Purple Phone PR & Marketing

Facebook Statistics

I should have probably known that this page existed, but I generally get my data from other sources, so I've JUST now stumbled upon Facebook's press page, which provides several useful statistics for the marketing professional - or for the do-it-yourself marketer.

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

Rotating Photos, Confused Customers

Wait - where did you go?  I feel like I just got to know you and now I've lost you.  Oh - that's you now with the baby as your icon.  Or, are you the dog with bright red glasses now?  Help!

As you delve into social media, all the advice out there implores you to add a photo to your profile.  And, I do agree!  You must.  After all, I follow you visually, so I want to be able to recognize you as quickly as possible.  I've got 500 people on Twitter to sift through, so I need to identify you and mentally connect quickly.

Now, if you're my buddy down the street, chances are good that I'm going to see your baby niece's picture and smile or get the dog joke and chuckle, BUT if you're online and using your profile to do business, you take a chance by changing your photo out too often.

Why?  Because, your photo becomes you.  Certainly, that's an overstatement in real life, but online, your photo (or icon or logo or whatever image you initially use in your profile) becomes your brand.  It's how I recognize you if I don't know you .  It's how I connected with you when I first "met" you.  

So, think long and hard when you make your first choice of profile picture.  And, think again before you go and change it.  Change it too often and you may find yourself confusing your customers.

Five Organizing Tips to Help You Get Noticed

It's true that the public relations and marketing are artforms, but any business owner can take that first step to getting noticed on his or her own by writing press releases and setting up a website.  The trouble is that even those with the best intentions of tackling their public relations and marketing themselves struggle to fit the tasks into their day to day schedules.  To those business owners, I offer the following five tips that will help you blend your marketing efforts into your day to day operations:

1. Set goals.  As with any part of your operation, you need to first know what you're trying to accomplish before you dive in and get started.  Know who you are trying to reach and what infomation you are trying to offer them.
2. Block off brainstorming time.  If you don't set aside periodic time for brainstorming marketing related projects, you're going to run into one of two walls:  either, you'll be stuck doing the same thing over and over and never hitting your target, or you'll end up diving on each and every idea that comes your way without first evaluating if its going to meet your goals.
3. Carry a notebook.  If you're going to start tackling your own PR, you'll need to get comfortable with writing.  The trouble is that there is nothing more intimidating than staring at a blank page.  Bring a notebook along with you everywhere.  Jot down your inspirations when you're at the grocery store or out playing golf.  Have ideas ready for when you need to sit and write.
4. Pull out your calendar.  Mark your calendar with specific times where you will sit down and get your tasks completed.  It sounds so basic, but if you haven't blocked off this time, how will you ever fit it in, right?
5. Keep an idea file.  Remember that you don't have to reinvent everything from scratch each time.  As you see an idea that really hits home with you, or that you think would really interest your target client, keep it on file.  That way, when you're looking for inspiration, it's at your fingertips.

Work to incorporate these five tips into your daily habits and you'll be producing interesting and useful materials whenever you need them.