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Jeff Molander

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Author, speaker, MakeSocialSell.com

527 points

Jeff Molander (www.jeffmolander.com) is the authority on making social media sell and a sought-after corporate trainer to small businesses and global corporations like Brazil’s energy company, Petrobras. He’s also an accomplished entrepreneur, having co-founded what is ...

Jeff Molander (www.jeffmolander.com) is the authority on making social media sell and a sought-after corporate trainer to small businesses and global corporations like Brazil’s energy company, Petrobras. He’s also an accomplished entrepreneur, having co-founded what is today the Google Affiliate Network and search marketing division of Publicis Groupe. Today, he’s adjunct digital marketing professor at Loyola University’s school of business.

Jeff's book, Off the Hook Marketing, (http://oth.me/buyOTHM) is first to show businesses exactly how to start selling with everything from Facebook and Twitter to blogs and YouTube. He is different from most social media speakers and authors because he believes the “social media revolution” is over-hyped nonsense. The real opportunity social media presents is to evolve — become more relevant and meaningful to customers in ways that create sales. And that’s what Jeff shows chief executives, marketers, students and business owners how to do — make social media sell by helping customers solve problems or understand their problems more clearly.

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WEB: JeffMolander.com

Sept. 4, 2011

Jeff Molander recommends this answer by Apryl Parcher

How do you decide what kind of content to post on each social platform: LinkedIn? Facebook? Twitter?

The key is knowing your prospective audience well enough to understand how they like to absorb information. Each platform has a different demographic set of users, and there are "unwritten" rules of engagement for each.
Where does your intended audience like to congregate? Is your ... more

Social Media Marketing

July 13, 2011

Jeff Molander and 5 other people answered this question

Is social media bringing an increase in business to you?

Yes.
Because I LISTEN FOR PROBLEMS and the SOLVE THEM for my market.
BTW, I'm an author too, Mike.
Use Facebook and Twitter as listening posts for readers and meeting planners, not just a place to broadcast. This is where most businesses go wrong. Respond to ... more

June 21, 2011

Jeff Molander answered this question

What metrics do you use to determine the effectiveness of your social media marketing activities?

The same that I use for "traditional" marketing strategies: SALES. Everything else is a bogus metric (ie. "engagement") unless it is part of a larger lead generation/nurturing process that results in a sale, new customer or re-purchase.
Forget about my opinion. Take it from Ogilvy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br2KSsaTzUc
And ... more

June 3, 2011

Jeff Molander answered this question

What technologies are you using to help measure the outcome of your social media efforts?

Hi, Kristin...
Many of the marketing or "content marketing" automation companies have this built in to their systems. For instance, HubSpot... Compendium... companies that publish blog tools are one example. They essentially take content management and marry it with lead generation tools -- and to some ... more

June 3, 2011

Jeff Molander and 5 other people answered this question

How much info do you propose giving out without "giving up the farm" so to speak?

Hi, Liz...
Great question. In writing a book I researched this question and found something surprising. There's a better question to ask -- that actually answers your question! I learned from a B2C company www.petrelocation.com that is giving away all the goods. And normally I'd argue ... more

Content Marketing

June 3, 2011

Jeff Molander and 25 other people answered this question

How much time do you spend on social media each day?

Candidly and respectfully I think this is the wrong question. And the more air time we give it the more we lose.
Would you ask yourself (or task yourself to doing better with) "how much time per day do you spend on the phone?" Or ... more

April 22, 2011

Jeff Molander and 8 other people answered this question

How do you market your business on Twitter?

I change the question to, WHY should I use Twitter. Specifically, “How can Twitter make what my business **already does** better?”
I consider:
1) "How can Twitter help me re-commit to helping customers make vital life-stage decisions... or get important things done faster? Can it ... more

Social Media Marketing

April 18, 2011

Jeff Molander and 2 other people answered this question

What are some key best practices in regards to linking social media with tradeshow activities?

Forget the tactics for a moment: Design “digital conversations” in ways that produce meaningful, relevant, value-laden experiences for trade show prospects. Specifically, use social tools like video, blogging and Facebook to continue nurturing the lead via content marketing. Everything else is gratuitous use of social ... more

General Management

April 18, 2011

Jeff Molander and 6 other people answered this question

What's the most common marketing myth associated with social media?

You cannot sell with social media -- it's against the rules. And the opposing myth: You CAN sell products/services using Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn -- simply by "doing social media" (the act itself causes sales).
But a handful of businesses that I've been researching ARE ... more

April 14, 2011

Jeff Molander recommends this answer by Steve Richard

Agree or disagree: Is it easier than ever to reach prospects on the phone?

Want to know why sales reps are so into email when research shows that calling is still the best way to prospect? Look no further than Neil Rackham’s explanation of why salespeople used to be obsessed with those cheesy “closing” techniques on page 38 of ... more

March 26, 2011

Jeff Molander and 1 other person answered this question

Who's more valuable your FB fans, your tweeters, your buzzers or those that forward to a friend?

Respectfully and with constructive intent, this is the wrong question. A better question might be:
"How can I get my Facebook friends, fans, Twitter followers, buzzers to take an action that leads to a business lead, sale or other tangible outcome?"
Why is the question "wrong," ... more

Email Marketing

Social Media Marketing

Social Network Marketing

March 18, 2011

Jeff Molander and 2 other people answered this question

What's more valuable: getting an email address or getting a "like" on Facebook? Why?

An email address. Yes, email is challenged with delivery issues. But Facebook is not built for marketing. It's being re-built for it -- and not very well.
Designing social media in ways that build your own behavior-focused assets is critical. Again, Facebook is not a ... more

March 16, 2011

Jeff Molander is now following Christopher Jablonski

Feb. 25, 2011

Jeff Molander and 5 other people answered this question

Is social the decade’s most important marketing strategy, or the latest black hole for marketing $s?

No, it's not most important. And no it's not a black hole.
What if I introduced you to a small, regionally-focused business selling residential HVAC systems and services using Facebook? And profiting. All by using time-tested marketing techniques? I will on March 7 here at Focus.
No, ... more

Social Advertising

Social Media & Public Relations

Feb. 23, 2011

Jeff Molander and 5 other people answered this question

Tell me that you think this statement means: "Email and Social Media Integration."

Email IS social media. All digital media are -- based on how we use them. Socially. To say we need to integrate them is to over-complicate. Which is precisely what social media gurus and vendors rely on: Your believing this is all "revolutionized" marketing.
In ... more

Email and Social Integration

Email Marketing

Feb. 17, 2011

Jeff Molander and 3 other people answered this question

How important is it that social media efforts are being supported by top executives/leadership?

"Executive buy in" is a myth. In fact, it's often used as an excuse. Sadly.
For instance, let's say an employee at a small service company decides to begin a content marketing campaign. He starts using a blog, calls-to-action and a sweepstakes. He nets leads ... more

General Management

Feb. 16, 2011

Jeff Molander and 5 other people answered this question

Are your customers controlling your reputation?

What are they doing? They're producing better products and services. Otherwise they're wasting time -- trying to talk their way out of situations they've behaved themselves into! Telling customers you're different, better, faster means dirt. Today, social media / digital marketing is a chance to ... more

Customer Service

Customer Expereince

Feb. 16, 2011

Jeff Molander and 3 other people answered this question

Do you believe social sites really make a difference in your business? Tell me why.

Mortgage brokers and banks offer free, useful new home buyer workshops to inexperienced real estate buyers. Is a Webinar any different? Or a "Twitter Party?"
Luring and then creating quality time with prospects isn't a new concept. Social media just gives us another tool. A tool ... more

Feb. 10, 2011

Jeff Molander and 10 other people answered this question

What are the top steps to take to ensure you're getting the best ROI for your social media efforts?

Here's a 3 step process to make social marketing produce LEADS and SALES.
1) Discover and translate customers' evolving needs then cater to them.
Example: Listen, then publish useful information that prompts questions that your products answer. Nurture sales with content marketing.
Action item: Make everything ... more

Focus Interactive Summit

Return on Investment

Feb. 9, 2011

Jeff Molander and 6 other people answered this question

How do you think Inside Sales can benefit from social media?

Follow the lead of AnchorBank -- a bank that's finding ways to make social media increase share-of-wallet (customer product portfolio). Here's a short story illustrating how they're using content marketing to do it.
** In short, AnchorBank is discovering latent demand, nurturing and capturing it. ... more

Feb. 7, 2011

Brian Provost selected a best answer for

Are most Groupon merchants losing money?

I've heard quite a bit of chatter lately from merchants who've worked with Groupon saying they won't be reengaging the service due to the low quality of acquired customers and their fleeting nature. This is hardly surprising because that is simply how deal-shoppers and coupon-shoppers ... more

Feb. 7, 2011

Jeff Molander and 5 other people answered this question

What do you think of Groupon? Good or bad for your business?

Here's a 4 step process to ensure your Groupon promotion is profitable. Designing a Groupon campaign correctly will increase chances of seeing more profitable, higher-tipping customers more often. If you design it poorly you'll end up like most restaurants -- discounting yourself out of business.
I ... more

Marketing Strategies

Small Business Internet Marketing

Small Business Marketing

Feb. 2, 2011

Jeff Molander asked a question

What retailers are selling products using social media?

Social Business Strategy

Social Marketing

Jan. 28, 2011

Jeff Molander recommends this answer by Craig Rosenberg

What metrics would you recommend companies use to measure marketing success?

First let me state my view of the world: I believe marketing's job is to get sales "shots at the plate". As a result, the metrics I recommend are the following:
1. Leads-to-Opportunity conversion -- This is a number worth tracking and optimizing. This is both ... more

Marketing Alignment

Jan. 27, 2011

Jeff Molander and 10 other people answered this question

What are the top three things you would recommend to align sales & marketing?

Here's one: Ask better questions of digital marketing agencies before hiring them -- or after.
Whether it's a multimillion dollar social marketing agency or a smaller, boutique group or perhaps an individual freelancer. Your service provider should earn a paycheck by helping you:
1. Generate leads ... more

Marketing Alignment

Jan. 25, 2011

Jeff Molander answered this question

How can you make a webinar or online event more interactive?

Use the poll function to assess attendee interest in real time: Change gears on-the-fly with participants.
Often, pre-show a moderator/producer will "do homework" to determine which subject matter will be most valued. This helps get sign-ups. But the audience composition for the subject will be ... more

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Content Marketing

Inbound Marketing

Small Business Social Media

Social Media Marketing

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