articles or podcasts strategically on social media for to maximize digital PR and influence your audience.

3. Social PR impacts organic search results. Every time you’re mentioned in the press, you’re improving online visibility, organic search ranking, and back links. Use them wisely to promote your business and build credibility. The media pays attention to search results and when your name keeps popping up, that’s a thumbs up for a reporter.

Think big about your outreach strategies. Don’t just send press releases. Take a shot at newsjacking, create a list of podcasts to pitch, upload content to Google My Business, and post on your own media channels, consistently.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is no-cost and low-cost marketing. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com and let me help you grow your business.  Talk soon!

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Did you know that 80% of people read emails on their phones? Want to catch more of their attention and build your business? Here are three tips.

3 Tips to Beef Up Your Email Marketing 

1. Avoid long messages. Long and wordy sentences are tiring and no one wants to read them. How about adding an infographic to grab the audience’s attention instead?  You can find designers who specialize in creating infographics on sites like Fiverr.

2. Switch up your delivery. Try including a video in your next email. It doesn’t have to be professionally shot or edited. Keep it simple and keep it real. You can create short-form videos, under two-minutes, with your iPhone or mobile device.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for ideas. Reach out to your audience or colleagues and ask what they’d like to see. You don’t need to limit yourself to surveys. A virtual Q&A can help get the creative juices flowing even if it takes a little more of your time.

Remember that when you’re planning your calendar for the month, don’t overdo it. Too many emails or the wrong types of emails set you up for a ton of unsubscribes. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Is it informative, engaging, short and sweet, or another blah blah marketing push? Not sure, ask your trusted circle.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is no-cost and low-cost marketing. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com and let me help you grow your business.  Talk soon!

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Remember when the most important decision on Instagram was which filter to use? Now it’s all about videos to get more viewers. Want a tip to help you get there? Listen in.

Instagram has come a long way. You can go live and sell products — and videos are getting two times more engagement than Instagram photos. Add captions and you can get even more viewers.

Why Video Captions Make Marketing Sense

1. Captions provide content without sound. If you’re scrolling through social media at work or in a public area, and don’t have earbuds or headphones, you might not use sound. What’s interesting is that about 85% of Facebook users look at videos with the sound off.

2. Captions benefit viewers who use English as a second language. Anyone who’s watching can read your captions and understand what your video is all about. That makes them more inclined to stay till the end. You’re keeping their attention.

3. Captions work for the hearing impaired. People with a hearing disability can read your message. There’s no confusion about what you’re trying to say or your call to action. Viewers can understand exactly what’s going on.

If you’re not sure how to add captions, there are free and paid apps you can use to add them to your videos. Apple Clips, for example, lets you shoot a video and will turn your words into text automatically.

On Instagram, there’s a “Write a Caption” option before you post your video.

And, if you want to upload an existing video with captions, Rev.com offers a paid service that will add captions and let you preview them before posting to social media.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is no-cost and low-cost marketing. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com and let me help you grow your business.  Talk soon!

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The next time you’re doing a PR push you might want to consider this.

Ready for a PR push? You may first want to make sure your company’s social media house is in order. The focus on digital marketing has grown leaps and bounds with consumers on their devices more than ever.

What can you do to support your next public relations effort?

Before a PR Push, Do This

1. Make sure your website is up-to-date. You might not think this is super important, but your website is probably listed on every social media platform you’re on. Be sure the info reflects the messages you’re sending out via social and that they align with your purpose. Triple check for any mistakes, too.

2. Are you using Twitter? Love it or hate it. Twitter can be a valuable social tool when it comes to working with the media. Ok a few tips. Don’t be insincere. Engage often. And don’t be robotic.  You’re a human not a bot! You can also create an organic presence in newsfeeds with Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Reporters will be checking you out.

3. Company leaders should be on social media. Creating trust with your audience, consumers and media, is important and that starts at the top. You don’t need to use every platform. Pick one or two that works your brand and work it! Don’t just join to join.

Social media can be a tool to support your other PR and marketing efforts, as well. And, you can reach a wider audience beyond your immediate target audience. Just remember to be active in a genuine way.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com  and see if we’re a fit. Talk soon!

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Want some Zoom features to share with your marketing team? Listen in.

Zoom. Love it or hate it, it is one of the top video communication tools of the past year and it’s only gained more momentum. This week, a viral video showed a lawyer stuck on a cat filter in front of a judge.

Video chat is more than the conference room of today. It has a chat function that allows for interaction and idea sharing beyond just sitting in front of the camera. What’s that look like for your marketing team

Zoom Features for Your Marketing Team  

1. Share files in Zoom chat. That means you can share a document without sharing your screen.

2. Add emojis to express yourself. Whether you’re on a Mac or using Windows, you can access the standard emoji keyboard.

3. Then there’s private chat. Well sort of. You can send a message to a specific person without opening another app. If you’re in a group discussion and have a specific question or have a comment for a one person in particular, you can use this feature to stay on the call without looking down at your phone.

4. Chat transcripts. If you get into a chat discussion on Zoom, you can save the transcript as a text file for future use for marketing. If you’re tasked with taking notes, this is a tool you can use to share your notes without having another program open.

I’m Robin Samora with the Fast Marketing Minute. My passion is low-cost marketing to help you grow your business. Check out my website at RobinSamora.com and book a call to see if we’re the right fit. Talk soon!

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