Jeff Korhan

How to Know if Your Social Media Friends are Fake

"Fake friend" is just a phrase I borrowed from the film Almost Famous.  I use it to remind you that we all share the same challenge of building relationships with the people we meet through the social media networks.  The networks are committed to a purpose, and that purpose is to get you more friends.  And they do that well. Soon, you have more friends than you could ever need.  Or do you?  Lets take a closer look at how you can maximize the value you get from your social media friendships. 

A good friend of mine for the past 15 years recently hired me to build his social media and Internet marketing campaign to market a variety of information products.  He already had recommendations to companies that would do his SEO (search engine optimization) work.   This is an area where I can also help, so we discussed the approach that they were going to take.  He was told he only needed to know that he was going to be at the top of the search rankings lickity split - and have lots of friends too. 

Bill is a bright guy.  He wondered what kind of relationship he was going to have with these people that were driving his websites to the top of the search rankings.   "No worries," he was told.  But worry he did.  This got me thinking about friends --- and how you can determine who are the ones you can count on.  How do you know?  Better yet, how do you develop valid friendships in the first place?

The basis of Web 2.0 Marketing and the social networks is the exchange of value.  If you have that on both sides, you have a valid friend.  There is always a give and a take - and an equal exchange back again.   The equal exchange doesn't necessarily have to be substantial.  Sometimes its purely appreciation for the value you give.  Many of my friends, and me included, will continue to give through experience, insights, or hard work, just as long as there is sincere appreciation from that friend.  How about you? 

How do you get more friends through social media - real ones that is?  Simple.  Have a conversation and look for ways to make an exchange of value.  Sometimes you can ask for advice or assistance of some kind, but whenever possible, I always try to offer up something that improves their situation - the work they are doing.  Make a referral.  Offer some tips.  Suggest resources that have worked for you.  And my favorite, work together on a project.  You never know where it will lead.

My goal with social media is to look for the good that is out there with everyone and make a value exchange.  Yep, it usually has to be done slowly - one friend at a time.  Nevertheless, this is where the magic of social media kicks in.  The energy you put into that friendship gets passed along and the next relationship you make almost seamlessly follows the first.  These are sustainable friends.   Make the effort to engage and exchange and you'll have a solid business model that works,  regardless of the next wave of social media change.

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How to Sell in a Web 2.0 Economy

Yesterday I spoke at the 2009 Snow and Ice Management Symposium - The Four Greatest Days of Snow.  Sometimes you are with a group of people and the collaborative energy is undeniable; this was one of those experiences.   The snow business has changed dramatically since this organization was formed over ten years ago.  Professionalism is expected these days or you are out, just as with virtually every other other industry.  At the same time, our society is changing, especially the last couple of years.  It only stands to reason then that you need to adjust your selling practices to accommodate these changes.  

My role at this event was to educate the members about selling.   As I prepared my Selling Like a Natural™ program, which I have presented to SIMA on several occasions over the last 5 years, I began to wonder if the word selling is even relevant anymore.   Customers today have complex needs that reach beyond those satisfied by just professional service.  Why?  Customers are people.  They have personal needs, and being members of a community that may be dealing with economic challenges, they tend to engage with brands that are consistent with their views of society - companies that care. 

This is actually great news for entrepreneurs whose business brands are practically synonymous with their personal brands - what they personally care about.  They are the company.  Their personal involvement within the communities they serve wraps a layer over their company brand that can differentiate them in bidding situations where all other things are equal - if they have the tools and know-how. 

One way this  can work is to use social media to show prospects and customers what you really care about.  Give them a behind the scenes look at your company's operations and how you have integrated this with your way of doing business.  Are you passionate about safety, a logical one for snow professionals?  How about the environment, education, or possibly a family oriented workplace?  Customers know that who you are is inseparable from your company brand, and that is engaging and builds trust, which is a huge selling too when much of the cost of your operations lies in prep work or the work that is performed late at night  -- both of which the customer never gets a good look at to appreciate its value.

To show how easy this is, I pulled out my Flip Mino camcorder and recorded an impromptu video for my enthusiastic audience (posted below).   A video blog like this one would be an excellent tool for developing a reality show - short segments over the season that give glimpses of what's really involved for snow professionals that deal with unpredictable and harsh weather conditions at every turn.  If that's too complicated, taking that Flip and shooting some 2 or 3 minute videos and posting  YouTube® would also tell a powerful story.  Prospects and customers could be directed to these through ezines, newsletters, and even direct sales conversations. 

Social media is a powerful medium for selling, marketing, and building relationships.  There is a common perception that technology creates a distance between us.  The opposite is true.  Social media engages people in new ways if you know how to use it.  It humanizes the selling experience by communicating what people need and want to know.   Traditional selling isn't going to work in an economy that is heavily influenced by Web 2.0 methods.

My impression of the snow and ice management industry is they get this.  They are a relaxed group of people that love what they do.  I have no doubt the SIMA members I had the pleasure of engaging with will embrace these new methods for engaging their customers at all levels - professionally, socially, and personally.   Good luck everyone.  It was my pleasure learning with you. 

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How The Future of Social Media Will Change Your Business

Yesterday morning I was making some oatmeal, which should be an unusual event in the summer, but it has been a chilly Spring here in Chicago recently with temps in the '60's.  This particular brand of oatmeal included "dinosaur eggs."  I was kidding my son: "Hey look, I thought dinosaurs were extinct.  How come their eggs are in my breakfast?"

For some reason the word 'extinct' struck me as a funny.  It's not a word you use every day.  In fact, its a word that typically applies only to dinosaurs.  Those dinosaurs have really carved out a unique niche - extinct.  Fair or not, that's their label.

People get lost, they go away, but thanks to social media they seem to be coming back from pseudo-extinction.  Long lost friends are coming back to life for most  of us.  This has to be a good thing, right?  But what does it mean for your businesses?

Today I was having positive thoughts and when I went to my office, viola - a nice surprise.  I was hired for a wonderful speaking opportunity in a beautiful place.  How cool!  Later that morning, as I was cooking up those dinosaur eggs, I was thinking about another deal that wasn't going so well.  To my amazement, I went back to my computer and there was this email: "Sorry Jeff, we're going in another direction."  While it wasn't a pleasant surprise, it was very cool too that I had the thought and then it happened!   Needless to say I've been very careful with my thoughts lately.  

Our tendency is to focus on that good deal and forget about the other - sending it to the land of extinction.   But wait a minute?  I began to wonder if I  could resurrect that lost deal.  And if I could do that, what about all of the clients and business deals that have been lost over the years.  We reconnect with friends we haven't seen since high school, so why can't we do this with business relationships?  Isn't that one of the purposes of social media marketing? 

Deepak Chopra is one of the undisputed mind-body experts.  I was fortunate to study with him and many other experts and thought leaders for the past 15 years.  Deepak once explained to a group of us that if we could muster absolute purity of thinking - we could have a thought and it would become reality.  And that statement is proved by the science of quantum mechanics. 

While having purity of thought may be impossible unless you are willing to meditate in a cave for the next 40 years, it is possible for very brief moments.  Imagine using social media to enhance or at least maintain your business relationships so they don't become extinct, and then every once in a while having that purity of thought that allows for great things to happen.  It's really a simple process of "preparedness meeting opportunity." 

Its' more than a crazy idea.  It's the future of business in a social media world.  

The Key to Serving Your Clients with Your Blog: Heart

I'm thinking about that line from the film Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.  "When you tell a story, here's a tip - have a point - it makes it so much more interesting for the listener!"  The lesson I take from that sarcastic bit of humor that also tugs at the heartstrings is you have to take your clients needs to heart when you are doing what you do for them, and that includes your blog posts.  If you are keeping it interesting, you demonstrate to them that you are aware of their needs.  You have a point.

If you check the stats on your blog, you will quickly discover that regular posting is the key to serving your readership. When I fall off the wagon, as we all sometimes do, those stats drop dramatically.  When you are blogging, your clients speak with their actions through comments, or lack of, and that is something that you have to take to heart.  Enough said.  Here are some tips that have helped me and I hope will do the same for you. 

Follow the Leaders

Successful bloggers like Chris Brogan and Brian Clark post with amazing frequency, and most importantly, regularity.  They deliver on your expectations.  How do they do that?  -- Guest bloggers fill in the gaps when they are busy with other activities.  How else?  Pre-blogging.  Build your blog post inventory when you have time.  Get those ideas down as drafts that you can refine later.  I made this post 6 weeks ago --  saved it as a draft -- and now that I have a few moments I'm fleshing it out.

Be Consistent to Stay on Top of Your Game

I've historically chosen to post on a weekly basis with a high-quality video blog. That is my core strategy and it takes time, but its one that I'm committed to.  I do this because the heavy lifting of doing my job well keeps me motivated.  Thinking about my clients again, I've wondered if that is enough.

Now I'm preparing to amend that strategy by alternating video posts with occasional text-only posts to keep the energy alive!  The lesson: Keep learning how you can serve --- and don't stop.  When readers see you haven't posted in a month, well, they have to assume you aren't serious.  It's no different than any other endeavor.  Does Tiger Woods stop practicing because he's on top of his game?  I doubt it.  He knows practice keeps him at his best and his fans appreciate that.  His victory this past weekend at the Memorial Tournament just goes to show that preparedness does meet with opportunity. 

Be Clear about Your Purpose

What problems are you best solving for your subscribers?  You can see from the title of my blog that my target market is entrepreneurs.  Some are using social media well, and some, like my bookkeeping client I worked with today, are just getting started and need to learn the basics.  Shirley and I had a lot of fun fine-tuning her social media profiles.  It reminded me that you can't ask yourself this question enough: How can I help?  What do I do better than anyone else in my profession for my clients? 

I try to have something in every blog post that will help my clients regardless of their level of experience with this powerful medium.  If you are sincerely trying to help and you take that responsibility to heart, the good stuff you have to offer will fall into the right hands.  We are all usually moving fast.  Getting one helpful piece of information that sparks an idea or reinforces what one already has learned is a service to your clients that they will appreciate.

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How to Keep Your Customers Tuned into Your Social Media

Curiosity is one of those human behaviors you can count on when you are marketing your business.  People want to know what's new, better, and different.  They also want to know what doesn't work.   They love to see the underdog win, and not surprisingly, they love to see the perennial leader fail.  Of course, most will not admit to this, but we all know it to be true nonetheless.  Our curiosity is what moves us through life.  We usually just want to know what's going to happen next.  We want to know if everything works out? - (and it usually does) That's why we stay tuned to life, and why reality television shows are successful. 

Why is there so much attention now with the reality series Jon and Kate plus 8?  It depends upon your perspective.  My daughter says the kids are cute.  I personally haven't watched even one complete segment.  Nevertheless, for the few minutes I have viewed I was impressed with how their lives are presented in an unpolished and stripped down manner.  I'm sure there are plenty of scenes we would have liked to have seen that were cut, but what we do get to see seems real.  You get the impression that you have stepped inside of their kitchen to witness the laughter, the whining, or whatever happens to be going on at the time.  In my opinion, there is exactly the right amount of tension to keep us engaged.

You may be wondering what this has to do with social media and how you can use it to grow your  entrepreneurial business.  Thank you for being curious.   You may think your day-to-day business operations are uninteresting.  Then again, you are the entrepreneur and business owner.  Do you think one of your prospects would be interested in how your company safely and carefully manages your operations to deliver a quality product while being responsible to the community?   This is the type of information that makes social media so powerful for building a business.  It isn't what you do that we are interested in but how you do it.   When we go to a nice restaurant we enjoy a great meal.  But isn't that meal more special and memorable when we get invited back to the kitchen to see the drama, tension, and the energy that led to its creation? 

So take us back to your kitchen.  We all know it's not spotless - any more than our kitchens at home are.  How does your staff interact?  Is there tension and a bit of whining like in Jon and Kate Plus 8?  I'll bet there is.  You don't have to show us everything, just as they don't.  Give us a sense for the fact that it is honest to goodness work to create your product and we'll appreciate it more.  We work too and we know the process is never seamless, save for a few glorious days that we all celebrate.  Show us one or two of those, too.  Just keep the cameras rolling, document what you can,  and deliver it all in such a way that keeps us engaged.  If we stay tuned long enough, the possibility of our becoming a customer is a likely result.    

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