Week 14 - Post 2: Future Strategy for Manvolution

Looking back at everything we've learned and practiced, I've decided to maintain a focused social media strategy, utilizing just a few of the key tools for my business - Manvolution.  The five tools that I will use are highlighted below, followed by an explanation of why I selected each tool:

ONLINE TOOLS:

1. Website (built on google web app)
2. Blogging as Email Bait
3. Facebook business page & advertising
4. Google Plus (Hangouts)
5. Yelp

1.  Website

This piece is not built yet, but the focus will be on a quality landing page with links to my SMN platforms.  The website will also host my online seminars.  I plan on using either google's free web page platform, or hiring a designer to build me a site on Wordpress.

2.  Blogging & Email Bait

My primary marketing vehicle will be my blog content.  As a holistic nutrition, wellness and fitness coach, weekly blog content will be the vehicle I use to market my business.  My free weekly blog will be used as email bait to capture email addresses.  Blog content will be distributed weekly, and will be posted on my Manvolution website with linked posts on my Facebook business page.  This tool 

3.  Facebook Business Page

The goal will be to capture fans, and convert those fans to blog subscribers, thereby capturing their email addressess.  I will also be using Facebook advertising to target my audience - men 45+ who live in North County San Diego and are looking for a personal fitness and nutrition counselor. This tool is selected to build relationships with prospects, and as an advertising vehicle to reach my target.  

4.  Google + & Google AdWords

I will use Google + Hangouts to conduct live coaching calls with my clients.  I will use google ad words to advertising to prospects who are searching for men's fitness and nutrition coaching in my geographic area.  This tool is selected to help with my SEO results. 

5.  Yelp

Yelp is tricky to get quality reviews posted without them being screened or blocked, particularly when getting started.  However it is an important credibility tool when prospects are searching for recommendations for fitness/nutrition coaches.  

TIME:

I think initially I will be spending 30 hours a week building out these online tools - particularly the website, the calendar and archive of blog content, and building facebook fans for my business page. Also building my Yelp positive review process will probably be an additional 10 hours a week (see further below for detail).  

The remaining 20 hours a week will be devoted to PR activities:  speaking engagements and submitting articles to target publications.  Speaking engagements will be targeted toward men's organizations in North County, and article submission will focus on publications with readership comprised of men 45+.  

SIX MONTH STRATEGY:

• Month 1:  Content development.  Write blogs, build out content calendar, schedule blog posts using hootsuite.  Shoot video seminars for 12 week training program.  
• Months 2 & 3:  Build out website, Facebook page and Google + page. Shoot photography.
• Month 4:  Beta-test online training portions of website.  Test Google Hangouts feature. Capture feedback.  Start content calendar and blog posts.
• Month 5:  Get yelp account and reviews started
• Month 6:  Begin advertising on Facebook and Google Ad Words.  Start booking speaking engagements - targeting local corporate clients.  
• Month 7:  Run first group of men through 12-week program.

CONTENT CALENDAR (STARTING MONTH 3):

As I get up the learning curve, my blog work will get quicker.  Initially, I will budget 4 hours a week to develop and post and schedule/distribute my blogs.  By May, I expect my weekly blog activity to average 2 hours a week.  By June, I want that number down to 1 hour a week.  

MARCH, 2014
Week 1.  Breaking Patterns.  How to Get To Fit & Happy
Week 2.  Finding Time.  How to Get You Back on Your Calendar
Week 3.  Common Side Effects of a Bad Diet
Week 4.  Ten Foods That Will Make You Feel Twenty Again
Week 5.  Animal Vs. Vegetable.  Nutrition Showdown

APRIL
Week 1.  Protein Punchout.  Fact Vs. Fiction
Week 2.  Sex and Diet.  It Matters.
Week 3.  Eat Your Way to Ripped Abs.  
Week 4.  Pantry Raid.  What's Your Kitchen Score?

MAY
Week 1.  Salt, Sugar, Fat  The Axis of Evil
Week 2.  Getting Your Head Right
Week 3.  Stop Stressing Dude
Week 4.  Summer Bod.  Getting It Tight

JUNE
Week 1.  Open Your Mouth and Say WTF?
Week 2.  Bathroom Breakdown.  The ABC's of # 1 and #2.
Week 3.  Kill Your Couch.  Burn Your TV
Week 4.  Permanent Lifestyle Change.  How to Get There

YELP ACTIVITY:

Having positive Yelp reviews is an important link in my online credibility chain.  However, getting positive Yelp reviews on a new business can be a bit tricky to work around the Yelp algorithm.  Yelp screens out the best and worst reviews on business sites.  Also if you just started a yelp account - your reviews will mostly likely be screened out.  Or if you have not been active for awhile - you will be screened out.  

To get around this, it requires gaming the Yelp system a bit.  This involves setting up several email addresses, and then setting up Yelp accounts for each email address (gmail).  Then you must confirm the account through the email addresses.  Then you have to become an 'active' yelper.  This involves checking in on each Yelp account (Yelp mobile).  However posting reviews cannot be done via mobile, so this is a two-step process of first checking in, and then later writing the review.  

All of this initial Yelp activity to get me to the stage where positive Yelp reviews are landing on my business Yelp page...will probably require 10 hours a week initially.  

That's my initial game plan :-)