Business Visibility: What works now?
May 4, 2011 by MaryEllen · Leave a Comment
Social media rules if one believes the headlines. At one point during reporting of Osama Bin Laden’s death, Twitter
logged more than 4,000 tweets per minute.
Yet, according to Jeremiah Owjang, Industry Analyst and Partner for Altimeter, 41% of all businesses are reactive, not proactive when it comes to social media.
Local experience bears out national statistics like these. Consider the bed and breakfast operator who now uses only Facebook to promote. Or, the feed store now building an email list as well as a Facebook page. No print. No local advertising.
Has social media killed other methods of advertising? Or, are businesses merely reacting to the mode of the day, hoping for dramatic results?
In a presentation for the Albuquerque Independent Business Association’s Local.Lunch.Learn, Mary Ellen Merrigan talks about strategies to successfully navigate today’s gaggle of marketing channels. She draws on stories from locals as well as national case studies to create actionable and pragmatic solutions.
Details:
Location: Slate Street Café
515 Slate Ave NW
Time: 11:30am – 1:00pm, Thursday May 12, 2011
Title: “Facebook, Twitter, Flyers and More – What’s Working Now?”
Reservations required
About Mary Ellen Merrigan
Mary Ellen wrote and published The Six-Week Marketing Master Plan to guide small businesses through the marketing maze. The revised e-book, published in March 2011, serves as the basis for an ongoing series of classes designed to guide individuals through their own marketing plan. For class information, contact the South Valley SBDC. Mary Ellen continues to combine social media with other more traditional channels. She regularly consults with small business owners including some of the best known names in Albuquerque.
Advance Your Career With Social Networking
April 5, 2011 by MaryEllen · Leave a Comment
If you’re eyeing a promotion, an impressive title, or a bigger paycheck, social networking could be for you. Dozens of articles touting the benefits of social media make it clear this is more than a passing fad.
On the other hand, if you’ve put your profile up on a number of social networking sites and “nothing has happened,” it could be time for a reality check.
In a presentation for the Administrative Professional Conference, Mary Ellen Merrigan discusses the phenomenon of being everywhere and going nowhere.
“Marketing Yourself with Social Media” presentation takeaways include:
Five simple steps you can take immediately to unleash your persona on the world
A list of best practices for each step
Tips to define your brand across all channels
A guide to identifying your communication channels
Timing, tools and tactics to help your effort succeed
Mary Ellen works with a variety of business professionals to combine new methods of marketing with more traditional ones. She emphasizes quality over quantity and shows individuals how to stand out in a cookie-cutter world. Her presentation includes real-world case studies and ideas you can implement immediately following the presenation.
It’s not too late to take charge of your online reputation. Enroll in this seminar and discover how.
The 2011 Administrative Professional Conference features four tracks: Workplace Tools, Taking Care of Yourself, Creating a Healthy Workplace and Finding a Different Workplace. “Marketing With Social Media” is scheduled for 10:45-12noon on Tuesday April 26, 2011.
UNM Continuing Education presents the 10th Annual Administrative Professional Conference April 26-27. Access more information or register online.
Marketing Master Plan Class Begins March 31
March 8, 2011 by MaryEllen · Leave a Comment
Simplify, structure and solidify your marketing plan. Address the tangle of today’s marketing channels in a four week series presented by Mary Ellen Merrigan.
The hands-on workshop offers business owners an opportunity to sort, prioritize and simplify marketing tactics in an interactive, small group setting.
For four weeks beginning March 31 entrepreneurs will work on their business with customized input from other participants and Merrigan. The program includes Merrigan’s 200-page e-book, The Six Week Marketing Master Plan revised and updated in early March 2011.
The series is hosted by the South Valley Small Business Development Center. Call 505-248-0132 to register.
Details:
1pm – 4pm, four consecutive Thursdays,
March 31, April 7, April 14 and April 21
Albuquerque Hispano Chamber, 1309 Fourth Street SW, AlbuquerquePre-registration required. $250.00 per participant
Past participants of the Six Week Marketing Master Plan give the program high marks. See comments below:
“I feel I have gone down the rabbit hole and lord it is ALOT of info!”
Phoenix Forrester, Phoenix Forrester Fine Art“You may feel like you are herding cats when you add constantly changing social media to your marketing responsibilities. Mary Ellen’s book, Six-Week Marketing Master Plan, adds the right catnip to your marketing tool bag.”
Jane F. Lee, Ed.D., Vice President, TeachTown“The training that Mary Ellen offered enabled me to develop a strategic plan for the development of a new external website which has garnered support and funding from the top executive management of my organization. Thanks to Mary’s training, I was able to develop a plan which has encompassed strategies ranging from better content oversight on thousands of outdated pages to an evolved social networking campaign as well as better marketing and communication in all aspects of the website. I continue to use the concepts that I learned in the class daily as my team moves forward with overhauling our outdated and ancient website.”
Ann Lorenz“I feel that this is the best $$ I have spent on marketing since I started my business.”
Cindy Padilla, Kokopelli Bodyworks
To learn more contact Mary Ellen through this website form.
Marketing with Social Media Course Slated for March
February 17, 2011 by MaryEllen · Leave a Comment
The combination of moving faster and being connected 24/7 means one thing: you must be more clear in your communication.
Social media provides an opportunity to directly connect with customers, vendors, potential employers and friends. Frequently, the proliferation of social channels and the lack of a cohesive strategy dooms the effort before it begins.
Marketing with Social Media, a nine-hour course from UNM Continuing Education puts you in a position of choice. The three-session course will help you:
- Realistically assess where you are and where you want to go
- Explore social options that complement current strategies and serve your purpose
- Understand how major social media channels best serve their participants
- Explore the ever-changing world of Facebook Pages (formerly called Fan pages)
- Identify the differences between Profiles and Pages on Facebook, the number one social media choice, and review communication strategy differences for the two
- Gain knowledge of resources to automate and systematize your social media experience
- Develop a strategy for choosing your communication channel and making it more successful
- Review examples of best practices to solidify thought processes
Details:
What: Course # 55623
When: Wednesdays, 6pm – 9pm – Three sessions, March 16, 23, 30
Where: CE South Building, 1634 University NE
Price: $229
About the Instructor:
Mary Ellen Merrigan specializes in practical and sane marketing strategies for small business owners. She offers realistic solutions customized to each participant.
Workshop participants say:
“With Mary Ellen as guide, I learned how to navigate the tsunami of marketing strategies, how to create a marketing plan for my business and most important, how to stay true to myself. Get her eBook, but take her course or get her as a consultant. For it is Mary Ellen herself that brings the magic, that inspires, that helps you probe deep into what makes your business unique. And, the best part is that she models what she teaches. She is authentic. Thank you, Mary Ellen.” – Gail Summers
“A great place to start marketing your business with social media.” – Victor Lopez
“Extremely useful for initiating business strategy for social media.” – Janet Bridgers
Mary Ellen continues to keep abreast of the ever-changing world of social media. She has two social media certifications and just completed a two-week Facebook Page training course. For special questions, connect with Mary Ellen via email.
Identify Your Master Marketing Plan
January 20, 2011 by MaryEllen · 2 Comments
Ready to thrive in business and enjoy life?
Begin with a systematized step-by-step plan for marketing.
Join me at EXHIB-IT Trade Show Marketing Experts, 6207 Pan American Freeway, 9am Tuesday, March 1 to discover more.
- Discover three metrics you can use anytime, anywhere
- Leverage your core messages
- Reduce overwhelm with limited key media
- Transform your results with tactics you like
For more information, or to register, contact EXHIB-IT! Trade Show Marketing Experts.
How will next year be different?
November 3, 2010 by MaryEllen · Leave a Comment
Would you be pleased with another year exactly like this? If the answer is “yes,” read no further.
If your answer is “no,” what changes are you making? How will you ensure that next year will be a stronger opportunity for your business?
“Do-It-Yourself Planning: A Simple Marketing Plan for 2011” presents potential solutions for entrepreneurs.
- Learn two tactics to refocus your message and connect with your audience
- Review specific questions for year-end evaluation
- Focus on your audience and the best mix of marketing channels to reach them
- Discover the flexibility and viability of a simple plan template for your business
This worhshop is sponsored by the South Valley Small Business Development sponsors this workshop 9a – 11am Tuesday, November 16 at the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce.
Even if you’ve not been a social media fan, jump start your year with the right social media for you.
Reach your best customers with a combination of old school tactics and new media. This interactive workshop gives you the opportunity to explore these ideas and more.
Details:
“DIY Planning: A Simple Marketing Plan for 2011”
9am – 11am | Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Register: Telephone: (505) 248-0132 E-mail: svsbdc@cnm.edu
Sponsor: http://www.nmsbdc.org/southvalley/
Location: Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce | 1309 Fourth Street SW
About The Presenter:
Mary Ellen Merrigan consults with small business owners to combine greater visibility with profitable growth. Many of her smart marketing strategies contain a D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) component.
She is the author of “The Six Week Master Marketing Plan: An hour a day to take your business to the next level.” The e-book offers a step-by-step guide to integrating social media with other tactics for solid sales and is sold online.
In addition, the series is now offered by UNM Continuing Education as a certificate level class (Smart Marketing Series) in the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 semesters.
Build Practical and Sane Social Media the DIY Way
October 8, 2010 by MaryEllen · Leave a Comment
Floating down endless Facebook streams?
Lost in Tweets?
UnLinked? Dug out? Dropped?
Is your time online simply frittered away?
Do you wonder, “What’s the point?”
The answers are here. In a seminar entitled “DIY Social Media: Get Strategic, Get Results” Mary Ellen Merrigan discusses today’s most-talked-about marketing channel, social media.
The free, two-hour workshop is sponsored by the South Valley Small Business Development Center.
You’ll learn:
- Why Facebook is the foundation of social efforts
- How Twitter pumps up visibility
- What FourSquare, Yelp and Groupon mean to brick and mortar stores
- Why getting strategic matters
Details:
10a-12noon, Wednesday, October 21, 2010
Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce
1304 Fourth Street Southwest
Call to register: 505-248-0132
DIY Social Media: Get Strategic, Get Results! offers practical and sane strategies for an online world. All participants receive a Best Practices handout.
Mary Ellen Merrigan has developed successful, sales-building D.I.Y. (Do it Yourself) smart marketing strategies for a wide range of clients promotes the benefits of combining traditional and social media. She is the author of “The Six Week Master Marketing Plan: An hour a day to take your business to the next level,” available online at http://www.sixweekmarketingplan.com. Join Mary Ellen to learn how you can use smart marketing to achieve a positive bottom line.
Ultimate Blog Challenge Nets ProfitMeister Posts About Marketing Master Plan
October 3, 2010 by MaryEllen · 2 Comments
ProfitMeister, a DIY smart marketing strategies blog founded by Mary Ellen Merrigan, joined October’s Ultimate
Blog Challenge.
The Ultimate Blog Challenge, hosted by Michele Scism and Michelle Shaeffer, offers accountability and a learning opportunity for those wanting to increase their blog power.
Challenge participants post 31 times during the month, working with other bloggers to increase readers and traffic. There is a 100 word minimum on each post. (NOTE: The Ultimate Blog Challenge is free. The requirement is 31 times during the month, not specifically one time per day, so if you want to accept the challenge, go for it!)
October’s Profitmeister posts will focus on the corresponding topic of the day from the Smart Marketing Master Plan E-Book, produced earlier this year.
The Smart Marketing series has also been accepted as a marketing certificate series for UNMCE, University of New Mexico Continuing Education.
In a series of six three-hour classes class members will develop a master marketing plan for their business. A step-by-step workbook accompanies each week’s presentation. Each section costs $89 and runs from 6pm – 9pm on Mondays. Attendance is limited to 16.
Smart Marketing Series – UNM Continuing Education
55611 Smart Marketing 1: Assess, Differentiate and Audit Your Firm’s Status – October 25, 2010
55612 Smart Marketing 2: Define Your Target, Develop Content Strategy – November 1, 2010
55613 Smart Marketing 3: Review Competitors, Develop Keywords – November 15, 2010
55614 Smart Marketing 4: Select and implement social media tactics – November 22, 2010
55615 Smart Marketing 5: Collateral and other content specifics – December 6, 2010
55616: Smart Marketing 6: Strategic ways to tie your plan together – December 13, 2010
The Ultimate Challenge Blog Postings will follow the topics as outlined for the marketing class series, thus serving as an additional resource for the class.
About Mary Ellen Merrigan
Mary Ellen Merrigan has developed successful, sales-building D.I.Y. (Do it Yourself) smart marketing strategies for a wide range of clients and promotes the benefits of combining traditional and social media. She is the author of “The Six Week Master Marketing Plan: An hour a day to take your business to the next level,” available online. Freelance graphics designer Maria G. Nozza of Design and Thrive collaborated with Mary Ellen to produce a content-packed e-book that encompasses marketing today. Maria specializes in visual graphics and continues to study web marketing. Take your business to a new level with a marketing action plan.
Get Strategic, Get Results! DIY Social Media
August 9, 2010 by MaryEllen · Leave a Comment
If you’ve ever asked, “What’s the point?” this seminar is for you.
If you’re positive you could do than ask people to buy, this seminar is for you.
If you’re not sure that your time online is well-spent, this seminar is for you.
In the second workshop of a three-part Do-It-Yourself series for the Albuquerque South Valley Small Business Development Center, (SBDC) Mary Ellen Merrigan discusses social media for entrepreneurs.
“Get Strategic, Get Results!” provides guidelines for business owners who want to do more than simply get on board with social media.
- Learn why engaging customers online is a must.
- Transform your efforts with five big “Best Practices.”
- Build your foundation for Facebook with 10 tips for using a Facebook page.
- Discover when to hire it out, and what you should know before you do.
To get effective you may only need to tweak your current efforts. Find out more in this free, two-hour workshop sponsored by the South Valley Small Business Development Center.
Details: 10a – 12noon, Tuesday, October 20, 2010 at the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, 1304 Fourth Street Southwest. For additional information or registration, call 505-248-0132.
Mary Ellen Merrigan has developed successful, sales-building D.I.Y. (Do it Yourself) smart marketing strategies for a wide range of clients promotes the benefits of combining traditional and social media. She is the author of “The Six Week Master Marketing Plan: An hour a day to take your business to the next level,” available online at http://www.sixweekmarketingplan.com. Join Mary Ellen to learn how you can use smart marketing to achieve a positive bottom line.
Vitamins for Your Business
July 26, 2010 by MaryEllen · Leave a Comment
How vital are vitamins to your health?
Experts agree today’s nutrition falls short of perfect. The reasons vary. In general, busy schedules favor processed convenience foods, drive-in options and quick, easy meals.
So, vitamins matter. A multi vitamin compensates for a lack of planned food, erasing mineral deficiency in the process.
Now, think about the ways in which you learn about the benefits of vitamins. Information is readily available in books, magazines, on the Internet, or from experts.
With little effort, one can learn about the benefits or side effects of most vitamins (and marketing efforts).
Need a special supplement? Vitamin D promotes stronger bones; get it from a pill or drink more milk. Use vitamin C for faster healing. You get the idea.
Like vitamins, marketing enhances your business.
“Marketing: Vitamins for your business,” an offering from UNM Continuing Education, takes a fresh approach to generating visibility, sales and profits for your business.
In this lively, three hour course, Mary Ellen Merrigan uses an interactive approach to diagnose and recommend the tactics (marketing supplements) which could work best for you.
How vital is marketing to your business?
Register for class #55621 and learn more.
55621 Marketing: Vitamins for Your Business
Look at three essential updates to get you out of the same old marketing rut. Increase visibility and stoke profits by assessing your competition and positioning your business to distinguish it from others. Understand the relationship of sound business principles and good marketing practices. Leave with a list of tactics you can use immediately to find more customers and generate more sales. Prerequisite: None.
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