Search This Blog

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Who really Tweets on Twitter?


Twitter Bits:
  1. The percentage of Twitter users who are African American is 25% - double the percentage of African Americans in the current population. Take-away: If your prospective clients or existing clients include African Americans, start tweeting!
  2. Tweeting isn't just for Tweens and Teens. 1 in 3 monthly Twitter users are 25-34 (31% are 35-54)
  3. Twitter users are more educated
  4. Twitter users have higher household income
  5. Twitter users are Early Adopters. Take-away: have a new product or service....Tweet about it!
Want to learn how to use Twitter to help promote your business or law firm? E-mail jeanne@vitalinkweb.com for a free consultation.

Let us know other Twitter Bits you've found and your take-away to use the information!

Source:
Twitter Usage In America: 2010
The Edison Research/Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Study

My top 5 reasons to use social media

There are so many reasons to be using social media as part of your marketing. Here are my top 5:

1. Engage vs Push. Marketing used to simply 'push' messages at the consumer and you'd hope to make a connection if they liked what you had to offer. Times have changed and so has marketing. People want to feel more connected with products or companies they choose to do business with. Social media helps to 'engage' people.

2. Transparency. When done correctly, your prospective clients get to know you better. They see if you have some of the same beliefs as they do, allowing them to form connections with you. Don't just advertise sales to them. Give them a taste of who you are beyond the sale. What is your commitment to the community? Do you contribute to your industry as an expert? Why do you do what you do?

3. Handle the Haters. Within social media, you actually want a small percentage of your followers to raise issues. If it is all a love fest, it is boring, self serving and you'll actually lose credibility. People like a little controversy (think Rush Limbaugh). You may even find other fans coming to your defense when someone raises an issue, which is wonderful marketing. You should develop a response plan to handle the haters, because how you handle the issue will say something about who you are.

4. Google Footprint. The search engines give high value to social media channels. When you have a robust presence in the big 5 (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Flikr), you will see a better Google Footprint and this will also help your websites search engine optimization (SEO) with backlinks from all your social media channels.

Be sure and define which channels will work best for your target audience and then spend your time accordingly to build the best channels for your needs. Social media can become a black hole where you spend far too many hours and valuable resources. Set limits on your time or hire someone to help you keep your content current.

5. Need another reason? Your prospective clients are on social media right now!


CAUTION: Many businesses and law firms are jumping on the bandwagon to the exclusion of other marketing channels. Social media SHOULD be part of your marketing, but it should not be the only thing you do. Consult a professional to help you with your planning and budgeting so you have the right marketing mix.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Corporate Gifts from NC


The NC BBQ Company is one of our newest clients. We like their product so much we're giving it as our corporate gift this year! Rick and Ryan were just had another appearance on FOX news. Check out the story.


Here is more shameless promotion of one of our clients and the amazing art our Creative Director, Mike Steele did for them.....


The North Carolina Barbecue Company (www.ncbbqcompany.com) is promoting its line of traditional mail order barbecue to NC-based companies looking for a way to showcase the state to their clients and prospects. The company, based in Greensboro, sells traditional Eastern and Piedmont-style barbecue, along with a “Battle Box™” that offers both products.


“Whether you were born in North Carolina or just recently moved here, NC “cue” is a tradition,” says Ryan Pitz, co-founder of The North Carolina Barbecue Company. “North Carolina is a great place to do business, and we want to offer an easy and unique gift option for businesses that are based in the state as a way they can promote their business. A traditional NC BBQ package offers a taste of North Carolina that clients won’t soon forget.” Adds co-founder Rick Scott, “the Battle Box is a favorite of our corporate clients. What client wouldn’t want to get a package of NC BBQ from Santa? Because it contains both Eastern and Piedmont styles of BBQ, many companies promote dialog with clients by asking them to be the judge of which style is best.”

The North Carolina Barbecue Company was founded in 2010 by Rick Scott and Ryan Pitz after hearing from some former North Carolinians that they were unable to find good barbecue in their new locales. Three primary packages are offered: Eastern, Piedmont, and the company’s trademark Battle Box. The business delivers “the authentic barbecue experience anywhere in the United States.”

Friday, December 3, 2010

vitalink Coats & Blankets Drive a Success!

A huge thank you to our partners and the individuals who donated new and gently used coats and blankets in support of the Raleigh Rescue Mission. In total, we were able to donate over 200 coats, more than 40 blankets and an assortment of gloves, hats, and scarves. In addition, we collected $625 in cash to donate to the Mission!

We could not have done this without the help of our generous partners. They are:

The vitalink Charlotte office also donated coats and blankets to the Mens Shelter of Charlotte. Thank you to everyone who helped. We hope you'll join us again next year in support of this worthy cause.

We'd love to hear your feedback on our coats & blankets drive or have you share your story or comments about the charity or charities you support. Happy holidays!

 

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner