Carol Stephen, Author at

Focus on Lifestyle When You Have a Difficult-to-Sell Service

February 27, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

When your service is particularly difficult to sell, you need to get people to know, like, and trust you. That process takes time. I’m thinking of services that have a very long sales cycle, such as real estate.

What Does Lifestyle Mean?

Lifestyle is describing your client’s daily activities. That could mean hobbies, where he or she shops, what colors they like, and so on. Ideally, you know a lot about that person and could even make a drawing of how they like to dress, right down to their favorite pair of shoes. You might even know if they have a hat they wear all the time. In this article from American Express: 7 Excellent Ways to Attract New Customers, former OPEN Forum community member Nicole Beckett, president of Premier Content Source says “Have a crystal clear picture in your head of exactly who you’re targeting.” And goes on to say “Think about what makes those types of people happy, sad, scared, relieved, and then think about how you can make their lives a little easier.”

Ideal Client Profile

There is some controversy over whether an ideal client profile means a fictional person. I prefer to think of a composite of the best traits of your best clients. If you could take those traits and put them all in a blender, that would be your ideal client profile. No need to name names! Which client has the best attitude? Who comes up with great content to share? And who has beautiful photos? You get the general idea. Not clear on your ideal client profile? You might want to check out Who Are You Writing For? Target Audience and Social Media.

Realtor Example

Say you’re a realtor. There are some very clever realtors out there–and the real estate market is very saturated. But you don’t have to just talk about real estate. You could talk about your clients’ lifestyle. Say your typical client is in her 50s and wants to retire soon and enjoy home-cooked meals and traveling. Talk about the local sights where your clients would locate, fun cooking events, and so on. Anything that lets your ideal clients get to know you personally helps them to know, like, and trust you. You might like this article: Why the 80/20 Rule Works for Your Social Media.

Harley-Davidson

Today I was watching a video about the Harley-Davidson brand and how they’ve become a lifestyle brand. Their ideal client, however, has been an older white male (Baby Boomer) motorcycle rider. How can they pivot and welcome younger riders into the Harley universe when they’ve become so associated with just one type of rider? After all, they’ve had some of the most loyal fans ever! What other brand can boast of loyal fans who get their logo tattooed onto their bodies? But to change and be inclusive of women, younger riders, and people of color? That can’t be easy!

Do You Focus on Your Client’s Lifestyle?

Why or why not? Leave me a comment! And thank you!

#Digiblogchat Questions February 25, 2020

February 24, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

Our February 25th #DigiBlogChat is a special one, focused on living kidney donation. Our special guest is Amy Donohue, who is a living donor herself. Amy is a great friend and advocate for kidney donations. Listen more about Amy and her Social Media Stole My Kidney adventure on Ignite Phoenix:

Here are the questions:

What have you heard about kidney donations? Do you know any kidney donors?
How do you become a living kidney donor?
What are the emotional consequences of being an organ donor?
The physical consequences? (Recovery? Normal food? Exercise? Scarring?)
How healthy do you need to be to donate?
Do you know someone on dialysis or had kidney issues? How did it affect them and their family?
What kind of impact would it have if you donated a kidney?
How safe is it to have just one kidney? What happens to the remaining kidney after one is donated?
Are there ways that social media can help create a kidney community?
What would it take for you to be a kidney donor? (Multiple choice on Twitter)

Parent got sick
Family member asked
Best friend needed it
Stranger or Celebrity needed

Filed Under: Uncategorized

How to Find Ten Blog Post ideas in One Hour That Will Make You Feel Relaxed

February 20, 2020 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

Do you struggle to find good content for your blog? There are so many ideas out there, and yet…not so much. Maybe you are feeling less creative and have run out. Here are some hints for you so that you can continue writing. And you can create them in one hour (maybe less!).

The Most Asked Question

What do people ask you over and over again? Don’t you get a little tired of answering that question? They might also ask the question in different ways. Why not create a blog post about that? You could call it The Most Frequently Asked Question about….

Photo by michael-day

What You Wish People Would Ask

Is there something people never ask you but you wish they would? For example, Why should I hire you? Or What differentiates you? might be good questions to answer. You can surely write a full blog post about that.

Behind the Scenes

Maybe you rescue dogs in your off hours. Maybe you do needlepoint. If you have a hobby, or if your staff members all go to baseball games together, why not write about that? You might be surprised at what triggers people to do business with you. If you do share, try not to overshare. Here’s why: What Happens to Your Audience When You Overshare.

Best of Post

What was your favorite post? Did it get a lot of attention? Did it not garner any attention? Why not write about what you think happened…or didn’t happen? You might do one per month or even one per week if you post a lot.

Something That Made You Think

Was there some article pertaining to your business that really made you think? You could use that as a jumping-off point. What did it make you think about? Did you agree with what they said? Disagree? Sometimes using an opposite viewpoint is valuable for your audience.

Something That Made You Laugh

Maybe your business is a serious one. Maybe not. But we all need to laugh anyway. So long as what you write is not completely off-brand, why not write a humorous post? For instance, you could write a whole series about clowns. Oh, wait, that’s me!

Compilation Post

You might compile a few posts, especially if you write about the same thing over and over. You might like How to Effectively Stand out in a Noisy World.

Write about the Competition

Of course, you probably don’t want to name the competition. This goes hand-in-hand with what differentiates you. Are they sloppy workers? Write about how meticulous you are. Are they bad listeners? Talk about your keen listening skills. And so on.

A Series about What You Do

Do people understand what you do? Even plumbers have some services that people might not know about, or understand. You could write about what you offer that’s beyond what others offer. For instance, many plumbers also work on sprinkler systems.

What You Don’t Do

This could be a humorous post. Maybe your customers always ask you to do something that you find distasteful. That could make a good post. Friend Randy Clark wrote about How NOT to train, for instance.

Is That Better?

Do you feel more relaxed now? Having a bunch of topics to write about can make you more relaxed. Plus, you’ll have time to do something else now!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: compilation post, content creation, content marketing, FAQs

Content Creation and the Rule of Three: What You Need to Know

February 13, 2020 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Would you like to create content that’s more satisfying, interesting, and engaging? Then you need to know about the rule of three! (Do you see what I did there?) The rule of three works not only in writing, but also in art. If you’ve ever seen three objects together, you realize that they seem more balanced than two or four. In the world of art, you might also see artists dividing the canvas into thirds and making sure there’s something of interest in each third.

The Science Behind the Rule of Three

You don’t actually need a scientist to understand why three is a good number. It’s a lot easier to remember three things than four or more things. And if you’re telling someone ten things? They’re likely to forget seven things, so why not keep it simple and stick with three? Carmine Gallo in his article on Forbes: Thomas Jefferson, Steve Jobs, and the Rule of Three says “If your listener will only remember about three things from your conversation, presentation, or email, why overwhelm them with twenty-two key messages?”

Who Uses the Rule of Three?

Writers, artists, and even marine corps instructors use the rule of three. Many people use the rule of three without even realizing. In the childhood classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears, for instance, the rule of three is used extensively. And who doesn’t relate to Goldilock’s choice? Papa Bear’s bed is too big, Mama Bear’s bed is too soft, but Baby Bear’s bed is just right. There’s something about being given three choices that is just right, too. The porridge and the chair in the Goldilocks tale is similar, with three choices for each. The history behind Goldilocks is fascinating, too. Then there’s life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (also three!). And photographers who use foreground, middle ground, and background as a rule.

How Can You Use the Rule of Three?

In marketing, you can give your potential clients three choices. In the olden days, those choices might have been Gold, Silver, and Platinum. These days, maybe you could offer Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial. Or something humorous could work, too. For instance if you run a circus, your tickets could be labeled as the Emmett Kelly, the Ronald MacDonald, and the Bozo the Clown packages. By the way, did you realize that I once wrote a whole series focused on clowns? Yup! Here’s one: Secrets of the Social Media Circus, from 2013.

How Do You Use the Rule of Three?

Will you employ the rule of three in your writing? In your artwork? It’s a simple way to create focus.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Goldilocks and the three bears, the rule of three

#Digiblogchat Questions February 11, 2020

February 11, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

speaking photo

Today’s Topic: Vlogging (video blogging) with special guest Mitch Mitchell @Mitch_M!

Q1. Have you or your company ever created a video?

Q2. If you haven’t created any videos, why not?

Q3. If you have created a video, were you in it?

Q4. Do you have a YouTube channel?

Q5. What do you believe are the benefits of marketing using video?

Q6. Do you believe there are personal benefits of doing videos?

Q7. Do you edit your videos or put them out as they are?

Q8. If you were going to share your videos, where and how would you do it?

Q9. Have you thought about personal vlogging?

Q10. Would you be open to being interviewed via video?

Next week’s topic:What digital skills should my team develop?!

Filed Under: Digiblogchat questions

How to Speak Your Client’s Language: Three Simple Ways

February 6, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

If you’re a social media manager, it’s critical that you speak your client’s language. If you’ve ever seen someone who doesn’t speak their client’s language, then you know how jarring it can be to their audience. It’s confusing, to say the least. Speaking your client’s language also helps so they really feel like you hear what they say. That might include slowing down or speeding up the rate at which you speak.

By the way, you might like this article about social media platforms and language (from the Wayback Machine!): Different Platform, Different Language.

One: Listen Carefully

What words does your client use? What words and phrases do they avoid? You probably want to mirror what you’re hearing. They might use a lot of small words, or maybe they pepper their language with the occasional indubitably or obviously. If you’re in doubt, ask, suggests C.J. Hayden in her newsletter about Speaking Your Clients’ Language. Another thing to listen to is your client’s body language. Do they slouch or fold their arms? What are they telling you with their expressions? Do they look worried or happy? The little expressions you see every day can mean a lot.

Two: Use the Lingo

Say your client sells cars. You need to be using the same language they use. There could be some three-letter acronyms (TLAs) that are frequently used in the business, too. You might want to use the same acronyms (but explain them occasionally for your audience). Even though your client uses the lingo, that doesn’t mean that everyone in their audience knows all of it. You can always link back to a Wikipedia article explaining any complex lingo, or to your client’s website for that matter. In marketing, there are tons of acronyms, too, such as SMM (social media marketing) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Jeff Bullas has an article about all the marketing lingo you need to know. There will probably be many other acronyms in your line of work.

Three: Be a Conduit

If you’re posting on behalf of a client, make sure you have their best interests in mind. For instance, when I’m out and about on social media, I have to stifle my own political leanings. Since I’m a Democrat, I can’t talk about that on social media. Not only would it possibly conflict with my clients’ interests, but it could ostracize their audience. (Although if you’re working on a political campaign, that’s a whole different story!) And, as mentioned above, if you’re using acronyms make sure to spell them for your readers. Although you’re speaking your client’s language, you also need to ensure that your audience can understand what your client says! If you missed it, here’s one you might enjoy: Target Audience and Social Media.

What Other Ways Do You Speak Your Client’s Language?

I’m all ears (it’s an ugly sight!). Let me know in the comments. And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: marketing lingo, speak your client's language

#DigiBlogChat Questions February 4, 2020

February 3, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

February 4, 2020 at #DigiBlogChat — Idea Party!

A brainstorming chat for our chat of February, as suggested by Jorgenson Lockers!

We’ll brainstorm ideas for our regulars during this fast-paced, friendly hour. Join us to brainstorm, and don’t forget to invite a friend!

Tuesday, February 4th at 1:00 p.m. pst.

Our (possible) #DigiBlogChat questions:

Is there a place in your business where you’d like some fresh ideas?
Could you tell us a little about your business?
Is your brand/business limited by your location?

Filed Under: Digiblogchat questions

The Imperfect Science of the Perfect Post

January 30, 2020 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Lately I’ve been reconsidering the way I post. That is, I’m taking a deeper dive into what I post, reading more, and having more opinions. On Twitter, my tweets have taken on a different look, instead of the usual RT @BlabbityBlahBlah, link and hashtag. Now more tweets have a quote in them. In real-time, those tweets are retweets with comments. If they’re scheduled, they start off with a quote, usually, then who said it, the link and maybe a hashtag. On other platforms, such as Facebook, posts are similarly formatted. Twitter itself has advice on what to tweet, which you might like: What to Tweet.

So What?

This format with the quote has resulted in a lot more conversations, I’ve found. Also, people seem to retweet these posts more often. People seem to appreciate the format with quotes more, and the engagement has been different, and more fun. By the way, if you’re struggling with engagement, you might want to look at For Better Social Media Results, Focus on Engagement. Since social is the whole point of social media, getting more engagement is a true win.

Photo by camerazn

SEO or Just More Engagement?

Search Engine Optimization has been getting trickier and trickier. Often posts that are written for the Google bots don’t sound like they’re written by humans at all. Keyword stuffing is rampant, and many of the posts seem like they’re written using Artificial Intelligence. They may have been written by someone whose first language isn’t English or translated using a translation program. Either way, many articles seem stilted and strangely written.

The Human Element

What about the human reading your posts? Don’t they deserve an article written by a real, live, breathing human? I think so. Many of the articles I’ve read recently, even those by big companies such as Forbes, seem to be filled with errors. Are good articles going the way of the dodo, the phone booth, and cursive writing? Let’s hope not! Although I can’t influence everyone all at once, if I could vote for a more human touch in articles and blog posts, I would. And if there are people reading your posts anywhere online, from Facebook to Twitter, why not add your own opinion rather than just being a reposting machine? Even if it’s old-school, I’d like to see that happen. If you’re old school, you might like Yes–Why Not Call Your Friends on the Telephone?

Our Attention Spans are Shortening

We seem to have less time to read these days. Or, as this article from the the New Yorker explains in Why We Don’t Read, Revisited, “…between 2003 and 2016, the amount of time that the average American devoted to reading for personal interest on a daily basis dropped from 0.36 hours to 0.29 hours.” At the same time, people spent more time watching t.v. and possibly watching videos.

What Science Can You Apply to Your Posts?

Is there some science that you can apply to the posts you write yourself or curate? Let me know if you use science or analytics in your posts! And thank you for reading.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: perfect post, perfect tweet, reading, science of posts

#DigiBlogChat Questions January 28, 2020

January 27, 2020 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

Brand Management on #DigiBlogChat

January 28, 2020 at #DigiBlogChat — Brand Management

A chat about brand management for the last chat in January!

Through a series of ten questions, we’ll be exploring brand management during this fast-paced, friendly hour. Join us to answer questions and learn about how others handle their brand management. about your friends’ favorites, and don’t forget to invite a friend!

Tuesday, January 28th at 1:00 p.m. pst.

Our #DigiBlogChat questions:

How important is consistency to your brand management?
How do you think brand management helps you be more productive?
What part does your physical location play in your brand management?
Does your product or service depend upon seasonality? How?
Why is it important for your business to be scalable?
What are your brand’s core values?
How does Return on Investment influence your brand management?
How does your brand align its behavior across social media platforms?
How does brand management ensure the long-term success of your brand?
Does your logo and the colors you use reflect your brand? How so?Join this Twitter conversation by going on Twitter and don’t forget to add #digiblogchat to your tweet!

Filed Under: Digiblogchat questions

Simple Systems For Social Media Marketing

January 23, 2020 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Social Media Marketing has come a long way in the past ten years. In the beginning, almost anyone could get shares, likes, and comments on their posts since there weren’t that many people online. But now? Everybody and their grandma, her kids, her kids’ kids and their dogs are on social media. What’s a small business to do? Create systems, of course! Since I’m a big fan of simple, here are some simple ideas. And if you want to gain traction on Instagram, here’s an article from Social Media Examiner: 10 Ways to Grow an Organic Instagram Presence.

Use a Scheduler

Yes, some frown upon schedulers. Use one anyway. You can’t be online plus run your business plus have a life without a scheduler. I use HootSuite because I’ve used HootSuite since the dawn of time. But there are others you might like more. I’m not an affiliate, by the way. You might like this article about scheduling: What Makes Social Media Automation So Popular? Some other popular ones include Sendible, SproutSocial, and Buffer.

Get Online…But

The “but” here is to watch how much time you spend. How long do you have? You can definitely spend an hour online if you’re organized and don’t get sidetracked by cat videos (oops! That would be me). How many different platforms are you on? Don’t spend all your time on one unless you’ve determined you get 100% of your business from there, like my brother did with his Yelp account. More info about Yelp for businesses here: How to Use Yelp That Will Help Your Business Gain Social Proof.

Use a Timer

I like Noko timer, but it’s a little spendy. You need something that reminds you to get back to reality. Back in the day, I used an egg timer. Yes, really. Its steady ticking reminded me that time was passing by. Plus! You can get one for a dollar the Dollar Tree. Whatever gadget or app you use, it needs to remind you to get back to your other life. You know, the one with people and cars and food in it. For more information about time management, might I recommend: Time Management for the Tired and Frazzled?

Engage, Engage, Engage

Talk to people. If you retweet or report on others’ articles, say something about them. Don’t simply throw things out there because you’ll look like a robot. So have an opinion and curate what you say. Make sure it matches what your audience wants to hear, and please don’t overshare. If people comment on your posts, say thank you at the very least. If you need more help, I have a book you can read in an hour or two to help: 21 Ways to Total Social Media Engagement. It’s in paperback or available as an eBook.

Simple Enough?

Between a scheduler, a timer, and some engagement, you should have it covered. Is that too complicated? Is there something else you’d like to hear about? Let me know in the comments! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: quick and easy social media, simple social media marketing

What Does Lifestyle Mean?

Ideal Client Profile

Realtor Example

Harley-Davidson

Do You Focus on Your Client’s Lifestyle?

The Most Asked Question

What You Wish People Would Ask

Behind the Scenes

Best of Post

Something That Made You Think

Something That Made You Laugh

Compilation Post

Write about the Competition

A Series about What You Do

What You Don’t Do

Is That Better?

The Science Behind the Rule of Three

Who Uses the Rule of Three?

How Can You Use the Rule of Three?

How Do You Use the Rule of Three?

One: Listen Carefully

Two: Use the Lingo

Three: Be a Conduit

What Other Ways Do You Speak Your Client’s Language?

February 4, 2020 at #DigiBlogChat — Idea Party!

Our (possible) #DigiBlogChat questions:

So What?

SEO or Just More Engagement?

The Human Element

Our Attention Spans are Shortening

What Science Can You Apply to Your Posts?

January 28, 2020 at #DigiBlogChat — Brand Management

Our #DigiBlogChat questions:

Use a Scheduler

Get Online…But

Use a Timer

Engage, Engage, Engage

Simple Enough?

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