Blog. Target Marketing Associates.

Creating Your Social Media Marketing Strategy Part II: How to choose platforms for engagement

Marina Shapiro — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:24:30 +0000

In creating your social media marketing strategy, the next step after identifying your goals is to take a look at your target audience(s). You need to identify not only the platforms they “live” on, but also at the opportunities that exist in engaging the audiences within those platforms. The questions that might help you here are:

How To Create A Social Media Marketing Strategy Part 1: Setting Goals

Marina Shapiro — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:32:53 +0000

With all the information out there about social media, you can certainly find an answer to any social media-related question—if you know the question to ask and what to look for. The pressure to not miss the social media boat, has prompted many organizations and start-ups to jump in head first—doing first, thinking later. It seems a no-brainer to start with a Facebook page or a Twitter account and start posting. And, there is some value in simply getting started. But, sooner or later every organization confronts the question: now what? By then, there is usually a mess or two to clean up.

DIY Marketer's Handbook: How to successfully produce news-worthy videos

Marina Shapiro — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:02:35 +0000

One of the strategies that we employ on behalf of our clients is creating news-like video segments that we place with local and ethnic TV stations. If the segment is interesting and well-produced, many will gladly take it and insert it into their news programming. When this happens—it’s a Win-Win for everyone. The station gets a good news segment without having to produce it and our clients gain valuable exposure. Though video production is not our main area of expertise, we often take on the producer’s role because video production budgets can run really high and many of our small business clients cannot afford to pay $4-5K for a video. We hire quality camera, editing and voice-over talent, which when hired individually can often end up costing well under $500. In addition to being pitched to local news, these videos can be featured on your company’s website and leveraged across social media—adding an air of respectability and credibility to your brand. So if you are going to be producing such a video yourself (btw, we are always happy to recommend freelancers to hire for this), here are some suggestions to have your first video turn out great:

How To Get (More) Referrals NOW!

Marina Shapiro — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:52:12 +0000

If, at the beginning of the year, you have just one client, and that client refers a single client to you each month, and each of those referrals refers another client to you each month, you would have 2,048 clients at the end of the year! Too bold for you? How about one referral every two months? That’s still 64 new clients in one year without spending a single ad dollar! If your referral numbers fall below these numbers, your referral generation and management systems - or lack thereof - need another look.

How Often Do You “Hug” Your Customers?

Marina Shapiro — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:58:26 +0000

My 4-year-old is full of life and enjoys testing her (and my) limits on the playground. A recent acrobatics experiment ended with a visit to the Emergency Room and stitches to close a nasty cut on her chin. To make a long story short, to have the stitches removed we went to a new pediatrician, and this is where this blog begins.

Get Referrals Now!

Marina Shapiro — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:54:17 +0000

If, at the beginning of the year, you have just one client, and that client refers a single client to you each month, and each of those referrals refers another client to you each month, you would have 2,048 clients at the end of the year! Too bold for you? How about one referral every two months? That’s still 64 new clients without spending a single ad dollar! If your referral numbers fall below these numbers, your referral generation and management systems - or lack thereof - need a serious overhaul.

To generate referrals and boost your bottom line, you should:

6 Steps to Creating Effective Marketing (and other) Handbooks

Marina Shapiro — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:47:34 +0000

The purpose of the Execution Handbook (versus Employee Handbook that generally lists company policies and addresses legal concerns) can be to set performance goals, assure effective, correct, and efficient execution of everyday tasks and specific projects, illustrate processes, and provide details and troubleshooting resources. So, if you are considering creating such a document for your company, here are a few suggestions for making it a good one:

Getting the most out of your Marketing "Real Estate"

Marina Shapiro — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:34:56 +0000

Are you using all your available “Real Estate” to promote your business and generate sales?

After taking a mid-morning stroll around the neighborhood businesses today, I noticed how few effectively used what they already have to market their businesses.

Here are just a few examples of Marketing “Real Estate” and suggestions for improved usage.

Russians 2.0

Marina Shapiro — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:23:12 +0000

During a recent meeting with a prospective client we mused about the archaic ways some Russian businesses (and most of those attempting to market to the community) still approach marketing. We lamented about the remnants of Soviet-era tactics and attitudes, laughed at our propensity for all things Russian despite growing up in US, and admired some of our more progressive compatriots, who managed to become mainstream, despite the odds of being or selling an exotic ethnic product.

It is during that conversation that I declared this group “Russians 2.0” as a way to define this more integrated (though not necessarily assimilated) progressive Russian-speaking professional community that is not limited by language, education, or street smarts in its abilities to interact with the target audience. A community that is smart, ambitious, successful, wealthy, well-educated and just as plugged-in into the “American” life as…well, Americans.

What holds us back in busines...

Marina Shapiro — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:29:52 +0000

I’ve been busy—really busy, despite the economy, despite the proliferation of marketing experts focusing on what many perceive to be a panacea to all marketing needs—social media. Something had to give. This blog became one of the casualties to which I am starting to make amends.

What prompted me to end the hiatus was a clearly observed trend in the conversations I’ve had with some of the most inspiring women entrepreneurs I’ve ever encountered. SHAME. This dirty little word seems to have little to do with bottom line, balance sheets, and marketing strategies, but it somehow seems to be the biggest (in my opinion) obstacle to true stardom these entrepreneurs righteously deserve.

I once heard someone say that shame stands for Should Have Already Mastered This. Hmmm! I invite you to observe how many times a day you say this to yourself—you’ll be shocked.