Work With Me

I will help your business grow–by using social media and related technologies in a strategic, thoughtful and measurable manner. I have a proven track record for designing and deploying results-driven social media campaigns for dozens of clients from small businesses to multinational corporations. And, I can do it for you.

Social media is the fastest-growing form of communication in history–and the #1 online activity–yet most businesses are going about it in entirely the wrong way, with no integrated, comprehensive social strategy, and no relevant measurement systems in place.

Social media isn’t a ‘branding exercise’; it’s a business activity that should move the needle and drive your key business objectives. Period. It’s my aim to provide at least a 20 times ROI for every client with whom I work. But, I only work with clients whose products/services I use and love, that I am 100% convinced can benefit from social media.

Through thousands of hours of client work, I’ve honed an effective, surefire 8-step process for social media and digital marketing success:

PREPARE YOUR COMPANY to excel in this new complex and fast-moving landscape including emotionalizing your brand in a “why-driven statement”;
OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE to move “conversations to conversions” more effectively;
BUILD AN ARMY OF EMPOWERED EVANGELISTS who will market your brand for nothing;
PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE to build brand trust and to win the hearts of new customers;
PROTECT YOUR BRAND from negative online commentary that can damage your business;
SAVE COSTS by helping you test marketing messages or product launches before they go out;
DRIVE REVENUE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE by showing measurable results in easy-to-understand reports;
EMPOWER YOUR WORKFORCE with best practices, so they can do their jobs more effectively/efficiently;

It bears repeating: Social media should drive your key business objectives–and I can help you achieve that.

1. PREPARE

Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)

The Problem: Most companies go about social media in an ad hoc way: “Social media is seismic. We need to get in there. Let’s start Tweeting. Let’s post on Facebook. Let’s get on ‘YouFace’ (not a social network!).” An ad hoc approach produces ad hoc results.

The Solution: You must start with questions such as: what do you want from social media? What matters most to your business? Reputation Management? Online Sales? Strong Sentiment Scores? How, specifically, will you measure success in your engagement with me? Before I do anything, I deep dive to answer these questions, and run a “baseline report” on all metrics that matter to determine where we are with your KPIs.

The Benefits: Seeing the results. Being shown, not told, where things are improving! Social media is powerful and it can move the needle on track what matters most to your organization. Social media is not a branding exercise; it is a business activity that can drive value across your organization. But, you must define clear KPIs first, then you can see the benefits for yourself.

Brand Development

The Problem: Most brands are “blah.” They don’t engage, inspire and win hearts! You can have the best, most compelling product or service in the world, but you will never generate optimal results in social media without a brand that emotionally connects with your audience. This is a word of mouth economy, and you not only want to inform your “Tipping Point Mavens,” you want to inspire them to become vocal evangelists. I will help you craft the most compelling brand position by getting at your “why,” which is what inspires people to share your message with their trusting communities. [Watch this video to understand the importance of knowing your "why."]

The Solution: I take a different approach to social media. I understand the power of these new channels and technology, but I don’t abandon timeless marketing and advertising concepts; they still apply. When you have strong brand positioning and emotional connectivity, powered by big ideas, you can achieve great results. I love David Ogilvy’s work–and while social media is about two-way dialog–his point about making “the product the hero” is spot-on. He also said: “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product. When Aeschines spoke, they said, ‘How well he speaks.’ But when Demonsthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip.” So, while one must walk the fine line between diplomacy and listening in social; community management can also drive action–and sales. I watch the numbers religiously.

The Benefits: When you have a clear, compelling, emotional and “why-driven” brand, social media is infinitely more effective. Your business becomes a magnet pulling in new customers rather than your having to push them.

“Social Map” & Participation Strategy

The Problem: If you don’t know where your customers are congregating online–and more importantly, how to engage them effectively–then your business won’t thrive.

The Solution: In social media, people talk about your products and your industry. And, they gather in “interest-groups” online, much like they do in real life. I spend the necessary time locating your core communities and determining a “participation strategy” to engage your current, and future, customers where they are. I am a big believer in “permission marketing” (vs. “interruption marketing”), in building relationships which lead naturally to sales and customer advocacy.

The Benefits: When you have a compelling product, with stellar, emotional branding/positioning, and you know where your desired customers are online, marketing is natural. And, you never have to pay for another ad again.

2. OPTIMIZE

Website Development/Optimization

The Problem: Most websites do not have one clear call to action. They’re filled with lots of information and visitors suffer “paralysis by analysis” and leave–not doing what you want them to do. You may be losing more business than you know. The importance of having a clean, clear, efficient website with an effective conversion funnel cannot be overstated.

The Solution: Instead of merely having a nice online brochure, I help you create a simple, elegant user experience that engages your target audience and transforms your site into an revenue-generating asset. If you are in need of a new website, I work with web development teams that are second-to-none. I have been part of website builds for small businesses to multi-page, fully e-commerce enabled enterprise-grade websites for big brands. I don’t do flashy websites. I help oversee the creation of effective ones that drive your primary KPIs and your primary, desired call to action. I can also help you design and deploy an engaging content-rich, optimized blog that showcases your leadership/expertise as you draw in targeted traffic via long-tail keywords.

The Benefits: More conversions, more sales, and more dollars in the door. Period.

3. BUILD

Community Management/Influencer Engagement

The Problem: Social media was created as a refuge away from corporate marketing, yet most companies are barging in and “messaging” people, thereby alienating the very consumers with whom they’re seeking to connect! These are nuanced channels, with their own dialects and rules of etiquette. Do you know what they are? Are you abiding by them in every single piece of content you put out in social media? Social media is not a media or a marketing channel. It’s a human relationship. A human relationship. Please understand that.

The Solution: Through 7-day-a-week brand monitoring, I locate your critics and work with you to diplomatically counter them. I also identify your precious brand evangelists and I engage with, and uplift, them. I connect directly with you to ensure I have all of the proper messaging down cold. Then, I help create spectacular content on your behalf to build brand equity, drive trust among your target markets and drive your business. I believe first and foremost in engaging quality followers and fans. I also believe in quantity! Critical mass is a powerful thing. Having 200 engaged Twitter followers is great. Having 12,000 engaged followers is another thing altogether. I have helped our clients gain hundreds of thousands of new fans and followers in a span of months. Having that army of brand evangelists ready to deploy at any moment is an extraordinarily powerful force for your business. I have done it for many clients, and I can do it for you. As an influencer myself, I can engage key, good-fit influencers and partners in various industries to scale our your social communities. I work with leading agents in Hollywood to engage A-list celebrities on behalf of our clients, as needed. This is a proven way to tip a brand.

The Benefits: Social media is your most forward-facing enterprise. It’s no less than a diplomatic position. I will make sure your brand is represented immaculately in social media and that every single piece of content is hand-crafted, congruent with brand messaging and respectful of the nuanced platforms of social media.

4. PROMOTE

Online Advertising Campaigns

The Problem: Knowing where to spend your advertising dollars–and being able to see results–is an age-old problem. Untold millions are wasted on poorly-conceived, poorly-managed ad campaigns.

The Solution: A carefully designed and deployed online advertising campaign that reaches your target demographics–in a compelling and emotional way. Creative ad copy, proven keywords, strategic deployment, daily management. All of those factors are essential to a successful online advertising campaign.

The Benefits: Immediate revenue–and long-term value: Once deployed, a highly-efficient, well-honed online advertising campaign can generate significant ROI for your business for months and years to come.

Traditional Media & PR Services

The Problem: Journalists (writers, segment producers, bloggers) are not reading your press releases. You could be getting a lot more free mainstream media exposure, but you’re probably going about it in an outdated, inefficient way.

The Solution: I’m a member of the media (CBS News, Los Angeles Times). And, while I believe that social media does put the “public” back into “public relations,” I am not a social media zealot who eschews traditional in favor of social. I will engage the media on your behalf using more effective, direct channels. When we book your media, I will walk you through world-class media coaching so that you can be your best when it counts. I have garnered placement on NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, Parenting, SHAPE, Oprah Magazine and others. These connections also allow me to reach out to various influencers in myriad industries that in turn will be informed about your company, product and brand resulting in organic mentions within various media outlets. I’m also a big believer in “pull PR,” namely: doing such buzzworthy work in social media that traditional media picks up the story.

The Benefits: “Earned media” is the most credible form of coverage, it’s free and it’s highly-effective when combined with social media. A few compelling, well-placed stories can literally tip your business.

5. PROTECT

Brand Monitoring & Reputation Management

The Problem: Your brand equity is your most precious asset. Social media empowers the individual to reach hundreds, thousands, and sometimes millions of people who trust them–in minutes. Do you know what they’re saying about your company? Are you responding? In this economy, you’d better, or you could experience a drop in sales, or stunted growth–and not know why.

The Solution: Did you see the movie “Pulp Fiction?” Do you remember the character “The Wolf” played by Harvey Keitel? [Great clip] When it comes to protecting your brand, that’s me. I use a highly sophisticated set of brand monitoring and “sentiment analysis” tools to listen to what people say about your company. Then I engage your audience: neutralizing the negative and promoting the positive. I have an unbeatable track record in this regard. Speed-of-response is central to success in brand monitoring. I work with your company to protect your brand reputation and advance your interests in an increasingly complex “word-of-mouth” marketplace.

The Benefits: Peace of mind! You can sleep at night knowing a proven expert is watching 7-days-a-week, protecting your brand and putting out fires before they grow–which will also help your business grow!

6. SAVE

Provide Real-Time Business Insights

The Problem: Businesses spend inordinate amounts of time and money on testing new marketing messaging and developing new products that people may not even want!

The Solution: Social media is arguably the world’s most effective, efficient source of customer feedback and business insights. I work with you to test ad copy, potential new products, new campaign ideas–so that we can get the pulse of the market before you incur the time and expense associated with these activities.

The Benefits: Save untold amounts of time, money–and heartache.

“Customer Service 2.0″

The Problem: We live in a word-of-mouth economy where people are trust filters for one another. Their public opinions matter greatly. These newly-empowered consumers demand more of brands and if they don’t get it, they can wreak havoc on brand equity. They know what “wow customer service” feels like (credit Zappos), and they know that it’s not hard to deliver it. Your brand must care, listen and respond. That said, this is customer service 2.0. It’s a return to old-school service, using new-school technologies.

The Solution: Before you can even talk about tools and technologies, process and protocol, you must care passionately about the customer, as if they were family. If your culture buys into that, then these tools (Twitter, Facebook, GetSatisfaction, etc.) can facilitate it.

The Benefits: Fewer negative posts about your company and more positive ones, thereby boosting brand equity – and unquestionably driving business.

7. REPORT

Data-Driven ROI / Metrics That Matter^TM

The Problem: You cannot improve that which you cannot measure. Most companies are not measuring the efficacy of their social media. Fewer still are measuring the right things (for example, they obsess over non-financial outcomes like Twitter followers and Facebook fans, when they should focus on the financial outcomes like website conversion rates and, a little thing called revenue.)

The Solution: I believe that the potential and promise of social media is matched only by the hype and hyperbole in the industry. I am not distracted by “shiny objects.” And, I am ruthlessly data-driven. I constantly test, measure and refine. (That’s the Ironman triathlete in me!) I have set the gold standard for reporting in Metrics That Matter^TM: a proprietary, industry-leading report quantifying tangible ROI of social media, so that you can see the return on your investment in clear, plain view every 30 days.

The Benefits: Simple: you can see the ROI. You can actually touch, and feel and experience it for yourself. It’s a comforting feeling to see it all in a clear report.

8. EMPOWER

Social Media Seminars

The Problem: Most people are not using social media effectively on behalf of their companies, yet empowered with these tools, they can be your most valued marketing asset (just look at what they’re doing at Zappos!). Moreover, one ill-conceived Tweet from an employee can burn down your brand. Do you have a social media policy in place? Does it cover all bases? It’s not a “nice-to-have.” It’s a “must-have.”

The Solution: There’s a saying: “Give a person a fish, feed them for a day; teach them to fish, feed them for a lifetime.” I ascribe to that philosophy when it comes to working with clients. I want to teach you everything I know, so that on upon the conclusion of our contract, you can take what we’ve built and carry it forward to build your business. To do that, I conduct regular company-wide social media seminars and webinars for clients on all topics from Twitter to SEO to website conversion. Empowering clients is one of the most valuable -– and frankly, rewarding –- services I provide.

The Benefits: A stronger business. Better morale. And, peace of mind knowing your business is protected with an air-tight social media policy.

In these exclusive, hands-on workshops, you will learn best-practices in social media to drive your key business objectives.

CREATION of Master Social Strategy document;
DEVELOPMENT of best practices in social media–to help you get more results in less time;
ESTABLISHMENT and BRANDING of your social platforms (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIN);
ONE-ON-ONE training with key members of your staff.

In these workshops, I present real-life case studies and show you step-by-step strategies to:

IDENTIFY the Metrics That Matter most to your company’s economic engine;
MONITOR your brand 24/7;
MOVE conversations to conversions (i.e. sales and new customers);
ENGAGE critics and win them to your cause;
FIND existing evangelists who will help market your product/service – for free!
GAIN the attention of the mainstream print and broadcast media;
DRIVE sales without alienating your social communities;
EMOTIONALIZE your brand so that people get behind what you’re doing;
IDENTIFY the Key Performance Indicators (and how to measure them over time);
OPTIMIZE your website around a clear call to action (e.g. driving sales, fostering word-of-mouth marketing).

Testimonials

“You are simply the best! I have been delighted with the work. From Day One, you have always been extremely loyal and immensely helpful and patient with us as we battled through some bumps in the road. I will stand as a reference account for you anytime to anyone. Thank you so very much.”

~Alan Lewis, Founder/CEO, Citizen Software

“Head and shoulders above [anyone] I have worked with in my long career. Very creative thinker. Strong understanding of all facets of marketing a company.”

~Mark Pine, CEO, Ubokia.com

“In a word: Incredible. We have been in business for 25 years and have dealt with thousands of vendors. We have never come across a resource like you. You do what you say you will do.

~Dave Bennett, Founder/CEO, Mollie Stone’s Markets

“It’s so rare to work with someone like you, Eric. You have gone way above and beyond your scope of work…without hesitation. You have helped us make tangible progress on our marketing plan. Your brand monitoring efforts help us drive strategic direction.

~John Walden, CEO, Activeion

“Your social media workshop was the most valuable marketing money we spent all year. By far. We’ve never seen better, more immediate results from a marketing spend: from an invigorated culture, to improved customer service to broader brand awareness to higher sales, what a two-day workshop! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

~Dr. Jack J. Singh, CEO, Organic Food Bar