OmOriginals Design Studio

omOriginals Marketing! would like to present our latest and greatest site for Longview Downtowners.

Longview Downtowners represents the Downtown Commercial District.  They encourage vital business activities and enrich business establishments by providing education and networking opportunities to their members.  Longview Downtowners also supports the community and Longview’s historical buildings by being an advocate for and supporting streetscape and beautification strategies downtown.

Downtown you will find beautifully restored historical buildings, streetside gardens, pedestrian friendly sidewalks and crossings, entertainment, art galleries, specialty shops, Charming Eateries…Find out Who’s Downtown.

Longview Downtowners
1339 Commerce Avenue, Suite 316
Longview, Washington 98632
(360) 423-1020
Send an Email

http://longviewdowntowners.org

Thanks for tuning in for this Months GeekSpeak. Let’s dive in to LinkedIn. Maybe you’ve receive an eMail from a contact that says “Join my network on Linked In”.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn claims to be the the world’s largest professional network. They have over 65 million users. Not as large as Facebook’s 400 million, but 65 million members is very impressive. We are barely into the article and we are already talking about Facebook!

I thought this article was on LinkedIn…

Facebook has done a tremendous job to humanize technology. They have welcomed millions of people that wouldn’t consider themselves computer people or geeks to connect with others through their site. This is has transformed the way people look at their computers. ~:-)

Both FB and LI are social networking sites. The main difference is the intended audience where FB is aiming to be everything for everyone, LI’s focus is on business professionals. LinkedIn says it, “connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.” It is all networking without the anxiety of social networking.

Joining LinkedIn is easy but making it work for you requires some work and savvy. Here are 4 steps to success that I’ve got for you.

1) Establish your Profile

Take control of your online identity. LinkedIn’s profile is a glorified and modern resume, that includes a summary, specialties, experience and links to blogs and groups. The profile is public to the work and it invites people to add you to their network. Note: since this profile is public the major search engines with allow show this profile on the first page of results when people search for you.

2) Build and Maintain your Network.

As you keep your Profile updated, and people in your network do too, they claim your address book will never be out of date. This is a great tool to keep you current with their latest jobs, projects and contact info.
Build core network with people you know and trust. Note: I have had a number of my connections that I didn’t really know, send me spam. I had to disconnect with them to quit receiving the excessive advertisements. That being said, you can click on Add Connections to start sending out invitations your contacts.

3) Find Experts and Share Knowledge.

LinkedIn has a question and answer section similar to answers at yahoo.com. People post questions, people answer and you can determine who the expert is. This is an interesting place to learn and to share the knowledge that you have with the community. To paraphrase Ivan Misner, founder of Business Network International, ”Gives Gain, if you truly help others you to will reap the benefits.”

4) Recommend Others.

A powerful part of Linked In is the Recommendations. Seek out professionals that are worthy of your praises and write a thoughtful recommendation. Encourage others to do the same for you. Testimonials are invaluable.

How much does it cost? The basic account is free. They have paid upgrades that can allow you to send messages directly to people you don’t yet know, expanded searches & notes. Sound interesting?!

Check out my Profile:
www.linkedin.com/in/oscarmyre4 and get connected!!

~ Oscar & his hot wife Michelle are the Owners of omOriginals Marketing, located in Longview WA! On May 11th they are presenting a workshop teaching about Online Marketing. Don’t miss it. Learn more @ omOriginals.com or call (360)575-9839

Welcome back to GeekSpeak. Last month I gave you a primer on Social Networking. For this month we are going to go “old school”. Before there was Facebook, before there was MySpace or Linkedin, even before Google- there was eMail. In preparing this article, my Dad and I reminisced about sending our first eMail back in 1986. It was with General Electric in a Fantasy Basketball league. (We drafted Michael Jordan 23 years ago).

The point is that eMail is old.

So why with all of the “new media” should you consider eMail marketing?

1. Inexpensive: The cost per message is very low.
2. Trackable: eMail marketing makes it easy to track the results of a campaign. You can tell who open the message and what links they clicked on.
3. Effective: With the low cost of entry and the ability to track results, businesses can continue to fine tune their offerings to a targeted audience. The end results can be powerful.

Ready to start? I like your enthusiasm, but first some eMail marketing tips.

Let’s determine your audience.

The best place to start is with current your current customers. You can export addresses and names from your computers address book, add a newsletter subscription link to you website and if you have a retail location you can have a box on your front desk inviting people to join your list. Don’t forget the social networks, be sure to put invites on these sites for your eMail offering.

Delivering Value. Before we get too far we should figure out what your eMail is going to offer. Most people think they need to write a elaborate newsletter. This can be a lot of work. These same “most people” don’t have a ton a free time to invest in this type of project. But, they do have something of value that they can share with their customers. Sometimes it is information (as I hope you find this article) it can also be savings or coupons. When I meet with clients we determine how to deliver the greatest value to the readers with the best ROI (Return on Investment) for the client.

SPAM

We can’t forget SPAM or unsolicited bulk eMail.  I strongly recommend that only send permission based-eMail, that is opt-in mail.  Sending SPAM will have a negative impact on any legitimate business. To learn more about SPAM and the whole eMail process I recommend that you read “Internet Marketing Best Practices.” See below under Speak with a Geek to see how to get a free copy.

Once you have an audience in mind and a plan for you offer please keep these 3 keys in mind.

1. Personalization: How valued do your customers feel if a marketing piece is addressed to “Valued Customer?” With a up-to-date client list you can address the message to “Mike.”
2. Branding: You want this eMail to clearly and consistently communicate your message.
3. Call to Action: The “call to action” is one of the most important concepts in marketing and promotion. Simply put, after you’ve established that you have something of value to offer and that you’re the perfect choice to deliver it, you want to ask your prospect to take the next step. You deliver a call to action.

Realistic Expectations: Don’t expect to sell a ton of stuff with your first newsletter. You need to be in it for the long run. Try out some ideas and continually improve on your offer. eMail marketing allows you to build a positive relationship with your readers.

The reason main reason that I write GeekSpeak is to open your eyes about web and geek stuff and to let you know when your business needs it – I’m here to help. ~:-)

Speak with the Geek! If you run a business and want to find more customers—or connect more powerfully with the customers you have, I offer a Free Initial Consultation for eMail marketing to identify needs, opportunities and present a clear plan of action to succeed!  I will also share with you a free report “eMail Marketing Best Practices.”  A good read and valuable tool to read before starting a campaign.

~ Oscar is the Creative Director for omOriginals Marketing! You can take him up on his offer of a free consultation by visiting omOriginals.com or calling 360.575.9839.

eMail has become an essential communication tool for our business and social lives. If you rarely go more than a day without checking your eMail…. then you are a geek. Fortunately, we don’t need to be tied to our computer all day to be connected. Sometimes we can leave the office or even go home. (more…)