Cut to the Core

Welcome to my blog. Bienvenidos a mi blog.

where we cut through the “clutter” to find the core, the heart, of what really matters for our business success.

Wishing you marketing success in 2012!

Deseándoles éxito en su mercadotécnica en 2012.

Maria Olga Pinochet and the Kore Access Colleagues

 

Latinos Find Success with Social Media

The number of hours consumers spend on social media continues to rise. This fact indicates that the rules for attracting prospects and turning customers into repeat buyers are changing. Those rules no longer favor the company with the deepest pockets, that is, the company that can afford to buy the most advertising. The winner, instead, is the company that is most “fluent” in digital speak – the language of two-way social communications. And that is just the type of communication being held every minute on Facebook fan pages, Twitter, blogs and special interest forums.

 

Advertising in print and television serves as one-way communications that focus on getting the attention of potential buyers and trying to convince them to buy. Such self-promoting messages, however, do not require the audience to take action. In contrast, the expectations of two-way conversations in social media are that exchanges indeed be social and that the two-way exchanges be focused on assisting the buyer, through helpful direction and meaningful insights, to make good purchasing choices.

 

U.S. Hispanics are able to naturally deliver on the spirit of two-way social communications. They are are well positioned to excel at this role for several reasons: 1) Hispanics share a cultural heritage deepened by religious beliefs that give them a strong disposition to work consciously to act in a generous spirit, share resources and act collaboratively among communities of people – whether at home, in church, at work or online; 2) Hispanics, whether first- or second-generation immigrants, grow up hearing often-told stories of finding opportunity under difficult circumstances, and of seeking creative ways to solve challenges. This background gives Hispanics an enterprising and optimistic confidence in meeting objectives.

 

Latinos, then, are predisposed, from birth and by cultural ancestry, to develop the marketing mindset that is well suited for creating and managing a company’s social media conversations. According to the latest eMarketer studies, social media continues to grow as a favored communication channel for consumer and B2B businesses of all sizes. All the more reason to consider the use of the unique Hispanic cultural perspective to win social media success for your company!

 

Find out  how a Latino social media initiative can increase your revenue stream, contact maria@koreaccess.com  and visit our website www.koreaccess.com.

Hot Topic Conversation Headlines of April 2012

A Business Buzz surrounds the question of how President Obama’s HEALTHCARE BILL will impact the bottom line of business owners…What services can do to support the more than two-thirds (68%) of all U.S. adults over age 20 who are overweight (The Lancet, a Health Journal)…How much the economy will recover and whether it is time to START HIRING…

Hot Topics include the FACEBOOK IPO and what other businesses can learn from the company that grew to a market valuation of $102.8 billion…What will be disclosed about its 845 MILLION GLOBAL USERS and their online habits that will be of value in planning how to reach fans on Facebook....How much we will learn about the business model that made $1 billion in 2011 on $3.71 billion in revenue…

Challenges include making decisions about the best TECHNOLOGIES to implement in order to support marketing goals…About choosing an ONLINE PLATFORM that will ATTRACT prospects….About choosing the TECH TOOL that can best help to build relationships and RETAIN customers… Businesses of every size continue to test and measure the results…

Hint: Stay informed on Hot Topics by subscribing to the  Kore Access E-zine - click on "sign me up" button on the left.

Going Mobile With Your Marketing

Is it time to jump on the mobile marketing bandwagon? If your target market is the mobile generation (teens and young adults), there is no doubt you need to include mobile services in your marketing mix.  Over the last three years, mobile phones have increased their market reach and there is no denying that a whole new trend has been created by persons under 24 years of age who text more on their cell phones than they use voice minutes (Nielson Company, April 2009 – March 2010). This habit makes them a prime audience for mobile text marketing. (Text messages are viewed and answered within 90 seconds vs. e-mail messages that are responded to within 90 minutes.)

The reliance on mobile phones for information and connection is growing. Nearly half (47%) of U.S. teens say their social life would end or be worsened without their cell phone, and nearly six in 10 (57%) credit their mobile device with improving their lives (2008 National survey by CTIA – The Wireless Association® and Harris Interactive). In contrast, users in the 25-54 age group say they use voice communications on their phone more than any other mobile service. However, their mobile consumption is still meaningful to marketers since it provides a channel of communication that is both personal and gets a quick response rate.

Read on to get the answers to three mobile marketing FAQs…

1. What are the mobile marketing channels? In mobile marketing there are several mobile marketing channels and tactics to integrate the mobile usage (cell phone or tablet) of target audiences with online brand ‘real estate’ (mobile Web sites, social media sites,…) as well as other offline properties (printed magazines, brochures, store fronts,…) of the brand. The most common channels are: 1) text messaging 2) mobile Web sites that are easy to see and navigate on smaller screens, 3) QR codes that scan and direct traffic to Web sites or that automatically dial contact numbers, and 4) mobile applications.

2.  What is the difference between mobile marketing and mobile advertising? The most distinct difference between the two is that mobile marketing is an opt-in, permission-based marketing program while mobile advertising is unsolicited.  The advertising appears, unsolicited, as the user performs online searches (MSN, Yahoo, Safari) from a mobile device (phone or tablet) or as he or she uses social media services such as Twitter.

3. What is the greatest benefit of using mobile marketing? Because 91% of users keep their mobile devices within reach throughout the day, mobile marketing has the potential to reach the mobile customer anytime during the day. This fact means that mobile technology has the ability to create direct one-on-one relationships at the very moment that they are most meaningful and relevant. Columbia Business School and New York American Marketing Association (NYAMA) have found the most popular data types collected by U.S. marketers is demographic info (74%), customer transaction data (64%) and customer usage data (60%). With mobile technology, a brand can collect all three types of marketing intelligence – as it happens – for each and every individual.

Call or e-mail Kore Access to learn more about how mobile technology can help  you attract and engage more business.

ENGAGE more powerfully! Contact maria@koreaccess.com to find out how. Your Kore colleagues are a team of curious, dynamic professional women who thrive on collaboration as a means to provide you with creative and successful marketing projects. Contact us today to find out how we can assist you and your team.

 

Hot Topic Conversation Headlines of March 2012

A Business Buzz surrounds the question of how multimedia services and platforms will change the GOOGLE search engine ranking of TEXT-based pages…. services such as TUMBLR, a multimedia microblogging platform, has grown from around 300M monthly page views, to over 1 BILLION in February 2010… new social media that mushrooms out of nowhere continue to change the dynamics…

Hot Topics include whether to open an account on PINTEREST…. 15 minutes per visit, by the 80% of women users in the 25-45 age, earning between 25-75K, with up to 79% having some college or bachelors …MAKES the argument…if you want to reach women buyers…what are you waiting for?

Challenges includes creating TWO-WAY conversations with fans on social media …the December 2011 study, by A.T. Kearney, found that 94% of the 50 top brands’ Facebook pages directed users to a one-way communication page…

 
Your opinion matters to me. I invite you to e-mail me directly at maria@koreaccess.com and/or to join the conversation on our social media channels. To get more thought leadership material visit the Kore Access Web site at http://www.koreaccess.com/koreaccess

Missed Opportunities on Social Media Have Increased

Are you making this big-company mistake?  Big brands are totally missing an obvious opportunity to engage prospects, customers and fans when the customers visit the brand’s online sites. Case in point:  94% of the top 50 brands directed users of their Facebook Fan pages to a one-way communication page, one which allowed the users no real interaction with the brand. Another case in point: 56% of those brands did not respond to a single customer comment on their Facebook pages. Such findings were the stark reality of a December 2011 study by consulting firm A.T. Kearney. 

If these statistics also apply to your online activities, realize now that you cannot afford to make such mistakes. According to emarketer.com, the U.S. will have, in 2012, the greatest share of social network users as a percentage of the total population (49.9%). So, even if you feel more effective over the phone or in person, you can – and NEED to – master the art of online conversation. Search out ways to enhance your brand, participate in as many online activities as you can, and then reap the benefits. After all, the number of people who spend time online is on the increase, and you want to be right there in the mix to communicate your value to those prospects and buyers. 

Read on for suggestions on how to communicate with high impact.

 

Track Your Three Key Action Items:  Reveal, Convey, Impart

 

1. Reveal your authentic self. Online written communications lack facial expressions and voice inflections, but you can still use them to form meaningful connections. Choose your words carefully so that they provide not only the facts but also reveal your integrity and sincerity, as well as your expertise.

 

2. Convey the core values of your brand. Enhance your brand value by responding to direct requests with the language of your company values and culture. When you frame your comments with the words that express your core values, you will engender loyalty and build your brand’s community.

 

3. Impart valuable information. Bring value to your online interactions by offering possible solutions to the challenges being discussed by other participants. You can easily spark creative ideas when you refer to another’s ideas via links, share online resources and invite colleagues to participate. 

 

Whatever the online platform (an e-mail, a blog post, a retweet, a direct message, a chat…), recipients rarely forget a meaningful interaction. The next time you meet those recipients, either online or offline, they will imbue your brand with the “personality” you have imparted to it with your positive communication efforts.

 

ENGAGE more powerfully; contact maria@koreaccess.com to find out how. Your Kore colleagues are a team of curious, dynamic professional women who thrive on collaboration as a means to produce creative and successful marketing projects. Contact us today to find out how we can assist you and your team.

 

Hot Topic Conversation Headlines

Do You Know What They Say?

 A Business Buzz surrounds the questions of how to create valuable CONTENT that matters both to SEARCH ENGINES and CUSTOMERS…and how GOOGLE and FACEBOOK are changing communication platform and rules….

Hot Topics include how to incorporate the use of PORTABLE TECHNOLOGY platforms in content delivery…and how to produce content that displays well ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS….

Challenges include producing relevant messaging for the changing times…and managing feedback across platforms….

Learn more about hot trends - book us for your next meeting. Kore Access offers a turnkey approach for your marketing needs that includes all phases of the marketing process from writing, planning and research to layout, publishing and distribution.  Visit our Web site at www.koreaccess.com.

 

 

Using Social Media to Monitor Your Brand

If you are not using social media to find out what is being said about you, your brand and your industry, here are three compelling reasons to start:

1) Many stories break on social media first!! Monitoring allows you to REACT quickly.

2) Some complaints are only made indirectly via social media channels rather than directly to you by e-mail or phone. Monitoring allows you to REVIEW such complaints.

3) Monitoring allows you to RESPOND quickly to any customer service issue.

Can you afford to be the last one to know what everyone else knows about you and your brand?

Several statistics (reported from various industry sources in 2011) present a case for establishing a monitoring system for you and your brand. These statistics, which are tracked in a variety of ways, illustrate the importance of finding and reacting to the information that is stored on social media:

• Consumers reported that, before making their buying decisions, they visited social media sites (63%), search engines (72%) and blogs (58%).
• Over 90% of those consumers reported that “natural” search results vs. paid results are trustworthy.
• B2B decision-makers reported that they researched products and services online (69%), specifically looked at comments on social media sites (60%), and posted questions on forums (57%) and blogs (41%).
• Of companies that spend six or more hours on social media, 52% reported an increase in lead generation .

According to the 2011 Social Media Industry Report by Social Media Examiner, and confirmed by other reports such as the Nielson Social Media Report, the top five Web sites that businesses need to monitor are: 1) Facebook – used by 92%, 2) Twitter – used by 84%, 3) LinkedIn – used by 71%, 4) Blogs – used by 68%, and 5) YouTube – used by 56%.

The strategy your business should use to monitor Internet sites will depend on two things: how wide an outreach your company has and the amount you can allocate from your budget. The types of strategies to stay informed about the content shared on social media, and the fees to use those strategies vary greatly:

• Free search engine searches for specific sites such as Google and Yahoo
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feeds, sent to Google or Yahoo readers
• Google alerts, which allows for the scheduling of real-time or daily/weekly reports
• Software aggregation tools, such as Hootsuite or Tweet Deck, with either free or paid functions
• Social media monitoring software, which although pricey, is robust and can be customized for your business needs

Whatever you do, take SOME sort of action. You definitely want to see the same information your customers and prospects see about you and your brand.

If you need assistance with a strategy, let's talk.  For more information, send an e-mail message to maria@koreaccess, or visit www.koreaccess.com

 

Is Your Advertising More than Just a Green “Slice of Life”?

According to advertising professionals, the declining attention span of audiences is a key factor in changes to recent advertising messages. The length of a person’s attention span depends on what a person is focused on and on what their level of interest is in a certain topic. Therefore, the normal period of focused attention fluctuates somewhere between seconds and minutes. In fact, studies, polls and data-gathering agencies report a downward trend for all types of attention spans – whether the activity is listening to a lecture, viewing a slide presentation, reading (this article!) or Web browsing.

With these declining attention spans, and in an effort to maintain the effectiveness of the advertising, many advertisers have chosen to create messages that appeal to simple human emotions such as fear and greed. They argue that, by sheer time constraint, advertising cannot develop a strong cognitive/rational argument and must, instead, present a “slice of life”; therefore, the message cannot be anything but an unbalanced representation.

Indeed, many companies take a bite of the green “slice of life,” but their green messaging turns out to be little more than a “sound bite” for consumer consumption...

Read the full post that started a lively stream of comments that explored the ethics of advertising practices at CSR Business Wire.

Convert Prospects into Customers with a Case Study

Can you add value to the services you offer your customers by aiding their buying decisions through the use of a case study?

A case study, most commonly described as a cross between an article and a testimonial, analyzes an organization similar to the reader’s organization and describes how it benefited through the implementation of the preferred product or solution. Historically, in most industries, consumer surveys reveal that the endorsements in a case study are more credible than direct advertising. Furthermore, case studies are a good investment since they have high readership and are more likely to be kept as future reference sources.

 

Checklist:

* Use a case study to detail your product or service in action. Does the case study communicate your understanding of your customer’s problems and concerns? Does it establish you as an authority in the solution of the customer’s challenges, as well as in the implementation of the solution?

 

* Utilize customers similar to the buyer as your case study examples. Does your case study reduce buyer objections? Does it assure them you have the best-choice solution? Do the details of your product or service sufficiently create identification with your buyer?

* Describe your product or service in the buyer’s own real-world setting. Does your case study increase your buyer’s purchase readiness by sharing the following details of another client’s success: the client’s business objectives, the technical and business problems and challenges originally faced, the details of the chosen solution, and the benefits realized after implementation of the solution?

Marketing Messages that Clients and Prospects Consistently Identify as Unique to You

Are your clients’ perceptions of your brand a key factor in their decisions to purchase your product or service and to remain loyal customers?

Branding gives you the opportunity, over time, to associate your organization with the benefits and values that are important and relevant to your customer. In a fast-paced, ever-changing global marketplace, your brand represents the promise of service and the expectancy of future benefits. The expectancy of these future benefits motivates buyers to place a higher value on your brand and to be willing to invest in building a relationship with you and your brand. Therefore, maximize any opportunity you have to distinguish your brand. One way to do that is to identify and to clarify your marketing communications so that your brand stands out from among all the others.

Certain aspects of your brand, if updated or enhanced, can bring additional value to you and to your customers. Examine the following areas for potential improvement: 1) the promotion of core organizational values, 2) your writing style and tone, 3) the prioritizing of content messages and 4) the cultural relevance of your brand to your niche audience.

Checklist:

* Refine the details of the core organizational values your brand promotes. Does your brand convince buyers to choose your products and services over that of your competitors? How is your core brand identity conveyed in your marketing? Do your core values connect with customer needs?

* Select a writing style and tone that speaks to your niche audience. What writing style is appropriate? Formal? Conversational? Informative? Persuasive? What terminology does your customer group recognize? Are your customers experts? Or, are they new to their field?

* Choose content relevant to the challenges your audience seeks to solve. What do you want your audience/ideal reader to think or feel? What action do you want them to take? Does your core brand identity speak to customer attitudes, preferences and likes? Do your messages promote conviction and action?

* Develop messages in media that are culturally relevant to your customers and prospects. What is the culture of your organization? How does it compare with the culture of your customers? In developing messages and choosing media, consider the strategic importance of customer orientation, competitor positioning, length of marketplace initiatives and any other factor pertinent to your core customers.