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Happy New Year! Happy New Decade!

This, my first day back to work in the New Year, is always one of my favorites. I’ve got a new calendar all ready to go, the sun is shining, and I’m absolutely full of anticipation.

Don’t get me wrong, I had a wonderful holiday season. Here’s a quick recap.

For the Memory Bank

  • My husband and I always take vacation from Christmas to New Years. This year the holidays fell in such a way that we added a couple days on either side, making for a glorious two full weeks.
  • When politics threatened to invade my holidays, I deemed them Facebook-free. With the exception of tending my social media client’s weekly post, I truly enjoyed staying clear of the chaos.
  • The food! Need I say more?
  • We relished precious time with friends and family. From intimate, small get-togethers to raucous, large gatherings, we banked a load of fun memories.
  • I read for pleasure! Including three books; The Dutch House, The Last Romantics, and She Said.
  • The weather, oh, my goodness. We may have had snow for Halloween, but we had mid-50s for Christmas. Unseasonable, yes. Nice, oh, yes! One day I hiked through Lapham Peak State Park and even the monotones were beautiful (goodness, there are still leaves on some of the trees!).

Our holidays finalized the decade in such a blessed way. And now, I’m ready to move on to 2020. Life is an adventure, is it not?!

Anticipating 2020

  • Fifteen years! I can hardly believe it. I’m anticipating an interesting pipeline for 2020.
  • Looking for a 90-day Flourishing challenge? It doesn’t start until Jaunary 13, so you’ve got a week to get ready. Check it out here (the video comes out on Tuesday—well worth the wait).
  • I’m starting the year with two website projects; Hymns in My Heart and The Real Estate Duo. Very different projects, both very meaningful.
  • Snow! As comfortable as 50 degrees in January is, I’m a winter outdoor enthusiast. My snowshoes await, so bring on the white stuff!
  • The Practical Farmers of Iowa Conference is in two weeks! I’m honored to be presenting “Marketing Your Uniqueness.”
  • Resolutions? Well, you know how those go. Nonetheless, I’m hoping to continue reading more books and less Facebook.
  • I’m learning something new: Video. It’s about time, right? I’ve specialized on words and design, but sometimes you have to step out of your box. Especially when clients are asking!
  • Last, and certainly most exciting…Today, yes, TODAY, I’m awaiting a new grandbaby! Needless to say, anticipation abounds. Please, please, please, take a minute for a prayer!

Happy 2020 everyone! May it be blessed!

Adunate Now Offers Social Media Marketing

Forward Mutual Insurance Company social media marketing

You know you should be doing social media marketing. But maybe you don’t quite know how? Maybe you don’t have time? Or maybe you just don’t have an interest?

Here’s something to think about.

The days of passive consumerism are over. Impersonal advertising, like television, radio and newspaper, no longer holds the all-influencing power it used to have. Now we consumers seek connection, communication and information. With all our cool tech devices, we pursue these desires whenever we want, wherever we want. Given that, social media has become the primary marketing venue for reaching today’s consumers.

Forward Mutual takes on social media marketing

Mutual insurance companies generally are not frontrunners in online marketing, yet, last spring when Forward Mutual updated its website, we discussed the idea of social media marketing. President and CEO Lois Wiedenhoeft wanted to reach out to its younger target market in the way they communicate. She also wanted to answer their insurance questions and offer helpful ownership advice. Social media was just the tool to do that, plus it would increase Forward Mutual’s exposure and build credibility.

Last month we got the ball rolling!

Once a week, Forward Mutual and Adunate work together to post on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. We’re also doing regular blog posts in the form of News. Contracting Adunate to manage its social media marketing allows the staff at Forward Mutual time to do what they’re committed to doing best—serving home and farm owners throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

So check out Forward Mutual’s new presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Be sure to “Like” the pages and follow this innovative mutual as it reaches out to its market!

Oh, and by the way, if you’re on the fence about social media marketing for your business, check out this little infographic I put together. Based on statistics from Statista, it’s easy to see your business is hiding in a hole if it’s not active online.

If you’d like help with your social media marketing, be sure to give me a call.

Social media marketing infographic by Adunate

Making Better Use of the First Hour of the Day

An early morning view from my porch

My husband is out of the house by 5:15 each morning. And because I’m such a sweet wife, I get up with him, make his lunch and kiss him goodbye (it’s the least I can do since his working and benefits do, after all, make my self-employment a much more feasible thing).

So anyway, at this hour I’m rather lethargic and not quite ready to start my day. It’s way too easy to plop down on the couch and open up a laptop. You know how that goes…I think I’ll just do a quick post to my Facebook business page, check my email, read the news, and then I’ll get going. Of course, two hours later, I’m still sitting there on the couch. What a waste of the most beautiful time of day!

Thankfully, I don’t always do that.

In his Work Smart article, writer Kevin Purdy describes what successful people do with the first hour of their workday. They don’t check their email. Seriously, he says. Stop that.

Maybe Facebook should be banned as well.

Think about it. Facebook has become such a black hole of critical opinions, arguments and TMI that quite often all it does is stew a heartburn of negativity for the rest of the day. Ditto for the world’s news (and don’t even mention talk radio).

What total day-downers these are!

In Ed Gandia’s Effortless Productivity seminar, he describes his early morning routine. Each day he does a gratitude exercise, where he writes in longhand a full page of things for which he’s thankful. This, he says, sets the tone for the rest of his day. A happier tone.

I started doing this too. I use it as my thank-you list to God. Interestingly, the more I write, the more ideas of thankfulness come to my mind. Doing this makes me realize how blessed I really am.

Furthermore, recognizing these blessings motivates me to get off my butt. This summer I’ve gardened almost every morning—yes, that’s my early riser’s view, isn’t it beautiful? I’ve also kept up with swimming laps, yoga in the park, and walking with my neighbor (not all on the same day, of course…I’m not that energetic:-). By time I sit down to start my workday, I feel upbeat and full of creativity.

I’ve gotta say, it’s been a great summer.

Wednesday Webs 4-4-12

Adunate on Facebook

Over the weekend Facebook added a timeline to its business pages. They’ve been alerting us to this for months but, of course, I’m just getting my page finalized now. I gave it a lot of thought and decided to go for weekly update images reflective of what’s new with Adunate. Check it out and be sure to click “like!”

Here is more information on Facebook’s page updates for businesses, organizations and brands:

 

Does your business have a Facebook page? Have you uploaded a cover image? Drop me a line if you need some help!


The Best Way to Learn Marketing in Wisconsin Winters

Growing grapes in Wisconsin

There’s no better place to practice marketing than conferences. And there’s no better time than a conference at Wisconsin Dells in winter.

Wisconsin Dells is the Las Vegas of waterparks. And even though the only splashing my husband and I do is that of our beverages (we’re no longer into public displays of our swimming fashion), we did enjoy last month’s Wisconsin Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Conference, put on in part by the Wisconsin Grape Growers Association (WGGA).

Woohoo, you’re probably thinking. Fruit and vegetables. Well, my husband and I are contemplating growing grapes someday, if/when we retire, so this conference turned out to be quite interesting.

I also picked up lots of marketing tips, particularly from the WGGA.

The WGGA is a small, non-profit, agricultural organization—understandably so, since viticulture is still relatively new to Wisconsin. But it’s vibrant organization nonetheless, and its really making headlines.

“I think WGGA is becoming a stronger, more effective association. Membership is growing and we have so many knowledgeable people in Wisconsin who are committed to making the wine and grape industry successful,” says Rebecca Rochester, who serves as marketing coordinator. “Over the past year, there has been a huge increase in media coverage on Wisconsin’s grape and wine industry. It has been very exciting to get the word out.”

So you know this “getting the word out” doesn’t just happen by itself, right? What’s WGGA doing to make this happen?

This past weekend my husband and I once again took a winter break and attended the Wisconsin Garden Expo. WGGA was there with quality-produced visuals, brochures and other promotional pieces. Obviously, the association is out and about, providing excellent information to the public.

They’ve also got an extremely helpful website. Interested in the feasibility of growing grapes in Wisconsin? It’s there. Need a list of Wisconsin’s more than 270 vineyards or 81 wineries? It’s there as well.

Most interesting is Rebecca’s marketing on Facebook. She’s got WGGA in our faces every day but she’s not at all irritating. She promotes wineries, job opportunities, and interesting articles like this one on the state of wine in Brew City.

So this is some of the marketing WGGA is doing. How does it compare to what your organization is doing?

We’d love to hear your good ideas!

 

Mascarpone Does More Than Make a Good Tiramasu

tiramisu

Yesterday I had an interesting phone conversation with Alise Sjostrom. She’s the marketing coordinator for Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese and she’s doing an amazing job promoting their products on the internet. In fact, solely because of her recent Facebook comments, I bought one of their gift packages for my parents.

I also made this awesome tiramisu.

Let me momentarily digress to the tiramisu. I know this isn’t food photography at its best, but this is all that was leftover from my dinner party the night before. Let me tell you, the tiramisu was awesome. I made it from a recipe on this Italian Dessert blog. I even made my own lady finger cookies, also from the blog. Let me repeat, it was awesome.

Certainly much of my tiramisu success came from using an award-winning mascarpone cheese, which takes me back to Alise Sjostrom and the Crave Brothers.

Alise joined Crave Brothers this past year and has really taken off with their social media marketing.

“Crave Brothers had started social media before, but didn’t use it to its full potential,” says Alise. “I previously worked for a cheese company in Vermont where much of my time focused on social media and website management.

“Social media has given Crave Brothers’ marketing more bulk. We’ve simply added it to the marketing we already were doing. The only cost has been time. I have the tools to have it (the internet) up all the time and I work social media in throughout the day while I’m doing other things.”

I like Alise’s approach. She wants to educate people on agriculture and cheese, and she wants to bring them together with her posts on Facebook, Twitter, a blog and an e-newsletter, all of which draw people to their website.

“My focus is to be very real,” says Alise. “Real time on what’s really happening. I feel people want to connect with us and know what we’re doing. They love to talk about food and are looking for ideas. Social media makes it easier, since otherwise it would be difficult because we don’t have our own retail store.”

She’s right. People do want to connect. We want to feel like we’re “part of the club.” Last week I felt just that when I commented to Crave Brothers’ Facebook post about tiramisu.

And then I went out and bought two tubs of their mascarpone cheese.

Need help with your social media? Writing your blog or your e-newsletter? Drop me a line!

Social Media Connects Even the Remote

Autumn Corn

Gotta say, days like today I feel like queen of the world!

I get to do work I love and I get to do it out of an eclectic, old house. When I need a break, I simply step outside and immerse myself in God’s wondrous nature. And, like today, when the thermometer reaches the high 70s and autumn colors are peaking, life just doesn’t get any better.

Not long ago, working in a remote location such as mine wasn’t feasible. My neighborhood is rural (my closest neighbor is actually further away than this photo depicts) and in the old days I would have missed out on all the action.

Nowadays, of course, that’s all changed. We conduct business from anywhere and the continuously advancing internet enables us to stay in touch with everyone. Nothing emphasizes this more than social media.

Last month I participated in Brazen U’s Social Media Strategy Bootcamp. I’ve been promoting my business via social media for several years with a pleasing degree of success. The tips I learned from the bootcamp, however, are sure to increase that in so many ways—how I organize my social media time, how I make the most of my online presence, and how I measure what’s working and what’s not.

Most importantly, the bootcamp course enforced what I’ve heard over and over: “Marketing hasn’t changed, but the tools have, and social media has become the tool.”

Looking for measurable proof?

I recently sat down and did some 3rd quarter calculations for my business. After nine months of decided efforts to ramp up my social media, I’ve seen a 20% increase in client base and a 46% decrease in advertising expenses. That’s a pretty good ROI, wouldn’t you say? Especially for me, since my only investment is time and I love my time marketing with social media.

Here’s the social media I’ve been participating in so far:

  • Facebook: Check out my page, leave a comment, and leave a “Like!”
  • Twitter: I used to think Twitter was stupid. Now I know better.
  • LinkedIn: My favorite social media. Its groups are the best.
  • Google+: Still figuring this one out. Hey, you can only do so much!

 

Exploring Philadelphia and More

Planet Explorers: PhiladelphiaCover image used with permission
Planet Explorers

I’ve often expressed my fascination with 20-30 year-olds for their gumption and innovative ways of thinking. Laura Schaefer is a perfect example.

Laura’s an accomplished author and best known for her popular Teashop Girls books. She’s also a savvy businesswoman. Of course, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. And take a look how she creatively targets her tween audience with this upcoming Teashop Girls Treasure Hunt.

Recently, Laura has stepped out with a new project—Planet Explorers: Travel Guides for Kids. She sells them as eBooks on Amazon for $2.99, which is such a bargain considering how packed each guide is with interesting and useful information.

Even though she directs Planet Explorers to tweens, they’re interesting for adults as well. Just ask me—I’m traveling to Philadelphia next month and jumped at the chance to check out her newly released Planet Explorers: Philadelphia, priced at just .99 for a limited time.

Once again, Laura comes through.

Thanks to Planet Explorers, I’ve now made my list of must-see-and-do’s. I’m a huge history buff and not only does Laura point out Philly’s great historical sites, she also covers the city’s founding story and fun “did you know?” trivia. For each site, she includes links to further information, good imagery and, best of all, nearby places to eat. Oh, she knows her audience well!

I can see Planet Explorers being a great tool for parents and teachers. We all know tweens aren’t the easiest sells for family vacations or classroom geography—here’s a guide directed specifically to them.