Meet Cheryl
My name is Cheryl Liquori, and I started OTCM in 2008 in response to my ‘geeky’ passion for sales and marketing. After getting my B.S. in Marketing and an International MBA, I worked overseas for a few years before embarking on a successful career in telecommunications. It was the boom years of the 90’s and I did very well – specializing in technical support, project management and process training and implementation.
Then the dot com bust came and I got laid off ~ while pregnant! But that was okay because I’d been working since I was 16 and was ready to take a break and try the stay-at-home-mom thing. Well, I must confess that that lasted about 8 months before I started feeling restless. Don’t get me wrong, I love my boy, who’s now a 4th grader, but I wanted to do something different with my life and career. Do you know anyone like that?
In the years since then, I’ve had to re-invent myself multiple times in order to keep up with the technology and business climate I live in ~ which is admittedly challenging here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve had to learn and apply new skills – like sales, lead generation, business networking, copy-editing, event planning, speaking & training, blogging & social media, and Internet marketing. And my other skills have been improved and enhanced, such as project management, client communications, customer service, financial planning, leadership and not taking myself so seriously (still working on that one, I must say).
My Approach and Way of Thinking
- I can honestly say I’m a life-long learner, and am good at discerning what’s being said ‘below the surface.’
- I pull from a variety of my experiences, observations, and knowledge to create new ideas.
- Although I love to ‘geek out’ with technology, I like to be with people and socialize.
- I’m pretty curious and enthusiastic about almost everything, and everyone.
- I like to ask questions to find out more about the people I meet.
- I can be pretty serious about doing the work I do, but also try and keep a sense of humor.
- I like the philosophy of keeping the end in mind – why are we doing this?
- And ultimately, I want to be a part of something bigger.
Over the years since starting OTCM, I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of conversations with small business owners and entrepreneurs about how to increase their bottom line and what marketing strategies would work best for them – including social media. I would never call myself a guru, or even a super-whiz-bang expert. The field changes too quickly and too often to absorb absolutely everything. Besides, in my book it’s all about the content – be it educational, informative, and/or entertaining. AND, it’s all about implementation, which is what like to do.
Getting it done!
Who are your clients, Cheryl?
They’re ready to implement…I work with business owners who are very good at what they do and have already experienced success. They know the value of marketing and continue to rework and refine their strategies to get desired results. And at the same time, they feel overwhelmed by the fast-paced world of online and social media marketing. They need a resource to help them.
How are you different from other social media marketers?
I think my experience as a successful sales professional has given me firsthand knowledge of what great marketing can do – attract the right prospects, build trust, nurture relationships, foster loyalty, generate repeat business, and encourage quality referrals. I also know when marketing fails and what that does to your sales. Oh, it is not pretty! I get the bottom line from a business perspective.
And I also understand how important content is to successful social media. I’m able to think broadly, creatively, and with wisdom about what your audience would like to see, hear and watch. Being really, really good at customer service allows me to easily put myself in their shoes. Would I want to know the information in this blog post? Would this tweet, Facebook post, Linkedin update interest, appeal to, or entertain me? Do I feel like sharing this YouTube video?
Finally, I make it a point to discover and emphasize what makes my clients special (sometimes it’s not the obvious that gets them attention), and allows them to shine and attract more of the business they want.
What type of business do you work best with?
I created my 5-Step Proprietary Social Media Process for businesses who already invest in their marketing, and may already be using social media at some level. But they’re not sure in what direction to take it. They wonder where to focus their attention, and how to powerfully sustain their efforts. They also know it’s important to integrate social media into their other marketing channels.
I work best with business owners who are open to new ideas, ready to learn, and are willing to partner with me to create the best online presence possible. And what they can count on me for is getting the work done, responsiveness, enthusiasm, discretion, thoughtfulness and humor.
For what type of business is this NOT going to work?
For those businesses who see social media is the magic bullet for their marketing. If they are unwilling to see it as a necessary and important addition to existing marketing efforts. And they also want to see instant results. I am a huge proponent of measuring performance and tracking outcomes, but like ALL marketing strategies, it takes time and commitment to start seeing results.
Finally, I will not work with people who are whiners and skeptics (no exceptions), who constantly lament, “…been there, done that.”, who also complain about trying a marketing strategy once, only to give up when it failed to satisfy expectations. If you are one of those folks, then I respectfully ask that you not contact me and hope you’ll understand why. We would not work well together and don’t want you to waste your time or money. Fair enough?
What results can clients expect?
- Clarification of social media goals
- Content that gets as close to your tone and ‘voice’ as possible
- Improvement of overall online presence and engagement
- Enhanced visual elements of your profiles
- Expanded brand awareness
- Grow online audience
- Regular reporting and metrics
How quickly can I expect to see results?
There are many factors that play into how quickly clients start seeing results. These include: the general nature of your business (fashion retailer vs insurance broker, for example), your sales cycle, the strength of your marketing funnel, the size and demographic composition of your target audience, and the current reach of your business.
I would say virtually all my clients start to see results within three to six months in the form of increased brand awareness, growing their audience, and potential new leads. But realistically, a consistent social media effort will really start to show results in the form of increased business in about a year. That may not be what you want to hear, but business owners really need to take a long term approach to a social media strategy. It is not something that gets started and stopped, like a direct mail campaign or newspaper advertisement. People are online and that’s where they’re staying.
Will I get a return on the investment I make? Does social media really work?
These are two of the biggest questions that businesses, large and small, tussle with everyday. The big brands have already figured it out – Ford, Oreo, Starbucks, Gatorade, Burberry, The Corcoran Group, Farmer’s Insurance, Lane Bryant, Virgin America, and many more. But you don’t need to be a multi-million/billion dollar company to be successful with social media.
What you do need is a clear idea of what you want it to do for you, and what tools you have in place already to support your success with social media. Can you currently measure traffic to your website? Do you have a lead-generating mechanism on your website? Are you willing to put your social media presence on every piece of marketing collateral you publish? If you have trouble answering yes to any of these questions, then you probably need to back up just a bit to solidify some of your marketing. I can help give you some direction on that if you’re not sure what to tackle first.
How will we work together and what’s involved?
We’ll start out first with an online assessment and completing my proprietary Social Media Scorecard. Part of getting started together also involves my clients filling out a relatively simple business & marketing questionnaire. This is followed by my own online research (I call it Internet Spelunking) on your industry, keywords, and competitive environment.
That information is then used to create a content guide for your social media, my recommendations on how best to proceed, and an editorial calendar to guide my work on your social platforms. At the end of 90 days, I re-administer the Social Media Scorecard to see how much improvement has been made, and what modifications need to be carried out.
I am also available via phone, text, Skype and email during standard business hours. But it’s also important that I be able to connect with my clients quickly and easily in order to take advantage of sudden, unexpected opportunities that may arise.
How long will we work together?
Based on my experience, it takes at least 6 ~ 12 months for my 5-Step Proprietary Social Media Process to start showing results. Then it becomes a matter of adjusting as conditions change, and then measuring results. Common pitfalls of business owners who jump into social media include: trying to do too much too quickly, being too promotional and sales-y, not being consistent, and publishing boring content.
I encourage clients to hold steady, especially since their social content will have direction, purpose and voice. It has been fine-tuned, practiced, tested and launched. As I mentioned earlier, there is no ‘magic bullet’ and there is no ‘quick fix’. Take a marketing lesson from my cat, Baker – persistence and purring!
Okay, Cheryl, from what I’ve read and heard, I know you’re the one I want to work with. How do we get started?
Wonderful!! I know this is a big decision. Here’s what you do to get started: email me at CherLiquori@gmail.com or call (510) 499-6028 and I’ll be happy to answer your questions and get you started with the Social Media Scorecard, Business Profile, and Marketing Questionnaire which will help give me an idea of where to start on your path to an effective social media presence.
What form of payment do you accept?
I accept Visa and Mastercard, as well as checks made out to Off The Chart Enterprises.
I’m pretty sure I want to do this, but have some further questions. Can I call you?
Please do! Call me at (510) 499-6028 and we can set up a time to chat and get all your questions answered.
Five things you would not otherwise know about me:
- I like to read fantasy/sci-fi books
- My great grandparents met in the dogsled equivalent of a fender bender
- I used to know Morse Code
- I’ve bungee jumped…TWICE!
- I love cake
