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Six Social Media Marketing “Musts” (or you’re destined to bust)

September 1, 2010 by Sarah C. | Comments (4)

Some companies see Social Media marketing the way Paris Hilton sees “bling.” A bright, shiny, sparkly new distraction that has people fixated on something they just HAVE to have. But why? Because Social Media and viral marketing are buzz words being thrown around throughout the media with the promise of “FREE” marketing.

Here’s where many businesses fall short. Simply having a presence on Social Media won’t ensure your business will thrive. In fact, if your business or product sucks, or if you treat your clients or employees badly, Social Media will be your worst enemy.

Save yourself and your business. Follow these six “MUSTS” or you’re destined to bust.

1. You MUST begin with a strategy.
Set out benchmarks on what you want to achieve before you begin. As the Cheshire Cat remarked to Alice In Wonderland,  “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there”.

2. You MUST integrate your Social Media marketing plan across all departments.
From sales to operations, from the Chief Cook to the Bottle Washer, every person who works for your company is a representative of your brand. Make sure that all departments are aligned and educated with your Social Media policy so messaging is consistent and customer service is paramount.

3. You MUST listen first.
Are people talking about your business/industry? What are they saying? Where are they spending their time online? You can’t solve your clients’ problems if you don’t know where they are and what they want.

4. You MUST reply when it’s appropriate.
The primary strength of Social Media is the engagement factor. Gone are the days when you would send one message to many people. You are now empowered with having a dialogue with your customers and acknowledging that they are important to you.

When people provide you with feedback (good or bad), THANK them. Negative feedback can be tough to take, but there may be an opportunity to learn from what they are sharing. Travelocity has thousands of reviews; both good and bad. People will ultimately decide for themselves, but how you handle the negative responses will speak volumes.

5. You MUST give more than you receive.
You want to be considered the expert in your industry so you have to start by providing insider tips, tricks and information. On Twitter, the rule of thumb is 70/20/10 = 70% sharing relevant information, 20% sharing someone else’s information (i.e. re-tweet) and 10% should be self-promotion. Be sure to post regularly and authentically to build trust.

6. You MUST build relationships built on quality, not quantity.
This is one of the biggest areas for “shiny object syndrome”. Having thousands of followers or fans doesn’t amount to anything if they don’t convert into sales. Ten loyal high paying customers are better than a thousand followers who don’t buy a thing.

Social Media marketing is really quite simple. Behave online the way you would in person. Introduce yourself, listen to the needs of your client, provide value, build trust and provide excellent customer service.

And stay away from bright, shiny objects. Especially if you can’t tell a diamond from a Cubic Zirconia.

__________

*This post was written for the CRAVE company by Leslie Hughes, the principal of an Ontario-based PR and Social Media Marketing firm called PUNCH!media.

Visit her website here: http://www.punchmedia.ca

Interview with the Fabulous Allison Maslan!

August 17, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (3)

CRAVE ladies, meet Allison Maslan. She is the CEO of Allison Maslan International and President of Blast Off! Life and Business Coaching. She is a highly acclaimed author and an international motivational speaker. Allison has a vibrant array of successful businesses to her credit and has assisted thousands of her clients in attaining a new level in their lives by helping them identify and reach their personal and professional goals. We caught up with this busy and successful woman to ask her a few questions we were just CRAVEing to know!

What would you say is the best advice for readers in your new book, Blast Off! The Surefire Plan to Launch your Dreams Into Reality?
I give so much life and business advice in Blast Off! However, I feel the most important advice is to act now on your dreams and goals. Otherwise you will be having the same conversation with yourself in six months or even six years. You see, our dreams are mere fantasy until we put them into action. So point your head toward your Big Picture Visions and take small steps toward them every single day. Do not listen to anyone that tells you it cannot be done. Before you know it, your dream will be glowing in the palm of your hands.

What is the best piece of advice you could give about running a business?
Best entrepreneurial advice: Never take no for an answer. When you hit a wall, get resourceful and find another pathway. Make a right or left turn, build a bridge, whatever you need to do to make it work… but never, ever accept that there is no option. The more creative are, the more secret doorways you will find.

What inspired you to write your book?
I am an entrepreneur and lover of business. I am woman, mother and lover of life. Over the past several years I built nine of my own companies, and as a strategic coach and a homeopathic physician, I have helped thousands launch a life and business experience they can feel passionate about. I feel now that its time to share my success system with as many people as possible. Every time I hear from a reader telling me that Blast Off! has changed their lives, my whole being smiles. That is what it is all about.

You are currently touring the country to promote your book, which cities can we expect you to be going?
So far I have been to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Dallas and San Francisco. Next, I will be in Chicago Aug. 25-28. I am doing a book signing at 7 p.m. Aug. 27 at The Book Cellar, located at 4736-38 North Lincoln Ave. I am also presenting a High-Octane Mastermind Gathering at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at The Motel Bar in Chicago. This year I will also be heading to Salt Lake, Vegas, Portland, and New York. All if this information is on my Rocket Tour page on my website.

Bloggers To Watch Out For: Career Coaches

July 19, 2010 by Lilla | Comments (0)

Over the past few months, the number of people quitting their jobs was greater than the number of people losing their jobs. Savvy quitters build a support network before they take the plunge, and brilliant quitters enlist professional help. Enter: the Certified Career Coach. One part therapist. One part cheerleader. Two parts butt-kicking taskmaster.

Need a solid coach in your corner of the ring? Michelle Ward, Dyana Valentine and Chrissy Scivicque are at the top of their game.

Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up
whenigrowupcoach.com
I’ll admit it — I’m a tad biased in Michelle’s favor. She coached me out of my cubicle doldrums and into freelance bliss, so I owe her my firstborn child. A graduate of NYU / Tisch’s musical theater program and a certified life coach, Michelle brings theatrical flair and a “wagon full of enthusiasm” to every session. She recently raised her rates and is poised to explode, so book a free 30-minute consultation call while you still can.

For a weekly dose of self-exploration, bookmark Michelle’s ongoing blog feature: Tough Question Tuesday.

Dyana Valentine
dyanavalentine.com
Generous. Ambitious. A master of personal marketing. Dyana leads by example, and her clients feel the heat. By her own admission, Ms. Valentine’s coaching style is “not for the weak of heart.” She prides herself on helping self-starters finish what they started, using Community Psychology principles to light the way. As one client put it, “if I had to be shipwrecked on a desert island, I’d want Dyana with me.”

For a no-holds-barred explanation of the power of “no,” check out Dyana’s article on “No-gotiation.”

Chrissy Scivicque of Eat Your Career
eatyourcareer.com
Chrissy serves up a powerhouse combo platter — she’s a certified nutritionist AND an experienced career coach. Yum. As the creator of Office Arrow — a popular resource for administrative professionals — Chrissy has a firsthand grasp on the challenges of running an online business. She’s a clear communicator with a nourishing perspective on life, love and work — and all the snacks in between.

For a trio of tasty coaching treats, download Chrissy Scivicque’s free workbooks on stress management, time management and career reinvention.

ALEXANDRA FRANZEN is a writer + editor + organization freak. She designs rockstar resumes, leads personal branding jam sessions, writes marketing copy and teaches wallflowers how to hustle like a gangsta’. You can find her blogging up a storm at Unicorns for Socialism and tweeting away @alex_franzen.

Daddy’s Day is Almost Here!

June 14, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

Father’s Day is around the corner and every year its the same. We ponder WHAT to get our dear dads for a gift. We all know that whatever we hand them they’ll be thankful for; but we always want to push the envelope! When we are pressed for time and don’t have the  effort left to make something extremely sentimental, here is some advice from your friends at CRAVE on what to do that will make him smile.

Try and remember what your dad is passionate about. Is he an outdoors-man? Cook? Tech-savvy? Music lover? With some passion he has in mind its always easier to direct your gift towards a certain theme and come out successful. It will help you avoid spending hours shopping with no clue of what to get as well as guaranteeing that he will appreciate the gift and the thought you put into it.
If still stuck on where to begin with finding a gift, maybe go in a different direction then a simple gift from the store. Does you’re dad love a certain comedian or band? Grab tickets to a concert.

Dad’s love knowing you want to spend time with them, so if time allows, do an activity that involves doing something together. Time spent is more precious than any other gift money could buy!

Remember first and foremost that its your dad’s day! All that matters truly matters is that you make sure to tell him he’s special and you love him.

It’s World Cup Time!

June 7, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (1)

Ladies! The World Cup is on this week, so why not throw a fabulous party to celebrate! Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and throwing a party will be just another fun reason to sit around the TV with the gals and drool over men in jerseys.

So what are the three key items necessary for throwing a great party? Friends, food, and some fun drinks. With those elements you’re bound to have fun.

First, lets start off with friends. Invite your best gal pals over (probably 8 to 10 ladies) and ask them to previously pick a team to cheer for. Then suggest they wear the colors of their team to the party. It will add a small hint of competition to the group and keep your ladies having fun screaming for their men during the game.

Second, it may be a soccer party but the snacks don’t have to be the typical game food of chicken wings and burgers. For your ladies, whip up a batch of cupcakes or if in a time crunch grab some from your local grocer and decorate them with the colors of the teams playing. As for the other snacks, everything needs to be decent at room temperature, since once the game starts the attention will be focused more on the TV. Perhaps some bruschetta and caprese salad would be yummy finger food that will leave your guests happy and satisfied. If feeling too crunched for time on the snacky goods, ask your gals to each bring something small and yummy with them when they come. It will help relieve some of the stress and you know then you’ll have plenty of food to go around.

Third, but just as important are those drinks! Decide to make some of your favorite cocktails or bubbly that will keep the girls having fun throughout the game. Perhaps a drink that includes the colors of the teams! Drinks are always fun but no one wants to bust their budget on buying alcohol that not everyone will like, so let your girlfriends know you will be providing some drinks, but suggest they bring more if they have a specific or picky preference.

So no more excuses and procrastinating! You now have all you need for a successful party! All that’s left is letting the gals know and start getting caught up on your knowledge of the teams and the gorgeous men playing. Games start June 11th so get your head in the game and get your party started!

Tricks of the Trade

May 31, 2010 by Karina | Comments (0)

When great minds come together, amazing things can happen. When great CRAVE minds come together, amazing things DO happen! Part of our mission – along with being the go-to source for all things fab in your city – is to connect women business-owners to the resources, information, and other like-minded women that will enable their success and growth as professionals. So to offer up some advice and inspiration to all of our hard-working entreprenesses, we’ve got a handful of intelligent lady-experts opening up their book of knowledge for us. Consider it the metaphorical – and less painful form of walking a mile in their fiercely fabulous high-heeled shoes. Read on for each experts’ single most important tip for fellow entreprenesses and their favorite part about working with women in business.

Dawn McCooey- McCooey Consulting Group Inc., Woman’s Enterprise Centre
Must-do: Understand the act and the art of juggling. If you know which balls are rubber and which are glass – you can handle anything.
Love-to-do: As a business advisor with Women’s Enterprise Centre, and as a consultant, I love the energy and the synergy of women business owners. I love how they are willing to collaborate and build community.

Carlie Smith- Portobello West
Must-do: Don’t write-off any idea until you’ve looked at it from various perspectives and always run the numbers.
Love-to-do: Female business owners are very supportive of one another and are great at working together to create amazing projects and businesses!

Pauline O’Malley- TheRevenueBuilder
Must-do: Without sales, you don’t have a business. As a woman, you have the natural abilities to persuade others to believe in you. Women are the best sales people in the world; they just don’t know it yet!

Heather White- 2020 Communications
Must-do: Take action!
Love-to-do: Sitting on the shoulders of my clients and watching them make their dreams come true. Female business owners have high energy and it’s a lot of fun to be around them.

Felicia Lee- Ghost CEO Advisor
Must-do: You are not an island – utilize mentors, resources and communities around you to help you build your business.
Love-to-do: Many women entrepreneurs are afraid of sales.  It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the transformation from fear to embracing to owning the sales process!

Katie Bennett- Double Black Diamond Coaching
Must-do: What separates my clients that get good results from my clients who get great results is commitment.  100% or 0%. There is no wiggle room on true commitment.
Love-to-do: The best part of my job is getting to help people achieve the lives and businesses they have always dreamed of.

Shauna Causey- Voluntweetup
Must-do: Test your limits on how generous you can be.
Love-to-do: The best part of my job is that I get to talk about dynamic ideas, inspiring people and worthwhile causes.

Maria Ross- Red Slice
Must-do: Make sure you know who your audience is! Get as close to defining your “ideal” customer vs. just your “average” customer.
Love-to-do: Seeing the light go off when they discover what their brand is really all about or who really is their ideal customer.

Andrea Baxter- Bratface Marketing
Must-do: There is nothing more beneficial to business women in a small city than to get out there, make yourself aware, and make a name for yourself.
Love-to-do: I would be lying if I didn’t say the freedom it allows me to have my own business.

CRAVE Book Featured on the Small Screen

May 7, 2010 by Lilla | Comments (1)

Just in time for Mother’s Day, our CRAVE guides were featured on Twin Cities Live as the perfect gift for stylish moms everywhere! Watch the clip here and see our lovely books take center-stage!

It’s Fiesta Time!

May 5, 2010 by Tiff | Comments (0)

Cinco de Mayo is a fun day dedicated to spicy  foods, barbequing in the fresh spring weather, and sipping a cocktail while relaxing to upbeat Latin music. Partake in or create Cinco de Mayo activities you CRAVE this year. Gather your girlfriends and samba your way into spring!

If you are in the mood to stay in and avoid Cinco de Mayo craziness, a perfect way to loosen up and still enjoy this festive holiday is to stay in and host your own fiesta! Do your girls CRAVE spicy and authentic Mexican food? Invite everyone over to cook their favorite dish and swap recipes. Meanwhile, sip on fresh home-made margaritas while watching your favorite Selma Hayek films. For a fun activity kids of any age can enjoy, pick up a piñata and see who can collect the most candy.

Getting dolled up and putting on your most festive dress and heels may be the way you want to honor this colorful holiday. Put on that new red lipstick you’ve been dying to use, gather all the girls and jump into a salsa class. Learning this spicy dance together will not only be fun, but you might discover a new favorite way to work out!  After the lesson, go to that Mexican restaurant that you can’t get enough of and dance the night away to the live mariachi band.

Whether it be going out to hot spots or mellowing out at home, celebrate however makes you happiest. As you prepare for the night’s festivities, try this enticing, spicy cocktail to liven up your night. Not for the timid taste buds!

SMITTEN
Makes 1 cocktail

1/3 cup fresh ripe watermelon, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 oz Sauza Hornitos Plata Tequila
3/4 oz Monin Organic Agave Syrup
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
2 dashes Tapatio hot sauce

Garnish: half-rim, single “scallop” of kosher salt

Muddle/press watermelon in pint glass with a muddler, being sure to press the melon well to release juices. Measure in tequila, agave syrup and lime juice. Shake in hot sauce—do not over-do it! Fill glass with ice. Cap and shake vigoroulsy. Strain into a martini glass with a partial salt rim.

Find more creative concoctions from Chef Kathy Casey here.

CRAVE up your St. Patrick’s Day

March 16, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (1)

St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow and whether you are of Irish heritage or not, it is a great excuse to dress up in green, drink Guinness and eat corned beef and cabbage. In case the traditional Irish feast isn’t your thing we have come up with a few cool ways that you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your girlfriends. So grab your green, your “Kiss Me I’m Irish” sticker and a few gal pals and celebrate with us! Erin Go Bragh!

Coordinate a cocktail party with you gal pals using this fabulous party guide from Girlfriend Celebrations. Get cocktail creative with green drinks that aren’t beer. Pair these with fabulous green snacks and appetizers. Finish off the Irish ambiance by playing Celtic music in the background. As a fun party activity everyone can plant individual clovers and each guest can take home a pot to remind them of their fabulous friends.

Not into food and games? Coordinate a gift exchange with girlfriends and require that everyone purchase something that is authentically Irish. Set a spending limit so everyone gets something fun.

This year the holiday is celebrated on a Wednesday so if you aren’t in to going out and partying hard consider spending a night in watching movies. Use food coloring to dye your popcorn green and pop in a Irish “chick-flick” like PS I Love You, Tristan and Isolde , or Leap Year. All St. Patrick’s Day rules still apply so make sure your PJ’s are green!

If you want to go all out and spend the night on the town check out this fabulous St. Patrick’s Day event guide and find out what fun St. Patty’s festivities are happening in your area.

We wish you the “luck o’ the Irish” this year as you celebrate with friends. And no matter where or how you celebrate remember the old Irish adage “Before you call for one for the road be sure you know the road.” Slàinte

The Best Movies to Watch with Your Girlfriends

March 1, 2010 by Ashley B. | Comments (1)

What would we do without our girlfriends? They keep us sane when things get crazy, offer a shoulder to cry on when things get tough, encourage us to buy those shoes we just can’t live without, pig out on junk food with us after a bad breakup, and always, always make us laugh. One of our favorite things to do with our best gal pals is to pile onto the couch with plenty of buttered popcorn and indulge in a chick-flick movie-fest. Check out our picks for the movies to watch with your best girlfriends and start planning your next girl’s night in!

Beaches
Grab your tissues for this one. Its a tear-jerker but its also the story of a friendship that lasts a lifetime – CC and Hilary were totally BFF.

Thelma and Louise
Two best friends on a wild adventure, together until the end, and Brad Pitt? Sign us up!

Steel Magnolias
This one is another sob-story, but we love the story of this group of women who are there for each other through all of life’s ups and downs.

Bridget Jones’ Diary
Because Bridget’s kooky antics make us laugh every time and remind us everyone does silly things from time to time.

Fried Green Tomatoes
A testament to the strength of a woman and what she’ll do for her friends.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Because we all love Audrey Hepburn and we all have a little bit of Miss Holly Golightly in us.

Grease
A true guilty pleasure that we love to sing along to with our girls – a definite pick-me-up.

Sixteen Candles
Because we swoon over Jake Ryan and every girl’s high-school fantasy come true, every time we see it.

Dirty Dancing
Another guilty pleasure and classic that we know by heart and can watch with our girlfriends, time and time again.

Mean Girls
It may not be might not be your typical girl-power, female bonding kind of movie, but we all learn a lesson in the end – to support the women in our lives. Plus, its hilarious.

We could go on and on, but we’ll stop here and let you start planning which flicks to view at your next girl’s night. Hooray for girlfriends!

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