Hi! I'm Shelli… 👋

Author: Shelli Martineau

  • Meet Shelli: Marketing Manager

    My name is Shelli Martineau. I’m a digital marketing manager, content strategist, and amateur photographer living in Seattle, WA. I believe I am a natural fit to help Thorn eliminate child abuse on the internet.

    You can learn more about my experience here or email me. I’d love to learn more about the role and the folks at Thorn.

  • The Social Media Sales Funnel

    With the proper blend of strategy, community management and paid campaigns….

    …Social media can help you:

    • Increase brand awareness and visibility
    • Improve customer loyalty and retention
    • Launch new products
    • Gain marketing insights
    • Increase site traffic and conversions
    • Answer your client’s customer service questions

    But what does the process look like? I’ve put together a quick infographic using Canva to illustrate:

    Social Media Sales

    #1) Awareness

    • Objective: Introduce your product to potential customers. (Re)Introduce to current customers.
    • Key Metrics: Impressions, Reach, Video Views

    #2) Interest/Engagement Stage:

    • Objective: Create relationships and engage with your tribe
    • Key Metrics: Engagement (likes, comments, shares), Clicks, Friends/Fans/Followers, Newsletter Subscribers

    #3) Conversion Stage:

    • Objective: Convert interested people into leads by offering them something for (almost) nothing.
    • Key Metrics: Conversion Rate, Email opens, App Downloads

    #4) Sales

    #5) Loyalty

    • Objective: Turn those who have purchased into repeat customers.
    • Key Metrics: Same as engagement (likes, comments, clicks). # of Participants in a loyalty program.

  • My most popular posts of 2015

    According to a neat report by WordPress.com these were my most popular posts of 2015:

    I’m proud because I met and surpassed my “more blogging in 2015” goal by a lot.

    My blog views by year:

    Screen Shot 2015-12-27 at 5.51.30 PM

    This year I’ve set quite a few professional goals including:

    • Update my Resume 
    • Choose a networking group I’d like to join/attend. Actually go. 😉
    • Average one blog post a week
    • Take at least one professional development course and learn something new

    What about you?

    How did you do on your professional goals last year? What are you working on achieving this year?

     

  • 4 marketing emails and newsletters I click (and why)

    What marketing email and newsletters do I click and why?

    This is the question has driven my thinking lately. After all, it stands to reason that keeping an eye towards my own online behavior can offer valuable insights when it comes to crafting content for clients.

    So, after scrolling through my inbox and email archive, I’ve come up with the following list of outstanding email marketers:

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    1. One Kings Lane

    OKC emails are a well balanced mix of retargeted content (stuff I’ve already looked at and/or favorited) as well as new inspiration and seasonally interesting projects.

    I click because I’m hopeful I’ll find the perfect object or piece of furniture to complete my bedroom project.

    The only downside to these emails is that they’re a bit too long (with over 16+ boxes of content to look over). I usually only click through the first few boxes that catch my fancy before I lose interest.

    2. Skillshare

    A little less targeted, but full of interesting tidbits, Skillshare emails are always a great source of FREE inspiration.

    I click when I’m inspired to learn something new.

    3. Audible

    Most prolific readers suffer from FOMO (Fear of missing out). They’re always on the lookout for the next great novel/YA Series/Sci-fi Thriller, etc. I am no exception to this rule. I’m forever after that elusive “perfect read.”

    I click due to FOMO (Fear of missing out).

    Audible knows this and has mastered the art of carrot-dangling. Audible’s marketing emails get bonus points for being short and expertly targeted, “Something in your wishlist is on sale for $3.95!”

    4. Churchmouse Yarns & Tea

    Most of you (unless you’re an avid knitter) have surely never heard of Churchmouse Yarns & Tea, but I can assure you’re they’re a one-of-a-kind, extremely gorgeous boutique yarn store. Everything Churchmouse writes and creates is painstakingly crafted and lovingly curated.

    I click because they’re the best in their niche. 

    I’ve come to expect quality content from Churchmouse. The copywriting is excellent, the products and projects they choose to feature are always interesting, and I know I’ll find something timely and exciting if I click.

    Now it’s your turn! What marketing emails and newsletters do you look forward to receiving? Why do you click?

  • The only 5 rules you need to know about social media marketing

    1. Talk like a human not a used car salesman (i.e. LISTEN and respond).
    2. Trends are cool, thoughtful planning is better.
    3. If you wouldn’t read something your audience probably wouldn’t either. So, don’t link to crap, don’t use just any picture, and don’t be lazy.
    4. Check your grammar and spelling. Twice.
    5. The rules of improv apply. When in doubt, add value.

  • I missed #PodcastDay, but these are the podcasts I adore

    Somehow I managed to miss International Podcast Day on September 30th. This bums me out as I’m an avid consumer of podcasts. I love listening when I’m out walking my dog, cleaning the house, knitting, cooking dinner or even in the shower.

    In fact, I’m so obsessed my podcast player is subdivided into podcast genres/groups to suit my mood. I listen to a wide range of subjects including: Health and Fitness, Politics & News, Life Stuff, Social Media & Digital Marketing, Story-casts, and more.

    Because I’m so obsessed I’ve decided to share my top favorites. Here they are:

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  • 10 social media post ideas that tell a good story

    Are you looking for post inspiration to get your brand out of a social media slump? Look no further, I’ve come up with 10 fun, and (hopefully) inspiring story-based post ideas for you to riff off.  Enjoy!

    1. Ten

    Tell a story with ten pictures. This could be a behind-the-scenes story of your process, an employee story, highlights from an event, a customer journey, etc. The only limit is choosing just 10 photos to convey one story.

    Example: 10 Frames: What Bumbershoot 2015 Looked Like

    2. Values in Action

    Collect stories that display your company’s values in action and tell them with a simple portrait. Think Humans of New York for your business. Was there an instance when an employee went the extra mile for a customer in need? Can you recall moments feeling as if you really acted according to your core values? Find or create photos that tell the human side to your story, and then tell it!

    Example: Humans of New York

    3. Teach with story

    Many times selling your product/business/company can mean teaching customers and moving them along the customer journey. The problem is that educational content can be boring and dry. A great way to teach is to teach through storytelling. Try explaining an important lesson through the window of a great story.

    Example: Moz Whiteboard Fridays always start with a clever hook, story or anecdote to pull the viewer in.

    4. Overcoming the Monster.

    Everyone is dealing with a scary monster in one way or another. Whether it be public speaking, asking someone out on a date, or the first day of a new job, monsters are very real and very sucky. Does your product help people overcome their monster? Show the sweet moment of triumph. Everyone loves a good underdog story.

    Example: This Girl Can offers different ways of seeing women beyond conventional representations of the female body as an object of beauty rather than something that is athletic, strong, and sweaty. The “monster” here is society’s notion of what a girl is “supposed” to look like.

    5. Get Silly

    People need a break from the ordinary. This may explain why cute animal and kid videos are so wildly successful online. Sometimes silliness, cuteness, parody and satire need to rule the day. Why not shake things up a bit and turn an ordinary event or a serious idea into something fun? Turn it on it’s head and get silly with it.

    Example: #MariachiMyTweet

    6. Serialize your story

    Do you have the makings of a good story? Can you think of a:

    • Hero
    • Dilemma/Problem
    • Villain
    • Struggle/Tension
    • Resolution
    • Lesson

    If you said yes to the above, then you’ve probably got the makings of a story. The thing is, you don’t have to give away the whole thing away in one go. Try building dramatic tension by slicing your story into juicy pieces (despite your desire to tell, tell, tell!).

    Next, arrange your story in an interesting or compelling way. You can tell it chronologically, start with the answer, or start with your hero…. just make sure excitement builds towards your resolution as the story goes on.

    Example: Serial Podcast

    7. Do your homework

    Research something that causes you pain or annoys/bothers your prospective customers/clients. Go digging for knowledge. Don’t just Google it. Take one question personally and tackle it with a vengeance. Interview people, read books, ask questions and regularly share what you discover. Illustrate your new-found knowledge with infographics, video, text and show the benefits of your product when it comes to handling your prospect’s pain.

    Example: My Fitness Pal

    8. GIF it. GIF it good.

    If you have video, you can use free resources such as makeagif, GIFmaker, and imgflip, to create your own GIFs. This is a fun (and easy) way to capitalize on your existing content, plus soon you might be able post GIFs on Facebook (this feature is rolling out to brands too).

    Example: Wendy’s Salad

    9. Share a moment.

    Our lives are made up of tiny moments that matter over time. Don’t forget that your product or service fits into real people’s lives whether that happens multiple times a day, once a day, once a week, once a month, seasonally or only once a year (or lifetime!). Capture those moments and share them.

    Example: Shinola

    10. Reinvent a classic.

    This summer, instagram sponsored a contest encouraging people to reinvent classic, iconic photographs. From John Lennon’s iconic NYC portrait, to the Beatles on Abbey Road, Marilyn Monroe’s flying skirt, Rosie the Riveter and more, people from all walks of life joined in the fun.

    Although the contest is now over, you still can leverage iconic images and memorable moments of the past to create an image that sparks something deep within your audiences’ collective memory. Bring a little joy to their day.

    Example: Oreo Horror Stories!

    Well, that’s it! My entire list. My only request? If you use one of these I’d love to know about it — tweet it to me!

  • Throwback Thursday: #MariachiMyTweet The Best Twitter Video Campaign Ever?

    Almost a year ago today, The Book of Life movie put together an amazing twitter campaign. In short, they made people’s tweets into music…..

    ….not just any music, either.

    You see, The Book of Life is set and steeped in Mexican culture, so they turned peoples tweets into Mariachi music, which also played a prominent role in the film too.

    Such a cool, simple idea.

    All fans had to do was suggest a tweet using the hashtag  and they were transformed into music!

    Working smart AND hard.

    The movie used excellent tactics to give their tweets extra lift. They got their celebrity stars and director to join the fun and spread the word:

    …and they pulled other celebs and movies into the fun!

    They also capitalized on trending tags, popular songs, holidays and current events:

    Watching this Twitter campaign last year was too fun.

    I was completely distracted from work (always the hallmark of a successful campaign). I remember smiling as I combed through the clever, fun, and just plain silly tweets. I was utterly impressed by the excellent engagement and the tremendous amount of effort this campaign must have taken.

    https://twitter.com/redRomina/status/522142687349075969

    Best idea ever? I have to say I agree.

  • Headline Challenge: 50 Blog Post Headlines

    Carol Tice from Copyblogger wrote this great post 50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics and in it she suggests taking the Headline Challenge, “Tell yourself you need to come up with 50 story ideas today, or else. Jot down anything and everything.”

    I decided to accept Carol’s challenge. Here we go:

    1. Skip Twitter. These are the links you should read this week
    2. Something new happened on Facebook (again)
    3. The only 5 rules you need to know about social media marketing
    4. Why lists posts are the worst and you should still write them
    5. The 5 types of emails I’m likely to read
    6. Newsletters that get me excited and why
    7. Buying a TV online. My customer journey
    8. What to do when your target audience knows more than you.
    9. How your business should answer controversial questions
    10. Blogs I look forward to reading (and why)
    11. FAQ’s about Social Media Marketing
    12. The definitive guide to B2B marketing on Facebook
    13. If you walk away from my blog with one piece of wisdom let it be this
    14. The product launch checklist for social media managers
    15. The awareness campaign checklist for social media managers
    16. Why your company’s social media manager should be your new BFF
    17. Should all social media managers be bloggers?
    18. A Day in the life of a freelance social media manager
    19. 3 Startups someone needs to invent
    20. Hashtags that just don’t make sense (I’m looking at you #SeattlesFestival)
    21. The one social media metric you should check every day
    22. Creating video on a budget
    23. A social media marketer’s daily checklist
    24. Signs you’re doing social media all right
    25. Social media tactics that make me angry
    26. Signs you’re doing social media all wrong
    27. How to write one blog post every week no matter what
    28. Lessons in habit change from a freelancer
    29. 10 Pictures: My life as a social media marketer
    30. How I stay motivated when working from home
    31. Why I still love Twitter
    32. Why Tumblr is my favorite social media platform
    33. Facebook needs to change the way they ________
    34. What I tell people when they ask about LinkedIn
    35. The easiest way to get people talking on Facebook
    36. What I tell people when they say Twitter is too hard
    37. My favorite social media accounts (and why!)
    38. Why Reddit is my favorite source for news (and adorable pictures!)
    39. You’re making it too complicated! How to launch a product on Social Media
    40. Why you’re not really leaving Facebook
    41. The coolest social media campaign I’ve seen this year
    42. 30 ideas for your Black Friday campaign
    43. Why we fight against changes to our social media platforms
    44. 50 ideas for your next product launch
    45. My dream social media team
    46. 10 Blog ideas for small businesses
    47. Why I bite my tongue in job interviews
    48. How to come up with an original blog concept (by stealing!)
    49. 5 Writers I admire
    50. If your Facebook Page could talk

    Now the question is….. Which ones would you like to see me write?

  • Your Roadmap for Creating an Influencer Outreach Campaign

    Do you know how to reach Influencers?

    A one-to-one social media marketing campaign (sometimes called an influencer outreach campaign) enables brands to connect with influencers, promotes authentic conversations about a brand or product, and empowers influencers to use their social media standing to tell their audience about goods/services they love.

    Influencer outreach campaigns can get people talking about your brand but require careful strategy to ensure you’re not spinning your wheels or wasting your time. Follow this roadmap to start your Influencer Outreach Campaign off right.

    1. Review your objectives.

    Influencer outreach campaigns harness the power of influencers and convert them into brand loyalists or evangelists. They can also convert casual fans into staunch supporters and increase “buzz” about a brand/product or service. When creating your influencer outreach campaign, determine what you hope to accomplish and what you can do realistically. Do you want to build your email list? Increase sales? Generate awareness? Create leads? If you’re not sure what you want or can feasibly do, start small. Remember, objectives should be….

    • Logical and doable.
    • Simple, and easy to explain.

    Plus, you shouldn’t have too many! One or two is plenty. Here are a few examples of great objectives:

    Attract millennial audiences to sign up for our 5k in Boston

    Use what we learn to attract millennial audiences to sign up for our next 5k in Seattle.

    2. Research and consider your audience

    If you’re unsure where to begin, start with basic demographic information from your Facebook and Twitter insights pages. Your social media channels are a wealth of information and will help you come up with your audience profile. List all relevant information including:

    • Age group(s)
    • Gender
    • Location(s)
    • Relevant hobbies/interest(s)
    • Pages/influencers they follow

    Once you have an initial point of reference you can start your research in earnest. MarketingLand has a great post on Audience Research. Also look into information from Nielson/Fortune, ExactTarget (great free blog posts with stats/info as well as paid tools), Bazaar Voice (whitepapers), Comscore (paid tools), and more.

    3. Choose influencers based on your audience’s frame of mind and viewing habits

    It’s tempting to believe that celebrities are the best influencers to chase because they have lots of influence over their millions of fans. The problem is that they are often difficult to reach and persuade (even if you have an amazing product and superb connections). Plus, fans are getting wise and see many gifts and products on celebs pages for what they are (paid promotions) vs a genuine interest in a product or service.

    Successful influencer campaigns target people who are not already bombarded with free gifts and perks. When narrowing your target list of influencers consider what your audience wants and pays attention to.

    What’s in your audiences’ feed?
    • Think about their mindset when it comes to your product/service/campaign.
    • Brainstorm their TV, internet, reading, and viewing habits
    • Create a list of key categories they pay attention to (Example: News, Sports, Culture, Fashion, Tech, etc.)

    Also, before choosing an influencer based soley on their catchy/viral tweets, their crazy # of Instagram followers and/or their witty, popular blog, consider if they’d really like what you have to share.

    4. Come up with a code of ethics.

    Staying true to your brand’s established voice and the spirit of  your online community is key. Influencers will recognize if you are being fake or insincere which is why a code of ethics for your campaign is important.

    • Will you be following up with influencers after you’ve sent out your product?
    • Will you expect them to write something or send your product with no strings attached?
    • Are there any legalities that need to be considered?
    • Do your influencers know they’re not obligated to promote you?

    Writing out your code of ethics and disclosure agreement makes your influencers aware of the policies and legalities behind your campaign. An excellent example of an Influencer Outreach Campaign’s code of ethics can be found on AngelSmith’s website.

    5. Develop an approach or theme for reaching out to influencers.

    Based on your strategy, come up with 2-3 concepts that will make your influencers EXCITED enough to engage and respond.  Encompass what you know about your audience and any obstacles you may face.

    • Make it personalized.
    • Do your homework
    • Don’t be a spammy douche.

    Example:  Millennials in Boston are drawn together by one simple theme: FEAR OF MISSING OUT.  Share a free entry ticket to our 5k and access to the VIP lounge with all our favorite Boston Influencers. 

    7. Think about how you will measure success.

    Measurement should always be based on your goals. After all, that which you focus on becomes what you’re good at.

    Many view these four metrics as the baseline measure for any influencer outreach campaign:

    • Social Engagement
    • Social Impressions/Reach
    • Clicks
    • New Sign-ups/Conversions

    8. Use what you know to create a roadmap.

    The last step is putting all the pieces together. Give yourself ample time to execute and record each of the following steps:

    1. Identify and write messages and themes.
    2. Scout and engage influencers.
    3. Educate influencers on your product/campaign.
    4. Give them something (free tickets to event, access to product, invitation, etc).
    5. Promote their content (after internal review/approval).
    6. Measure and repeat!
    Do you know of a cool, funny, or just plain awesome influencer outreach campaign?  Share it — I’d love to see it!