Lorraine Seymour LLC dba Lorsey.com

Command, Contest, Cause and Connect

"We've got to have a Facebook page!" That's the exclamation of every small business. And, while many pages go live, they sit almost lifeless, as one of an infinite number of silent trees in a dense forest.

Many small business owners are increasingly recognizing that Facebook is fast becoming their number one public relations tool. But in order to sustain the life-blood for that page, they need to incorporate public relations tactics to generate traffic and build brand awareness. An easy and creative way to do this is to incorporate 4C's to "PR" your Facebook page: command, contest, cause and connect.
Command

Creating command of an issue or topic is central to establishing a niche authority in your industry. Apple commands the portable music market. Google is the search authority. Nike is the running show king. They all sell other products or services, but have commanded a niche. Let's say you're a baker, with shelves full of cookies, cakes, pies, donuts, breads, etc. Pick one of your products. In this instance, let's take the cake!

Establish your command as the local cake authority. Some suggestions might include posting fun articles on your page about cake related stories (Kim Kardashian's desire to have a "William and Kate" cake), contacting local reporters offering yourself up as the local Cake Boss, and posting any ensuing coverage on your page. And, while we're talking about "cake" TV shows, post comments that critique episodes of Ace of Cakes. Encourage your fans to send in their favorite cake recipes, or have them vote for their favorite cake. Gradually, your command of the subject of cakes will begin to spread, inevitably drawing more customers to your business, who, while there to purchase a cake, may pick up a dozen donuts and a loaf of bread as well. Substitute "cake" for any of your product offerings, then "command" becomes "cookie" cutter!
Contest

PR driven contests are a great way to build traffic and fans on your Facebook page so long as the contest raises and reinforces awareness about your service or product offerings. MasterCard and American Airlines, Dunkin' Donuts and Captain America: The First Avenger, and EA Skate and Miracle Whip, all non-competing entities, recently teamed-up for co-sponsored Facebook contests.

Similarly, for a small business, Facebook contests are more successful and effective when co-sponsored with a non-competing local partner. Let's go back to the bakery! We can indulge ourselves in pastries - almost guilt-free - as long as we keep up with our exercise. How about hitting the gym, literally and figuratively!
For example, the bakery works with a local gym for two weeks on a mutually beneficial promotion, and offers fans of the gym's Facebook page 15% off of its whole wheat bread and gluten-free products; in exchange, the gym offers a 15% discount on products and services available at the health club to the bakery fans. During this promotion, new members of the bakery's Facebook community will be eligible to wín a month's free supply of whole wheat bread; similarly, new fans of the gym's Facebook page can enter to win a free one-month membership. This "out of the box" contest and unlikely pairing allows the bakery (also the gym) to spread brand awareness to a brand new audience online.

Cause

Nothing spreads goodwill like supporting a local cause, particularly one that has an active fan base on Facebook. Every major corporation and business helps support a variety of causes, i.e. Toys "R" Us and Autism Speaks, Macy's and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Kmart and the March of Dimes. Local businesses should adopt the same big-business mentality, and not only help support a local charity, but engage your fans (and theirs) in a clever campaign to raise awareness for the cause and for you. Let's go back to the baker who is in the food business. Inevitably, the baker is providing day-old bagels to soup kitchens, which is noble, but is it helping grow brand awareness and business, particularly via social media?

So, let's cook-up a cause campaign! Suppose the baker embarks on a "Pie-Us" (notice the synonym for noble) campaign to help the soup kitchen. The first order of business is to partner - again, as above, two heads are better than one - with a local restaurant (preferably one that the baker works with as a vendor, or any non-competing food business) for a new pie recipe contest via the bakery's and restaurant's Facebook pages. The champion pie (named after the winner), prepared by the bakery, is then sold to the restaurant and served there for one month. For each pie sold, the bakery and restaurant make an agreed-upon donation to the soup kitchen. The campaign helps a worthy cause, promotes brand awareness (for all three entities), solidifies the bakery as the local authority on pies, and creates excitement and new fans on the bakery's Facebook page.

Connect

By its very nature, social media is meant to connect. Thus, Facebook initiatives should connect your business with new and potential customers. For every new fan you gain on Facebook through unique cause programs, contests or promotions, you're automatically connecting with your new fans' Facebook friends, introducing your brand to scores of potential new customers.

Many businesses "preach to the choir" by keeping their posts and activities limited to bland (can we say "stale" at this point) and business-centric posts, links and comments. Moreover, they treat the page as a circular, posting endless sales and specials. This was not how Facebook was intended to be used, and this will not connect you with new customers.

A famous automotive CEO once said that the secret to success for a business was to "communicate, communicate, communicate." Today, that word can be replaced with connect. Connect by commanding an issue, connect with local and non-competing businesses, connect contests to causes and promotions, connect your brand to new customers by connecting PR to social media campaigns on Facebook!

Merriam-Webster defines a myth as "a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon."

It's been said all myths are based in fact. Whether or not that's true is debatable. What isn't debatable, however, is like society, Social media also has its myths. This article exposes what I consider to be the 10 biggest Social media myths.

1. Social Media is Nothing But a Bunch of Carnival Barkers
On the surface, it may seem like social media is a bunch of people with bullhorns shouting back and forth at each other. But if you know what you're doing, social media can be a very effective and profitable bullhorn.

For example, contests, sweepstakes and giveaways are a great hook and can be very effective when used in conjunction with social media. Want to know what else is very effective? Great content. If you have a great article or video on your website that has educational and/or entertainment value and you share it with others on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, it has the potential of becoming viral and can give you the kind of valuable exposure money just can't purchase.

2. You Have to Be on Every Social Network

What a bunch of malarkey! You can be on all the social networks in the world, but if you don't use any of them effectively and maximize their potential, you're better of being on none of them. No, it's not the number of social networks you're on that matters, it's how effectively you use them that's important.

My advice: Unless you're an experienced and skilled marketer, focus on one social network at a time. Maximize the potential of each network, before moving onto the next one.

3. Anyone Can Succeed at Social Media

One of my favorite TV shows is Forensic Files. I am absolutely fascinated at how scientists are able to solve crimes with DNA evidence...blood, saliva - even fingernail clippings! It's nothing short of incredible. But I couldn't ever be a forensic scientist. I simply don't have the mental aptitude for it. Forensic scientists have to excel at math and chemistry and science, and quite frankly, those are the subjects I'm weakest at.
The same can be said about social media. Despite how easy the experts make it sound, not everybody has the mental aptitude for social media. And while that may be a bitterly hard pill to swallow for many of you reading this, it's also a fact. Not everybody has what it takes mentally, physically or psychologically to succeed with social media. That's just the way it is.

4. Social Media Will Replace Face-to-Face Networking

Nonsense! People always have and always will prefer face-to-face communication over all other forms of communication. It's in our DNA. That's why organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and BNI (Business Network International) continue to prosper.

Networking online has its advantages - convenience being the most obvious. But it won't ever replace the need for human interaction and good ol' face-to-face networking.
5. Social Media Can Replace Your Website

Sorry to burst your bubble, but websites aren't a luxury, they're a necessity. And I am absolutely amazed at how many people there are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the other social networks who don't have a website - not even a blog. I think this is a mistake for a number of reasons.

First of all, search engines are content driven vehicles. And while you may have a nice profile on the various social networks, it's not the same as having unique content on your website.

In addition, you have complete control over the content on your website, as opposed to social network profiles which are limited and have user guidelines. Also, it's much easier to build your brand if you have a website. Think about it.

6. Blogging Doesn't Work

Blogging works, but just like any marketing tool, it has to be properly executed. Unfortunately, many marketers don't have a game plan when it comes to blogging and no matter what you attempt in life or in business, if you don't have a game plan, you will fail.

When it comes to blogging, the first thing you need to figure out is, are you doing it for fun or for profit? There's a huge difference. If you're doing it for fun, you don't need to take blogging seriously. You can fool around with it and post at your leisure without any pressure to generate any income.

On the other hand, if you're blogging for profit, you have to approach blogging much more seriously. You have to treat it like a business because that's exactly what it is - a business. That means you have to post often and refresh your content regularly to keep visitors coming back. It also means you have to figure out an effective way to monetize your website so that it's profitable.

For example, instead of monetizing your blog using Adsense, affiliate programs or banners, why not use any skills you have to create a product or service to monetize your blog. That way, instead of getting a slice of the profit, you get to keep the whole darn pie!

7. You Can't Measure Your Return on Investment With Social Media

That's only true if you are inexperienced and don't know what you're doing. However, professional marketers easily track and measure their social media ROI by using analytic software like Google Analytics. For example, GA will allow you to track visitors coming from social networks and the actions they took. You can do this by setting up "Goals" in Google Analytics to see which links you are tracking generate the most activity.

You'd be surprised at the number of sophisticated actions GA can perform. All you have to do is take some time to study the tutorials to see what's possible with GA. After all, that's what being a professional is all about.

8. Social Media is Time Consuming

Well, that depends on the individual and how disciplined he or she is. I use social media very effectively, and I spend less than 15 minutes a day combined on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube - but I'm disciplined. I do what I need to do on those sites and then I'm outta there!

Yes, I realize it's fun to hang out with your friends all day and socialize. But it's not the best use of your time. True professionals realize, there's a time and place for everything. It's all about being disciplined.

9. Social Media Isn't Right for Your Type of Business

Well, let's examine that statement shall we? Does your business need to generate new leads? Traffic? Build your brand? Strengthen your SEO efforts? Provide customer support? Give your customers a platform to give feedback and suggestions in real-time?

If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, social media is right for your business.

10. Create a Profile Page and Forget It

Do you know what happens if you create a profile page on a social network and don't promote it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing will happen.

Unfortunately, far too many marketers think all they have to do is create a profile page on the various social networks and somehow people will magically appear at their doorstep - credít cards in hand. Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. Creating a profile is only the first step. You have to constantly promote your profile page and actively participate in the social networks you belong to.

The word "hemp" is English for a number of varieties of the cannabis plant, particularly the varieties like "industrial hemp" that were bred over time for industrial uses such as fuel, fiber, paper, seed, food, oil, etc.  

The term "marijuana" is of Spanish derivation, and was primarily used to describe varieties of cannabis that were more commonly bred over time for medicinal and recreational purposes, like cannabis indica , and certain strains of cannabis sativa. 

In fact, when all forms of hemp were made illegal in the early part of the last century, it was used in the majority of the prescription drugs then sold in America.  That was certainly no accident. Those who favor the use of what is now called "medical marijuana" recognize these strong medicinal qualities.

But marijuana and the medical or recreational varieties of cannabis are not really at issue today, because science readily allows us to distinguish them from industrial hemp by simple tests for the huge difference in the potency of the plants, i.e. the percentage of the psychotropic ingredient: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC"), the active psychotropic ingredient found in the leaves and flowers of the female plant, but not in her seeds or stems. 

Two cannabinoids are preponderant in cannabis: THC, the psychoactive ingredient, and CBD, which is an antipsychoactive ingredient. Marijuana is high in the psychoactive cannabinoid, THC, and low in the antipsychoactive cannabinoid, CBD. The reverse is true for industrial hemp; when hemp was or is bred for its desirable industrial qualities, the percentage of THC is minimal, while the percentage of CBD is high. 

While marijuana has a potency range of 3% to 20% by dry weight of THC, industrial hemp is generally defined as having less than 1.0% THC, and the normal range is under 0.5%.  These THC levels are so low that no one could get high from smoking it. To receive a standard psychoactive dose would require a person to power-smoke 10-12 hemp cigarettes over an extremely short period of time. The large volume and high temperature of vapor, gas and smoke would be almost impossible for a person to withstand. 

Moreover, hemp contains a relatively high percentage of another cannabinoid, CBD, that actually blocks the marijuana high.  Hemp, it turns out, is not only not marijuana; it could be called "antimarijuana." 

Feral hemp, or "ditchweed", is a remnant of the industrial hemp once grown on more than 400,000 acres by U.S. farmers. It also contains extremely low levels of THC, as low as .05 percent. It has no drug value, but does offer important environmental benefits as a nesting habitat for birds. About 99 percent of the "marijuana" being eradicated by the federal government-at great public expense-is this harmless ditchweed. 

So industrial hemp or ditchweed simply does not have enough THC for any practical use as a recreational drug, and anyone who grows industrial hemp will certainly have to suffer the legal consequences of trying to grow marijuana. But that too is very unlikely for a number of reasons:

Industrial Hemp is grown quite differently from marijuana. Hemp plants are cultivated inches apart to produce plants with tall stalks, while pot plants are short and spaced a few feet apart to produce bushy, THC-rich flowers and leaves.  Moreover, they are harvested at different times.  

Marijuana cultivators also try to cull male plants to prevent fertilization of the female plant. Unfertilized females produce more THC, making it attractive as a drug (sinsemilla).  In contrast, hemp production typically seeks fertilization to produce seeds.  

And cross-pollination between hemp plants and marijuana plants would significantly reduce the potency of the marijuana plant. If hemp does pollinate any nearby marijuana, genetically, the result will always be lower-THC marijuana, not higher-THC hemp. "The pot crop would always get weaker," Mahlberg said. If hemp is grown outdoors, marijuana will not be grown close by to avoid producing lower-grade marijuana. A pot grower would fear the inevitable pollen from hemp cultivation in a mixed plot, and would not hide his plant in industrial hemp fields.  

Likewise, extracting THC from industrial hemp and further refining it to eliminate the preponderance of CBD would require such an expensive, hazardous, and time-consuming process that it is extremely unlikely anyone would ever attempt it, rather than simply obtaining high-THC marijuana instead. 

[Also see: www.votehemp.com/PDF/myths_facts.pdf to review: Hemp and Marijuana -- Myths and Realities by Dr. Dave West, who holds a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from the University of Minnesota and has spent 18 years as a commercial corn breeder, and, since 1993 he has served as an advisor to the emerging hemp industry regarding industrial hemp germplasm.]  

All of this goes to show why, in countries where hemp is grown as an agricultural crop, the police have experienced no such burdens. In fact, there are over 30 nations on the planet currently growing industrial hemp.  These include Canada, Australia, England, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Russia, and China. 

The regulations established in these countries are simple: contract production, aerial ASCS type maps of fields, only government certified low THC seed, pre- and post-harvest field surveys, field checks on THC levels and an open field policy.  And they do not have an increased problem with prosecution for marijuana use. So legalizing hemp would not burden local police forces.  

I need 10 people experiencing pain to message me your mailing address. I also need another 10 people with Fibromyalgia to message me your mailing address. I will be sending each an all organic, product which I think will help. Advertising laws prevent me from telling you what I think it will do, but if you message me your mailing address I will send it to you in exchange for you reporting back your results.

If you want better search engine results (and more clicks, and more business), and you haven't paid attention to "Google Places," you need to do so right away.

Why You Need to Claim Your Spot on Google Places

* Google has stated that one out of five searches on Google is related to location. That translates to 2.6 billion "local" searches a month, and that number is increasing 50% per year. (Yes, that's "Billion"-with a "B.") * If you're a family law or divorce attorney in Irvine, CA for example, you want to show up when someone does a Google search for "divorce attorney orange county," or some variant of that - which happened over 56,000 times last month. Maybe your niche or location can't boast that kind of volume, but when you get your Places page set up and positioned correctly, it can still have a dramatic effect.

* A good Google Places listíng can provide a valuable bump in your search engine ranking and in your ability to reach and interact with prospects and customers. You can even post real-time updates to your Places page to promote a sale or seminar or other event, put up a coupon, or communicate anything else.

* Google Places has become so important that it has become a marketing niche all on its own, with "local marketing SEO" consultants that do nothing but help businesses use it properly.

Now, that you know why you need to be on Google Places - how can you claim your spot so you can experience improved search engine results and more website traffic?

Claiming Your Google Places Page

If you haven't already claimed your places page, simply go to Google.com/places and work your way through the process, after reading the 7 tips below. If you don't have a Google account, you'll have to create one, but it's easy, and free. For a detailed, step-by-step video guide to the proper set up of your Places page, you can go to: www.honestwebsitemarketing.com

7 Tips to Help You Get Your Google Places&Other Local Search Directories' Listing Found - Plus Get More Clicks

1. Get Consistent in How You List Your Address and Phone Number

When Google crawls the web, and your website, it can read "123 Main Street" as something different than "123 Main St." It will even see "123 Main St." as something different than "123 Main St."
Same thing with phone numbers. "(714) 555-5555" will be seen as being different than "714-555-5555," which is different than "(714) 555 5555."

2. Use a Local Phone Number

If you have an 800 number, or other toll-free number, show your local number as your primary phone, and show the toll-free number as an additional one.

3. Get Consistent in How You List Your Company Name

If your company name is "Honest Website Marketing" (which we hope it isn't since that's our name) don't show "Honest Website Marketing" in one place, then in another place put "Honest Website Marketing, LLC." Just like with addresses and phone numbers, the search engines may think those are two different companies.
So, look at your website, and be sure you're consistent throughout your site. Then, do it the same way on your "Places" page, and your "YELP" page, and your Chamber of Commerce listing, and on Yellowpages.com and the other hundred local directories you can get yourself listed in.

4. Fill in Your Website's URL

This may seem obvious, but people miss it all the time. And if your site shows as www.yoursite.com/, don't list it in your Places page as www.yoursite.com . That tiny difference can be a problem.

5. Post Reviews

Posting reviews from happy customers is one of the most powerful things you can do to get your "Places" page ranked well. Encourage your customers to find your Places page and then write a review. Reviews on your Places page are particularly important in pushing it to the top of the search results, which gets you more clicks. Plus, it helps you build credibility so you get more clicks to your website.

6. Get Citations

I do not mean the ones you get from the Highway Patrol. But, I do mean the ones you get by getting listed in other places and directoríes, such as Superpages.com, Yelp, Citysearch, your Chamber of Commerce listing, and the other fifty or a hundred directory-type places you ought to get yourself listed in. Every time you get listed some place and get a citation, you beef up your importance in Google's eyes, which helps you gain higher search engine rankings

7. Post Photographs, or Better Yet, Videos, or Even Better, Both

Pictures and videos are appealing to your visitors and Google loves them. So take full advantage of the ability to post them on your Places page. It's just as important there as it is on your website itself.

These are only a few of the things you can to enhance the effectiveness of your Places page.

These 7 can be done by anyone, even people without a lot of technical knowledge. Of course, you can outsource the task to a website marketing pro who specializes in local search marketing as the expert will save you time.

I've been selling rugged outdoor wear and discount camping gear for over three years now.I'm talking heated jackets and vests, sleeping bags, hiking boots and backpacks and so much more. Over 2500 items in all sorts of categories, but there seemed to be something missing.

When my camping and hiking customers are out in the wild what can they readily get their hands on that they can eat? If you're as old as me you remember the Grape Nuts commercial where Euell Gibbons suggested making tea with pine needles.  Not exactly a meal is it?

That's why I think it is fantastic that I've found the Versativa line of raw whole food products by Forever green. This company does it right. The Versativa Pulse comes in a resealable bag and fits perfectly in one's backpack. With Versativa Pulse you can now eat organic, clean raw foods on the trail and feel good about it. Versativa Pulse comes in raspberry, cherry or blueberry and tastes great. Pulse is the highest quality of food known to man. Enjoy your Versativa Pulse today

Join the movement

http://www.myversativa.com/henry

A Socially Responsible
T-Shirt?

Well… that’s the idea. ONNO’s shirts are made with sustainable fibers: bamboo, hemp and organic cotton. Our shirts are produced in work places that we feel good about. Read more here: socially responsible manufacturing. We buy carbon offsets to balance the harm we do by transporting our shirts from here to there. Read more here: the importance of carbon offsets.

Yeah, but will I like your organic t-shirts?