by Belinda Lui | Nov 20, 2013 | Latest, Management
I started at 3H not too long ago – and during my job interview with Miriam Hara (Partner, 3H Communications), I already got the sense that she was a force to be reckoned with. I’ve worked with quite a few female executives in leadership roles over the past decade and I always observe the types of people they are and how they achieved such success.
While I’m not an expert on how to be a leader (I’ll write another post when I become one), I’ve been given fine examples to aspire to. With a particular interest in influential women, I wanted to write this post on Miriam Hara and the specific qualities she possesses that, I believe, make her as successful as she is:
1. Client-Focused
Some people are solely business-focused (ROI, efficiencies, strategy), which are all good things, but what sets leaders apart from associate-level, is that the leader recognizes that the client IS the business – thus, everything should surround that.
2. Innovative
Knowing the best practices in your industry is important, but knowing how to stay ahead and be an expert at what you do, is what sets you apart. Know what’s trending in popular culture; what types of activations deliver the most engagement; what is visually appealing and makes the most sense.
3. Unrelenting
If Miriam gave up the first time something didn’t go her way, she wouldn’t be where she is today: Partner at 3H Communications, Author of 3 e-books (Marketing Understood, Branding Understood, and Social Media Understood), and a true expert of all things Marketing & Advertising.
4. Assertiveness
She doesn’t take no for an answer. She doesn’t give up when things get hard. She is right there in the trenches with her team when there is a deadline to be met. She will tell you exactly what is on her mind so that there is little left to confusion. Miriam knows what she wants and how to get it.
5. Fostering Growth
It isn’t enough to just be great if the people working under you aren’t learning from you. It’s important to lead by example but it’s also important to be the hand that guides your employees in the right direction. Having smart and effective thinkers working for you is an excellent ROI.
Of all these qualities, though, I think the most important one is the impression and legacy that you leave behind.
Like most things, it isn’t any good to be in leadership if it doesn’t improve the quality of work or life of those around you.
There are different personalities among the employees here at 3H, but what we all have in common is: dedication and commitment to excellence – something we’ve learned from Miriam. What are some examples you might have of leadership?
by Maria Mcquire | Nov 4, 2013 | Business Success, Latest, Marketing
No matter what kind of business you have, you need to promote it to profit from it. This rule does not change for automotive business. In order to do this, you can either promote your automotive business with traditional media that are often more costly and time-consuming or you can promote it with the help of online tools. In case you do not know how to promote your automotive business online, here are few tips for you.
Build a website for your automotive business: Today everyone prefers to get information about the product and its pricing along with other relevant details, that’s why it is suggested that you should have a website with updated information about everything that you offer. Also, this website should be convincing. It should be able to attract new customer.
Use Search engines: Most of us in business know how to utilize search engines to our benefit. If you want to promote your online business, then you should use search engine tools as much as possible. In order to do this, you can do search engine optimization evaluation of your website. Promote your automotive website along other related content.
Use Social media: To promote your automotive business you could use a variety of social media websites including Facebook,Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and many other similar social media properties. The biggest benefit of this utilizing this approach is that you will not only get access to your existing customer, but you will be able to reach to potential customers as well. More importantly, you can communicate with your customer as well and that will increase your credibility in front of your customer.
Use local directories: There are many online local business directories available on the internet and you can list your business in those online directories. Due to this, people will be able to search your website or your business in automotive section and it can also help you to get more customers for your business and as a result of this you can get more profit for your automotive business.
Write blogs: Experts say that content is the king and you can get a lot of content using blogs. Developing content is a great way to do search engine optimization and you can also stay connected with your customers too! With the help of your blogs you can post ideas, tips, and information and similar other things about the automotive business and this can attract potential customers to your website and your automotive business.
In addition to these tips there are so many other ways that you can use to promote your online business. Make a call to dvla telephone number as well and you can ask help from the driving licensing department to advertise your product or services with a small advertising fee.
by Miriam Hara | Jun 17, 2013 | Business Success, Latest, Miriamisms
How do you know when you are ready for business success?
So you’re right out of school or you’re new to the market and you want to break into your field. But are you ready? Really ready? When after the umpteenth interview and the many false starts, or “almost-getting-it” jobs, you get “the job”. Finally, you have arrived. But are you ready for the work place? Are you prepared to shine and do what it takes to make a good impression? Do you know how to become the go-to person for your team, or even the person that everyone feels they can rely on and trust? Having hired many people here’s my list of what to do and what not to do:
When you don’t add… you subtract: One of my friends once said this to me when we were talking about work and I immediately got it. If as an employee you aren’t adding anything more than just doing the work, then, you’re not adding value. In fact, you actually create a situation where your colleagues will compensate for all you don’t add, weakening the entire team. It’s as easy as being involved. Showing interest and not being afraid of asking questions or stating opinions. It’s not cool to be less than you can be.
Showing up isn’t enough: That’s right. If all you do is show up to the office or job, chances are you won’t be showing up there for long! Doing less and not following through or not keeping pace gets tired really quickly… for everyone else. It’s not cool to do less.
Own it all. From filing to… storing: There’s always grunt work, or work that no one likes to do. This is different for everyone, but regardless what it is, it has to get done. And it has to get done properly and accurately. Work with intention and be committed. It’s not cool to do only what you like to do.
Cross your t’s and dot your i’s: I cannot say this enough… and I am not just talking about grammar here! Yes, know the difference between its and it’s, or your and you’re. However, just knowing the difference isn’t enough. You need to exercise the knowledge! I digress. Pay attention to details. Success is in the details. It’s not cool to say ‘Oh, yeah… sorry’.
Come in energized: Come in happy… and rested. It doesn’t bode well when you walk in the door dragging your you-know-what. Be prompt. Be up-beat. No, it’s not cool to yawn or zone out in meetings.
Know what you know: It’s very important to know your capabilities. Know what you know and what you don’t. If you don’t know, then say so. This is a good way to manage your boss’ expectations and timelines. It allows your boss to respond accordingly whether it’s giving the task to another team member or providing you added support to complete the task. It’s not cool to say you know… and then show that you don’t.
Listen and do: Learn to listen and follow the direction you’re given. And well, just learn. It’s not okay to just hear the direction and do your own thing. If your boss tells you how to do something, or how they want something done, then do it that way. If you have a concern or a different approach, then discuss it with them. It’s not cool to just do it your way.
Read the environment: Timing is everything and when stressful situations happen at work, understand that everyone reacts differently. Sometimes people react well and sometimes they don’t. Know that it’s not all about you. Yes… you are important and your needs are important… just maybe not at that particular moment. And no, it’s probably not cool or a good time to joke around or spend time chatting it up with other employees.
Don’t over promise and under deliver: In any business, deadlines are important. Whether it’s a report or a deadline for an ad or event, know one thing: Deadlines are not elastic. If a business misses a deadline, that means money… in the short or long-term. If you commit to a task and a deadline, you need to respect it. It’s not cool to say you’ll do it and then don’t.
There’s so many more I could list, but if you get these down pat, and at the risk of sounding like a clairvoyant, business success will be yours!
by christine | Nov 22, 2012 | Branding, Business Success, Interactive, Social Media
The Social Media skills now required to maintain a good social media reputation has evolved. Most of us (businesses and brands) have our social listening strategy in place, writing content and posting on our social media accounts. So…how is it going? Are you monitoring your accounts, interacting with your followers on each account? If you are, good. We all know that it’s imperative to listen to what your customers have to say… as this will keep your brand honest and transparent.
Does your social media strategy include the necessary social media skills?
Being proactive in your social media accounts has never been more important. With the daily launches of new social media blogs and sites, keeping on top of your brand’s social calendar takes time and resources. Don’t lose faith! These efforts can and will be reap Brand rewards in the end. Engagement with your customers is imperative to keep the “stickiness” on your sites and also loyalty and trust with your brand. More importantly understanding and knowing how to handling both positive and negative feedback properly can be indeed a powerful tool to gain loyalty from your target audience and enhancing their experience with your brand. Keep in mind these steps below to become socially proactive:
1. Proactive and engagement on your social accounts should be your primary measurement of how your brand is doing. Keep an active conversation with your customers, so when and if a problem arises you can respond quickly with a solution
2. Respond Quickly to all Social Media Feedback, especially negative.
3. Don’t script your response. Be human and sensitive… an actual “real” live sensitive caring person (customized responses will go a long way to creating a supportive community online).
4. Support your response with detailed information; again give qualified information to help turn the negative experience into a resolved, positive experience. (We all remember being on the other end of those endless customer automated phone messages…that keep telling us to press the next sequence of number’s to get help, but in the end, it feels like we are on a never ending carousel spinning round and round, and in the end we hang up out of frustration or just get lost in a loop of unhelpful automated annoying computer generated voices.) We want our customers to feel that someone is actually listening and with a positive timely response your customers will probably post a very sincere thank you back and become a loyal customer in the end.
5. Dedicated customer service email and resources are a must. In support to #3, you have to specifically set up for your social media accounts. This will help garner a great customer support service within your social media communities. You should allow for a dedicated resource for these platforms to monitor what’s being talked about online and also join in on the conversation to build strong relationships and provide positive customer experiences.
6. Be Honest and Transparent…this will go a long way for validating that yes we all make mistakes, but lets work together to fix it and make it better by actually listening to what your customers are saying.
7. Be Empathic, stay objective. Look at it from the consumers point of view, have all your facts and as said earlier try to resolve as quickly as possible.
Now to make it all work! Now that you have your social listening strategy, resources, and your social customer service in place you need to add some tools to help you get the edge on your competition by taking charge of your social media and your online presence. You can start with some free resources and or customized packages. No tools work the same, so do your research. This is just a small sampling of links below to get you started:
RSS Feeds, Google Alerts, Track Tweets, Comments and Discussions on fan boards, etc, and Netvibes
Want to know more about social media? Download Social Media Understood here.
Please feel free to add comments, tips, and suggestions; I always like to hear how other people adapt new strategies to their social accounts. And remember be Proactive!
by Madi Secareanu | Oct 11, 2012 | Advertising, Business Success, Events, Interactive, Social Media
Although traditional marketing and advertising campaigns are still effective, many programs and companies are now relying on digital marketing tools and approaches to implement their marketing strategies. In the vast digital realm, it can sometimes be difficult to identify which program, tool, network or approach to leverage to meet your objective. Marketers sometimes feel that they have to do it all or risk losing out on an opportunity, but marketing is about finding the right strategy and the right approach to reaching brand objectives and this concept has even more weight when it comes to digital marketing.
So in the digital space, which must-have marketing tools do organizations need for a successful digital marketing strategy?
Web Analytic Tools
Analytic tools, like Google Analytics can provide valuable insight into the success of your digital marketing campaigns. From tracking the click-through rate (CTR) of a digital ad campaign to monitoring website traffic, using web analytic tools to keep track of your numbers helps you identify what works and what doesn’t. Compared to more traditional, non-measurable types of marketing, campaigns that have tracking ability can deliver better reporting structures that help marketers hone in on where to focus their efforts. In the world of web analytics, more integrated solutions are now being offered, such as Optify, Hubspot, Acton to name a few, allowing for an integrated approach to measuring the effectiveness of your digital initiatives. A word of caution here: Tracking and analytic tools doesn’t necessarily achieve more effective results! Strategy and creative still play the most significant role in achieving objectives.
Email Marketing
Email is still one of the most efficient and effective ways to engage your customers and prospects – if you use the tool in a creative or informative way. When it comes to attracting new clients and maintaining great relationships with exiting ones, email marketing campaigns can be very effective. Companies can take advantage of email campaign managers like Mailchimp and Campaign Monitor for their easy-to-use editing features and subscriber management tools to help them stay connected with customers and deliver campaigns like newsletters and promotional blasts. More recently, inbound marketing is more utilized as a term and a tactic. Rather than just pushing information out, the more effective strategies that push information out with an intent of initiating engagement onto your website, with the ability not only to track open and click through rates, but also to evaluate where potential customers go… and to capture their information.
Digital Advertising
Now more than ever people are spending more time online and on social media networks, either on their computers or their mobile devices. Digital advertising is a way for companies to reach more consumers and get measurable results. However, with the onslaught of so many digital ads, all with the new trinkets, bells and whistles, internet browsers are getting wary. Impressions still matter when assessing digital properties. The beauty of digital advertising still remains its targeting flexibility. With many digital spaces, as with Facebook ads, companies can target specific locations, interests(psychographics) and consumers with more precision than traditional advertising could ever offer. You can slice and dice niche markets to the minutia. Again, I have to say, the ability to achieve the performance you set is based on your strategy, creative and execution.
Social Media
This one is obvious – you can’t ignore the giant marketing prowess of social media. With a vast variety of tools and promotional possibilities, social media has emerged as arguably the most powerful marketing tool in today’s digital universe. From Facebook, to Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest, the social media giants offer companies a valuable and effective way to reach consumers on a more relatable, engaging and exclusive level – with the ability to track and measure all efforts.
Many companies are just starting to explore the digital marketing possibilities available to them and shifting from traditional to digital campaigns. I would add a word of caution here, to approach marketing as it always has been approached, integrating parts of all channels to make a better whole. It goes without saying that Digital Marketing is one area that cannot be ignored – digital is where the customers are and where the future of marketing is evolving and as marketers it’s important to own that space.
What digital marketing tools and efforts does your company apply? And where do you see the future of digital marketing going?
