Social Media Posting Diva Lisa Simmons Uncovers Roadblocks Business Owners Face

bimheadshotsizedWhen it comes to social media marketing, many business owners are still in the dark. Whether it’s confusing technology standing in the way, or not having a clearly defined strategy, or just not understanding the importance of being able to connect with prospects and customers in a way never before available to business owners, many business owners are simply ignoring this critical element of success in their overall marketing plan.

Today on the show with us is Lisa Simmons from Posting Diva to help us understand some of the roadblocks business owners face when engage in social media. We’ll also learn about her business’ rapid growth and success. The Posting Diva offers a range of social media marketing options, including 100 percent Done For You Setup and social media marketing campaigns. Thanks for being on the show today, Lisa. Welcome.

Lisa:    Thank you for having me today, how are you?

Ken:    I’m doing really well. Lisa, tell us a little bit more about your business Posting Diva. How did you get started in that business, and who does the Diva help, and how?

Lisa:    PostingDiva is a global social media marketing firm that is based out of Ocala, Florida, but our clients are worldwide, ranging from Australia to California. We are the leaders and experts in social media marketing, advertising and branding, with additional services such as web design, publishing, press releases, blogging, ghostwriting, search engine optimization and more. Our main goal, and our overall objective is to create a branded image in social media marketing for the client from start to finish.
            We basically post like you’re famous when it comes to social media marketing on the worldwide web. We have been in business for over six years with PostingDiva Inc., but have over twenty years of experience in marketing and advertising. Clients come to PostingDiva and Lisa Simmons because they really do not have a social media presence on the web, or their brand is failing them. It is our job to take their product, service and idea and make it a dream come true on the worldwide web. We get them found, we get them customers and it’s our job every day to implement the practices we’ve been blessed and experienced with for each of our clients. The ultimate goal is to get your story and brand out there. We make that happen seamlessly.

Ken:    You do that by posting to all forms of social media, not just Facebook right? You know, people think about social media and they think, “Oh yeah, Facebook, Twitter, all that stuff.” You’re actually multi-platform. You can really take a business, understand that business, and then figure out which platforms would be the most profitable for them and the most effective for them.

Lisa:    That’s exactly right. Absolutely. We learn about the client and put them on the relevant networks that are necessary for that particular client. Some clients are not fit for every network that’s out there for social media marketing. We determine that for them and do a full, detailed consultation for each particular client.

Ken:    That’s so important when you’re starting out, especially if you’re not familiar with social media and how it all works. It’s really critical to get somebody that understands the ins and outs and all the different platforms. It seems like every day there’s something new coming out. Having a resource like you to really understand those different avenues to go down is just critical for an effective social media plan. Let’s talk a little bit about how you got started in this business Lisa.

Lisa:    I got started 1998 back with Raymond James and Associates and I started with their marketing and advertising department. My marketing experience started way back, many, many, many years ago and it branched off into Simmons Design Studio and then Leader slot marketing. PostingDiva is kind of a funny name, people giggle or laugh when they hear the word diva associated with anything. The fact of the matter is that PostingDiva the brand came from a dream that I had six years ago, which is to be as big as GoDaddy one day with our products and services. And to be global, and remarkable and have such a respected brand, such as GoDaddy. The dream was electrifying.
            I became a posting fanatic. At one point, my husband Ian said, “You’re a diva.” PostingDiva came about with twenty years of experience in marketing and advertising and branding. Yes I’m a diva. I love things perfect, and all encompassing. Yes, I do post a ton of postings so, the brand took off. My passion and success comes when a client calls me either crying or elated because of the service or proof of growth that they’ve received because of PostingDiva.

Ken:    That’s great. Let’s talk a little bit about your plans. Now, social media works for businesses and entrepreneurs and even individuals. When someone’s looking to hire a social media expert, what are some of the challenges that they run into?

Lisa:    This is a great question, I’m really glad you asked it. Some people think that experts are made from prizes at the end of cereal boxes and that’s not true. It takes experience, trial and error, education and leadership to become a true expert in your field. There are many fakes out there. The problem that I see and experience a lot is those clients that have been burned in the past from fakes, and when they come to PostingDiva, they’re on guard with concern. We have to go through at least a three month period of detox from their previous bad experience before we can tackle the good and show them that we are way different and we mean business.
            We’ve taken many a client from this level to the trusting side with comfort and ease. It’s hard work fixing someone else’s mistakes, especially if it was done on purpose. “Why did they even give us a shot?” Sometimes I ask myself. I’s because they know deep down inside that social media marketing is still important. They need an expert and they’ve weighed their pros and cons. I’m so glad that they gave PostingDiva a second shot because we’ve been able to turn it around for so many different people throughout time.

Ken:    It sounds like you’re dealing with people who’ve had bad experiences, or they’ve tried to do it themselves. What’s the biggest mistake you see clients make when they’re trying to do social media for their own business?

Lisa:    Well there’s actually two that I see that are very frequent. Number one is the eager clients who tries like the dickens to do social media on their own, but they fail because they lose interest, they lose content, or desire. I always call it #consistency. It is such a huge boiling point with me. Number two, the client who comes to PostingDiva knowing that they need assistance and help, and knowing that they’re lost if they do it on their own. They lack consistency, but they go ahead and attempt to do it on their own. Typically the pattern is that they’re back within thirty days asking for us to manage their accounts again because of the consistency issue. I guess the main problem is consistency, but you have two clients. Two different avenues of issues that we see more frequently than not.

Ken:    Is there a common misconception that people have about social media that you run into pretty frequently?

Lisa:    There are actually, this question is so good to hear. There’s ten misconceptions. I’m going to only name a few. I did a survey and one misconception is that social media is easy. It’s only as easy as you want. You get what you give. People want a direct return on investment. They want to know immediately what are they going to get. If I start posting, if I go at this gung-ho, what am I going to get tomorrow? Another one would be, you do not need a strategy, a calendar or a plan. That’s not true. You have to have a strategy, calendar and a plan. For every social media plan you have, for every attempt you make out there. Another one that is pretty common is, Facebook is going away or they’re going to charge you. It’s not true.

Ken:    Yeah, I don’t think Facebook’s going away anytime soon. There may be other things that come up and try to compete but, that Facebook’s here to stay like Google and Yahoo! I know some people think that social media really isn’t that important, or that you don’t see a return from social media. Certainly you wouldn’t see a return immediately, but over time a closer connection with your clients and prospects would help you grow your business. What do you say to people that think that social media really isn’t that important, or an important element of their marketing plan?

Lisa:    I honestly shake my head, and I feel for them because it’s like they’re living back in the days of the town village crier, and all they have is the hard newspaper in front of them. The news is fast, but social media is fast streaming, endless, full of life, in motion. I can honestly say that on any given day, I’m being questioned by a random person tens of times on social media either through Facebook or my other accounts, regarding my business, marketing, social media in general. Without social media I would be but a dot on the map with no voice. PostingDiva is now global.
           

Ken Sherman

Ken Sherman is a multi Best Selling Author, host of the Business Innovators Radio show and contributing writer for various media sites covering business innovators and successful entrepreneurs in Business, Health, Finance, Legal, and Personal Development.