Rnordman

TORONTO – As the hype around RRSP season ramps up, it’s time to ask whether pushing a big chunk of cash into your retirement savings every winter is the best investment approach.

Some financial advisers say the tradition of RRSP season leading up to tax returns only encourages procrastinators to wait until the RRSP deadline — March 2 this year —before they contribute to their plan.

For everyone else, it’s smarter to set aside money on a regular basis through a pre-authorized withdrawal from their bank account.

“People are likely to save more by investing in their RRSP monthly and treating themselves like a periodic bill,” said Jason Abbott, an adviser at WealthDesigns.ca, a financial planning firm based in Toronto.

Depositing money on a regular schedule also allows investors to take advantage of a practice called “dollar-cost averaging,” considered by many as a better way to boost investment value and avoid market volatility.

Since stocks and commodities generally grow over time, the thinking goes that by saving each month investors will increase their odds of buying into the stock market when values are lower.

While the concept isn’t new, the practice is catching on.

A new study from the Bank of Montreal released Thursday suggests that more Canadians have set aside money early for their RRSPs this year.

About 42 per cent of Canadians surveyed told they bank they had already contributed to their RRSP by mid-November 2014. That’s an increase of seven per cent from the prior tax year when the average amount contributed to an RRSP was $3,518, the bank said.

With all of that money being set aside, it’s important to keep tabs on how it’s growing, financial advisers say. Just because the process is automated doesn’t mean you should let your investment do all the work for you.

Ensure your monthly withdrawals keep pace with what you’re bringing home. Advisers suggest contributions amounting to about 10 per cent of annual income.

Also, consider your goals with the help of a financial adviser, rather than just throwing money into the savings vehicle.

A lot of Canadians simply put their money into an RRSP and don’t ask enough questions, said Chris Buttigieg, senior manager of wealth planning at BMO Financial Group.

“What I’ve encountered is people say they’ve contributed to their RRSP and the funds are just sitting there in a savings account,” he said.

Buttigieg suggests investors spend more time understanding their retirement savings plan and which investment vehicles they’re using, such as stocks, bonds or mutual funds.

Another common financial blunder is taking money out of an RRSP to pay debts or make big purchases.

In most cases, there are better ways to access money without tapping into your retirement savings, which can result in a big tax impact, Buttigieg said.

For shorter-term goals, consider platforms like a Tax-Free Savings Account, which is flexible and doesn’t have the same financial penalties.

“You really need to make sure you’re allocating your funds appropriately between those two,” Buttigieg said.

Aside from the obvious retirement savings, an RRSP also gives Canadians a certain degree of flexibility in their financial futures.

Tapping into an RRSP for the Home Buyers’ Plan gives first-time home buyers the opportunity to withdraw up to $25,000 for their down payment.

Another program is the Lifelong Learning Plan, a government resource designed to help Canadians finance their education. The program allows withdrawals up to $10,000 per year from an RRSP, to a limit of $20,000, for either yourself, a spouse or common-law partner who’s going back to school.

“It’s not just about long-term retirement,” said Lee Helkie, an adviser and one of the founders of Helkie Financial & Insurances Services Inc.

“You’re also providing yourself with options.”

Follow @dj_friend on Twitter.

The post RRSP season can be counter-productive to proper saving, advisers suggest appeared first on Canadian Business.

As we hit the middle of this decade, B2B buying behavior is about to undergo more
significant changes. It will change not only in whom we identify as buyers, but also in how B2B buyers interact to make purchases. Last year, in well over one hundred buyer interviews conducted on behalf of several B2B organizations involved in buyer persona research, noticeable changes began to emerge.

B2B Buyer – Getty Images

As opposed to a quantitative survey, this represents a qualitative narrative on what as well as how buyer behavior in 2015 may be different. And, what B2B marketers and sellers can prepare for.

Here are qualitative observations, which may help you in your planning for 2015:

Rise Of The B2B End User

Technology and flatter B2B organizations are reshaping the dynamics of the B2B end user. Leaders are left with little choice but to empower end-users to make more autonomous choices. We are seeing more and more virtual end-users as well. A snippet for you:

“We’ve had to streamline and this means more of our agents working from home virtually. What goes along with this territory is giving them more freedom to do what they see makes them more productive.” Senior Director, Support Services

And, as noted in previous articles, end users are now offering consumer-like reviews online on the use of services and systems.

Digital Prowess

Demographically, B2B buyers are shifting. According to a recent Google/Millward Brown Research study on B2B purchasing behavior, nearly 46% of B2B end user buyers are in the 18-34-age bracket. The research further concluded nearly 72% of influencers are under the age of 45. In my buyer interviews, while there was a distinct difference in the age of decision-makers, influencers and end users clearly exhibited a higher comfort level in digital interaction and prowess. Here is a snippet of insight for you:

“Keep in mind we’ve expanded quite a bit in the last few years. But in doing so, we’ve made our workforce much younger. And – I can tell you – there are differences. From an HR perspective, an unexpected dilemma, and I guess you can say we underestimated this, is that of how to make the digitally savvy younger employee work well with – say our long-term employees of 15 or 20 years.” VP, Human Resources

Soon, we will be dealing with B2B buyers who work without walls and conduct most of their work digitally. B2B businesses will need to be ready for more digital interaction as the younger end users mature into influencers and decision-makers. And, being ready also means being ready for end-users, influencers, and decision-makers who make spontaneous searches for information with mobile devices.

Meaningful Information

B2B buyers want more meaningful information. The content marketing blitz of the last few years is having an impact. And, it may not all be positive either. Among influencers and decision-makers, the need as well as want for information is important. However, information lacking meaning creates frustration:

“I am bombarded with information and promotions daily. To the point you just have to ignore it. For some of the vendors we use, I have gotten into the habit of just deleting their emails automatically. When I need to know something I will just ask.” VP, Operations

In 2014, I posed the question: are you marketing content or are you content marketing? This is still a valid question heading into 2015.

Do Not Like Hurdles

What emerged out of these qualitative buyer interviews is B2B buyers want for meaningful information upfront and without having to jump hurdles. Part of B2B DNA over the last few decades has been to “reel” in the buyer slowly. Where it is presumed a stage-by-stage occurrence takes place each and every time. Where B2B buying behavior is heading is a demand for more openness and transparency – upfront. Here is some base level insight into this phenomenon:

“You know what I get sick and tired of? Either when I visit their web site or call, I feel like I have to go through an interrogation each time. To get the information I am looking for, I always have to fill out a form or answer a series of questions. Don’t they realize what a turn-off this is?” Senior Director, Integrated Services

What this and other types of statements indicate is B2B buyers are saying – stop making access to information like the 400 meters hurdles in track races.

Buying Processes and Buyer’s Journey Are Collapsing

B2B marketing and sales are fixated on processes, stages, and journeys. It provides a neat way to compartmentalize questions, sales approaches, and content. In the modern digital economy, these approaches are collapsing rapidly. The interesting B2B buyer behavior development is we have more people involved in complex B2B buying yet it is done in a flatter networked environment. Here is a snippet to provide a sense of what this means:

“We used to have this very complicated process before. We would have committees, forms, and dog and pony shows. Now, no one has time for that. We are all networked with shareable files and people can get their say in quickly. Obviously for very significant purchases, like $2 million, there is going to be due diligence and what not. But, for the most part, we’ve tried to make purchasing networked and efficient.” VP, Supply Chain Management

B2B buying behavior is moving away from process-oriented buying to networked-oriented buying. Whereby B2B organizations are moving from committee-based decisions to networked-based decisions. This is a huge development, which will ultimately radically reshape current thinking in B2B Marketing and Sales.

What This All Means

One way we can summarize these buying behavior trends is through the term – networked collaboration. The B2B world is moving from a world of “us” and “them” to a world of “we together.” B2B marketing and selling organizations will need to adapt to new expectations of less hurdles, more transparency, networked interactions, and collaborative environments.

Not adapting to these new expectations could very well mean B2B companies can find themselves referred to as “them” instead of “we” – and that could be quite a lonely place.

(One of the dynamics B2B will be faced with is the changing dynamics of how work gets done. Here is an entertaining video featuring Jason Fried, Co-Founder and President of 37Signals, on why we need to think differently about work in the 21st century. Enjoy!)

You have been chasing this account for six months and feeling optimistic as the buying process is coming to a conclusion. The sale is between you and two other firms. The competition is fierce, but you feel you are ahead. At 11am, the Procurement Agent asks for three references to be provided to her by the end of the day. In a panic, you send a company-wide email in search of these referenceable clients. At 4:58pm, you get the three references from your colleagues and quickly send them out to the Procurement Agent. Whew! Mission accomplished! They wanted three references and you got it done. And so did everyone else. You see the finish line, forgetting that many a sales person has fallen one step short of winning.

This scenario plays out in companies every day across the country. It doesn’t matter if the company is big or small, nor does it matter the type of industry. The request for references is a standard part of any buying process. However, few sales people use the reference stage of the process to their strategic advantage. They simply desire to provide a quick response to the prospect with their requested references. In the mind of the sales person, the speed of the response communicates supplier performance. While somewhat true, the discussions the prospect will have with the references carries more weight in the selection decision than the speed of the response from the potential supplier.

When I talk to sales people, one of their most common gripes is that they are selling a product that is viewed as a commodity in the marketplace. They cite “price” as their biggest bugaboo. Right behind that they lament about their inability to differentiate their product. (The truth is that price and differentiation are directly related, but that is a topic for another article.) When I ask sales people if they would like to learn of an easy way to get a competitive edge, they are all ears. After I share with them that they have the ability to differentiate themselves through managing the reference selection process, they look at me in shock as they can’t believe they have been missing this opportunity. Then the stories start to come out. “Yeah, I lost a deal because they called the reference and we had just screwed up their order. I should have checked before I used them” The stories just continue from there.

But why do prospects ask for references? Webster’s defines “reference” as someone who can make a statement about a person’s qualifications, character, and dependability. Interestingly, there is a perception disconnect on references between sales people and prospects. When I talk to sales people, I usually hear that references are just a standard part of due diligence. Some use the term “rubber stamp” of an award. However, when I talk to buyers, I hear a very different message. Many buyers look at the reference step of the buying process as their opportunity to validate the message that they have been hearing from the potential supplier. In essence, prospects are searching to ascertain whether a supplier can deliver on the promises made during the buying process. Can the supplier really handle this size account? Are they really that fast? Or that accurate? Is the service as good as they described?

In many cases, the change of provider carries with it the ownership of the supplier’s performance. If the new supplier does not perform to the expectations that have been represented, there is risk for those who selected it. Heads will roll! Sometimes, prospects ask the same questions of the reference that they asked of the sales person to see if there is a difference in response. Other times, they ask specific questions relative to their needs that may not have been shared with the sales person. For the prospect, this is their most critical evaluation step of a supplier’s expected performance.

It is the little things that winning sales people do that makes them winners. So, if all of the competing sales people are going to provide “good” references, can you provide the “best” references? You most certainly can! However, there is a process to do so as “best” is different for each prospect.”

The first step is a conversation with the Procurement Agent. “I received your request for references and I’m happy to provide them. So that I can provide you with the references that best support your initiative, what are you hoping to learn from our clients?” If you can gather that information from the Procurement Agent (don’t say it can’t be done until you try it), you have the roadmap to identifying references. Even if they can’t or won’t provide you with this information, you have at least shown that you care. And “care” can be the differentiator that pushes you across the finish line. All is not lost if you can’t get that information either.

Going forward by taking a step back, think about the account and what is important to them. Reflect on what was learned during the needs analysis discussions. Thinking about that, imagine a different approach to responding to the request for references. If they were concerned about implementation, you provide an account that your company recently implemented. Perhaps, the decision is being made by a CFO, and you provide a reference of a CFO from one of your clients that can speak to your performance. For the third reference, you provide a client that is purchasing the same amount of the same product. From the prospect’s perspective, how great is the opportunity to speak to three clients who can relate to their needs. They are able to gather the information they desire from someone with whom they share something in common. They feel confident in their ability to perform due diligence on their potential supplier. They can make an informed decision.

To take it a step further, imagine rather than simply sending the contact names and phone numbers to that Procurement Agent, you provide a brief narrative explaining to what each client was serving as a reference. How many sales people are doing that?

Still raising the bar, imagine contacting each of the three references and informing them that a call was coming their way to discuss your performance as a supplier. During that call, you share that this prospect is calling to discuss particular areas of the business. Thus, when the prospect calls the reference, the reference is expecting the call and is prepared for the conversation. What a great experience for your prospect and your client. Keep in mind, one great way to burn a relationship with a happy client is to surprise them with a reference phone call. No one likes to be blind-sided or unprepared. I’ve seen more than a few opportunities lost where the prospect cited the reference experience as the deciding factor. An unprepared reference reflects negatively on the supplier.

In a competitive marketplace, every opportunity that you have to demonstrate value to a prospect is critical. Leveraging the reference step of the process can give you just that little edge that pushes you over the top.

Lee B. Salz is a leading sales management strategist specializing in helping companies build scalable, high-performance sales organizations through hiring the right salespeople, effectively onboarding them, and aligning their sales activities with business objectives through process, metrics and compensation. He is the Founder and CEO of Sales Architects, Business Expert Webinars and The Revenue Accelerator. Lee can be reached at lsalz@SalesArchitects.net

Every brand wants more website traffic.

After all, more traffic can improve sales and generate company growth. The key is to attract the “right” traffic. If you interact better with your audience, provide content that your visitors want to share, and help online shoppers make informed and satisfying purchase decisions, your website traffic will improve. If you have recently lost search traffic and are looking for new ways to attract relevant visitors, read on.

1. Enhance your content to make it shareable

High-quality shareable website content should be the foundation of of your site. It must consist of information that your visitors will want to pass on to others because this will:

• Increase brand awareness
• Improve relationships with your audience
• Appear more in search engine results
• Cultivate stronger trust from search engines
• Build authority and thought leadership in your field
• Reduce bounce rates and increase the amount of time visitors spend on your site

Did you know that content marketing creates 3 times more leads per dollar? Some other helpful metrics to consider:

• Consumers spend 50% of their time online engaging with custom website content
• 61% if consumers say companies that deliver custom content make them feel good, and that they’re more likely to buy from them.
• 78% of consumers believe that organizations which offer custom content are more interested in building relationships with customers
• Among business decision makers, 80% prefer to receive information via a series of articles instead of advertising

Readers share content that they connect with in a personal way. Your strategy should revolve around creating content that will generate sharing. Some tips::

• Write about “human” topics. The most highly-shared content is about lifestyles, homes, food, home life, news, and business/technology.
• Pay attention to words commonly used when people share content on social media sites. Check out this list to see which ones to incorporate in your messaging.

2. Generate engagement via comments and discussions

Your website content — articles, blog posts, images, etc. — should enable visitors to comment. This feature facilitates potentially valuable interaction and engagement with your target audience.

Your visitors will leave comments for 3 reasons:

• They want to thank you for your post
• They have a question that they hope you can answer
• They may be trying to see how responsive and communicative you are

In the world of B2C marketing, it’s imperative to participate in these conversations. Leaving your audience hanging is a missed opportunity to generate traffic, good will, and sales. Your strategy should be to cultivate the discussion because:

• Your topic is relevant to your visitors. The purpose of your website should be to share helpful information and stories that create value for your users.
• You have authority. If you know your product inside and out, you’re in the best position to deliver what your audience wants or needs.
• You have a community of interested people. The fact that someone takes the time to reach out to you is important — don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
• Your conversations can drive more traffic. Search engines usually index comments and their keywords, which leads more people to your site, and most systems enable users to subscribe to discussions and track follow-up comments in each thread.

3. Optimize your e-commerce category pages

Category pages on e-commerce sites usually include only a couple of sentences or link to subcategories. Optimizing these pages can help them rank for short and mid-tail keyword phrases and drive more traffic. Your strategy should be to invest in a long-term SEO and content strategy.

Descriptive or introductory content on category pages should be optimized so they:

• Help users understand what types of products are available within the category — and their benefits.
• Assist visitors with website navigation
• Build your brand’s credibility and strengthen buyer confidence

Interesting facts:

• Mobile and YouTube are 2 of the fastest-growing traffic sources for e-commerce sites
• 65% of website traffic to stores comes from iPhones and iPads, so it’s important to optimize for mobile
• E-commerce marketing campaigns should be rolled out during the week when most people read their email

It’s important to focus your marketing efforts on returning traffic because returning visitors spend an average of 5 minutes and 31 seconds on e-commerce sites, while new visitors stick around for and average of 2 minutes 31 seconds.

Check out the other helpful information in the infographic below from SuperFastBusiness.com.

What have you done to generate more website traffic? Please share your strategies!

Internet marketers know all too well what Google has been preaching for years – content is king. It’s what drives the web and it’s the reason for the massive reach the Internet provides – in excess of one billion daily users. These users have traditionally used the Internet as a means to acquire information; to learn more about a topic, get some advice on dealing with a situation, find out more about a product or service, etc. Even social media – which has more than its fair share of valueless content – exists to provide users with information that interests them; even if it’s the most mundane and trivial thing (i.e. your friend Amanda that you haven’t spoken to in 5 years just had a tuna fish sandwich for lunch or that Paris Hilton just picked her tenth “BFF”). The bottom line is – users will go wherever the content they’re interested in is.

How to get users interested in your content

The next logical question would be; how do I do this? How do I get users interested in what I have to say?

For starters – you would obviously want to talk about something that interests the people whose attention you’re trying to get. If, for example, you’re trying to attract technology enthusiasts to your website, blog, or landing page, you’ll need to talk about things they’re interested in (iPhones, Google’s latest fad, etc.). Simple enough, right?

The problem facing most content creators (and users too) is the overwhelming myriad of boring, irrelevant, stolen, or just plain bad content lying around in cyberspace. Google does a decent job of putting the best and most original content at the top of its results by assessing the value of the content produced by the various websites it finds. They do this in a variety of ways (hundreds of ranking factors in fact) but your priority as a content creator should be to create content that has high value to your users. History has repeatedly shown that it works much better (for conversions and for search engine optimization) to work on making your readers happy than to try gaming Google’s search algorithms.

Creating Value

So how do we create value? Or – better yet – how do we define value? In the strictest sense of the word – value is about what your content brings to the table (metaphorically speaking). What do your users get out of reading your content? A common misconception is that content needs to be factual and almost academic in nature to have any real value; but, if this were true, the endless list of successful websites that talk endlessly about pop culture (Justin Bieber’s latest antics for example) would almost seem to defy logic. Obviously there’s a bit more to it than that.

Value-added content is content that improves the user’s experience in some way. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about providing information that they need (though this a probably the most significant niche and the easiest to “break into”). It doesn’t even have to involve telling them anything they don’t already know! Sometimes you can create value with your content simply by writing in an engaging way that presents facts they’re already familiar with in a newer, or funnier, way. Political blogs or music critic blogs are a good example. Even your original opinion (especially when expressed in a way that appeals to your target audience) can make your content incredibly valuable to your readers – and this will make them happy.

Why You Need to Make A Priority Of Adding Value To Your Content

So, finally, why do you need to do this? Why do you want your users happy? I know it almost seems like a rhetorical questions but let’s look at all the lovely things happy users can do for you.

1. Sharing. Surprised to not see conversions at the top of this list? Yes – conversions are important (especially if you’re a marketer reading this) and we’ll get to them later; but my experience as an internet marketer and blogger and shown me that getting your content shared on social media holds almost immeasurable value for any kind of campaign. Content that goes viral across the various platforms (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc.) can drive hundreds, thousands, or even millions of users to a previously unknown website or blog almost overnight. I’m not exaggerating here… Ask any web hosting provider about the time one of their servers went down because some little blog with an average daily readership of a few hundred at most got a million hits in a day and brough their shared web server down. Fortunately, most web hosts are better at handling this kind of thing so you won’t have to worry about that.
2. Conversions. Yes – this is super-important if you’re a marketer. Happy readers are more likely to buy stuff, sign up for stuff, join stuff, or whatever else you’d like them to do than bored readers (who are far more likely to hit that back button after giving your boring article a scathing look of disgust) Okay maybe not quite so dramatic but you get the idea… More conversions usually mean more income which is always great. What’s even better, though, is when you can combine a high conversion rate with an equally high share rate on social media. You can literally bank on that being one of the best experiences of your life – pun definitely intended.
3. Return Visits. Finally, happy users that love your value-added content will bookmark your page and come back on their own. Reader acquisition can be expensive so it makes a lot of sense to make sure that the visitors you do get have every reason to stick around.

It makes a lot of sense to think of your content as a product. The best companies invest time, energy, and (often) money in perfecting their products because they know the importance of staying ahead of the competition. Your goal needs to be providing the best content available in your niche – the kind of content that gets you talked about and adds value to your brand’s online presence.

TORONTO – U.S. retailers planning to cross the border can learn some valuable lessons from the failure of Target that announced Thursday it is shutting down its 133 Canadian operations just two years after its much-anticipated launch.

Canadians, who had high hopes for the discount retailer known for its broad product selection and low prices, were underwhelmed when they discovered bare shelves and less-than-impressive pricing in the new locations.

It all speaks to the importance of understanding the Canadian market and making a good first impression, says Doug Stephens, the founder of consulting firm Retail Prophet, in Toronto.

“You’ve got to deliver on customer expectations or exceed them,” says Stephens.

Target’s missteps could serve as a cautionary tale for other U.S. retailers making moves into Canada, experts say.

Nordstrom recently launched in Calgary and is set to open locations in Vancouver and Ottawa this year. The company will open three stores in Toronto in 2016 and 2017. Meanwhile, Saks Fifth Avenue will open its first two Canadian locations in 2016

Saks Fifth Avenue, which was acquired by Hudson’s Bay Co. (TSX:HBC) in 2013, is slated to open its first two Canadian stores in Toronto in 2016.

Although the luxury retailers are catering to a different demographic than discount chain Target, Stephens says they would do well to heed some of Target’s hard-earned lessons.

“Anyone who lives in Canada and has shopped in a Saks Fifth Avenue store or in a Nordstrom store has an expectation that service is going to be absolutely outstanding, that the products are going to be merchandised beautifully and that the quality of everything is going to be wonderful,” said Stephens.

“The Bay has a lot at stake here … They can’t afford to let the Saks Fifth Avenue customer down. If they do they’ll lose them forever. And Holt Renfrew will simply sit there with its arms folded and say, ‘See we told you. You never should have left us in the first place.’”

Retail analyst Mark Satov says the biggest lesson for U.S. retailers considering venturing north of the border is to test the market first by expanding at a gradual pace, rather than opening a huge number of stores all at once.

“You dip your toe into a new market and you learn, while controlling the potential loss,” Satov said.

“I’m sure they did their customer research, but there’s only so much you learn from a piece of customer research until you get to market and test.”

The post Target’s failure as a lesson for other U.S. retailers eyeing Canada, experts say appeared first on Canadian Business.

TORONTO – Less than two years after Target Corp. threw open the doors of its first Canadian stores with grand expectations , the discount retailer is retreating back to the United States in defeat.

The Minneapolis-based company said Thursday it has decided to wind up its money-losing operations in Canada, a move that affects 133 stores and 17,600 employees across most of the country.

“After a thorough review of our Canadian performance and careful consideration of the implications of all options, we were unable to find a realistic scenario that would get Target Canada to profitability until at least 2021,” said Brian Cornell, who became the U.S. company’s chairman and chief executive last year, in the announcement.

While many retail analysts have anticipated Target’s exit for months, the move raises new questions about how the company’s absence will reshape the retail landscape.

Before its launch, Target was once considered the biggest threat to Canadian businesses, partly because its reputation with consumers was unique. Many Canadian shoppers would trek south of the border to wander the aisles of U.S. Target stores in search deals and products they couldn’t find at home.

But when Target arrived in Canada the story wasn’t the same, as complaints flooded social media about empty shelves, high prices and a selection that fell short of expectations.

Target waited until after the holiday shopping season to determine whether there was any hope in turning around its fumbled plan to become a national retailer that aspired to compete with the likes of Walmart, Canadian Tire (TSX:CTC.A) and Hudson’s Bay Co. (TSX:HBC).

“They have the holiday results by now, and they know how much they lost for the year,” said Antony Karabus, chief executive of HRC Advisory, a firm that consults with retailers.

“That’s the time to make a decision.”

Target Corp. will record about US$5.4 billion in pre-tax losses in its fourth-quarter with most it related the Canadian operation.

The company said it would provide US$175 million of credit to fund Target Canada’s operations while it winds down under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, or CCAA, which is one of the Canadian equivalents to the U.S. Bankruptcy Act.

RBC analyst Irene Nattel said it is unclear who would be in a position to take over Target’s 133 stores.

“In our view, there is unlikely to be any single operator that takes over the leases, the location quality of which is mixed at best,” Nattel said in a note.

“Rather we could see existing retailers including Wal-Mart Canada and Canadian Tire perhaps picking up selected locations.”

Target says the stores will remain open during a court-supervised liquidation period and it’s working to ensure employees are paid at least 16 weeks of severance.

The company says it will also work with an adviser to sell its real estate and expects to spend between US$500 million and US$600 million in cash to end its Canadian operations.

Follow @dj_friend on Twitter.

The post Target Corp. checks out of Canada with plans to wind down 133 stores appeared first on Canadian Business.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Americans are one step closer to being able to vacation in Cuba, but don’t pack your bathing suit and sunscreen just yet.

A new set of government regulations takes effect Friday, severely loosening travel and trade restrictions that have been in place for 54 years. The rules follow President Barack Obama’s announcement last month of a reestablishment of diplomatic relations with the communist island. Only Congress can fully remove the embargo but it is up to the administration to enforce — or turn a blind eye — to the travel ban.

Travel and hospitality companies are salivating at the chance to set up shop in Cuba. Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International and the Carnival Corp. have all expressed interest.

Americans have long been drawn to Cuba for its close proximity, its warm climate and the taboo nature of visiting a country off-limits to U.S. citizens since the 1960s. Here’s a look at what the latest government rules mean for them.

Q: Can U.S. citizens visit Cuba?

A: The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control oversees travel to Cuba. There are 12 categories of people who are allowed to visit. They include: close relatives of Cubans, academics, those travelling on official government business, those on humanitarian or religious missions, journalists and people on accredited cultural education programs.

Q: What changed?

A: The groups of people allowed to visit Cuba remain the same but they no longer need to apply for a license to travel.

Q: What about everybody else?

A: That’s fuzzier. It’s still illegal for Americans to visit Cuba if they don’t fit into one of those 12 groups, but without the need to apply for a license it could be impossible for the government to enforce such a restriction.

Q: How can I buy a ticket?

A: Until now, the government has issued licenses to tour operators who then help travellers obtain visas and sell spots on trips to Cuba. Many of them are mom and pop travel agencies in Florida, catering to Cuban-Americans. Others are large tour companies offering weeklong educational trips for $3,000 to nearly $8,000 a person. The new regulations allow travel agents and airlines to sell tickets without the need for a specific license from Office of Foreign Assets Control. That means it will be much easier to book a trip and prices should come down significantly.

Q: How do U.S. travellers buy goods in Cuba?

A: Banks and credit card companies have been prohibited from doing business in Cuba. That gets lifted in these new rules. But don’t expect to see ATMs or businesses accepting Visa, MasterCard or American Express immediately. Large hotels are likely to be the first businesses to let travellers swipe to pay but mom and pop restaurants or local shops could take much longer. So travellers — in the near term — still need to bring a lot of cash.

Q: What can Americans bring back?

A: Authorized visitors can bring home up to $400 worth of goods acquired in Cuba for personal use. This includes no more than $100 worth of alcohol or tobacco products.

Q: Will there be limits to the number of visitors?

A: Without the need for a license, there is no limit. However, Cuba only has so many hotel rooms and other necessary infrastructure to support tourism. In the short-term, that will curtail the number of visitors.

Q: Who flies from the U.S. to Cuba?

A: American Airlines, JetBlue and Sun Country offer charter flights to the Cuban cities of Havana, Holguin, Santa Clara and Cienfuegos. Until now, the only way onto those planes was through one of those travel agencies. That could quickly change. But don’t expect airlines to suddenly flood the market. Like all other route decisions, airlines need to see if there is a large enough market willing to pay high enough airfares. For instance, a Southwest Airlines spokesman said Thursday, “Cuba is a good future opportunity we are studying.” And Cuba is still a difficult destination to serve. JetBlue brings a mechanic along on each of its charter flights.

Q: Are there other ways for Americans to visit Cuba?

A: The Cuban government doesn’t prohibit Americans from visiting. So for years, intrepid travellers have broken the U.S. law by entering Cuba via Mexico or Canada and asking officials not to stamp their passports.

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Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.

The post Vacation in Havana? Not so fast. Here’s what the easing of the US travel ban means for you appeared first on Canadian Business.

Do you know what people are saying about you and your business online? Are you using the right social media monitoring tools?

As social media grows strong, so too does the complexity of being able to effectively monitor and manage what people are saying about you and what you are saying back. As a result an entire industry in social media monitoring software has emerged alongside the huge social media marketing industry.

There are a huge number of social monitoring tools out there so knowing which ones to use can be daunting, especially for a new business that is just beginning to get involved in this type of marketing. The best way forward is to jump straight in and start trying a few out.

Here we give you a quick overview of some of the most useful and popular tools for social media monitoring and management…

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is the ultimate social media Swiss army knife, allowing you to schedule posts, track brand mentions and manage multiple social networks all in one easy-to-use interface. Hootsuite allows you to give team members access to you or your client’s social media accounts via the Hootsuite dashboard, instead of having to give them the passwords to the accounts themselves. One of the extremely useful upshots of this is that if a team member leaves the company, you can revoke access to all of the accounts at once by simply removing them from the Hootsuite team. Because they only have access to account management via Hootsuite, this protects you from the potential for account theft.

Features:

– Manage multiple accounts in one window

– Find new content to publish easily

– Schedule tweets and messages

– Track brand mentions

– Analyse social media traffic

Pricing:

Free for individual use with up to three social media profiles. Pro accounts start at £7.99 ($8.99) a month and allow 50 profiles plus the addition of team members. Enterprise accounts are offered for large organisations.

Followerwonk

Followerwonk is a social monitoring tool with a laser-focus on Twitter. This tool lets you find related Twitter accounts, track followers, compare users and search within your social graph. Twitter’s own built-in search tools are incredibly limited, and Followerwonk aims to correct this, making it easier to find the right people to engage with. If you have been struggling with Twitter because you find that the signal to noise ratio on the network is so poor, then Followerwonk could revolutionize how you use the service.

Features:

– Search Twitter profiles on data, bio, location, name & URL

– Compare Twitter accounts

– Get graphs of account activity

– Manage multiple Twitter accounts in one service

– Track followers to see gains and losses in your audience

– Sort followers by different criteria

Pricing:

There is a basic limited version of the service offered free of charge. To access the full features you must be a Moz subscriber. The standard Moz account is $99 per month, and the next tier up is $149 per month. The primary difference between tiers is the number of campaigns that users can run per account.

Mention

Mention is a real-time social media monitoring tool that monitors a huge number of news and social sources, including forums and blogs in more than 40 different languages, ensuring that you never miss a news story or a mention of your brand.

Features:

– Real-time updates when content is posted

– Connect multiple social media accounts

– Allow multiple people to manage your profiles with the team feature

– Get detailed statistics and reports

– Buffer integration

– Unlimited history

Pricing:

Mention has a Basic free plan which allows one user and one alert and tracks up to 250 mentions a month. Premium accounts start at €29 a month for 3 alerts and 3,000 mentions, up to €299 a month for 10 alerts and 50,000 mentions a month. Pricing details for enterprise accounts are available upon request.

Topsy

Topsy is a social search and analytics tool that allows you to keep track of links, tweets, photos, videos and more, and get an at-a-glance overview of the key influencers in your niche. Topsy has been indexing Tweets since 2006, so you can be confident that you will get a comprehensive overview of your niche – whatever keyword it is that you are interested in.

Features:

– Search the social web by links, tweets, photos, videos or influencers

– Find the biggest influencers on social media with the Top 6K Rankings

– Detailed analytics, including influence statistics, social trends and comparisons

Pricing:

Topsy is a free service but pro accounts with enhanced analytics do exist.

Buffer

Buffer is a social media sharing and scheduling tool that helps you to manage multiple accounts at the same time, schedule content, collaborate with team members and access statistics regarding how your posts are performing. Buffer’s best feature is its scheduling tool, which allows you to pre-post content to go out at specific times of the day.

Features:

– Queue posts and schedule posting time

– Team collaboration

– Manage up to ten accounts at once

– Detailed analytics

– Chrome extension

– Rich analytics (small business plan or above)

Pricing:

Small business accounts start at $50 a month and support up to 25 accounts and 5 team members with access to rich analytics. Large business accounts are $250/month and support 150 accounts and 25 team members. There is a 50% discount offered for non-profit organizations.

For individuals there is a free plan and the $10 awesome plan which lets you connect more accounts. The detailed analytics features are absent for these 2 plans.

Conclusion

Modern social media marketing requires the overview of a lot of data at one time and with the proliferation of social media platforms to manage, the best way to do this is to employ a social media monitoring tool. The above are just a handful of some of the best available today but there are countless other social media tools out there so be sure to shop around.

Whilst you don’t want to go overboard in terms of the numbers of tools you’re using at one time, the more you can know about your brand and the way that people are engaging with it, the better equipped you will be to provide people with the content that they are most interested in. Engaging the help of three or four social monitoring and management tools like those described above can make this job a whole lot easier. Try a few different tools in parallel with each other until you find the one that works best for your brand.

Which social media monitoring tools do you use? Which ones are perfect for beginners and advanced users? Please leave your comments below.

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Are they talking about your brand? Around the clock? From Facefriend to Tweeter to Instapal?

Pssst.  

That’s probably not the right question.

Today, too many strategists believe that a clever plan to win the internet’s attention is a good digital strategy.

It’s not. Why? The painful truth is: attention itself isn’t worth as much as today’s marketers, boardrooms, and beancounters think. It’s not just that there’s good and bad attention — awe versus scorn, for example. Attention is a fickle, fleeting thing on which to build a business model, let alone a business, let alone an institution. Hence, attention without relation is like revenue without profit: malinvestment.

Institutions and leaders, obedient students of modern marketing, obsessively ask, “How do we get people to be loyal to us?” Meanwhile, they’re often (let’s be honest with each other for a painful moment) busy gleefully plotting to betray them at every turn. Hide the fees! Shrink the fine print! Why give customers cheese when you can sell them “cheese-like product”? Most “digital business models” are similarly sneaky — track their data! Make the terms and conditions impossible to understand! Why take the time to get to know your customers … as long as you can get them to use the corporate hashtag.

The real question — the one that counts for leaders and institutions today — isn’t “How loyal can we compel, seduce, or trick our customers into being?” It’s: “How loyal are we to our customers? Do we truly care about them?” Not just as targets consumers, or fans. But as people. Human beings. What every institution needs  —  and what every leader needs to develop  —  before a “digital strategy” is a human strategy. If you want to matter to people, you must do more than merely win their fickle, fleeting, frenzied attention. You must help them develop into the people they were meant to be. When you do, maybe, just maybe, they’ll reward you. With something greater than their grudging, wearied attention. Their lasting respect, enduring trust, and undying gratitude.

So here are my top four mistakes of digital strategy — and how not to make them.

Insight Center

Titillating, not educating. It’s easy to win “clicks” by titillating people with Kim Kardashian’s naked behind or a list of the world’s cutest human-cat baby unicorn fairies. And it might lend a dreary day a moment of relieved escapism. But it won’t help anyone. To do that, you must educate. Not in the awful, misused corporate sense of the term: dully lecturing them about “product benefits.” But helping them develop the capabilities and skills they’re going to need to live better lives. What will your “digital strategy” help them become better at? Does it have a point? Skiing, dating, cooking, coding, creating, building? If the answer is no, you don’t have a strategy. You have a vaudeville show.

Making zombies, not superheroes. Too much of digital strategy is simply turned over to the marketing department. And modern marketing makes zombies. Most of the time, let’s face it: marketing is a tedious exercise in brainwashing. Or at least a poor attempt at it. See this toothpaste? If you use it, supermodels will fall at your feet! Or …  maybe your life will still be a bleakness punctuated by short moments of internet humor. Here’s the problem with creating marketing zombies. Sure, they might raid your malls. But once they’re done, they’ll probably try to eat your head. By that I mean that when all you do is earn people’s attention, without trying to earn their respect or trust, they can turn on you on a dime. Today’s viral hit is tomorrow’s laughingstock. Sorry, I mean the next nanosecond’s. That’s why making people zombies is a bad idea not just for the zombies … but for the mad scientists. Unless you happen to want to spend the rest of your life at war with the people formerly known as your customers. Creating an army of zombie customers is a terrible way to build a great brand.

When a company asks “how loyal can we be to our customers?” they don’t ask marketers to brainwash them, and they don’t ask customers to behave like zombies. Instead, they want their customers to be superheros with superpowers. Don’t track them on “God View,” for Christ’s sake. Instead, give them X-ray vision: let them see further and faster than before. Give them telepathy: help them understand the world better than they did before.

Infecting, not connecting. The holy grail of the digital marketing strategy is “virality.” But the goal of a digital business strategy is connection. One is shallow and fleeting; the other is deep and enduring. Connection means more than just gawping at your “content” when it’s trending. Connection means going beyond the strictures of marketing, and literally forging living, breathing relationships. It requires that you actually empower people to act as advisers, counselors, mentors to your customers … not just plastering your logo on digital billboards, or winning two more Facestagram hearts.

Consider Mr Porter, the man-cousin of Net-a-Porter. There, a fashion-challenged dork (a.k.a. yours truly) can ask experts for fashion advice, anytime, via internet chat. Or just learn how to make a great cup of coffee, if I’m not in the mood to buy anything. Reviewers have gushed over its ridiculously accurate sizing measurements and other little-luxury touches like a personalized label inside the shipping box and same-day delivery (in some cities). These may not sound like much … but they’re a tiny revelation when your world expands suddenly. Its rivals try to infect the entire internet with glamorous photoshoots studded with celebrities — something Mr Porter eschews completely. But those competitors are playing a losing game: trying harder and harder to win more and more uncertain gains in attention that last shorter and shorter. But what they won’t win is stable, less and less risky, long-run gains in trust, which endure and grow. Those must be earned; one connection at a time.

Communicating, not elevating. Digital tools have given companies the ability to communicate incredibly quickly with a ridiculously large number of people at low cost. But just communicating isn’t good enough anymore. The internet is full of sound and fury … signifying nothing. It’s full of trolls, haters, and loons, but they’re all communicating, aren’t they? The challenge isn’t merely communicating anymore. It’s elevating. Let me put it this way. You can use the latest, greatest social network as a tool to broadcast your crappy promise that no one really cares about. Or you can use it to build a book club, or a running group, a support group, a counseling center, a peer-funded scholarship. See the difference? One is about volume. The other about values. And creating value.

How do you build a digital strategy that rockets past loyalty through the horizon of marketing as we know it and into the wild blue yonder of trust, respect, and maybe even love? Simple. Forget about “building the brand.” Ignore the rules of communication. They were built to sell miraculously mass-made “product” to a stable, secure, sedated middle class forever ascending upwards into the plastic cornucopia of perfect prosperity.

Instead, focus on giving people what matters most to them — but what they feel cheated of, stymied from, and suffocated by at every turn. Improve their lives. Deliver lasting gains in their quality of life. Don’t just carrot-and-stick them into “loyalty.” Be loyal to them. Don’t win their attention  — give them your attention. And one tiny interaction at a time, help them live lives richer with meaning, happiness, and purpose. After all, they’re the only people that can help you find something greater, truer, and better than a strategy. A point.

Google says that 9 out of 10 users take action as a result of a mobile search; so maintaining mobile exposure is essential to success. In order to improve the visibility of your digital assets on mobile devices, it’s important to understand how users are searching for your content and how search engines decide to display results. By optimizing your content and digital presence to leverage unique mobile features, you can rank well in search engines across various devices. To improve your mobile reach, follow the eight steps below.

1. Understand the Intent of Mobile Users

Your users expect different things from your brand on mobile than they do on desktop. Due to the unique features and limitations of mobile devices, marketers must develop a mobile optimization strategy for their digital assets and content to increase exposure. For example, consider screen size, GPS features, and phone speeds when building a strategy. Examine analytics to discover how visitors engage with your brand through mobile, analyzing any obstacles and opportunities. Develop strategy based on the needs and behaviors of your audience and the channels that are most effective at generating engagement.

2. Design for Mobile Usability

As search engines continue to shift toward the value of content, mobile experiences must be redesigned for usability. Desktop versions of webpages frequently create a bad user experience due to page size, content visibility, broken site features, complex navigation, and site speed. 74 percent of users accessing mobile sites reported that they would leave a website after 5 seconds if not loaded, and 46 percent of users don’t revisit poorly performing sites.

If users are leaving your page due to poor usability, Google will determine that your content is not offering value and will demote your pages in search rankings. A mobile responsive webpage can help alleviate usability issues and increase your exposure in search. Keep a close eye on page performance and speeds with tools from Google such as Analytics, Webmaster, and Developer Tools.

3. Construct Mobile Sitemap

Create an XML sitemap for mobile and submit to Google and Bing to increase exposure. By providing a sitemap, search engines can identify where your content is located and properly index pages. Check for any issues with indexed pages by using Google Webmaster’s crawl error tool.

4. Establish Redirects for Mobile

If you have developed a separate mobile website instead of a responsive design, it is important to verify you have the correct redirects to mobile friendly pages in place. Google recommends the use of server-side redirects (301s or 302s) instead of JavaScript to connect pages. See how Google crawls your mobile site and monitor redirects and loops with services such as Screaming Frog.

5. Optimize Meta Tags

Users search differently on mobile due to the inconvenience of typing long-tail keywords. To enhance mobile SEO, keep title tags concise and limited to about 40-60 characters and meta tags within 90 characters. Ensure that all page tags are unique to increase differentiation in page indexing and increase visibility.

6. Make Content Engaging for Mobile

With 50 percent of users worldwide now using mobile as their primary Internet device, it is crucial to develop content that is easily digestible from all devices. Keeping content short and concise will increase mobile engagement, and subsequently, search rankings. Create written content that adds the same value using short paragraphs and less text to improve the user experience while engaging with content. When embedding videos and images use HTML5 instead of Flash to improve load times and accessibility across all devices.

7. Increase Visibility Through Local Optimization

Optimizing all website content is important to increase exposure in search, but local optimization is a key factor for driving sales from mobile devices. Research from Google shows that 50 percent of mobile users are likely to visit a store after conducting a local search, compared to only 34 percent of consumers on tablets or computers.

Optimize localized content on your website with unique pages for each location to increase search indexing. Creating accounts on external directory sites such as Yelp and Google Plus will also help boost mobile exposure by increasing listings across the web and providing information. For example, Google Plus local pages are indexed in mobile, desktop, Google Map, and Google plus searches so kill a few birds with one stone by building detailed page listings. Ensure you build out all pages with complete information for individual locations to offer value and increase the likelihood of appearing in search for targeted keywords.

8. Test from User Perspectives

In case we haven’t made our point clear yet, mobile SEO is greatly tied with the usability of your content and the overall user experience your website generates. The best way to continuously improve the rankings of your content on mobile is to explore your website from mobile devices just like your users will. Test the experience and strategize to constantly improve usability.

Conclusion

Mobile optimization is a growing priority for many brands as trends continue to shift away from desktop. Keep your brand visible by understanding user expectations, designing for mobile, and targeting locally. When in doubt, keep your mobile content short, sweet, and engaging to increase exposure.

We study word of mouth marketing and why people talk at Brains on Fire. Check out our books if you want to know more about that. So every once and while, just for fun, I like to see what folks on our team are recommending lately and why.

Here’s what gets us talking these days:

Moe has a way with making spaces look amazing. This is a photo from her home that I stole from her inspiring instagram feed. (@jukeboxdiver)
Moe: Benjamin Moore paint. Because paint can change everything, and Benjamin Moore is just better in quality than Behr or normal hardware store paints. The colors are truer, the consistency is nicer, the durability is far beyond. Plus, it makes your life easier, and it’s not any more expensive than the 8 cans of shitty Lowes or Home Depot paint you’ll buy to make up for it. And when you buy it (especially in Greenville) you support locally owned businesses because they’re the only ones who carry it. It’s a win-win for everyone!!! I do this, obnoxiously, all the time.

Happy cows make better milk and cheese.
Alison: Happy Cow milk and cheese. They not only have a great product but it has a great story behind it. It’s also a really fun place to visit. If it ever comes up in conversation or if I’m asked I tell people about it.

I love how Cathy always loves Publix. I love them too. They make a great deli sandwich.
Cathy: Publix. Every single time I have a natural chance in conversation.

Of course Brandy is prepared for emergencies!
Brandy: Berkey Water filter system. Everyone that comes to our house asks about it and we recommend it every time a discussion pops up about clean water or readiness in case of an emergency. Couple times a month we talk about it to someone.

Cool messy bun with really nice glasses from Warby Parker. Amy is the queen of messy buns.
Amy: I find myself recommending Warby Parker and Simple Bank on a regular basis. Both brands have demystified and simplified their industries, really shaking things up in the process. Their arrival on the scene (and “zag” from the norm) not only helped raise the bar on competition, both brands have educated consumers and put them in the driver’s seat of their own destiny. We’re no longer limited to buying glasses at a 5x markup in retail stores or banking with banks that treat people like numbers. These brands have created new and better ways of doing things — and those new and better ways are worth sharing and talking about.

My next pair of jeans will be Billiam. Geno knows jeans.
Geno: I’m bulls-eyed on passion and why we pass on and use our personal social currency. As humans we’re passion experts, doesn’t mean we always trust it and use it… we have ups and downs with that thing caused passion.

The BOF definition of passion is loving something, a brand, cause or product, and feeling it can add value in others lives so much so that you pass it on, period. A quality, authentic recommendation is fueled by passion.

I recommend Bonefish because I love the food. It’s always good. I get treated very well. And I generally like the other patrons. Based on conversations when cued I’ll recommend Bonefish.

A brand, or product has to get into my passion bucket for me to recommend it. I also recommend MINI, Billiam Jeans, Tom Ford Cologne, and my new trainer at Sportsclub.

When I feel connected, valued and excited about a brand or product and I think it will add meaning to another person, I’ll recommend.

We’re all into juicing these days. More on that later!
John: Whenever a conversation turns to blending or juicing (and yes… it does happen), I always talk up the VitaMix blender. I tell the story of how I resisted paying extra to get a spendy VitaMix blender and instead, bought a cheaper blender that was rated as being just as good as the VitaMix. The cheaper blender lasted a few months before it started having big-time problems. I put my big boy pants on and bought the spendy VitaMix blender. I love it. Been using it every day for the past 8 months to make a daily green smoothie. It’s incredibly powerful, highly reliable, and well worth the price. I’m now using the VitaMix to make homemade hummus and tomato bisque soup.

One more thing… when I talk about the VitaMix blender I also talk up Costco. While the VitaMix isn’t cheap, Costco sells it for a great price. I tell people to buy their VitaMix at Costco for the great price and if they don’t think it’s worth it, then return it. Costco is great at accepting returns.

I think Sean needs this flowery hankie stuck in this Billy Reid jacket.
Sean: To follow up what Geno said, sometimes it’s more about the people involved, or the quality of service, more than a particular product. I find myself recommending people that I trust more often than a brand. I recommended my dentist just yesterday.

But…brands that I recommend based on that criteria are: Blackberry Farm, Nixon Watches, Billy Reid and Warby Parker.

Rebeca is new to our tribe, but this makes perfect sense to me.
Rebeca: REI is the first that comes to mind for me. I recommend their brand whenever camping or outdoor goods are brought up. Their customer service and return policies are second to none and I haven’t ever had a bad experience with them.

Jack plays the mandolin. How cool is that?

Jack: Guitar Center. Lots of items from which to choose. And, guaranteed lowest prices (which I have had them match a time or two). I go pretty often.

Wear sunscreen. You’ll thank me later.
Me: As weird as it sounds, lately I am recommending sunscreen. Seriously good sunscreen. There’s no real proven way to stop wrinkles except for sunscreen so for the last year or so, I’ve using Avene sunscreen. It’s awesome. I want to buy it for everyone I know. I try to get outside whenever I can, so I wear this stuff every single day, rain or shine. Oh, and hot yoga with my friends at 90 Degree Yoga.

It’s pretty obvious, right? We talk about our passions.

So, what do you find yourself recommending and why? Come on. Share!

The post Practicing what we preach. appeared first on Brains on Fire.

Previously, personal branding has been an enigmatic process that experts and industry leaders took part in. In 2014, the times have changed and anyone who wants to own their niche needs to their own brand. For a sales person dedicated to the Finance vertical, they must be a trusted adviser in that space, deliver leading content to prospects around their niche, and must have the support from marketing to help establish more credibility than their competition.

Here are three quotes from some of the best personal branding experts in the sales industry:

Tip 1: Create A Buyer Centric Profile

Have a look at your profile. If it hasn’t been optimized for your customer base, odds are that it’s build to attract recruiters and not prospects. With Marketing support, salespeople should have the right keywords, and a profile that demonstrates the value that you will bring if the prospect decided to work with you. For a great look at how to optimize your profile see this blueprint.

Tip 2: Profile Consistency

Once you have your LinkedIn profile optimized, it’s time to create consistent profiles on the networks that your buyers and potential customers play in. Map your buyer demographics to social networks to see where they are online and be there for them to engage with.

Tip 3: Deliver Valuable Information

Now that you’ve created profiles in the right spots, what do you say? Marketing has traditionally provided sales with priority shifting content about products and services, but they now must also provide salespeople with the right content to build their personal brands. If this isn’t in Marketing’s current playbook, use curation tools to bring yourself the newest and most sought after content in your niche. Here are some great curation tools.

Tip 4: Be There And Be Helpful

Building trust and credibility in an area is not an overnight play. It takes times and repetition. It’s not enough to just post to LinkedIn and Twitter once a day. Speed up your personal brand by being in the right LinkedIn Groups and hashtags on Twitter and be helpful by answering questions and taking part in the conversation through adding valuable insights where you can.

I’m having a love/hate relationship with the social media industry right now. I’ll be a big girl and admit it.

What am I talking about? “Expert” lists.

For all the value they can bring, I love them and for the negative they also bring, well, they suck.

Before I go any further, let me say this. If you are new to the social media industry, these “expert” or “top people” lists can provide value in helping you to find who to follow to learn more. So please don’t be discouraged from what I’m writing.

Truly, I am a list person through and through. I organize my day by them, projects by them, my Twitter account by them. I could not survive without my to-do lists. So naturally I gravitate to lists giving me the best social media programs to use, best WordPress plug-ins to use, etc. and the top/best/brightest/up-and-coming in the industry. That last type of list is what brings me here today.

Being on a list is a great boost to a person and their business. It could be Forbes Social Media Influencers list, someone’s top 100 Twitter Accounts to follow or a list of soon-to-be known names. What frustrates some of my peers and I to no end is the fact that it’s almost always the same big-wig clique who always gets all the praise. On top of that, some of them are just blowing smoke and no actually doing the work themselves. There are MANY social media pros out there that should be making these lists and aren’t.

I realize there are a bajillion people working in social media these days (seriously, do a search on LinkedIn) and it’s hard to weed through everyone. If you are listed somewhere, somehow, you should be grateful (unless you are bribing people to get on a list, then you should be ashamed). I really am when I see my name pop up. However, for those who don’t make a list no matter how long they’ve been in the business, some form of self-doubt and second-guessing does creep up.

I know when people come up with lists, they devote a lot of time and energy into selecting the people they want. They cannot include everyone so something has to give. For the most part I think we need to start ignoring most of these lists or at least be very selective in what lists you give value to.

Why?

It’s just one person’s opinion.

Who I respect and follow is different from the next person. Those individuals I would put on my list probably wouldn’t be the same as Joe Schmo’s.

Some of the individuals don’t walk the talk.

Yes, it may be the same people over and over, but if you take a look at the real work they are doing, you’ll see some of them don’t deserve it. For example, if a social media “expert” is doing nothing but typing quotes into Canva and publishing it, are they really a social media “expert”? How about stealing content from other social media professionals? Trust me, there are some big names out there doing both of those.

Some of the best and brightest are not out there to be acknowledged all over the web.

I know of several pros who deserve to be acknowledged like that, but because they don’t fawn over the big names with “look at me!!” they are often missed.

If you put too much into being validated by a list, you’ll lose your way and start doubting what you do.

Let me explain. Self-doubt can be harmful for a business owner. It’s a sick, downward-spinning spiral that can totally derail what you are doing. In life everyone seeks validation and being on a list does that for a businessperson, no matter how superficial or vain. It can indicate they’ve made it or they are someone important. However, you shouldn’t judge yourself by that alone. If your business is growing year after year, you are doing something right.

Speaking of that self-doubt, we all struggle with it throughout our lives (hello, middle school?) however there are things we can do to combat it.

1. Point out your successes. If you focus on the positive and not the negative, you’ll feel better.
2. Use your self-doubt as a motivator. Prove to yourself you can do it, whatever it is. Show the world why you’re awesome.
3. Use it as a self-improvement tool. Take a look at yourself and ask yourself why you have that self-doubt. Is it out of jealousy? Did someone say something?

Okay, confession time. A while back there were a few social media people lists that came out from people I talk with on a regular basis and I was not on any of them. Yes, my feelings got hurt but you know what? I got up the next day and kept trucking. I (we) do not need to let these lists influence how we go about our daily lives and our daily business. These lists are simply opinions and we all have them.

So let me ask you – what’s your honest opinion about these lists?

The job market is always changing and it is essential that job seekers keep pace. With a new year also comes a shift in how employers are looking to fill open positions. What was effective last year may not be enough this year. There is competition to find the most qualified candidates and job seekers must be at the top of the game. Making sure that their resume is not only polished and ready-to-go, but also up-to-date with recent trends can make a difference.

A stronger emphasis on online presence – ramp up your LinkedIn profile

The Internet has put information at our fingertips 24/7. Employers use this to their advantage as they search for and review applicants. Your hardcopy resume should be the basis for your LinkedIn profile, but you should also be adding more. LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to add links and upload files to further demonstrate your skills, experience, and accomplishments. Build out your portfolio and give employers access to documents that you feel best support your qualifications.

Having a strong online resume through LinkedIn can also increase your attractiveness to employers. Many will use this platform as a resource to seek out qualified professionals and recruit for open positions. With a current and polished presence that reflects you in a positive light, it can make your job search easier because employers can find you when you are a strong match.

Less focus on you and more on the company – tailoring for each job is key

While your resume is about you, it should focus on what you will bring to your next employer. They are interested in seeing how you can make a difference and will be a good fit. Consider what their needs are and the nature of their business. Clearly communicate your value and relevant skills and experience. Demonstrate that you can achieve results and give them solid reasons for wanting to interview you. Get to know the business, the industry, and how you can address some of their pain points.

Proven track record of advancement

With a stronger job market, employers are becoming more selective in finding just the right applicant. They aren’t necessarily as attracted to someone who has been stagnant in their career. They want to see that you have assumed greater responsibility, taken initiative, and are up-to-date on the latest skills and best practices. It is not usual for job seekers to have held several positions in the past and make career moves that help them to advance. Show this advancement and how you have grown and improved.

Your resume is a fluid document that should change along with you. Steer clear of outdated templates, meaningless objectives, and repetitive information. Make your resume clear, crisp, and engaging. Your resume is just the start of landing a job, but it should be a solid step that catapults you in the right direction.

There are numerous articles on this site about how to increase your website traffic and tips for bringing new visitors to your website. However, one of the things that many new website owners overlook is building a mailing list. A mailing list has the advantage of allowing you to continue to connect with site visitors long after they’ve moved on from that initial landing page.

One way to get people to join your email newsletter is by offering a free how-to guide for doing so. If you’ve never written such a guide before, it can be hard to know how long it should be, where to begin the process, what format to offer it in and other little details that are typically learned via trail and error.

Below is a blueprint to help you through the process of writing your first how-to guide. Later, you may want to branch out and write additional guides and offer them for sale on your website or as an ongoing perk for staying on your mailing list.

The goal with these short guides is to give site visitors something of value so they will want to sign up for your newsletter and then keep offering them value so they’ll want to stay subscribed.

What Might Your Readers Value Most?

Wired Impact specializes in helping nonprofits build their mailing lists and with their marketing efforts. Much of their advice can be applied to both profit and nonprofit sites, though.

A potential subscriber is more apt to provide you their email address if they see immediate value in doing so.

Before you start your how-to guide, you should brainstorm what type of guide would be most useful to your target audience.

1. Brainstorm ideas and come up with a list of possible topics.
2. Research other how-to guides. Has someone else already covered this topic as well or better than you can? Do you have anything new to add or a new take on the topic?
3. Poll your site visitors about which of the topics they are most interested in reading first.

Try to take yourself back to when you first began in whatever your niche is. What topics did you seek information on? Did you ever say, “Gee, I wish there were a guide on ________”?

Research Your Topic

Once you’ve come up with the topic you’d like to write about, you’ll want to spend some time doing research. Even if you know the topic inside and out, spend a bit of time brushing up on the most recent statistics and changes in the industry.

In addition, go ahead and look a bit more closely at any similar guides on the market. What are they missing that you can cover?

You’ll want to at least offer what others are offering plus some. The more you can offer and the more unique information and perspective you have the better.

Do you need to complete any polls or studies for your guide? Now is the time to get those started so you’ll have them back in by the time you complete your guide.

You’ll also want to send out any requests for quotes. For example, if you want to include a section on an extremely niche topic and there is only one man in the country that knows the answer, you’ll need to try to seek out his expertise for a quote or two to add to your guide.

Most people who are experts aren’t necessarily writers and may be happy to provide you with a quote in exchange for a link to their educational page or a simple credit for the information.

Samples of How-To Guides

WHSR has several how-to guides on this site so you can see different ways they can be set up. In addition, there are other excellent examples of guides listed below. You can learn a lot by studying what else is available in this genre of writing before starting your own guide.

• How to Build a Successful Blog – This guide points to some of the best advice ever collected at WHSR and links out to articles and more niche topic how-tos. It is a deeply detailed comprehensive guide that pulls from the archives of the site as well as presenting new information. A how-to like this can pull visitors to your site. It is offered as a free ebook when you sign up for the mailing list. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page for the form.
• Types of Web Hosting – This illustrated guide is a great help to newbies who may not fully comprehend the ins and outs of web hosting. However, it is enhanced with on-point illustrations. Illustrations can add a lot to your guide and make it something readers refer to again and again.
• A Newbie’s Guide to Getting Started with Linux – This guide is available on MakeUseOf and covers everything you need to know about the basics, including basic commands and learning Ubuntu desktop.
• Preparing for Job Interviews – Ask a Manager has prepared free guide that will help you get ready for that big interview. They do use the model of giving you the guide when you provide them with your email address. However, it is well worth signing up for this detailed guide.
• Protecting Your Family Online – Covenant Eyes has created a free guide that helps parents protect the entire family from online dangers. Just like the guide above, you will need to provide your email to download the guide, but it is well worth the effort as it shows how a guide can be put together in a way that provides helpful steps to the reader.

The How-To Blueprint

How-to Guides can take on a number of different forms. They can be videos, booklets, full-length books and even slideshows.

However, they all have one thing in common. They tend to follow a pattern of facts that are offered to ensure that the reader knows exactly what steps to take to complete the task covered in the guide.

Table of Contents

A table of contents (TOC) is especially important if you write a guide that is more than a few pages. Since your guide will likely be in electronic format, a TOC will allow the reader to navigate back to the last point she was reading.

It will also allow the reader to see at a glance what is inside the guide and to navigate quickly to the topics that are most important to her.

Introduction

The introduction should be a personal note from you. Some writers choose to have someone else write the introduction endorsing the guide. This might be another expert in your industry or someone famous.

However, it is perfectly acceptable for you to write the introduction. Simply explain:

• Who you are
• How you got started in the industry
• Why the reader should listen to what you have to say
• Any unique experiences you have

It is okay to let your personality shine through in the introduction.

Series of Specific Steps

The main part of your how-to guide will encompass the steps the reader needs to take to complete the task you are writing about. So, if the guide is about starting your own blog, you’d write several detailed sections about topics such as:

• Choosing a niche
• Setting up your blog
• Creating your first post
• Creating a schedule of when to post
• Getting people to your site

How many steps you include will depend on how focused your topic is. There is no right or wrong length for each section, but make sure you cover the topic thoroughly. As you can see from the samples above, some how-to guides are very lengthy and detailed and some are very short and to the point but take the reader to additional resources.

Advanced Tips

It is a good idea to think about what topics are one step above your initial how-to guide and to include a section of advanced tips that will take your reader one step farther. This isn’t something other guides are likely offering, so will help yours stand out from the crowd.

Alternately, you can provide a troubleshooting section. If you are writing on a technical topic, this can be especially useful.

Closing

Close the how-to guide with a closing note to the reader. This can simply point them to the newsletter and that more tips will be provided each week or can be a more personal note that thanks them for reading the guide and works to establish a writer/reader relationship.

No matter what your guide is about, following a basic blueprint will allow you to write it more quickly. You’ll also be less likely to miss important information that the reader needs if you follow the same outline for each guide you write.

The most popular question I’ve gotten over the last 12 months is around what tools do I use to build my personal brand. And more importantly, how do I leverage these tools as part of my overall social strategy. Some have asked me if the reason I haven’t blogged about all the tools I’ve used is because I don’t want to give out my personal branding secrets. Secrets that have allowed me to transform my personal and career life. That is just plain crazy. Not only do I talk about every tool I use and have used on a regular basis. But tools enable me to amplify and scale my personal brand.

There is no one-size-fits-all secret tool combination for personal branding success. The main reason I haven’t blogged about all my tools is because I use A LOT of tools. And, I don’t believe any tool is the one perfect tool that does everything. On that same note, I don’t believe every person should use the exact same tools in the exact same way. Not to mention that tools and social media platforms are changing so rapidly it’s hard to stay up to date with all the features and functions.

With all that being said I decided to breakdown the tools I use into different sections and provide you a quick overview of each tool that I use. Please note: just because I use it doesn’t mean it’s a perfect fit for you. Rather I hope that you take away from this post knowledge of the variety of tools you can leverage and some great tool recommendations I suggest you check out and test for yourself.

Many of the tools I use are focused on Twitter. The reason for that is because I leverage the native clients for most of the other networks. Although I’m a big fan of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ I think of those networks as ones that I engage and have conversations with the people I already know. Twitter is the network where I find and engage with people who I have a shared passion with and common purpose that I haven’t met yet.
Note: Before you worry about tools for your personal brand I recommend you first find your story and identify your voice. Here is an article outlining the first steps: Personal Branding 101: What’s your story?

Your Digital Home

A landing page and home for all your social and digital assets. This will be the address you will link to across all of your social media profiles and in the bio of blogs. When you are just starting out a website can be overwhelming for many and require too much work. The most important takeaway is having a home that is regularly updated and contains all of your social links.

• I used About.Me for a long while as it’s easy to configure and update and has a great mobile app and easy to link social accounts! (still use it but not as my official home and links.
• Creating your own website takes time and effort and thats just setting it up, then you have to worry about updating it, driving traffic, managing the comments and dead links. I usually recommend:
  • WordPress – Most popular website creation tool that takes a little work to understand and manage but is the foundation for most of the great websites you visit daily. (I host and manage 5+ wordpress sites)
  • Squarespace – A user-friendly website hosting and creation tool meant to simplify the web design process while still giving you the ability to customize how you want it. (I’m using this currently for my digital home isocialfanz.com)
  • Rainmaker Newer platform that allows you to easily create a website while also giving you the tools to manage marketing and sales on that site as well.
  • Sumo Me - New tool I found a couple months ago that is a free website plugin that allows you to add social share buttons, forms for mailchimp, site heat maps and more to your website. Super easy to use and very clean and friendly on mobile!

Content Consumption, Curation and Creation

Reading, curating, and creating your own content are all important elements of your personal brand. They are the most powerful way to tell your story and share your passions. For many blogging can be overwhelming (Me included) so I found curating content (Taking others great content and adding your own insight and then sharing it) to be a very successful way to add value while not taking up too much time. And, it’s not as intimidating as writing your own blog post. With that being said, creating original content is important but it doesn’t have to be written blogs if you aren’t comfortable writing. As I explained in the slideshare Storytelling using Social Media! 9 way to Tell YOUR Story, if you are better at design you can create a slideshare, if you’re better on video you can create a video blog but the key is creating fresh unique content that allows you to tell your story.

Reading or consuming content is also important as every blog post you share, every piece of content you like or comment on is part of your digital story. The key is finding great content from authors, bloggers, and brands you believe in and want to align yourself with.

• Content Consumption
  • Pocket – Read Later app that allows you to bookmark and catalog all content you read no matter the device and have it one place to search, read offline or reference at a later point
  • Flipboard – (Old Zite)Content Magazine that allows you to organize your content, collaborate with others on finding content all displayed on very clean mobile apps. I go through my flipboard before bed each night consuming and finding content to share and flip for the next day.
  • Feedly – Great RSS feed organizer allows you to organize by categories and topics and seamlessly works with all social sharing apps and sites.
  • Daily by Buffer – My favorite content app on my iphone as it updates daily with 10-15 quality posts that are hand picked by the buffer team and can be easily added to your buffer by swiping left or right similar to tinder. The nice part is you can read the article in the app before deciding if you want to share it to buffer.
  • Bundle Post - Allows you pull RSS feeds, curate and share that content across multiple feeds and accounts.
  • Swayy – Content organized and prioritized based on your social accounts with easy share options and refreshes daily.
  • Klout – Known mostly for their controversial influencer score they recently added a content element that allows you to consume and share content that is tailored for your audience. I often find blogs and content here that I haven’t found in any of the other tools to share!
  • Pulse – Linkedin’s content tool is a great resource for blogs and linkedin publisher content that is being shared and updated regularly.
• Content Curation:
  • Scoop.It – Curated home for your content that allows you create, share and comment on content that is categorized and amplified by the community. With suggested posts and RSS feed management dynamically built in, scoop.it is great for finding content, curating it and sharing it on one platform.
  • Meddle.it – Curated home for your content and others content focused on on adding your own insights as individuals or set it up for a team to increase content sharing and collaborating to establish your team as a thought leaders.
• Content you Create:
  • Medium - Free blogging community that allows for you to create custom content easily including embedding videos and social links and inline comments. (Personal favorite of mine as it helped me gain confidence and love blogging again.
  • Linkedin Publisher - Blogging platform within Linkedin that allows you to share your content with your linkedin community.
  • Guest Blog – Lots of sites like Social Media Today, B2Community and others allow you to submit guest blogs to their sites. (MillennialCEO.com that my team runs is currently looking for guest blogges and contributors)
• Content Design:
  • Canva Amazingly easy to use design to that I made my homepage in my browser as I use it daily to create blog graphics, quote graphics, social graphics and more. They also have an iPad app and a new dashboard to share your designs with others, view mine here.
  • Wordswag Great App for quick graphic creation on your iPhone as it has templates and text you can use with your photos or the ones they provide. My favorite tool when live tweeting at an event and during a twitter chat.

Social Scheduling

Now that you have a digital home and are consuming, curating, and creating content you will want to share that content with your audience. Social scheduling and automation tools are essential for not only scaling but also sharing your content at optimal times so that you can provide the most value to your community. Scheduling and automation doesn’t mean you don’t have to engage or read the content you’re sharing, when done right it will afford you more time to engage and have conversations with your community around your content.

• Buffer – Scheduling tool that I leverage for all of my social media accounts that is user friendly, provides basic analytics and allows you to customize and tweak how often you post content to each social network. (This is my favorite tool and the one I credit for much of my social growth in 2014)

Social Engagement & Management

Curating Content and Scheduling Content are important but if you’re not engaging and having conversations you’re missing the most important element of social media… the “Social” part. Engagement is something that takes a time investment and finding the right tool for you really depends on the platforms and when you prefer to engage. For platforms like Instagram, Linkedin, Google+ and Facebook I use the native apps on my iPhone & iPad to engage. I customize the notifications so that I’m interrupted only by those important engagement opportunities, while those lesser important ones only show up when I log into the app.Twitter is my favorite platform and the reason I love it is often times the reason most people are overwhelmed by it. Twitter is a firehose of information that can become noisy and overwhelming. The key is managing that noise. Creating conversations with those that mention you and finding engaged audiences to collaborate with. I’m a big believer in the value of Twitter chats, as they are a great way of finding people to engage with, learn from, and help build your community. You can read more about twitter chats value here on a blog I wrote called: Twitter Chats, Brands Secret to Twitter Relationships!. I also recommend you use Twitter lists to organize and sort your followers into categories by topics or industries.

• Twitter Engagement:
  • TweetDeck – Available as a browser plugin or app for Mac (No mobile) it allows you separate your twitter feed into columns that are populated by twitter lists, hashtags or any search criteria.
    • I do all of my engagement from this tool when I’m at my desk!
  • TweetBot – Mobile App that has many of the features of TweetDeck allowing you to breakdown your twitter feed and view only lists or hashtags.
• Twitter Management:
  • Hootsuite – By far the most popular twitter management platform as it allows you to manage, engage, schedule and report on all your twitter data. This tool is great for managing a personal brand as well as a company or enterprise.
    • I utilize hootsuite for managing and monitoring client accounts as well as managing and listening to popular hashtags and twitter accounts I want to engage with.
  • SproutSocial – Tailored more for a social business or agency sprout has a very clean easy to use interface that provides great task management tools and inbox organization to manage and report on every social action. I’ve never met anyone that uses this tool that isn’t 100% happy with what it provides.
  • Meshfire – Is a newer tool but a tool that I believe is changing the twitter and social management landscape. This tool uses artificial intelligence along with a taskboard dashboard allowing you to really organize and assign task to all conversations so you can engage and grow your relationships in an organized manner
• Twitter Chats:
  • TweetDeck: Tool I use the most as I can setup a column for the hashtag, the host and notifications where I’m mentioned. Great for hosting chats but still requires you put in the hashtag manually.
  • TweetChat: Easy to use client built for twitter chats that automatically puts the hashtag in your post and allows you to pause the hashtag feed.
  • Nurph: Easy to use client built for twitter chats that automatically puts the hashtag in your post and has some nice features and functions for those hosting a chat on their platform.
  • Hootsuite: Like TweetDeck you can organize the chat into separate columns in one tab allowing you to follow the hashtag, host and notifications. I like hootsuite more so than Tweetdeck as you can save those tabs and use the same tab every week for every twitter chat.
  • CrowdChat: Is customized social chat platform that allows you to organize a twitter chat in a forum like discussion making the questions and answers easy to follow and also can be used as a transcript and home for others to view your chat after the event. For this client the host and all participants must be using it to take full advantage of its features.

Social Listening

In my opinion, the most important element of social is social listening. Not only for brands who want to know who is talking about them but also for personal brand management so you can engage and have conversations with those who share your content or talk about you without actually mentioning you. Social listening has been growing for brands and enterprises but still has a long way to go when it comes to personal brands. So although the best tools like Brandwatch, Radian6 are designed for the enterprise, there are lots of free options and those at a low price point that you can leverage.

• Mention The Best real-time monitoring across social media channels at a price that makes sense for personal brand management. I search for my name, names misspelled, nicknames and also for competitive data and personal hashtags like #iSocialTalks and #ShowUCare.
• Brand 24 User friendly interface for real-time monitoring of social media channels allowing you to break down and splice the data you report and view by social network, campaign or customized project.
• Hootsuite As you can see Hootsuite is mentioned in many categories as the tools is powerful and can be used for many different aspects of your personal brand. For social listening you can save columns and searches to report on and engage from as tabs in the hootsuite dashboard.

Social Data & Account Management

Social Data is everywhere and because it’s everywhere it’s often lumped into the conversation as a Big Data problem! The thing about social data is if you can leverage the data to better understand your community, the trends and the conversations you not only will be ahead of the game but you will easily be able to stand out from the noise and provide more value and better insights for your community. Twitter recently opened up their analytics for all users to leverage with some basic data I found this tool very useful in understanding what works and doesn’t work on twitter.

• Buzzsumo – Currently my favorite tool as it allows you to listen across the web to manage when you are mentioned along with the social share your content gets and a built in influencer search function that allows you to match content or keywords to influencers so you can understand what content they are sharing and what content their community is sharing.
• SpiderQube: I use this tool often for managing and monitoring of hashtags and content being shared on twitter, as it allows you to organize and ranks who is sharing what content and when. This tool also allows you to take those lists of people and export them to a twitter list which I love!
• Nimble Social CRM tool with browser plug-in that allows you to manage and track your social contacts and conversations. Great for understanding and know who, when and where you engaged with all your social contacts!
• SumAll – Great data tool for tracking trends and analytics across all of your social networks. This report is the first thing I look at daily to understand what worked and what didn’t’ the day before.
• Circlescope – Without question the best tool for managing your G+ Circles so you can find new people to engage with as well better understand your circle and
• ManageFlitter: Great tool for understanding who is following you, who you follow, who you should be following and maybe who is inactive so you can unfollow them. Great tool for finding people to follow in specific industries or around specific topics.
• TweetBinder: Search for terms, hashtags or phrases and you can run reports and analytics on those topics in twitter.
• Hashtagify.me: View and connect common hashtags with hastags that are commonly associated together.
• RiteTag: Manages and ranks the hashtags you are using and provides hashtag suggestions to get maximum reach on your posts.

Other Tools..

If you are still reading this post then that means I didn’t overwhelm you with the massive amount of tools that I leverage on a daily basis. To get all these apps to work and to manage my workflow, tasks and collaboration I also have a toolbox full of productivity apps that I use daily. Rather than describing each of those and overwhelming you more I will just share a couple of my favorites here and save the rest for a future blog post.

• • IFTTT – Might be the greatest tool within this entire blog but it only works if you are using the other tools correctly so before diving into this amazing tool focus on leveraging the other ones and this tool will then take it to the next level by combining tools and data to increase productivity!
  • Evernote, Google Docs, Quip, Slack, Trello, Asana Any.do, Skype, HipChat, Google Hangout Chat, Cyber Dust, Snapchat, Vine, YouTube, Pintrest, Brewster, Nimble, CrowdRiff, Discoverly and more

Hopefully I didn’t overwhelm you with tools but if you take two things away from this blog post its that tools for personal branding will help you amplify and grow your personal brand and that there is no easy button or one tool fits all so find tools in each of these categories that fit into your workflow and they’ll soon become your favorite tool.

I plan on doing some #iSocialTalks videos on my favorite set of these tools and I would love to know what tools you use that fit into these categories. Like I said at the start of this post, these are the tools that I utilize daily but by no means do I know everything about every tool.

Throughout my years as an entrepreneur, I’ve had the fortune to meet with several people who have made significant impact on the national and Chicago tech communities, but most importantly, on my company and me. Sometimes, I reached out to these business leaders with a cold email, asking them for advice. But many times, my network was kind enough to offer warm introductions to individuals who would provide invaluable insight into a particular challenge I was working to overcome (many thanks to all of you!).

One of the things I learned, through trial and error, is that almost everybody wants to help, but you’ll get far better results if you make it easy for them to help, and direct them specifically so you get the most value.

Now the tables have begun to turn and I try very hard to pay the good deeds forward. In the spirit of helping entrepreneurs be as effective as possible at leveraging their network, here are five key rules I think are important when asking for an introduction:

1) Write the text you want to be sent.

If you are asking me for a connection, give me something to work with. Write out exactly what you want me to send so I can forward it on or paste it into an email with a personal note. Who knows what you’re looking to get out of the connection better than you? By providing this text upfront, you are actively outlining exactly what you want out of the new relationship as well as making it easier for me to pass along the most accurate information.

2) Keep it short and sweet.

When drafting that email, make sure its concise and to the point. The more direct the better (follow the five sentence rule). It is likely going to be sent through email or possibly take place during a chaotic networking event, so it’s necessary to make your request as clear as possible. If it’s too complicated, I might not put it off.

3) Know why you choose that person.

There are a lot of people who would be helpful to have in your network, but why are you asking me to connect you with that particular person? You’ve got to know their background, their strengths and why you think they’re the best person for you to speak with otherwise the introduction seems too arbitrary for me to feel confident. If I know that you’ve done your due diligence, I won’t feel like I’m burdening my network.

4) Find common ground.

Why should they spend time with you? Are you alumni of the same school? Interested in the same topics? Entrepreneurs in the same space? Find some point of common ground to build rapport. People are far more willing to invest in folks if you are part of the same tribe.

5) Ask for 15-20 minutes.

30 minutes is a major time commitment for many people. Demonstrate you respect their time and will be efficient by asking for an initial 15-minute intro. If you’re in the same area, ask to meet at their office and offer to bring coffee (far more time-efficient than a 30 minute coffee meeting where half the time is spent ordering). If you’re not geographically aligned, go for a 15 min phone call.

Here’s an example of an great introduction request:

Erik -

Thanks for offering to introduce me to Joe – I really appreciate it. Here’s some sample text you can use. Thanks!

Joe-

Hope all is well. Challin asked me to connect the two of you because you two both work at SimpleRelevance (like you, she happens to be a huge cubs fan!) She’d like to come by your office and spend 20 minutes with you discussing the Chicago Entrepreneurial scene – she specifically wants your expert opinion on the most hopeful marketing campaigns for Chicago Tech companies (and she’s happy to bring you coffee).

Would you mind if I connect the two of you over email?

Thanks!

As you can see, this sets your request up for success. It’s simple to forward on, explains why you’re interested in speaking to that person (including a personal connection), provides the time commitment requested, and even offers free coffee.

Next time you’d like to speak to someone outside of your network, don’t hesitate to ask, use my five tips to go about it the right way.

[Photo Credit: Christian]

The conversation is flowing smoothly, and then -- it stops. You don't say anything. Your companion doesn't say anything. You clear your throat. They scratch their knee. Your smile is getting strained. They look at the clock.

You're smack dab in the middle of a very ... awkward ... silence.

This is bad news during a first date or a job interview. But in sales, awkward silences are actually good -- that is, if you know how to use them to your advantage. The golden rule of using silence as a sales weapon? Embrace it.

Consider that it only takes four seconds for people to become uncomfortable with silence. So next time you're tempted to break the silence, remember it probably hasn't been very long, and keep mum.

Still not convinced that zipping your lips is the way to go when a conversational lull hits? Consider the following positive outcomes of awkward silences, and the negative ramifications of breaking them.

How to Use the Awkward Silence in Sales

1) Silence allows time for prospects to comprehend your offer.

The first few moments after you suggest a final proposal to your client are tense. Are you going to close the deal? Or will your prospect object to the contract, the price, or another component?

If your closing statement is met with silence, you could take this as a sign that the prospect is displeased with your offer. But there's another equally likely explanation -- they're thinking about it. If you disrupt the silence, you could interrupt their thinking process -- and they might have been three seconds away from saying, "Let's do it."

Keep in mind that people with certain behavioral types are more inclined to think carefully and speak slowly.

2) Silence communicates genuine interest.

When checking in with a friend after they've endured a stressful event, you probably ask, "How are you feeling?" and then listen -- even if it takes them a while to answer.

You probably wouldn't ask, "How are you feeling? Sad? Angry? Stressed? Why? Are you okay?" And yet, this is often what sales reps sound like when they ask a discovery question.

Instead of posing a question and letting the prospect answer, salespeople get excited and try to fill in the blank for the buyer after the first sign of silence. But by letting silence persist -- no matter how uncomfortable -- reps demonstrate interest in the buyer's answer, instead of what they think the buyer's answer could or should be.

3) Silence helps salespeople stand their ground.

If you're uncomfortable with silence in the closing process, you might be tempted to revise your offer before your prospect has even officially rejected it. But instead of throwing out price discounts or freebies prematurely, simply state your offer -- and then shut up.

For a prime example of how silence can be your greatest negotiation tactic, check out this article from Steli Efti, CEO of Close.io. In this situation, Close.io was the customer, and Efti was faced with paying a hefty sum to get his organization out of a contract. Instead of agreeing to pay the full amount, he simply kept quiet and let the account executive -- feeling the pressure of Efti's silence -- negotiate the fee down all on his own. At the end of the phone call, Efti had saved Close.io $225,000.

Don't undercut yourself before your buyer states their objections. There will be plenty of time to make concessions, but don't make offers you'll regret later just because you're afraid of a little silence.

4) Silence prompts buyers to reveal their true needs and concerns.

Some prospects don't have a problem explaining challenges at their companies or issues with a seller's offering. Others are more hesitant to give honest or negative feedback.

If your prospect falls into the latter category, more talk from you won't help to draw out relevant information. Instead, listen to your prospects. After all, what is listening besides intentional silence on one party's behalf?

When a salesperson asks a question the buyer might not want to answer, silence coaxes them into sharing the truth while making it clear you're prepared to carefully concentrate on their answers.

5) Silence encourages prospects to lead the conversation.

Sales should be about the buyer and their business, not about the salesperson and their product or service. To ensure the buyer gets exactly what they want out of a sales meeting, sellers should fall silent after explaining a point or presenting a certain argument.

If the magic of awkward silence works (and it usually does), the buyer will guide the conversation. By analyzing what the buyer brings up next, the seller can determine what part of the product or service the buyer is especially interested in or concerned about.

6) Silence pulls disengaged prospects back into the conversation.

Remember the statistic above about most people feeling uncomfortable after four seconds of silence? If you feel like you're losing the room (i.e., people are checking email, zoning out, or disengaging), pause for between three and five seconds.

Give your audience time to look up from whatever they're doing. Once your silence has accomplished its goal, touch base with your prospects and ask if you're still on the same page, or if there's anything you can do to make the conversation more meaningful for their business. The result is a more fruitful conversation for them, and a more engaged audience for you.

7) Silence highlights important points your prospect needs to understand.

Since today's sales process is all about the prospect and their needs, it's important for them to understand key points about your product or service to ensure it's the right fit for them.

Author and public speaking expert Andrii Sedniev says pausing before and after critical points in your speech will emphasize important information, pique your audience's interest, and give you a moment to catch your breath. It's tempting to ramble on about important points in your presentation, but give them space and you'll increase their impact.

Don't be afraid of silence on sales calls -- use it to your advantage. With a little practice, this technique will become scond nature.

Salespeople are in the business of influencing people to do something which they would not have done otherwise. Even though purchasing a product or service might be in the prospect's best interest (and it should be if the rep is doing their job correctly), it still takes some pushing to get them to realize it.

At the end of the day, salespeople must influence in a way which is beneficial to the client with no hidden agenda. Here are five honest and effective tactics reps can use to increase the likelihood that prospects will buy.

1) Give to receive.

If we are given something, we feel compelled to return the favor. Once a street vendor strapped a wristband on me without me even being able to resist, saying it was "for peace." Then she asked for a small donation, showing me a list of others who had donated. I couldn't help but give her 10 dollars.

I thought this was just a random occurence at the time, but now I know better. Salespeople could learn a thing or two from this lady. First, she did me a favor by giving me a wristband for free and being kind about it. Second, she provided me with social proof in the form of a donation list. With these two actions, she was able to extract a gift from me which exceeded the worth of the wristband I received.

The principle of giving to receive can be counterintuitive at times -- especially when it comes to discounts or samples of your product -- but it has been proven to work. It is surprising how many people actually accept unsolicited invitations on social media just because someone took the time to write them a thoughtful request. 

2) Be consistent.

Someone who is consistent is perceived to be reliable, which is a pro to buyers. Strong brands make use of this principle by labeling new products with their standard label. Customers are less likely to scrutinize the product as thoroughly as they would if it didn't feature the familiar artwork.

The takeaway for sales? Deliver a top-notch experience for your prospects each and every time. 

3) Establish authority in a relevant area.

We obey authority more readily than we think, and this sometimes has harrowing implications. In the Milgram experiment, famous in psychology circles, an authority figure asked participants to deliver an electric shock to an unseen victim (the victim did not actually receive any shocks) by pressing a button. Many of the participants obliged each time they were asked -- even as the voltage increased and the victim began to cry out. 

While I wouldn't recommend wielding power to achieve diabolical results, keep in mind that people will listen to those they perceive to be authority figures. Buff up on your business and industry knowledge, and enter sales engagements as a peer, not as a subservient order taker.

4) Be likeable.

This point seems trivial, but it is still often overlooked. Establish a friendly relationship by revealing shared interests, or complimenting the client. People don't like to disappoint their friends, so if you can get in the friend zone, the prospect is more likely to go along with your ideas. 

5) Offer social proof.

Canned laughter is a great example of social proof. Even though many directors and actors object to them, laughter tracks are still used in some comedy shows as they provide encouragement for people watching at home to laugh as well. Similarly, if you can prove that others are using your product or service and experiencing results, you will increase the likelihood that new prospects will buy. After all, they don't want to be left behind.

The more uncertain buyers feel about an engagement, the more they will rely on social proof, authority opinions, and friends. If salespeople can strive to influence buyers across these planes, they better the odds that a favorable outcome for both buyer and seller will occur.

Editor's note: A version of this post first appeared on LinkedIn Pulse, and is republished here with permission.

I must say that we as marketers have improved over the past several years in the analytics arena. Four or five years ago, it wasn’t surprising to talk to marketers who literally weren’t tracking anything. Today, all of us are tracking results in some form or fashion. In fact, we have more tools for tracking results than we know what to do with. There are web analytics, predictive analytics, business analytics, business intelligence (BI) tools….just to name a few. I dare say that many of us have gone from one extreme to the other, from too few metrics to too many.

How can you have too many metrics, you might ask? The question shouldn’t really be about the quantity but about the quality of our metrics. Many of us use the acronym KPIs today, standing for Key Performance Indicators, and that’s exactly what your analytics should reflect:

• Key – Metrics should add value to the business
• Performance – Metrics should tell you if your program is running above, below or on par with current or past benchmarks
• Indicators – Metrics should provide a lens as to the condition or direction or your marketing efforts

Is what you’re measuring today truly accomplishing these things? Do opens and clicks of email messages really add any value and reflect how effective your marketing efforts are? While at a very detailed level those metrics are still important, what you really want to measure is how well your marketing efforts are Engaging your prospect universe, Nurturing those who have engaged, and Converting your prospects into actual buyers.

Engagement-
For engagement metrics you’ll want to look at KPIs that show the volume and quality of prospect names you have collected as a result of your marketing efforts. Here are a few examples to consider:

• Net new names by lead source (PPC, outbound email, organic web)
• Cost by source vs. net new names by source
• Net new names by offer

Nurture-
Nurture metrics should be focused on how well your efforts are pushing prospects through the buying process. For example:

• Conversion rates from one lead stage to another
• Number of days it takes to move prospects from initial engagement to a sales opportunity

The results of these KPIs will tell you if your leads are getting stalled somewhere.

Conversion-
And finally, your conversion metrics should reflect your Return on  Investment (ROI) as well as the health of your sales pipeline. Some examples:

• ROI of each content offer
• ROI of each engagement channel
• Value of all current sales opportunities

To summarize, analytics that matter are much more than numbers. Simply pulling numbers into a dashboard doesn’t constitute tracking or understanding results. Are those numbers useful? Yes. However, are they meaningful to the business? That is what matters.

Author: Jennifer Harmel @JenniferHarmel2 is VP of Strategy/Principal, ANNUITAS

As marketing professionals we’re often at the center of a variety of critical cross-functional initiatives, which gives us the rewarding opportunity to work with nearly every department in an organization. At a software company like Marketo, the Marketing Team works with the Product Team to help inform the future product roadmap, and of course to take all the great new products they build to market. We work with the Customer Success Team to address important objectives like customer satisfaction, product usage and cross-sell initiatives. We work with HR on organizational development issues, performance management initiatives and the occasional juicy personnel matter (“They said WHAT? To WHOM?”). We work with IT on the selection and implementation of mission-critical software platforms (think “Marketo”). And of course we work closely with the Sales Team—who relies on us day in and day out for those super hot leads—you know, the ones that are waiting by the phone to sign an order form with little to no convincing. Yeah, those ones!

Working with so many different groups in the organization, it’s only natural to have your favorites, and of course, your least favorites. While it might be entertaining to tell you about my least favorite department, today’s blog post is about one of my favorites. I’m talking about the one, the only, the incredible and all-powerful, Finance department!

I can hear you…”How dare you!!!. Finance? Really? Of all the departments!? What is wrong with you!? How could you put them on your favorites list?” And to that I reply, “Okay calm down. No need to freak out. Let me tell you why Finance is one of my all-time favorite departments.”

It all boils down to three incredibly important reasons:

#1 Finance funds you!

Finance sits at the most strategic level in an organization. They work closely with the CEO and the strategic leaders across an organization to decide exactly which initiatives make financial sense and which don’t. They determine how much money a department receives, and whether the investment will grow or shrink and at what rate.

It’s incredibly important for Finance to understand the strategic nature of the work your marketing team does. At some point in the year the CEO will definitely ask finance, “Hey, are we investing too much in marketing?” Make sure Finance understands why you need $75K to build a new online community, $500K to build your brand’s awareness in a new market segment or $30K to buy that new marketing platform. It’s vital they understand the reason you might need additional funds next year to make specific hires or invest in new marketing initiatives and generally understand the impact those investments will have on the business. If you want to get the resources you need to realize your strategy next year, you have to get tight with finance. They have incredible amount of influence on the money that flows to marketing.

#2 Finance keeps you on budget (and helps you keep your job!)

Most marketers spend their lives thinking about how to design and execute highly effective marketing campaigns. That’s what marketers enjoy and that’s where they put their energy. But marketers often have another big responsibility—they often manage a significant amount of money for the business. Outside of payroll costs, marketing program spending is often one of the largest expenses for a company.

Marketers have a responsibility to manage that money effectively. This is especially true the more senior you get in a marketing organization—nothing will stop a marketer in their (career) tracks faster than making a major financial mistake. If you have $100K to spend this quarter, you better not spend $200K or it’s “game over” for you.

Finance is your partner here. They can teach you how to track and forecast your expenses in a methodical, accurate way. They can teach you important things like the difference between “cash” and “accrual” accounting (if you don’t know the difference please ask your finance team ASAP). And they help ensure compliance with accounting best practices. Leverage your Finance team to make sure you stay on track and avoid big financial, and possibly career halting mistakes.

#3 Finance thinks like you

Well, Finance thinks like the analytical side of you—you might not go to your finance guy/gal to ask for the next creative campaign idea. Most people on our finance team wouldn’t know a creative campaign if it hit them upside the head (just kidding finance people! Sort of). But finance professionals have other super powers that you need. They think analytically. They think logically. And, they think about strategic business issues like “does this investment make financial sense?” They can help you model the analytical side of the marketing business, like growth rates in your KPIs, the balance in various investments (e.g. Lead Gen. for one segment of the business versus another). Marketers have to be analytical about their business. You can’t just say ‘Hey, let’s make a viral, social, integrated, multi-channel, broad-reaching, personalized campaign that will win me that cool advertising award and make me a super famous marketing rock star.” NO!

Good marketers have to think about what makes sense for the business—what will improve the bottom line? What will deliver the highest ROI? That’s how finance thinks—they’re analytical, and they’re logical. They actually have the same DNA that an effective marketer needs to have.

It might not have seemed obvious at first, but you have a lot more in common with the finance team than you think. And you can benefit tremendously from building and maintaining a strong relationship with them. Start simple—schedule a lunch with your finance counterpart in the next few weeks and start building a bridge with one of the most important groups in the company. Finance and marketing, it’s a match made in heaven.

It’s that time of year again when we all turn to goal setting. And it’s not just because it’s the beginning of the year and people are setting New Year’s resolutions to exercise more, eat more healthily, and spend more time with family. In our business lives, the start of a new fiscal year causes us to look ahead to what we want to accomplish in the new year.

I’m not one to set New Year’s resolutions. It won’t surprise you to learn that I don’t believe you have to wait until January 1st to set resolutions that will change your personal or professional path. I also don’t believe that you have to wait until January 1st to start what you know needs to be done.

“Do it now!” is my motto.

Most recently I set goals in October, announcing to my team that the next 12 months will be a year of numbers. The salesperson in me would love to be spontaneous and make decisions based on my gut instincts. But the business owner in me knows that your gut can only take you so far before you must confirm and adjust your direction based on the numbers.

And it’s never been easier to track numbers whether you’re a business owner, salesperson or marketer. It seems that CRM, email, marketing automation, accounting and operations applications all track just about everything you can imagine. Why not use those numbers to our advantage?

So, this year my goal is to use the numbers available to us to guide our business. Here are the top 4 numbers that I’ll be monitoring:

Profitability and monthly revenue, of course. Every business owner has to monitor these. I also have my team leads monitoring them because frankly, why should I shoulder all the risk?

Lead generation campaign metrics from clicks, views and downloads to conversions and closes. People tell us they love our content. The metrics confirm specifically what they love and help me determine our content and solution offerings direction.

Prospecting metrics including appointments set, length of the sales process and closes. As authorities in prospecting, I have to constantly research what’s working and what’s not. But we’re a business, too, and every business needs a consistent influx of new clients.

Social conversion, monitoring discovery, engagement and conversion. Social networking is a necessarily piece of business today and consumes resources to do it right. I want to be sure it’s not just “right” but also generating revenue.

Even if numbers don’t seem as fun as gut instincts, they provide insights that will allow you to quickly shift your business without waiting for the next New Year. What numbers are in your goals this year?

Social media and mobile marketing are grabbing everyone’s attention when it comes to marketing today, but what does that mean for more traditional methods like email? It seems weird to even refer to email as “traditional marketing,” but with how quickly technology is advancing it only seems fitting. As you would probably expect, the most effective marketing utilizes multiple mediums to create brand awareness and put your brand in a consumer’s consideration set.

It’s easy to discount the impact that email marketing has simply because it’s been around for so long, but statistics say that 9 out of 10 Americans use email every day, whether it’s on a mobile device or computer. There are few mediums that can provide such a large audience on a consistent basis, so maybe this email thing isn’t so crazy after all.

Email Is Here to Stay

According to a study by McKinsey, email marketing is nearly 40 times more effective at acquiring customers than all social media sites combined, and customers attracted by email are 12% more valuable than the average customer. Email is often one of the first steps in the buyer’s journey, providing brand awareness and drawing people to a company’s website or social media.

Tips for Crafting Effective Emails

When creating emails, include links to specific landing pages and blogs that can further engage the prospect or customer. Provide a special offer or original content, anything that will help you gain more insight into what the individual is potentially interested in.

In addition to customized landing pages, allow recipients to opt-in to receiving email communications so that you aren’t bothering people with emails they don’t want to read. This creates a list of qualified prospects, which increases the likelihood of conversions.

Once you have email lists ready to go, tailor your campaigns to specific objectives and target markets to maximize open rates and clickthroughs. Sending personalized messages shows that you’re paying attention to what content a consumer is interacting with, and this makes them much more likely to take the time to read your message.

In the mobile-centric world we live in, we expect every website and email to be optimized for mobile devices. About 45% of emails are opened from a mobile device, so make your email is functional and every webpage and link included is mobile-friendly. From our own experiences, we know how frustrating it is to come across a webpage that doesn’t load or isn’t readable without zooming, so keep that in mind when composing emails.

How to Make Email Work for You

Even though email marketing does require a bit of a time commitment, it’s something that a company of any size can incorporate into their marketing strategy. It’s cost-effective and it works. Email is a medium that allows you to share a lot of information directly, generate interest, drive traffic, and track all of this in the process.

Tracking open rates, clicks, and landing page conversions is critical to maximizing the effectiveness of email marketing. You can better segment leads by how engaged they are with your content and customize future communications.

When it comes to email marketing, it’s important to send messages on a consistent basis without overwhelming consumers. Is there a magic number of emails to send per week? Unfortunately, no; it really depends on your target market, the complexity of the products or services you sell, and if you have a meaningful message to convey at that time. If you don’t have anything important to say, you’re better off waiting to send an email until you have an enticing offer or piece of content to share.

Tips for More Effective Emails

• Keep subject lines under 10 words if possible
• Use enticing subject lines to get your email opened, but don’t always display an offer there
• Keep emails concise with links to additional information
• Include social media buttons at the bottom of emails to direct traffic to your profiles, connect platforms together, and increase your following. Maximize the number of engagements you have with a prospect or customer.
• Balance sales and content emails so consumers don’t feel like they are always being sold. Newsletters are a great way to keep your emails fresh and not focus so much on making a sale.
• A/B test campaigns to see what designs and wording works best. This may differ depending on the audience and purpose of the email.

Manage All of Your Marketing Channels

With any marketing channel, it’s important to make sure that it fits into your overall marketing strategy. There are so many ways to reach consumers that it’s easy to neglect one strategy while focusing on building up another.

It can seem like a lot to oversee email marketing, social media, traditional media, and advertising initiatives, and it is. What makes a marketing strategy effective is a company’s ability to figure out what each medium contributes to the overall plan and connect the pieces together.

Being able to split your time between channels and not overly favor one over the others takes time, especially if you’re just getting started. Social media is stealing a lot of the limelight right now, and it’s extremely important to be active on social media, but don’t forget about everything else in the process.

Email marketing might seem “old school,” but year after year its effectiveness has been proven. It can do a little bit of everything when it comes to your marketing strategy, helping consumers move through the buyer’s journey towards what you offer. And if everyone is doing it, don’t you think it might be for a good reason?