The same is true with social media. Start out slowly and build on your success. Many businesses and service professionals try to  launch Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and other social channels all at once only to discover these hard truths:

• Gaining traction takes time. Nothing happens overnight. Nothing.
• Like a house plant, social channels need love, attention and nurturing or they die
• It’s harder than it looks. Zappos makes it look easy but buying shoes couldn’t be more different from buying a $1M software solution, 5 pieces of heavy machinery, or a 100-person employee benefits plan.
• The channel itself is not the solution; content still reigns supreme.

Last week I presented at the Valley Industrial Association on a topic near and dear to my heart: Driving B2B Sales Through LinkedIn. Much like training for a sport, leveraging LinkedIn is an ongoing process. You begin slowly and build upon your success. If you’re in sales or a rainmaker role, start by optimizing your profile on industry key words to ensure you are easily found by target prospects.

As you work on your profile, make an effort to get connected to peers, colleagues, former managers, direct reports, vendors… anyone who  might someday be in a position to open a door for you. And then engage. Contribute to the online conversation in a meaningful way. Having a robust profile is just the ante; to achieve results you have to take action.

After I finished my presentation, a woman approached me and said, “You’ve inspired me to give LinkedIn another try.”  Aside from being a huge compliment, her comment  underscores this important lesson: Once you start, you must never stop. You can dial it up or dial it down but resist the temptation to abandon ship. Like training for a marathon, social networking and social media success comes with persistence and patience. Set goals, budget the necessary time, and don’t lose sight of the finish line.

Doodle makes scheduling meetings easier for small business owners and entrepreneurs who have to schedule meetings with clients, partners and suppliers that are not on a shared calendaring system (such as Outlook) without the aid of an executive assistant. It’s time-consuming to say the least, not to mention the distraction of dozens of back-and-forth emails while you try to nail down a date.

Doodle first prompts you to select your target dates. Then you select any number of times for each day. When your poll is ready, all you do is share a link with your guests and ask them to select their availability and preferences. Everyone can see the results and registration is optional. No muss, no fuss.

Scheduling in a Snap

You can sync Doodle with your calendar, import a  poll into your blog or website, and use the tool from your smart phone. There are even options for custom branded pages but the basic free tool meets my needs perfectly. Be it professional or social scheduling, Doodle does it in a snap.

This is a limited opportunity for my Chicago area network to get a professional headshot from a renowned photographer for a song! A professional headshot is de rigueur in this age of digital networking. Whether you’re a rainmaker, ladder climber or a job seeker you need a polished, professional online image that tells the world you mean business!

I’m pleased to once again partner with top fashion photographer Audia. He’s photographed Obama and Ditka and produced dozens of fashion spreads for some of the world’s leading designers. Here’s the scoop: His regular rate for a professional sitting is $450 but for this limited engagement you pay only $185. There are some restrictions, however, so please read the details carefully:

Dates:
Friday, October 8th from  3:00pm – 7:00pm
Saturday, October 9th from 9:00am – 2:00pm

Location:
417 N. Ashland, corner of Ashland & Hubbard, Chicago. Street parking available.

Fees:
Parlay Rate $185 for one retouched 8×10 JPEG at 300ppi delivered via email (regularly $450)

Optional Upgrades:
Change of clothing – $25 each
Additional retouched photos – $55 each

Payment:
PayPal, cash or check. Cash must be received and checks cleared by October 1st to guarantee your spot.

Fine Print:
Payment in full is required to secure your space. Full refund less $15 handling fee available through October 4th.  50% refund October 5th or later.

Sign Me Up!
If you’re interested in participating send an email to sima (at) parlaycommunications.com and include your name, email and cell phone number along with your preferred appointment date and time.

Rave Reviews from Past Participants:
“I couldn’t have been happier with the results or the process.  Audia is a true professional who has mastered the art of discovering  your best image.” – Bill

“The quality of Audia’s photos are outstanding.  They make me feel like I could conquer the world!” – Wanda

“Sima always delivers on her promises. In this case she offered a high quality headshot sitting at a very favorable discount to normal cost. The process was quick, efficient, the number and quality of proofs I had to choose from was fantastic and I am extremely pleased with the results. Highly recommended.” -Eugene

Feel free to invite your colleagues, friends and family – everyone needs to look their best!

Social media is not a panacea for a weak sales force, off-target marketing or irrelevant products. Social media will not don tights and a cape and fly in at quarter-end to save the day. So why bother? Because social media can amplify smart marketing, educate and engage interested prospects, and give your customers a reason to talk to one another among other things.

Just because it’s harder for B2B brands to be social doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. A few words of caution for before you start:

1. You’re not Starbucks. Set benchmarks appropriate for your size and reach. Look to B2B brands with similar target markets. Study your competition, suppliers, vendors, partners and customers too.

2. There is no Adult Swim. If you’re waiting for the lifeguard to blow his whistle and kick all the screaming, splashing kids out of the water, you’re out of luck. Brands that want to leverage social media channels have to put a toe in the water… or just dive in. Either way, you have to be willing to get wet.

3. You’re the tortoise, not the hare. Some of you may remember when email was brand new. Truth-be-told, I remember inter-office envelopes. There will always be new and exciting ways to go to market. Mobile, video, social… Which will work best for you? The only way to know is to try.

Smart marketers by nature are tinkerers, always looking for a faster route to market, a clearer message, and more ways to engage… Social media can help you do just that if you’re willing to try. So put on your floaties and come on in. I’ll meet you at the shallow end… the water’s fine.

To the uninitiated, 10K followers may sound impressive, but really it’s not. What many service professionals and B2B business owners fail to realize is that Twitter success is not measured by the number of followers but rather by the number of conversations. And trying to engage with 10,000 people daily is a bit like trying to drink from the fire hose.

In an ideal world, all your Twitter followers would be happy customers and eager prospects hanging on your every word, but then you’d be E. F. Hutton, the founder of the financial services firm often remembered by Boomers for its catchy slogan…

The truth is, I consider myself lucky if I have at least one meaningful exchange on Twitter each day. Whether I’m sharing a link, asking for opinions, or making introductions doesn’t really matter. What matters is that when I’m thirsty for conversation, I can jump into the Twitter pool, splash around and connect. Remember the golden rule: People buy from people they know, people they like, and people they trust. To be successful on Twitter, there’s no real secret; you simply have to engage.

After Reed shut down most of its online publishing properties, I had the unpleasant task of reposting the 100+ blogs I’d previously written onto my own blog here. I lost some images and a few cross-links but most of my work was saved.

But now that’s behind me and it’s time to start blogging again.

Look for new ideas, personal insights, fresh commentary, interviews, guest bloggers and more. Real-world advice for small business owners, entrepreneurs and industry peers with emphasis on B2B. Not a mandate… rather an exchange of ideas and opinions that makes us each better for the effort. I hope you’ll join me – it won’t be nearly as fun without you.

So welcome back. Here’s to moving forward.

Households comprised of a married couple with children? Just 22 percent.

Two-thirds of the immigrants who arrived in the past decade (about 10M) settled in the South and West. The number of Hispanics living in the United States is 50M; they represent the nation’s largest and most rapidly growing marketing category. And I’m pretty sure they’re not in a hurry to settle in Arizona.

In the two largest states (California and Texas) and all ten of the largest U.S. cities, no single racial or ethnic category describes a majority of the population. Pity the xenophobes.

And who we think of as “head of household” may also change and women continue to enter the workforce.

Marketers best take heed. As a white working woman living in an hispanic neighborhood, I’m used to receiving mail addressed to Mr. Sima Dahl and written entirely in Spanish. It all goes immediately in the trash.

Stats Source: Deliver Magazine
Image Source: MySpanishProfessor.net

An innovative twist in direct marketing finds advertisers creating ads that go on the outside of shipping box, next to the shipping label. Zadspace, Inc. is one company leading the charge. Their partners include catalog retailers, infomercial product distributors and e-tailers. Armed with purchasing data, Zadspace helps advertisers target consumers that match their target demographic.

According to an article in Deliver Magazine, response rates are anywhere from one percent to 14 percent and costs are similar to traditional DM pieces – not too shabby!

Q: What’s the word on press releases… are they still relevant to small businesses?

In a word – absolutely…in fact, in my estimation they are crucial to a small business’ ability to maximize the reach and impact of their key messages.  The key is to use them strategically and only when you think there is a news angle to it…simply flooding the “wire” with announcements that are considered fluff pieces only hurts your reputation whereas providing timely, relevant and news-worthy information helps to build a rapport between you and the media – and in the end – the direct consumer.

When done right – you enhance your dialogue between the message you have and those you wish to hear it.  It should work seamlessly with other aspects of your communication strategy and focus on providing the media with the details they need to assess whether this is of interest to their audience.  Especially if being used during a crisis management situation – the press release can be a great “life-line” for you.

Q: How are press releases today different from the ones we used to send just five years ago?

Difference between what we send now and what we sent 5 years ago is all in the level of interactivity that we’ve introduced to them in order to enhance the details of the release and its message.  The same rules apply however regardless the age…as above it has to be timely, relevant and newsworthy otherwise all the bells and whistles in the word won’t help your release.

When I first began in the “wire” business in 2002 at one of Canada’s leading newswire services the bulk of releases we distributed were simply print with maybe a photo link, URL or two forwarding interested reporters (and direct consumers) to a website with additional information.  Even then – the message from the media contacts was – if your release wasn’t newsworthy no one would be clicking on the link.  Understanding this,  we now incorporate streaming video, audio, photos, links, logos, pdf’s along with Social Networking links to Twitter, Facebook and so on in order to help not only appeal to the traditional media but also to the online “media” such as bloggers, etc.

Now, like then, you still need to establish a relationship with those whom you are trying to connect – a simple press release or multimedia platformed release won’t do it on it’s own…picking up the phone and ensuring that the media have received your release not only helps you assess overall interest it also helps in formulating and adjusting your strategy for next time.

Q: In your opinion, what is the best way for a small business owner to combine the content of a press release with the reach of social media tools?

Best way to combine content of a press release with the reach of social media tools – simply put – Social Media Release.  This combines the traditional news release with the ability to incorporate video, audio and online assets in a way only dreamed of a few short years ago.  It allows the small business to tell more of its story to a broader audience in the hopes that they incorporate and share the message to an even larger audience – taking it viral today is the name of the game.

I’ve coordinated several successful distributions of this type for clients such as AMP Energy, TD Bank Financial Group and the Nature Conservancy of Canada to name a few that have incorporate all of these assets with the ability to directly communicate to the author of the release (via comments section) as well as share it to an online community hungry for information (via Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, etc.)

The key to combining the traditional release with these assets is ensuring that they are of a quality worthy of being reprinted by both traditional to online media…high quality video that is no more than 2-3 minutes, hi-res downloadable photos, PDF links and so on can go a long way in reinforcing the key messages of the print release and of course enhance the credibility of the organization distributing them.

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Andy Donovan, founder and president of Donovan Group Inc., is a logistical and planning specialist, providing a wealth of experience in media services, promotion, marketing, audio-visual production and distribution as well as event and corporate strategic planning.  Some of Donovan Group’s clients include the CN Tower, Agnico-Eagle Mines, Praxis Public Relations, Tina Gladstone Productions Inc., the Ontario Dental Association and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

With a communications career that spans more than a decade - Andy is a husband and father of two year old triplets. In addition to his business interests he is also a strong supporter of the charitable sector having served many organizations in the Ottawa and Toronto markets at various levels including donor, fundraiser, Board Member, event volunteer and most recently as the Carleton University Alumni Association’s Toronto Chapter President. You can follow Andy on Twitter at @ajdonovan.

Headshot by Audia

If you know anything about me or my Sway Factor™ theory on the art of networking in a digital age then you know how important I feel it is to have a good headshot. I hope you’re able to take advantage of this amazing offer to be photographed by one of the leading fashion photographers!

In today’s age of digital networking everyone needs a rock star headshot: job seekers, ladder climbers and rainmakers too! That’s why I’m delighted to invite you to Headshot Day sponsored by Marketing Job Wire, Parlay Communications and Audia Photography.

Headshot Day is your chance to get a professional grade headshot with retouching at an unprecendented low rate – here’s the scoop:

Date: Saturday, May 15

Location: Corner of Ashland & Hubbard, Chicago

Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Insider Rate: $185 (regularly $450)

Backdrop: Choose from 3 professional settings

Delivery: One retouched 8×10 JPEG at 300ppi delivered via email

Fine Print: Payment in full is required to secure your space. Full refund less $15 handling fee available through May 11th.  50% refund May 12th or later.

Payment: Send payment in full via PayPal to sima@parlaycommunications.com to reserve your space. For payment by cash or check email me to make arrangements.

If you’re interested in participating, just send an email to sima@parlaycommunications.com with your name, email and cell phone number and indicate your top 3 time choices from the following list:

• Morning: 9:30, 10:30, 11:30
• Afternoon: 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00
• Evening: 5:00, 6:00

We can accommodate roughly 6-7 people per hour – you can see updated availability online here.

And absolutely invite your friends – we all need to look good online!