If You've Ever Thought About Investing in Constant Contact Digital Marketing Platform, NOW Is The Time To Buy!

Cyber Week Special - Save 50% Off 2 Months of Constant Contact Digital Marketing Platform - Offer ends December 1st, 11:59 PM

http://bit.ly/SweetSpotAcademy_CTCT 

Use Promo Code CYBER17

I can honestly say with the many enhancements Constant Contact has made to it's Digital Marketing platform in the past year, it has incredible features and functionality for all your digital and social media marketing needs.

Here are some of the key features that help simplify your online marketing at an affordable price for Small Business and Nonprofit Organizations:

1) MARKETING CALENDAR - to help organize and schedule your email communications

2) SOCIAL MEDIA DASHBOARD - to help monitor conversations and schedule your posts while also expanding the reach of your email marketing and promotional messages

3) MOBILE RESPONSIVE EMAILS - beautiful mobile responsive emails where the content responds or adapts to the size of screen the emails are presented on, and are branded to match your corporate colors

4) EMAIL AUTOMATION - for lead nurture where you can create a series of emails to deliver content to a subscriber that helps educate and deliver pertinent information to help with their decision making process

5) EVENT MARKETING PLATFORM - a powerful event marketing platform that includes creating custom event landing pages that has the ability for people to enrol online, integrated with email invitations to potential attendees and communications with registrants, as well as integration with the survey tool for post event follow

6) SURVEY'S & POLLS - where you have the option to choose from 85 modifiable templates or create your own - all branded to match your corporate colors

7) OFFERS & COUPONS - mobile responsive coupons that integrate with Facebook and can be repurposed and shared across the social web and delivered via email

3) LIST BUILDING TOOLS  - Constant Contact comes with a full suite of listing building tools including inline and popup forms on your website and Facebook Page

8) LANDING PAGES - to capture contact information for lead nurturing and relationship building  

9) ANALYTICS & REPORTING - regardless of the campaign type, Constant Contact has robust analytics and reporting with early email notification on how well your campaign is performing

9) LIBRARY OF FREE IMAGES - as part of your subscription you have access to many free images with the option to also purchase images from right within Constant Contact. Easy to find images from their searchable data base

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Sweet Spot Academy offers a suite of scalable solutions that simplify the 'how' to keep your business moving forward. We work with entrepreneurs, small business and nonprofit organizations to filter out the noise and confusion in an overcrowded digital landscape to find practical answers and solutions that helps solve their business need or problem.

Ultimately, we help you define what you are truly after, then help you focus your budget and your time in the places that will yield the best return on your investment.

BOOK YOUR 30 MINUTE FREE BUSINESS ASSESSMENT TODAY
http://www.sweetspotacademy.ca/contact.asp

How To Create A Social Media Strategy for Your Small Business or Non-Profit Organization

Did you know a good majority of Small Businesses and Non-Profits struggle with using social media and are very frustrated with it?

The business uses of social media is many, and yet only a small percentage of owners, leaders and executives use social media or even try to experiment with adding different platforms, apps or tools into parts of their daily lives. This includes adopting social media as part of their professional networking and implementing it as part of the marketing mix for their business or non-profit organization.

I completely understand and empathize with anyone who feels frustrated, as digital, mobile and social media marketing are constantly advancing and changing all of the time.  There is one critical matter to keep in mind:

"Social Media isn't about you ... it is about your customers!" 

Some of the most frequent comments we hear from business people who have specific goals in using social media, yet are frustrated and struggling with achieving their objectives.

• I don't know what to say or when to post.

• I'm not sure how to follow and join in on conversations.

• There's no benefit. It's a waste of time that I simply do not have!

• I want to improve my performance and have better engagement.

• I want to connect with my customers and build my audience.

• I want to generate leads, make sales and close more business.

• I want to share information and move the message out.

• I want to target specific types of people and customers with my message.

• I want to attract the right customers to my business.

• I want to increase sponsorships and donations.

• Why would anyone care about what I ate for breakfast?

It is important to recognize that while we may not like using social media, 7 out of 10 customers are actively using it to connect with their favourite brands to receive information, specials, offers and customer service via this communication medium.

When I hear these comments, it tells me the person(s) recognize the value and importance of social media, they just aren't sure how to use it effectively to help them achieve their business goals.   

Knowing how to strategically use social media to connect, engage and build relationships with customer audiences has a high return on investment when goals are established and efforts are focused. For this reason, Sweet Spot Academy is here to help individuals and organizations develop a social media strategy for their business or non-profit organization.

I personally invite you to attend 'How to Create a Social Media Strategy for Your Organization" or inquire about private onsite training and consulting services.  

Summerside, November 29 - Register Now

Join us for this social media strategy workshop where we help you define what you are truly after, then help you focus your budget and your time in the places that will yield the best ROI.

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Sweet Spot Academy offers a suite of scalable solutions that simplify the 'how' to keep your business moving forward. We work with entrepreneurs, small business and nonprofit organizations to filter out the noise and confusion in an overcrowded digital landscape to find practical answers and solutions that helps solve their business need or problem.

Ultimately, we help you define what you are truly after, then help you focus your budget and your time in the places that will yield the best return on your investment.

BOOK YOUR 30 MINUTE FREE BUSINESS ASSESSMENT TODAY
http://www.sweetspotacademy.ca/contact.asp

Mobile Marketing | Google Nearby | Bluetooth & Wifi Technology | Physical Web

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Sweet Spot Academy offers a suite of scalable solutions that simplify the 'how' to keep your business moving forward. We work with entrepreneurs, small business and nonprofit organizations to filter out the noise and confusion in an overcrowded digital landscape to find practical answers and solutions that helps solve their business need or problem.

Ultimately, we help you define what you are truly after, then help you focus your budget and your time in the places that will yield the best return on your investment.

BOOK YOUR 30 MINUTE FREE BUSINESS ASSESSMENT TODAY

http://www.sweetspotacademy.ca/contact.asp

Building Your Business Using Social Media

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Sweet Spot Academy offers a suite of scalable solutions that simplify the 'how' to keep your business moving forward. We work with entrepreneurs, small business and nonprofit organizations filter out the noise and confusion in an overcrowded digital landscape to find practical answers and solutions that helps solve their business need or problem.

Ultimately, we help you define what you are truly after, then help you focus your budget and your time in the places that will yield the best return on your investment.

BOOK US FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT - Digital Marketing Seminars & Workshops

As a Constant Contact Certified Solutions Partner, we are dedicated to educating small business, nonprofits, governments and industry organizations on how to make their digital marketing efforts as effective as possible. We are authorized by Constant Contact to deliver their digital marketing and social media seminars, and can provide an unprecedented level of service and expertise for all your email marketing, event management, social media, and digital customer service training needs.

DIGITAL MARKETING WORKSHOPS

We have an excellent selection of Digital Marketing Workshops and Seminars for you to choose from for your next event, whether it be for a Lunch and Learn Session, Morning Breakfast meeting, as part of your AGM, or a Keynote Presentation for your Industry Conference. Each subject is 1-2 hours long and can be delivered as stand-alone modules or packaged in a workshop series format.  

If you are interested in booking a Sweet Spot Academy & Constant Contact Seminar for your organization or event, or you are interested in learning more about each of the workshop topics, please click the "Book A Workshop For Your Organization Now" button below. You will be taken to our online booking website.

We look forward to working with you to create an outstanding training experience for your clients, members or participants. 

SEMINARS & WORKSHOP TITLES:

• Email Marketing Quickstart
• Power of the Inbox
• Grow Your Business with Email & Social Media
• Drive New Business with Social Media
• Look Great in the InboxContent 
• Content Marketing: What to Say, How to Say It
• Digital Marketing Trends for Small Business & Non-Profits
• Stand Out Subject Lines

Ask about our custom solutions when filling out the booking form.

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NANCY BETH is President & Executive Consultant at Sweet Spot Academy.

At Sweet Spot Academy, we solve and simplify "HOW" to keep your business moving forward by offering a suite of know-how based business training and empowerment programs.  We focus on small group workshops and customized training programs.

Our customized business growth and skills training programs provide the inspiration, motivation and strategic KNOW-HOW knowledge that helps you and your staff confidently implement your business development growth plans.

@SweetSpotAcadmy  |  @nbguptill  |  http://www.sweetspotacademy.ca | http://nancybethguptill.me

How To Deliver Outstanding Sales & Customer Service

As business owners and managers we know providing outstanding customer service is integral to our business success and longevity. It's through our service delivery that we get, grow, and guard customers, while experiencing repeat business with loyal customers.

With the cost of customer acquisition being, on average, 7x higher than the cost of customer retention, it is our duty to deliver superior service at every customer touchpoint. There are many touchpoints where we can deliver memorable experiences, whether the service is delivered in person, over the phone, through digital platforms or other communication mediums.  

While many businesses put a strong focus on gaining new customers, we actually should invest an equal amount of time, energy and money into keeping customers through providing outstanding after-sale services and loyalty programs. Loyal customers often become raving fans and brand ambassadors when we go the extra mile to meet unforeseen needs or provide pleasurable and memorable unexpected experiences.

One of our goals at Sweet Spot Academy is to help your sales teams develop the skills, tools and knowledge to build customer networks and deliver outstanding sales and service experiences that builds lasting rapport and loyalty. We accomplish these goals through our professional sales and service training programs.

If you are a business owner or manager wanting to rapidly up-skill and transform your sales team, please take a moment to review some of Sweet Spot's most popular sales and service skills training programs below by clicking on the image to be redirected to dedicated information page for the program you selected, then book a complimentary discovery call so we can discuss and explore your needs. 

      

    

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NANCY BETH is President & Executive Consultant at Sweet Spot Academy.

At Sweet Spot Academy, we solve and simplify "HOW" to keep your business moving forward by offering a suite of know-how based business training and empowerment programs.  We focus on small group workshops and customized training programs.

Our customized business growth and skills training programs provide the inspiration, motivation and strategic KNOW-HOW knowledge that helps you and your staff confidently implement your business development growth plans.

@SweetSpotAcadmy  |  @nbguptill  |  http://www.sweetspotacademy.ca | http://nancybethguptill.me

How To Use Hashtags on Twitter

Twitter hashtags are appearing in many places these days – on websites, during television shows, in the captions of Instagram photos and of course, within many Tweets. Why should marketers use up valuable Tweet characters for hashtags?

To answer that question, we're sharing a great video tutorial on using Hashtags on Twitter by Anson Alexandar.  

The information presented here can be applied to using Hashtags in general, on any social media platform, for instance Instagram and Facebook.

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Nancy Beth is an Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner, Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada and a Motivational Speaker for Women & Girl Leadership.

As an Internet and Digital Marketing veteran, Nancy Beth has vast experience in Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Online Safety and Protecting Your Digital Footprint. Since 2010, Nancy Beth has been highly sought after to share her message on being a Digital Leader, using the Internet & Social Media for good, and how to safely navigate the Social Web.

Keynote Speaker | Executive Coach | Training Consultant | Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada (@sweetmarketing) |(@nbguptill) | Digital Leader | Women & Girl Leadership To book Nancy Beth for your next event, or to discuss your training needs Visit: http://sweetspotmarketingacademy.ca/contact

The Connected Farmer

The Connected Farmer

Marketing & Digital Technology Training for Farmers

The Connected Farmer is an interactive, hands-on, computer based training program designed specifically for Prince Edward Island's Farmers. In this 12 hour group training program, participants will learn how to optimize their marketing communications by integrating their use of social media and digital technology tools to create market interest in their products. Participants will receive a digital workbook, handouts and copies of the training presentations, and unlimited virtual support through the duration of the program via an online coaching website. On completion of the group training program, eligible participants are entitled to a two-hour one-on-one on site training session, at their farm location.  Download Digital Brochure & Program Overview Now

        To register, call the          Agriculture Information Desk

1-866-734-3276 (PEIFARM) / 902-368-4145

Please pre-register as seating is limited.

 

Program Details

• Workshop Dates: 2014, February 25, March 4, 11 & 18
• Time of Day: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM Classroom Instruction  1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Optional Help Session
• Location: Atlantic Technology Centre, Charlottetown
• Who Should Attend: PEI Farmers
• Workshop Duration: 12 hours of group training in a computer lab, 2 hours of optional private training for eligible participants
• Audience Size: Maximum 20 participants 
  Cost: $40 for all workshops, $15 per workshop
  To qualify for the private follow-up session, participants must register for all four workshops.

WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

                     Nancy Beth Guptill                       Sweet Spot Marketing

           

Where

Atlantic Technology Centre
90 University Avenue
Charlottetown, PE C1A 4K9


Driving Directions 

You should take this program if you want to:

• Learn how to use social media and digital tools to create market interest in your products
• Have a thriving farm that creates a positive buzz in industry and within consumer markets
• Increase sales by driving  traffic to your website, or foot traffic to your retail operation, farmers market, road side stand, or farm location
• Move your farm towards the new way of doing business in the digital economy

WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

Sweet Spot Marketing Academy

  

  The Connected Farmer 

                                                                           

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Nancy Beth is an Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner, Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada and a Motivational Speaker for Women & Girl Leadership.

As an Internet and Digital Marketing veteran, Nancy Beth has vast experience in Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Online Safety and Protecting Your Digital Footprint. Since 2010, Nancy Beth has been highly sought after to share her message on being a Digital Leader, using the Internet &Social Media for good, and how to safely navigate the Social Web.

Keynote Speaker | Executive Coach | Training Consultant | Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada (@sweetmarketing) |(@nbguptill) | Digital Leader | Women & Girl Leadership To book Nancy Beth for your next event, or to discuss your training needs Visit: http://sweetspotmarketingacademy.ca/contact

About Nancy Beth Guptill

Nancy Beth is an Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner, Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada and a Motivational Speaker for Women & Girl Leadership.

As an Internet, Social Media and Digital Marketing veteran, Nancy Beth has vast experience in Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Online Safety and Protecting Your Digital Footprint. Since 2010, Nancy Beth has been highly sought after to share her message on being a Digital Leader, using the Internet & Social Media for good, and how to safely navigate the Social Web.

Keynote Speaker | Executive Coach | Training Consultant | Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada (@sweetmarketing) |(@nbguptill) | Digital Leader | Women & Girl Leadership 

 To book Nancy Beth for your next event, or to discuss your training needs visit: http://sweetspotmarketingacademy.ca/contact

How To Protect Your Shadow Footprint - Part 1

Huh? What are you talking about? What's a Shadow Footprint?

Good Question!   With our Social Web, it is important to protect your Digital Shadow because what others say about you online can either boost your image and reputation, or completely destroy it. This holds true regardless of what people say, whether they are talking about you, your brand or your business in a professional or personal manner.

Your Shadow Footprint is defined by what others have to say about you online. This includes pictures, video's, audio recordings and text posts on blogs, social media and internet websites. On the Social Web, your image and reputation is the the sum of Google's Search results.

Most of us have heard the message “Protect Your Digital Footprint”. Your Digital Footprint is defined as anything you put out on the internet and social media sites about yourself. Your Shadow Footprint is content and information that others post and publish about you or your business online.

While you may take the action to be a good Digital Leader, others may not, and what others say and post about you or your company can really hurt your reputation.

Why is it important to protect our Digital & Shadow Footprints?

In our digital world, most people go to the internet as their primary research tool to look things up on Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other search engines. Thinking about our Digital and Shadow Footprints, anything you, or others, put up about you on the internet is searchable and can have more meaning than anything you might include in a proposal, company overview, a resume or application paper.

Here's the thing, even if what is being said about you is not true, when people see things in print they tend to believe it, especially if the content is published on a credible site like an online article on a newspaper's website, or a podcast on a radio station's website.

The reality is our Digital & Shadow Footprints:

• Remain on the Internet Forever

• Are defined as the amount of content that is traceable back to a given individual, brand or company, whether the content is words, photographs, audio, or video … regardless of the publishing source

• Define our social identity, online brand and persona. As an internet user, we create our social identity in online communities, blogs and websites. It is defined through our actions, behaviors and interactions with others. Through our social identity people determine our online personality / persona which defines our online brand. Our online brand and persona is who we are as a person and how others perceive us online.

• Over time, our digital and shadow footprints combined, create our Social Identity

• Can be our new first impression.  By this I mean, people may meet you for the first time online through social media sites or reading about you on a blog or in the news. Think of it this way, you have probably met people online first through reading a news article, through your friends, or by joining an online community, before actually meeting them in-person offline. What they see about you online will create a first impression, and that impression will either be good or otherwise. I am sure many of you have accepted friend requests from people you never met, and did so because they had a positive online image. I am also sure many of you have declined friend requests or blocked people because of their online behavior and negative online image.

• Examples of Digital Footprint: photographs you uploaded to social sites, blog posts, shared video files, posts you wrote as status updates or comments you made on a friend's wall.

• Examples of Digital Shadow: photographs, video's and audio clips your friends or family members post about you as their update status, news articles published on the newspaper or radio station's website

As internet users, we are responsible for our own actions, and we need to be Digital Leaders. We can make a conscious decision to protect our Digital Footprint, as well as the Shadow Footprint of others by being a Digital Leader and a good Cybercitizen. We control what we post and we should not let technology betray us or others.

One of my all time favorite authors and speakers in Digital Marketing is Erik Qualman [@equalman]. When we interact through social media and email, he calls me #OhCanada and I just love it! Erik is the author of Socialnomics and Digital Leader, and he is a strong proponent for Digital Leadership. Two must read books for ANY user of the social web is Socialnomics and Digital Leader by Erik. I strongly encourage you to read both of his books as they are truly insightful.

While we can control our Digital Footprint we have no control over our Shadow Footprint. However, we can … and MUST ... take measures to protect it.

Next week, I will share part two of this two-part blog series. In part two, I will share strategies and tactics on how to actually protect your Shadow Footprint. In the meantime, if you have any questions on part one, please post questions on this blog, or you can post them to my Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/sweetmarketing

In closing this post, take a moment to watch “A Tale of Two Footprints” by Mr. Sheehy  This video reinforces the content in this post.

A Tale of Two Footprints from Mr. Sheehy on Vimeo.

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Nancy Beth is an Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner, Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada and a Motivational Speaker for Women & Girl Leadership.

• As an Internet and Digital Marketing veteran, Nancy Beth has vast experience in Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Online Safety and Protecting Your Digital Footprint.  Since 2010, Nancy Beth has been highly sought after to share her message on being a Digital Leader, using the Internet & Social Media for good, and how to safely navigate the Social Web. 

  
  

  Keynote Speaker | Executive Coach | Training Consultant | Founder of  Sweet Spot Marketing Canada (@sweetmarketing) |(@nbguptill) | Digital Leader |

   Women & Girl Leadership