Social Media Marketing Seminars Coming to the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce

C3 Social Media Marketing Seminars in Cincinnati

C3. Creating Connections Consulting, in partnership with the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, is bringing two key social media for business seminars to the Anderson Center in March and April of 2013.

Join C3 and the AACC on Wednesday, March 13th for “Maximizing Social Media Marketing for your Business: An Introduction to Digital” from 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. at the Anderson Center in Anderson Township (7850 Five Mile Road, Cincinnati, OH  45230).

 “Maximizing LinkedIn” will be held at the same location on Wednesday, April 10th from 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. There will be a FREE 30 minute bonus seminar on Marketing with LinkedIn Company Pages from 4:00-4:30 p.m.

Join social media strategist and former P&G marketer, Michelle Beckham-Corbin as she takes the class from possibilities to execution steps.  Register early as space is limited. We will be in the large conference room of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce located in the Anderson Center on Five Mile Road.

Register for the Social Media Marketing Seminar here: 

Register for the LinkedIn Seminar here:

 Or Call C3 at 513-445-2180 for more information.

www.CreatingConnectionsConsulting.com

Here’s what others are saying about Michelle’s seminars:

“Michelle is a high-energy person who is exudes a passion for business and personal development. Her enthusiasm for utilizing social media as a tool for strategic marketing is contagiously energizing.

Having graduated with an undergraduate and MBA degree from Xavier, Michelle is continually seeking opportunities to give back to the university. Recently she demonstrated her expertise in strategic marketing and social media by presenting her methodology to university students, alumni, faculty, and business partners during the 2nd Annual “Career Campaign” offered by the Professional Development Center in the Williams College of Business. As a strong and engaging presenter Michelle quickly connected with attendees as she walked them through a step by step plan for developing their on-line presence. Michelle’s outreach to attendees continues beyond the classroom when she offers her contact information and urges others to get LinkedIn with her.”

~Cheryl Wilson, Career Development Coordinator, Williams College of  Business- Xavier University.

Free Social Media Marketing Services in Cincinnati

C3 Gives Back Program:

Pro bono Social Media Services

C3.Creating Connections Consulting to offer pro bono social media marketing and speaking services for non-profits and community organizations in the Cincinnati region in 2013 via the C3 Gives Back Program. Founder Michelle Beckham is a former P&G customer business development and marketing manager who has worked in the digital space since 2005.

One resource that most non-profits and community organizations need, but might not have the budget for is strategic social media marketing consulting or speaker services.  C3 helps businesses and organizations create a strategic marketing plan that integrates the most effective social/digital tools for their call to action and target market and teaches them how to create content and engagement strategies for each platform to build customer relationships and business.

Michelle Beckham speaks all over the region on social media marketing topics, reputation management, online branding and internet safety for children. Follow this link for more information.

It is C3’s corporate philosophy to share knowledge and give back to the community whenever possible. Michelle has been a board member for several Cincinnati organizations including: Authentic Leadership-Cincinnati, New Media Cincinnati, IHM Job Search Group, St. Ursula Academy, the Institute for Social Media at Cincinnati State, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Communications Commission and the Procter & Gamble Global Alumni Network Speakers Bureau team.

C3 is instituting a formal request program to meet the needs of non-profits and community organizations in 2013.  Organizations can apply for an opportunity each quarter to receive free strategic social media marketing assistance or speaker services for their group.

Requirements:

• Must be a 501(c)(3) or community organization within the Cincinnati/Dayton/Northern Kentucky area

• Speaking segment limited to a maximum of two (2) hours

• Consulting services limited to a maximum of two (2) hours

• Deadline for first quarter 2013 requests is 12/31/12.

*See website for full information and to register (http://creatingconnectionsconsulting.com)

Share this information with a group that could use some pro bono services.  They will appreciate your gift of information!  Thank you.

 

World of Mouth Begins With Personal Circles

Small business owners do a worthy job in connecting with clients and potential customers through their marketing efforts, but where they can fall short is when their personal networks are neglected. Many people find it uncomfortable to keep their friends and family in the loop of what is occurring with their business.  There is a sense that if you are already in my inner circle, you must certainly know what it is that my company does or what my role is. Unfortunately osmosis and transfer of information does not occur and very few people have clairvoyant capabilities.

Recently I have had several encounters with friends and professional colleagues, who while knowing what I do in general, really were rather clueless in terms of the full services that my company provides and the depth of my experience and background. I preach to clients constantly that we are living in a “World of Mouth” universe; it only makes sense that I practice what I preach by updating my personal network on my company capabilities. To do anything less, would be counter to what I believe and that is that peer recommendations from trusted sources are key influencers to purchase behavior.

In the spirit of sharing, please find the latest C3 Newsletter below. It contains an article that talks about the heart of C3 and our social media marketing services.  I plan to have monthly Open House sessions on Google+ Hangouts for people to stop by and chat about burning social media and business questions. Stay tuned for more information!

C3 Services- Click on image for full newsletter.

Until we meet again, stay happy & healthy!

Michelle

Chief Social Media Strategist and Founder of C3: Creating Connections Consulting, LLC
Procter & Gamble Sales & Marketing Veteran (15 yrs)
Xavier University, MBA

Facebook Page Marketing w/ Google+ Bonus

Can Your Customer’s Find YOU on Facebook?

C3: Creating Connections Consulting, LLC Facebook Page -Mobile

Even if you have a Facebook Page, are you truly leveraging Facebook marketing capabilities to create a dynamic Fan base that drives customers/clients to action?

Announcing the Facebook Page Marketing for Businesses and Organizations Workshop, a hands-on computer lab class that will allow you to work with your own Facebook Page as we discuss strategies that are unique for your industry at the state-of-the-art computer lab at The METS Center for Corporate Learning in Northern Kentucky.

Facebook Marketing has exploded and is being used by corporate brands, small businesses and non-profits all over the world to connect with and engage their clients and customers. Gain the competitive edge by learning how to leverage this important social networking tool.  Don’t just have a Page in name, have a Page that builds community and becomes a destination point for your fans!  

The class will be held on Tuesday, August 30th from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with a FREE Bonus Introductory Session on the latest social networking craze: Google+ from 11:00-11:30 a.m.

This class will be limited in size to maximize the hands-on learning and discussion among the group. We will cover the following topics:

• Page Settings Optimization
• Administrator Capabilities
• Custom Landing Pages/Tabs
• Building a Strategic Fan Base
• Creating Engagement Strategies
• Creating Winning Content Strategy
• Tagging for Cross-Marketing
• Messaging Fans
• Marketing the Page
• Page Analytics

Click here for more information and to register for this class. Previous C3 workshops on Facebook Marketing have sold out. Don’t wait, register now and save $20 with the early bird discount while seats are available.

Hope to see you in the Facebook Marketing Class. Where else can you go to actively learn how to leverage your company or brand Facebook Page?

Can’t make this class, see the C3 Website for a list of Social Media for Business classes for the remainder of 2011. I will also be speaking to local businesses at The Secrets to Small and Medium Business Growth Seminar hosted by The Berry Company, publisher of the Cincinnati Bell Yellow Pages. This is a wonderful free event for businesses to come and learn more about how digital media can help you connect with customers and grow your business.

Details:  8/18 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Cintas Center-Xavier University. Click here for more information.

Confession of a Newly Minted Google+ Addict

My name is Michelle Beckham and I’m a Google+ Addict…..Seriously, I feel like an explanation is in order. Since I cleared the Google+ Invite-only list less than two weeks ago, I have submerged myself on a journey of discovery of this new social media application.  I have been swimming in the beta test waters with other high end, social media savvy early adopters and I am loving every minute of it!

Google+ Welcome Screen

Google+ has now become the first thing I look at in the morning vs. Email followed by Facebook. Having the Android App on my Motorola Droid also helps to fuel my 24/7 ( ok, I do sleep occasionally…..) addiction. iPhone users just received the app this week, giving  Android users a bit of a leg up initially.

These are the reasons why I am waxing poetic about Plus:

• Gives me the ability to use Circles to group people for targeted content
• Allows me to connect with ANYONE similar to the Follow concept on Twitter
• Allows for in-depth discussion within the comments section similar to the wonderful dialogue that occurs in LinkedIn Groups like Authentic Leadership Cincinnati and Facebook Groups, like Cincinnati Social Media
• Allows for video conferencing with anyone online and willing to chat with you. These spaces are known as Hangouts.
• Allows me to control my photos/albums more closely
• Gives me the ability to keep those “back yard bbq conversations” that occur on Facebook with close friends and family separate from business colleagues, clients or others that just don’t need to be connected in a “Friends of Friends” way to your family or kids.

The downside is that since I am such an information junkie, I think I could swim in this sea all day long, just soaking up the content and the conversations. I want to reign myself in, but the competitive side in me wants to master as much as I can before the dyke is opened and the world gains entry.

I have applied to be a business beta tester for C3: Creating Connections Consulting and think that Google + will have huge implications for how companies/brands interact via this platform. While Google is asking that businesses hold off on creating a Google Profile, some have jumped into the ocean already: Huffington Post, Mashable, CBS News, to name a few.

Some folks looking for an internet buck to be made, have set up businesses selling lists of Google+ users for $10 bucks a pop. I guess it beats the lemonade stand at the end of the driveway…….

I have a few invitations left, so if you are curious and want to join ahead of the fray, just post your email addy in the comments section below and I will get you started on a whole new way of sharing.

Oh, and I would LOVE to connect with you on Plus.  Just follow the link to find my new hide-out!

Crossing the US Border in Search of Al Gore….

Looks like I have been AWOL from this space. While this is true, I must confess that I took a much needed vacation to Canada and Seattle and completely unplugged for the most part. Now please don’t think that I was being altruistic in my departure from the online world; it was quite the opposite.  I simply did not have the access during the day and my sightseeing, shopping, dining, etc rendered a return to the hotel late at night. Try battling 2 teenagers and a husband for laptop time and you see how my version of being unplugged really came about!

Totem Pole on Victoria Island, BC via Michelle Beckham

What this experience taught me, is that I have quickly absorbed the information era and was somewhat at a loss when I couldn’t get access to the knowledge that I needed from the veritable search engine Google (or Bing, Yahoo, etc. for that matter…). Trying to determine a trendy spot for dinner, I longed for my Yelp app with real life patron reviews. Lost in downtown Seattle, I wanted my android GPS app to get me back to the Space Needle.  Observing the many homeless actively in our faces demanding money, I wanted to search “homeless in Seattle” to see what was going on with city regulations and how they were addressing the problem.  But alas…..I could do none of these things.

Dim Sum in China Town on Victoria Island, BC via Michelle Beckham

The saving grace is that I am old enough to remember how to maneuver through all of these needs in the “old-fashioned” way from the time before Al Gore invented the  “you know what”!  The sad thing is that today’s teens and young adults probably have no clue……

Crossing the Border Back Into the Digital World via Michelle Beckham

The Invisible Algorithmic Editing of the Web: Welcome to Personalization

Church Advert: "Google God"

My dad, of all people, sent me a very interesting link to a Ted Talk entitled:  “What is the internet hiding?” One of the scenarios that really struck me in the video was the example of how individualized and personal our searches on Google have become. When asking several friends to Google the same key words, the search results yielded different results for each based upon their stored and cataloged information.

We see this on Facebook, when our Newsfeed serves up only content from people who’s Facebook profiles have been algorithmically touched by us. I have nearly 250 Friends on Facebook, yet I only see content from about 30 or so despite making changes in my settings.

This creeps me out a bit; I don’t want to be categorized and I certainly don’t want to trade my privacy for  a more stream-lined and customized online user experience. It seems like 1984 all over again…….

How about you? Take a look at the video and share your thoughts with me.

Cincinnati Social Media For Business Intermediate Level Workshop

I am very excited to be back next month (April) with another installment of the Social Media For Business Workshop Series in partnership with the Warren County Career Center, a University System of Ohio Provider. The next workshop will be held on April 12th from 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. and is an intermediate level workshop: Building Your Business/Non-Profit With Social Media: Welcome to the R(E)volution!

March showcased two courses for local businesses and non-profits: an introductory social media course and a hands-on LinkedIn Lab training class. March participants ranged from professional practices in the health and wellness fields, traditional retail businesses, mortgage companies and  educational institutions: quite a variety of backgrounds!  All desired the same outcome: to learn more about the various social media platforms that exist today.

The introductory class was a broad overview of seven platforms, while the April class takes participants to a more in-depth view on four key platforms: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google.  We will be examining important strategies and measures for each tool and discussing the integration of social media into a full marketing program.

If you are ready to go beyond mere familiarity and want to gain a true understanding of how these tools can impact your business, then this class is for you.  Space is limited and many of the March workshop participants signed on for this next level after having a great experience in the introductory workshop, so register soon if you want to secure a space.

Here’s what some of the Intro to Social Media participants had to say about the program:

I enjoyed both of your presentations and am looking forward to the next two!  Thanks again for your expertise and enthusiasm….”

~Jim F.

“Great job! Great information! Thank you.  I plan to be a pioneer, and I think your seminars are going to be what gets me there.  I’ll see you next month!”

~Julie L.

So what are you waiting for?

Follow this link for additional information and registration for the April 12th workshop:  Building Your Business/Non-Profit With Social Media: Welcome to the R(E)volution!

Bonus Video below discusses recent Facebook changes to Pages (Business Profiles):

Do you know what the world is saying about your brand?

World of Mouth: Are You Listening?? image via Vagawi on Flikr C.Commons

A great line taken from the infamous Social Media Revolution Video on YouTube (based on Erik Qualman’s book Socialnomics) really showcases where our universe has gone in terms of marketing.  No longer,

“word of mouth, but WORLD of mouth”.

Today companies understand that it is the consumer who is speaking out loudly about their brand. The consumer voice is amplified on the pages of Facebook, texts and IMs between friends, tweets on Twitter, posts and comments on blogs and good old fashioned person to person conversation.  In fact, Qualman states that “25% of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content.” With all of that amplified chatter, it is imperative that companies have some type of a monitoring force in place to track and deal with conversations, both positive and negative.

Some companies who have done an outstanding job of tracking their online brand voice are Cincinnati-based P&G and Ford.  P&G’s Pampers Brand was recently hit by an onslaught of negative publicity concerning diaper rash and waged a social media campaign to set the record straight. Ford social media head, Scott Monty, became infamous for his now case-study-chronicled handling of a 2008 firestorm with Ford Fan site TheRangerStation.com.

These companies can afford to have Social Media Managers and departments focusing staff on listening and interacting with their communities, but what about the small businesses and solopreneurs? There are some free tools available to the small business that is lacking staff and/or budget. This article will share two tools that are very easy to use.

Google Alerts: Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results. You need to have a Gmail account, which is free, to set them up.  You identify which search terms you would like to have monitored by Google. Some ideas:

• Your business name in every form
• Your domain name
• Your brand(s)
• Your industry
• Your competitors

You determine if you would like the Google web-crawlers to comb all information on the web, or you can select from the following categories

• News
• Blogs
• Updates
• Video
• Websites
• Discussion

You choose how often you want to receive the updates and how many separate entries will be attached to each email.

Kurrently: This free monitoring tool entered the scene in the spring of 2010. It is a real time search engine for Facebook and Twitter results. Kurrently lets you tap exclusively into the social networking arena to see what people are saying about you, your company, your brand, right now. The real time display allows you to act quickly to capitalize on news, good and bad.

Kurrently gives you some options in using the site. It allows you to select stream speed and gives the choice of monitoring just Facebook, just Twitter or both. In order to keep your stealth headphones on, Kurrently includes other traditional search engines/sites like:

• Google
• Bing
• Baidu
• YouTube

Screenshot of Kurrently

Reputation Management is important for every business and brand. In this world of mobile marketing and smart-phone reliance, companies need to be on top of  “World of Mouth” as best they can. To refrain from monitoring your brand is akin to reputation suicide.

Tip for the Day:  Set Google Alerts to your personal brand as well; your neighbors may be talking about you!!

*Cross-posted at:    Cincinnati Social Media Examiner

Copyright Michelle Beckham~All Rights Reserved~2010

List of Top U.S. Colleges Trending on Google for Good Reason

Purdue University

I often check Google trends or trending topics on Twitter just to keep up with news that might have bypassed me during a busy day.  I don’t watch the evening news, national or local, and couldn’t tell you who took Dan Rather’s chair or when the passing of the torch occurred. Before web 2.0 exploded, I was more apt to cruise CNN Headline News on my TV. to see what was currently happening and later moved to those cute little email news alerts that were very helpful during winter seasons to keep tabs on business and school closings. Now Twitter is my main news source and Facebook News Feed gives me a fairly good mix of stories based on the discriminating tastes of my Friends and the algorithmic decisions of Facebook.

At this very minute US News & World Report College Ranking 2011 is trending as the results were just released.  This report lists the top universities and colleges in the U.S from a pool of 1,800 schools in terms of best value and best quality of education.  In today’s economy where available positions are scarce and many members of the class of 2009 AND 2010 have yet to land their first professional job, parents will be pouring over the pages of this report. College costs have skyrocketed, and parents don’t want to make a costly mistake and add an extra year or more on to their child’s education due to choosing the wrong school or wrong major.

Fortunately there are local resources in Cincinnati that can assist families in navigating the waters of college selection and choosing an academic major. Educational Consultant Jeanne Feldkamp, owner of Achieve! helps local high school students and their families through the college preparation and selection process.  Feldkamp uses the Performance Max system created by the Devine Group. Performance Max focuses on self-awareness and personal development for each teen and identifies areas of academic study that match kids’ behavioral strengths and abilities. Performance Max provides tools that will help in exploring career opportunities for any given major.

Times have certainly changed with the addition of digital media options and wide-spread use by the millennial generation. Today, college kids can check their cell phones for a text from the dorm laundry room letting them know that their “tighty-whiteys” are dry or when a pc in the library is available, so it makes sense to have an on-line system that can assist them in getting to the right laundry room, right dorm, right major and right college that will give them the best start on their future career. Pair that knowledge with a dedicated educational coach who can walk you through the college process and you have a winning combination of assistance to help with one of the largest financial investments you will ever make.

Cross-posted on Cincinnati Social Media Examiner

All Content Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin~2010~ All Rights Reserved