Market Your Events
Do you want 3 new ways to market your events and tours? In this audio podcast we’ll explore the power of Facebook Events and how to create them. We’ll look in depth at the power of LinkedIn Events. Don’t miss the last part where we delve into secrets of integrating new and traditional media.
Check out this short audio podcast. I’m interested in hearing your success stories. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how valuable is video? Think about how popular You-Tube has become. Wouldn’t you love to have that impact on your clients?
Think how thrilled your clients will be to see you in the destination you’re blogging
about. Think CREDIBILITY! Think VIDEO! Have you considered these techniques:
Video Blog
Tip: test out your smart phone for video quality. I would suggest making sure it’s HD. If you would like a top of the line (and affordable) HD video camera, check out the Mino Flip. I love how easy it is to use—1 button!
When creating your video keep in mind that 2-4 minutes is the preferred length. If you need more time, simply create a series of short, snappy videos.
When you begin to explore using these technologies you’ll find exciting ways to differentiate your business and appeal to a wider audience. Your expertise and enthusiasm will attract clients, news media and the attention of your preferred suppliers and partners.
What video success stories do you have to tell?
Let’s keep the conversation relevant! Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Engage your clients and uncover new readers. Have you ever thought about repurposing your hard working blog posts into audio recordings? You’ve spent all that time writing your blog, why not extend the life and reach of your work.
Don’t worry, the technology part is fairly straightforward so we’ll just jump right in.
Audio Podcast
Create an audio podcast Have you considered recording your blog posts and creating an .mp3 file? This is a sure way to capture attention using a different channel of communication. Listeners can download your blog post and listen in their car, at the gym or when planning their next trip. Plus they can share it with friends giving you another sales person on your force.
There are a variety of tools you can use to record and house your podcasts. Check out Audacity.com to record or use a digital recorder. To house your recordings you can create a channel on i-tunes or use a free service like podomatic.com.
For more info check out my blog post or audio podcast created specifically for travel & tourism pros. You may also want to explore the features of your smartphone and test the quality before you post.
Bonus tip: How about creating an audio interview and then embedding it into your blog post. You can interview your favourite supplier or an ecstatic client. With their permission, embed the interview into a blog post about the destination.
I challenge you to get as creative as possible with your social communication. What will you do today to make this happen?
Let’s keep the conversation relevant! Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Podcast
Do you know what to do with your recordings? Have you decided on where you’re going to store the podcasts and videos so your audience can easily access them?
There are so many imaginative possibilities for using this technology. For example, I’ve used it as an audio invitation to a workshop, as a way for clients to ‘meet me’ in advance, and as a warm-up to material I’m going to cover in a seminar.
If you’re putting together theater tours to New York, think how exciting it would be for potential clients to see you at the top of the Empire State Building talking about the history and scanning the view. That’s credibility! Theater buffs would relish the chance to see what a theater on Broadway really looks like and hear from you about the play you recently saw. How about interviewing an actor?
To market your podcast you can easily e-mail it to potential clients, embed it into your blog or post it on your Facebook or Twitter. Create a contest and some buzz by asking people to guess where you’re filming from.
To re-cap here are the 6 uses for your creativity:
All this for a small investment in time and money! Think about the remarkable impact you’ll make!
For getting started, please see Podcasting for Profit – The First Step to Success ! For tips and best practices, please see 2 Tips and 4 Best Practices for Podcasting!
Podcasting can be a very effective tool to reach your audience. With the ease of set-up, the simplicity of recording and the endless possibilities of reaching target groups; Why not invest in Podcasting? Remember the best part of a podcast is that you can tailor your message to specific clients. It can be informative, fun and a creative way to reach your clients in an exciting new medium!
Keep the conversation relevant! Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Podcasting for Profit
In Podcasting for Profit – The first step to Success, we talked about what you need to engage your potential clients and audience through podcasts. Now that you know what equipment to use, you can get started on the audio or video recordings!
Excited? Here are 2 things to keep in mind.
First, determine the needs of your audience.
Do they need to see you and what you’re offering? How much detail do they need to make a decision? What is their level of knowledge of your offering? This will help you choose the best medium, audio or video.
Second, write your script and record it.
For an audio recording you may want to check out this simple and free downloadable program. You can play around with it a bit if you’d like to add special sound effects or mix in different types of media such as music or other pre-recorded sounds.
Once you record your podcast on audacity.com you’ll need a spot to house it. You can store the .mp3file on your computer or sign-up for a free service where you can house all of your podcasts. A service like podomatic allows you to store all of your podcasts in 1 place. This will allow your listeners to access your whole library of self-created podcasts. You can also create your own channel on iTunes or house your recordings on your website.
When you’re putting this new technology to use here are a couple of best practices to consider:
You’ve got the equipment, you know how and what you want to record but where is this all leading? Check out the audio podcast 2 Ways to Podcast for Profit for tips and techniques you can add to your recordings!
Keep the Conversation going! Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Podcast for Profit
Podcasting! Is it audio or video? Either and both!
That’s right! Podcasting is a term that refers to both audio and video recordings that can be easily made right in your office or on the road.
What an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and engage your audience.
Imagine sending an audio recording to your potential clients inviting them to join your upcoming tour. Imagine sending a customized video site inspection to a potential group leader showing the areas of your hotel or facility that will appeal directly to them and their clients…with you narrating and guiding them thru the facility. Talk about building rapport.
The benefits are that you’ll capture the attention of your clients and potential clients as well as build your brand excellence.
The only equipment you’ll need for an audio recording is a microphone. Check out an office supply store for one in the $30-50 range or a specialty music store for higher quality in the $100 range.
For a video recording, an HD video recorder is your best choice. I chose the Mino HD Flip recorder because it’s barely bigger than a standard cell phone and has about 2 hours of recording time available. All the software you need to record and download is built right into the Flip. From your computer you can upload it to You-Tube and then embed it into your blog or send the file to your clients. (Remember, if you want to upload to You-Tube the video must be shorter than 10 minutes)
Being prepared is the first step in getting ready to engage your audience and get your message across. Choosing the right equipment is just the beginning of reaching your audience and potential clients. In another post we’ll cover the next steps of 2 Tips and 4 Best Practices for Podcasting! In the meantime, here’s some extra tips for you on audio and video podcasting
Keep the conversation going! Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Listening with our ears and with our heart/mind I believe is crucial to building remarkable client relationships. Actually, isn’t it crucial to building any relationship? Yet, do you sometimes feel no one is really listening anymore?
We’ve probably all been in a situation where we realize the other person just doesn’t get what we’re saying. Think about the last time you went shopping. Recently I was out looking for a dress to wear to a black tie event. At the first store no one even approached me. At the second store I explained the color and style that I was looking for; green or red and fitted. The clerk came back with grey! I left the store! Finally at the third store the clerk listened and I found a beautiful red and black cocktail dress that was perfect!
Hearing what our clients are saying takes not only our ears, but our hearts and minds too. If your clients are trying to explain the vacation of their dreams to you or the on-site meeting planner has come to you with a challenge here are a couple of tips to keep in mind:
What one thing can you do differently today that will genuinely show that you’re listening to your clients?
I am listening to you and would love to hear your feedback on this blog.
We all know the importance of listening to our clients. How often do we truly listen? Powerful listening creates loyal clients, nips any concerns before they get huge and inspires repeat and referral business.
There are a couple of on-line polls that make it really simple to listen to what your clients are thinking or needing.
LinkedIn has a simple and effective way to poll your connections. Simply go the “More” tab and click on “Polls” to create a short poll. I prefer to keep the number of questions to a maximum of 3 or 4 so that it’s easy for your connections to quickly provide you the benefit of their opinions. You can poll your first degree connections for free. In addition you can share your poll via e-mail, blog, website or within a group by using the URL provided.
Facebook also has a Polls application, “My Polls” as well as “Polls on Facebook” work well to create polls for your personal page as well as your business page.
Getting the word out about your poll:
1. add your poll to the discussion section of groups you belong to
2. tweet and lead your followers to the LinkedIn or Facebook poll
3. Send an e-mail to clients inviting them to join you on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and take the poll
4. Include the URL in your correspondence.
Results and stats:
LinkedIn provides a graphic analysis in the “My Polls” tab showing the percentage of responses to each answer. Full comments are shown on this same page.
This simple polling process can be a powerful tool to open conversations with clients and colleagues leading to more relevant products and services.
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Listening with our ears and with our hearts and minds is crucial to building remarkable client relationships. Actually, I think it’s crucial to building any relationship.
We’ve probably all been in a situation where we realize the other person just doesn’t get what we’re saying.
Think about the last time you went shopping for a new dress or suit. Recently I was out looking for a dress to wear to a black tie event. At the first store no one even approached me. At the second store I explained the color and style that I was looking for; green or red and fitted. The clerk came back with grey! I left the store! Finally at the third store the clerk listened and I found a beautiful red and black cocktail dress that was perfect!
Hearing what are clients are saying takes not only our ears, but our hearts and minds too. If your clients are trying to explain the vacation of their dreams to you or the on-site meeting planner has come to you with a challenge here are a couple of tips to keep in mind:
What one thing can you do differently today that will genuinely show that you’re listening to your clients?
I am listening to you and would love to hear your feedback on this blog. Please leave a comment. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Catherine welcomes you to phone or e-mail her with your needs and interests. A preliminary discussion will help determine whether Customized Management Solutions may help you drive the results you’re looking for.
Contact Catherine Heeg
