Category Archives: clients

SM: How Do I Start?

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Recently, I spent a couple of phonecalls with prospective clients, getting the DL on their product or service, and figuring out where I could fit in as a consultant. It occurred to me that all of my prospective clients asked the same question, “How do I start?” (Second often asked question – “Where do I start?”)

Some of the questions I ask back are….

  1. First things first – Where’s your plan? What are your goals? List them out. It makes planning your tactics so much easier.
    1. Visibility, awareness?
    2. Increase in website traffic?
    3. Build your base?
    4. Increase sales?*
  2. What are you using now? Do you have a website, blog, email?
    1. Use what you have.
  3. Do a landgrab! Check your preferred username/URL on namechk.com.
    1. Be sure you have a back-up list of usernames if yours is already taken.
    2. Branding is just as important in SM as it is in “traditional marketing.”

namechk.com

Now that these three questions are answered, we get to move on to the next set of questions.

For the newbies, these are pretty basic questions you should have on your radar, especially if you’ve already in the process of writing a business plan or marketing plan.

* Note that while increasing sales is generally the name of the business game, the main role of social media is community. Call it what you want – but social media is part marketing, part customer service and 100% community.

Referral Sources vs Campaign Sources

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Today’s post – Google Analytics! Thanks to @A_Crutch for helping, and I thought I would expand on the topic here.

Here’s the gist of it: Our clients ask that we append UTM codes to any links that get posted. (Links that refer back to their websites, of course.) Links that we post on social media sites like Twitter.com and Facebook.com are coded, which then gets tagged as a Campaign in GA.

  • Does this mean that Referral Sources and Campaign Sources are mutually exclusive?
    • Am I double-counting?
  • Does this mean I can count Referral traffic AND Campaign traffic together when reporting Inbound Traffic?

    • Can I fold the Campaign Traffic numbers into the Referral Traffic, as campaigns are posted on social media platforms (that are being tracked under Referral Sources)?

I think I’ve answered two of my three questions.

  • Yes, Referral Sources and Campaign Traffic are mutually exclusive
  • No, I am not double-counting
  • No, Campaign Traffic should be flagged when you are looking for “popular” links that got visitors to click through and subsequently, back to the client’s website
  • As for the third question – I don’t know. Currently we don’t sum these because we’re looking at specific inbound traffic sources for a few of our clients.

I pulled the analytics from this website to show my logic. Correct me if I’m wrong!

Campaign Sources (UTM coded links)

Referral Sources

Google Analytics Traffic Overview

According to the Traffic Sources Overview screenshot, the Campaign Source is labeled “Other.” Well, if that’s right, I’m NOT double-counting referral traffic if I add Referral Sources + Campaign Sources.

In this example of my site, the 85 visits that came in in July = Direct Traffic + Referring Sites + Search Engines + Campaign Sources. Am I right or am I missing a detail?? I’m waiting for Google to get back to me, but if you, humble reader, has the answer, I’d love to hear from you!

Holy cripes, it’s June!

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Hello, friends. It’s been a busy May for me in the world of freelance and social media. A good busy, that is!

I’ve been privileged to visit some companies on the water in Marina del Rey recently. You’d assume that I’ve been everywhere in LA as a native-born Angeleno. Not so. MDR is definitely an area I have not spent a lot of time at. As I get to know the area, I’m starting to plan out trips with the Bubba and friends.

My work has let me peruse clients’ websites and products as a consumer as well. If you’re a Facebook friend of mine, you’ll have seen numerous posts about my clients and how great their products are. I wouldn’t endorse their products to my friends unless I knew the products were terrific.

At the firm, new summer interns joined the office and boy, it’s been a huge help to all of us. The intern who’s helping me with social media is fantastic. She is new to social media but enthusiastic to learn and glom on. Frankly, I’m amazed at how awesome the interns are, in general. I don’t know what kind of magic the firm uses to find, interview, but every intern I’ve worked with has been wonderful. They are all hard-working, genuine, and talented. (What is Blaze’s secret!? I’d like some of it.)

In other news, my half marathon training has been lacking. I’ve been working many hours per day and just haven’t made the time to get out and run. Instead, I’m blogging. Haha! I kid, I kid. There should be more blogging done here. That’s my goal.

Intro to Social Media preso – March 2009

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This morning’s workshop went well. It was a smaller classroom, which fostered more dialogue regarding privacy and how-to’s. Thanks, attendees, for making this fun! I hope you learned a lot and can take the info back to your contacts.

I’ve posted my deck and handout on Slideshare.net. (www.slideshare.net/chrisylam) And here is the deck as an embed.

Please credit where credit is due. It’s all under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Plus it’s just plain good manners.

Intro to Social Media for WAW Pasadena March2010

Happenings This Week

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Hey all,
It’s going to be a busy week this week. Oh, HI, how are you?

I’ve been thinking about what to do with this website. I’ll try to blog regularly about events and activities around the LA area re: marketing, social media, and PR. If you’re really interested in my book choices, running log, and randomness, head over to my personal blog.

Now, back to business!

Patty's Pizza

First up, one of clients I work with is Patty’s Pizza in Santa Monica. They’re having a good-bye/moving party on Monday night from 4pm-10pm. I’ll be there to help get videos of customers and friends with my trusty Flipcam. (Hi, how much do I love my Flipcam!? I wish I had more opportunities to take video.) Come by and say hello! Patty’s is celebrating 22 years in the pizza biz, and they’re starting up their online/delivery business. Follow them on Twitter here – @pattyspizza.

Here’s the address of the party:

625 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90403

X – 7th and Montana

Second, Social Media Club LA (SMCLA) is hosting a Google Analytics presentation at the Mahalo offices. It’s this Tuesday night at 7pm. Get your ticket here! I’ll be there, along with the Grandmaster Flash of Social Media (@serena), my partner-in-social-media-crime @r0b3rta, and a couple of new friends I made via @katcalbes and @serena. (Hi, Garick! Hi, Robyn!)

Here’s the address of the Mahalo offices:

902 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401

See you at both events!