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a) your greatest frustration with implementing social media
To date, the most frustrating thing for me boils down to being able to effectively target a limited geography and finding the time to run updates, posts, do videos, upload photos, and respond to comments while trying to run a small business.
On the geography part, I find it difficult to actually find and persuade local prospects to follow my outreach channels.
b) the single most important thing you would hope to get from a course like this.
The single most important thing I hope to get out of a course like this is learning how to effectively integrate the different outreach channels for better local market outreach and following.
Thanks for considering me!
If I had to pick one person to beta test your program it would be Christina Coster aka @mizcity. She's highly active in the events field, throwing Eventcamp and will give a great perspective from this area.
I need a solution for SM within the marketing mix I already have and on a budget too.
I would hope to get a full working knowledge of social media to the point of being able to effectively implement workable technology for my and my clients' strategies. The end result would be rising statistics of the intended goals.
What's the next step?
a) greatest frustration: too many social media experts and folks telling you what and how to do it, versus showing you in a systematic way, which is why I love your course description.
b) single most important thing: knowing which tactics work together and how best to integrate them. I believe marketing tactics work best in combination, but there are a welter of social media 'options' and learning each one takes time. If I had a better system for understanding how best to leverage social media I'd be more effective in helping my audience and achieving my goals.
With a course like this I will learn how to structure my plan in a way that works for me and during my normal life, without compromising family values.
Great idea to put this together this training -- there is such a need for it! I took a class at a local university to get up to speed (in San Diego, @bcarroll7's Mktg Via New Media class is top-notch)and I read everything I can get my hands on but would love to have a go-to online course I can steer busy people to
a) Social media tends to be overwhelming - I need to become more selective.
b) I want to become more strategic in my choices.
My hope is to end the course with a system. I have a finger in every pot in social media but there is no cohesive strategy or system. And hey - I am a hometown girl!
My biggest frustration with social marketing is finding the time and understanding which tools to use. Seems like too much trial and error to find the right mix.
The single thing I'd hope to get would be a practical way to implement social marketing in my business with the confidence and belief that time and effort spent would result in increased sales.
My industry is one that lags behind in technological information sharing. We spend millions on computer software, machine automation,etc., but don't really invest in communicating with each other. I want to be a market leader there.
The single most important thing I would like to get out of this is to be able to reach the right customer and create a strong relationship. I've created relationships with consumers that are too far away to be customers , so I get little benefit from my social media activities.
I also have a personal blog that I would like to use to attract potential customers and distributors, so I would like to learn more about blogging for (my) business as well as find ways to possibly make some money off of the blog to at least pay for it!
As always, thanks for the opportunity to work with you. I have been so impressed with all you info, find it spot on right, and work hard to implement your suggestions. Now I just need to figure out how to pull it all together! :)
The single most frustruating issue for clients is how hard it is to get feedback, comments, RTs for a long time after the launch of blog, facebook page or twitter account. Without said feedback it is hard to assess how to persist. Every expert says that you have to persist and listen to the feedback engaging with readers and addressing their needs. To that I answer saying that I would love to, but if I don't get any feedback how do you know in which direction to persist? I am all for persistance and feedback, how can I get it flowing?
What would l like to accomplish after the course? I would like to have an engaged community with an ongoing conversation in order serve them in a way that's valuable and relevant.
I would be glad to participate. I have taught a similar class several times in a classroom environment, and I think that I could offer a unique perspective.
I'd like to be a Beta Tester of your product. My greatest frustration with using Social Media as a marketing tool has been two-fold.
1) Developing a set of objectives and strategies that work for me, first. I just jumped in, saw the potential, and tried to figure it out as I went along. Engagement has been spotty, at best. Revenues -- elusive.
2) Finding & determining which tactical applications to use for efficiency. I've spent hours doing things manually, then gone hunting for a good set of tools. I've found some, but still spend way too much time writing, tweeting, and updating feeds by hand. Better; just not where I want it.
(Funny. I wrote this first, then read your overview. Good match...)
The most important thing to get from this: Structure to my approach.
BTW: I write well. You'll likely find my feedback constructive and thought-provoking.
Thanks for the opportunity. Hope we can help each other.
b) most important thing - the knowledge to use social media to enhance recycling rates in my city; to reach out to the sneezers so i can develop a relationship / a community with them
the priniciples i've read in duct tape thus far apply to large corporations too.
social media will be an 'ask for forgiveness later' exercise for me - as a municipal government we are far too conservative (and hence far too ineffective at starting / having the right conversations)
and... well... we're constrained financially. no money for training means 'look for, and capitalize on, great opportunities' like this one.
Would love to take your coarse and help out.
This seems right up my alley:
a. Greatest Frustration - Where to start; understanding the planning and steps needed to turn implementing a social media strategy into sales.
b. Most important thing to get from the course: knowledge to develop an actionable plan for implementation. Development of the vision of what my social media "presence" is going to encompass.
First, thanks for the opportunity to participate. You have a winner before you are out of the box – just look at the number of people wanting “in.”
Our greatest frustration is really two-fold (sorry hard to stick to just ONE frustration!). For sure “managing the beast” is a beast and many of our small/medium size business are struggling with this and wondering if the time investment is really worth it… Which brings me to frustration #2!.... calculating the ROI. More and more we are being asked for advice on how to show the real impact of social media to the bottom line – “how is it driving the business.” Counting followers and/or engagements is not cutting it anymore.
My company is starting to do more and more consulting in social media as an adjunct to our established business. We are in Brazil and the social media market here is behind the US. I am looking to find tools that I can honestly promote to clients (a large number in the Guest Services Industry) on how to establish and manage an effective social media strategy.
Thanks again for the opportunity. It would be great to have the chance to participate.
Maxine
I think the most important aspect of the course would be to really break down the various 'ecosystem' into 1) a Big Picture that communicates value to students quickly and easily so they are motivated to proceed an complete the course (strategy), and 2) a step-by-step explanation of all the channels and tools, how they integrate with one another, and how they can be used to drive business. REAL business (tactics).
I think we're all pretty sick of the noise out there (Use Google to make $400/day) - and a real thoughtful and authentic course and approach would be a much needed breath of fresh air. I would love to participate in the beta.
In any event - good luck! Thanks, Chris
I would love to beta test your Social Media Training Course
I can bring in my experience in all social sites, like twitter, facebook, linkedin, friendfeed, xing, flickr, delicious, redit, youtube, myspace, etc (i have already had accounts for all of them for some time)
My frustration: the incapacity of making sense of what to do with them to support my marketing effectively
My goal: to have them work together like an orchestra rather than individual instruments and benefit from that synergy
If you think that this qualifies me as a good beta tester, I am definitely ready to do my part to make it a successful first run
I'd definitely be interested in beta-testing this course. I'd love some insights on doing more social media with less (personnel and budgets). My greatest frustration is finding the time to devote to social media and at the same trying to maintain short-term-ROI-generating marketing (email, affiliate, PPC, etc.) as well.
Thanks!
I would welcome the opportunity to participate. I, like others, am overwhlemed on how to get started. I would like to use this tool as a resource for myself in my marketing efforts, but also to be assistance to my customers in getting started. I am in the building products industry and work with many business (large and small) from retailers to Builders, Remodelors, Architects, etc.
Thank you!
Terri
I would love to finally have a clear understanding of where my efforts are best spent. Like most other small businesses (by small I mean... me) time is extremely tight and what I'd really like to learn is- How do I connect the people who really matter to me and how do I make it easier for them to connect with me.
My biggest frustration with social media is how to build buzz and gain traction when you're not a well established brand. I see companies like Zappos and Victoria's Secret doing some great things with social media, but emulating those strategies is not going to work for a new brand. The biggest thing I'd like to learn from this course would be ideas on how to build buzz for a small brand through social media. Beyond the basics of setting up a Twitter profile and using an @reply. That stuff is easy...it's figuring out how to deliver extraordinary value to prospects in order to build a successful business.
Furthermore, I have dozens of questions that I am exploring (and perhaps a few answers to share, too), I WILL implement the activities, and I will record the success.
Finally, I am in deep prep for my own membership site (much different product) and may be useful as a tester on that front, too. i.e. mechanics vs content.
Hope you pick me! Excellent promotion!
My greatest frustration with implementing social media is not feeling like I have a clear approach. I read lots of online opinions on "this is the way to do it", yet I'm looking for a way that works for me and my business, representing who I am and what I have to offer. I don't want to be a cookie cutter copy of everyone else.
The single most important thing I hope to get from a course like this would be clarity on approach and options--so I can pick what I think is a good course of action for me today, and I can morph it and adapt as times, my business, and I change.
Thanks for the opportunity!
b) If we had a systematic approach to our social media duties, it would allow us to focus on creating value and less on figuring out where everything needs to be replicated.
Lots of great feedback from the commentors - won't be easy to pick the beta testing group! :)
I also am concerned about the time investment. Too little money & too little time is on the mind of small business people. I need concentrated & targeted efforts using the efficient tools & strategies.
The single most important thing I would hope to get from something like this is results. Whether that's increased conversation around my business, increased sales (that would be great!), or finding my brand enthusiasts & figuring out how to help them spread positive WOM.
I am interested in becoming a beta tester. I have read and reviewed your Duct Tape Marketing book, so I know that it will be valuable to participate in this course.
I think that the single most important thing I would get from this course is to get a good overview of the social media landscape. I want to be able to present it to other small business owners who are feeling frustrated about the social media hype, but at the same time are interested in embracing a new media & marketing strategy.
I started Flaunt! Inc. about 6 months ago reaching out to women business owners who typically aren't great at Flaunting with Fabulousness in business. SM is perfect for them but it's difficult to show them what the payoff is in real increased sales.
I love teaching women how to grow their business instead of having them rely on someone else...their confidence soars when they hear client compliments. When I can seamlessly string the SM....Twitter, FB, blogs, etc and manage them in a time saving manner...I can really teach women how to stand out from the crowd.
BTW, I download your podcasts from Itunes and listen on my daily walk...love them.
Jim Parsons
Freelance Writer
Bristow, VA
(the guy who interviews you for those SCORE stories)
I would like the opportunity to be a BetaTester for your training guide. As a marketer, I am constantly working on the following: a) finding the social media sites where our clients/potential clients are to make connections a) Making sure our marketing initiatives in social media are effectively being measured correctly from gaining new clients, dollar volume and creating great content for our followers and connections. The single most important objective for me would be (b) to formulate a best practices document for my company, Midwest Laboratories that would be able to be communicated to our employees and marketing representatives.
I like to think that I'm a good example of an 'old dog' learning new tricks. After being laid off from a Director level position over a year ago I have dived in to learning all I can about social media. So far I have started a blog and set up a twitter account (@Phil_Lauterjung). But I feel as though I have only scratched the surface - I need to learn more.
The reason I need to learn more is that I have seen a tremendous need for small B2B companies to learn social media. If they don't they likely won't survive. Many of them are inherently good companies with very viable products/services, but they simply are so overwhelmed that they don't even try.
This country's economy depends on the success of the small business owner and I would like to learn more so that I can in turn help them. Yes, I'm planning on starting a business (Integrated LeadGen Results) to do that.
Thanks for considering me among the dozens of other very deserving candidates. I don't envy you trying to choose just 10.
I feel that having a strong social media strategy and efficiently implementing this is something that will allow me to stand out in the market, reach a new population of potential customers, and solidify and strengthen myself as a brand. I understand that time and care are needed to implement a social media plan for a business and can potentially have negative effects if not implemented properly. Ultimately, I feel if done with the correct knowledge and understanding, this may be the key that allows me to make my transition to my lifelong dream of running my event planning company full time.
I'm very interested in your course. With regards to a) your greatest frustration with implementing social media - my answer is time and finding the people to do the work in the trenches. I have been successful in creating and implementing a social media strategy for Diamond Peak Ski Resort but I can certainly do so much more and just need to figure out how to streamline everything.
or b) the single most important thing you would hope to get from a course like this. My answer is to see how you suggest using social media for small businesses and how they can successfully implement social media in the mix with limited knowledge, time and resources.
Please, please, please, I want to be your tester!!
My greatest frustration with implementing social media has been understanding which system/applications to use. I see the extreme value in social media and I am working hard to implement it in our business. This course you are building looks to offer a great "boot camp" for social media. I feel like a fairly new person to social media for business, that this course would allow me to greater implement social media in my business as well as helping others in our community to get involved so that we can all communicate in ways only dreamed before.
b) the single most important thing you would hope to get from a course like this.
--
Thanks and Regards
Noel for Nopun.com
a graphic design studio
My greatest struggle with implementing social media is making a very specific plan that I can follow and that makes sense, and isn't a time waster. I know you asked for one, but here is another - there is a lot involved in social media, and what do you do when and where do you do it? Hey, maybe that is my number one issue.
So,the single most important things I would hope to get from a course like this is a step by step plan in place to follow and a minimal amount of knowledge I would need to navigate the overwhelming world of social media!
And since I just reread what you want to hear and it is OR not AND, I am hoping to receive extra credit for going the extra mile and answering both of your questions!
Thanks for you consideration.
My greatest frustrations are: 1) Understanding some of the basic mechanics -- for example, how to access and use Twitter in a manner that makes sense technologically (desktop application?, log into Twitter?, Blackberry) and in terms of marketing; 2) Recognizing which new techologies are worth using and which ignoring; 3) Keeping myself from being overwhelmed by the endless options (e.g., chicklets), and keeping all incoming and outgoing information organized.
Had you my RSS feed since mid 07 (shameless plug)
My biggest frustration is pulling all the Social Media pieces into a coherent business strategy and executing it.
I have a blog, scarcely used; a Twitter account, used twice; and a Facebook account to follow my daughter’s adventures.
I would hope to get a strategy that would fit Social Media efficiently into a busy Realtor’s lifestyle!
I would be pleased to comply with the terms that you have outlined for your beta testing.
Thanks for the consideration.
Beta test, you kidding me? Heck, sign me up for Alpha, Delta AND theta test. My biggest frustration? Here I am, "The Living Warrior" and I feel like I've crested a hill, a lonely army of one looking over a valley of thousands of social media warriors just waiting to take me out of business.
Well, I'm chomping at the bit to tear down this hill and take a little blood to make some things happen. Twitter? Facebook even Linkedin? I'm just waiting to thrust my sword into their little fat swollen bellies!
So, hopefully with my sword in one hand and your duct tape in the other I can actually patch together an effective social media strategy and be a great example for following participants. Strength and Honor John!
My greatest frustration with social media is developing an initial strategy that will create REAL relationships and get people who are interested to take action. As of yet, everything has been haphazard experimentation with unclear results.
The single most important thing I would hope to gain from this course is a knowledge foundation that I can use to benefit any company I decide to work for in the near future. I currently work as a content manager for a local start-up and I am also in charge of their social media initiatives, I feel this course will give me a great base to work from.
-Chris
Knowing how to use different type of social media tools and no achieving the powerful effect it is supposed to deliver your social media campaign is the most frustrating thing.
b) the single most important thing you would hope to get from a course like this.
Strategy it is the most important part of this new social media marketing buzz regardless the tool you might use. If this system can give me some directions and advise about defining the strategy I would be extremely happy.
Yesterday I saw a guy asking for change at the exit of the highway carrying a piece of cardboard. It read: "Share a smile and have a great day!". I couldn't help to smile. I think it was a smart way to ask for change. In my opinion he implemented a nice marketing strategy without using expensive adds, or any online mediums like Facebook,Twitter or Youtube. I gave him some changes for the wonderful marketing lesson.
I'm willing to take the course. I'm an educator and developing expertise in social media marketing for a specific niche market. I've taken a few on-line courses already in using Twitter, blogs, and Facebook for business and marketing, so I'll have some frame of reference.
Peter
I'm willing to take the course. I'm an educator and developing expertise in social media marketing for a specific niche market. I've taken a few on-line courses already in using Twitter, blogs, and Facebook for business and marketing, so I'll have some frame of reference.
Peter
I am a small farmer and artist who would like to teach others how. I know that social media is a major key to this but have no idea how to use it effectively. My single greatest frustration implementing social media is the seemingly pointlessness of it all. Between my Facebook Friends, Twitter, a blog and other things I have no idea about I have time to actually DO anything. The on-line recording of my day takes more time than my activities themselves. How do I do it effectively, fast, and honestly to compliment my small farm business?
There may be an opportunity to provide professional development for teachers in a wider context in my local community depending upon a new state initiative. If this passes, I would like to expand to more employees to reach more teachers.
By working on a social media plan now, I can plan for changes in the future as my needs change.
Thank you for this opportunity.
If there's still an open slot, I'd welcome the opportunity to pull up a chair and learn how to blend the various social media options into a complimentary approach that maximizes my effort without dividing my energies.
As a leader of a networking group and one who wants to be effective in helping others in their marketing outreach and business success, being able to strengthen my own knowledge and understanding in these areas would be well worth the time invested.
Thanks,
Mark
Our website focuses on English language learning which targets specifically to the China market. We thought that maybe selling educational product only is too dry, so we decided to include Social networking. The biggest frustration is that even with social networking, the active user rate is still very low. The most important thing to get from this course is to see if Westerner's SNS strategies work for the China market.
It seems that 111 other people have beaten me to the punch here. I wish I had run across your article and product earlier! However, in case you haven't already made up your mind on your 10, I will give it a shot. I'm a new home business owner who is into a few areas, two of which are travel and the telcom industry. I am a complete newbie to this whole blogging, social network site marketing concept and, as you mentioned at the beginning of this article, have found myself saying "I'm overwhelmed and where do I start first" as well. If you're looking for someone who doesn't have a large background of experience in this movement, and can evaluate and review your product from a beginner's viewpoint, THEN I AM YOUR GAL! As I have found the case to be in a large number of products, they are just great for people who are already experienced in the area the product is addressing, but for people with no prior experience with the vocabulary and techniques used there is a gap, which can sometimes be so large to close that the individual gives up and sets the manual on the shelf and never uses the product again. Sometimes just a small amount of information is needed to fill that gap, but the person without that knowledge nevertheless isn't aware of what that might be and ANOTHER otherwise useful, productive and lucrative tool misses the mark in its intended purpose. As a newbie and someone who is not the fastest learner of technical instructions, I could definitely give you an excellent review from that potential market viewpoint. Thanks for the offer, and I hope that I am one of the fortunate ones to get to evaluate your Social Media Pro. Have a wonderful day! Sheila Ü
I m launching a new travel portal based on concepts not present in the market. As a start up, I have little resources to spend on Marketing and the way I will spend every Euro will have to be well thought. I am willing to test your course in Europe and give you the feedback of its implementation in my business. We are launching officially in March 2010 being the portal under development at the time being.
I have such big ambitions for my business inspiring teachers and continue to be excited by the power of social media to reach and connect my clients.
I have spent 18 months actively learning the ropes with Wordpress, Tweetdeck, LinkedIn, and Facebook, but I am daunted by the prospect of spending even more time ‘dabbling’.
What I need to develop is a clear vision for how I am going to harness social media for the benefit of my business.
Working with ‘Social Media Pro’ I will create a profitable strategy that I am confident will work and therefore I will stick to.
In a nut shell - I want to use the tools I enjoy more strategically and need to learn how!
i'm the owner of www.infopreneurmagazine.com a blog devoted to test and review online business products and courses. if you have a place for me I could run a fully documented review for my blog's readers and coaching clients as well.
You can contact me here : contact@infopreneurmagazine
The single most important thing I would hope to get from a course like this is how to move beyond the clutter and noise of social media and develop a preliminary strategy to begin to connect to the people who will resonate with what I’m offering and so that I can begin to get known and recognized. I have a lot of content to share (continually developing), and my question is: how do I use social media in this start-up phase to get it out there, where it will be seen, read, heard, absorbed, and (hopefully) enjoyed – both broadly by the long tail and narrowly by key thought leaders and potential colleagues and collaborators.
The single most important thing I would hope to get from a course like this is how to move beyond the clutter and noise of social media and develop a preliminary strategy to begin to connect to the people who will resonate with what I’m offering and so that I can begin to get known and recognized. I have a lot of content to share (continually developing), and my question is: how do I use social media in this start-up phase to get it out there, where it will be seen, read, heard, absorbed, and (hopefully) enjoyed – both broadly by the long tail and narrowly by key thought leaders and potential colleagues and collaborators.
I have just graduated from Uni and am trying to implement social media programs to companies in Kenya. My greatest frustration is the fact that some of this concepts are new to us and are so dynamic. So, we try and keep ourselves updated using blogs such yours on new developments. I would be grateful if given such a chance. Thanks John.
I would love to be a beta tester. As a busy cataract surgeon, I have not been able to implement any effective social media marketing as (frustration) there just seems to be so many options and each one seems to suck me in for hours that I do not have to offer. As a medical doctor, I am also limited to creating the posts myself in order to avoid legal and ethical issues. Additionally, you have convinced me that the purpose of marketing is not to get more customers, but better ones. To date, most of the online chit-chat I have encountered regarding eye disease is clearly not coming from my desired demographic (age, maturity, geographic, or psychographic).
So, what I would like to learn from such a course : (1) how to manage the social media beast such that I can personally commit my limited time most effectively. Presently I am stunned into inaction by all of the options and know neither which ones to pursue or how to most effectively do so. (2) How to use social media to attract the customers I want (those who understand the value of high-tech, high-touch medicine and are willing to pay for it).
I look forward to hearing more about this course and hope to be one of your beta testers.
Sincerely,
David Richardson, MD
a) My biggest frustration is prioritization. It is not that I don't believe in the value of social media, but I want to spend time where I'm going to see the biggest bang for my buck (I own a small marketing agency that specializes in nurture marketing so my buck = my time): is it social media? is it direct mail? is it referrals? Realistically, I don't thing I can spend more than one hour a day on social media.
b) The single most important thing I would like to get from this course is a STRATEGY. In other words, how does social media impact my bottom line. I know that social media can help me achieve expert status - yeah, right - but for me it's important to know: how many new customers or how much more revenue from existing customers, or what other sources of revenue can I expect? Also, I would like to know how do define this strategy in a bilingual environment. We're based out of Quebec (Canada) and our clients are probably 50% anglophones and 50% francophones. Developing content in both languages - like we did for our eNewsletter - seems like a daunting task. I think the question of social media in a bilingual or multinlingual context could be interesting for many business owners.