Archive for February, 2009:
Marketing Using Social Networking Websites
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Connecting with Customers Without Spending
Social networking websites (Myspace, FaceBook, Twitter) have turned the information superhighway into a two way street, providing both information and interaction between businesses and customers. Like all market disruptive innovations, those that embrace the change early reap the most dramatic benefits.
Social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter can help restaurateurs touch patrons, expand customer base, drive business, and collect of customer feedback.
Social Networking Sites
Social Networking Websites allow people to use the internet to emotionally connect with others at no cost to the user. People use social networking sites to stay in contact with friends, family and to reconnect with old friends and classmates or business associates. Members have access to all the bells and whistles-without incurring charges. The members provide the content, and their advertisers provide the revenue.
The setup is usually simple and intuitive: anyone moderately computer savvy will be able to have a basic facebook page up and running in thirty minutes.
For Restaurant owners these sites can help you drive business by making customers a part of your restaurant family, keeping them updated at their convenience, and making facebook ‘friend’ status a value-add to your restaurant.
Once a social networking page is started the page owner can invite friends and customers to become linked, or be a ‘friend’. Address books can be automatically scanned and emails sent to everyone on your list. Limited distribution is also an option.
Social Networking Websites vary in focus. The following uses examples in the ‘Facebook’ terminology, but these functions are comon amongst all the social networking sites.
Once an Account is Set Up There are a Few Ways to Market Your Restaurant:
Each facebook account has page has room for photo ‘albums’, which can be used to show:
· Pictures of your staff: thereby making the customer feel more connected to your staff
· Pictures of your food: making visitors’ mouths water to entice them to come to your restaurant
· Pictures of events or customers: people like pictures of themselves
· Once Pictures of your patrons are input they can be ‘tagged’ so your customer is notified about their picture on your site: this helps drive business to your facebook page.
Each Facebook page has a section for ‘Notes’ that can be used to share:
· Recipes
· Wine information
· Food and Wine articles
· Links to your vendors
· Information about health, low calorie options, or organic foods
Driving business: Once the page is set up invite your customers and vendors to become your restaurant’s “friends” with the “Friend-Request” button. Once you have (for example) 50 friends you can choose to send a ‘note’ from your facebook inbox to all of your friends. Let everyone know your restaurant has set a goal of (for example) 500 ‘Friends.
In the announcement let the restaurant’s ‘Friends’ know that once the 500 friends goal is reached you will host an event, give a prize, or have a drawing amongst the 500 for something special. The prize can be (glass of wine) or a Facebook Happy hour on a traditionally slow night to celebrate with food and wine or three free hotdogs at the Super Bowl party. Bring a camera to the party and post the pictures in your facebook albums!
To lessen the expense vendors may provide product at a discount for being listed as a facebook Party Sponsor on all press releases and notifications.
Marketing with Status Updates: A status update for your restaurant is like a one line newsletter for the ADD generation. Members of Facebook provide ‘status updates’ about what is happening in their lives or that day or at that moment. Status updates are often funny or informative.
For example, at the top of my facebook page there is a fill in box preceded with the words “Greg is: _______. A few moments ago I wrote, “Greg is writing an article about social networking websites. This status change is visible to all my ‘friends’ registered on facebook and all are invited to comment on your status if they so choose.
Funny or interesting status updates get many responses. Food 101 could change their “Status” by saying FOOD 101 is: “is considering putting lobster on the menu for valentine’s day.” This kind of update can result in people commenting about lobster, which is good, but more importantly, in the mind of your ‘Friends’ Valentine’s day and Food 101 are now linked!
Status updates can also be used to build the anticipation for an upcoming event. For example, Meehan’s Ale House is: “Parking the beer truck, pitching the tents and getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day!” Since no solicitation is offered the ‘friend’s defenses are down, and may now be considering, changing their St. Patrick’s Day plans.
Status Updates can also include notifications about other items on your Facebook page. For Example the status update could be Food 101 Just Updated the Pictures from the Super bowl Party, or Food 101 Just posted the recipe for our calamari on our ‘Notes’ page.
Groups
Groups are separate web pages that users choose to ‘join’ that bring common interests or background. Any member of facebook can start a group. Facebook Groups can be a great place to advertise or get information. For example: the search for Organic uncovers 3 groups dedicated to Organic Foods with a total of about 13, 000 members. Any questions or suggestions about organic foods can be ‘tossed out’ to these groups. If a menu change results from the feedback from Facebook Groups then the press release for the spring menu may be much more interesting to read.
Like your company website, social networking sites can be a fantastic vehicle to communicate with your customers. Like all vehicles, the site needs maintenance. Daily checks on the status of your ‘friends’ lets you know of what is going on in the lives of your customers and may provide a chance for you to make a difference in their lives, and strengthen the relationship.
For example if your ‘friend’s’ status says ‘Greg is going to the hospital for the birth of my third daughter’ the restaurant owner could “Comment” on the status on the page by offering to send a first night home dinner for two to the husband, so he doesn’t have to worry about making dinner that night. This offer could have a big impact on the customer, and the offer witnessed by (perhaps) hundreds of patrons, who will talk about the generosity and thoughtfulness of your offer. In this case, unless your restaurant is located outside a Polygamist Compound, such an offer would not come back to bite you, and could go a long way to boosting your reputation as a caring neighbor.
What to Do When You are Put on Probation at Work
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
All companies have rules for their employees to follow. These rules cover things like attendance, job performance, insubordination, and work place attitude. A few others like honesty and integrity are thrown in the mix, too. All of these items show up on annual performance reviews and are rated from poor to excellent.
Probation Means that You have Violated the Rules
However, when you are put on probation or watch, it always means that you have exceeded the acceptable limits in one or more of these areas. The evaluation that comes with the written warning placing you on probation will generally explain what the violation or violations are.
You Will be Told Why You are Being Put on Probation
You will be asked to read over the material that is presented to you. Normally, an opportunity is given to respond both orally and in writing. You will have to sign the disciplinary form or risk immediate termination. A probation period can last from a few weeks to several months. The usual range is 30 to 90 days. Special rules always apply during this period.
Special Care and Special rules are Needed During a Probationary Period
When you are in a probationary period, you can be fired for any infraction of the more stringent rules. Often if you miss a day of work or have a tardy, it can mean that more severe discipline will be forthcoming. The next step after a probationary period is to receive some type of suspension without pay. These can range from 1 to 10 days as a rule.
During the probationary time, it is expected that the quality of your work will remain at a high or at least acceptable level. Your attitude toward superiors, coworkers, and clients will be scrutinized closely. A supervisor will watch how your overall attitude toward the company seems to be. Outbursts of anger will almost never be tolerated during this time.
A Suspension Often Happens During Probation
If you do end up going to the next level and receive a suspension, it nearly always means that you are being considered for termination. Do not regard a suspension as unpaid vacation. If you are wise, you will spend the time in one of two ways.
Use a Suspension to Prepare For the Next Step
First, do some self-evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses. Consider what was mentioned on your probation form. Try to build arguments why the company should keep you employed. If you believe you can improve and really would like to keep your job, map out a strategy for improvement. Contact your superior and request a meeting to discuss your future with the company.
Lay out your plan of correction and ask, not beg, for another chance. Be prepared to make some heavy concessions to the company. You should expect to be on an extended probation until you can prove that you are able to produce what you have promised. Try to be realistic. Do not promise to triple your production unless you know you can actually do it.
Get Ready to Find a New Job Just in Case You are Terminated
The second thing you should be doing during your time off without pay is polishing your resume. With a suspension from most companies, a termination is extremely likely to follow. While you are building your case for staying, the company is building a case to fire you. Because of this, you need to be prepared to find a new job.
Start networking with former coworkers who have landed jobs with other companies. If one or more of them has become a supervisor and you have a good relationship, you may have a job before your suspension ends. Most of the time, this will not happen. Use the days to apply for a job and hope for the best. You may get lucky and find a better job before your last paycheck arrives.
Steps Required to an Employee
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Most managers will tell you that it is critical to be able to hire the right people to be effective. Truly effective managers will tell you it is just as important to be able to fire the right people. For newcomers to management, hiring is a fun activity. Interviewing new candidates who are excited about finding a job is really quite enjoyable.
When you are hiring, you know that you will be helping someone either make a living or find a better way to do it. Firing, on the other hand, can bring terrible feelings that you are hurting someone. You may even lay awake at night wondering if you have made a family homeless or harmed children in some way.
The reality is that very few times are people fired because they have been an exemplary employee. The person usually knew the rules and expectations and failed to meet them. Often, it is because they did not take the work place seriously or give it enough priority in their life. Being fired from a job is a lot like failing in school. Teachers do not usually fail students. Students fail because what they did or did not do. Employees know what type of things will get them fired. Most go ahead and do it anyway.
As a manager, supervisor, or owner, it can become your job to terminate people who do not produce in the way that the company needs or demands. A few simple steps are needed to complete the firing process in the right way.
Document Attendance Issues
Tracking poor attendance is one of the primary ways that employees face termination. Record the dates of absences or tardies. Along with the dates, list the reasons given for the violation. Over time, not only will a pattern of poor attendance emerge, but the excuses will often be repeated over and over. It can become very apparent that the employees relative did not die 4 times. Terminating this type of employee becomes easy when this information is kept available.
Record Incidents with Other Employees
Some employees just seem to always be in the middle of every row. Disagreements on the job are common. However, there are people who attract this type of problem to themselves. When an employee can be branded as someone who disturbs the peace of the work place, it is time for them to be fired.
Keep a log of employee errors
Although everyone makes a mistake at sometime or another, when errors start to stack up on one employee, it may be an indication of a lack of interest in the job. It can also mean a disgruntled employee that wants to cost the company money and customers. By tracking mistakes, a weak employee can be identified and moved out.
Identify Thieves
Stealing should never be tolerated on the job. This is true whether stealing is from the company or fellow employees. Termination of thieves should happen sooner than later.
Once Files are Established, it is Time to Talk to the Person
Never confront an employee that you are considering firing until you are prepared. If you have done your job as a manager, you will be able to lay out your case for the employee. Most employees will see the pile of evidence against them and understand why they are being terminated even if they disagree.
This is a critical stage. A manager must hang tough until the process of termination is completed. Many companies have appeal processes that will reverse a firing unless the documentation is adequate to prove that it is more than a personality conflict. With the records handy, a good manager will have little trouble making a firing stick.
Internet Entrepreneur Online Learning Software
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of Top-Web-Entrepeneurs-Plan-It.com:
Internet entrepreneur online learning software nowhere to be found? Not any more. A proven online learning process is available here.
Advertising Your Blog In Your Email Signature
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
If you have a blog that you are particularly proud of, and that you want to share with other people, there are a lot of free ways that you can get your blog noticed.
One of those ways is something that you do everyday, and that you may not even consider as a way to share your blog. Put the link to your blog in your email signature.
Chances are that you send out emails more timese that you can count during the day, Each time you send out an email, you can advertise your blog by putting the address of your blog in your email’s signature.
It’s always a good idea to write something catchy like, See what I am up to now, or Read my latest chapter of my fanfic here, depending on what type of blog you have.
The thing to remember about putting an adveritsement in your signature for your blog is to make it short, but eyecatching.
You want people to be interested enough to want to click on it, but you also don’t want to scare them off.
Just like it is with any adveritsement, you want to give them just enough to be interested and take a closer look at what it is that you are advertising.
Think about what it is that your blog is about, What is really going to interest people abuot it and want to visit. That is what you should include in your signature, and that is what is going to get people to go to your blog.
Oscar Wilde Got It Right
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Yesterday I had the honor of being interviewed by Milana Leshinksy for her Coaching Millions Club and then the pleasure of teaching part one of a two module course with Jeff Herring focused on online branding and article marketing (you can still get the 90 minute info-packed audio AND attend Jeff’s class on 2/26).
Milana grilled me on why the heck a coach or any professional for that matter, should bother with social media. After the interview, this is the email I received from Milana:
Feedback like that makes me really happy!
OK, what does Oscar Wilde have to do with any of this?
Before I teach, I like to do some research, make sure I’m up on the latest ideas. I ran across a quote that sums up why every professional needs to be participating in social media in order to create online visibility and manage their online personae:
I often say that if you cannot be found on the web, then you don’t exist. The Wilde quote takes it a step further. If no one is talking about you, you don’t exist, especially in an age where everyone is talking about everything on blogs, Facebook, twitter…
Visibility = Opportunity
If you’re not visible…if you’re not dominating your niche…if people aren’t saying “I see you everywhere!”…then you’ve got some work to do.
I tell my clients and students that the more visibility you can create, the more opportunities you will have. Not just for attracting clients, but more opportunities for the media to find you and for joint venture partners to find you.
Yesterday I was quoted in an article on Newsday (circulation 400,000) about <a href=”http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzherz0223,0,5485247.story” target=”_blank”>small business <a href=”http://www.gordonwebbo.com/go/blogging”>blogging. The journalist found a blog post I wrote in 2006 when she was searching for information about how to create an effective blog. The article now puts me in front of 400,000 new people. Who knows who I may connect with as a result.
You don’t have to spend 10 hours a day chatting and posting on twitter to generate a lot of visibility.
Start with a <a href=”http://www.buildabetterblogsystem.com” target=”_blank”>business blog and post regularly and consistently to demonstrate your expertise. This strategy alone will begin generating visibility for you because your content will be indexed by search engines and start showing up in organic search results on your key words.
Set up a profile on Facebook. Post some photos and links to interesting useful content. Comment on the stuff other people in your community are posting.
When you’re ready, dive into twitter. Tweet your blog posts, share links, ask questions, answer questions, connect with people.
I guarantee your visibility will begin to increase and the opportunities will begin to flow to you. People will start talking about you and that’s the idea if you want to attract more business!
Related Post
<a href=”http://www.biztipsblog.com/2009/02/24-online-branding-tips.html”>24 Online Branding Tips
Home Study Business Course - A Dynamic Duo
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of Top-Web-Entrepeneurs-Plan-It.com:
A home study business course has many advantages. But most have major drawbacks. Quality, applicability, effectiveness. This course solves the problem.
24 Online Branding Tips
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
On Monday I’m co-teaching a two-module class with Jeff Herring on Branding and Article Marketing Secrets. I’ll be covering online branding on Monday, and Jeff will focus on using articles to extend your brand on Thursday. What I like to do when I prep for a class is put it out to my Twitter followers and get some feedback and input about the subject.
Yesterday and this morning I posted a few tweets:
I got a lot of great responses which I’m happy to share here, first from twitter…
I think you’ll see some themes emerging…
I also received a few responses on Facebook since my tweets get pushed into my Facebook status as well…
You think consistency is important?? 11 of 24 responses mention “consistency.” What would you add to this list?
If you want to learn more about online branding for you and your business, get the details and join me on Monday!
Home Study Career Courses - Where To Get The Expected Results
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of Top-Web-Entrepeneurs-Plan-It.com:
Home study career courses are invariably all full of promise. Few actually deliver in practice. The course I chose works, if you do as instructed!
Business Insanity Talk Radio Show - Social Media
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
