me: Great... So Leyla Arsan, Welcome to the http://Sparkah.com Gmail Chat Show!
Twitter is a fantastic tool that works beautifully within a well integrated marketing and PR campaign
11:43 AMÂ leyla: Hi Bob! Glad to be here (even though it's not a real place - ED).
11:44 AMÂ me: So, I'm excited to get you on the show for a couple of reasons.
  1) You've been on twitter for a LONGGGG time.
11:45 AMÂ 2) You have the perfect mix of background experience for Small business owners and Corporate Execs who'd want to use new media to reach their marketing
  3) Because I have no idea how to pronounce Leyla o_O
one marketing manager who gets his boss to agree to starting a Twitter feed but the boss was never convinced of the value... will quit
11:48 AMÂ me: So when DID you join twitter? Were you in BEFORE Oprah, your neighbor?
 
leyla: I actually joined in late '07 or early '08 but didn't use it until about 18 or 20 months ago.
11:49 AMÂ It took me a while to "get" it.
11:51 AMÂ me: HAH! So in that time, I've noticed many business owners and execs startup then stop. I imagine that if it was productive, they'd still be using it. What do you tell your clients about marketing via Twitter?
11:52 AMÂ leyla: I beg my clients to use Twitter. I think Twitter is a fantastic tool that works beautifully within a well integrated marketing and PR campaign
  I think it is great for listening and customer service as well as outreach
11:53 AMÂ me: So then, what are new business people doing wrong and why are they giving up after a few months?
11:54 AMÂ In other words... what are some things business folks are doing NOW that hurts their marketing?
11:55 AMÂ leyla: I think businesses are giving up for several reasons, but from what I have seen, many times it is because the committment was never there internally. Maybe it is one marketing manager who gets his boss to agree to starting a Twitter feed but the boss was never convinced of the value.
11:56 AMÂ me: Oh.
 leyla: Without a firm committment and dedicated budget, I think most of them will quit.
I think because many Directors of Marketing see their kids playing around with social media, they do not believe it is a "real" maketing tool
 11:58 AMÂ
me: Interesting.. So... in the case of a corporation, what do you recommend marketing managers tell their bosses and check signers to get that long term commitment? It seems like you're saying that more education is still necessary even after Twitter and Facebook, and social media has been out for years now
11:59 AMÂ In other words... compared to say... print, radio, sales gumshoes... pros and cons of social media?
12:01 PM leyla: I think because many Directors of Marketing see their kids playing around with social media, they do not believe it is a "real" maketing tool. Also, because you cannot really quantify sales with Twitter, it is tough. You can quantify impressions but it is more difficult to say if those impressions convert. I always believe in going in with numbers. Do some research before you reach out to your Dir. of Markeing, bring in some case studies of similar industries or even competitors.
12:04 PMÂ me: Hah!
  Fascinating! I love it! "many Directors of Marketing see their kids playing around with social media, they do not believe it is a "real" maketing tool"
  I've never considered the domestic angle and how it influences budgets at the office!
12:05 PMÂ Well... What do you tell your clients about reaching out to their markets? What works for them?
  Especially since anybody can do it now... and there's a LOT of noise out there!
12:09 PMÂ (yeah, marketing execs never see their kids playing around with the FTC or Koenig & Bauer AG Newspaper Printing Presses)
 leyla: I know many of them are afraid of social media and they don't like the "gurus" or advocates of social media, so I always start off with my background. I assure them that I have experience working with other channels and that I do not work specifically with social media. This gives them a better sense of my capabilities and puts them at ease. I think most marketers and business owners have a better time understanding new media as it relates to traditional marketing. If you can explain that it is just another platform, translate it in those terms, they seem to relate better.
12:11 PMÂ me: That makes sense... just another medium ... evolved. Well, what industries do you deal with and can you share with us a unique problem - how you attacked it?
If I wanted to read your website, I'd just read your website. Social Media is more from the hip, more fun, less sell-y. Make it enjoyable for the consumer
12:14 PM leyla: I work with mostly small businesses. I have clients in food & beverage, retail/technology, travel and lifestyle. I honestly believe my biggest problem is convincing my clients that this isn't a magic bullet. Sure, I can get a big audience for you in a short period of time but that is not part of my methodology. I think you're better suited building an audience more slowly and authentically.
  sorry. better served, not better suited
12:15 PMÂ me: Ahhh... interesting. So people come to you asking for a quick fix jump in business using social media like Twitter and Facebook?
12:16 PMÂ What strategy works in the long and short term?
12:17 PMÂ How does say, a retailer, an ecommerce store owner, a small professional service person grow a steady but compounding base?
12:20 PMÂ leyla: It depends on the brand and how likely the client is to give you some room to play. I don't like really corporate sounding feeds, I like friendly and warm conversation but many brands still want to use their standard brand voice.
12:21 PMÂ me: Hmm... you actually bring up a good point. I've noticed that the brands and companies that do the best at making new followers convert to customers have a personal tone. NOT official sounding
12:23 PM leyla: When I first started blogging, one of my friends who was a web product manager took a look at my blog and said "If I wanted to read a book, I'd read a book." Because my text was too long & I didn't have any visual content. Same goes for social media. If I wanted to read your website, I'd just read your website. Social Media is more from the hip, more fun, less sell-y. Make it enjoyable for the consumer.
12:25 PM me: Interesting. @starbucks @wholefoods etc all have very personal tones of voice. they sometimes even use expletives with * in them.
  This is NOT your 1950s marketing style at all!
  So... how DO I pronounce Leyla? o_O
12:26 PMÂ PS.. i think that point about the fun tone is a major Take-Away! =p
they sometimes even use expletives with * in them
12:33 PMÂ me: Do you work with business owners and marketing managers in the Chicago area exclusively? And if someone needs help convincing their boss to create a social media / traditional media budget... can you help? What's the best way to get a hold of you?
12:38 PM leyla: Most of my clients are in Chicago but I do have a client in New York. We connect bi-weekly via skype. I can help with social media and more traditional mareting communications as well as event marketing (where I started). I actually try to tie social media and events together as often as I can, I believe there is a very natural fit between the two. Anyone can get a hold of me by going to my website http://www.lotusmarketingservices.com OR on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Leyla_a
12:40 PMÂ me: Excellent! I'd love to build on this theme of weaving in EVENT Marketing with Social Media... sounds like something most people wouldn't even consider... Can we have you back on our show some time next week?
12:41 PMÂ leyla: sure. I'd love that because that is my sweet spot!
12:42 PMÂ me: Excellent... I'm sure there's a lot of people out there thinking that an event wouldn't and couldn't help promote their business so I'm excited about how you might surprise them! =) I'll see you back on Twitter! -Â http://sparkah.com
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