Island Reporter
June 23, 2011

Quenzel shares marketing knowledge with Rotarians

Another week and Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club welcomed another amazing speaker: Earl Quenzel of Quenzel & Associates, a company that specializes in Brand Marketing, Advertising, Web Design & Internet Marketing. Earl spoke to the group regarding the important value of Social Media in today’s business environment.

Whether it’s Business to Consumer or Business to Business, Social Media is a frontrunner in getting your product or service known and trusted by your targeted customer in today’s business arena. “The current business market is challenged by empowered consumers,” Quenzel said.

A click of the mouse brings instant information up on computer screens around the world. Customers are searching for information, they have a curiosity and interest about product and within a short period of time this can produce a decision toward, desire for, and trust in your product or produce a negative impression. That website visit produces awareness, understanding, and can create a preference for your product or service.

Web media is a competitive marketplace. Earl spoke of a thin market, decisions are set quickly. Consent attention to your media content, maintenance of your marketing material, and tracking users are extremely important.

Computer users are using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Tagged, YouTube, etc. daily. Communications from friends and businesses alert them in various ways on various topics constantly. Facebook alone has 500 million active users and 50 percent of active users log on to Facebook on any given day. The average Facebook user has 130 friends. Both good and bad information flows over the Internet in nanoseconds.

Social media users are categorized as: creators, they write or publish something; critics, rate or review something; collectors of information; joiners; or spectators, read blogs and postings. Marketers know that Social Media sites matter. Twittering a sales event or other timely advantages to your clients can make a difference to your business. Sixty-six percent of people are now using smart phones or iPads to receive information. Tailoring messaging for specific clientele creates a personal connection and business relationships are formed, along with trust. Whether you are a large or a small business the Internet platform creates an equal opportunity for all. Social Media allows personal connections in real time.

When a business decided to use Web Advertising or Social Media to market product or services on the Internet the marketing plan begins with an audit of current business practices and research of product or services you are marketing. SMM (Social Media Marketing), audit, marketing plan and branding equals research, positioning, and messaging.

“The goal of social media monitoring is to gain a better understand of the potential target audiences in your social sphere, where they are and what interests them,” Quenzel said. “Monitoring will also help benchmark important metrics for social media objectives.”

SMM is aligned with one-on-one selling. Find out who your customers are and what they want, have a great quality product or service, tailor your SMM to customer’s individual needs and you will be on your way to having a successful business.

Upcoming speakers: July 1 – Rosemary Boisvert, Managing Director, Transitional Living Center of SWFL, Addiction Services; July 8 – July Workman, Director, Programs & Community Relations, The Heights Foundation.

The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club meets every Friday at 7 a.m. at The Beachview Restaurant, located at 100 Par View Drive on Sanibel. If you would like to attend an upcoming meeting, just call Shirley Jewell at 337-1099.