When I moved to Conway, AR, I looked for folks to connect with who might help me find work. Three people were very helpful in finding a place to network for the purpose of finding a place to work and restart much of my business.

One of those persons was Samantha Hartley.

Samantha Hartley

I fired up Twellow to find twitter people in Conway to follow, and Samantha was one of the top ones listed. I visited her website and was very impressed with her use of online marketing.

I sent her email not knowing if I would get a response, and much to my surprise and delight, she emailed me back. I figured that she was a busy business woman and I might not get much time to visit with her, but she said she would be happy to meet with me.

I visited her at the local Starbucks, and what I found was a very smart, articulate lady who is the smartest person I know when it comes to marketing.

I call her a “marketing guru.”

Her background is exemplary, and she is very successful in advising companies of all sizes in their marketing strategy.

She is not just a very smart business woman who is very successful, but she is extremely giving. She was willing to help a stranger who relocated to Conway find his way in this community. She is interested in serving her clients while remaining true to her values.

If your business is struggling with its marketing message, I would encourage you to give Samantha a call. Her company, Enlightened Marketing, is worth the investment.

How do we get in touch with Samantha?

Twitter: @samanthahartley
Facebook:  Samantha
website: EnlightenedMarketing.com

Sometimes, a story has to be painted.  Often, a message has to be told in another way.  I love words, and I write, but sometimes, words are not enough to convey the message in the best way.  That is why we have art.  There are those that paint, draw, sculpt, write and play music and more.  We, as a society, are blessed for it.

As a business owner, there may be times when we need a little more than a tagline to get our message across.  We come up with elevator pitches to help, and we might turn to someone like Samantha Hartley to come up with an audio logo.  These are alternative ways to convey our message, and they are well worth looking in to.

Another way to paint a message is through videos.  Studies have shown that people are more “hooked” by watching videos on websites.  Videos are powerful tools, and you don’t have to limit yourself to making a video to put on T.V.  Videos can be used online at your website, on Youtube, and Facebook.  In fact, Old Spice did a video/social media campaign earlier this summer that was very successful.

Now, take a truly inspiring story, and make a video about it, and you have a very powerful message.  In the 1992 Summer Olympics, Derek Redmond was running in a 400 meter semifinals heat, and he was the favorite to win the race and race for the gold.  However, something happened.  Redmond tore a hamstring muscle and collapsed to the track half way through the race.

What happened next startled and inspired the rest of the world that day in Barcelona, Spain.  Redmond got to his feet, and he continued the race hobbling around on one leg.  With a little over 100 meters left, his father joined him and helped him finish, way behind the others, the heat race.

The story has been told, but the video below tells the story and in a more profound way while reminding us of a message we all need to hear.

The next time you think about your marketing message, and how you are going to communicate the message, think about the use of videos. You don’t have to purchase expensive commercial time on T.V., you can upload it online and share it with as many people as possible.

If you need some help getting a video for your company, feel free to contact us.

Photo Credit:  303db

The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue (affiliate link)

Shama Kabani is a leader in social media marketing.  She is trusted and she is well known.  Aside from the fact that she is pretty and that she will charm your socks off, she is an incredible communicator.  She communicates the basics of social media marketing as well as anyone I know.  If you have visited her website, Shama.tv, you will have learned lots of very helpful information while enjoying her video clips.

Zen of Social Media Marketing

It is no surprise that she is the first to put out a book on the basics of social media marketing.  She actually published it in an e-book form a couple of years ago.  I had already downloaded and read the e-book last year, but when she announced that it was coming out in a book, I was excited.

Shama (@shama) breaks down the reasons why you may need to incorporate a social media marketing plan in your business.  She addresses different questions and how social media marketing can be useful for all types and sizes of business.  But wait, just so you know that is not all theory, she has included 12 case studies with real life examples of businesses using social media marketing to improve their businesses.

Shama lays a foundation by addressing the basics of online marketing.  Then, she moves in to the use of websites, blogs and gives the reader a crash course on search engine optimization and how it can help improve your website in the rankings.  She recruited Steve West to write the SEO section.  In fact, Shama recruits Dave Kaminski to write the section on videos.  I like that she asked experts in other fields to contribute to the book.

Shama then turns her attention toward the “big three” in social media: Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook.  She gives the reader good advice on how to use the tool as well as how it can help you business.  These sections are worth the read because she gives information that is not widely known.  For instance, she gives information on the difference of a profile, a group and a fan page on Facebook and in which instance it is best to use one over the others.  After she writes about the “big three,” she turns the forum over to Kaminski to talk about why and how to use videos on websites.  This is an eye-opening chapter and has the potential to give business owners new ideas for online marketing.

Shama wraps up the book by addressing how and why a company should set up a social media policy.  It is worth learning and implementing before a crisis hits. Finally, she gives out a few suggestions on using social media such as how to synchronize updates using ping.fm and how to measure your efforts.

Shama holding a copy of her book

The section in which I like the most is the back part of the book.  Shama has included a “practical” section.  I mentioned earlier the case study section, but she has also included the Q&A section.  I am impressed with how easily she takes something that can seem so theoretical and communicate it in terms of the practical.   That is a skill that is rare, and Shama is one of the best I have seen.  Of course, in true Shama form, she included a way to enhance your experience using the book by offering an ongoing community online.  You will have to read the book for that information!

Shama utilizes quotes from several “experts,” and the forward is written by Chris Brogan.  For my friends in Central Arkansas, is worth noting that Shama quotes Samantha Hartley in the book who is also from Conway, Arkansas.

Thanks Shama for this book!  I enjoyed it even more than the e-book version.

This article is originally published in Samantha’s Ezine which you can subscribe to here.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

Attractingperfectclients.com

I was moved to share with you this quote I saw on Twitter. I’ve seen many entrepreneurs rush off, motivated, ready to implement new ideas, marketing plans and behaviors. But soon, they get fried and fall back into old habits.
Habit is the default setting, which you do automatically and, sometimes, unconsciously. We so often think of bad habits, such as smoking, biting nails, gossiping or watching TV.

But what about good habits, like eating raw fruits and vegetables, saying “thank you” and saving money? Those can be difficult to start but, once they’re the default, easy to continue.

More motivation is not what we need; it’s more good habits.
Imagine how you’d feel if, instead of the cycle of fired-up-motivation and run-down-dejection, you found a few new behaviors and made them habits. You might see enough improvement to get – and stay – truly motivated.

In case you’re wondering what those habits might be, here are 10 suggestions:

1. Create content. Whether you write, record on audio or video, or present to live audiences, information is what drives today’s marketing. Allot time weekly to content development.

2. Systematize, automate and outsource. If you do it the same way more than once, you can turn those steps into a system. If it can be done with software, automate it. If someone else can do it more effectively or efficiently, outsource it.

3. Respect your revenue flow. Revenue-generating activities need to top your priorities list. If you have a proposal to get to an interested client, do it now. Same with invoices, follow-up and anything else that results in money flowing into your business. Do it now. And if any of those can be … well, see #2.

4. Get in front of new audiences. Seek ways to share your brand beyond your usual crowd. You can do this by visiting a new networking group, commenting on a blog or asking readers to forward your ezine.

Speaking of which, would you mind sharing this with a colleague? Just click “forward,” please. Thank you!

5. Stay in touch with past clients. Those who’ve invested with you before are more likely to do so again or to refer you to others. You can also learn a lot about the lasting effects of your work.

6. Connect with your referral partners. It’s best to stay top-of-mind with those who refer business to you. Exchange news, tips and ideas. Propose collaborations. Send thank you notes.

7. Try something new. If there’s a new marketing technique or message you’ve wanted to try, give it a shot. What’s the worst that can happen – failure? That’s a good thing. You’ll never know what won’t work until you try it. If you can’t think of anything new to try, do one of my 24 proven techniques for attracting clients.

8. Update your website. At least weekly, ideally daily. Your website should be the center of your marketing efforts … interactive … as alive and dynamic as you are! Anything less is a wasted asset.

9. Check your stats. You should be measuring your performance on an ongoing basis. How much revenue have you earned year-to-date? How are you doing against your goals? How many visitors to your website? Is the number growing or declining? Why did we get that big spike last week? Who refers the most clients to us?

10. Recharge your batteries. What’s the most energizing thing for you? Working one-on-one with a client, taking a 4-mile run or listening to an inspiring podcast? Whatever it is, weave it into your day so the habit fuels your motivation engine.
It’s easy to create healthy habits for your business

You know that fuzzy feeling you get if you go too many hours without brushing your teeth? Or the sluggish feeling from lack of exercise? If you add one or two of these habits to your business routine today, you’ll soon find it hard to live without them.

© 2010 Enlightened Marketing

Samantha Hartley

“By Samantha Hartley of Enlightened Marketing. For effective marketing strategies that align with your values visit http://www.enlightenedmarketing.com/.”