Type-A Mom Conference – Social Media Training and Consulting in Your Community

I’m looking forward to the Social Media Training and Consulting in Your Community session here at the Type-A Mom Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. Our speaker is Sarah Pinnix (@RealLifeSarah). It’s a full house in here! People are even sitting on the floor.

Sarah says that Kelby is very forward thinking in having this session for us. There are plenty of speakers who talk about national social media consulting, but we’re going to learn about leveraging our own experience in our local communities.

We’re having some technical difficulties with the laptop projection. Oops.

Give people what they need, and they will come. Local businesses want to know how to get more moms as customers. Moms have so much power over the family budget. “If you want more moms to come to your business, you may want to clean up your bathroom, because no mom wants to take their kid to that.”

Sarah created the High Country Mom Squad, which sounds a whole lot like Kids Fun Plaza, the Northeastern New York parenting magazine I’m editing.  She started a workshop series to help local business owners reach the mom audience.

People value what you have. Reach for the stars. Sometimes you have to look in the mirror and say, “I’m not Chris Brogan. I’m not Maria Bailey. But what do I have that I can excel at? How can I shine?” This is your local market.

Cute little graphic about how to become a famous blogger: become famous, become a blogger, become a famous blogger – or become a blogger, become famous, become a famous blogger.

Becoming a successful blogger does not mean you have to be famous.

• A successful nationally-focused blog presence, reach, engaged audience, growing community, sharing valuable content in your niche.
• Experience with the most common social media platforms, Blogs/RSS, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
• Experience working with companies on PR campaigns and marketing efforts through your blog/social media
• A passion for teaching others

You don’t have to be making money with your blog in order to teach businesses how to make money with their blogs. Sarah says her audience is her currency. She teaches businesses how to get the audience; they have their own ways to make money once they get the audience.

Think globally; act locally. Engage on the national scene, but use your experience locally.

Stop chasing the “shiny!” Focus! (Fiona Bryan, Bantering Blonde)

Are you going for the glory or for professional development and a chance to help provide for your family? Sometimes they go together, but not always.

Build your knowledge base  first. Sarah likes a few books: Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin, Social Media 101 by Chris Brogan, and UnMarketing by Scott Stratten. Local businesses try to use old marketing techniques online, and it doesn’t work.

Establish yourself locally as an expert. Find out what you’re doing that is newsworthy and relevant in your community.

Get in the news. This involves knowing how to write a proper press release. Call your local TV station and your local newspaper. (I got in the newspaper by responding to a local pitch on HARO.)

Start promoting your local businesses on your social media outlets. Then tell them you’re doing it. Drop hints about the responses you get when you tweet about them.

Offer to help someone for free. Get your feet wet with a business owner friend or an establishment you frequent regularly.

Sarah’s Web site lists her upcoming workshops and seminars. She does a free introductory course about overview and philosophy of permission marketing and relationship marketing. Try to get some sponsors. She has a partnership with a local hotel, which provides the event space for her.

Find national case studies. “Why your company needs a blog and an RSS feed.” Updatable, dynamic content. She does an illustration with a playground ball where she throws it at someone who isn’t expecting it, and they don’t appreciate it. When she makes a social contract with someone else in the room about catching the ball because it’s fun, it has a positive outcome. This is what permission marketing is about.

Keep up with Facebook, because almost everyone is on Facebook, but not as many are on Twitter. Perceived relevance is important. Interaction makes them more relevant and will get their fans’ friends involved as well.

Sarah does her seminars a month apart. By next month, the businesses should have their blog set up. The month after that, they should be on Facebook. The month after that, they should be on Twitter.

Twitter, photo sharing, tech apps, integrating social media with existing Web presence.

Your pricing should be in your sphere. You can charge more for a larger market. Sarah charges $75 for individual sessions or $65 each if they sign up for multiple sessions.

Private Consulting with Businesses

• LISTEN first.
• Find out their marketing goals.
• Craft a step by step plan to help them achieve that goal.
• Suggest ways they can go beyond their stated goals.
• Do research beforehard, and write a written report with your recommendations.
• Set rates based on your area’s market.
• Be the devil’s advocate.

Ocean Isle Inn used social media marketing to get booked solid this summer.

You can tell your local businesses about social media campaigns (including reviews) you’ve done for national companies.

Sarah partners with a community manager and a tech guy to help the companies who attend her seminar actually implement her suggestions.

Christina Gleason (976 Posts)

That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a writer, editor, and disability advocate. I'm a multiply disabled autistic lady doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and casual gaming. I hate vegetables. I cannot reliably speak, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or messaging instead.