A Key To Retail Marketing Success

By Bob Negen, Retail Expert, Author and Speaker, WhizBang! Training

There’s a Chinese proverb that says the weakest link is stronger than the most powerful memory. I know, I know, some of you are thinking, “Well, what in the world does that have to do with marketing?” The simple answer is everything.

A major key to success in all your marketing efforts is to build on past successes. To make sure that everything you did right last year, you’ll do right again this year. There is something you can do that will dramatically increase the probability that every marketing activity you engage in will be more powerful, more profitable, each time you do it.

Create a marketing book. In fact, as soon as you’re done reading this post, start creating a marketing book of your own, or nominate a trusty staff member to get it started for you. My colleague, Aubrey is responsible for maintaining our marketing books at WhizBang! Training. Aubrey prints out every marketing activity that we engage in here at WhizBang! Training and it is noted in this book.

For example, in our marketing book you can see printed documentation of our intensive training sessions, sales, and our public events like the Retail Success Summit, etc. Every email we send out and every Tip of the Week also gets printed and put in the book along with the reports from our email service provider with the open and the click rates. You see, we’re gathering information we need to make smarter business decisions in the future. Building success!

So make sure to put everything that is related to your marking efforts in your marketing book! Every time you get a press release printed in the media, it goes in there. Notes you make about special events and promotions, put them in there! Emails and social media posts you send about your promotions… well, you get it. It all goes in this book. It will be invaluable to you.

This is powerful stuff, folks! If you want to learn more great strategies to grow your business without spending a fortune, be sure to register for my Two Part Marketing Intensive Boot Camp at the CHA Creative Conference. I will be at the Stationery Show presenting Explode Your Sales: Part 1-Maximum Bang For Your Marketing Bucks on Sunday, May 19 from 3:30-5:00 pm. Part 2-Mining Diamonds In Your Own Backyard is on Monday, May 20 from 9-10:30 am.

I will share with you super easy and proven marketing tips and techniques on how to make more money in your store! Each of these programs was created to stand alone. But, of course, you will gain much more value when you attend both. In fact, I am so confident that I will give you a full refund from my own pocket if you don’t walk away with immediately actionable tactics on how to pull in new customers and boost your sales.

Don’t waste another dollar on your marketing efforts… join me at the Boot Camp!

Bob Negen discovered his entrepreneurial spirit at the young age of 23 and opened one of the world’s first kite stores. In 20 years he helped change the public’s perception of the kite from a child’s toy to an “eco-friendly” hobby for families and people of all ages. In those 20 years he grew his company from $17,000 to over $3 million in annual sales. In 1998 the company was named “Retailer of the Year” by the Kite Trade Association. Bob was also instrumental in helping create a nationwide yo-yo boom. At one time his company employed eight full time yo-yo professionals performing in schools, malls, nationally broadcast parades, professional sporting events, and other large entertainment venues. While building the national craze, his company opened “Yo-Yo Universe” kiosks in over a dozen malls, hired and trained over 150 employees using his unique training system, and sold over $2 million worth of yo-yos. All in a little over 6 months! His yo-yo adventure forced Bob to boil down 20 years of hard-earned experience about life as an entrepreneur into a fun, but no-nonsense, only-if-it-works outlook on business. This “make it fun, but get it done” attitude has given Bob an expert edge not only in marketing but also in practical, proven customer service practices, solid common-sense employee management, super efficient operations, and focusing the entrepreneurial spirit.

What makes one store great and another just a place to buy stuff?

by Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender, Kizer & Bender Speaking!, CHA 2013 Retailing Experts

What makes one store great and another just a place to buy stuff? Join us at 1:00 PM EST on April 3, 2013 for “The Inside Secrets of Charisma Retailers™” and find out!

Here’s the deal: Today’s customers are busy, and maybe just a little bit bored with the “same old, same old” they find in too many stores. This makes your job tougher because these consumers expect more than ever before.

We’ve come to realize that there are two kinds of retailers today: Commodity Retailers who make no effort to do much more than they are supposed to do: open for business and hope for the best. Commodity retail associates are there just to collect a paycheck. There’s no customer buzz about town and no fizz on the sales floor, merely shelves full of stuff.

And then there are Charisma Retailers™ who thrive on creating a unique in-store experience that customers just can’t get anywhere else. Charisma retail associates share the same values as the store’s owner: they are there to serve and delight customers.

Any retailer, regardless of what they sell, can be a Commodity Retailer or a Charisma Retailer™; it’s a choice that’s yours to make. Charisma Retailers™ thrive on reinvention. They understand how to live in the present while keeping an eye on the future. They know that the special things they do for customers today, will be the expected things of tomorrow, so they are always on the lookout for new ideas.

We hope you’ll join us on April 1 for The Inside Secrets of Charisma Retailers™. We’ll share ideas and inspirations, and we’ll take your questions to help you unleash your inner charisma!

And afterwards, we hope you’ll take time sit down in a quiet room with a notebook and pencil. Let your mind wander, imagining what your store will be like a year from now. Who will be your customers and what will they demand of you?  What aren’t you doing today that you need to in order to meet future challenges? Keep this notebook handy and do this exercise for fifteen minutes each week.

In time, you’ll be amazed at how quickly the ideas begin to flow, multiply and become reality.  Before long, the retail status quo won’t be good enough for you – you’ll have crossed over from commodity retailing into the rare air Charisma Retailers™ breathe every single day.

Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender are professional speakers, retail strategists, authors and consultants whose client list reads like a “Who’s Who” in business. Companies internationally depend upon them for timely advice on consumers and the changing retail market place.

In 2010 KIZER & BENDER made Meetings & Conventions Magazine’s list of Meeting Planners Favorite Keynote Speakers; they’ve also been named “Two of Retailing’s Most Influential People.” And with good reason: Rich and Georganne are experts on generational diversity, consumer trends, marketing and promotion, and everything retail. They are widely referred to as retail anthropologists because they stalk and study that most elusive of mammals: today’s consumer. Visit their website for more information: http://www.kizerandbender.com.

The Inside Secrets of Charisma Retailers™

Date: April 3, 2013
Time: 1:00 PM EST – 2:00 PM EST

Click Here to Register

How to Schedule Your Week in Social Media

by Theresa Cifali, Mixed Media Artist & Craft Designer, CHA Designer Council Member

Someone once said to me, “You can’t manage time. You can only manage yourself.” How profound…and true! As business owners, we often find ourselves talking and thinking about how to manage our time better. Let’s face it though…we are just not going to have more time. However, we can make better use of the time we do have.

When it comes to social media, time is definitely a huge issue. How much time we spend in those platforms can greatly effect other areas of our business. You know you do it! You go into Facebook to just put up one post and before you know it, an hour is gone….just like that.

It’s no different for me. Being a small business, there is a lot to do with few people to do it. So, in my own quest to “manage myself” better, I’ve put certain systems in place. More importantly, I utilize tools to help me better control my social media efforts. Does it take time to work in these tools? Sure, but the benefits are huge! One such benefit is that I can work inside of the tool rather than inside of the social media platform. This prevents me from getting all distracted by pretty, shiny things. Another plus is it forces me to focus and plan what I want to do and say. The combination of these factors free up other times of the day. I love that.

As a creative business owner, I feel very it is important to help other creative businesses…especially when it comes to social media management. Whether you are a manufacturer, a retailer, a professional crafter or a designer, you need to make social media work for you and fit into you marketing plan. It is really important. Not doing it simply because you “don’t have time”, is not a good enough excuse. Believe me, I get it. How many more hats can we all wear?

I’m here to tell you that you have the time! What you need are the tools. I know which tools will work for you…and I can show you how to use them.

On May 20, 2013, I will be presenting a seminar called How to Schedule Your Week in Social Media. This is just one of the many wonderful seminars the Craft and Hobby Association will host during their Creative Conference this spring. The Creative Conference will run in conjunction with The National Stationery Show, which is held at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC.

If you are attending the show, I invite you to join me for this powerful seminar. You will learn how to leverage specific web-based tools for scheduling, organizing, and more. These tools are designed to help YOU manage yourself better. I look forward to seeing you there!

Theresa Cifali hails from Westchester County, NY and is the sole proprietor of TheresaCifali™ with nearly 20 years of experience working with consumers, manufacturers and retail businesses in the crafting industry.  Theresa is a seasoned designer with her own private studio where she maintains her business, instructs classes and continually experiments with new designs, techniques and class concepts. Theresa is also well versed in social media and emerging digital platforms, actively using these platforms to build genuine, dynamic communities where she can interact with individuals and promote her business.  Theresa consults businesses on best practices in social media and provides management and social strategy services in addition to her already vast repertoire of business services.

CHA’s President & CEO Shares His Crafting Journey

by Andrej Suskavcevic, president and CEO, Craft & Hobby Association

Crafting is cool. Period. End of sentence. When I came into this industry the extent of my crafting was helping my kids with school projects or being part of their experience on weekends. Having been part of this wonderful industry over the last year I have gotten to know many people and watch how the passion of crafting spreads. It’s infectious and well, I got the bug. Let’s be clear, I’m not doing this because it’s part of my job. I am doing this for the following reasons:

• It’s fun!
• It’s meditative
• It builds bonds with family and friends

I am a very curious person by nature so I want to try it all. What better way to start than to make something with and for my family. I made a couple necklaces with my daughter using ice-resin, beads, ribbon, what have you. Fun stuff, and she proudly wears it. She even took it to school for share day.

Yes, I’m a proud Dad.

Then I jumped into the deep end of the pool and decided to make my wife a necklace for our 16th wedding anniversary. She loved it. You can see it in the CRE8TIME.org CRE8TIONS Gallery: http://cre8time.org/cre8tions/anniversary-gift-necklace

I made this for my wife for Valentine’s Day

I will be doing more jewelry making of course but now I am fascinated by knitting and am starting to learn that. Funny reaction I get from guy friends when I tell them I am learning to knit. Love the fact that at 6’4” I am breaking down stereotypes about what a man does. Real men knit! I’m going to break out my knitting needles on my next business trip on the plane. Can’t wait for that conversation with my fellow passengers. Maybe one of them can help me cast on properly…

I will say that I prefer to do it with someone who can teach me versus watching online instruction video’s. There’s something to the bonds forged which I prefer to the loner approach. If in New Jersey and you want to come knit with me. Let me know.

Till next time. Happy Crafting.

- Andrej

Taking Your Business to Europe? Be Aware of the Main Regulations

By Paul Milne, Manager, Restricted Substances Testing Services, SGS and CHA 2013 Regulatory Resource

Having secured your commercial territory in North America, are you now looking to expand “across the pond”?  To enter triumphant into the European Union?  If so, be forewarned you’ll have shoals of chemical regulations around which it will be necessary to navigate.  While nothing can replace an experienced pilot in these matters, “know before you go” is always a good idea.

You will first encounter REACH, the EU’s comprehensive policy regarding the manufacturing and importation of chemicals.  This set of regulations has different requirements depending upon what you are bringing in and classifies chemicals as pure, mixed, or contained in an article.  Determining which of these three describes your product is the first step, then figuring out how much you’ll be sending in is the second step because there are different registration requirements depending upon the tonnage being imported.  Do your products contain any of the 138 chemicals on the list of Substances of Very High Concern?  Chemicals on the Restricted Substances List (know formally as Annex XVII)?  Compliance with US and Canadian regulations does not automatically confer acceptable status in the EU, as you may have guessed by now.

If your imports are classified as toys, then in addition to REACH you’ll have the European Toy Directive to consider.  Do your toys contain dried powders intended to be released (paints, chalk)?  Do your toys have a liquid component (finger paints, slime)?  Due to the nature of these products (i.e. for children), there are more chemicals to keep track of, mainly soluble heavy metals.  The limit for each metal is determined by how the toy is classified: the two above plus toys with scrapable surface coatings.  Furthermore, a Chemical Safety Assessment will be required, but fortunately this is not so different from the review you will have had done for LHAMA.

Do any of your products rely on electricity for at least one intended function?  Things like magnifying lamps, soldering irons, and sewing machines fall under the Restrictions of Hazardous Substances (RoHS).  Simply put, every single component of one of these articles, from the outer casing to the tiny screw that holds the circuit board in place, cannot contain more than 1000 ppm of mercury, lead, hexavalent chromium (Cr⁺⁶), PBBs, or PBBDs, or 100 ppm of cadmium.

Your packaging will need to comply with the European packaging directive, known as Classification and Labeling of Packaging.  This is exactly the same as the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse here in the US, but if you haven’t had to deal with that here, you will definitely need to check your packaging going into Europe.  Simply put, there cannot be more than 100 ppm total of lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium in any packaging component, including inks.  Packaging almost always ends up in landfills so this is the easiest way to avoid having these toxic substances end up in the environment.

These are the main regulatory hurdles facing businesses going into Europe.  Please join me on March 13, 2013, for a webinar hosted by CHA where I will go into each of these in more detail.  It is my hope that you will be better prepared to succeed in that market knowing the general shape of the chemical regulations you face over there.  In the meantime, you can contact me at pmilne@craftandhobby.org if you have any questions.  I confess, I may not be able to help with the paperwork, but as far as explaining what the chemical lists mean, I’ll give it a go.

Paul Milne is the Technical Manager for Restricted Substances Testing at the SGS Fairfield, NJ, location where he acts as the local expert for European REACH and RoHS, China RoHS, CPSC, Proposition 65, and FDA and EU Food-Contact regulations. He’s an active member of ASTM Committee F40; of AOAC, International; and a member of the American Chemical Society.  Prior to SGS, Paul worked for Pepsi-Cola R&D where he developed analytical methods for testing ingredients and finished products, and evaluated new analytical technology for use in Pepsi’s global laboratory network.  He holds a doctorate in analytical chemistry from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Cornell University.

Doing Business in Europe: A basic outline of restricted substances regulation

Date: March 13, 2013
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST – 2:00 p.m. EST

Click Here to Register

Mobile is Not Just an Option Anymore – It Is Essential for Your Business

Mobile Commerce and Computing for Business: Retailers, eTailers, Designers and Manufacturers

By Tony Ford, CHA 2013 Technology Expert; Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of ArtFire.com and principle consultant for Bounce Rocket Media

She walked into your store looking for inspiration, 10 minutes later she walked out empty handed. In four out of ten cases, it was her smart phone that caused her to leave without buying. By next year it will be 6 out of 10 times.

She had trouble using your craft product, so she used her tablet to look for instructions, but your site took too long to load on her tablet. So she posted something about her frustration with your product to her 800 fellow crafter followers and moved on to another project

She is going to spend big this year on Black Friday. She’s looking for the perfect craft kits for all the kids on her list. She wants them to love crafting the way she does. But, your site isn’t optimized for mobile commerce, so, she won’t be buying from you.

Mobile is not an option. Mobile commerce, mobile marketing, mobile reputation management and even mobile search and content are moving billions of dollars now and will only expand in the near future. Every day you wait to learn how to use these tools to help your business, you leave dissatisfied customers, untapped market share and real money on the table.

At ArtFire we saw our mobile sales double in a day when we optimized our checkout for mobile devices, the bare minimum we could do at the time with the many projects and constraints.

We have a long way to go. Mobile is so important that our entire re-build of the multi-million dollar ArtFire platform is designed, first for the phone, and then the tablet and only then do we design for the PC. We’re building “mobile first” for our future. You should be considering mobile first for yours.

Join me on February 20th for a one-hour webinar on mobile trends for 2013. We’ll look at the market, the growth, where the current craft customer is and what the future customer will be like. I’ll also give you specific strategies and concepts for you mobile future based on the type of CHA member you are designer, manufacturer, brick and mortar store or etailer.

That customer you’ve built your business around? Well, she’s got the tablet on the table, the smartphone in her purse and a new project in mind. Are you ready to provide her with the level of service she deserves?

Tony Ford is the co-founder of ArtFire.com and principle consultant for Bounce Rocket Media, a new media and social marketing consulting firm based in Tucson, Arizona.  Bounce Rocket provides social media marketing and new media marketing services including staff training, account management and education for a wide range of firms with a special focus on creative professionals in the art, music and literature space as well as small business and non-profits.  More information can be found at BounceRocket.com.

Click here for more information and to register for Mobile Commerce and Computing for Business: Retailers, eTailers, Designers and Manufacturers

6 Keys to Conducting an Effective Pre-Trade Show Staff Meeting

How to Prepare Your Exhibit Team for Peak Performance

By Jefferson Davis, Competitive Edge

You would be hard pressed to find a single professional sports team that does not gather their team members for a final meeting just before the start of every game. That meeting reinforces all the important information, strategies and game plans that have been prepared over the previous days or weeks. That meeting also puts everybody “in state” and “on purpose”.

In contrast, many exhibitors do not gather their show team together for that all important final meeting before the big show. Or if they do, the meeting is informal and unorganized. This is an oversight that can seriously impact your show performance and results.

Here are six keys to conducting an effective pre-show staff meeting:

1. Hold it the day before the show opens: While you may have several meetings in the weeks leading up to show time, the best time for the final team meeting is the last setup day. A good time slot is 4pm to 6 or 7pm or later depending on if dinner will be served at the meeting.

2. Make participation mandatory: Require all exhibit staff to arrive in the convention city by 2pm at the latest, if at all possible. In your meeting invitation, stress that the meeting is mandatory and that there will be repercussions for not attending. Some of my clients tell their staff they will not be reimbursed for airfare if they miss the pre-show meeting. Of course, this would not be enforced for unforeseen travel delays, illness and so on.

3. Have a key executive kick off the meeting: The presence of a key executive like the President or VP of Marketing and/or Sales will help reinforce the importance of the meeting.

4. Have a clearly defined agenda: The agenda should at minimum cover the following topics: introduction of team members with show roles and duties, key and emergency contact information, overall show goals, schedule of show & hospitality events, booth duty schedule, review of pre and at-show marketing
programs, review of VIP invitation list, discussion of staff in booth roles, review of best exhibiting skills, product messaging and FAQ’s for products, booth layout and walk-through, demonstration overview and walkthrough, literature distribution, promotional product distribution, lead capture process and lead goals, and sales offers and required paperwork.

5. Make it fun: You can make the meeting holding it at a fun venue like a bowling alley, laser tag, whirly ball center, ESPN Zone or place like that. You can also make it fun by having contests and team events during the meeting.

6. Carry it over to the booth: While the pre-show meeting is the kick-off, you should also conduct brief end of shift or end of day meetings to review how the show is going, discuss problems and opportunities, and make mid show adjustments to stay on track. CHA allows exhibitors to remain on the show floor for 1 hour after show close each day to allow time for meetings and booth reset. Remember, an effective pre-show meeting is a critical part of successful exhibit program. Be sure to apply the relevant the ideas in this article so your team with be “in state” and “on purpose” when the doors open on your next big show.

Jefferson Davis, president of Competitive Edge is known as the “Tradeshow Turnaround Artist”. Since 1991, his consulting and training services have helped clients improve their tradeshow performance and results to the tune of over $500M. Mr. Davis is co-creator of the CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) program. He can be reached at 704-814-7355 or Jefferson@tradeshowturnaround.com

Looking for additional ideas to achieve higher ROI for your trade show experience?  The CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) is your free, on-demand, 24/7 resource to help you find answers to your most pressing exhibiting challenges, expand your exhibiting know-how and improve your company’s exhibiting performance.

Badge Registration for the CHA 2013 Winter Conference & Trade Show is now open. Click here to register. For information on exhibiting at the CHA Show, please click here.

CHA Designers Team Up to Produce Free Digital Craft Industry Magazine

By Carol Heppner,

We rarely discuss one of the great advantages of being a CHA member and the wonderful relationships that form when attending the trade shows.   If you volunteer and support our organization, relationships deepen and initiate opportunities.

Such is the case with Ann Butler and me.  Ann and I were on Google + catching up on some CHA Designer-Section business when our discussion turned to our individual companies.   As craft-design business owners, we are constantly working with manufacturers and seeking to have the manufacturers’ products published.

During this conversation, Ann uttered those fateful words, “I wish we could develop our own publication.”   I looked at Ann and said, “We can.”   After a minute of thinking about it, Ann responded with, “But it has to be free to the reader.”   It was during these first few minutes that Bella Crafts Quarterly™ was born and our business model started to develop.

We knew that we wanted to bring quality projects and topical craft-industry columns to readers who craft for business and for pleasure.   We wanted to inspire readers to craft, which would help the entire craft industry.   To that end, and in keeping with our belief, the first project in all our quarterly issues is always a Cre8time.org project showing readers that they can reconnect with crafting by making the project within minutes.

Creating a quarterly publication, while still running our individual companies, would be no easy feat and we would need help.  An undertaking this size needed individuals who are hard working, talented and craft-industry savvy.   Having worked with Lisa Rojas and Theresa Cifali on previous projects, they immediately came to mind as fitting the bill.

Although the four of us have our individual companies, we joined forces to work on this project.  Each designer brings unique skills that allow us to produce a quality publication to inspire crafters of all levels.  What is uniquely special is how well we work together.   In a competitive business world, where companies are looking to be one-step in front of their competition, it is rare that companies can come together and create a joint product.  Our ability to work well together may come from the many volunteer projects on which we worked for the CHA Designer Section.  Volunteering to help make CHA a better organization helps develop business relationships that are rewarding.

So, what is Bella Crafts Quarterly™?  It is the #1, free downloadable craft magazine published by four of the craft-industry’s top professional craft designers.  We create quality projects and are the bridge between manufacturers and the crafting public.  Our preview Halloween issue of Bella Crafts Quarterly™ ranked #8 on Magcloud’s Top 15 Popular Magazine

What will you find in Bella Crafts Quarterly™?

• Artist to Artist – Interviews with our industry’s creative professionals
• Blog Star – Creative bloggers share their experiences
• Craft Projects – Craft projects designed to inspire
• CRE8TIME.org – A quick craft project to help crafters reconnect with crafting
• Photo Talk™ – Taking your photographs to the next level
• Lessons with Lisa™ – Crafting advice to make a difference in the crafter’s life
• Live Links – Our digital versions contain live links to send readers to products used in projects
• Socially Sensible™ – Social Media advice to help your business
• Sponsored Craft Projects – Craft projects brought to you by the industry’s manufacturers
• Trending Thoughts – Trend and topical advice from CHA professional craft designers

Bella Crafts Quarterly™ is can be downloaded free on our website, http://bellacraftsquarterly.com and you can read it free online at Magcloud.com.  The print version is also available through Magcloud for a fee.

We are able to provide the free digital version of Bella Crafts Quarterly™ to readers by project sponsorship from manufacturers.  If you are Manufacturer and like more information, contact us at info@bellacraftsquarterly.com.

Wishing you very successful CHA 2013 Winter Show.

~ Carol

Become an official CHA Blog Guest Blogger!

The CHA Blog is currently seeking guest bloggers and blog posts. Any CHA member can submit a post! Basically, a blog post consists of either a video or photo of an event or experience and a short blurb. We want you to tell your story: what current trends do we need to know about? What is the one thing you look forward to the most at CHA shows? What crafty community service project are you involved with? If you’re interested, please submit your post idea, blog post, name and contact information to jbaum@craftandhobby.org.

All guest blog posts are the sole responsibility of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA), its staff members, sponsors or exhibitors. The inclusion of a link or reference does not imply the endorsement of the linked site by the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA).

CHA 2013 Winter Conference Speaker Series (Post 5)

Throughout the months of November and December we have featured the speakers and instructors who will be teaching courses at the 2013 Winter Conference January 11 – 14 in Anaheim, CA.

Business Bootcamp: Advanced Social Media Marketing

By Tony Ford, CHA 2013 Technology Expert; Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of ArtFire.com and principle consultant for Bounce Rocket Media

Social media accounts for 90% of the brand impressions for ArtFire.com.  We use it to get more than 50 million impressions per week for our brand and our sellers’ products.  It is the single most powerful tool in our entire marketing and communication plan. Our team members are like scientists in the wild, exploring, testing, probing and looking for ways to make our programs better, and ensure that every effort can tie back into the actual revenue of our business.  In this workshop, I’ll be sharing that research and those methods with you.

I’m guessing you have social media accounts.  You’re posting things about your business.  You’re even getting some followers and friends.  This is the right thing to do.  You know you need to do it, but it’s starting to take a lot of time.  Your boss or your business partner (and even maybe you) are wondering, “What is this supposed to do for the actual money making part of the business? How do we rise above the crowd, above the noise and get our message out where it will result in more sales?”

Basic social media is so easy nearly everyone in America under the age of 60 is doing it, and the advanced level is complicated enough that even the few who do it for a living are actually doing it well.  It’s time to move beyond the consumer level, beyond the casual user level, and into becoming a social media scientist.  In this seminar we’re going to look at the tools and methods used by those who live full time as social media scientists.

You’re likely doing a lot more than just social media, which means you’re too busy to spend all day on this.  How can you maximize your social media impact in less time?  I’ll show you the tricks my team uses.

How can you tie your efforts to the bottom line and prove the impact on your business? You’ll learn how to  customize google analytics and prove that your efforts ring the cash register. You’ll also learn the sites and services to use to put a real dollar amount on the reach you are getting now.

How can you double dip, use software tricks, and create loyal fans and friends who will not just read your posts, but spread your brand far and wide?  Learn the copywriting, headline writing, and consumer psychology tricks to get your message moving and transition from publisher to thought leader.  You’ll learn how to improve your odds at going viral.

How do you make social media more powerful?  You treat it like science.  You study what works and test new ideas.  I’m  going to open up the laboratory and show you the tools.  I’ll explore split testing of social media advertising and message, the best practices for  launching new campaigns and how to use social media to boost your SEO.

Finally, I’ll show you what I read and who I follow online to keep up-to-date on social media marketing and exactly how I follow hundreds of blogs and marketing technique sources in very little time each day.   This is an ever-changing field, but with the right tools you can not only keep up with the changes, you can thrive where others may get overwhelmed.

Unlike a normal seminar, this workshop will be a mix of presentation, Q&A and hands-on work.  Think of this like a group consulting session.  The goal will be for everyone to walk away with real world methods they can use to save time, expand their brand reach, and make more money. I look forward to seeing you in Anaheim.

~ Tony Ford

Tony Ford is the co-founder of ArtFire.com and principle consultant for Bounce Rocket Media, a new media and social marketing consulting firm based in Tucson, Arizona.  Bounce Rocket provides social media marketing and new media marketing services including staff training, account management and education for a wide range of firms with a special focus on creative professionals in the art, music and literature space as well as small business and non-profits.  More information can be found at BounceRocket.com.

CHA Conference Program registration is OPEN!  Click here for more information and to register. Register for a Conference Program by December, 21st and be entered to win TWO admission passes to Disneyland Park.

The Most Overlooked Key to CHA Exhibiting Success

By Jefferson Davis, Competitive Edge

Guess what percentage of marketing professionals with college degrees received exhibit marketing as part of their university curriculum?  2% |  7% |  13% | 24%?

If you guessed 2% you are right. As a nationally recognized tradeshow expert, I am often asked “What is the single most important key to making tradeshows deliver real results for our company?” People expect me to tell them things like “get a better booth location”, “build a bigger, flashier exhibit”, “do a better job promoting your exhibit”, “demonstrate your products better”, “capture better leads” and things like that.

All of these things can help. But, when I tell them the single most important key to making tradeshows deliver meaningful and measurable results is to update and expand their company’s exhibiting knowledge base, they look surprised. They tell me “we know how to exhibit, we’ve been doing it for years.” I then ask them to tell me about the results their exhibit program is delivering, and far too few exhibitors can speak of any specific results. They all seem to know what they are spending, but too few know what they are really getting.

The question of how to make tradeshows deliver results is a very poignant question because many companies’ exhibit programs fail to deliver measurable and meaningful results. I believe strongly that the lack of formal exhibiting knowledge is one of the main reasons.

Consider these shocking exhibiting industry statistics:

• Only 24% of exhibitors set objectives for tradeshows
• Less than 20% of exhibitors do any form of targeted pre-show marketing.
• 84% of booth staffers have never received training on how to work a tradeshow
• 76% of sales people views tradeshow leads as “cold” calls.
• 87% of tradeshow leads captured are never effectively followed up on.
• Only 14% of exhibitors have any organized form of post-show measurement.

These statistics point to a major problem. Marketing departments spend almost 1/3 of their annual marketing budget on tradeshows. Sales department are asked to staff the exhibit, often against their will or desire. Both departments spend significant financial and human capital, and both with very little formal education or training on how to best do so. And it shows in their results.

Tradeshows have changed in complexity over the last several years. The body of knowledge on how to make tradeshows productive and profitable has exploded and yet far too few exhibitors are seeking out the latest thinking and best exhibiting practices. Many companies are operating on an exhibiting model that is 10 years outdated.

So where do you look for the latest and best exhibiting practices? While there are many good resources, CHA is a great place to start. All exhibitors, in the three months leading up to the trade show, will receive a bimonthly e-newsletter with timely, “how-to” articles, exhibiting tips, cost saving advice and deadline reminders. Exhibitors can also access the CHA Exhibitor Update e-newsletter and the Successful Exhibiting Article Series through the Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC).

Through the Exhibitor Success & ROI Center, CHA is providing free exhibitor webinars, tips & tools for successful exhibiting, research and statics on the value of trade shows, and an “Ask the Tradeshow Expert” email Q&A program. Please make sure you and the key people in your marketing and sales departments read the articles and review the information included in the Exhibitor Success & ROI Center. Most importantly, please use what makes sense for your situation. By doing so, we can assure that exhibiting knowledge will no longer be a gap in your company.

Jefferson Davis, president of Competitive Edge is known as the “Tradeshow Turnaround Artist”. Since 1991, his consulting and training services have helped clients improve their tradeshow performance and results to the tune of over $500M. Mr. Davis is co-creator of the CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) program. He can be reached at 704-814-7355 or Jefferson@tradeshowturnaround.com

Looking for additional ideas to achieve higher ROI for your trade show experience?  The CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) is your free, on-demand, 24/7 resource to help you find answers to your most pressing exhibiting challenges, expand your exhibiting know-how and improve your company’s exhibiting performance.

Badge Registration for the CHA 2013 Winter Conference & Trade Show is now open. Click here to register. For information on exhibiting at the CHA Show, please click here.