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Monday, October 4, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Tips For Twitter and Facebook
by Jim May, Senior PR Associate
First of all, apologies to those of you that read these and have been wondering where my last entry on social media has been. As those serving our target industry can attest to, IMTS wreaks havoc on schedules in the pre-show months. That said, with the show starting Monday, there’s a slight (very slight) lull before the storm. Let’s see if we can wrap this up.
Twitter
- First and foremost, know your audience. When you start building a group of followers, look at their profiles and see what other feeds they’ve subscribed to. Are they looking for a news stream? If so, what kind of news? Are they internal or external to your organization? Do they care about your company or your products? Are they just subscribing to everything they’ve ever heard of in the hopes of reciprocity building their own following? These questions are generic and just a start, but knowing what your followers want to hear will be vital to your success.
- Establish separate feeds for separate needs. Companies segment the market and offer different products to different targets. There’s no reason Twitter should be any different. Once you have a grasp on what people are looking for, set up separate channels so that people can get the info they care about without having you dominate their incoming Tweets. One group might only want info on upcoming seminars. Another might want your take on trends in your industry. Another might be looking for technical info on products. Maintaining separate feeds for people with diverse needs will pay off, even if there’s some overlap among groups.
- Remember to listen as much as you push. It’s entirely too easy to focus on what’s going out and ignore the true potential of Twitter. If your customers are there and they’re talking about your products, there’s no excuse for letting their comments float into the void unnoticed. In increasing numbers, large retailers are providing a great example of how Twitter can be used to identify customers with a negative experience and rectify their issues. Done properly, that’s a free tool for building customer loyalty that it would be foolish to ignore.
- Keep things interesting. This somewhat overlaps with the first two points, but seriously, keep your feed interesting. It’s better to post infrequent items that truly engage people than to spew out a stream of monotony with only the occasional island of interest appearing.
Facebook
- Go young. As mentioned in a previous post, while Facebook has users of all ages, they still skew young. On top of that, younger users are much more likely to accept your presence on the site as natural, rather than feeling like your company’s intruding on their personal life. When you generate content and pursue fans, keep the twenty- and thirty-somethings at the forefront of your mind.
- Ask yourself if people care. A lot of companies think that their customers will automatically find anything they post to be of interest. That couldn’t be more wrong. A lot of users don’t like it when anyone shows up “too regularly” on the front page of their news feed. Start posting 3 or 4 items a day about topics people don’t care about and they’ll start abandoning your profile en masse.
- Pay attention to what people like. This goes somewhat with the previous point. When you post comments, watch what topics generate comments or ‘likes’. If every post about one of your products looks like it’s playing to an empty house, re-focus your efforts onto topics that actually engage people.
Alright, that wraps up this series. Obviously, all of these entries have been designed to provide some food for thought and are little more than a starting point. There is worlds of data on social media vehicles out there, so if the topic interests you, please don’t just rely on something you read here. Do a little in depth research and maximize your chance at success. And feel free to contact me at may@dgsmarketing if you have any questions, comments or insults. Thanks for reading.
First of all, apologies to those of you that read these and have been wondering where my last entry on social media has been. As those serving our target industry can attest to, IMTS wreaks havoc on schedules in the pre-show months. That said, with the show starting Monday, there’s a slight (very slight) lull before the storm. Let’s see if we can wrap this up.
- First and foremost, know your audience. When you start building a group of followers, look at their profiles and see what other feeds they’ve subscribed to. Are they looking for a news stream? If so, what kind of news? Are they internal or external to your organization? Do they care about your company or your products? Are they just subscribing to everything they’ve ever heard of in the hopes of reciprocity building their own following? These questions are generic and just a start, but knowing what your followers want to hear will be vital to your success.
- Establish separate feeds for separate needs. Companies segment the market and offer different products to different targets. There’s no reason Twitter should be any different. Once you have a grasp on what people are looking for, set up separate channels so that people can get the info they care about without having you dominate their incoming Tweets. One group might only want info on upcoming seminars. Another might want your take on trends in your industry. Another might be looking for technical info on products. Maintaining separate feeds for people with diverse needs will pay off, even if there’s some overlap among groups.
- Remember to listen as much as you push. It’s entirely too easy to focus on what’s going out and ignore the true potential of Twitter. If your customers are there and they’re talking about your products, there’s no excuse for letting their comments float into the void unnoticed. In increasing numbers, large retailers are providing a great example of how Twitter can be used to identify customers with a negative experience and rectify their issues. Done properly, that’s a free tool for building customer loyalty that it would be foolish to ignore.
- Keep things interesting. This somewhat overlaps with the first two points, but seriously, keep your feed interesting. It’s better to post infrequent items that truly engage people than to spew out a stream of monotony with only the occasional island of interest appearing.
- Go young. As mentioned in a previous post, while Facebook has users of all ages, they still skew young. On top of that, younger users are much more likely to accept your presence on the site as natural, rather than feeling like your company’s intruding on their personal life. When you generate content and pursue fans, keep the twenty- and thirty-somethings at the forefront of your mind.
- Ask yourself if people care. A lot of companies think that their customers will automatically find anything they post to be of interest. That couldn’t be more wrong. A lot of users don’t like it when anyone shows up “too regularly” on the front page of their news feed. Start posting 3 or 4 items a day about topics people don’t care about and they’ll start abandoning your profile en masse.
- Pay attention to what people like. This goes somewhat with the previous point. When you post comments, watch what topics generate comments or ‘likes’. If every post about one of your products looks like it’s playing to an empty house, re-focus your efforts onto topics that actually engage people.
Alright, that wraps up this series. Obviously, all of these entries have been designed to provide some food for thought and are little more than a starting point. There is worlds of data on social media vehicles out there, so if the topic interests you, please don’t just rely on something you read here. Do a little in depth research and maximize your chance at success. And feel free to contact me at may@dgsmarketing if you have any questions, comments or insults. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Seasoned Marketer in a New Industry
by Amanda Borshoff, Account Coordinator
As my first month with dgs Marketing Engineers comes and goes, I’m taking this time to reflect on everything I have experienced and what it means to be a part of the dgs team, where technical marketing and public relations is our forte.
I came from a world of nonprofit and health care, so the transition into industrial marketing was a big one. However, it has been a fantastic fit for me.
With the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) on our heels, I’ve been able to dive right in. I’ve already learned a great deal about manufacturing and business-to-business marketing, client services and what it means to be a part of a premiere full-service marketing agency.
Already, I’ve played a part in developing print and advertising pieces, managing event logistics and assisting in the creation and execution of influential news articles and press releases.
In just a few days, I will be front and center as many of our clients introduce cutting edge technology and machining at the 2010 IMTS. Hope to see you all there.
As my first month with dgs Marketing Engineers comes and goes, I’m taking this time to reflect on everything I have experienced and what it means to be a part of the dgs team, where technical marketing and public relations is our forte.
I came from a world of nonprofit and health care, so the transition into industrial marketing was a big one. However, it has been a fantastic fit for me.
With the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) on our heels, I’ve been able to dive right in. I’ve already learned a great deal about manufacturing and business-to-business marketing, client services and what it means to be a part of a premiere full-service marketing agency.
Already, I’ve played a part in developing print and advertising pieces, managing event logistics and assisting in the creation and execution of influential news articles and press releases.
In just a few days, I will be front and center as many of our clients introduce cutting edge technology and machining at the 2010 IMTS. Hope to see you all there.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Business relationships start with being nice
by Chuck Bates, Director of Public Relations
Be nice to everyone. It’s as simple as that when it comes to establishing business relationships. By nice, I mean cordial, truthful, and fair with people.
Well-established relationships not only make for smoother more successful business transactions, they can also help in other aspects of your business career. If people feel they have a good relationship with you, they will go out of their way to treat you with the same respect that you have shown them.
Being nice to everyone, in my opinion, is important, especially in business, because you never know whom you’ll be working for tomorrow. That guy that just took the last cup of coffee and didn’t start a fresh pot could be your boss tomorrow. And do you want that business relationship to start with his thoughts of you being the person that chewed him out for not making coffee. I’m not saying to roll over and let people take advantage of you, just that there is always a tactful way to handle situations without leaving people with negative impressions of you.
People naturally want to associate themselves with people they get along with and who feel the same way toward them. In their mind, they have a good relationship with that person. They trust this person, and trust is a powerful tool in business interactions, especially when it comes to selling.
I was once told that there is no such thing as a “relationship buy” and that products and services should sell themselves based on strong brand awareness. I agree that products and services definitely should have the brand recognition and reputation of being better than anything else out there. But when it comes to that face-to-face between salesman and potential customer or service provider and client, a relationship/trust needs to be partnered with that amazing product or service being offered.
The one caveat to relationships is that they can take time to establish, and the business world doesn’t often allow the luxury of time. However, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Think of relationships as long-term investments that keep paying business-interaction dividends. Think of being nice as a sound business investment.
Be nice to everyone. It’s as simple as that when it comes to establishing business relationships. By nice, I mean cordial, truthful, and fair with people.
Well-established relationships not only make for smoother more successful business transactions, they can also help in other aspects of your business career. If people feel they have a good relationship with you, they will go out of their way to treat you with the same respect that you have shown them.
Being nice to everyone, in my opinion, is important, especially in business, because you never know whom you’ll be working for tomorrow. That guy that just took the last cup of coffee and didn’t start a fresh pot could be your boss tomorrow. And do you want that business relationship to start with his thoughts of you being the person that chewed him out for not making coffee. I’m not saying to roll over and let people take advantage of you, just that there is always a tactful way to handle situations without leaving people with negative impressions of you.
People naturally want to associate themselves with people they get along with and who feel the same way toward them. In their mind, they have a good relationship with that person. They trust this person, and trust is a powerful tool in business interactions, especially when it comes to selling.
I was once told that there is no such thing as a “relationship buy” and that products and services should sell themselves based on strong brand awareness. I agree that products and services definitely should have the brand recognition and reputation of being better than anything else out there. But when it comes to that face-to-face between salesman and potential customer or service provider and client, a relationship/trust needs to be partnered with that amazing product or service being offered.
The one caveat to relationships is that they can take time to establish, and the business world doesn’t often allow the luxury of time. However, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Think of relationships as long-term investments that keep paying business-interaction dividends. Think of being nice as a sound business investment.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Simplifying Technical Marketing
by Marc Diebold, President & CEO
I think it’s safe to say we’ve all known someone who is a really nice person but has the annoying habit of talking too much. We might end up feeling guilty about this, but what happens at times is that we sort of tune them out, and, in the process, maybe miss something really important they said.
It’s the same way with industrial marketing communications. Some companies simply talk too much and lose their audience’s attention.
This can take many forms…an ad with too much copy, a cluttered brochure with small pictures and type so small you have to strain to read it, or, my personal favorite, PowerPoint slides loaded with content.
When it comes to selling technical products, it’s often one or two compelling things that, if communicated effectively, can make the difference between a successful marketing project or campaign and one that fails to produce results.
So, next time you take on a communications project, try simplifying it by focusing on saying the things that really make a difference about your product or service. You just might get more people to listen.
I think it’s safe to say we’ve all known someone who is a really nice person but has the annoying habit of talking too much. We might end up feeling guilty about this, but what happens at times is that we sort of tune them out, and, in the process, maybe miss something really important they said.
It’s the same way with industrial marketing communications. Some companies simply talk too much and lose their audience’s attention.
This can take many forms…an ad with too much copy, a cluttered brochure with small pictures and type so small you have to strain to read it, or, my personal favorite, PowerPoint slides loaded with content.
When it comes to selling technical products, it’s often one or two compelling things that, if communicated effectively, can make the difference between a successful marketing project or campaign and one that fails to produce results.
So, next time you take on a communications project, try simplifying it by focusing on saying the things that really make a difference about your product or service. You just might get more people to listen.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
IMTS Right Around The Corner
IMTS is right around the corner, and several dgs clients are gearing up for a great show. If you're planning to attend, don't miss the chance to experience these great companies up close and personal. Visit these booths:
Exsys Tool - W-1474
GF AgieCharmilles - S-8754 and E-4440
Mazak Corporation - S-8300
MSC Industrial Direct - W-1464
OMAX Corporation - N-6228
REGO-FIX - W-2364
Sandvik Coromant - W-1500
As with every IMTS, dgs will be on hand to ensure that our clients have a successful show. We will be providing public relations services throughout the duration of the event, and we're working hard now on graphics, booth designs, web promotions and a slew of collateral material.
If we can help you, give us a call.
Cheers!
Exsys Tool - W-1474
GF AgieCharmilles - S-8754 and E-4440
Mazak Corporation - S-8300
MSC Industrial Direct - W-1464
OMAX Corporation - N-6228
REGO-FIX - W-2364
Sandvik Coromant - W-1500
As with every IMTS, dgs will be on hand to ensure that our clients have a successful show. We will be providing public relations services throughout the duration of the event, and we're working hard now on graphics, booth designs, web promotions and a slew of collateral material.
If we can help you, give us a call.
Cheers!
Friday, July 16, 2010
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