Does your business have a social media strategy in place? What is it?

To increase customer retention? Increase sales? Decrease lead acquisition costs?

Increase visibility?

I read a statistic today and I’ll try to find the link but it is important for you to know that only 50% of companies have an actual social media strategy or social media plan in place. And even LESS are measuring the results or ROI of their social marketing campaigns.  Why? Because there is so much customization involved to develop and determine the proper key performance indicators, backwards engineer the campaign, and then establish the tools & tactics needed. Believe me when I say it- social media campaigns are extremely complex & customized around each clients business model and we LOVE a challenge. Something we love even more is when clients get results like winning the San Diego’s best green product installer contest or selling all their tickets for their fundraising event. Simply put, when your clients see results in social media and can measure ROI, they finally see the true value in social media that it can bring to their organization:

1. decreased online advertising expenditure

2. increased customer retention & satisfaction

3. much higher conversion rates than paid advertising

because of the trust factor (through facebook & twitter communities)

4. much cheaper lead acquisition compared to paid online advertising

What type of ROI have you demonstrated for your clients using social media?  Are you a business using social media yet? What have been your results?  I’d love to hear from you!

Cheers,

Justin “Results” French

I know everyone is busy (as am i) but i wanted to answer 1 very important question I’m hearing everyday:

A small business customer quote:
“So Justin, what is social networking, internet marketing, and this whole twitter thing? How can it help my business? Do i need to look into it?”- prospect

My response: YES! if you want to be in business in the next couple of years you should!

Here’s the basic formula for those Math whizzes (im not a numbers guy so bear with me but its really fairly simple)

Internet marketing strategists = helping businesses build relationships on the Internet = building your brand (marketing your products and services online) appropriately – one tweet at a time”

Social Networking = More Search = More Business!

Then i direct them to my blog talk radio appearance which explains the paradigm shift here: Listen To My Radio Appearance

Or if your a client (or you know a client) who might be considering social networking for their business this video explains it fairly simple:

get tweeting today!

Need Twitter Training? Contact us we are here to help support the business community

“What is Social Networking San Diego Justin?”
Social Networking San Diego supports and educates businesses on the value and growing trend in social networking, social media, and internet marketing for business. This trend in social networking and social media for business has been packaged together for local business to use as a proven internet marketing system and online advertising strategy to focus on lead generation and drive more pre-qualified traffic to company websites.

– cheers
JustinRFrench
Support the Movement- Pay It Forward on Twitter

1.    Always keep a Daily notebook log of all activities, call backs, to do items, follow ups, and related news and research items.
2.    Sign up on twitter right now!- just write a profile about who you are, your passions, and your experience and you will attract like-minded and highly influential people- it happened to me.
3.    Write down a list of all your passions.
4.    Choose 1 passion & Start a blog NOW talking about your passions, news about your passion, give your feedback, insights, and opinion.  Don’t worry about what other people think, if they don’t like your opinion, then they shouldn’t read your blog.
5.    Technology is your friend- start getting use to IT! (Information Technology)  Research what topic you’re interested in and learn IT!  We are doing business and living our lives in a constant connected digital age.
6.    Create a linked in account and start networking with other professionals.
7.    Set up a Google reader account for all your news and RSS feeds (this is KEY)
8.    Find a friend or follower to be your CONSTANT feedback mechanism (just ask me if you can’t find one- I’ll try to fit you in.
9.    Delegate what you can’t do to TRUSTED followers.  No one knows everything, so ask for help when you need it.  But be ready to give help when called upon. (it’s a two way street)
10.    Balance Work and Life- you only live once so work hard, do something you love (even if you’re not making millions yet like me) and you still feel good about yourself.

What is Social Networking San Diego Justin?

Social Networking San Diego supports and educates businesses on the value and growing trend in social networking, social media, and internet marketing for business.  This trend in social networking and social media for business has been packaged together for local business to use as a proven internet marketing system and online advertising strategy to focus on lead generation and drive more pre-qualified traffic to company websites.

With all of the current hype and news on Web 2.0, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, and the bailout, I take this time to reflect on this past month – January 2009.  Let’s all just take a deep breath, count to 3, and begin to realize how much information overload we really have; or the lack of proper filtering.  I, justinrfrench break it all down for you here.  I give you the full Entrepreneurial, Business Minded, Tech Guru, Social Media / Social Networking addict, twitterholic synopsis with-out leaving your seat!

If there is one blog site you’’re going to read about the growing trends in social networking for business, internet marketing for business, social media for business, or any of the other Web 2.0 solutions for business then I HIGHLY suggest you keep reading this blog.

I would hope after reading this, you would be kind enough to pay it forward, re-tweet this blog, subscribe to this blog, and help spread the word about this revolution occurring because we have only touched the tip of the iceberg on what is to come from my team and I in the not to distant future.  If you think Google, Apple, and Microsoft were big, wait till twitter, justinrfrench, and his followers get on the map!  You won’t want to miss this 21st century bailout we are giving businesses on a silver platter.

For all my fellow twitterholics, followers, alliances, and partners I have formed over the years, I dedicate my mission and personal journey to you.  This year I will fully dedicate myself to being the driving force for spreading the word to all Southern California businesses to help educate, instruct, and consult their firms on how to best utilize a social media work flow system tailored around their company.

Here are my Top 5 Lessons Learned (in no particular order) of what you or your business can gain from my summary of the month on the above topics:

1.      Lesson 1 – Barack Obama has proven to be more of a leader than I thought.  After even talking about setting a cap on CEO pay- he became my hero.  MOST CEO’s (not all) are over paid, under delivering to shareholders, and quite frankly do not know how to lead in today’s 21st century and need a full makeover in upper management.  Small businesses will be what gets us through these tough times as Obama states, so start finding how you can fit into this paradigm puzzle.

2.      Lesson 2 – Sign up and start using twitter right now!  The best business social networking tool I’ve seen in the last 5 years!  If you have not signed up on twitter, heard of twitter, or been active on twitter, then you are already behind.  If you are a true business person, then you already know the importance of first mover advantage so I suggest you get on board.  Just Google “twitter” and get going.  If you need twitter training, instruction, or consulting on how to use twitter for business, I have teams of consultants that will come to your office and train, tutor, and educate you on the importance of twitter.  After you sign up, make sure you follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/justinrfrench

3.      Lesson 3 – Is all this social media, social networking hype really for my business?  I thought MySpace and Facebook were for teens and young adults.  YES!  If your business does not form some type of internet marketing strategy today then you will not be in business tomorrow.  I guarantee I can think of one or two social media sites or social networking sites for business that will be beneficial in some way to growing your business.

4.      Lesson 4 – What is Social Networking San Diego, Why does my business need to know about this site, and how will it benefit my business?  “Social Networking San Diego supports and educates businesses on the value and growing trend in social networking, social media, social marketing, and internet marketing for business.  This trend in social networking and social media for business has been packaged together for local companies to use as a proven internet marketing system and online advertising strategy to focus on lead generation and driving traffic to company websites in turn generating new business.”- justinrfrench

5.      Lesson 5 – What Social Media / Social Networking sites does twitterholic justinrfrench suggest to lay the proper foundation for my business to start gaining a better presence online?
a.      Twitter
b.      Linked-in
c.      Friend feed
d.      Facebook
e.      Word Press

I look forward to your comments, recommendations, or insight on this post – don’t be shy. yours truly –
Fellow twitterholic, Justin French