MarketingMel

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest blog post by Larkin Grant, a marvelous millennial whom I met on twitter.

Recently, I went to meet a friend at a bar and arrived first. What was my first instinct? Check Facebook  and foursquare to see if I knew anyone around. In 2 minutes I was sitting with friends. All because they revealed their location to the world.

As kids, our parents taught us not to share personal information with strangers. So why are millennials now publishing this information?

Tech Invasion
We share because it has become the norm. Millennials grew up with technology, claiming it as part of our generational identity.  While earlier generations bemoan technology’s invasion in everyday life, millennials embrace it, even sleeping with their cell phones. This connection to technology make millennials much more comfortable sharing personal information online, with 69% revealing sexual orientation and 78% revealing relationship status online.

The New Connection
Putting personal information like your location online seems little different than telling your friends in person because the way we communicate has changed and expanded with technology. We are communicating with friends en masse and if the world sees it too, millennials accept that. 91% of millennials make their check-ins public.

This shift allows for accidental meetings, like my Saturday night. Checking in sends an implied invitation to friends everywhere to come out. To a generation that hates to wait, this efficiency is extremely appealing.

This is not to imply that millennials are posting social security numbers online. We walk a fine line with information sharing. We may willingly disclose our relationship status, but if a company asks for our email we will baulk. Unless they offer something in return.

Brand Me
Millennials are rewriting the advertising rules. We want interaction with brands. 43% of millennials have liked more than 20 brands on Facebook. Simply releasing an ad is not good enough. We know that we a valuable demographic, and if companies want information about us, they have to give us something in return: a discount, an exclusive, to make our breach of privacy worth our while. 71% of millennials liked a brand on Facebook just to receive an offer.

Millennials do value privacy, but it is a privacy that looks very different than 50 years ago. We are also willing to give up information for the sake of convenience and social connections.

Larkin Grant

Larkin is the Community Manager for Our Valley Events. Larkin’s passion is for all things technology, changing the world, and cupcakes. She is very involved in the young professional scene, both locally and nationally. Locally, Larkin served as the Hospitality Chair on the Huntsville Young Professionals board of directors and is a recent graduate of Connect Young Professionals. Nationally, she recently co-founded Millennial Chat, a forum for young professionals across the nation that hosts weekly Twitter Chats on a range of topics as well as a blog written by Larkin and her co-founders. You can read her blog here.

Continue Reading

"Lucky" checks for Facebook updates

Anyone watching Sunday night’s Super Bowl (and that would be 111 million of you by last count) knows that the show’s advertising went “to the dogs.” The old adage of “babes, beasts and beauties” was as prevalent in the social-media-heavy Super Bowl XLVI as it was long before twitter and Facebook were ever created. Dogs were riding in trucks, surviving the end of the world, running on treadmills, admiring themselves in mirrors, chasing cars and wearing running shoes. Clearly, man’s best friend continues to hold a high place of esteem and reverence (at least in the eyes of today’s advertising exec’s.)

All that got me thinking about tips I’ve gleaned from my own dog, “Lucky.” A 17 month old Jack Russell Terrier mix can teach us a lot about relationships. I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned with you and welcome your comments.

1. Be a good listener-  I talk to my dog. His response? Mostly he just looks, listens and nods approvingly.  In addition to making me feel better,  he’s there for me to sound out ideas. Do the same for your clients. Listen, and you’ll learn a lot.

2. Bark only if you have a good reason- I’ve never been able to stand “yippy yappies.” Whether it’s a dog or a person no one likes someone who’s always barking. Too much yakking gets nothing accomplished. Remember, if you can’t say something nice about somebody don’t bark at all.

3. Show people you love and appreciate them- There’s nothing like  a wagging tail, nudge or hand lick to know you’re appreciated. Think of ways that you can do this for your customers, co-workers and family members.

4. Exercise every day- Even if it’s just a walk around the block the fresh air will do you good. Getting out in nature is invigorating.

5. Take time out to play- If you get the chance to play with your customers all the better. Whether it’s ball, golf, or simply enjoying a nice lunch together, spend some “off” time with your clients.

6. Be loyal- Show loyalty to your boss and to your customers. I always try to purchase my customers’ products, recommend them and support them in any way that I can.

7. Together we make a great team- There is no end to the things that a dog can do that you may not have thought possible. (I was astounded the first time I ever ran a race with Lucky. He was slowed only by the speed of his human!) I’ve found the collective brainpower of “we” with my clients is always so much better than either of us could do alone. Together, our creativity and knowledge can produce remarkable results.

What lessons have you learned from your pet that carry over to the business world? I’d love to hear from you.

Continue Reading

Editor’s note: Throughout the month of February I’ll be concentrating on a theme of Relationship Building here on the MarketingMel blog. 

A client of mine recently shared an excellent book on customer service with me. The book is called “Surviving the Middle Miles: 26.2 Ways to Cross the Finish Line with Your Customers”  by Darryl Rosen. The author, a one-time marathon runner, draws an analogy between business and running. Just like in a long distance race, the shiny newness wears off after you’re underway for a few miles but inside you know it’s still a long ways until the finish line!  As runner I loved the book’s name and related to its running/business theme. Rosen, who operated a very successful wine business, shares ways to provide the best for our customers. I’ll share some of my favorites here with you.

In his chapter titled “Appreciate Your Customers and Show it”  Rosen offers the following tips:

1- Say thank you- Now that may not seem like such a clever concept but you would be surprised how people, starting at a very young age, are not being taught those simple words. Rosen likes to send off hand written notes to customers. He even suggests making up reasons to say thank you!

2- It’s never too late- This example happened to me once. I was a recipient of a *long* overdue thank you from someone and guess what?  It felt great to be remembered. I really appreciated the gesture even if it was late, and it helped to cement a good working relationship between us. Even if you think the time has passed  to to say thank you, say it anyway!

The last chapter of the book is called, “Cheering for Others.” If you have competed in a running race or other athletic competition you know how much it means to have “cheerleaders” standing along the sidelines, particularly as you’re heading toward the home stretch. I’ve always loved it when my family makes it out to one of my running races and I see them cheering wildly at the end.  Rosen has that uplifting feeling in mind with the following common-sense tips.

3. Be flexible- Go with the flow and embrace change

4. Be likeable- Rosen says likeability is actually good for your health! It increases our self esteem which in turn lowers our stress levels!

5. Be real- Be honest and ethical and show credibility

6. Be a good communicator- Show humility

7. Be interested in others-Remember to turn the conversation back to your customer and CHEER!

This book is a quick read and I highly recommend it for anyone in the service business. Let me know which one of these tips resonates with you as you appreciate your customers.

Continue Reading

Have you ever felt completely validated by something? When Gary Vaynerchuck posted this video last weekit was just like he and I were stepping to the same drummer. (Nice to be validated by one of the biggest social media marketing gurus in the world!)

Wow. So personal brands have become so powerful, especially in the tech sector that big “brands” are leaving their companies and launching out on their own. Seth Godin has been hammering on this purple cow effect for years.  Tom Peters pioneered the concept of the Brand Called You long before the current social networking channels existed.

Tim Tebow in action

Today I’ll be hosting product managers from across the globe in a conversation on personal branding on Global Product Management Talk on twitter and on blog radio. We’ll be talking about the power of some of our most famous personal celebrity brands like Denver Broncos’ quarterback Tim Tebow, now ranked the most popular athlete. Tebow is controversial but he also set records not only for his game winning pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers but for the tweets per minute that followed. We’ll also mention the Dolly Parton brand as I discussed here last week. Her staying power has crossed generations and multiple communications channels. And, talk about topical. She rolls out a new movie with Queen Latifah and then Dolly announces plans for a new Nashville based snow and water park! Now that’s one sharp and busy businesswoman.

So how does a product manager or a person reading this blog begin to see him/herself in the way that the celebrities already know is powerful? First, determine your niche. There is bound to be some area of expertise that you know more about than does anyone else. That’s what social media affords us today that we didn’t have in the past.  Today we all have opportunities to be our own publishers and media outlets. Here is a good quick tips video from the AMA featuring tips from Sherri Thomas. Good luck and as we’re heading toward Super Bowl Sunday remember: once you get that ball run with it!

Continue Reading

Editor’s note: While on the subject of personal branding this month I thought I would re-purpose one of my all-time most searched for blog posts that first ran in April 2009. Guess it showed me how much people love Dolly Parton! I’ll be hosting a talk on personal branding on Product Management Talk blog radio and #http://www.twitter.com/prodmgmttalk on twitter Monday, January 23 at 8 PM Eastern.

All professional marketers can learn a lot from Dolly Parton. The rags to riches singer  is an icon. Her personal marketing and branding skills should be required study for those of us in the marketing business. Why? Let’s just look at the past 24 hours.

While my husband and I were watching the basketball tourney on CBS Saturday we saw an ad for Dolly’s interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday night.  Earlier on Saturday we bumped into some family friends. Where were they heading for Easter break?  Dollywood. Then Sunday morning my husband began channel surfing only to land on an Arts and Entertainment special on Dolly.

Later, after church we stopped by Cracker Barrel for lunch. Who was on the sign out front smiling at me as I entered the restaurant?   And whose music was playing in the background as we shopped and played checkers while waiting for our table? And who could be heard advertising her special music offer  just for Cracker Barrels?  One word answers all these questions: Dolly. No doubt the publicity blitz is a tie-in to the opening of her new Broadway musical 9 to 5 based on the  movie of the same name in which she starred some 30 years ago.

I admire Dolly Parton for many reasons. She single handedly formed and funded the Imagination Library program which provides free monthly books to all Tennessee children ages 5 and under. Mostly though I love and admire her marketing genius when it comes to personal branding.

“Here you come again” Dolly.

Continue Reading

Photo: BryceCanyon.com

Sunday our minister referenced that breathtaking financial company ad where the woman climbs a summit and a gigantic panorama unfolds in front of her. His sermon analogy was that the year 2012 lies before each of us as a panaroma right now.

With that in mind, this is the year to create or work on your personal brand. Tom Peters pioneered the concept with “The Brand Called You”. The points he makes in the article still ring some 15 years later (only the brand names have changed!)  As we move into another New Year let’s each take a quick assessment of our own personal brand and what we can do to better ourselves in 2012. Here are some tips I’ve provided to my clients in customized one-on-one sessions and am glad to share here with you.

1. Google yourself- What do you find? Is it fresh? Is it negative? Does it need a PR boost?
2. Does your image/Web site transfer to mobile? The growth of smart phones and other mobile devices will continue to explode in 2012.
3. Who is your target audience? What communications channels are they using? Be sure you are present on them. Example: My clients are business professionals. Most all of them are on LinkedIn and there is an excellent LinkedIn Personal Branding group.
4. Do you have an elevator speech? The next time you bump into Future Big Client X do you have a quick description ready for the business you have and the products and services your provide?
5. How do you plan to promote your brand in 2012? How are you using your social media channels? Do they show you constantly complaining about life’s mundane things? Remember, it’s your image that’s coming through (as if you were broadcasting!) Do you have guest media appearances and public speaking engagements planned? Do you have a blog? (It’s one of the best ways to kick start your web site’s SEO!) How about podcasts? Your e-mail signature? Videos?
6. Do you have an editorial calendar planned for 2012? Remember, you are a publisher. Now is the time to think seasonal and timely in your future writing and publishing.
7. Are you building your brand on twitter? I’ve formed so many great relationships thanks to the magic of twitter. It’s hard for me to believe that some people still think twitter is just about celebrities and what you had for lunch. If you haven’t done so already, try a twitter chat (look for the hashtags) for a field of your interest. Neal Schaeffer provides this excellent tutorial on twitter chats. Your positive contributions on tweetchats will help build your brand in your industry group or field of interest.
8. Dive in! Experiment with some new social media channel and meet some new friends along the way! In 2011 it was Google+ and Pinterest for me. What were some of your favorite new social media channels?

With an 8.6 percent nationwide unemployment rate more people than ever need to be sure they are building their personal brand both at in-person networking events and online.  The business atmosphere is in a state of constant change (just look at what’s happened to some of the stalwart brands.) These tips will help you be in control of the message broadcast by your personal brand, no matter what hand economic conditions may deal to you. All the best of luck to you in 2012 and remember, your personal brand is always with you!

Continue Reading

Christmas Giving photo credit Julie Campbell on Flickr

This morning I had the occasion to hear one of our local radio car gurus, Lennie Lawson, discussing “The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success” on his morning talk show, My Car Guru, on WJCW Radio. Based on the book The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann, the concept espouses the belief that it is indeed better to give than to receive. It is great food for thought as we begin thinking of the changes we’ll make in the new year ahead. I think all of these laws apply well to the world of social media because there, as “in real life,” in order to succeed, it is always better to give first! Here are the laws: Which one will you live by in 2012?
“The Law of Value
Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
The Law of Compensation
Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
The Law of Influence
Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
The Law of Authenticity
The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
The Law of Receptivity
The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.”

Continue Reading

This week I will wrap up the fourth and final part of my twitter 101 guest series with Maria Peagler of Social Media Online Classes. Maria just unveiled a terrific twitter infographic as part of an excellent article called 64 ways to improve your twitter marketing. It provides easy to understand information for those still baffled by twitter. In this, my fourth and final guest appearance on Maria’s twitter courses, we talk about ways to market your business on twitter. From free product offerings to regular participation in twitter industry chats with like-minded business professionals, you can grow your reach and business presence by using twitter in a professional manner.

Continue Reading

Stores opened earlier than ever this year for Black Friday and a record $52.4 billion was spent over the long, four day weekend. 11 Connects News’ George Jackson caught up with MarketingMel the night before Thanksgiving, ironically in the parking lot at the local Mall where I was doing some shopping. George and I discussed the newest holiday shopping trends including the earliest shopping starts yet. Without a crystal ball but having read and watched some of the forecasted trends, I predicted that people will come to view the early start to Black Friday (or early end to Thanksgiving, depending on how you look at it) as consumers once viewed Sundays. What was at one time a sacred day to be home from work enjoying family will become just another day to shop (albeit with huge bargains!) With Cyber Monday coming on the heels of such a record breaking weekend we can only expect the spending trend to continue and that’s bound to put some zing into our economy.

I took an informal poll of my Facebook friends Wednesday evening prior to the interview and while the majority said they would not shop Black Friday several said they would be out there and early. One Facebook friend even posted a photo of herself camping out in order to take advantage of the specials. Did you shop Black Friday? Did you frequent a local establishment on Small Business Saturday or will you shop from the comfort of your office on Cyber Monday? Maybe you’re wondering what all the fuss is about since your shopping generally doesn’t start for several more weeks? Whatever your shopping habits, I’d love to have you share your stories with us here!

Continue Reading

This is the third part of my four part guest twitter tips series for my friend Maria Peagler at Social Media Online Classes. Maria and I actually met on twitter and I’m glad to help her out (absolutely no affiliate marketing here, just helping a virtual and mastermind friend!) Maria asked me to create some guest posts to accompany her online social media instruction for small businesses and I was glad to do so. Now she’s allowing me to re-post them here on my blog. Today’s topic involves the array of free twitter tools out there and the one that is my preferred method of monitoring twitter. (Hint: Not long ago it got a lot of publicity for being bought by twitter for a cool $40-$50 million.)  For windows users here’s a good article on the array of free twitter tools available to you. Also, Mashable has this excellent article on twitter desktop apps. What’s your favorite twitter app.?

Continue Reading

Did you see the news that twitter is the number one social network of choice among the Fortune 500? All of the Fortune top 10 and 62 percent of the Fortune 500 companies are on twitter. As the article states they no doubt love twitter’s openness and simplicity. Facebook comes in a close second. It is used by 58 percent of the Fortune 500. As you know if you saw my video last week, I’m in agreement with the big guns when it comes to the power of twitter when building a brand. My good online friend Maria Peagler was kind enough to invite me to guest teach during the twitter portion of her Social Media Online Classes. In the second of our four part series, I discuss what a retweet is and when to use the “RT.” I actually cut this video before all of the recent discussion about journalists re-tweeting, the A.P.’s recent ruling on RTs and whether or not an RT implies consent. In my opinion a re-tweet is definitely implied consent!

Continue Reading

I am a twitter aficionado (I love the educational and informational resources available on twitter.) Knowing that about me, my virtual colleague Maria Peagler, who created Social Media Online Classes invited me to make guest video appearances throughout her online twitter courses. She is now allowing me to use those initially proprietary guest videos (that only her paying students got to see!) in this four part series I’ll call twitter 101.

We start the series with how Maria and I met. It was her generous offer of a free and useful scheduling gift that launched our online friendship. (Hint: people love free stuff!) Maria was a featured speaker at Tory Johnson’s Spark & Hustle conference last summer and was recently profiled by Tory as a “Daring Doer.” Maria regularly helps small business owners succeed by teaching them to use social media to engage their customers. Here then is my one minute introductory twitter video to her course.

Continue Reading

MarketingMel visits with Bob and Carl on AM 910 WJCW "Thinking Out Loud"

The popular talk Tri-Cities radio talk show “Thinking Out Loud” has been a wonderful place to talk about social media, business and communications trends and strategies. I’ve been honored to be on the show from time to time ever since I started my business, MarketingMel. Dave Hogan and Carl Swann are beloved radio talk show hosts who are favorites with Tri-Cities business professionals. I recently paid a visit to the Carl ‘N Dave show on AM 910 WJCW to talk about my trip to the Inbound Marketing Summit in Boston. From mobile to video and even the passing of Steve Jobs and former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki’s reaction, we covered the information in a fast-paced 12 minutes. Veteran radio man and trend-watcher Bob Lawrence was filling in for Dave that day as we talked new media and more. (Click here and on the “Listen to Podcast Digital Social Media Breakthroughs.”) What are some subjects you would like to hear discussed in our future “Thinking Out Loud” conversations?

Continue Reading

Who's your target audience?

Last week I had the opportunity to hear marketing guru Chris Cavanaugh of Magellan Strategy Group in Asheville, North Carolina speak to our Northeast Tennessee Chapter of the AAF (Ad Club). Chris is a highly experienced marketer and the former Vice President of Marketing for the Biltmore Company who now finds himself in the role of helping clients with agency reviews.

Chris began his presentation with his definition of marketing and his trademark phrase: “Create a dissatisfaction with the status quo.” I love this!  As a professional communicator I have always considered myself a change agent. In addition to sharing some amusing stories about agencies that simply overwhelmed the client with  Too Much Information.  (“We stayed up all night drinking Red Bull to prepare for this presentation.” Really? You look like it!) Chris provided these tips to help you as a professional communicator stand out among equals when competing for work:

1. Proofreading is fundamental. (Once a presentation for a major pitch contains typos you are sunk!)
2. Do not pretend to be what/who you are not.
3. If you need it back, don’t send it.
4. If the client can’t read your presentation while sitting on the sofa, don’t send it.
5. Awards are nice when sales are up. What are you going to do for the client?
6. Anticipate objections. (He gave an example of an agency that met potential objections head-on and won the business.)
7. Ask about how much of a factor price is.
8. Know your audience. More and more you are targeting the “Purchasing/finance guy,” not the “cool” marketing guys. (Thanks Chris for the idea to use the skateboarder image!)
9. Eight is too many to take to a presentation. You’ll overwhelm your potential client. Chris has even seen a team leader interrupt his presenters. (Cringe.)
10. Be relevant. (His example: a firm that understood the importance of mobile marketing four years ago.)
11. Demonstrate trust.
12. Give people a reason to see you are different. (Reminds me of my previous post about Youngme Moon’s book, Different.)
13. Use photos and stories of your people.
14. Present case studies: State the problem, how you solved it and what the results were.
15. Have insight into the target audience.
    

    It's never wise to burn bridges

16. Don’t burn bridges. If you don’t win the business remember, don’t take it personally.
17. And finally, my favorite: It’s always a people business!

Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: This post is by guest blogger and friend, Cathy Rodgers of 7wavesmarketing.

Everywhere I look, it seems the same message is being told: “invest in content,” “know who you are trying to reach,” and “the story is important.” Telling the story of what goes on behind the front door of a business is something we’ve been saying since the beginning of 7Waves. There is something unique about each and every business and there is a story that needs to be told. I invite you to take a fresh look at your business from the outside and ask yourself, “what would people want to know about my products, my place in the community, or the dedication of the founders and work team”?

Here are a few points of inspiration to help you further your brand or that of your client, along with a few suggestions for experimentation.

1. Nourish your brand: Have a brainstorming session with your team on how to boost the level of visibility and awareness in your community.

2. Find the story: Go back to the beginning and find the reason for the start of the business. This can be the foundation of a new press release or a blog article.

3. It’s more than a logo: A business continually creates and lives their brand. It’s more than a strategy or plan, it’s even beyond a vision statement – it’s about articulating passion for your own products and services.

4. Form a Partnership: One of the best examples for a partnership between a non-profit and for profit business I’ve seen was formed during a local political campaign. A local business already sponsoring a non-profit organization chose to enhance their visibility at a scheduled walk which included a table where most companies set out flyers, banners, and giveaways. In this case, the table was occupied by a political candidate, and the sponsoring company got two for one.

5. Tell your story with photos: It’s been proven that entries or posts which get the most comments on Facebook have photos. Photos create enthusiasm for a brand, make others want to be at an event, or desire the benefits of a product.

6. Promote others: Success stories not only promote your clients, but can attract future business partners, while creating good will for your business.

7. Social media: The story should be told in different ways across all researched mediums (and choosing your channels depends on the audience). For instance, if your audience is on Facebook, then you need to be there. – If you think your audience is on Twitter, then do an experiment for a set period of time and see if developing relationships there is worth your time. – No matter what method is chosen for brand promotion, it’s important to have the website and blog as the home base of operations.

So what’s your story?

Cathy Rodgers is the owner of Seven Waves Marketing, a social media, public relations, and online marketing company. She focuses on website content and Facebook strategies, and has more than 20 years of freelance writing experience for prominent newspapers, business publications, websites and nonprofit organizations.  Visit Seven Waves Marketing or look for @7wavescathy on Twitter. 

Continue Reading

Ben Mezrich with 7wavesCathy and MarketingMel

I had the great fortune to meet some of the world’s social marketing thought leaders at IMS ’11 Boston. One of those was Ben Mezrich, a true raconteur and author of the book The Accidental Billionaires which formed the basis for the movie, The Social Network. Mezrich, unlike the other presenters who used all kinds of glitzy power point presentations, simply stood on the stage and told stories. The audience was mesmerized.

He said that he was not an “overnight sensation” as some would portray him, rather he has been writing since 1995. He shared with us how the fact that he did not know how to drive limited him to certain neighborhood pubs in Boston. With his writer’s powers of observation he watched at one pub as numerous M.I.T. students handed over $100 bills to the bartender. “I don’t know about where you live, and in Las Vegas they come out of the ATM machine, but in Boston people don’t use $100 bills. So I asked the guys where they were getting them.” Thus began the story of  Bringing Down the House a tale of MIT students who game the Vegas blackjack tables. “Blackjack is beatable,” asserted Mezrich who even traveled to Vegas with the hard-working (but now banned-from-casinos) students who practiced up to three hours a day to beat the odds.

Because of the fame he gained from that book (he accidentally hung up on Kevin Spacey thinking he was an MIT student playing a prank) people began approaching him with story ideas. One such person was Eduardo Saverin, Mark Zuckerberg’s now famous Harvard room-mate and business partner. “Why should I write fiction when non-fiction is this good?” asked Mezrich who had almost completed his book when a court ordered Saverin to never speak with him again. “For five percent of Facebook I wouldn’t speak to me again either,” Mezrich noted.

With tales as colorful as his book and the movies that follow, I can’t wait to read Mezrich’s next book, Sex on the Moon, a story of astronauts who, let’s just say do some interesting things with moon rocks. Since fact is stranger than fiction, guess we’ll all have to read the book won’t we?

Continue Reading

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel

This is the second in my series of blog posts from the Inbound Marketing Summit which I recently attended in Boston. I had the privilege of hearing some of the world’s marketing thought leaders including Youngme Moon, chair of the Harvard M.B.A. program and author of the book, Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd. Here is a video that beautifully sums up her philosophy.

Youngme told those in attendance that in order to be different we must learn to say “yes” when others say “no.” She used both Ikea and Mini Cooper as case studies showing examples from the hilarious Mini Cooper ad campaign. She said at a time when Americans were all driving gas guzzling SUV’s, Mini Cooper came on the scene and flaunted its tininess. She provided an interesting twist on the age-old advice to listen to your customers. “Customers will tell you how to improve, not how to be different,: she said. “They look at what’s offered by your competitors. If you want to be different you must resist the temptation to over-listen to your customers.” Citing twitter as a “different” example she asked who would have thought a 140 character limit would become such a popular social media platform? “Different and crazy can look the same at first. To be different is to be alone.” She concluded by urging us all to be passionate in business because, “passion is contagious.”

Continue Reading

I had the privilege of attending the first Hubspot Inbound Marketing Summit in Boston in September 2008. That conference was a true “game changer” for me as I heard both Seth Godin and David Meerman Scott telling those of us interested in social media marketing that we were on the edge of something big. It was a pleasure to return three years later to realize how true their words really were and to see how far we as professional marketing and communications people have come. (You can see my video interview from IMS11 on The Pulse Network here.)

Over the course of the next few weeks I plan to share nuggets of information about the outstanding thought leaders who spoke to us.

I’ll start with my favorite, noted social media marketing guru and author Guy Kawasaki. (Guy truly had “rock star” status at this conference as attendees, myself and friend Cathy Rodgers included, lined up to meet him.)

Guy Kawasaki at IMS11 with MarketingMel and 7wavesCathy

In preparation to hear Guy I read his book “Enchantment.” Like all authors, they talk about their latest book when onstage. But Guy has a disarmingly charming way about him that keeps you mesmerized by his stories. He is, well, enchanting.

Here are 10 of my takeaways:

1. Likeability: Have a marvelous smile (Mari Smith’s charming smile was his example), dress equal to your peers and pefect your handshake.

Facebook guru Mari Smith has a great smile

2. Achieve Trustworthiness:  Become bakers, not eaters. (Great word picture isn’t it?) Trust others. Default to “Yes. How can I help you?”

3. Perfect your product. He used the Ford MyKey program in which parents can pre-set the volume and top speed of a car as an example. Provide value. It is much easier to enchant with really good stuff!

4. Have a mantra. Guy’s is “empower people.” What’s yours?

5. Conduct a pre-mortem. Ask “why will our product fail?” Come up with all of the reasons beforehand to ensure its success!

6. Plant many seeds. I loved this one. Guy talks about how Marketing 1.0 meant “sucking up to a traditional media hierarchy.” Marketing 2.0 with the power of social networking is flat. The people make it successful and “nobodies are the new somebodies.”

7. Enchant all the influencers!  He gave us a homework assignment to watch Justin Bieber’s movie “Never say Never.” (I did Guy!) Justin and his team enchanted all of the influencers from viewers of his YouTube videos to moms, to girls in parking lots who wanted tickets.

8. Invoke Reciprocation: When you do something for someone and they say “thank you” say, “I know you would do the same for me.”  Think about the power in that line! Then enable people to pay you back.

9. Presentations: Sell your dream! Guy says that Steve Jobs didn’t sell an iPhone he sold something cool and thin and sexy.  Customize your introduction every time and keep your presentation to the 10-20-30 rule; 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30 point font.

10. Use technology to enchant. Don’t make it hard for people to engage with you. He talked about removing the speed bumps and obstacles to communicating. What was really humorous was that Guy was given a stick mic for his presentation. He is used to wearing a lapel mic. so his hands can be free. After several comments from Guy, the conference organizers got the hint, removed “the obstacle,” and presented him with a lapel mic.  ”Social media is core to existence,” he said. (And Facebook has certainly proven that again with its recent change announcements at F8.)

Although Guy said much more these were a few of my key takeaways. Do you plan to move forward on at least one of these in order to become more enchanting to your employees, customers and loved ones? I do!

Continue Reading

Maria Peagler

Editor’s note: This guest post is by Maria Peagler (@SM_OnlineClass), founder of SocialMediaOnlineClasses.com, providing 24/7 online courses (where I guest teach twitter) and mastermind consulting on social media tools and strategies. After meeting on twitter, Maria and I created our own social media mastermind group and, although we have never met in person, we share ideas regularly via Skype and we hang out together on Google+. 

I hear a common theme among my clients: “Help! I’ve got a Facebook page but don’t know what to do with it.”

Sound familiar? This is especially true for the small business owner, who is already a jack-of-all-trades and now needs to add social media guru to that entrepreneurial tool belt. You’ve built a great brand; let people get to know it using these Facebook 10 Commandments that put you and your company in the place of most potential.

These guidelines cover a wide range of techniques, from starting out with the correct account type, to claiming a custom URL for ease of use and increased SEO, to incorporating your new social media platform into all of your marketing strategies. Don’t feel like you need to tackle them all at once: set small goals, about one per week, and by the end of 4th quarter 2011, you’ll have an outstanding presence on Facebook, and you’ll reap the rewards in 2012.

Note: 

Continue Reading

Friends Hands by Fabulous Shannen

The following is a guest post by SoloPR weekly twitter chat colleague, Judy Gombita. A Canadian Public Relations professional, she is also this blog’s first international guest blogger.

Many people had primary or secondary school teachers who left an indelible mark and provided unique life lessons; I was blessed to have several such guiding lights as I evolved into adulthood.

One was a wonderfully inspiring and creative, enthusiastic and somewhat eccentric English teacher named Mrs. Rusty Ross (no, she didn’t have red hair). Ostensibly, her incredibly popular class was on Shakespeare. But amongst our (often self-absorbed) teenaged selves, we referred to it as The Class on Life. Definitely we studied Shakespeare—with a rigour and comprehension that proved excellent preparation for my first-year university course a few years later. But the real contribution Mrs. Ross gave us was illustrating how Will’s own understanding of the world, in particular people and their ambitions and motivations regarding relationships, really weren’t very different from current times.

And just like William Shakespeare created new words and understanding of human nature, so did Mrs. Ross gift us. For example, how relationships with people scale, from early acquaintances to friendships.

Evermore inserted into my lexicon was her novel word and intermediary concept: “friendlies.”

According to Mrs. Ross, your friendlies are more than acquaintances, but haven’t reached the status of fully bloomed, time-tested lasting friends. You know, the “for life” kind of friend.

Channelling Mrs. Ross when it comes to online relationships

I’m a huge proponent of the power and possibilities of social media, particularly for info sharing, networking and cultivating relationships. But I also characterize myself as a social media pragmatist. Recently, I contributed Teasing out the potential of Twitter chats, Part I and Part II to commpro.biz. In fact, it was through #solopr (one of my “featured” chats) that I met Marvellous Mel, proprietress of this captivating blog.

I respect and very much like everything I know about Mel—her smarts, integrity, sector expertise, warmth, people skills and sense of humor. Yet in my mind at this stage I still classify Mel as a “friendlie” rather than a friend.

Why?

Simply because we haven’t known each other long enough to test the long-term strength of our online alliance. Yes, we’ve moved large amounts of our conversations offline, sharing more personal information and comparing thoughts, joined networks on LinkedIn, Circled one another on Google+, etc. Despite geographical challenges, we hope to meet face to face at some stage. Not once has a touch point with Mel given me pause.

But it’s still early days.

My analogy

An analogy I often use (I believe I’m the originator, but if I unconsciously co-opted it from someone else, it’s unintentional) is that relationships are like slowly peeling an onion. Most of the time an onion’s layers are fresh, firm and sweet smelling. But every now and then you peel an onion where you hit a brown and soggy layer—maybe even a bit musty and slimy. The question is whether the onion is mainly good (after a bit of judicious editing, talks or negotiations) or if it should be unceremoniously tossed away as largely unusable, i.e., not worthy of the work or consumption experience.

If you travel or live with people you quickly learn how their onion peels out. But online relationships are different. It’s a lot trickier finding out how authentic people are regarding their online personas: how much of what they share can be trusted, ego, their core values, how they treat people (online and off) and so on.

And of course, this works both ways.

Peeling into my thesis a bit more

Recently I’ve been openly critical about how fast people are to append the “friend” and “trust” tags in the online sphere. I believe we need to slow down online friendships and trust and stop devaluing these time-taking concepts.

A notable example: automatically curating blog posts of “tribe” mates into Twitter (even if oh-so-virtuously manually clicking the send button). Forgive me if I think it’s a bit musty and slimy when robo-curation perpetrators suggest we “trust” that their “friends” of three or so months produced posts warranting our valuable reading time. Why should I have faith in their curation decisions in regards to me, when the majority of people observed I’d classify as online acquaintances, not even friendlies?

When this objectionable practice of automating trust first impinged on our collective consciousness, Mel independently voiced the exact reaction as me (as did #solopr’s founder, Kellye Crane).

The fact that our tingly onion sense was the same moved Mel another step up the ladder from friendlie to friend, because critical thinking and articulating objections against perceived dodgy behaviour are things I value.

Offering up my onion for perusal

When Mel lobbied me to write a guest post on her blog, I was touched.

As thanks for trusting I’d contribute something of value, I decided to gift Mel’s space with some personal evolutionary history and a unique word and analogy—concepts I hadn’t fully gelled together or introduced in any other blog post: Mrs. Ross’ definition of friendlies, how relationships are like peeling an onion, plus a need to slow down online friendships and trust.

My hope is that these reflections help move me another step up her friendship ladder.

Some final appeels (sic)

Whether in your professional or personal life, lasting relationships take time; people who work in public relations certainly are cognizant of this fact.

By all means, explore possibilities in the online realm and make lots of new acquaintances. And if all the bytes are feeling right, proactively move into the friendlies phase. But take time to build alliances; maybe even pause to compare and contrast them with your offline friendships.

And never take time away from nurturing relationships that were earlier peeled and stood the onion sniff test of time.

Judy Gombita

Judy Gombita is a Toronto-based public relations and communication management specialist, with more than 20 years of employment and executive-level volunteer board experience, primarily in the financial and lifelong learning nonprofit sectors. She is the co-editor and Canadian contributor (since 2007) to the international, collaborative blog, PR Conversations. Find her on Twitter.

Continue Reading

Anyone who was an adult ten years ago vividly remembers where they were and what they were doing on September 11, 2001. Here’s my story.

It was a beautiful, clear and sunny morning in Johnson City, Tennessee, the place I had called home since moving south 16 years prior. I was the marketing director for Hunter, Smith & Davis law firm. We were hosting our large, annual employment law seminar at Millennium Centre in Johnson City. We had a good crowd that morning and things were moving along smoothly. I was standing in the back of the room watching one of our attorneys’ presentations when a Firm partner, Mike Forrester, slipped in the door and whispered, “Did you hear that a plane hit the World Trade Center?” Immediately my mind began processing this odd bit of information. My husband enjoys flying small planes for a hobby and I tried to envision some crazy pilot in a single engine aircraft hitting such a massive structure. “Is the weather bad in New York?” I whispered back. “No,” was his answer.

Moments later Mike and I and several others were piled out in the hallway watching the televisions that hung from the Centre’s ceilings. It was, in fact, a beautiful day in New York just as it was in Tennessee. And this was no small plane crash. As we watched the story unfold on CNN, reality slowly began to sink in. These were major aircraft and this was no accident. A secondary story unfolding before my eyes was the reaction of the people at the seminar. The attorneys kept their cool. One of our senior partners said, “If we stop now we give them exactly what they want.” And so the seminar went on. One person who worked at the Centre however was not so calm. I had to repeatedly reassure him that the world was not coming to an end. We did not all carry mobile phones with us ten years ago as we do today. I had to borrow a phone from a friend in order to attempt to reach my husband who was employed at a nuclear defense plant. His work voicemail said  that the plant had been evacuated and he would be in a safe area. And so I returned to the TV set and watched with horror as people ran from the World Trade Center and surrounding buildings. I recall feeling eerily that it was like watching a bad “grade B” movie. I also recall the calm steadiness of Scott Powers, an Annapolis grad and attorney for the firm as our eyes were cast upward. Our attorneys assured people who needed to go to check on their employees or loved ones to please do so but you would be surprised how many people stayed for the luncheon that concluded the session. There was comfort and assurance in being in a large group in a safe, secure building far from New York City or the Pentagon.

I recall that a close friend was very upset that her four year old kept watching the scene re-played as he stayed with his grandmother. “He keeps thinking it’s happening over and over,” she bemoaned. It was a very upsetting day for all of us who lived through it and a turning point for our country. Never again would we experience the freedoms that we had back then. If the United States were a dog we were probably a big, lovable Labrador until that time. After September 11th we became a snarling Pit Bull much more wary and cautious.

There were some good things to come from the tragedy. One first-hand example was our son. He was born in the baby boomlet that followed 9-11. He will never know the America I knew prior to that day. To him, removing his shoes at airport security is second nature, just as it is to have liquids over three ounces confiscated.

Each year when the video re-plays of the burning twin towers begin airing, I generally cast my eyes in the other direction or change the channel. “I was there. I lived through it,” I mutter, much as a veteran chooses not to watch a war film. This year avoiding the images will be nearly impossible as most every channel is already running features on the historic tragedy. Perhaps I will watch. Perhaps I’ll go for a walk with my son instead.

Continue Reading

MarketingMel with firm intern ETSU PR student Sarah Williams Rowan

College students and recent college grad’s connect with me on a regular basis. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear from a rising public relations/communications graduate who wants to learn how to get a job in my chosen profession of communications and public relations.  I always try to make time for them. (I think it goes back to my days as an intern at WKBW-TV in Buffalo. I learned so much from my wonderful mentor there that I’ve wanted to give back ever since.) As proof, I’ve generally had an intern throughout most of my career and one of my most popular blog posts ever was “How to get a job in Public Relations: Eleven tips from a PR pro“.

This generation of 20-somethings calls themselves Generation R for Recession. They say that unlike what their baby-boomer parents had, the world is no longer a guaranteed place of hope for a brighter future. Times are tough out there. I hear it at church and as I walk my dog in my neighborhood. Just last evening a neighbor told me of his daughter, her husband and their two young children who have all been forced to move back home with him and his wife. However graduates should not despair. Just like cream quality candidates will rise to the top.

Here are a few job-seeking tips I’m providing to Generation R to help recent grad’s get there. Please share this post with others who may benefit from it.

1. A picture really IS worth 1,000 words! Have a professional photo made ( head/head and shoulders shot) and use it when connecting with others through social media channels. (If you can’t afford a photographer didn’t you have a friend who was a photography major who’s also looking for work now and who might trade services with you? They probably need a news release about themselves/their latest show.) Recently I spoke with a young female graduate whom I originally thought to be a hoax! Why? She had a man’s name and her photo showcased her in an alluring red, strapless dress…perfect for college formals but not so perfect for the hardened former journalist casting a suspicious eye upon it! When my current intern (seen in the photo above) first connected with me she had a polished, professional photo accompanying her resume. Bravo for people who recall that P.R. is arguably an image business!
2. Your name is your brand: If you have a man’s first name and you are female be sure to incorporate your middle name into your presence so that people can determine your gender. This is important because often we see men hiding behind revealing photos of women online.
3. Be there: By that I mean, meet the professional communicators in the spaces we inhabit. For example, we welcome new college PR grad’s to our #soloPR chat ever Wednesday at 1 PM eastern. Stop in, you may learn something and make some great connections. Visit and comment on our blogs and talk with us on twitter.
4. Connect with the thought leaders in your field (both online and “IRL”): Where are the thought leaders in your field? No doubt they’re online and they’re involved with various social media channels. Be sure to connect with them. Learn the fine art of impressing them with your savvy and know-how while simultaneously listening to and responding to them/ their concerns. Also, be present at business networking events in your community. Don’t bemoan and whine about where your live. Make the most of it (or move!)
5. Create Content Now! One recent Gen R grad whom I’ve advised from time to time moved to Nashville to find his fame and fortune. David Lyle Ford has done several things right along the way. 1- He connected with me and other thought leaders and gained our friendship and trust. 2- He recently started writing as a means to create his personal brand while providing a social networking service to others with his blog The Social Drifter. This also showcases his writing skills, key to any professional communicator.
6. Stay educated! Just because school’s over doesn’t mean your education is. Sign up for free webinars in your field to stay on top of the latest happenings in your profession. Read, read, read to keep up with what’s going on.  Use your library to read free books (You can even check out a Kindle at ours!) Read what the thought leaders are talking about online and then read the books they reference.
7. What’s new? Be aware of the news. Meeting people in marketing/PR who don’t keep up with current events is always a bit of a surprise to me. Know what’s going on around you and in the world.

What tips do you have to add for Generation R? Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a Gen R member yourself I’d love to hear from you!

Continue Reading

My friend Sandy Ratliff understands small business. Sandy’s a star marketer at the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and travels all around her state sharing her wealth of knowledge with small business owners. Here’s how she describes what she does. “I primarily focus on helping individuals launch and expand business within my 25 county service area of Southwest Virginia.   I do about 40+ workshops a year and over 200 counseling sessions with new and existing business.”

Sandy and I originally met on twitter and our friendship has blossomed to occasional lunches and regular contact through our social networks.
Recently she reached out to me to ask for my input on tips to provide small businesses who want to advertise.

It was an interesting question since the whole field of advertising has been turned on its head over the past few years with the advent of social networking for business. Clients now obtain information when, where, why and how they want it. (For more information be sure to check out David Meerman Scott’s The New Rules of Marketing and PR)

Here is the list we discussed and that Sandy presented to her clients:

1. Look at the demographics of the media source: Does it reach your target audience? Example: I used to be the executive editor of a high end regional lifestyles publication. One of our advertisers, the owner of a classy gentlemen’s clothing store, swore by his success with our publication and said the price was worth it.
2. In what markets will it run? Example: If you are a small neighborhood based gym do you really want to run a radio ad that will reach thousands? We’re moving to an era of geo and micro-marketing.
3. Be educated: Know the media source coming to meet you in advance. Know your target audience and how best to reach them.
4. How does your target audience like to hear from advertisers? Coupons? Facebook? Twitter? Daily deals? Ask them!
5. Can you do it yourself? Google and Facebook have brought advertising opportunities direct to the small business masses. Experiment with some online D.I.Y.
6. Cause marketing: Recently MarketingMel had the opportunity to sponsor a portion of the PTA night at the Johnson City Cardinals baseball game along with one of my client’s, CapTeeVation. Together we paid for the hot dog supper provided to the first 250 through the gates. What a great opportunity to support something very positive in our community; education. Look for things that your company believes in and then get behind them. You’ll reap multiple rewards!

What are some tips that you’ve used effectively in small business advertising? Please feel free to share here. I’ll be glad to add them to the list.

Continue Reading

Continue Reading

Editor’s note: This post is from guest blogger Kellye Crane, creator and founder of SoloPR.

Kellye Crane

Continue Reading