St. Louis Missouri (MO) Small Business Social Media Marketing

Most of us are probably not in a position to throw caution to the wind when it comes to our own marketing budget. Most of us want our marketing programs and strategies to work well the FIRST time we try them, and as we know, that’s always a gamble. Postcard mailings aren’t what they used to be. Direct mail doesn’t have the same impact. Seminar and workshops are expensive when food is served, and there’s never a guaranteed ROI on any of it.

Today there are other ways to market to your local community without spending tons of money. I will be the first to say that “in person networking” can never be replaced. The handshake and the ability to look someone in the eye is still just as important as ever. However, with a little web savvy, you can start those conversations a lot sooner, and educate a lot faster than ever before. Your reach has been enhanced by the power of the internet.

I’ve written about this before but the truth of the matter is that this method of marketing is not only the latest trend, but it is one that I expect will last. If you aren’t on this bandwagon yet, get on fast.

The important part of understanding today’s marketing techniques is that total transparency and relationship building with your target market is the key to success. Long gone are the days when we can hide behind our websites.

Transparency does not mean writing on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog about the latest fight you have with your spouse, or what the neighbor’s bad kids are up to. What it does mean is that you are willing to share enough about yourself and your value system to build a level of trust with your local community that is unmatched. The more “accessible” you are online, the more accessible your prospects will be and the more credibility you will gain. Talk about yourself as the owner, add a picture, talk about your personal experiences that lead you to this business, or to want to work with seniors. Be real. Be honest. Depending on who is reading this I would suggest that most seniors have lived longer than you. They have made more important decisions about their lives than you have, and most can spot dishonesty or half-truths a mile away. Transparency means earning the trust of a skeptical customer.

Social media marketing is free, and it works if done correctly. Plain and simple.

More baby-boomers and seniors are on the internet than ever before. Suddenly there are tons of articles out there talking about Grandpa on Facebook and MySpace. You need to be where your target market hangs out!

I’m about to give away my secret formula that will transform your business into a marketing machine. Yes, it takes a little time, sort of like a weekend painting project, but once it’s done, the time you spend updating your information takes just a couple of hours a week. (But you will be addicted to it, so I know you will spend more time than just 2 hours a week!)

Equipment

The equipment needed for a project like this is minimal- you might want to invest in a good headset with a microphone for your computer so that you can record audio or video if you like. Amazon carries a wide variety of headsets at a reasonable price.

Step 1: (The longest step in the process)

Setting up your online accounts may take a bit of time, but well worth the investment.

Here are the initial accounts I recommend for the fastest and most sustainable results:

* Facebook Personal Account (using your own name, your picture, etc, no logos). Connections on Facebook personal are “friends”.

* Facebook Business Page (this is where you use your logo and other business related items. Connections on your Facebook business page are “fans”.

* Your Blog. Use Wordpress to create a fast and easy blog that lets you get the message out about your area of expertise. Be sure to use their tutorials to learn how to use categories and tags to your advantage. Remember that when you post on your blog use titles that identify your location and your product or service. For instance, instead of a title like “April Events”, use “April Reverse Mortgage Seminars in Miami, FL”. See the difference? The search engines will play their hand in your favor with the second title.

* Set up your Twitter account. I know, you aren’t really sure WHY you need twitter, but believe me some amazing deals go down every day because of good Twitter Posts (called tweets). Once you have your account set up, go to twellow and type in a search for people in your area. Start connecting with your local community by “Following” people in your town. They will follow you back.

* LinkedIn is next. This is an important website for professionals because unlike Facebook, Twitter, and other places, LinkedIn is for the true business to business networking. Many connections that you make on LinkedIn will turn into in-person meetings down the road. Use it to your advantage. Be sure you use the “Wordpress” feature to add your blog posts directly to your LinkedIn profile instantly. (Automation at it’s finest!)

* Use FriendFeed to link everything together. FriendFeed ties all of your accounts together. Once you connect your accounts to FriendFeed, you will notice that when you make a blog post, it automatically shows up on Facebook, Twitter, Squidoo, and many other sites. This is another great lesson in automation. Once this step is completed your BLOG becomes the center HUB for all of your information that you want to share.

* Squidoo is important because it serves as another “web page” about you and your business. You can link Twitter, Facebook, and your blog to your Squidoo page for extra backlinking and content.

* Scribd is an odd little site that pulls a lot of punch. Turn all of your print marketing material into online material that works in your favor. Anything you have in your marketing arsenal that can be scanned or uploaded to Scribd is worth taking the time to load. When you place a document on Scribd be sure to title it the same way you would a blog post- make sure your business (plumber, elder care, home care, etc) and your location (St. Louis, MO) is in the headline or title area.

* MerchantCircle- one of my current favorites! This group has done a really good job of creating a system that gets you noticed by the search engines FAST. Open a free account. They try to upsell you at every turn, but I dare say you can do just as well with a free account. The key to MerchantCircle is to make sure the name of your company portion is filled in with your line of business and your location. So instead of “Tom’s Financial Services and Loans”, a better business listing would be simply, “Reverse Mortgages, Findlay OH”. Another tip on MerchantCircle is to make sure that you put your blog posts on from your main blog right on to your MerchantCircle blog. The more content you have the faster you move up website page ranks.

* Ideamarketers is a website where you can post articles about your niche. There is no waiting time for approval. Keep the same rules in mind- article titles should reference your location and your line of business.

* GoArticles is a similar story. Post your articles, make sure they are over 500 words. Check for spelling errors etc.

* Finally, type in the words that you would use to search for a Reverse Mortgage provider or plumber in your area on Google. Who comes up first? What websites are showing on the first page and can you get listed on those? If so, go for it.

Step 2: This step is super important.

I’ve written about this before. If your website is homegrown, old, outdated, and has no “call to action”, then you will never have good lead conversion results. Spend the money or the time to update your website.

* What is a “call to action”? A call to action means giving the viewer of your webpage one simple task that he or she

Valerie’s motto and favorite saying is: “Impact is not created by big budgets, impact is created by innovative marketing ideas!” Valerie VanBooven is President and CEO of LTC Expert Publications LLC., a company devoted to empowering small business entrepreneurs and senior service providers with the tools to enjoy thriving businesses and freedom-based lifestyles.

Hi all,
Hope everyone is having a great summer! We are continuing to add new accounts and enhancements to our program.
Some of you who are new to the program will note that your blogs are set up on our own servers now.
That gives us more control over content, rights, and information, and SEO options.
We will be sending out new URLs and usernames and passwords to those of you who were moved over.

A few reminders:
1. If you haven’t downloaded the community presentations, please do so at any time!

2. If you would like to watch the Do-It-Yourself Video Course, you are welcome to do that.
There are 15 short videos that walk you through a lot of what we do. Some of the info has changed over time,
but you will get the drift.

We will be having our usual private monthly webinar soon. Watch your email for instructions.
Also, be sure to register for our conference this fall- we will absolutely sell out before August 1.
Very few seats left! Register ASAP!!!

www.PowerMarketingConference.com

Thank you from all of us!
Valerie and Staff

I received this email today, and I did click through- well worth my time. So much so, that I thought it was worth sharing this with all of you!

Download it and read when you have time. Remember, it’s about forming relationships and establishing authority, credibility, and trust.

http://img.en25.com/Web/Eloqua/eloqua_eBook_chapter4_v4-1.pdf

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Internet has fundamentally altered buyer behavior – the way prospects identify, understand, evaluate, and buy products – forever.

Download this complimentary chapter: The Profile of the New Buyer
Marketers must accept this buyer behavior evolution and learn how best to interact with resourceful prospects that gather information and reviews via search engines, social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter), and blogs.

Download this complimentary chapter and learn how to:

• Successfully interact with and influence this new breed of buyers
• Read prospects’ digital body language
• Cost-effectively nurture relationships with “not-ready-to-buy” leads
• Download your complimentary chapter from Steven Woods’ New eBook: Digital Body Language!

From Valerie: One of our clients, Bob O’Toole sent this to me- I am passing it on to all of you in hopes that you will participate!!

Informed Eldercare Decisions  recently signed a contract to provide ongoing consultant services to a major Alzheimer’s research firm. Our client has successfully completed the first 2 phases of research trials, known as the ICARA study, on a breakthrough drug to treat Alzheimer’s.(If you watched the HBO Alzheimer’s Special recently, the drug, Bapineuzumab, along with the ELAN research team, was prominently featured.)
 
They have now received approval from the FDA to move into Stage III of the drug trials which allows them to expand the scope of the research nationwide and in Canada.
 
Our role in the project is to identify potential participants in the Stage III trial and assure their ongoing commitment and compliance with the clinical protocols. Participants will include elders who are showing signs of mild to moderate dementia and a designated caregiver. (Residents of dementia units would not be suitable as they are likely to be at a more advanced stage than the research criteria requires.)
 
We can recruit and screen subjects using home care agencies, assisted living residents, adult day health programs, and geriatric care managers.
 
There is an opportunity for geriatric care managers, assisted living facilities and home care agencies to play an active role in this project as well as other clinical trials in the near future. This could include helping us to follow subjects and family caregivers who are either living at home, or in assisted living facilities for 18 months.
 
There are some significant advantages for elder care professionals to participate in this study as it will be receiving widespread media coverage as the trial progresses.
 
This is the first time that the scientific community involved with cutting edge research on illnesses that primarily affect elders has worked with a nationwide network of eldercare professionals.   We at Informed Eldercare Decisions believe that the time has come for professionals who interface with those most likely to benefit from this research to play an active role in these studies. This new partnership between the provider community and the research community also opens up new revenue opportunities for both non-profit and for profit eldercare agencies.
 
 
Rather than try to describe the project in any more detail in this newsletter, I encourage you to review an excerpt from the HBO Alzheimer’s Special that specifically describes the breakthrough research we are now involved with.
If you think you or your agency or eldercare professional practice would be interested in exploring participation in these studies further please review the following excerpt from the HBO broadcast.
 
“Inflammation, the Immune System, and Alzheimer’s”
(Approx. 29:23 min) Featuring: Joseph Rogers, PhD-Banner Sun Health Research Institute; Dale Schenk, PhD- and his research team at Elan Pharmaceuticals.
 
You can view the video by placing either of the following links into your URL locator.
 
http://www.hbo.com/alzheimers/supplementary-inflammation-the-immune-system-and-alzheimers.html or at http://tinyurl.com/qq8×3h

An Invitation for Eldercare Professionals(home care providers, assisted living facilities and geriatric care managers), to sit in on a 40 minute discussion on how eldercare professionals are getting involved with Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials and other cutting edge research on illnesses affecting elders.
 
Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2009
 
Time: 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
 
Location: You can participate from your home or office by simply dialing into the teleconference.

For more information visit http://www.elderlifeplanning.com/ or email Bob@elderlifeplanning.com

As mentioned in the article above, there are some significant opportunities for elder care agencies to participate in the research studies that were prominently featured in the HBO Alzheimer’s Special in May.

The study will continue to receive widespread national publicity.

During this 40 minute informational webinar on Wednesday we’ll provide a brief overview of the role that providers can play. Senior management and research personnel from ELAN pharmaceuticals will be on the call to answer any questions you may have.

I hope you can be on the call and will invite other eldercare professionals whom you feel may be interested to sit in as well. We’ll provide the call in number and conference code as well as a web site to view if you happen to be at a computer.
You can view the visuals from a computer but a PC isn’t required. You can participate in the call from wherever you happen to be.

Let me know if you’d like to be on the call and I’ll send you the conference call number and log in details.

I hope you can join us,
Warm regards,
Bob O’Toole

Bob@elderlifeplanning.com.

Do you know of someone currently in the early to

mid-stage of Alzheimer’s Disease? If so, they may be offered an opportunity to particpate in the Stage III clinical trial of what could be a major breakthrough in the treatment of this disease?
 
The recent HBO Special on Alzheimer’s disease,
especially the exciting news about new drugs that may be
approved to help Alzheimer’s patients, has created
significant interest from caregivers who want to know
how a loved one with Alzheimer’s might be included in
the next stage of the clinical trial.
The information gained from this study could help future
patients who need this type of medical care.
Participants may receive the investigational drug,
physical exams, and laboratory services and tests, at no
charge. Throughout the study, participants will be
monitored by a medical team including a nurse or study
coordinator and a physician. Participants will be
randomized to receive the investigational drug or
placebo (a treatment with no active ingredient).

If you know of anyone in your current caseload or in
your own family that might like to particpiate in the
study, have them send their contact information to
Bob@elderlifeplanning.com.
 
If they appear to qualify for this study, a referral
will be made to a medical research center conducting the
trial in their area.

I love to brag about our clients whenever something really cool happens. In this case, one of our clients, Elayne Forgie, CMC, and owner of Elder Care at Home (www.eldercareathome.com ) has been featured in a 2 part series on Alzheimer’s disease on the AARP website. Great job!!! (No we did not get her this gig, it happened before we came on board, and was just now released, however we sure are marketing the you-know-what our of it on the internet for her!!) Woo hoo! Go Elayne!

If anything like this – newspaper story, local news broadcast etc, happens to you, be sure to forward it to us!!!

Here are the videos: http://www.aarp.org/family/caregiving/articles/makeovers_billy_house.html

Here’s the press release we wrote for her:

Certified Geriatric Care Manager Elayne Forgie Highlighted in AARP Video Series on Alzheimer’s Care

(Southeast Florida, May 2009) Elayne Forgie CMC, a certified geriatric care manager and president of Elder Care at Home was recently featured in a new two-part  elder care video series sponsored by AARP,  that give 14 Tips for In-Home Caregivers who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease.  

Here is the link to the first of the two part series: http://www.aarp.org/family/caregiving/articles/makeovers_billy_house.html

Forgie, an Alzheimer’s and caregiving professional, knows that caring for a loved one with early memory loss or dementia can be both painful to watch and frustrating. The goal for Forgie is to find a way this family can help Billy safely navigate his way around his home, minimize his growing confusion, and stimulate his memory.

After spending a day with family, Forgie offers a series of simple and enjoyable solutions these caregivers can implement to help Billy trigger his short-term memory and conquer everyday tasks.  

In part one of our series, “When Memory Loss Hits Home: Seven Solutions for Billy,” Forgie offers a series of tips for keeping Billy actively involved in his daily life and safe in his home.

On her wedding day, Mary had promised her husband Billy she’d always be there. With the help of these solutions, she can keep that promise she made to her husband.

Elayne Forgie is a professional geriatric care manager, certified by the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. She was a founding Board Member of the Florida Geriatric Care Managers Association, and is the president and founder of the ElderCare Resource Center, ElderCare at Home and AlzheimersTraining.com.

 She is presently serving on the Advocacy Advisory Board for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and has been awarded their Excellence in Care Specialist designation.  Elayne is a member of the Case Management Society of America and American Counseling Association.

She is the founder of Healthy Aging Enterprises and The ElderCare Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that provides 24 hours of emergency respite care in the patient’s home.

Dr. Forgie has been recognized on local, state, and national levels as both a certified geriatric care manager and as president/owner of an Inc. 500 company. She has over 18 years of direct experience focusing on the needs of older adults, caregivers, and family members living with the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive impairments.  She has an impeccable reputation for providing comprehensive care and services and has helped thousands of families across the United States.

Elayne is active in a number of local organizations including Executive Women of the Palm Beaches; Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Alzheimer’s Alliance and is presently working with other local leaders in the establishment of Dementia Specific Standards for service delivery to patients and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease.                                                  ###