It's all digital

Selling the story

In the Dec. 28, 2012, podcast episode of “Social Media Marketing with Michael Stelzner,” Dave Kerpen shared the story of how his company Likeable Media was founded. He explained how he and his wife used their marketing backgrounds to fund their huge wedding on the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball field by getting sponsors for everything, from the flowers to the alcohol to even the wedding dress. The wedding was such a success for the vendors that it led to the Kerpens launching their own company.

It’s a story that catches attention, particularly from potential clients looking for exposure. This is why Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner, interviewed Kerpen for this particular episode titled “Storytelling: Why Stories Attract More Customers.”

“We love to be engaged by stories,” Kerpen tells Stelzner, explaining that it’s more effective than any sales pitch because it connects people. The key to storytelling, though, is using it to show that you’re able to solve people’s problems, especially when it comes to sharing a story through social media. Kerpen says that in Likeable Media’s case, their story shows prospects that they know how to be creative.

“Just because you understand the tools of social media or the tools of radio or the tools of television doesn’t mean the idea isn’t just as important as it’s always been,” he says in the podcast.

But thanks to social media, it’s easy to get your story out there, and it’s possible to have it exposed to a large audience. Kerpen gives the example of Dave Carroll’s YouTube video titled “United Breaks Guitars,” which tells the story of how United Airlines broke the musician’s Taylor guitar. The 4-minute music video currently has almost 13 million views.

So how do you use the tools of storytelling to bring in more business? Stelzner asked Kerpen for a simple action item business owners can take. Kerpen suggests that people write down whatever they think their story is. Then share that story with someone you trust, and start talking about how you can craft it into a better story. By doing this exercise, you’ll soon have a better story to tell, he says.

To learn about what makes a good story and how to cross over from storytelling to selling and more, check out Stelzner’s podcast at bit.ly/WZHdBY.
 

Online Exclusives

Go viral
On Feb. 5, 2013, the marketing firm Moving Target hosted a webinar titled “The Best Social Media Practices for Small Businesses: Dos and Don’ts.” The webinar covered a wide range of social media topics, but it focused particularly on Facebook. Check out our online exclusive article to learn about these key items and how they can help your business:

• Facebook’s EdgeRank
• Facebook’s Insights
• What makes for a good post

Read the article at bit.ly/webinar-facebook-tips

Trial sneak peek
Want to see what Costa Farms has growing in its trial gardens this year? Visit our Facebook page to see a photo album of what’s blooming.

See photos at bit.ly/costa-farms-album

Online Exclusive

2013 TPIE Road Show – a recap

Take a look at the five stops that comprised the TPIE Road Show

By Amy Stankiewicz

Jan. 22 proved to be a busy but exciting day as part of the 2013 TPIE Road Show. More than 100 TPIE attendees traveled to Miami and then to other Florida cities to visit growers and suppliers who are excelling through innovation and an enterprising spirit.

Take a look at all five of the locations the Road Show visited at bit.ly/tpie-recap, or visit each link on the right. There you’ll find a brief explanation of each company as well as some of the better pictures taken on the tour. Enjoy!

Did you miss out on TPIE this year?
Make sure to visit our multimedia page to see more exclusive videos from the show.