Lorrie Thomas: Online Marketing Guru

We recently had an opportunity to meet with marketing master Lorrie Thomas Ross and ask some questions about her secrets to web market success. If you don’t know Lorrie, she has been developing cutting edge online sales and marketing campaigns for over 10 years. She is currently the CEO of 2 online marketing and training agencies and is a new resident to beautiful Santa Barbara (also home to FollowUp.cc!). Here are a few tips from a pro.

Hometown: Atlanta, GA (recently relocated from Santa Barbara, CA)
Favorite Quote: Success comes in CANS, failure comes in CAN’Ts
First Car: Ford Escort
Website You Visit Daily: Facebook.com (I’m addicted)
Twitter handle: @webtherapist

Thanks for reminding me of how old I am!!  I’m actually nearing my 15 year mark now (eek!)  I prescribe my short video on markEDing (marketing + education) as a must watch to rock today’s web-centric marketing world.  It’s a fun (and funny) way to retrain your brain to look at marketing.  It’s the only way to approach marketing. www.markeding.net.  My book (I know, how old school is that!) http://tinyurl.com/onlinemarketingbook is also a fantastic companion to strategically navigate the wild, wild web.

Social media marketing success is not about the tools (Facebook Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).  Social media marketing works when is about how and more importantly, WHY we use the tools that makes marketing magic.  Marketing has to come from a place of heart.  Starting with why is the healthy way to start. 

Healthy Marketing Rx: Watch Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” video.  It’s a direct tie into marketing, especially online marketing.  So many people look at marketing as being scientific…marrying the science with art (and more importantly, heart!) of marketing is all about having a clear “why.”

Linkedin is my favorite social platform for professional use.  It’s my interactive rolodex for business.  Facebook is my favorite for personal use.  It keeps me connected with friends, family and former students.  And whenever I travel, I post where I am and old friends pop up out of nowhere which = great LIVE socializing!

The biggest mistake companies make when it comes to marketing is thinking about it and going about it with the wrong mindset.  Marketing is not about push marketing (being promotional).  It’s about serving and supporting a target audience in a meaningful way. Professionals have to re-train their brains to look at marketing as education.  Education via websites, videos, photos, social media and more.  MarkEDing (marketing + education) is the only way to succeed today.

When in doubt, Google it.  Google is my gateway to information.

I don’t have any videos lined up yet with lynda.com right now since I just launched my Writing Press Releases course in May of this year (so everybody email them and tell them you want me back for more!) but I am working on webinars with other marketing education companies so stay tuned on lorriethomas.com for updates!

Thank you for sharing Lorrie. We are looking forward to your next project. If you want to reach Lorrie, here contact information is below.