Saturday, 30 August 2014

Social media: 5 Cool Twitter Marketing Tips For Your Brand

Twitter and other social media platforms are great ways to keep in touch. What started as a purely personal platform for people to re-connect with friends and family has today become a marketing tool for business, small and large. Businesses are literally hustling up to get attention on social media platforms and leave their mark on people. There is no doubt that Twitter is a great marketing tool for businesses and taking the right steps is the only way to get noticed. But what are these right steps? In this article we will be looking at a few great ways to use Twitter for marketing.

1# Focusing on How To Use Search Results

Search function on Twitter works in a slightly different manner. For example when we type keywords in a search engine, we get any/all results related to the words used. You would expect the same for Twitter however this isn’t the case. Twitter lists results when ‘all’ the keywords are present in a single tweet. Now, that’s not very helpful, isn’t it? To avoid this you can use ‘the/or’ in between keywords while searching on Twitter. The use of these words tells Twitter that you are searching for one or the other term from the keywords.

2# Creating a ‘Special’ List of Followers

The idea of using Twitter for marketing is to follow certain kind of people/organizations. Similarly you would want that section of people to follow you who would add to your business in some way or the other. Twitter allows you to group people based on similar characteristics, functions or interests. You can set these groups to be private or public. With the help of the group, you can monitor your competitors, ideally on a private list, and flaunt your brand advocates on a public list. There are other advantages of using groups – you can attract more people to your profile as your group listing can/will attract others. You can also aim to become an authority in your field when your community starts trusting the information you tweet. The twitter account of Moz, Unbounce, ChameleonJohn, Brandingly etc are living proof of this.

3# Images and Videos Should Never Be Neglected

Images and videos boost the chances of re-tweets. We are not merely saying it but we are quoting from a research done by Twitter which reveals that adding an image to a tweet boosts re-tweets up to 35% and adding a video boosts results by 28%. The reason for this is quite simple. People get a sense of engagement when they see their pictures/videos getting appreciation in the form of re-tweets. Twitter is integrated with video-sharing sites such as YouTube and Vine (owned by Twitter) which makes it easier to upload videos as tweets.

4# Communicate With People

There is a very popular saying about marketing – ‘people don’t talk to brands, they talk to people’. Twitter should not be seen as a medium to only give out information, in a top-down method. Twitter should be seen as a channel to strike a conversation. Ask a question, incite your followers to reply, put across your opinion once they reply and make things personal. Customers should feel that their favorite brands are listening to them too and not hammering them with information. The advantage of using social media for marketing is that it helps brands connect to their customers in real-time, something that other mediums haven’t offered. Use it wisely and communicate with people.

5# Use Analytics to Measure Engagement

It is one thing to follow the above mentioned tricks for marketing your brand on Twitter but it would be equally foolish to think your job is done. Unless you keep a track on how your tweets are affecting your target audience, you wouldn’t really be making any progress with your marketing. You need to measure the reach of your tweet. You can use the analytics feature which gives insightful statistics about your account. However, the catch is that you have to sign up to Twitter Ads for accessing analytics. However analytics is free.

Social media, especially Twitter has had a huge impact on business and the above are tried and tested methods. Of course, there are many more tricks to use Twitter for marketing and the web is filled with resources for you to check.

Read more at http://www.business2community.com/twitter/5-cool-twitter-marketing-tips-brand-0994296#tP6PMo8LEgY51y4g.99

Friday, 29 August 2014

7 Sins of Social Media Marketing

1. Being all talk

The key to social media content is to show, not tell. Audiences prefer engaging with visual content over text anyday; did you know that tweets with image links get an engagement rate 200% higher than those with just 140 characters? Flooding your feeds with line after line of text could cause you to miss out on a huge opportunity to connect with your buyers. Instead, we should be emulating brands like Oreo, whose Twitter feed is addicting thanks to charming illustrations, clever videos and mouth-watering images.
Lucky for us, it’s easier than ever to share visual content, thanks to free design tools like Canva and seamless embed options on social platforms. For marketers, a picture really is worth a thousand words — act accordingly.

2. Putting on a one-man show

Trying to apply your advertising approach to social is a big mistake. In fact, one of the reasons social media is effective is because so many people tune out traditional media and mass messaging. On social, it’s even easier to mute brands that talk, but don't listen — with a quick click, consumers can unfollow or remove your content from their feed for good.

Instead of talking about yourself nonstop, make your audience the center of attention by highlighting their interests, like Monster Energy on Facebook, or sharing their content on Instagram like Sharpie. Your social following isn’t a captive audience, so take a break from broadcasting and start sharing content they'll actually want to click on.

3. Forgetting to think before you tweet

Staying relevant today isn't easy — trending topics go from viral to ancient history daily. So how can marketers keep up? Cue newsjacking. Instead of trying to generate buzz from scratch, brands piggyback on the popularity of top headlines to amplify their own content. We see clever newsjacks during the Super Bowl and the Oscars, but occasionally, the not-so-savvy attempts end up being headlines themselves.

Last year, AT&T earned serious social backlash for a failed 9/11 tribute, and, Gap crossed the line when it took to Twitter to promote discounts during Hurricane Sandy. It’s true that marketing today is time-sensitive, but you'd rather be late to the game than be perceived as offensive.

4. Thinking all social platforms are created equal

Your social strategy shouldn’t be one size fits all. For example, B2B audiences spend most of their time on LinkedIn, while B2C buyers can be found on Facebook, according to Social Media Examiner. Find the channels that best align with your audience's interests, then experiment with the type, cadence and style of content you think will resonate most. Measure what works and what doesn’t and optimize accordingly. Instead of publishing the same content to every channel, the best social media teams create tailored approaches based on the medium and the message.

Need inspiration? Check out GE’s Vine, JetBlue’s Instagram, L.L Bean’s Pinterest or Cap’n Crunch on Twitter. Each has a pitch-perfect approach for the company and the channel.

5. Putting your customers on mute

It used to be that if a customer had a complaint about your product or service, they could tell their friends, family or a 1-800 number. Today, consumers can share negative reviews with their entire network — and the searchable social web — through a simple click. Not surprisingly, 72% of customers who complain about a brand on social expect a response within an hour. But in some cases, they are lucky to get noticed at all. This Facebook post from McDonald’s sparked tons of nasty comments slandering the company's food and service, but last I checked, the Golden Arches hadn’t chimed in to put out the fire. Whether you have a handful of followers or 31 million Facebook fans like McDonald’s, you can’t afford to ignore your audience, period.

6. Forgetting to be a human

In an age where buyers are constantly bombarded with deals, promos and ‘lowest price’ taglines, your brand’s personality is crucial to stand out from the pack. Corporate jargon and automated replies will send your audience running in the other direction, while brands that aren’t afraid to let loose will be welcomed with open arms. This Twitter conversation between Pizza Hut and one of its followers is a great example of a brand having fun with its personality.

Ultimately, building a community of brand advocates today isn't about what you're selling, it’s about what you're saying. Luckily, the casual nature of social media makes it easier than ever for us to talk to our audience like humans.

7. Assuming your social strategy works

In the Mad Men era, measuring the true impact of your marketing efforts was nearly impossible. Luckily, marketers today have more data than ever to truly understand how our efforts impact the company’s bottom line. Still, of the 88% of brands using social media platforms for marketing, only about 37% are taking the time to measure the ROI of their efforts. It’s easy to tally likes and retweets to get an idea of how engaged your audience is on social, but those numbers don’t tell the whole story. There are myriad metrics to consider to help put a dollar value on your Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn efforts. Having a data-driven handle on your marketing’s impact is something even Don Draper would be envious of.

Read original article source: http://mashable.com/2014/08/28/social-marketing-sins/

Thursday, 28 August 2014

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original source :  deal2deals.com

Monday, 25 August 2014

The Indian Direct Selling Association Or Network Marketing/ MLM Association – IDSA

The Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA), a body that governs 18 of the largest direct selling companies in India. Right now there is no law on mlm in India. Due to the absence of proper law to understand MLM, lot of direct sales companies are facing problems.  IDSA wanted the government to enact a law to prevent ponzi MLM/Direct Sales/Network Marketinghttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png companies from taking gullible people for a ride .
IDSA is an Amway‘s initiative and it is an autonomous, self regulatory body for the direct selling industry in India. The Association acts as an interface between the industry and policy – making bodies of the direct selling industry in India.

Guidelines For The MLM Companies:

Here are few IDSA guidelines for Direct Selling Company-:
  • The code contains sections entitled “Conduct for the Protection of Consumers”. ”Conduct between companies and Direct Sellers” and Conduct between Companies”. These three sections addresses the varying interactions across the spectrum of direct sales .The code is design to assist  the satisfaction and protection  of consumers, promote fair competition within the framework of free enterprises and enhance the public  image of Direct Selling.
  • This Code covers all of Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) members, their staff, contractors, distributors, agents and independent sales consultant /Direct Sellers, including full and associate members while engaged  Direct Selling, for the sale of either products or services.
  • A member of IDSA may terminate their and their obligations to adhere to the code by resigning formally from the IDSA giving fourteen days’ notice. This however does not negate the obligation by the members to fulfill obligations incurred during the period of their membership.
  • Obligations to comply with the code shall not cease until the last obligations to do anything required by the code has been performed.
  • Companies and Direct Sellers shall accomplish consumer order in a timely manner.
  • Companies shall provide their Direct Sellers a 30 days of cooling period which will entitle her/him to refund of any entry fee paid upon his resigning and returning all material’s received by him at the end of joining.
  • All companies are required to publicize IDSA‘s Code of Ethics to their Direct Sellers and consumers.
Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) Members:
  1. Amway India Enterprises : “Best To Believe” means the company that can fulfill each and every needs and can stand well on the customers requirement.Amway can be compared to a tree with several parts, each playing  a vital and healthy role.Amway is actively present in the formation of cosmetic to home-care products.
  2. Tupperware : Tupperware has made a pavement between people and profession. It’s a company  which manufactures and sell product like bottles ,tiffin’s ,bags, kitchen product etc. and also keeps in mind need of all ages.
  3. Avon : Avon is one of the most renowned company of beauty products in India.Beauty signifies women but Avon is also taking its step towards e-products which can be used by children and men also.For example – launch of bicycles.
  4. Tianjin Tianshi India Pvt. Ltd. : Tianjin is leading companies of IDSA .It provides healthy food supplements and also helps in development of  an eco-friendly environment.
  5. Oriflame : Oriflame always tries to make a” Flame of Innovation” by distributing skin care products and other electronic things for both men and women.
  6. Hindustan Unilever Network : Hindustan Unilever Network has covered more than 75% of today’s  daily need products either soaps or shampoo & others.Its branch are widely spreaded in each and every product.
  7. C.N.I Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. : C.N.I is a company with homogenous mixture of different products. The growth of company encourages the power of achievement.
  8. A.M.C Cookware Pvt. Ltd. : Only beauty products cannot lead the companies to a higher level and this is proved by A.M.C cookware .The company focuses its attention on the growth kitchen appliances which shows a different sign of innovation.
  9. Altos Enterprises Ltd. : Acne, pimples, wrinkles are major problem faced by today’s generation. So, Altos gives the best products to its customers by seeking nature’s best source.
  10. 4Life Trading India Ltd. : The thought of the company is to give benefits of healthy life with a healthy income.
  11. Jafra Ruchi Cosmetics India Pvt. Ltd. : The company aired in 1956 bringing new ideas to India concerning about finance and products. It also tried to bring enhancement in the field of beauty products by giving windows to girls in the world.
  12. Herbalife International India Pvt. Ltd. : The term’ Herbal’ means natural medicinal herbs .The company tries to bring use of natural as well as nutritional and healthy products to people’s lives, though serving the motto of ‘Seed To Feed’.
  13. Elken International India Pvt. Ltd. : Under ISO 9001 Certified company has a cycle chart of T3-Trusted To Care ,Trusted To Nurture ,Trusted To Lead.
  14. Modi Care Ltd. : Modi care is one of the oldest Indian MLM Company and it is also the most renowned company in IDSA. The company not only deals with home or cosmetics care products but also focuses upon agricultural products by providing good fertilizers which helps to bring healthy nutrition .
  15. Max Life Insurance Co.Ltd. : It is a private sector company which aids financial service to its customers.Being on top 4th position among private insurers it offers protection to 30 lakhs customers.
  16. K-Link Health Care Pvt. Ltd. : K-LINK creates a link between customers and shareholders ,shareholders and staffs, staffs and distributors. The company also tries to create awareness in the society.
  17. Glaze Trading India Ltd. : The company stands for “For You Forever”.  The Glaze Trading has made a reputed position in last 10 years by dealing with handful of cosmetic ,home ,dental and skin care.
  18. Daeshan Trading Pvt. Ltd. : The company says the people to enjoy their life with wholesome of nutrition and healthy life by creating financial stability.
Indian Direct Selling Association Membership:
Several companies can get membership in IDSA on the following basis-:
  • The methods of operations are fair and comply with the Model Code of Ethics and all relevant Indian legislation.
  • The company and its promoters should be sound financial standing .The Company must sign to abide by the Model Code Of Ethics.
  • The company should submit all the fees required by the Association.
  • The company must submit all required documents for scrutiny along with completed application form.
  • Company shall not use misleading, deceptive, or unfair recruiting practices in their interactions with prospective or direct sales.
  • All financial due shall be paid and any withholdings should be made in the commercial manner.
Challenges faced by Indian Direct Selling Association:
Indian Direct Selling Association catalyses’ change by working closely with government on policy issues, enhancing, efficiency and ushering in desired credibility, clarity & confidence in Direct Selling.
IDSA strives to create and further an environment conducive to the growth of Direct Selling industry in India, partnering industry and government alike through advisory and consultative activities.  There are few issues faced by IDSA.
Challenges
Suggestions
High incidence of fraudulent companies
Stricter registration policy by Government
Absence of regulatory law/guidelines
Implementation of a single standard workable policy
Lack of training and orientation for leaders
Increase the number of leadership trainings
Low environmental clearances, political risk,
Implementation of a single standard workable policy
and poor logistics and distribution channels
Poor leader motivation
Income enhancement
Contagion effect of fraud companies on the
Implementation of a single standard workable policy
reputation of legitimate companies
Attrition
Increase the number of trainings provided
Harassment by authorities
Implementation of a single standard workable policy
Compliance of special guidelines for MLM
Review the guidelines in terms of international MLM business
issued by Kerala State government
model and practices.




Wednesday, 20 August 2014

Saturday, 16 August 2014

Is Social Media Just Facebook, or Is There Something Else Out There?

While we’ve all heard about the social media giant, Facebook, and have been told countless times in recent years that it’s social media (Facebook) we want to turn to for our marketing, there are alternatives. In fact, it would make sense to market your business on a platform which best suits your purposes and best displays your product and your business’ strengths. Yes, Facebook  has a large base to market to, but maybe you want to show potential customers prominent pictures of your product. Maybe you’re looking for a professional networking site more than a friendship sphere. Are you looking for a place to post videos?
There are many different social media platforms on the internet, no few of them which are prominent and well-known. All of them offer different strengths to take advantage of when promoting your business and products. The following are only a few in a long list, but they are probably ones you’ve heard of. Hopefully we can share something new as well, maybe even an idea for how you can use them differently.
Pinterest: If you’ve heard of Pinterest, then you know it embodies the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and more. With Pinterest you can share, in a user-friendly and uncomplicated way, photos and links for what you want to market. Here you’re even able to sign up as a business, with other features that allow you to market even better.
Google +: The platform itself is similar to Facebook, but Google has connected many of its different services, allowing users to create an astonishingly complex circle, allowing you to reach many people with many different interests. Or to connect many different people, finding those with similar interests and connecting with them.
Linkedin: If you want a professional set-up where you’re able to connect and network online with the people you’re interested in getting attention from, and sharing your products and opinions with, Linkedin is for you.
Youtube: Remember how a picture is worth a thousand words? A video can be even more compelling, and with the way social media has been trending, it seems more and more people are going the route of the video. Videos are more popular and can go “viral” in hours.
Twitter: This is a platform allowing you to share links, videos, and short comments—be they clever, silly, pithy—the brevity of Twitter is what makes it fun. Yet another cliché fits here: “Short and sweet,” that’s how Twitter rolls. Here you are able to “follow” people, groups, institutions and see what they are doing.
Instagram: A place where you are able to take your own pictures and post them, showing your followers, making it interesting for them, giving them the low-down on your business and what you’re up to with it.
These are only a few of the more well-known social media platforms. They aren’t carbon copies of Facebook, and they each have unique characteristics that will allow you to promote your business and products in different ways. Try a new one out, or try them all, establishing a presence in different ways. Each platform enables you and your business in a unique and tailored way. Remember, also that the people you are trying to establish a connection with will have a presence on any sort of social media, and perhaps not every platform. Choose which platform suits your needs best.
See original article: http://mlm.com/is-social-media-just-facebook-or-is-there-something-else-out-there

Promoting vs. Spamming: What is the Difference?

When trying to promote your online community there can be a fine line between good-hearted self-promotion and down right spam. As an online community administrator, you need to be well aware of that line. It’s easy to spam unintentionally, which is what roughly half of spammers are guilty of, but the other half are just plain trolls who have no qualms about blasting out links left and right. For your reading pleasure, the difference between spam and self-promotion:

These things are good (Promoting):
  1. Using discount codes.
  2. Being active in other communities without posting links in conversations.
  3. Having the appropriate links on your email signature and/or business card.
  4. Building a relationship before you pitch.
  5. Sending newsletters to members or customers that they have chosen to receive
  6. Having an active, non promoting-obsessed community of Twitter or Facebook followers.

These things are NOT good (Spamming):
  1. Sending out mass emails to persons who have not opted in.
  2. When your only involvement in other communities is to comment with a link and/or pitch.
  3. When your social media feeds are nothing but links and sales pitches.
  4. When you have keyword search alerts on your Twitter account so that you can immediately send a link once someone mentions one of your flagged terms or phrases.
  5. You pitch people on your brand/product/business idea without their permission
  6. You jump to similar sites and blogs and bombard the site/community manager with “Hey, I think you’d be interested in (fill in the blank)” messages.

Thursday, 14 August 2014

How To Use Facebook To Growth Your MLM Business

Facebook; over 1 billion people like and comment an average of 3.2 billion times every day.

When you have a strong presence on Facebook, your MLM business is part of these conversations and has access to the most powerful kind of word-of-mouth marketing — recommendations between friends.

However a lot of Networkers struggle to find the balance.

This is how you use Facebook to growth your MLM or Network Marketing business, and as 90% will not follow the rules, the 10% which do, will build a profitable business through facebook….



Build Relationships!

Set your intention and goals when starting your Facebook campaign that you are there to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with people.  You are there to connect, to provide value in the marketplace and actually get to know people.

A fast pitch? Forget it, does not work…

Facebook is completely transparent.  If your goals are not congruent, marred with self-serving actions or inconsistent…people will know.  Just be smart and be real. In today’s world of social media, good news and bad news travels very fast.

Optimize your profile photo, only your face!

Profile Photo – I see this so much it needs it’s own bullet point. If you really want to build relationships based on trust and mutual respect, you need a good picture where people can clearly see your face. This is the number one reason people accept friend requests. Get a good, professional photo.  At the very least, get a really clear, well lit one. I know you love your kids, but don’t use them as your profile pic.

No pictures with a bottle of juice, pills, supplements, or whatever you promote, you do not want to position yourself as "that sales guy/bitch/pusher"….


Optimize your profile information – About you – Delete "Funny" Images

If you truly want to use your profile for network marketing business, then you need to make it reflect your leadership.

If there are "funny" photos of you in your albums and If you are constantly sending pillow fights, horoscope info, pixie dust and game apps to people, you may want to shift the use of your time. Sit down and spend some time crafting your message.  What do you want people to know about you?. You need to connect people to you as a person and you as a business leader.

Strategically grow your friends list

There are two ways to go about growing the number of friends you have on Facebook…randomly or strategically.  Since we are talking about business, let’s choose strategically.  Decide what your interests are and what niche your business is in then seek out Influencers in those markets.  Find groups that are of interest, join the group and reach out to the administrators and officers of that group to build relationship with them.

Give LIKES!

It takes only a split second to like an article or comment, a very powerfull way to put YOU on the fore front.

Share relevant and purposeful content

Yes, occasionally we will care if you just dropped the kids off at school or that you just got out of the shower, but we don’t need a play by play of stuff that is meaningless.

Join the Conversation

Social media is, after all, about being social. Go engage with other people and comment on their stuff.  “Like” their post if you like it. Forward their dialogue.

Help them, genuinely.  Be of service. Recommend friends & invite people to groups. Be that connector and facilitator of relationships and you will be rewarded time and again!

View the original article source: http://www.businessforhome.org/2012/11/how-to-use-facebook-to-growth-your-mlm-business/