The
Savvy
volume 1 :: issue 1 :: 2010
featured project p2 :: savvy girls p4 :: savvy case study p5 courses p6 :: marketing article p7 :: social media article p8 :: tip + offer p9
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social media into your marketing the key to new marketing success
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What’s new
In early December of 2009, Cassie and I sat down with our significant others for the first time over dinner for a fun, social evening. The central idea of this business (help businesses integrate social media into their marketing efforts) was born that night, and since then we have created our company, built and launched our website, plus our Twitter and Facebook pages. Since the launch, the past few weeks have been truly amazing! We have gone from concept to implementation to our first several clients in less than 90 days, starting up on a budget of less than $1000 (and we can show you how to do this, too!).
helping you integrate social media into your marketing I am very excited about the launch of The Collective Savvy with Candy! Not only has it been a dream of mine to run my own business, the concept of The Collective Savvy is an ideal fit for my passions and interests. The Collective Savvy is built upon the idea that two minds are better than one, three are better than two, etc., etc. In addition, we are building our business on the premise that practical know-how empowers companies to get their job done well. But really my love of this business is the fact that it’s built upon integration. My background in Integrated Marketing Communications is ideal for this. It is an exciting time to be working in social media and I look forward to assisting you in navigating that field to maximize your marketing efforts!
Welcome! As the owner of Candy Rice Design, which is in the process of merging into this new company, I am so excited to be expanding our services by partnering with such a savvy marketer as Cassie!
We’re so excited to launch our free monthly newsletter, The Savvy, and we intend to pack it full of useful information each month! We hope you learn something each time you read it that helps you integrate social media into your marketing efforts!
Our focus is the savvy integration of social media into traditional marketing efforts, and Cassie has written a great article about this on page 3. Here are 2 quick tips that you can implement right now!
We love feedback (all kinds!) and would love to hear what you think!
• Add your Facebook and Twitter accounts to your website, email signature, marketing emails, ads, and all your printed pieces, including your business cards! • Ensure your brand is consistent across all your printed pieces, website, and social networking sites. (Want some help with this? See our promotion on page 9!) So glad you’re here with us! Please let us know what you think!
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In order to position ourselves correctly and so that you can more easily understand just what we’re about, we’re featuring ourselves this month. The Collective Savvy is a boutique social media + marketing consultancy headquartered in Denver. The Collective Savvy is focused around 5 key service areas: • Marketing + Social Media Consulting • Marketing + Social Media Management • Monthly Marketing + Social Media Newsletter • Design + Photography + Copy Writing • Marketing + Social Media Training
We have launched our social media-related business by maximizing a strong marketing strategy that combines traditional marketing techniques and is fully integrated with a variety of social media tools! Practicing what we preach, our launch strategy has incorporated a blend of traditional marketing efforts (logo, print collateral, and website) integrated with social media (blog linked to our website, a Delicious social bookmarking account, and accounts on the “Big 3” social media sites) to reach
our audience. The“Big 3” include:
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/collectivesavvy • Twitter: www.twitter.com/collectivesavvy • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/companies/collective-savvy
Featured project
We are officially in business and looking forward to helping you grow your business!
Client: self-promotion, The Collective Savvy, Colorado Starting a Business with less than $1000
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social media into your marketing by Cassie Bair
the key to new marketing success
To Be or Not To Be? That is the Question… It is often assumed that social media marketing is a singular approach to marketing. But here at The Collective Savvy we are all about integration and we feel strongly that social media campaigns should just be one element of your overall marketing efforts. The idea of integration is key, but what does that actually mean when it comes to execution? According to Merriam Webster, the word “integrate” means “to form, coordinate, or blend into a functioning or unified whole.” We believe strategic integration does the best job in reinforcing a brand’s message. In order to do that properly, companies have many things to consider before adding social media to their marketing efforts. Here are just a few questions to ask: Will a social media element accurately reinforce your brand identity? Do your social media efforts mirror your branding elements? Is your name and logo readily identifiable in your social media collateral? Do you use similar verbiage and messages as in other
marketing endeavors? Do the links, photos and videos you post mesh with your brand identity? If so, you are off on a good foot. If not, you may want to consider a brand audit and reconsider your strategy. Will social media resonate with your customers? Social media is not used by everyone –yet. There are some holdouts that actively avoid setting up a Facebook account, turn their nose up at the idea of Twitter, and can’t imagine any value in something like LinkedIn. Make sure you have a clear understanding of your key target audience. Will they use social media? If so, which sites? Are they more responsive to blatant advertising, or do they prefer to opt-in to brand messages? Who will manage your social media efforts? Social media takes work and planning. Worse, unless you are using an application that allows you to schedule your posts and updates, it can be incredibly disruptive to the flow of your day. Make sure you carefully consider who will be managing your social media efforts. Do they have the time and understanding of the brand to execute properly? Do they grasp the ramifications if they do something right (or wrong!)
and generate a high response rate? Will they ensure your brand messaging is consistent? How will you measure your social media ROI? Many people mistakenly assume that a high follower or fan count determines the success of a social media outreach effort. Nothing could be further from the truth! Action determines effectiveness. Does your audience print your coupons or redeem your vouchers? Visit the Web landing page to which you direct them? We can’t stress enough the need to establish your ROI goals prior to launching an initiative. Social media is not for every brand–at least not at the moment. While social media is much more mainstream than even this time last year, it is still not embraced by all consumers. Our concern is not whether you are a leader in social media, but whether your social media efforts continue to shape your brand in the mind of your consumers the way you want it to. If so, you have successfully achieved strong brand integration, which when done well will produce bottom line results!
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Savvy Case Study
NGD Cars.com and Collision Center, Colorado How we are helping this body shop put its best foot forward adjustments, setting and achieving shop performance goals, and actively striving to surpass auto body shop NGD Cars.Com and Collision insurance industry standards. Center (NGD) is an auto body shop located in Northglenn, Sean has a strong vision for Colorado. For the past few what NGD Cars.Com and years, NGD has not been Collision Center needs in order achieving the level of business to achieve its goals in 2010. it desired. Now that NGD has achieved their initial reorganizational NGD has struggled with goals, Sean has decided that several key issues recently, the next step is to host an including its association with open house for the insurance a Dodge franchise that is decision makers with whom no longer in business. In he hopes to secure contracts. addition, NGD is working hard to overcome a poor service NGD is using the open house reputation in the insurance to showcase their internal industry and therefore has found securing insurance we’ve been Overhauled contracts a challenge. As Come Celebrate with us! these contracts are the bread and butter revenue stream for an auto body shop, it quickly became apparent that some changes needed to occur. Along came Sean Gillette, the NGD’s General Manager. Sean did a full evaluation of the company and determined what changes needed to occur. Then he set about implementing those changes, including making staff
changes and begin to rebuild a solid reputation with key insurance representatives. NGD has a goal of securing five to seven insurance auto body service contracts this year, and Sean intends to sign at least one contract as a result of this event. NGD has retained The Collective Savvy to assist with marketing this event. We determined that the best way for NGD to stand out from the auto body crowd was to really brand this event in a cool retro way. We recommended that the open house be an Overhauled Celebration and designed retro automotivethemed graphics.
NorthgleNN DoDge aND CollisioN CeNt er 03*18*2010 4-8pm open house 650 West
106th aveN ue Nort hgle NN, Colo raDo
rsvP * 303.255.15 44
NgDboDyshoP@iDComm.Com
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We’re providing NGD with: • Consulting for event strategy, event name and messaging, email delivery, and event flow and layout. • Graphic design services for email invitations, print invitations (2 mockups shown– final version above), and event signage. • Copy writing service for event signage and event collateral, including benefits and commitment statements to be used in the front office after the event. The NGD Overhaul Celebration will take place on March 18th and we are excited to hear how the event goes! by Cassie
Courses + Training
Social Media Courses, Social Media Bootcamps, + Private Coaching We are excited to offer our three new courses on social media and marketing! The first round of courses are being held in Denver at the Community College of Denver’s Auraria Campus. We’re offering a 3-class package–12 FUN hours of savvy with a small group of businesses (classes can also be purchased individually)! Package price for all 3 classes: only $900–save $100! Limit of 11 students per class. Individual pricing below.
Questions? Contact us today! Cassie: 720.244.3503 ■ info@thecollectivesavvy.com
Overview of Social Media ($100)
Tuesday, March 30 or Thursday, May 6 choice of 9-11am or 1-3pm either day This 2-hour course will help you understand the leading social networking sites and how consumers and businesses are using them. • See how savvy businesses are using these sites! • Leave with an understanding of which sites to utilize in your marketing strategy!
Ready to get started with the FUN? Visit our site to register! Other training options in the works: Social Media Bootcamps! Ready to get started on Facebook and Twitter? Wish you could spend a weekend with experts who would help you set up your accounts the “right way” and teach you how to use it effectively for business? Join one of our bootcamp weekends and spend two intense days with us! You’ll learn: • How to set up Facebook Fan Pages and Groups and build a fan base • How to set up Twitter and build followers • How to understand everything that’s happening on Twitter so you can begin to see patterns and effectively use this amazing tool in your marketing efforts • How to customize Twitter and Facebook to carry your brand through • How to link these sites together to maximize your time while using these sites • Plus: leave the weekend with your accounts fully set up and operational, armed with a specific, ready-to-implement-right-away strategy for using both sites effectively in YOUR business! Contact us today for more information about these incredible weekends! Investment: $3000.
Facebook Marketing Intensive Workshop ($500)
Tuesday, April 6 or Thursday, May 20 9am-4pm This 6-hour hands-on workshop (1 hour break for lunch) will help you get a jump start on Facebook for your business. • Set up Facebook the “right way” + customize for your brand! • Leave with quick & effective methods to begin marketing YOUR business on Facebook right away!
Twitter Marketing Intensive Workshop ($400)
Tuesday, April 20 or Thursday, May 27 10am-3pm This 4-hour hands-on workshop (1 hour break for lunch) will help you understand the complexities of Twitter and how to start using it for your business. • Set up Twitter the “right way” + customize for your brand! • Leave with quick & effective methods to begin marketing YOUR business on Twitter right away!
Get Savvy Over Lunch! Don’t have much time, but want some quick-hit strategies for integrating social media into your marketing? We’re in the prep stage for these training sessions and would love your feedback regarding best day(s) of the week for lunch with The Collective Savvy.
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Private coaching now available at an hourly rate of $200, 2-hour minimum.
Marketing Article 10 Marketing Trends for 2010 Excerpt of an article by Susan Gunelius at www.entrepreneur.com
2010 is poised to be an exciting year for marketers; trends that have been taking shape over the course of the past decade are creating new opportunities for business owners. The first 10 years of the 21st century brought economic problems, corporate collapses and environmental disasters, but it was also a decade defined by a shift in communications from traditional media to a worldwide conversation that flows faster and farther than anyone could have imagined. Thanks to the tools of the social web, such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs, online video and so on, news and information travels instantaneously, and that means marketers have new and exciting opportunities to reach consumers. With [this] in mind, following are 10 trends that affect all areas of marketing, from advertising to branding and everything in between, and will shape marketing strategy throughout 2010 and beyond. 1. Transparency and trust are paramount. Consumers have lived through
a variety of negative events throughout the past decade, and they’re no longer willing to accept anything businesses tell them. 2. Less interruption, more enhancement and value-add. The days when ads and marketing messages were developed for the sole purpose of getting the attention of consumers are over. 3. Speaking of value...Rather than spending money frivolously, consumers began seeking out deals, using coupons and actively looking for the biggest bang for their buck. 4. Show it, don’t tell it. Consumers don’t believe everything they hear. 5. Social media is not going away, and engagement is critical. Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, and other tools of the online social community are not going anywhere...If you thought you could avoid joining the bandwagon, you were wrong. 6. Peace-of-mind messages prevail. Consumers [are] actively seeking marketing messages that give them a feeling of peace of mind. 7. Relationships rule. With the growth of web-based social networks and a desire for transparency, trust and peace-of-mind messages, it shouldn’t be surprising that relationships rule in 2010 and beyond. 8. Online video and mobile marketing are hot. Both online video and mobile marketing are set to explode. 9. Focus, focus, focus! Don’t try to be everything to everyone in 2010. The strongest brands are focused brands. 10. Integrated marketing trumps standalone tactics. It is absolutely essential that you surround consumers with your marketing messages in 2010.
The storm will pass and the CALM will return. -Candy Rice
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Social Media Article 10 Tips For Integrating Social Media Into Your Marketing Mix Excerpt of an article by Lucy Beer at www.smbceo.com
For most small businesses, social media should be one weapon in your arsenal– not your entire marketing strategy. Look for smart ways to integrate social media into your current marketing efforts. Just like any other tactic, it has its own benefits, advantages and shortcomings you can’t rely on it for everything, so play to its strengths. Here’s[sic] some tips for smart social media integration.
The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.” -C.S. Lewis
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1. Always connect the dots–link back to your website from all your social media profiles. 2. Where possible back up the contacts you make on social networks. Myspace recently acquired and promptly killed Imeem leaving millions of users without access to the contacts they had developed on that network. Social media is fragile in this way. 3. Social media is a mid/long term process–so if you need fast, shortterm sales, try bulking up on your SEO or PPC efforts instead. 4. Social media is not an infomercial–if you try to hard-sell on social media you’ll shoot yourself in the foot and lose the opportunity to connect with your audience. 5. Social networking has not replaced
email marketing! Don’t neglect your email marketing campaigns, and in fact use social media promotions to generate more email subscribers. 6. Be strategic–analyze why you are on the networks you are on and if they are right for you. How can you use them for best effect? For example, Facebook is great for data mining so make the most of the demographic info you can get from your Fan Page and use that info to craft more social media promotions as well as offline offerings. 7. Be cohesive with your other marketing efforts. For example, if you are also doing an SEO campaign, look at the keywords you are targeting there and utilize them in your social media efforts. 8. Your job with social media is to find & serve your community and make yourself valuable. If you didn’t start your business because you want to provide real value to people, chances are social media is not for you. 9. Monitor online conversations about your brand and assess what people are happy with, or not happy with. Can you use this feedback to improve your services? Or improve the way you communicate your message? 10. Don’t forget you are a community member as well as a business owner–encourage feedback and discussion amongst your community and participate!
TwittaBling Are you “geek chic?” Love the look of urban fashion? Seeking new ways to connect on Twitter? Check out TwittaBling! TwittaBling is an innovative brand offering Tweeters a new way to advertise their Twitter account or favorite trending topic. TwittaBling offers Twitter inspired jewelry such as necklaces, rings and bracelets complete with your Twitter handle. Customizable, TwittaBling comes in silver or gold, engraved or 3D lettering and boasts add-on features such as diamonds or crystals. Started by two women and embraced by Twitter lovers all over the world, TwittaBling is a unique, integrated approach to marketing your Twitter account. Order your TwittaBling at TwittaBling.com – and then let us know what you think!
Special Offer Good through March 15, 2010!
Savvy Tip
Learn more about us online! www.thecollectivesavvy.com Candy: 303.947.5527 Cassie: 720.244.3503 fan follow connect
• Twitter Background: $100 • Facebook Customization: $200 -2 custom graphics, 3 custom tabs
info@thecollectivesavvy.com
facebook.com/collectivesavvy twitter.com/collectivesavvy linkedin.com/companies/collective-savvy
How can we help you?
Get more information about this offer!
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• Marketing + Social Media Strategy • Marketing + Social Media Management • Marketing + Social Media Newsletter • Design + Photography + Copy Writing • Marketing + Social Media Training