Facebook just rolled out some major changes to its Pages layout.   This new layout and functionality brings the Facebook pages for businesses much closer in look and feel to the current personal pages for individual users.  With these changes businesses find a new chance to brand and connect with customers through a visually richer experience.  The new functionality changes also allow businesses to better align with the way their customers and fans use the social networking site.  Excited yet?  You should be.

The changes will go into effect for all Facebook Pages on March 10, which gives you as a business owner four weeks to navigate the changes, learn your way around the new layout and functionality, and utilize these benefits to better reach your audience.

Some of the changes include:

• a photo strip above the company’s wall (with the most recent photos you posted or tagged)
• tabs moved to the left panel
• profile photo is slightly smaller
• business profile pages can now “like” other pages instead of just adding them as favorites
• the page category is displayed about your business, such as business service or restaurant, etc.
• a new “mutual friends and interests section”
• news feed of updates from liked pages
• optional email notifications whenever users post or comment

I personally think the photo strip gives business pages a much more colorful and fun way communicate to their audience. The photos seen are the most recent ones that are posted to each Facebook Pages site, but do not include any photos that are posted by fans.  You can also hide any photos you don’t like or want to be shown on the top photo strip.

The new functionality allows Page admins to begin to fully interact with customers on an individual basis, as well as as a company.   Page admins can also set filters on your Wall so that visitors see relevant posts first, and you can receive email notices when anyone posts on the wall or comments, allowing for immediate response and interactions.

These new changes allow brands to better engage with their audience and develop deep, richer experiences.  A very important note that you should take into account is you can preview the new layout but once you decide to upgrade, there is no way to revert back to the old design.  I suggest you preview the changes before converting over.  And please let us know if you have any questions or comments on how this will continue to change the way brands use social media to connect.

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“How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” – Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog

Stand Out From The Crowd

In challenging business climates such as the one we are in right now history often tells us that the companies who find an edge, a certain point of differentiation, will typically emerge victorious over those who keep doing the same thing.  Now this may appear obvious, but at the end of the day I ask any business owner out there “What are you doing differently this year?”

Those who are just trying to stay afloat often miss the bigger picture, which is when times are tough pressing down on the gas can be a good thing because when times get better your competition will be well behind you in the race.  Much of “stepping on the gas,” so to speak, can be attributed to getting the word out on who you are and what your business is all about.

So how can a business owner, striving to gain an edge, put his or her foot on the gas without breaking the bank?

When working with clients I find that, with a little creativity, we can drum up some business more quickly than one would expect.  Ask yourself a few questions to start out with to get the ball rolling:

• Who is my target audience I am trying to reach?  If you don’t have that answer then you have a lot more work to do
• Once I know this audience, how do I reach them…and not just through traditional advertising?
• How can I make an impact on my business and it’s perception with the public with a plan for the long-term?

These are just a few of the questions I ask my clients every day, because you can’t know what road to go down if you don’t have a destination in sight.  A few suggestions I find myself making when reviewing an overall strategy:

Link up with a non-profit

Times are tough these days, and the organizations in our community who need us most are suffering even more because of it.  If you are seeking an avenue of publicity for your company and want to make a difference at the same time, consider sponsoring or playing a role in a non-profit effort, organization, or cause.  The dividends will pay out not only in knowing you have helped others in need, but also in connecting with quality citizens in your community (who could be customers or clients of yours), gaining publicity for your company, and provide potential tax-savings during this time of year.  Non-profit links not only help those in need but also build a strong halo effect for your brand, giving your audience positive feelings about your organization.

Twitter.  That little blue bird that everyone keeps talking about it.  I remember the first time someone mentioned twitter and how it works.  In my head, I thought why would I want to talk about what I ate for lunch?  What I have found over the past couple of years is a way to find out about what news others in my industry are reading, immediate updates on news and situations happening throughout the world, as well as develop relationships with people in my industry that can be followed up and further developed offline.

Everyone is wondering how to use this outlet to drive traffic to their website.  The following are some immediate actions to make your Twitter profile work for you:

1. Brand your Twitter landing page to match your website/branding.
2. Develop targeted networks of followers that fit within your specific product, service or industry.
3. Post effective ‘tweets’ daily related to your product, the service that you offer, or news specific to your industry.
4. Tweet links that direct people to your website, company press releases, updated blogs to increase traffic and awareness of your firm.
5. Retweet informative tweets to build relationships with relevant people and organizations in your industry and increase your follower base.

Bonus action item:

Participate in popular Twitter activities like Follow Fridays (#FF) and  #WineWednesday to continue to increase followers and build relationships.

So go out there and grab the bird by its feathers and share that article that inspired you with those around you.

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“The qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are what makes it so powerful.” – Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard law professor and Internet expert

How to develop a focused strategy that will win new customers

Making yourself, your services or your company relevant to your target market can certainly be challenging in today’s economy.   With all of the messages flying at people every day, it is important now more than ever for organizations to focus on offering something that meets someone’s specific needs or wants.  When something that you do equals something that someone wants, you have now become relevant.

“Relevance is used to describe how pertinent, connected or applicable something is to a given matter.  A thing is relevant if it serves as a means to a given purpose.”

The following are three tips to making your company relevant:

1.  Find out to whom your business is relevant. This can be achieved through online surveys, market research, focus groups, social media and internal meetings to determine if your audience has shifted over the past several years.

2. Tailor your message to your target audience, and make sure they understand what you do and what you are trying to get them to buy or use.

Many companies often tailor their messages to their competitors or use industry language that is hard to understand.  They are missing the mark on how to make their business relevant to those who are interested.  A public relations professional can help you tailor your message to make relevance a reality and to help you achieve your goals.

3.  Make sure your firm hones in on its core strengths, and uses them to their full advantage.  Don’t try to be all things to everyone.  Also realize some audiences are more relevant and useful to you than others.  Focus your efforts on the most beneficial audience and speak directly to them, finding out what they want and making yourself relevant to them.

And here’s one more tip, it’s one that I have written about before but believe is so crucial today – be visible so your audience can find you.  Have an effective website that displays your key messages and exactly what you do, have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile so people searching your firm can find you and make sure all your marketing materials and PR outreach speak to who you are trying to reach, not those that work within your company.

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“Existence is no more than the precarious attainment of relevance in an intensely mobile flux of past, present and future.” – Susan Sontag

Harnessing the power of LinkedIn is something many business professionals continue to try to undertake.  With social media platforms improving their services what seems like monthly, even the savviest can be stumped at times.  Sometimes all you need to know is where to donate your limited amount of time.

Here are five key tips to smarten up your LinkedIn:

Tip 1 – Improve your Google Search PageRank.

LinkedIn gives users the opportunity to make the information in your profile available for search engines to index.  Since LinkedIn profiles receive fairly high PageRank in Google, so you have the ability to influence what people see when they search for you.  To do this, create a public profile and select full view.  Also, make sure your URL is customized to be your actual name.

Tip 2 – Make new business meetings, interviews and introductions go smoother.

You can use LinkedIn to find the people you are meeting and review specialties, interests, past employment, accomplishments and credibility.

Tip 3 – Ask for Advice.

Linkedin answers gives you the opportunity to ask business-related questions and receive input from other experts in your industry.  It also allows you to give guidance and answer questions asked by others in your industry or about your particular field.

Tip 4 – Bring yourself to top of mind.

Update your status with useful articles you have read or informative details about your industry.  If your company is doing something newsworthy, this gives you a great avenue to broadcast it to your network.  Updtae your profile at least once a month or participate in the Q&A section.  These all allow for you to be included in your network’s weekly LinkedIn update email, showing you are active in the community.

Tip 5 – Harness the power of recommendations.

Ask your current and recent clients to recommend you on LinkedIn.  Recommendations are viewed by professionals looking to work with your firm, offering an additional stamp of credibility from people who were happy with your products or services.  Many firms pay for ads with testimonials in trade publications, and LinkedIn offers this for free.

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“A networker likes to meet people. I don’t. I like accomplishing things in the world. You meet people when you want to accomplish something.” – Reid Hoffman

California has been experiencing a lot of shakes lately…of the seismic variety.  The second major earthquake hit near the border of San Diego this week, causing a ripple that was felt up as far as the Los Angeles area.  All of these sudden and quite unexpected tremors got me thinking about a lot of things near and dear to my heart:  Family…friends…my beloved pet Golden Retriever…marketing.

Marketing?  Yes, marketing.

I am often asked when is the right time to “shake up” your branding or put some spice into your PR campaign.  Or better yet, when do I take the social media leap?  Changing something that has been consistent and comfortable for your firm takes courage, as well as a great partner.

My advice on determining when the best time to shake up your marketing is if you are experiencing one or more of the following:

1)   You and your employees are bored with your branding, or you can’t even remember when your last brochure was designed.

2)   You have not updated anything or tried anything new for the past 10 years, and simply run the same marketing program year after year.

3)   Your brand no longer matches what your company’s strengths are currently.

You can also try this trick:  Take your company’s last two ads, your business card, a marketing brochure and the main page of your website.  If none of these materials match each other and you can’t tell each piece belongs to the same company, it is your year to embark on a re-branding adventure.  One of the major aspects of marketing I discussed previously is the importance of consistency.

Will 2010 be the year you stand out from the clutter and change your image?  Before the phone starts ringing off the hook, products start flying off the shelf, and work life gets too busy for you to even think about the basics, take time to develop a plan that creates a rumble in your industry both far and wide.  Your image is one seismic event that can be predicted

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“What great changes have not been ambitious?” – Melinda Gates

When communicating to your organization’s audience, whether it be customers, prospects, members or colleagues, you should always consider who they are and what language they speak.  No, I am not talking about learning French to talk to your customers from Quebec (although that probably wouldn’t hurt).

Remembering your target audience when developing a blog, press release, brochure, email blast or any other marketing materials may seem obvious but is often forgotten.  Keep the language consistent (like your marketing) and relevant to your targets to ensure the message is as effective as possible.

For example, if you are a commercial tenant rep broker and your target audience is small business owners looking for industrial space, you should not speak in real estate terms while trying to reach them.  You must remember these professionals are outside your industry and need to understand what you are trying to offer and what makes you different.  Otherwise, what you are saying is just noise.

The voice of your blog should be consistent with those you hope to reach, and keep the language understandable, but not too elementary.  Explore many outlets to reach people, always keeping in the back of your mind who you are talking to.  Do not write for yourself or your company, but remember to always write for your clients.  They are the ones reading the information with the hopes of gaining something useful and innovative.  Provide this information and they will begin to seek you out as a trusted advisor or a preferred brand in your industry.

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“You don’t need to buy Rosetta Stone to speak your customers’ language.” – Jen Olewinski

As a marketer, you never want to blindly point and shoot your PR outreach in just any direction.  Only with a strategic, targeted campaign will you yield the positive results you truly seek.  The most important aspect of a PR or social media plan is your target audience.

While this may sound like a daunting task, the good news is your PR professional can help facilitate a brainstorming session that will help find the “targets” best suited for your mission.  Once this is completed, you can have confidence that you are only “aiming” at “trophies” that will have a direct impact on your business.  This process is simple, and begins with compiling a wish list of targets, then discovering how to reach these people, where they are located, and what they are reading, watching, etc.  This list should then be in front of you or your publicity partner whenever you are conducting any outreach, whether it be via press releases, email blasts, or social media.

By keeping this list in plain sight, you will stay focused on making sure you are only targeting those who matter most to your business.  Remember, even with the best plan of attack, it all comes down to how well you aim.

Targeted campaigns will help you achieve your goals, and remember – you can update or change your direction if something is not working at any time.  This kind of targeted outreach gives you the competitive edge versus your competition, which is just what PR is all about.

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“The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it.” - Mal Pancoast

Every company should set goals for their communications outreach strategy.   Quite often small businesses, many of which already have a “marketing” plan, feel that this is already done.  However, without including public relations and a social media presence there are a lot of potential tools, and opportunities, being left on the table.

As a small business owner you may begin your outreach with a single-pronged approach, simply by paying for advertising, thinking public relations activities fall outside your budget.  Or perhaps you are not certain what public relations is and how it can help you.  Whatever the case there is always a time to start hitting the ground running, and that time is now.  And with many small agencies and consulting firms sprouting throughout the downturn, you have more affordable options than ever before.

Begin first by setting a goal.  If your company has never been featured in the newspaper or even sent out a news release, make that your first goal for 2010.  If social media outreach scares you but you are interested, discuss with a consultant about starting a Twitter or Facebook page.  They can assess the correct outlet for your targeted audience.

Secondly, set a realistic timeline to meet your goals.  Develop an obtainable plan built around the “news” your company is creating.  Are you expanding your business?  Do you plan to close a big contract soon?  You can’t send out six releases in one month if you have no news to announce, so gauge your media coverage expectations around what you feel is “newsworthy” about your company.  Does this process sound daunting?  Your PR professional, who handles these decisions on a daily basis, will be there to help.

Be patient with the process and realize consistency is the name of the game.  If you reach out to your targeted audience through multiple outlets whenever you actually have something interesting to say, you are slowly meeting your goals.

And remember to celebrate your success.  Your first story in print or 100 twitter followers is just the beginning, but something to be proud of.

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“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

The year 2010 is one of many possibilities. Despite the current state of this challenging business environment, there exist many new and exciting opportunities for those willing to take a risk and finally JUMP. After years of working for reputable agencies, I have learned many life and business lessons along the way. These experiences have given me the opportunity to make a difference for my clients through specialized public relations, marketing and social media services, all at a tremendous value.

Some of the amazing business relationships I have built over the years have made all the difference. Their unyielding support along this exciting new road has helped get Olewinski Group off to a very fast start. The success we have experienced thus far is astounding, and this is only the beginning.

Olewinski Group gives its clients the opportunity to communicate to the public in new, effective, and efficient ways never before thought possible. Your business has a story to tell, and we are here to help you tell that story.

There are countless companies that have sat on the sidelines waiting to make a big move. If you are one of them, then 2010 is your year to make that jump. When you do, be sure you choose a respected partner you can trust to take this jump with you. Choose Olewinski Group and you will be sure to land softly, and hit the ground running.
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“To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.” – Benjamin Franklin