Blue Sky Consulting & Marketing BlogProtecting Your Privacy!With close to 20% of the global population regularly using social media, it is becoming more important for users to review and revise their privacy settings and internal checks-and-balances to maintain safe usage of Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, LinkedIn,and Google+. We recommend you review your current privacy settings monthly to ensure that nothing has changed and that you are at the level of privacy with which you are comfortable. It is also a good idea to change your passwords for your social media sites once a month or so to prevent spammers and phishers from infiltrating your profiles. Here is a brief list of steps you can take to handle your social media privacy (which we compiled from Mashable.com): 1) Don't accept unknown friend requests from strangers. (We suggest reviewing your friends list frequently and deleting those that you may have lost close contact with and no longer wish to have as friends.) 2) Monitor what your friends are sending and sharing with you. (Delete anything you don't like that is posted by others to your profile or timeline.) 3) Make sure that what you are sharing or posting is not going to cause regret. (Think twice before submitting. Just because you can delete a post, does not mean that it wasn't seen or is gone forever.) 4) Manage the photos, comments, and links that you are tagged in. (Adjust your settings to require you to approve tags by friends.) 5) Download Facebook security software. Who Is a Blue Sky Client?Recently at a new client meeting, we were asked what kind businesses we work with. Our answer: any small business in need of “filling in the gaps” of its existing marketing efforts, or one in need of a whole new strategy on auto-pilot via our services. Our target clients are small companies, because we are familiar with the budgetary concerns that are common in these types of businesses. We also have a knack for thinking creatively and “outside the box” to better leverage marketing dollars spent. No matter what your industry, we are proficient at helping you to identify your needs and priorities. Together with our clients, we establish an action plan that we work on together to help increase business, extend community outreach, and expand brand recognition. By encompassing several avenues for marketing, we are confident that you will be happy with the results. We are currently offering complimentary initial
consultations to discuss your needs and goals. Please contact us to schedule your
session! With us in your side, the sky’s the limit! Are You Pinteresting Enough?So, you have probably at least heard of Pinterest, if not used it already to pin recipes, craft ideas, and the like. Have you considered using the online pinboard to market your business? We know what you’re thinking: why join another social media website? Facebook and Twitter are enough, right? Maybe. Think of Pinterest from our perspective: It is a visually-appealing, digital corkboard of sorts. When you add a pin, you are essentially adding an image (belonging to you or someone else) and attaching a hyperlink to it. The magazine Real Simple, has mastered the concept by pinning photos of recipes, craft ideas, and other home solution tips, and attaching the hyperlink to the associated article on their website. With just a click, the Pinterest user is hand-delivered to the Real Simple website. How can your company incorporate Pinterest into its marketing plan? Do you use outside websites to feed your Facebook or Twitter status updates? If so, you can behave similarly on Pinterest. The outcome on Pinterest, however, is more of a storyboard visual, giving each pin more longevity in your campaign. At Blue Sky, we utilize Pinterest to create several boards, adequately labeled, and pin great infographics and other content based on various themes. The best thing about Pinterest is that, as a site, it is growing exponentially, and so will your followers. Your followers will repin your pins, and their followers will do the same. Before you know it, that simple pin of yours has spread like wildfire across the site and maybe even onto Facebook and Twitter through the intrinsic sharing ability. To see what we’re talking about, check out our Pinterest Boards. If you would like help getting yours started, give us a shout! With us on your side, the sky’s the limit! If You Build It, They Will Come, Right?!Not necessarily. Yes, it is important to take the time to set up your social media framework and establish an online presence. More importantly, it is crucial to develop a strategy for the timing of your updates. Consistency and content are more important than frequency and quantity. Determine who your audience is and cater to what they want. You don’t know what they want? Find out! How? Ask! If you have the type of business that has a brick-and-mortar storefront, when you greet your clients and customers, ask them about their social media habits. Are they on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn? There are over 1.1 billion registered users on these three social networking sites. If you don’t think your customers are paying attention to social media, think again. If you are not connecting with them on at least one of these sites, you are missing out on quick and easy marketing opportunities. Experts agree that you should not use social media to “sell” your service or product, rather sell yourself and the relationship your prospects, customers, and clients have/can have with you. Connect with them. Engage them. Talk with them. Share with them. Make yourself and your company known as the expert, the go-to guy/gal… You will gain fans and followers and, slowly but surely, you will expand your reach and build your business. Hello World!What started out as two chicks with some great marketing ideas, has evolved into Blue Sky Consulting and Marketing. We are the dynamic duo, the wonder twins. We are Blue Sky. With us on your side, the sky’s the limit! For years, we have individually become recognized in our networking circles as being pretty savvy at connecting with people and helping others make connections. We decided to turn what felt like a hobby into a new business. While the company may be new, our vision, concept, and passion for marketing go way back. Together, we have been marketing “on the cheap” for several years. With our background in the real estate title world during a tough housing market, we had to be creative and think “outside the box” when it came to budgets and results. We turned to unconventional (at that time) formats for marketing a business. We utilized Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and local networking events to engage our prospects and clients in an effort to personally connect with our audience. While other companies spent their budget on promotional items, we paid for lunches and coffees enjoyed while meeting with people face-to-face, building relationships that lasted longer than a sticky pad or pen. We are happy to be “official” and are excited about the opportunities that await! With us on your side, the sky’s the limit! |
   |