Author Archive: Zeb Welborn

Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot Uses Twitter to Get Tickets to a Denver Broncos Game

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Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot, Jimmy Wilson, is the biggest Broncos fan.

Jimmy was coming home from Iraq for some R&R in October of 2011. His wife, Merriah, wanted to make sure it was a trip he would never forget so she concocted a plan. She was going to surprise Jimmy by taking him to visit his sister, Amy; flying his mother out from California; and by taking him to a Broncos game.  When she began calculating the finances, she realized they wouldn’t be able to afford it. Then, she turned to Twitter.

Merriah started by sending messages to every email address she could find on the Denver Broncos website. She came up empty.  Next, she decided to contact the players.  Merriah is not much of a football fan, but she checked out the rooster and got to work.  She was able to contact almost every player on the team through Twitter and received one response from @LanceBall . . . Running Back for the Denver Broncos.

The black hawk helicopter pilot uses Twitter to get tickets to a Denver Broncos home game.

“I told him my husband was coming in from Iraq for two weeks and wants to see a Broncos game.  Can you help us out?” Merriah said. Lance Ball sent her a message telling her to contact him through his email address.  They exchanged some messages and were able to settle on a game day when Jimmy would be in town.

The details got a little sticky from there.  Jimmy’s departure date was set back and he was forced to fly directly to Colorado. Merriah packed up some of his things so her plans could be carried out.

Jimmy was picked up by his wife… and his Mom, a complete surprise to him.  They all went and visited his sister Amy and his newborn nephew. And ,when Jimmy saw the clothes Merriah packed for him . . . all Broncos gear,  Merriah caved. She told Jimmy they were going to a Denver Broncos game.  He couldn’t believe it . . . he was ecstatic.

Jimmy and Merriah took a train to the stadium, picked up their tickets at Will Call and made their way to their seats.  It was an experience Jimmy Wilson will never forget. They sat in the section with all the friends and families of the players. They were five rows back from the field, near the tunnel where all the players made their entrance.

Social media has the ability to connect people like never before. It gives people an opportunity to help in brand new ways.  And it can create memories that will last a lifetime. The Wilson’s will never forget the kindness of Denver Broncos Running Back Lance Ball.

Jimmy and Merriah Wilson

 

When used for the right reasons, social media can have a tremendous impact on any business. Contact Welborn Social Media to find how we can help you build your business using social media.

Leap Year Gives Us One Extra Day to Gain Customers for Your Business

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It’s a leap year this year and even with the extra day, February flew by for Welborn Social Media. Now we’re well into March and looking forward to the new projects we’re working on through the end of the month to help gain customers for your business.

Facebook has made some major changes to individual’s profile pages incorporating them in the Timeline. At the end of March they’re switching Business pages over to timeline view as well. Stay tuned for Lacey’s tips on Facebook layout design for the new Facebook Cover Image as we start to create some exciting new designs.

After becoming annoyed with telemarketers, an excess of commercials, and distracting web advertisements we shared some of our favorite things about social media marketing.  Social Media is the Preferred Marketing for Everyone because it’s not intrusive and allows customers to seek access to your business.

The potential of Facebook is limitless.  In The Pyramid Scheme of Facebook Likes, we wrote about how building a large Facebook following can give you access to a much larger customer base.

We’re especially glad for the extra day this year. We are wonderfully busy and that doesn’t show any sign of stopping! We have several new clients and are excited to begin implementing their social media plans in the upcoming weeks.

We want to help gain customers for your business. We believe that social media marketing is the best marketing for for both the business and the consumer.  And, we know that social media, when done right, can benefit any business. If you or anyone you know is interested in growing their business contact us for a free presentation Welborn Social Media can have on any business.

Call Zeb Welborn for a custom presentation – (909) 973 – 9089

Yelp, Angie’s List and Other Review Sites Create Reputation Manager

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Since the beginning of 2012 I have talked with a variety of businesses about the impact Yelp and Angie’s List are having on their business.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Yelp or Angie’s List, they are websites that rank businesses on their performance.  Customers can visit either of those websites and give feedback in the form of a rating and also comment about the services they have received.  The company has no control over these ratings and, for better or worse, they appear in search engine results when people are looking for a particular business.

System 1 Acoustic Ceiling Removal Gets Angies List Super Service Award

In the past month, we have been working with two different businesses to help build their online reputation.  Understandably, they had concerns about the impact feedback on these sites is having on their business.

At the beginning of the year I began hunting for an apartment and really had no idea where to begin. We traveled by car to local apartment complexes and I visited one that I thought was perfect.  It was in my price range and seemed to have a lot of extra benefits that really attracted me.  But just before I left, the woman trying to sell me the apartment told me not to pay attention to the ratings because sometimes other apartment owners sabotage the ratings or an evicted tenant leaves false information about their experience.  I hadn’t even thought to look at a rating site for apartments, but her statement made me want to see for myself what was written.

Thirty or so people commented on that apartment complex. Ninety percent of those people said something along the lines of, “Whatever you do, do not move here.”  There were stories of burglaries, drug deals, shootings and no help from the administration when a problem arose.  This was not a place I wanted to live.

The ratings on apartmentratings.com actively influenced my purchasing decision. I ended up choosing an apartment complex with a relatively high rating, Somerset Apartments, that I absolutely love.  If you have a business where people are rating and commenting about it online, know that these ratings are affecting and will continue to affect your business.

How do you ensure people are talking positively about your business???  Hire a reputation manager.

Check back in the next couple of weeks to see our tips for building a business that excels at the ranking and commenting websites to give you an advantage over your competition.

Welborn Social Media provides social media services for small and medium-sized businesses all over the United States.  If you would like more information about how Welborn Social Media can act as your reputation manager and enhance your online reputation please give Zeb Welborn a call at (909) 973 – 9089.

The Webinar Experience from a First-Timer

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For 45 minutes, I’m in my Chino apartment talking to a computer about how to motivate students.  No one is in the room with me and I receive no feedback from anyone during that time.  As a former teacher I’m used to seeing the faces of the people I’m presenting to. At the end of my 45 minutes I wrap things up and finally hear another voice.

The webinar organizer, Natasha Bayus, says, “Thank you Mr. Welborn for all your expertise.  Do any of our viewers have any questions?”

And with that the lines of communication open. All at once I am able to witness the impact my 45 minute presentation had on an invisible audience of individuals sitting in front of their computers.

Natasha Bayus works for School on Wheels, a non-profit organization founded to provide volunteer tutoring for homeless students across Southern California.  She found my Southern California tutoring business, The Tutoring Solution, through Twitter and was interested in the blog posts I had written on motivation.  She asked me to give a presentation to the School on Wheels volunteer tutors over the Summer.  The presentation went over really well; many of the tutors asked for a follow-up presentation . . . we decided this time to do it in a webinar format.

Natasha used www.gotomeeting.com.  She was in charge of setting up the presentation. We were able to iron out a few kinks by setting up a preliminary meeting to make sure everything functioned properly. We got together again 20 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.

As the moderator, Natasha was able to mute others while I was speaking, to speak herself when needed and to allow viewers to ask questions when the time came.  Written messages were able to be passed from Natasha to myself and from the viewers to Natasha.

It was extremely odd talking to a computer and I found myself getting nervous at the start of the presentation, but eventually settled in and gave a great presentation on Motivating the Unmotivated.  The 30 or so volunteer tutors who were listening to the presentation were able to respond with questions and comments and at the hour the webinar came to an end.

Conducting my first webinar experience was truly a learning experience, but I can see that it is a highly effective tool to communicate ideas to others. Since then I’ve explored www.gotomeeting.com and other similar web tools and have an understanding of organizing and conducting webinars. A webinar experience can be used to train staff, educate people on a product, conduct meetings, hold interviews, discuss ideas and a variety of other uses.

If conducting a webinar is something that sounds appealing to you, please contact Zeb Welborn at Zeb@WelbornSocialMedia.com and we can help you set up, manage, promote and assist in producing a webinar for you or your business.

The Power of Facebook: How Facebook Helped Furnish My Apartment

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I moved into my first apartment earlier this month. I was apprehensive about the move.  After all, there are a lot of costs associated with moving into an apartment:  gas, electricity, water, TV, Internet, kitchen supplies, food, and . . . furniture.

Two weeks ago I had no furniture to call my own.  Now, I have a fully furnished apartment . . . all thanks to Facebook.

When I found out I was moving into my new, two bedroom I posted on Facebook to let my friends and family know that I could use some furniture. Man, did my friends come through!  I now have two couches, a refrigerator, a dining room table with chairs, a nightstand, a desk, towels, pots, pans, plates, bowls, silverware and a large list of other household goods. All of which didn’t cost me a dime!

Facebook, through the help of family and friends, has helped me furnish my apartment — something that very easily could have cost me thousands of dollars.  Love the power of Facebook.

If Facebook can help save me thousands of dollars in my personal life, just imagine what it can be capable of for a business.  By using Facebook businesses can connect with potential customers, engage with them and encourage them to become a part of the business and to become a repeat customer.

Every business can benefit from Facebook.  It’s a matter of understanding how to leverage your Facebook presence for the best results.  With over 800 million people now on Facebook, using it for your business is a no-brainer.  How will you use the power of Facebook to benefit your business?  Call us today to find out how we can help you use Facebook to build your business – 909 973 9089.

Thank you Mom, Dad, Rocky, Lacey, Lenore, Michael Nunez, Erin Rogers-Nunez, Joy Houghton-Klein, Jennifer Davis, Nick Cianflocco, Jimmy Wilson, Merriah Wilson and Laura Henson for helping make my apartment a home.

Welborn Social Media Can Help You Use Video to Build Your Brand

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Technology is amazing. One of the greatest tools for increasing your online profile is developing an array of videos that can provide potential customers with more ways to find you.

Use video to build your brand.  According to a Create Hype article, 5 Ways Business Owners Can Use Online Video to Grow Their Business, videos can be used:  for product/service demonstrations, to provide a video tour of your company, to profile your employees, to highlight your customers and to keep your customers informed.

The possibilities for using videos to promote your business online are endless.  One excellent  example of a company who has used video for their business is BlendTec. They have a YouTube series called “Will it Blend?”

In one of their most popular videos they blend a brand new iPad, completely destroying it.  To date, the video has more than 13,000,000 viewers and counting. Well worth it.

Can your business use 13,000,000 people viewing a message you put out?  Online video is an amazing opportunity to connect with your customers.

In 2012, we aim to help a variety of companies use video to build their brand.  We have access to high-quality equipment and develop ways to engage any customer.  We have already begun creating videos for The Tutoring Solution and Los Serranos Country Club and can do so for your business.

If you want more people to find your business online, use video to build your brand . . . and if you want help, come to Welborn Social Media.

Don’t be the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion or Dorothy – Be Toto

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With a new year comes optimism and excitement. What will 2012 bring?

We are in the midst of an historic economic recession, because of that, just like Dorothy and her friends in Oz, our journey down the yellow brick road has been full of struggles and turbulence.

To stay afloat we’re having to adapt, downsize, economize, increase efficiency,  cut the fat… We’ve had to search out better, faster, more effective ways of operating. No question this prolonged recession has been difficult. But it also has forced us to restructure, to streamline, to try new things, to innovate. This is a good thing.

This morning I attended a networking event at the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce with a presentation by Ronnie Kovach, a radio & television personality for Fox Sports West and the Angels. His presentation was titled “Becoming a True Business Wizard:  What We Can Learn from Dorothy.”

During his presentation he said that many people believe this will be considered a “dark time,” but that we are taking the steps to bring ourselves into a period of prosperity and happiness.  Our response to this recession may, in fact, be laying the foundation for ingenuity and innovation that will translate into growth and prosperity for years to come.

The recession has forced many people to step out of their comfort zone and pursue things they hadn’t imagined.  When times get tough,  people have two options:  they can give up, or they can fight back and take control.  It is by fighting back that I found my passion . . . which coincidentally, is inspiring others.

Some of the most passionate and inspiring people I know are business owners.  At some point in their lives they took a huge risk and worked to build a company or a business. The only way to continue building and promoting your business is to have a strong passion — a desire to continue doing the work because you love it. I want to share that passion with the rest of the world.

Social media can demonstrate your knowledge, passion and expertise for a trade like never before.  People want to do business with people they can connect with, know and trust.  And nothing builds that connection stronger than demonstrating your passion for the work at hand.

Mr. Kovach said during his presentation that the dog in the Wizard of Oz, Toto, comes from the latin meaning for “everything.”  And the theme of the book/movie was that whatever we fear is missing from our self is actually inside of us.  The scarecrow, the tin man and the lion all felt deficient in some way, when the reality of the matter was they had the tools they felt they were lacking.

This economy has forced many people to do those things that are holding them back from achieving their full happiness in life.  We all have the ability for greatness and that ability to succeed lies within each of us.

We want to help small businesses excel and reach their full potential in order to share their passion and expertise with the world and provide customers the opportunity to connect with businesses that improve their lives.  To schedule a free consultation with us please contact Zeb Welborn at (909) 973 – 9089.

A Merry Christmas from Karen Bardsley: Goalkeeper from the Women’s English National Football (Soccer) Team

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Karen Bardsley is the starting Goalkeeper for the Women’s English National Football (Soccer) Team and she wanted to make a special Merry Christmas video for her fans.  For help. . . she came to Welborn Social Media.

We hashed out a lot of great ideas and filmed three different videos.  Karen finally decided on the Christmas party video and was extremely happy about the final product . . . along with her fans.

Karen you’re an amazing player and we loved watching you play in last year’s Women’s World Cup and can’t wait to see you in action during the upcoming Olympics.  You can follow Karen Bardsley on Twitter at @klbardsley.