Brian Carter

SMMW: Turning Social Advertising Into Leads and Sales

admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 03:30:53 +0000

At SMMW I’m going to be speak on B2B leads and Sales via social media, mainly via Facebook and LinkedIn.

Here are some of the topics I’ll address. AND it will be funny because I do stand up comedy and improv and have social media jokes, so you’re going to be laughing & learning!

B2B social media marketing ROI case studies.
What can you learn from the most active B2B social marketers like Marketo, Salesforce & Hubspot?
What really works to get leads AND sales.
The best strategies to push prospects deeper into the funnel, no matter what stage they’re at.
What makes posts shareable? (I co-wrote a new ebook with Marketo called “Contagious Content”)
What’s the “Perpetual Promotion Machine” and how can it get you leads?
Why LinkedIn isn’t enough by itself.
LinkedIn ads success despite their tiny images.
How to do B2B targeting effectively on Facebook and get results.
Do you really have to create content? Can you become a thought leader?
How social media freelancers can get more business.

See you at 2:15 PDT Monday April 8th at Social Media Marketing World!

It’s called: “Turning Social Advertising Into Leads and Sales”

The Digital Marketing Sales Funnel: Strategies & Metrics

admin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:17:44 +0000

It’s not an infographic, because infographics convey data insights. This is a marketing best-practice strategigraphic that provides a framework for understanding each phase of the sales funnel, including loyalty, the key strategies that drive them and some of the key metrics for each phase. It’s also the best design I’ve ever done, I think. I’m no designer… but I’ve learned some tricks in PowerPoint :-)

I may discuss the details involved in each phase later on, but I don’t think everyone’s going to need that I wanted to get this out there sooner than later (which coincidentally is always now).

Overview: You start by making prospects aware of your company and offerings, then move them around the circle to action. The faded upward arrow represents a sale that takes customers into the loyalty phase. Brand advocacy by loyal customers in turn can influence prospects at every stage and improve your results. Loyalty metrics are in the middle.

I Got To Keynote At Microsoft on Social Media

admin — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 07:18:09 +0000

Still jazzed I got to do this. I keynoted the social media day of Microsoft’s internal search & social training conference. Who did the SEO day keynote? Rand Fishkin. And the first day keynote was Microsoft’s CMO. So I was in great company. Here are the slides, and so this is my latest stuff including my latest jokes. I’ll post a video or audio as soon as I can. Enjoy!

Microsoft Social Media Keynote Speaker – March 6, 2013 from Brian Carter

Free Ebook: 37 Facebook Advertising Tips

admin — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:24:41 +0000

Facebook ads are a powerful, affordable opportunity. They can boost your business and create profits. They work for many businesses: large and small, even freelancers and artists.

Make sure your business is getting the most out of them. These 37 tips will help you better understand Facebook advertising, what their best practice use looks like, and how to get more out of them.

Download This Free Ebook!

This is a 45-page free ebook. I’ve boiled down the most important things you need to do to succeed with Facebook ads.

One consequence of running Facebook ads without these tips as a checklist is wasting your ad dollars. I’ve been consulting with companies on Internet advertising for nine years, and the most common thing I see (with both Facebook and AdWords ads) are people who’ve started ads on their own, made all the common mistakes, and didn’t get results. All the money they spent on the first month or two of ads is lost. They didn’t even set things up in a way that we’d have data to learn from those ads.

Save yourself money and grief by reading this free ebook first. Fill out the form and get it now >>>

The Perpetual Promotion Machine

admin — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:46:24 +0000

A strategy I use that works like gangbusters. What do you think?

There may never be a perpetual motion machine, and all marketing promotions may be imperfect, but this system helps you get the most out of every marketing dollar. The idea is to be everywhere your prospects are, reminding them of you and bringing them back to your website as many times as possible.

The Perpetual Promotion Machine from Brian Carter

New PODCAST: Why Risk-Taking Is Awesome

admin — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 05:09:35 +0000

A new Chaos Pie episode is out today, and it’s all about why innovation and risk go hand in hand. Why are young movers and shakers so scrappy? How do big companies avoid and manage risk. And: George Takei, New Coke, content marketing, and jokes about Star Trek. Listen now!

Bloomberg TV: LinkedIn, Twitter & Apple

admin — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 01:18:11 +0000

I got to go back on Bloomberg TV’s Surveillance show (this time with Ken Sena of EverCore Partners) with Tom Keene, Sara Eisen and Scarlet Fu- sharp and witty bunch, always fun. They asked us about LinkedIn, Twitter and Apple… and I gave some controversial opinions that are worth at least as much as you’re paying for them

That said, let me expand my thoughts a bit:

LinkedIn: I think they have very solid business fundamentals and are doing a great sales job to the recruiting industry. They have multiple ways to make money on their data, and they have the best resume-related data online.
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Twitter: I’m not a huge fan, because I think they don’t have strong positioning versus LinkedIn and Facebook, which have strong B2B and B2C marketing offerings. Twitter is ok for bloggers, journalists and celebrities, but not my first choice for anything. I used to be a big fan, but they were too slow to evolve their offering from 2009 to 2011 and still haven’t improved it much.
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Apple: Again, only my opinion as an armchair CEO/CMO and a consumer… I don’t completely understand Apple’s cult-like following (it’s always reminded me of a political party or religion to me) , but it may be related to their roots in education (college) and innovation. Without Steve Jobs, the biggest question is whether they remain leaders in the tech device marketplace. If not, Samsung and Windows can steal a fair amount of mobile and OS business from them. While in Norway, I was at a Microsoft event and saw what Windows 8 on a Samsung Mobile device was like, and it was much cooler than I expected. I think if all Tim Cook does is maintain the status quo, Apple will have some down years.
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Click on the picture to go watch it!

New Podcast: Overcoming Failure

admin — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 04:57:44 +0000

We all fail sometimes! Michael Jordan said “I’ve failed over and over and over, and that’s why I’ve succeeded,” and Charles Barley said, “If you aren’t willing to fail, you don’t deserve success.” But it’s not a popular topic. We don’t want to admit that we fail at all, let alone often- but if you could get all of those people who seem the most successful to be honest… you’d hear about a lot of failure too. So how do we overcome it? Bounce back? Learn from it? That’s what this new Chaos Pie episode is all about- and there’s plenty of ADD and humor, as usual. Click play and enjoy!

Sock Monkeys Against Cancer, Seriously, WTF (Where’s the Funding?)

admin — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:08:40 +0000

This is a guest post by Jennifer Stauss Windrum.

NoMo the SMAC! leader

NoMo is the ringleader of “SMAC! – Sock Monkeys Against Cancer”, a gang of monkeys that provides tangible support to those with cancer, reminding them no one fights it alone.

Right now, NoMo is just a prototype.

But, with YOUR help, NoMo and his SMAC! buddy, Phoenix, can soon be in the hands of those with/impacted by cancer to help them SMAC! it, by pledging your financial support here.

(Check-writer only? See bottom of this post for details).

Funds pledged to my SMAC! campaign on the Start Some Good crowdfunding platform are used to launch my startup – the SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer product line, which so far includes two SMAC! monkey prototypes:

NoMo, the ALL cancer fighting monkey
Phoenix, the “WTF? (Where’s the Funding) for Lung Cancer?” fighting monkey

NoMo and Phoenix

I have one month to raise approximately $35,000 to launch the SMAC! monkey product line (November 1-30). You get some sweet rewards for pledging. Check them out here.

My ultimate goal: Create a custom monkey for each type of cancer.

My ultimate dream: Anyone diagnosed with cancer gets a SMAC! monkey from their hospital.

The Big Why

This whole entrepreneurial endeavor isn’t just about some random monkeys and attaching cancer to their name. It’s about my Mom… and too many others like her.

The SMAC! monkey line was inspired by my Mom, Leslie Lehrman, who was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer six years ago. No, she never smoked. ANYONE can get lung cancer (‘nother whole story).

Mom snoozing with NoMo & Phoenix.

Cancer can be a very lonely existence. Family and friends can’t always be there. My Mom lives more than 1,200 miles away, making her appointments, tests, scan results and treatments that much harder for both of us.

This is why I created SMAC! — to give Mom a “buddy” she could hug to remind her that I am with her.

It’s hard for me to describe how my boys (NoMo and Phoenix) make me feel. I look into their little eyes and they just make my heart melt. It may sound silly, but when I get up, I say ‘good morning’ to them too. They just make me happy…even on my darkest days.
-Leslie Lehrman (Mom)

Mom has taken her SMAC! monkeys everywhere – to chemo, doctor appointments and to the couch for some much needed rest (and snuggle time). She says they are now part of the family.

SMAC! Nation

Mom and I want to build “SMAC! Nation,” a global movement in the fight against cancer that arms those with/impacted by this dang disease with cancer-crushing companions of the sock monkey kind.

With YOUR help, SMAC! Nation will be built with great philanthropic purpose, with giving at the heart of it all.

The SMAC! Mission

Tangible Support: Provide constant comfort, sock monkey “mojo” and a cancer-busting buddy to those moving through their cancer journey.

Giving: “One SMAC! = Two” Business Model: When you buy a SMAC! monkey, one will be given to someone with cancer (model to go into action the minute the company can financially sustain it).

Create Social Change: By giving to those impacted by cancer, you will also be contributing to advances in cancer research and programs (model to go into action the minute the company can financially sustain it).

So, doing good to create good – all bundled together in one package.

Mom with NoMo & Phoenix at chemo.

Corporate Giving

Following the implementation of One SMAC = Two, my next giving goal is to direct steady SMAC! corporate funds to the following:

National Coalition of Oncology Nurse Navigators – Professional organization that supports oncology nurse navigators assist patients and families to receive essential support services that help ease the burdens during cancer treatment.

Liz’s Legacy at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center – One of 66 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers in the U.S. Funds will be directed to lung cancer research.

I’m a huge advocate for ensuring people understand where their money is going when they give to any cause.

Jane and NoMo going for a spin

Conscious Capitalism

Yes, there is such a thing as conscious capitalism and I’m a big believer. “SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer” will operate under Jennifer Windrum Inc. as a socially conscious for profit company.

A good and successful example of combining a for profit with a social mission is TOMS Shoes. Like TOMS, SMAC! is more than just a product. It’s a movement that inspires people to want to help – to want to give – to want to be part of a larger mission to do good.

Please know I will be open, honest and forthcoming about where your SMAC! dollars go throughout the startup process and beyond.

Little SMAC!-ers spreading the word!

Join the Movement

For kids and adults alike, the SMAC! monkeys are ready to get down the business.

Join the movement! Help bring NoMo and Phoenix to life to help you and/or your loved ones SMAC! cancer. Pledge here!

Pledge today!

ps…if you only feel comfortable pledging by writing a check, you can send a check to the following (needs to arrive by November 28th):

Gothenburg State Bank
Leslie Lehrman SMAC! Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 81
Gothenburg, NE 69138
Please add a sticky note: “To be deposited into account # 944041”

Those who write a checks are, unfortunately, not eligible for campaign rewards, but you will still help send SMAC! monkeys to cancer patients at the Nebraska Medical Center.

pps…Feel free to hang out with the SMAC! monkeys online. They kinda think they are social media super stars.

Wall Street Likes Facebook, For Now (VIDEO)

admin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:46:35 +0000

Doubts about Facebook’s future had been blamed in large part on their lack of mobile revenues. Facebook fixed that in just three months. Pretty impressive. Facebook stock was up 23% after reports on their 3rd quarter showed that mobile was 14% of their ad revenues. Those mobile revenues were 15 times higher than Q2. My comments on Bloomberg TV were a response to naysayers about Facebook’s IPO.

I also commented, though it’s not in the video, that many people now view Facebook as a necessary place to check several times per day, just so they can keep up with their friends’ latest real world moves.

Also, I speculated that Facebook may have Google’s search dominance in their sights. I believe that Wall Street pressure, their partnership with Bing, and their ability to change the user interface whenever they want will make this an obvious strategic possibility for them. I don’t believe the average Google user can really see a different in search result quality (in other words, Google’s competitive advantage is really more a brand assumption than something people can verify once they question it). Yes, it may take time, but Facebook could slowly integrate web search results (naturally favoring sites that use Facebook like buttons and other social plugins) into their normal user experience, acclimating people to the idea that Facebook is really about people’s social experience across the entire web. Whether they go this route, and how fast, may be moderated by how much they monetize the rest of the web through FB Exchange. Currently, they prefer to keep people on Facebook.

The upshot for marketers? Test mobile ads and make sure your website uses Facebook social plugins.