Brands Using Social Media Marketing

Big brands are finally starting to get it and realize the need to connect with their fans using Social Media.

Not sure if this was the most efficient way, but I was definitely impressed with their effort:

I was shopping at Bath & Body Works yesterday grabbing their awesome day-after-Christmas sales and I just had to capture their credit card machine. Check out the Fan Page advertisement in the video! Very smart, although I would have included the Facebook URL underneath.

They also ran an ad for their text messaging promotion, although I don't believe that will have an an impact at all because the screen flashes too fast to even get a chance to write down or type in a text. Besides, when people are involved in the purchase process, the last thing they are thinking about is stopping that process and whipping out their phone to go find the retailer on Facebook. Especially if there's a line! (Ummm, hello, Christmas season in a mall....)

I was lucky enough to have my sister take care of my credit card purchase while I was able to grab this quick video of the machine next to us. There was a long line and I didn't want to keep them waiting behind us. But I thought it was important to share.

Brands are becoming aware that social media is key in their Marketing efforts.

What other brands have you seen use the credit card machine to advertise?

How are YOU using Social Media Marketing? Leave comments!

@garyvee's #crushit book tour

One of my fav social media experts and all around guy who "gets it." This was taken from my iPhone at a stop on his Crush It! Book Tour. We had just spoken at a conference for women entrepreneurs the week or so before. Good to see him again and good stuff for you to hear going into the new year. For more on him, check out his site: http://www.winelibrarytv.com :0)

How To Use Twitter Lists

Trying to get organized after following more than 100 people? Tada! Twitter comes to the rescue and gives us the ability to separate and organize those really special tweeps into our own custom lists. That way you are getting more targeted responses from people. TIP: Organize people into similar "types" so that your lists become a market research too, too. Birds of a feather usually flock together.

Whether it's your client base and specific target market, or your competition, or your mentors and coaches, Twitter lists gives you the option to keep a closer and more effective eye on them.

Go to http://www.twitter.com/keri_mellott to see some lists that I've created. And if you're an amazing woman I know - let me know to add you to that list if I haven't gotten to you already!

How To Use Twitter - Basics For New Users!

Watch this video if you:

- are using Twitter for your business
- are trying to figure out how/why you can make money using Twitter by inserting links in your tweets
- are new to Twitter
- are confused about hashtags (i.e. - #in2010, #followfriday, etc)
- are totally bored but want to watch me click, talk and teach!

P.S. - Excuse my voice in the video - I think I had a cold at the time. Technology stops for no one!

P.P.S. - More free Social Media Marketing tips are found at http://www.MarketingMakesMeSmile.com :0)

A hiatus, vids and $3,000

Do you think it's true when they say: "Time flies when you're having fun?"

I can NOT believe it's been since Oct that I last blogged here, although I've been having a daily blast micro-blogging over on Twitter. Are we following each other yet? If you tweet funny, valuable or interesting tweets, please let me know how to find you there.

I've also been making quite a few videos which I'll post here and share from my YouTube profile.

Since my last post, things have been crazy!! Good crazy (mostly) and myself and my business have taken some quantum leaps on many different levels.

Marketing still makes me smile and I'm smiling more and more and clients send me great feedback and testimonials about the success they are having using Social Media Marketing strategies I teach them. My fav is hearing, "Oh my gosh - this was actually FUN!" after their first phone session with me. Love it.

Stay tuned for cool stories and spotlights showcasing some amazing stuff - like how someone brought in within a few weeks $3,000 in sales using Twitter. Yep. It's true. And you can do it, too!

What's Going On In The Male Brain?!

Ever wondered what goes on inside the male brain???

Me, too. And for us women, it's something that we all long to know about. We know we're wired differently from men, and this comes across all the time - out in public, at home, and even in business. Our relationships with men are important, but sometimes we find ourselves so frustrated, we just don't know what to do. Wouldn't it be nice if someone actually told us WHY and HOW?

I'd like to welcome into your life and circle of friends, Keri Newell and her super cute mom, Dr. Sherie Zander.

I met them this year as part of a women's networking group and I love them. They are dating and relationship coaches who help women get the man they really want, and understand the one they want to keep.

They are giving away a free class, "What's Going On In The Male Brain?!??!" (valued at $149) where you can listen to the mp3 recording. You'll learn things like:


- The Number One cause of misunderstandings between men and women… (This single revelation alone will change your relationships forever!)
-The 3 “Magic Words” all men want to hear… and no, it’s not the three you’re thinking…
-Why men have such a hard time getting in touch with their feelings… And why you wouldn’t want him to…
--and more.

I took this class and learned so much so quickly, that I signed up for their 10-week Teleclass to learn even more. You can still get in on the deal of 50% off, by the way, if you mention you read this blog. Cool!

Click HERE to get access to that free class, "What's Going On in the Male Brain?!" I can't wait to learn more. I'm a SPONGE! Join me.

Meeting Gary Vaynerchuk - A Must on Your To-Do List!

One of the best speakers I've ever seen on stage is hands down, Gary Vaynerchuk, from www.winelibrarytv.com. Although he cusses more than the ordinary sailor, it's "because I get so passionate about what I'm talking about!" he later told us audience members.

We met for the first time this week at an event we were both asked to speak at to talk about Social Media.

Gary is a genius at using social media as a platform to build his business, and is one of the few people who still prefers to do it the "old-fashioned" way - no bots or automation. He spends hours and hours each day connecting with customers and fans online. He's all about the #1 key aspect of using social media the CORRECT way - to build relationships - and I want to acknowledge him for that. Kudos!

It was a real treat to get to see Gary live and in person. His passion for what he does and his unbelievable zest for life was so refreshing to see. (I learn a lot about wine. That's helpful, too...lol)

Here we are in the pic above (with the help of my Photoshopped notepad) totally ready to "crushit" in business and in life! Can't wait until his book "Crushit" comes out soon. Whoohoo!!

Are YOU crushing it in your life????

"Made In The Valley" - The Valley Girls Grew Up!

"Like, oh my God!"

"No way!"

"Duh!"

Remember the stereotypical "Valley Girl?" Well, guess what?

The Valley Girls Grew Up! And lots of them now have successful businesses here in the famous San Fernando Valley where the name was given.



Last night at a networking event, I met Gail Lara, owner of "Made In The Valley," a retail website that features exceptional women entrepreneurs who have exceptional products. Each women is featured with her story on how and why she began to create her products and has a section on the website. You can shop online and choose from homemade gourmet chocolates, beautiful handcrafted jewelry, bath and body products and much more. They even include local delivery!

"Made In The Valley" also cares about their community by giving 10% of its proceeds back to a local charity. What a great business! Gail is a super sweet and very caring woman who is on a mission to bring back the emphasis on shopping at your local stores to help them grow. Her motto is "Buy Local. Be Local." It's a great time to remember this concept - and of course, to support your hard-working women entrepreneurs!

Gail has plans to extend the "Made In The Valley" brand to other markets soon, too.

I had a great time chatting with Gail about Marketing and Social Media, and listening to her tell me stories of being in the boardroom of corporate America for 25 years when women weren't really "allowed" to have ideas. (FYI - I'm not sure how I would have survived if that was me. Trying to have me keep my mouth shut when I have great ideas is like taking away my oxygen. Kudos to all the women who hung in there and made the guys look good all those years. You're stronger than me!) It was a great night and I love meeting people who are making a difference.

For more info and to check out the products (I hear the lotion bars are amazing!) go to www.MadeInTheValley.net.

Are you living your dream life? Use Social Media to get you there!

I'm looking forward to an amazing event next week. Success Coach, Gina Ratliffe has put together a spectacular 5-day event in Los Angeles (Tues Sept 29-Sat Oct 3rd) for those who are looking to accomplish two things:

1. Determine your true passion(s)

2. Make money doing what you love!!

The event is called "Purpose. Platform. Profits: Manifesting and Monetizing Your Dream Life."

Sounds cool, right? And what a perfect time to be talking about these topics. Forget the recession blues and turn that frown upside down! Why not make the best decision you can make and follow your dreams right now? Just go for it!

Gina's line-up of world-class speakers include:

David Neagle (Millionaire Acceleration Coach)
Marianne Williamson (#1 Best-selling Author "A Return To Love")
Gary Vaynerchuk (Host, WineLibraryTV.com, $50+ million company)
...and so many more.

I've also been given the honor of speaking at this event and will be teaching two workshops - one on blogging, and the other on LinkedIn. Gina wants her audience to learn how to use these new platforms of Social Media to build their fan base and turn their passions into a lucrative business.

There's a few tickets left! Day passes are available, too. Get yours now HERE.

I'll see you there!

Your Approach to Social Media: Pepper or Steak?

Who's your Social Media mentor? I have several mentors myself and Gary Vaynerchuk tops the list. I love his energy, but moreso, it's his very blunt and honest opinions about this new way of Marketing.

In this recent video, he explains his analogy of "Steak" vs. "Pepper" in terms of how companies view Social Media. VERY interesting and I whole-heartedly agree (and that's not because I'm a steak & potatoes kind 'o girl from the Midwest, either, even though that's true).



How do you see your Social Media efforts? Are you a steak person? Or are you just giving this a sprinkle?

DIG IN, people! Get your steak knives out. It's a delicious treat once you taste your first bite of sweet success!!

Twitter Basics For New Users

New to Twitter? I'm having fun making you these free Social Media Marketing videos, and the video below goes over the following basics if you're just getting started:

1. How to make a tweet
2. What is a #hashtag?
3. How to include links, people's Twitter names, and #hashtags into your tweets

Step three is the secret Marketing strategies you need to know. (See! I'll prove that there's actually productivity taking place on Twitter, and that no, it's not just about what salad someone had for lunch!)


Welcome to Twitter and enjoy!


:
NOTE: CLICK ON THE VIDEO SCREEN TO SEE THE ENLARGED VERSION.

Find this video helpful?

Feel free to pass along to your newbie Twitter friends, too. I was a beginner at this once, too, so I know how confusing it can be at first. Sharing is caring. :0)

Tweet, tweet, ya'll!

Social Media Revolution

Think Social Media is just a fad? WATCH THIS VIDEO. I help people understand the concepts and how inevitable its impact is on business today, and even I was astonished at some of the facts and figures in this video.

This is a brilliant presentation. Who can argue with hard, cold facts?

For those of you still kicking and screaming, dragging your feet or avoiding "taking the plunge" into Social Media, I urge you to watch this video then ask yourself whether or not you want to get left behind. It's no threat - just the facts! :0)

My take on it:

It gave me goosebumps and chills of excitement to see these facts posted because not only do I already love being a Social Media Marketing consultant, but I'm excited for those of YOU who feel so empowered after you reach out for help and learn to embrace this most powerful shift in our world today.

Where will Social Media take YOUR business in the next 6 months? Next year? Next ten years??? It's an exciting time, folks!!! Get onboard.

Need help? Contact me: Kerianne@MarketingMakesMeSmile.com

An expert who would like to share your tips?
Please leave them in the comments for everyone!

Smiles,

Kerianne

Communicate Clearly, Folks!

Here's some Monday humor for you to get your week started. I love getting funny forwards from my clients, and this one really "takes the cake." (hee hee...Ok, that was bad, I know...)

Read the cake from Wal-Mart:








"Okay, so this is how I imagine this conversation went:

Wal-Mart Employee: 'Hello 'dis be Wal-marts, how can I help you?'

Customer: 'I would like to order a cake for a going-away party this week.'

Wal-Mart Employee: 'What you want on the cake?'

Customer: 'Best Wishes Suzanne' and underneath that 'We will miss you.'

Moral of the story:

In case you get stuck with someone special, make sure you're communicating clearly. Double check to make sure the other person understands what your intentions are. Otherwise, you're left with the above scenario!

How I Landed #1 Spot on Google

Hello! I'm back from a few weeks away while on a special mission - being a Maid of Honor for my sister's wedding! Congrats to the two lovebirds and I couldn't have asked for a better new brother-in-law to come into the fam.

While I was away, my website, www.MarketingMakesMeSmile.com had quite some activity. Even though I haven't touched it for over a month, I wanted to share with you my excitement about something pretty fantastic (and something YOU can achieve, too!):

My website had landed the #1 spot on Google's search results page! And get this - it ranked above 2.47 MILLION other search results! Whoo hoo!

It's a good Marketing exercise to occasionally "Google" yourself by searching for keywords that your potential clients would be typing into the almighty search engine. My keywords were: "confused on social networking" and "confused about social networking." Both landed me top spots.

First things first. NO, I did not pay for this placement. (Big bonus, and I've yet to spend one dime on any sort of paid online advertising or marketing in over six years to bring me traffic.) I simply know how to write my metatags and headlines for my site and think about what my target market wants to know.

As we evolve into more things Web 2.0, it's becoming more acceptable to simply write out our thoughts and feelings about what we're looking for, too. My target market is definitely confused about social networking, and that's OK with me! (I'm here to help. I was where they were at one point, too.) So typing into Google "confused about social networking" is quite a likely occurrence.

Secondly, I can spell the word algorithm, but that's about as far as my technical expertise goes with SEO (Search Engine Optimization - what helps get you to the top). Google also uses algorithms to determine search ranking results. I know there's tons of metrics involved that give me that prime number one spot, but I won't sit here and pretend like I know how that all works exactly. My expertise is in Social Media Marketing, a cousin, if you will, of SEO. Math and I aren't enemies, but we're not best buds, either! Anything with a formula I hand over to one of the scientists in my family before I pass out from frustration. (Hey, SEO experts - feel free to help me out here! Thanks!)

What efforts do you take in your SEO plan for your website? Have you been successful with your own experiements? What works or doesn't work for you? Are you using the proper keywords?

Some things to think about so we can see your site sitting at the top, too! Leave a comment with your site link so we can all go visit it and get you up there in the rankings.

15 More Fantastic Social Media Resources for Foodies

For all my culinary peeps online - check out the sites below and let me know what you find. I'm not an expert or consider myself a "foodie", but definitely appreciate some good grub!

There's lots of conversations and projects happening with Social Media, and it's great to see such an interesting industry taking advantage of it. Bring on the deliciousness! Can someone invent Smell-o-vision, please?

15 More Fantastic Social Media Resources for Foodies

Posted using ShareThis

LinkedIn Polls - My first one!

I created my first poll on LinkedIn. Pretty cool! It lets you poll your 1st level connections for free, gives you the URL (see below) and shows you a graph of the results. Great for market research! What question(s) do you need answered for your biz????

Here's my question for you:

How much time PER WEEK do you spend on your Social Media Marketing (tweeting, Facebooking, networking, blogging, etc)?

Please click the link to see the answers and choose your vote!

http://polls.linkedin.com/p/49864/nciur

I want to also know the most frustrating, annoying, complicated parts so I can better serve those who are looking for answers. I think I'll do another one. What fun! (It's the little things....)

Thanks for your input and comments on the blog.

Cheers!

I want the new iPhone 3Gs!

I want the new iPhone 3Gs! Of course I'm an Apple fan (for almost 10 years), but I wasn't one of the millions to jump on board and grab the first mobile piece of genius that Steve Jobs & Co. came out with. At the time of the very first iPhone launch about 3 years ago, I was actually employed at AT&T. The sense of excitement and anticipation of how this new-fangled technology would affect the world was unlike anything I've ever experienced. We actually had hired extra security guards to secure the store and the crowds because it seemed to be the biggest thing since sliced bread and everyone wanted one! That was a crazy week...

Regardless, I've been a Crackberry, er, Blackberry user for about four years now, and love it. The main reason why I didn't jump all over Apple's newest family member was because to me, I needed the business functionality of the BB more than the entertainment purposes which the iPhone provided. It was cool, but not functional enough to me.

HOWEVER, now that I can't seem to stop taking digital movies and tons and tons of digital pics, I think I need to make the switch to the obvious Mac-daddy (no pun intended) - the new iPhone 3Gs. I've been debating about buying a Flip Cam (retails $149+) but now that this video feature is on the newest iPhone, it's lookin' like a winner. And I've been out of my phone contract for awhile now, so I'd get the best price, which is also a consideration for someone who disklikes making two-year long purchase decisions..lol.

Here's the link to the sales video for it:

http://www.apple.com/iphone/guidedtour/#medium

Anyone have any feedback on this product? Did you have the older version(s)? What do you use your iPhone for? Why would or wouldn't you buy this newest phone? Anyone find any glitches yet? Is it true AT&T won't let you use the MMS feature yet?

Can't wait to hear your opinions! Thanks to those who have already answered this on my Twitter account. Keep it coming!

Come meet up in Beverly Hills this Friday!

I love supporting other positive women who are out there making big things happen! So many things happening here in Los Angeles and if you're into fashion and beauty from the inside out, then please get in touch with the gorgeous Ungenita!


She will be launching her company this Friday at the Luxe Hotel in Beverly Hills and I can't WAIT to attend. If you're local, please contact her blog to see all the great details. Would love to see you there!

Funny Facebook Glitch

A view from my back-end Home page on my personal Facebook profile, top right-hand column:



Anyone else seeing this funny 'lil oversight? Must be on a developer level. It makes me laugh every time I see a "suggestion" on my page to add...myself. What a great suggestion! Random.

haha..it makes me laugh. I had to take a screen shot after seeing it a few times now. Is this happening to anyone else?

Facebook Hits 250 Million Users. WOW.

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, sent out a note on Facebook today with a heartfelt "thank you" resulting from his web-baby receiving its 250 millionth sign-up. That's a lot of people, ya'll. He says it was never intended to be about anything other than allowing people to connect and share with others. I agree and it's plain to see that although they are doing a great job at monetizing the site via Facebook Ads and such (comment this if you've done a campaign - we're curious!), the basic premise still remains the same. Great job, Facebook! Considering the rapid amount of growth, don't you think they've done a pretty good job of handling it all?

Here's a short video showing the growth. When did you join?

A friend of mine, BRI, 17, on America's Got Talent 2009!

(Note: NBC Universal has copyright of this video and disabled embedding for blogs - but GO TO YouTube TO SEE IT!!! They are allowing it there!)

Proud to know this amazingly talented up-and-coming artsist, BRI! Check out her audition on this season's "America's Got Talent."


We first met back when I taught music Marketing at a school she was attending in Hollywood a few years ago. This girl can sing, play and has a great and friendly personality, too.

GO BRI!!!! We'll be rooting for you to go all the way.

Let's show the world how beautiful viral marketing can be - share this video with everyone you can on all of your social networking sites. Exposure is key in any business. Especially show business!

FREE Twitter Class This Friday!

Recently a lot more people have been asking me to give them additional Twitter Tips, so I came up with an easy and efficient way of doing it. I want to gift to you some excellent and FREE Twitter education so that your business can start seeing immediate results this Summer!

Register now for this Friday's FREE class where I'll be teaching you:

"3 Easy Ways to Build Your List and Make Money on Twitter"

Friday July 17th, 3:00-4:00pm PST/6:00-7:00pm EST

The class is valued at $297 - you will NOT want to miss this opportunity!

On this free call I will be giving you:

- specific, detailed steps to take that you can implement right away
- the recorded presentation so you can go back and review the material
- a live Q&A session to ask me your burning questions about Twitter

No beating around the bush, being too vague or throwing you a bait-and-switch. Just plain 'ol facts that I've learned about Twitter by spending thousands of hours researching what works and what doesn't work. I can't wait to share them with you! (And no, Twitter is NOT all about telling us what sandwich you just ate.)

But HURRY - I only reserved 99 spots available. Register HERE. Pass this along to your friends who need Twitter help and join me on Friday!

Using Facebook for Personal vs. Business Use

Today I need your advice on something Facebook-related.

The #1 reason why I joined Facebook awhile ago, was to solve the problem of having a place online where my friends and family could see what I was up to. I had been on MySpace for a looooong time (think when Mark Zuckerberg was still in college) and that profile morphed into a networking and info-sharing powerhouse for me. But as this happened, my privacy began to fade away, and I began to limit certain personal things for the sake of protecting and keeping things "safe."

So I had turned to this new thing called Facebook. At the time, hardly anyone was on it, but it seemed people were migrating over with the same idea. I liked the privacy settings and to this day, I only allow access to friends and family I actually know. Mostly I am concerned about protecting my son and more personal pictures, videos, etc that belong to the family. People who know me know that I'm very protective of this, yet am a part of this "share-everything-online" generation. Such a contradiction, I know!

However, now that I'm helping folks learn how to take advantage of these social networking sites for their business, they are "finding" me and it doesn't make sense if I don't "friend" them back. It's part of the online ettiquette we all know about. (I hope.) It's just rude not to. And Social Media is all about relationships. Bad start to a possibly great future.

Is it true that Facebook will shut you down for having two accounts under the same name? I'll be digging through the legal jargon and Terms Of Use here shortly to find out, but have you encountered this?

I have created a fan page for my company, Mellott Marketing Group, which is advertised all over my blog here in hopes of bringing in some much needed work. I can direct these friend requests to that page, yet doing so gives them the ability to see my personal account for 30 days. This seems to defeat the point of keeping it personal, but, hey, I don't make up the rules. I just question them. ;0)

My particular skill-set and knowledge on Social Media has just recently been given a new level of respect, and there is an overwhelming number of people who are asking for my help in explaining it all. What to do, what to do???

Please tell me your feedback, advice, or take this opportunity to vent, too.

What are your thoughts on privacy issues and sharing your real life experiences with the world wide web? I know what certain people in my life think about it already, and if you're a Babyboomer who's comfortable and sees value in posting things online and sharing with others, please comment back and tell us why.

Thanks for your feedback on this one!

Cheers,

Kerianne :0)

Facebook Usernames for Small Businesses

Just a quick update:

Facebook has lifted the temporary limitation for Fan Pages who want to get their vanity username but have fewer than 1,000 fans. As of 12:00am last night, small business owners and others in this same boat can now grab their unique URL. Yay!

General names are still not available, such as "pizza" or "marketing," but I was able to score my next choice: "marketing help." I would like to be the first person that people think of when they need some Marketing help, especially in the field of Social Networking. I love this stuff!

So, welcome to my new page: www.facebook.com/MarketingHelp. Please go there and become a fan so you won't be left out in hearing all the latest news affecting your business!

By the way, becoming my fan gets you in the loop of the latest social media happenings. If I hadn't been doing research, I would have never heard about this opportunity. So stay close to me for more tips, tricks and free advice!

Cheers,

Kerianne

P.S. Are you looking for some serious help in understanding all of this Social Networking stuff and how it applies to your business? I have the solution! Have you seen the details on my upcoming 8-week TeleSeries yet? Early Bird Special pricing runs thru July 8th! Check it out ASAP! www.MarketingMakesMeSmile.com/MMG/class

Sharing is Caring

I never claim to be a techie to the extreme, but every now and then I dive into the Computer Science part of me and figure something technical out. After all, unless someone shows us how to do something, we're on our own to figure it out. (Unless you hire a great Social MEdia Marketing Coach, but no shameless plugs here...heehee...)

One of the most crucial components to success on the Internet is how viral your content can become. Let's remember a basic rule of Marketing - you could be the best lil company in the world, but if nobody knows about you, then you might as well close up shop. That's where Marketing & Advertising come into play.

In today's online world, learning how to get the word out to as many people as possible is HUGE. Even more significantly, allowing users to SHARE your brilliance is even better. Work smarter, not harder, right?

I'm proud to say that today I learned how to add the "Share This" link to my websites. (Look! It's down below each of my posts now! Whoohoo!) I was reading an article on Facebook vs. Google and wanted, of course, to share the news. I clicked on the "Share This" link at the end of the article and sent it to my FB and Twitter communities.

After you "share" something, a box pops up and says, "Thanks for sharing!" and offers you the options to share on more sites. It also gives you a "Get this button" option. I clicked on that last option and went to go sign up for my new Share This account. It's an easy 3-step process and allows you to set up all of your domains with this new widget. (A "widget" by the way, is an add'l online thingie that stands on its own, but can be added to your website to add valuable content. It usually is used for viral purposes and connects to another site. For example, you can see my Twitter widget to the right of this post. It helps you get to my Twitter account by simply clicking through it.)

Have you set up your "Share This" buttons yet? If you are satisfied with simply posting to the web for your own enjoyment, don't worry about it. However, if you would love for at least one other person to spread your words through their entire online network and possibly help grow your business, then I highly suggest you sign up today!

Happy sharing!!

Build Your List With Twitter Buttons

How cute it this??



Get yours, too, at www.twitbuttons.com.

There are several to choose from, but I chose the one with movement. Why? Because our eyes are distracted by movement. If nothing on a webpage is moving yet you're seeing a ton of information, you eyes will automatically be drawn to any movement first. Hence the cute little wings flapping away above! See? Try it and see how it works on your websites. :0)

Can you notice the difference between the above and the below? Where do your eyes go first?



HELPFUL TIPS:

How to make one for yourself at www.twitbuttons.com:

1. Select which icon you like the most.
2. Highlight the entire HTML code underneath it in the box.
3. Click "Copy."
4. Head to your website/blog/facebook, etc and find where you want to place this cute little birdie.
5. Click "Paste" in the desired spot.
6. IMPORTANT: For those who aren't too familiar with HTML, you need to know how to change one part of the code before you post it, or it won't get people to your profile.

See what it says in yellow? "a href="http://twitter.com/YourUserName">"?

You must delete that part and put in your Twitter profile name. For example, mine looks like this:

a href="http://twitter.com/keri_mellott">

This directs people to your Twitter profile when they click on the little birdie.

Ta-da! You're done!

Let me know how it works for you. :0)




Tweet, tweet!

Grab Your Facebook URL Before Somone Else Does!

How funny. Facebook must have heard me telling everyone how annoying and particularly ineffective their idea of not giving us the ability to create our own username was (i.e. www.facebook.com/myname vs. www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=12345678). I wonder if anyone actually made business cards with the above address on it....Hmmm. Looks pretty spammy to me.

Or, maybe the fact that a third-party application was invented to help provide at least a somewhat better alternative (http://companies.to/mellottmarketinggroup/ ) and Facebook finally caught on. (See my previous post.)

Either way, it's going to be exciting because tomorrow at 9:01 PM PST/12:01 AM EST you will be able to grab and assign your own unique username to your facebook URL. I remember doing this when I signed up for MySpace in 2005. Why did it take so many YEARS to figure out and adapt? You got me.

So why is this a big deal and why should you care?

Well, for all the Steve Smiths and Jill Jones out there and others who have common names, it will be a mad dash to literally be the first, and only, person to get their chosen name. Or even Steve or Jill alone. It's also a big deal for people and/or businesses who have a branding strategy already in mind. Once you assign the name - it can't be changed. Facebook is pretty strict with making sure you are the person or company you say you are, so this will definitely be enforced. They have already created steps to take if your trademarked or copywritten identity is taken by someone else. They've also prevented "squatting" - where people try to scoop up popular domain names and sell them later for cash. Facebook usernames will be non-transferable. GO, Facebook.

Here's what they don't tell you in the articles you may have read. The following applies to Administrators who run a Facebook Page:

1. If you're ready to go grab www.Facebook.com/Marketing or whatever generic word that describes your business, think again. They won't approve it. Bummer, huh?

2. Do you have under 1,000 fans? If so, your username won't be approved. This is something that people are ranting and raving about. I am one of them. Make enough noise, and we may get the attention of the powers that be.


Creating your new Facebook URL will be a huge opportunity for companies to build their online presence. As a Marketing Coach, I highly urge you to take a look at your strategies for PR, Marketing and Advertising and make sure you have a great plan. I am a big stickler for your brand image to remain consistent. This applies to your URLs. Try to keep them as close as possible, and remember - you only have one time to make a first impression!

Overall, it should be an interesting Friday night.

Post in the comments what your chosen username will be!

Create an Easy Link to Your Facebook Account

Ever been frustrated when you want someone to add your Facebook account and they can't find you or your company's Page when they go searching for it? Drives me crazy.

This is difficult because Facebook does not allow you to have your own designated URL. For example, MySpace allows you to choose your own URL - i.e. www.myspace.com/whateverIwant. Mine is www.myspace.com/kmellott.

Facebook makes it a little messy, if you want my opinion, although there is always a brilliant third-party application that someone has created to make our lives easier. And I found it!

Simply add the application to give yourself a more clean-looking URL. Mine is
http://companies.to/mellottmarketinggroup/

This is available for companies, celebrities, or regular groups or profiles.

Check out this quick-fix here and your issues will be solved:
http://apps.facebook.com/webaddress/

Hope that makes it easier for all of your adoring fans and clients to find you on Facebook! Getting there shouldn't be the most challenging part!

Tweet, tweet!

For the laugh of the day:




Are you tweeting enough? It's like working out - the more you sweat, the better results you get. Put in the time and you'll be glad you met so many great new people!

So Easy To Promote!

My Act TV :: Talent Broadcast Network

Posted using ShareThis

Don't click quite yet, but take a look at the above link. What do you think it means? Why am I posting this? Well, I had to share another example of how powerful social networking is becoming for different people.

This link leads to a video of my boyfriend performing at a recent event we hosted. As a professional entertainer/vocal coach in Los Angeles, his singing was captured in HD quality video and uploaded onto a site used to promote creative talent. So, what's the big deal about a guy singing, you ask?

The coolest part about discovering this new company, My Act TV, that just launched a few weeks ago, was the brilliant and EASY ways they installed to share this video with others.

Right underneath his video is a link that says "Share This." By clicking on it, another window pops up which gives you 45 different social networking websites to post it to. Yes, I counted them - 45!! My blog (Blogger) was one of them. After selecting the "Blogger" link in this window, it asked me for my log-in name and password. Only a click of the "Post" button, and then - BAM! - off it went. I came here to log-in and write about how cool this feature was.

For this company, the more exposure their artists receive the more exposure their company receives so it's advantageous for them to have every sharing site available. Makes sense, right?

It's the little - and convenient - things that I love. :)

Why Use Social Networking?

I made a fun, short little video for my website (www.MarketingMakesMeSmile.com) and wanted to share it.

By the way, are you using YouTube to promote your business? Your competition is! Ask me for some tips or stay tuned to this blog and my YouTube channel for more to come.

Enjoy!

Twitter Tip Of The Day - Your Bio

Check out these easy tips on how to create a bio that gets people to read it and most importantly - remember you. Want an example? Check out: www.twitter.com/keri_mellott

For more info on using Social Media for your business, jump over to www.MarketingMakesMeSmile.com and sign up for more FREE and easy tips!

Twitter Exec Goes to Iraq

Interesting article. A handful of Social Media execs are traveling to Iraq. Your thoughts on bringing Social Media into Iraq to help them grow as a country? The main objectives are to "build upon anti-corruption efforts, promote critical thinking in the classroom, and scale-up civil society, among other goals."

I'm glad to stay over here and teach people how to use social media instead, thanks. Wow. That could be an intense job that would definitely take my "Smile" out of Marketing! Hope they're safe. I'm blessed and grateful to be typing from the safety of my home, and not in a war zone.

BUT - it is cool how "small" our world is becoming b/c of social media, though, isn't it?

Social Media - giving a loud and powerful voice to anyone who chooses to use it. How are YOU using Social Media?

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/21/iraq.twitter.technology/

From Zero to Hero in No Time Flat!

Here's a prime example of how powerful the Internet and viral marketing can be!

Susan Boyle was just a unknown single lady living with her cat, Pebbles, and she has now performed for more than 14 million people (as of this posting) and that's just from this one video channel.

I also love watching this video because it reminds us how we shouldn't judge a book by a cover. Talent comes in all shapes, sizes and ways. Further, NEVER give up on your dreams! Susan had been wishing to sing in front of a large audience since she was 12 years old. A big congratulations and hug goes out to a remarkable 47-yr-old superstar in the making!!

Twitter Founder Speaks

Co-founder/creator of Twitter, Evan Williams, is a genius. He also created this here very blog site, aka Blogger. Smart guy. He talks in this video below about following your hunches and starting side projects (good hunches he had, right?). He helped create the amazing microblogging site that I've been raving about lately, Twitter.

Which side projects are YOU starting on? I believe there's a $100,000 idea inside of everyone.

Evan speaks at TED seminar about how Twitter got started and why:

Twitter Words Defined

DM, #, twitpic, Fail Whale, microblogging, followers...

Wondering what all that Twitter lingo means?

They are very helpful to understand if you want to get the most out of your Twitter experience.

Check out this cool website to get all your answers. Your word not on there? They'll add it! Or you can ask your friendly Social Media Marketing Coach (that's me!) and I'll go to work for ya, too.

Hope this clears up any confusion. Resources are so valuable and cut down on your time and learning curve.

http://twittonary.com/

Tweet, tweet, ya'll!

Building Fans Early

One company that I'm very much impressed with on the Marketing tip, is Apple. Clearly I may be a little biased as I blog this from my new MacBook, but as a loyal fan way BEFORE the cool iPhone came out, I've been watching them build their brand pretty closely for over five years now. And who doesn't love those commercials with the Mac and the nerdy PC guy? Simple, honest, funny. Brilliant.

When I was debating on whether to get a Mac or a PC back in college, it was pretty clear that I would be the outcast from the Communications department if I were to even think about getting anything other than an Apple laptop. All the computer labs had Apples and all the PC-users resided in the Business and Math buildings. I can't tell you how many hours I spent completing homework assignments for my Advertising classes using my awesome white iBook. It was a great computer.

Fast forward to today and as I was visiting the Apple store this morning, I was greeted by a bunch of rowdy little children. So cute! They were all wearing yellow T-shirts (much too big for them) and they were all on the field trip of their lives - the Apple Store. Ok, that might be biased, too, but I know I would have loved it at 6 years old. They were laughing and giggling and chatting excitedly. Everything you would want your potential life-long customers to be doing at a very, very early age. :)

Their teacher was explaining to them how to use iPhoto, a super-easy software program for your pictures that comes on every new Mac. Literally, these little kids were doing it all themselves. (By the way, Mac is short for Macintosh. Which is a kind of apple. Brilliant, right? Branding. Love it.)

If these kids can do it, you can, too! Don't be scared of computers and technology. Embrace it and watch the success come to YOU! It'll be as easy as A-B-C! But don't forget to smile. ;)

My First Video!

I've been so busy helping other people grow their business that I'm just now getting around to promoting mine! Lots of people are asking for my help now, so here's the beginning of a wonderful adventure. I'll be giving FREE advice about how to use all these cool social networking sites.

Check out my YouTube channel "MarketingMadeEasy" and let's have some fun with Social Media Marketing!

Feedback is appreciated (please be gentle!)..haha.

At Last

Finally got my long-time awaited new laptop! I had been using my fantastic white Apple iBook G4 since my college days and although it is still a great computer, it's considered a dinosaur in my eyes for what I'm trying to do online these days. I needed an upgrade. Quick.

As a very loyal person, this also rings true in my computer choices. Once an Apple fan, always an Apple fan. Pretty much. I should buy stock...

Special thanks to my Santa, John, who came through and gave me my early X-mas present so I could get the ball rolling faster. :)

Above: me with my Personal Shopper, Charlie, and my loot! I highly recommend setting up your FREE Personal Shopper program before you go into the store. You can do this online at www.apple.com. It saves you time from waiting and waiting to ask a few questions if it's busy in the store. He even checked us out right there with his mini-cash register!

(This blog is brought to you by my new Macbook. I'm in love.)

Discovering Yourself

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to meet a fellow Bradley University family member who was looking for some career advice and tips on how to break into the PR/Marketing industry. She is just about to graduate college and head off into this big, bad world of total responsibility and is considering the big move to LA. When her sister (a friend of mine and also a BU alum) contacted me to let me know that her younger sister was going to be in Los Angeles during her spring break and she wanted to meet up with me, I was so flattered. Have I really accomplished enough already to have a mentoree? Wow, apparently so, as I just received a wonderful email from her thanking me for my time and invaluable information that I gave her over dinner last night. We had a great time and I love seeing people go after their dreams.

It was only a few short years ago when this was me. I also took my Spring Break, Senior Year, to come out to Los Angeles for a second trip that year, to make absolute sure that this was where I wanted to start my career. I met with fellow BU alums, too, and picked their brains with my questions. After a resounding, but silent, "Yes!" came to me as I flew back to Illinois, I knew that opportunities would be endless in the the City of Angels. I could not describe the intense feelings of excitement and anticipation (ok, and a little fear!) that I was feeling, but I was ready to conquer the world.

Sacrifice, tears, joy, hard work and darn-near bloodshed have gotten me to where I'm at today, and it's only the beginning. Today I am so empowered to be given the opportunity to make a positive impact in other women's lives. I was born an entrepreneur, and know that it's so important to live your dreams and not just talk about them. I want my story to become one of inspiration and motivation. I believe I'll start writing a book to include all the details because it's no easy feat to be here every day. But as for right now, I'm happy to know that I've helped someone find direction and I look forward to paying it forward again as so many have done before me.

This was the quote at the bottom of her email. How perfect, don't you think?

"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." - Alan Alda

You may not have to physically re-locate across the country, but do what you must to fulfill YOUR destiny.

Happiness Is Contagious In Social Networking

Today I found an article from the LA Times that helps approve my Blog Title: "Marketing Makes Me Smile."

Some smart folks at Harvard have studied over 5,000 relationships and how their level of happiness on social media sites affected the rest of their networks. Apparently, happiness is contagious as they found that knowing someone who is happy makes you 15.3% more likely to be happy yourself!

Interesting article. Click on the link below for all the happy details, and keep smiling out there. :)

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/05/science/sci-happy5

How To Do Social Media Right In 2009

Check out this SlideShare Presentation - a very deep and detailed look at the future of social media. I like their case studies with Zappos and Ford - two companies using social media the right way to build their brand and keep their customers happy.

How To Do Social Media Right In 2009

View more presentations from Marta Strickland.

Bullseye: Finding YOUR Target Market

Lately I've heard lots of people talk about how confusing it is to find their target market and so I thought I'd share some thoughts.

First, everyone must understand that this is not an option, but a requirement in doing business. Those who think that everyone on the planet could use their services are way off course. They say "If you're targeting everyone, you're targeting NO ONE." And it's true. Now, perhaps your service or product could be used by everyone. You still need to just focus on one core group, and life will be much easier and far less overwhelming. For small businesses in particular, this needs to be strongly looked into.

Major brands even have their own definition of their ideal customer, but also have the marketing budgets to promote on much larger, national levels by purchasing TV commercials, magazine ads in People, or appearing on Oprah as a sponsor which allows them to reach as many people at once as possible.

These details you need to know about your target market/customer are comprised of two things: demographic information and psychographic information or personality or lifestyle information. (Demographics included any hard facts such as the first three below.)

Here's a list of questions to ask yourself in looking for your target market:

- How old are they?
- Where do they live?
- Are they married, single, divorced, widowed, third-marriage?
- What is their profession and annual income?
- Where do they go on vacation? How often do they travel?
- What is their favorite TV show? Magazine subscription?
- Would they spend time online or choose to read a novel for liesure?
- Would you find them on a Friday night at Chuck E. Cheese, Red Lobster or Morton's Steakhouse?

The more specific you can narrow down your target, the easier it will be to find them and then proceed with the rest of your marketing strategy. But if you don't know where to look, you'll end up wasting WAY too much of your precious time. Do spend the time to really delve into who these fantastic customers of yours look like. This research is pivotal in your success and will travel through all aspects of your marketing plan. It will determine how you talk to them, where you place advertising, how much they will be willing to pay for your services and more.

If you need any help with this, please contact me. I LOVE figuring out target markets!

Twitter is Taking Over!

Tweet. Twitter.

These aren't just two really cool words. But they're also powerful tools to use as marketing strategy for your business.

Twitter is the latest and greatest social networking website. Less complex and perhaps more effective than a MySpace or Facebook. It's the short, condensed version of these similar sites and still allows you to upload your picture, create a mini-profile and bring some of your personality to it.

To "tweet" is a verb - the action you take to write what you're doing in under 140 characters - about 2 short sentences. This can be done from your computer or your cellphone. (Several companies have created software that allows you to update all of your social networking sites at the same time so you don't have to log into each one. I use Hellotxt. So convenient.) It's then broadcast out to your network.

So why should you "tweet"? Answer: To take advantage of an extremely viral social platform where people have the choice to "follow" what you're doing. This is also the modern day version of building your database. In other words, it's an opportunity for you to build more relationships, bring value and take the chance to get the word out there about who you are and what services or products you can offer. And it's fun!

Join Twitter, then please opt to "follow me" if you like and I look forward to returning the favor by following you back and learning more about you!

Tweet-tweet for now...

It's Just the Beginning

Today changed my life so much so that it inspired me to set up a blog. I'll tell you why in a minute.

I know about blogs. I understand about blogs. I read blogs. I help others with their blogs. I critique blogs. Heck, I even set up my own 7-yr-old son his own blog some time ago and he has way more posts than I do at this point!

So why not? What's been holding me back?

Well, it's simple. I've been too scared to share. To share my thoughts, my feelings, my ideas, my concerns...for fear of (gasp!) what someone else might think. Enough of that.

Today it was made abundantly clear that I possess valuable information about Marketing and I constantly share it with others, so why not put it out there for more to hear? I love to write and for those who know me, they all know that my calling has been to become an exceptional Marketing specialist.

A blog is a very powerful way to connect with others who are interested in hearing the above list of thoughts, ideas, etc. This blog will have a mixture of personal and business info, and I hope that you will find little gold nuggets along the way to help you in some way, shape or form. I look forward to hearing about YOU now!

God Bless!