WSI www Experts Trinidad and Tobago

We Simplify Internet Marketing

Subscribe to WSI www Experts Trinidad and Tobago
Lead Generation
Build your customer database using proven Digital Marketing tactics like PPC and SEO.
Brand Credibility
Demonstrate your industry expertise to your customer using Social Media.
Customer Communication
Engage your customers with Email Marketing and increase your customer loyalty.

Archive for the ‘Socially Facilitated M and S’ Category

How To Become a successful Entrepreneur

Posted by Bernadette Chin Lee On May - 3 - 2013
No Gravatar

I would read stories of Successful Entrepreneurs, books on qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur. Read blogs and watch videos of successful entrepreneurs.

If you have your own business and are now trying to figure out what’s holding you back. It’s not too late.

Start your journey to becoming a Successful Entrepreneur with your vision. See where you will be in five years time. Most importantly see why people would be using or needing your product or service. See how it will change how the world operates. The world could be the whole world, your country or your city. See and understand why you must provide this product or service. What problems are you solving for your customers. We all know what problem you will be solving as a successful entrepreneur but if you keep the focus on others you will succeed. Write down your vision. See your achieved milestones in two years time. See what your successes are. Be realistic. See what should be accomplished while on your way to the five year vision.

Plan the blueprint of your vision. Put it all together. See the flow. Commit it to paper and less side roads will be taken. You will bat off the distractions quicker and easier. Read your blueprint daily for a month. Keep your focus. Know the actions that must happen monthly, weekly, and daily. Jim Rohn said “Plan your next day at the end of the day. Plan your month at the end of this month.”

Take action now. Turn your vision into real actions that will deliver your five year vision. Do 90% money making activities daily. Be happy. Be positive. People do not want to do business with negative, grumpy, miserable people. If you have employees you must sell them your ideas and reasons why you do what you do. Be realistic with your employees and what you expect of them. If your idea makes sense they will internalize your vision and work with you and not just for the pay cheque. Avoid multi-tasking, this actually reduces efficiency. If you have four tasks as your goal in any one day, give each one a time frame, and stick within it. Create routines for everything that you do. Ultimately your repeated actions will become the habits you visioned yourself having in order to be the successful entrepreneur you visioned.

What are all your responsibilities, are they compatible or are they all screaming for your time.  What do I mean? In today’s world with high cost of living and low incomes, many people handle more than one idea(s). They have a plan A and a plan B. The best plan is one where Plan _will eventually eliminate Plan _. You will have your lifestyle. Your needs and that of your family are met and most importantly the time needed to spend with your family. If with your activities you do not see the lifestyle, needs, and quality family time coming into being in two years; you will need to revisit your plan. Let me put it this way. If you generate enough income to have the lifestyle you want, all the “needs” of your family met, but cannot enjoy your income with your family then something is wrong with your plan. Something will give. You must include time for the family. The best Successful Entrepreneur is the one who can work less as time goes by because he would have done the work and the income would be coming in on auto-pilot.

Marketing Strategy. Do not leave out a marketing budget in your strategy. I’m not saying this because that is my business. You must have room for a marketing budget. Word of mouth is great, but it will not suffice if you have overheads and a family to feed. The internet is free and lots of tools are free, but do you have the time to do these tasks yourself? Do you know best practices to get best results? Now. As you achieve your set milestones you have renewed energy to continue. Your small successes will help you determine what to change and what to drop. We constantly share so much free information. When you hire us, you already know what results to expect. You know our “why we do what we do” You need to sell, share or serve. We need to tell people why they need you. Leave a comment below. Join our facebook fanpage. Hire WSI Trinidad and Tobago soon.

Bernadette Chin Lee

 

Marketing, Planning

Maximizing Social Media Marketing – What Twitter Can Do

Posted by Christopher Chin Lee On February - 10 - 2012
No Gravatar
Social media marketing is an effective tool for getting consumer attention, and creating word-of-mouth.
Your posts, updates, and tweets can generate buzz. But many business owners are busy, and finding the time to update your social media can be difficult. So, being able to use social media to perform other tasks, and doing it easily would be beneficial, right?

 

Alternate use
Twitter is an excellent tool for drawing people to your website. But what if a large portion of your customer base isn’t on Twitter? You can use it for a purpose other than tweeting thoughts and links, it’s also an easy way to update your website without having to go into the back-end mechanics of your site.

 

Rather than simply having a Twitter button, if you use a Twitter widget, you can update information on your site, such as “closed for inventory today”, or “one day sale tomorrow”. Widgets are a tool that enables direct manipulation of data. Being able to manipulate what appears on your website simply through using Twitter can make your life easier.

 

You can check here for the widgets.

 

Traditional use – improved
You may be comfortable using Twitter for it’s traditional purpose of reaching out to followers, but want to improve your effectiveness. It appears that timing, frequency, and word choice really do matter. I recently came across some research done by Hubspot’s Dan Zarella. He looks at how to generate more clicks on Twitter. His infographic displays results about how long your tweets should be, where to place links, best wording, when to tweet, and pace of tweeting. Look here for the infographic.

 

Yes, there’s a lot to manage when it comes to social media marketing. Streamlining the process and maximizing the execution will enhance your presence. In the busy world of business, having a solid plan can save you time and bring greater results.

 

If you’d like to know more about how a social media marketing plan can work for you, contact us today.
Customer Communication, Lead Generation, Social Media Marketing, Socially Facilitated M and S

Digital Marketing in Trinidad and Tobago Focus: The Rise of the Tablet

Posted by Christopher Chin Lee On February - 10 - 2012
No Gravatar
Tapping and swiping. That’s what more and more people are doing as tablet use grows. Nearly half of respondents to a recent Google survey said they spend more time with their tablet than their desktop or laptop. Marketing Profs cites a Walker Sands report showing that website traffic generated via mobile device more than doubled last quarter. The iPad saw the second largest increase after Android phones. Much like the surge in mobile use, digital marketing efforts in Trinidad and Tobago should focus on how this device is not only different from mobile phones, but still quite different from desktop.

 

Tablet users may find that smartphone content is too simple, yet the inability to navigate with a mouse makes desktop oriented sites too complicated. The activities tablets are being used for deserves attention as well. According to a study by IBM Benchmark , users were twice as likely to complete a purchase on the device than it’s mobile cousin, the smartphone.

 

That being said, let’s take a look at how to customize your storefront for optimal accessibility on a tablet. While tablets have larger, easier to read screens than a smart phone, the ‘hands-on’ experience proves challenging.
  • PC users can easily select items and navigate your web page with the click of a mouse, but tablet users may find it more difficult. The tapping and swiping required to accomplish tasks on a tablet can make one feel “fumble-fingered” when trying to make precise moves. Make certain you tailor your page with larger buttons so users don’t wind up on the wrong screen when making their selection. Test your page to be sure it’s easy to use.
  • The iPad doesn’t support Adobe Flash, so if your site relies on that tool, you’ll need to find an alternative for your tablet storefront.
  • As the statistics from IBM reflect, more people sitting down with a tablet are ready to buy. Make the process from browsing to buying a simple one. The faster and easier the steps, the higher the likelihood users will stay with it, and complete the sale.
Gartner predicts an “explosion” in tablet sales over the next several years, with iPads being the industry leader. So now is the time to be certain your business is tablet ready, and that your digital marketing in Trinidad and Tobago is honed in on the device.

 

Do you have a tablet? What are you most likely to use it for?

 

For more on how digital marketing can help your business, contact us today.
Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Mobile Marketing, Socially Facilitated M and S, Website Development

How to Make the Most of Social Media Marketing in Trinidad and Tobago

Posted by Christopher Chin Lee On February - 8 - 2012
No Gravatar
You’ve determined why you want to engage in social media marketing in Trinidad and Tobago, you have even laid out the basic plan of attack. But have you considered what your involvement will yield, and how best to not only analyze it, but to keep it on target?
Take a moment to ponder what social media is about… it’s sharing. That sharing could encompass opinions, experiences, even facts people have gathered regarding a given topic. Think of it as a two-way street. It’s not just you putting out posts hoping they’ll be read, even acted upon. It’s also about a flow of information to you. Which of that information is useful to you, and how will you respond to it? Your answers to those questions should become an integral part of your social media marketing plans.
Getting warm and fuzzy
There are many ways of looking at social responses from consumers, one of them is sentiment. Being able to understand the feelings in what people are saying about your company or brand can give you valuable insight to whether or not you’re on the right track with all of your online marketing. Some people’s feelings are generated from an experience and may seem hard to change. It is possible, though, to influence those sentiments if you understand how it is they came to that feeling.
For more on the use of sentiment data, check out this on the Sentiment Analysis Symposium
Staying involved
However, you won’t know what people are feeling, or saying about you if you aren’t keeping up with your social media channels. Keeping track of your accounts, monitoring what’s being said, and responding when appropriate, requires a time commitment as well as an organized approach.
Social Media Today lays out some ideas about scheduling your social media work that could help keep you on track. Here we have a quick take on what they suggest.
There are certain platforms that require more frequent attention, so twice each day you should:
  • Check your Twitter feed and reply when called for. Be active – join a conversation
  • Check your Linkedin profile and Groups. Find some way to engage with this site at least on two occasions a day. You may want to start a discussion, post an interesting article, or make new contacts
  • Check your Facebook page and post something of value at least once. Take some time to respond to comments.
  • Check Google alerts for competitor information or mentions of your brand.
At least once a week you will want to spend some time on these activities:
  • Organize your Facebook and Twitter lists for targeted messaging
  • Spend an extended period of time on your Linkedin discussions in your Groups.
  • Schedule tweets and status updates for the following week to maintain consistency.
  • Research new tools and products.
Don’t forget to also schedule a day to respond to blog comments and check analytics to determine blog and website traffic.
For information on how we can help you build a strategy for your social media marketing in Trinidad and Tobago, contact us today.
Brand Credibility, OnLine Reputation Management, Planning, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization, Social Media Policy, Training

QR Code Success for Mobile Marketing in Trinidad and Tobago – It’s in Your Hands

Posted by Christopher Chin Lee On February - 1 - 2012
No Gravatar

QR Code mobile

Mobile Marketing in Trinidad and Tobago is a fast growing strategy, and it could become the primary tool for marketing messages, beating out traditional marketing methods and perhaps even eclipsing some of the newer online strategies.
Why?
With many companies armed with lower advertising budgets, mobile marketing draws attention for it’s high tracking capabilities. A recent Telmetrics report highlights a potential shift to a “mobile first” strategy in large part due to the immediacy of local mobile search driving higher response rates.
You can find a direct link between mobile outreach, call, and purchase, so it’s easy to access response and conversion rates. These definable, concrete actions can be used by advertisers to determine the effectiveness of mobile marketing plans.
The instant connection provided by mobile can take several forms, like SMS (text) and Quick Response (QR codes). It’s the latter that seems to be slowly, but steadily gaining ground. They’ve been around since the early 90′s, but not until the rise of the smartphone have they become readily accessible to customers. And the number of people accessing them is expected to grow. While they are already quite familiar to most marketers, consumers, it seems, are less familiar with the black and white design scannable codes than you may think. A cmb Consumer Pulse study found that only 21% of 1200 consumers surveyed knew what “QR code” meant… though it’s encouraging to know that 81% recognized them when shown an image. Some good news though, according to comScore.com, 20.1 million mobile phone owners used the devices to scan a QR code last fall.
But they aren’t likely to fully catch on, or get beyond the curiosity stage for consumers unless marketers create a value added, properly functioning code. Mobile Insider reports, only 26% of consumers they surveyed were interested in scanning for product information, but that’s what the majority of QR codes provide. Offers and discounts are what 43% said they wanted. So plan a QR strategy that’s in line with what your core customer needs or wants.
If you’d like to check out QR codes, take a look at these for the following devices:
For a look at one creative way QR codes have been implemented, check this out from cmo.com
Want to know more about mobile marketing strategies in Trinidad and Tobago? Contact us today.
Content Marketing, Customer Communication, Landing Page Development, Mobile Marketing, Socially Facilitated M and S

“Like” Social Media Marketing? Be Ready For the Relationship

Posted by Christopher Chin Lee On January - 12 - 2012
No Gravatar
Just as in any relationship, having your business involved in a social media marketing campaign requires great care, attention, and understanding. It’s no doubt that social media is wildly popular. An analysis by Experian Hitwise reveals “Facebook” as the most popular search term, and the most popular website for 2011.
While it seems there aren’t many people who aren’t involved in some sort of social media, for business use, however, it’s not so simple. A Pivot Conference report showed that while roughly half of brand managers consider social media marketing as still being in the experimental stage… nearly half see it as mainstream, or that it will be by the end of this year.
But is that a bad thing? The notion that things aren’t necessarily set in stone when it comes to social media marketing is freeing. Our suggestion is to develop, or get help developing a social media plan, but be prepared to make adjustments along the way.
  • Choose the sites that will lead you to your target customers.
  • Craft messaging that speaks to your prospects and encourages action.
  • Be aware that many consumers want something tangible for their connection.
Understand what consumers are looking for on social media sites. CMO Council , a marketing ideas exchange, and Lithium, a social media marketing company, partnered for a survey that found “consumers engage with brands through channels like Facebook and other social networks largely to learn about new products, enter unique promotions or contests, or to play games…”
Most importantly, know that it may take time to generate the leads and conversions you are looking for. Part of the “experimental” side of social media is to try out a strategy and make adjustments where and when needed. Knowing when to make those changes requires continual monitoring and evaluation. Finally, be aware of the tools and the mindset needed to measure success. Remember, ROI isn’t always monetary.
Who knows, you may find the right social marketing mix and see great results. Then, you can “like” your marketing plan just as your customers like you.
Interested in starting a social media marketing campaign? Contact us today.
Planning, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Policy

You Can’t Afford to Ignore Mobile Marketing in Trinidad and Tobago

Posted by Bernadette Chin Lee On January - 5 - 2012
No Gravatar

One in five small businesses plan to invest more resources in mobile ads and apps in 2012, are you one of them? And only 10% say they won’t be using social media for promoting their company. So get out your sunglasses, because there is a bright future for mobile marketing in Trinidad and Tobago.

With more mobile devices now being sold than PC’s, it’s no doubt that mobile is hot. But what should warm your marketing soul is that a Nielsen report shows the number of smartphone subscribers using mobile internet has grown 45% since 2010.

It’s not about jumping on the bandwagon, or throwing yourself into something simply because everyone’s doing it now. Getting involved in mobile marketing is simply expected. It’s not the flavor of the month.

Mobile marketing has gone mainstream, especially for retail. The way people use their phones has altered the retail landscape, with shoppers increasingly looking for coupons, deals, and price checks. When it comes to mobile behavior, Google reports some promising numbers:

* 79% of smartphone users use them to help with shopping
* 70% use their device in the store
* 77% contacted a business via mobile

So, hopefully you are warming to the idea of mobile marketing campaigns and what they can do for your business. There are some things to consider, though, for making the most of the strategy. First and foremost, have a mobile-friendly site. Online marketing experts understand the need for treating mobile devices differently from desktops when it comes to web design and messaging.

Try not to think of mobile as a stand- alone marketing tool… integrating other campaigns with mobile will create a consistent, multi-pronged strategy that will cover all the bases. Consider where people are using their phones. Often it’s while they are engaged in other activities, like watching television. Plan campaigns that can bring multiple advertising mediums together.

Before you begin crafting a mobile campaign, consider your focus. It’s very easy to get in the mindset of “what do we want to put out there?” Instead, consider, “what do prospects want to receive?”
Try taking the temperature of the consumer landscape… and remember that 40% of searches are related to location.

And the mobile tool will continue to heat up… a Research and Markets report this year says mobile phone search revenues are expected to reach 8-billion dollars by 2015. So now’s the time to take action. Get help with your mobile marketing in Trinidad and Tobago, or you might get left out in the cold.

Brand Credibility, Mobile Marketing, Socially Facilitated M and S, Website Development

The Future of Social Media Marketing in Trinidad and Tobago

Posted by Bernadette Chin Lee On January - 2 - 2012
No Gravatar

As the year 2011 draws to a close, it’s hard not to look forward, or to hear about predictions of what we will see in 2012 and beyond. While online marketing is rapidly gaining ground, it is still relatively new, and so, experts see numerous possibilities for evolution in the field. So let’s take a look at one of the predictions for the future of social media marketing in Trinidad and Tobago.

According to Jeremiah Owyang of Altimeter Group, the future is a world of marketing uniquely through social, location based, and mobile channels. Eventually, he says, traditional advertising will no longer exist. Owyang claims the ultimate business goal for social media can be tracked by the “Social Business Hierarchy of Needs”.

In this 20 minute video, Owyang describes the levels of that hierarchy, and how they can ultimately take your business from being reactive, to being predictive. Being predictive enables businesses to give customers information when they want it, and how they want it.

The hierarchy starts with the basics, and moves towards that predictive level.

* Foundation

* Safety
* Formation
* Enablement
* Enlightenment

While we still may be years away from the social/location-based/mobile (SoLoMo) world that could revolutionize marketing, it’s not too soon to get started. Think ahead, and look into social media marketing in Trinidad and Tobago.

For more predictions on what may come for online marketing in 2012 from econsultancy, read here.

Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Socially Facilitated M and S

Socially Facilitated Marketing and Sales Programme – Defined

Posted by Christopher Chin Lee On August - 19 - 2011
No Gravatar

Contact WSI in Trinidad today (868 390 9251) for your Free Consultation.

Lead Generation is a critical element of a Marketing and Sales strategy because without a continuous stream of leads from your existing customers and new prospects there would be no potential sales.  In a whitepaper titled, Taking Online Lead Generation to the Next Level, Deven Pravin Shah, a WSI Digital Marketing Consultant, included “Develop a  Go To Market Plan“ as a key element of taking your plan to the next level – a summary of the white paper can be found here.

In my  previous post I gave an overview of the fundamentals of Socially Facilitated Marketing and Sales (SFMS) as a Lead Generation strategy and outlined the 10 Foundational Steps for a SFMS Programme.  The 10 Foundational Steps elaborate a “Go To Market Plan“, but they required further articulation and at the point in time it would have caused the post to be too long.

Good News!

Two days ago Vishay Singh of AVAX Consulting was invited by WSI Por Marketing to speak on their Episode 61 Bi-Weekly Community Call about SFMS.  Vishay elaborated on each of the 10 points and I wanted to share this with you so you can take the notes.

Here is the link to the Bi-Weekly Community Call and as a bonus you can view the slide presentation that was used at the webinar the previous week whilst you listen to the show.

Contact WSI in Trinidad today (868 390 9251) for your Free Consultation.

Brand Credibility, Customer Communication, Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Planning, SEO, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization, Social Media Policy, Socially Facilitated M and S, Training

Strategic Lead Generation using Socially Facilitated Marketing and Sales

Posted by Christopher Chin Lee On August - 16 - 2011
No Gravatar

Contact WSI in Trinidad today (868 390 9251) for your Free Consultation.

In a recent presentation, Vishay Singh of Avax Consulting put forward the idea of Socially Facilitated Marketing and Sales. He premised the idea on the following thought by Larry Norman:

“I’m fishing for men (customers and prospects) with a certain kind of bait, and the bait that I am offering is not a candy; it’s a very specific thing that I’m offering, which is a deep gospel and a deep conversion.”

He went on to define Socially Facilitated Marketing and Sales as “the new online layer that needs to be added to businesses that feeds the business with strategic information and measurements … that opens up new relationships and customer interactions.”

He identified the key components of this new online layer as:

  • Online Rpeutation Management (ORM)
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Business Analytics
  • New Tools
  • New Training for the Sales Force

He clarified that it is not just about the “how to use” the tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, but involved the development of a strategy that “marries” traditional off line marketing strategies with online strategies. In his words,

It “is the ability to forge a seamless link between offline and online marketing by” integrating the following elements:

  • The 5P’s (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People),
  • The 4C’s (Customer Solution, Customer Cost, Convenience, Communication),
  • The 7 Step Traditional Sales Process (Pre Approach, Approach, Needs Assessment, Presentation, Meeting Objectives, Getting Commitment, Follow Up) and
  • Dovetailing it with the Customer Buying Process.

Arising out of the aforementioned thoughts, he listed the 10 Foundational Steps for a Socially Facilitated Marketing and Sales Programme as:

  1. Define and know your Goals
  2. Build your Organization as a Team
  3. Online Reputation Management (ORM) Plan
  4. Understanding the Competitive Landscape
  5. Knowledge Harvesting of Relevant and Current Knowledge
  6. Development of appropriate Policies
  7. Determine and Pilot Specific Marketing Initiatives
  8. Performance Measurement and Reporting
  9. Integrated Sales Approach – Getting to the final desired conversion
  10. Return on Investment (ROI ) – It’s not only about the money!

In terms of the central tool, the foundational stone, on which these 10 Foundation Steps would rest, is a Blog – “Utilize a Blog as your SFM&S Cast Page, as the link between your Social Media layer and your Search layer.”  Here is the infographic that Vishay used to illustrate his point:

Socially Facilitated Marketing and Sales Programme Infographic

The Rational: Fundamentally, for B2B, Blogs can generate 67% more leads per month than those who do not Blog and even more for B2C.

Developing an SFM&S Programme can give your company that competitive edge.  Contact WSI in Trinidad today (868 390 9251) for your Free Consultation.

Brand Credibility, Customer Communication, Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Planning, SEO, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Policy, Socially Facilitated M and S, Training

WSI www Experts Trinidad and Tobago is using WP-Gravatar