Jeff Korhan

Using Social Media as Your Business Laboratory

One of the most powerful uses of social media is testing new ideas, surveying your marketplace, and otherwise experimenting with new ideas to build a knowledgebase for succeeding.

As a chemistry major in college, I spent more time in the lab than I care to remember. Chemistry trials and experiments take time - hours, days, and sometimes even weeks.  But if you expect to prove your hypothesis for achieving a particular result, you have to do the work. 

You have to experiment to learn.  In a business experiment, your laboratory is a marketplace.  Social media allows you to tap into that market to get almost instantaneous feedback.  And that allows you to make adjustments to improve how you serve your customers better. Here are some ideas for doing that.

Learn from Experience

If you have an hypothesis - an idea, and your customer base rejects it, you have to respond to that.  Is the problem with the validity of the idea, or your ability to communicate it?  Your marketplace will let you know if you ask them.

In my work with social media marketing, I find my ability to communicate is essential.  My small business clients are not prepared to invest as much time into this as I would like.  I have to show them how they can get results with minimal effort.  What is your greatest challenge? 

Every Problem Has a Solution

As with those arduously drawn-out experiments we conducted in the chemistry lab, you have to be persistent to find solutions that work.  Fortunately, the social networks operate with great speed.  This rapid-fire feedback allows you to experiment with multiple possibilities in a short period of time.  

Experimentation is trying new tactics and waiting for a result.  It's a form of listening. Listen well to your customers and they will lead you to the solutions that will make your company relevant - the logical choice.  In most circumstances, this means doing what others are not able or willing to do. 

Experiments Can Blow Up in Your Face

Life would be great if everything worked out as we planned. But it just doesn't work that way, does it?  If you can be willing to accept failure without emotion, then you are better equipped to move to on what does work.

We have all succumbed to the realization that our genius is not always appreciated.  Get over it.  Find what works and deliver on that.   But don't abandon your genius ideas.  This just may not be the right time for them.  Come back to them later.

Experiments Take Time

This week I hit a home-run with several clients.  Those moments of gratification are the result of losing sleep over the failures that preceded them.  If you believe your ideas are good, you owe it to yourself to stay the course.

Blogging is a perfect example of this.  For years I was asked why I was wasting my time with this nonsense.  Those challenges still ring in my mind from time to time.  While I still occasionally consider them, its up to me to make the final decision.  Sometimes quitting is the right thing to do.  Just make sure you have given your work sufficient time to prove its worth. 

Finding a Catalyst

A catalyst is a substance that accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.  On the social media networks, a catalyst for your company may be nothing more than a friend that recommends your work.  

Just because your hypothesis is not working, does not mean it is not valid.  You may only need one customer to prove it for your future customers.  Use this approach to assuage their doubts and catalyze a new mindset.

One of the greatest values of the social media networks is aggregating a community of fans that validate what you do - your price, your process, or whatever else needs to be validated. You cannot do this by collecting thousands of followers on Twitter.  Better to nurture a small group of fans that firmly stand behind you.

What This Means

Business success is a process.  It's an ongoing experiment.  It take time.  And sometimes it requires a catalyst to jump-start that process to get it moving.

Consider how you can use your social media networks as your laboratory.  Experiments fail - it's no big deal. If you continue to learn from those failures, and you are willing to stay the course, while also courageously realizing when its time to quit a bad proposition, you will more consistently achieve the results you are looking for.

My belief is most small businesses that give up on social media marketing do so because they have not fully considered all of their options. 

Social media marketing is a process. 

Work with it.  It's your laboratory.

Let me know how I can help you with your social media laboratory. Leave a comment and I'll respond.

Photo Credit: tk-link

Show Google Some SEO Love

Google has been on a tear.  In the last year they have:

• Added Google Profile
• Enhanced Google Local
• Launched Google Social Search
• Introduced Google Wave and Google Buzz
• And just this week, they have ramped up Google Apps with Google Marketplace

I'm sure most people are taking a wait and see approach to much of this.  Is that a wise strategy if you are trying to maximize your SEO (search engine optimization)?

What I Know

Google dominates the Web in terms of search.  They have virtually unlimited resources that allow them to take risks.  Will they come out on top in every one of these situations?  Maybe.  And maybe not. 

However, what you and I have to consider is that this increasingly humanized Web is changing with lighting speed.  While some of Google's introductions and enhancements still leave much to be desired, you have to consider their track record.

Google is a force.  They understand that risk is necessary to stay on top of your game.  While I cannot profess to understand their strategy, I suspect it involves placing tools in the hands of the social media practitioners - that's you and me - to see if we can do something productive with them.

The Old Model

Those of us that have been formally trained in marketing were taught to find a need and exploit it.  While those words seem to be opportunistic, that is how marketers like me were trained to think.  That's old school thinking that takes time and money.  I'm sure Google is more concerned with time.

Everything is moving fast on this Web. Speed is everything.  Google understands if you show up early to the party you have the first shot at the pretty girls.  Better than that is to not even wait for that party, but to be the one that throws it!

Some Telling Examples of a New Model

Certainly, Google Wave was met with a great deal of dismay, but it is getting better.  We are learning to make it work - slowly.  And there is no doubt Google Wave needs some work.  Google just allowed us to adjust our settings so that we get email notification when changes are made to our Waves. That's nice.

When Google Profiles were introduced I had a hunch that this was intended to create a social media hub of sorts.  So I loaded up a good many of my social media networks to it.  Then I patiently waited.

Then I tried to get comfortable with Google Buzz, which happens to be linked to your gmail account.  For me, gmail is my secondary email platform.  Nevertheless, I activated Buzz to see what's what.  Mostly I just waited.

Here's The Love

Even though I didn't completely understand Buzz, I set a means to update Google Buzz with Ping.fm.  Ping allows me to update Buzz along with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other networks - all with one push of a button.

Today I happened upon my Google Profile and noticed a stream of Buzz -links to my daily blog posts. You don't have to be a rocket scientist from MIT to discern that those links are going to introduce your work to people searching the Web.

Stay with me.  Your Google Profile usually lands on the FIRST PAGE of a GOOGLE SEARCH!  Until the introduction of Buzz, this was essentially a static page.  Now it is alive with a steady stream of new links that lead back to you - provided you are using Google Buzz

The Message

Show Google some love and they will return the favor.  Take some risks.  Bet on their unproven features and you just may be as surprised - as I was, with the result.

The Web is not a linear game.  That's why all of the left-brain thinkers just don't get it. They are still living in that tired world of Pay-Per-Click.  All they see is a linear game of - do something to get something.  And we all know that's not how love works.

Today's Web is humanized - and it is circular.  You place your bets and maybe you get lucky.  There are no guarantees.  Are you in or out?

You can sit back and wait, or you can show up early to the party and take your chances.  No guarantees.  

I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to continue to show up early and share in the love.  If you join me, we can help each other.  Find me at my Google Profile.

Photo Credit: Laura May

Feng Shui Productivity from the Web

Here's a productivity tip that will save you time and energy.  And it's so simple.  Which is exactly why it works.

You have a recycle bin on your laptop that you use to discard unnecessary computer files.  You toss them into the recycle bin and empty it periodically. 

Why not do the same with your paper files? 

Instead of anguishing over whether or not to read industry periodicals because you are afraid you will not be fully informed, why not forget about them for a while.  Get them off your desk.  Toss them into a "Feng Shui Recycle Bin" in the back of your desk file drawer. 

Here's what is going to happen.  You will get them out of the way. This frees up your attention - and energy, so that you can now focus on more important matters.  You can do the same with faxes you have recently sent, and so many other documents that suck up your energy through unnecessary attention.

Your Feng Shui Recycle Bin will clear a space that frees your mind, and in the process, increases your productivity.  It works because in the back of your mind you know that paper is there if you need it, but you will find that 99% of the time you never will!   

Do you half-read industry publications because you feel you must.  Stop!  Put them into your Feng Shui Recycle Bin and you will feel safe.  They are there if you need them.  That's the power of this tool.

Just like the recycle bin on your laptop, you can periodically empty this one.  This practice will remind you that you don't need that junk - and that alone will energize you even more.  Amazing, isn't it?

If you are not familiar with Feng Shui, it is a science that helps human beings harmonize with their environment.  You can interpret that in many ways.  In the work environment, this means productivity. 

Since selling my landscape business two years ago, I no longer practice Feng Shui as I did when I designed meditation and healing gardens.  Nevertheless, I still respect and honor these principles that enable me to be more effective in my work with social media marketing.

Some people think of Feng Shui as an esoteric science.  Here's the thing; you don't have to be trained in it to understand it.  It is common sense.  As a landscape architect, I understood that good design was good Feng Shui.

If you are really interested in Feng Shui, I highly recommend The American Feng Shui Institute.  This is where I learned and earned my certification with Master Larry Sang and Chris and Sophia Shaul, - more years ago than I care to mention.

Social media and Feng Shui have one thing in common.

They are about people, and how they interact in a shared environment to accomplish more - more easily.

 Photo Credit: dycmo

Why Should I Read Your Blog

You have four seconds to answer.

If you expect to translate visitors into readers, you have to appeal to their sensibilities in a matter of seconds.  To do that, you have to know them well.

Know Your Audience

Many blogs proclaim to help everyone.  That's not an audience; that's a dream!

I've read blogs that profess to help bloggers, or companies, or worst yet - people!  My question is which ones?  For example, there are business bloggers and bloggers that are just expressing themselves for the fun of it.  Their objectives differ. 

Having fun is a viable objective.  It's an art form.  If that is how you can help, go for it. I suspect it is an under-served niche.

Connect with Their Primal Needs

What are the primal needs of your target audience - the perennial challenges that never seem to go away? 

My target audience is small business owners who typically are wearing multiple hats.  They are starved for time.  For this reason, I have to keep things simple, get to the point, and whenever possible, provide pragmatic examples that show them how.  The don't care about a long-winded perspective from The Harvard Business Review.  They simply want practical tips and advice.

If your audience happens to be more intellectual, then by all means, go ahead and provide 101 tips.  I feel my job is to sift through the rubble to find the gold that my readers are looking for.  That's how I add value.  

Get Smarter

My friend shared an interesting insight about blogging.  He said blogging is a form of talking to yourself.  And we all know that people that talk to themselves, while possibly being a bit strange, are quite often very intelligent.  The nice thing about blogging is you can privately talk to yourself.

Seriously, the more you blog the smarter you get.  You develop greater clarity for how you can help your customers, especially if you are taking the time to engage with your readers through comments.  And the more you do that, the better you understand them, and what they really need.

The Challenge

The problem with most bloggers, and for that matter, many of us in general, is we know too much.  Our challenge is to learn how to apply what we know, instead of trying to impress with how much we know.    

When you can succinctly describe how you can help your audience with their challenges in just a few seconds, you will easily build your readership.  There are many theories for doing this.  However, the one that I always come back to is the simplest - work at it.

Be good.  Be exceptional.  That's right dude, be excellent!

There is no substitute for excellent performance.

If you happen to be a Typepad Blogger, here is a comprehensive page of excellent tips for making your Typepad blog excellent.

12 iPhone Apps for Small Business Efficiency, Learning, and Sharing

These are my favorite iPhone apps that help me as a marketer, entrepreneur, and small business owner. 

I have organized them by category. I hope you find a few you can use.  Most of them are free.  Please leave a comment to share your favorites so we can learn from your personal experience. 

The name of each app will link to the website of the application.  No link means the website is not necessarily complementary, and you should just search from the iPhone app store. 

Other links will take you to previous posts where I have described in detail how the app has been successfully used by me or a colleague.

Efficiency

Evernote - This app is invaluable for capturing ideas on the fly, especially for taking action on ideas from the Web.

Batchbook - You can save a great deal of time by having your contacts readily available on the Web.  Batchbook is my choice.  It is especially geared for those of us who actively use social media.  I've commented numerous times on how I'm using Batcbook to simplify my social media work - most recently to insert a form in your blog.  Use the Google search box on this blog to search for others.

It's one thing to access contacts from the cloud.  It's another to have full access to deals in progress and notes from recent conference calls.

Dragon Dictation - This is an amazingly accurate app for capturing notes when paper and pen are not handy - think bedside and bathtub!  It will transcribe your words very accurately.  Then you just email them to yourself.

Tripit - If you travel much at all, you need Tripit.  Just forward all of those confirming emails for air, hotels, and travel to plans@tripit.com.  It consolidates them into an itinerary that you carry with you on your iPhone.  No more scraps of paper to lose.

You can share your Tripit schedule with colleagues who may wish to meet with you when you are in their area.  In this respect, it is a viable productivity app too.

Learning

Google - The Google app brings in much more than search.  This is where I read dozens of blogs by using the Google Reader.  You can also access your Google Docs, Calendar, and most of the other applications Google provides.

RedLaser - Have you ever been ready to make an impulse purchase and wondered if the price was fair?  No problem, Redlaser uses a barcode scan to give you off and online price comparisons.  It costs a few bucks, but is much more reliable than the free apps I have tried.

Siri - This new and free app uses the latest geolocation technology and more to serve as your virtual assistant.  You simply dictate what you need in common language and it serves up appropriate options.  We used it recently while on a family road trip.  It helped me find a Starbucks on one of the upcoming exits.  Nice!

This is the future of apps on this humanized web.  Think of Siri as Google search, Google Maps, UrbanSquare, and Dragon Dictation,  combined with others, and all rolled into one. 

Jeffkorhan -  Are you thinking of creating your own app?  It is easier than you may realize.  I previously described how I created an app for this blog, JeffKorhan.com, so that you can easily access the latest on social media marketing for your small business.

Sharing

Hootsuite - This is my current favorite for using Twitter from my iPhone.  It is especially helpful for accessing your Twitter lists and hashtags.

Documents To Go - I just learned of this powerful app today.  My college roommate is an executive with a Fortune 500 corporation and travels the world to audit financial systems for his company.  He uses this app to have full functionality for Excel spreadsheets and Word docs.

I plan to use this app to do the same with a current project.  I'm co-writing a book with a marketing colleague and we'll be collaborating through Google Docs to hit our 90 day timeline.  You'll need to pay $15 for the premium version, but it is worth the investment.

Facebook - The Facebook app allows you to do most everything you can from your laptop.  And it's free.  I only wish LinkedIn would follow suit and add the same capabilities to theirs.

Typepad - Frequently I notice a typo on this blog while reading a post in the smallest room in my house.  Think privacy and you'll know which room I'm talking about!  Using a few keystrokes and some scrolling I can fix the mistake.

These are my favorites.  How about you?  Leave a comment to share your favs.  And use the buttons below to share these with your networks.

Photo Credit: macmuc

The Risk and Reward of Social Media

Yesterday we had a lively discussion about how to be fearless with your social media marketing, and in the process, to keep getting better every day.

As most of know, the process of getting better occasionally involves some obstacles.  That's the way life works, but it can be managed.  I've recently been observing an example of this through the conversation surrounding a well-known blogger who has stirred up a small controversy with his substantial audience. 

The issue and the blogger are irrelevant, so I will not mention either.  What is relevant is the fact that if you expect to build a substantial fan base or audience for your blog, you are going to have to take some risks.  And along with those risks comes not just the potential reward, but also the occasional heat or fallout.

Let's look at some ways this can be strategically managed to achieve your small business objectives.

Being Agreeable - Low Risk

This is a good strategy if you are just getting started with blogging, or possibly if you are at the peak of your career and have nothing to prove.  In both of those situations, you don't need to or want to be controversial.  This may also be the right approach if you work in a small town or a corporate environment.

You have to decide how much risk you are comfortable with. Naturally, we all want to achieve more.  Although, you had better expect to endure some stress in achieving your lofty goals because you will encounter plenty of people who will challenge you - some for no reason at all, and others because they sincerely want to help you.  It can be difficult to discern between the two.

Agreeing to Disagree - Moderate Risk

When you Agree to Disagree with someone in your target market, you are basically saying you don't agree with them but you would rather not get into a big tussle over it.  You think you are right, and I think I'm right, but for the sake of doing business together, or at least co-existing in the same market, let's just agree to disagree and move on.

The problem with this stance is its not too far removed from Being Agreeable.  You are taking more risk here and as a result, you will occasionally catch a nice wave.  But the street-smart in your market will define you as spineless - someone who will back down as soon as you are challenged. I would rather be known as a pleasant and agreeable blogger, because while there is lower risk and reward, there is also a nobility to knowing who you are.

Taking a Stand - High Risk

This is where most of us are - or think we are.  The true test, of course, is to honestly ask yourself how often you compromise when the current gets a little choppy.  The aforementioned blogger hasn't backed down once.  It doesn't matter if he is right or wrong.  What's important is he has developed a base from which he can back up his position.

That is exactly why this is the wrong approach if you are being controversial just for the effect, which is not uncommon with some youthful bloggers who have scored one success and are emboldened by it.  What they don't realize is the seasoned professionals don't think very much of their irrational exuberance. Why?  The world is littered with one-hit wonders!

Standing the test of time is the ultimate proof.  You will take some heat to get there, but that is also what makes you wiser.  You have built up a legacy through your social media work that backs up your talk. 

The Best Approach

Get clear in advance about what is acceptable and what isn't.  Write it down if you have to.  And have a value system that you live by.  When you get get clear about just those two parameters, you will be very comfortable with your chosen strategy - and the risk that accompanies it.

Knowing that most of us want to accomplish more, I made a decision this week to share what I know on this topic by co-writing a book with a marketing friend.  I will keep you informed on the progress.  However, I can already assure you it will be heavily weighted towards taking the apparent risks - to get the real rewards that come with authenticity. 

Sometimes the true risk is holding back.

Take a chance, you only live once.

Photo Credit:  Holotone

Fearless Social Media Marketing

Tomorrow We'll Be Better

This quote by Google co-founder Sergey Brin says it all. "We knew that Google was going to get better every single day as we worked on it, and we knew that sooner or later, everyone was going to try it.  So our feeling was that the later you tried it, the better it was for us because we'd make a better impression with better technology.  We were never in a big hurry to get you to use it today.  Tomorrow would be better."  

This is not just how I feel about all of my social media marketing, but yours too.  While I believe the content of my blog posts, as one example, have always been good, they are always getting better.   When it comes to social  media, we are all going to get better.  We'll get better at writing, linking, and even search engine optimization. 

The most important thing is that we are here! 

No Fear

You cannot do anything well if you are afraid of your competition catching up to you.  In the social media arena, that is unlikely to happen.  If you are reading this post, you are in the minority of small businesses that are using social media. According to a study by the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, only 7% of small businesses are blogging.  Those that are using social media, which is estimated at 14%, are mostly working with LinkedIn or Facebook.

Note:  Be careful when you read that article.  Several of us examined the stats through comments on a post at Mashable to discern that social media usage in small businesses is exactly what we have experienced in our work - very low indeed.  You have to understand how the statistics are presented and  crunch the numbers to get an accurate perspective.  That big chart represents the 18% minority (89/500) who have actually taken the first step to try social media marketing.

Get Started Getting Better

You have to see that the train is leaving the station and now is the time to get on board to have the opportunity to get better. You can't expect to get better every day if you aren't working at it.  That's the difference.

How do you get better?  Study and work are the two main ingredients that have worked for me.  This combination gives you the experience you need.

If you want to get ramped up quickly, there are those of us that can help you.  Just be careful who you choose to work with.  There are a lot of pretenders out there with a good knowledge of the social networks, yet virtually no business experience at all.  You need both.  Stroll through my Working With Me page and you will be better educated to make better choices. 

As I've said many times, you can do this on your own.  The information is out there on hundreds of quality blogs like this one.  But you have to be willing to study it and work at getting better.  The comforting thing is if you do that, you will develop the confidence of Sergey Brin.

You will be a fearless social media marketer.

Photo Credit:  Claudiogennari

Using Video to Sell Creatively

Relationships Selling

When most of us think of using video on the social networks, it is often with the vision of having that video go viral.  Not that we necessarily want to be worldwide celebrities - or do we? 

That's exactly what can hold you back. If it happens, that's wonderful and something to celebrate. Until then, think about what's important here.  You just want to be known in your market.   

Today I was ready to turn a proposal loose to a new client.  At the last minute I realized that taking an extra 15 minutes to shoot a 2 minute video introduction for anyone who might be involved in the decision-making process would be a good idea.  Is it worth that to get the business?  You know it is.  

We're talking about relationships here.  You obviously cannot develop a relationship with a video, but you can help give someone a glimpse into your personality - what it may be like to work with you.  That is something you cannot do in words.  And that is a powerful use of social media.   

How It's Done

When I tried to load up the aforementioned video to YouTube, I discovered (for the first time) that YouTube was down.   So, I strolled on over to Vimeo.  For one thing, I know the quality of a video presentation is better with Vimeo.  It may not have the audience of YouTube, but the quality is exceptional.

What I didn't know is their system of password protecting a video is very nice indeed.  With just one click they will email the link of your video, along with your personal message and the necessary password to view it.

Time to Think Better

There is tendency among marketers to think bigger - we are trained to reach for more customers.  While social media can help you with that, it also is ideal for helping you to better communicate with that small circle of prospects and customers that know you, that understand you, and are therefore more likely to do business with you.  

There is an energy to marketing.  You know it and I know it.  However, at some point you need to get off of the energy train and focus on the opportunities that are right in front of you.

You understand the tools. Just consider how you can use them to more effectively get results now. 

When we have access to the same tools, and similar skills for using them, it is often creativity that separates us.

You've got that creativity.  How can you use it to differentiate your business?

Photo Credit: Scott Kinmartin

Upgrading the Images on Your Blog

Where do you get those photos on your blog?

This is a question that I get asked frequently.  Some of them I go out and get and others I take myself and make better with a simple editing tool.  Here are some practices I use that are middle-of-the-road at best, as far as technology goes, yet they are fast, easy and effective solutions.

Picknik

Picnik is a photo enhancement and editing service that can take an average photo and make it look exceptional.  Best of all, no skills are required.  Just upload your photo and click on Auto-Fix and 85% of your work is done.  If you wish, you can experiment with other features like sharpness and exposure to get the image just the way you want it.

While Picnik is a free service, my recommendation is to pay the $24.95/year for the upgraded account.  This gives you full access to all of the features, and that speeds up your editing and enhancement work.  Picnik also integrates easily with Flickr.  However, Flickr is owned by Yahoo and today Google bought Picnik, so we are not sure what the future relationship will look like. 

Creative Commons

Creative Commons is a sharing license that allows you to use the quality images of others in return for giving them attribution.  This is what I have done on this post.  At the bottom of this page you will see the link back to the owner of the image used above.

Creative Commons can be found on Flickr by clicking on the Explore tab and then following the drop-down menu to the various Creative Commons licenses.  These different CC categories can be difficult to understand.  However, as long as you provide an attribution link and not use the images for commercial purposes, you should be fine. 

iStock Photo

iStock Photo is a source for professional quality images that you purchase and own.  I like to have a supply of quality images for my presentations on social media networking and marketing.  So, I'll pay the price and have the right to use that image as I wish as I wish, which includes this blog. 

It used to be $1.00 for the smallest size, which is fine for use on your blog or Powerpoint presentation.  However, recently I'm seeing more images at $2.00, so shop around on their site for one that fits your budget.  Here's an example of one that I recently purchased for my post on 21 Reasons to Blog

Another service my friend Dr Bill Dean likes to use on his blog is Big Stock Photo. If you buy a lot of images, theirs are marketed as 10% less expensive.

Why Images

In my opinion, a blog post isn't complete without an image or video.  So, get in the habit of taking a few  extra minutes to enhance the experience for your readers.

Another reason is for search engine optimization - SEO.  If you haven't noticed, Google is indexing your images and videos along with your written content.  Be sure to tag them well and you have now helped your future customers find you on the Web!

These are just a few of the many resources available to the PhotoShop challenged.  That's where I'm at now, but in a few weeks I'll be joining the cool kids when I upgrade to a Mac.

Until then, to quote the musician Prince, "Take a picture sweetie, I ain't got time 2 wait!"

Photo Credit:  Arty Smokes

How To Add a Form To Your Blog

To make it easier for everyone to work with you.

Why a Form

One of the benefits of a form is that you can guide prospects through a process of providing you with the information you need to help them.  While you can use forms as a filtering tool, I find they are most useful for speeding up the process of working together.

Before we talk on the telephone, I like to do my homework.  This means a look at your website and blog is essential.  I also use my form on this blog (above - click to enlarge) to set up a time to talk when I know I will be able to give you my full attention.  This will not be first thing Monday morning!

Integration of Forms

I have three forms on my blog that were created using Google Docs, Batchbook, which is my customer relationship manager (CRM), and MailChimp , which I use to manage my bi-monthly newsletter.  All are excellent for their intended purposes.  However, in my situation, they are all interconnected

I have created a Working With Me tab on this blog that describes how I work.  This is where I use the form above that I created with in a few minutes with Google Docs to collaborate with those that are considering my consulting or speaking services.  If we decide to move forward, this information can easily be transferred to Batchbook in a CSV file, and from there integrated with MailChimp.

Creating Your Form with Google Docs

If you haven't set up your Google Account, this is your first step.  From there, go to Google Docs and look for the Create New button in the upper left corner.  Then (example above - click to enlarge) name your form and add a subtitle.  Use the Add Item button to insert new fields.  After you have added some fields, use the drop-down menu to select 'text' for a small field, or 'paragraph text' for a detailed response.  These are evident in my Working With Me form.  There are other choices too.

When you have added a few items, you can mouse over them to get the 'cross-hairs' that will allow you to sort them in your preferred order by sliding them around.

Click on the Theme button to find a them that matches the style of your blog.  Google offers you the option of viewing your responses in two formats.  I choose 'spreadsheet' so that I can collect the responses and then download them to my CRM in a CSV file (which is an Excel spreadsheet format).

Managing Your Responses

If you happen to be using iGoogle (I use it as my home page), you can get the Google Docs widget to stay on top of new responses.  Google Docs places a time-date stamp on all of your form inquiries so that you can process them accordingly.  How nice is that?!

The process of adding forms to your blog is as simple as adding a video.  You simply click on the More Actions button to get the Embed code.  Using the Typepad platform, it is a snap for me to plug this in.  I only needed to adjust the pixel width to 370 to fit it to the page on my navigation bar.

You Are in Control

What I find exhilarating about this is I don't need a webmaster to help me.  I can adjust my forms whenever I see fit.  And that puts me in control.

This is just one more example of why I believe blogs will replace websites for small businesses.  Of course, you can have your webmaster take care of this.  However, just a limited knowledge of technology puts you in control.

If you happen to use an assistant, either virtual or real, they can also access this information while you are busy running your business.  One of the advantages of Google Docs is the collaboration feature.  All you have to do is give your assistant access to your Google Docs.

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Social Media Lessons from College Communities

One of the basic principles of the social media platform is its use for building community. 

This weekend our family traveled to The Ohio State University campus with our son Zak to take a second look at their business school.  There is one word I heard again and again: Community.

For me, this is both exciting and inspiring.

Community

For most students, college is a microcosm of the the real world they will soon join.  The college or university is its own community, with hundreds of other communities embedded within it.  Like the real world, the college experience presents many challenges and opportunities.  And it is all experienced within the many micro-communities.

Micro-Communities

At most of the colleges we have visited, there are "living-learning" communities that seek to aggregate incoming students into specific dorms according to their common academic interests.  While this could result in a narrow experience, you have to consider that these kids are being thrust into a completely new environment where they may need some help getting focused on their chosen academic discipline 

When I left the corporate world to launch my contracting business, one of my best decisions I made, on the counsel of one of my former customers, was to join a trade association.  This is a micro-community.  It proved to be instrumental in helping me learn my new industry by getting involved. 

Today, I only wish the the associations I am a member of used social media more to extend that experience by adding to its richness.  This is one reason I'm very involved with Engage365, an online community that works to encourage more use of social media to make association meetings and conventions more successful. 

The Community of Leadership

Most colleges have programs for student ambassadors, citizen leaders, and peer advisers.  My daughter Ali is a peer adviser at Indiana University.  I know my daughter, and I am confident she has gained every bit as much from this experience as those students she is assisting.

This is one of the secrets of leadership.  Leaders seem to do more of the work, yet they gain more as a result.  We need more leaders on the social networks. 

Social Communities

When you are in college, you look forward to graduating and having more freedom.  As hilarious as this may sound, it is nonetheless true!  Fortunately, there is an abundance of social communities on every college campus that give students the freedom to express themselves.

How about you?  Are you finding the social media communities that are just right for you?  While colleges create a nice little bundle of hundreds of clubs and dozens of fraternities and sororities, you and I have to go out and find our own.  It definitely takes some effort, but it's worth it.

I have been inspired from this weekend to do more of this.  As you know, that is the challenge with social media marketing.  You have to get involved so that you can exercise your talents.  And if you do that well, you will help others do more, and that in turn helps you in your business.

What Employers are Saying

What I found most interesting during our campus visit was the comment from a representative from Eli  Lilly and Company, who said that they prefer to hire students from Ohio State because the size of the institution virtually guarantees that they will have a great deal of experience working in teams.  They recognize that to prosper in a university of this size (50,000 students), you have to get involved in communities to get things done - it's unavoidable. 

And that is saying something about our business world in this emerging relationship economy.

Learning From This

I believe there is a temptation to use the social media networks to replicate your existing communities.  Unlike wide-eyed college students, we may resist this because we are set in our ways.  We have found what works, and that may be holding us back.  Instead of replicating your communities, you should be growing new ones that will enable you to grow, both personally, and as business owners.

What will help you most?  A  Ning group may help you work more closely with associates in your industry that share similar goals and objectives.  I'm planning to experiment with this to enhance learning with a group of speakers here in Chicago. 

A Facebook presence may help you to develop a better understanding of what's important in the lives of your friends and associates.  That what I hear most often.  Now I'm experimenting with how this can work better using some of the new technologies.

You have to work at this to make it work better for you, just as a college student is responsible for their own success.  Whatever you do, consider how community is becoming more relevant to our personal and business lives.

 

Why So Many Bloggers Quit

Because they do not understand the process. 

The reason they do not understand the process is they do not trust it.  They don't trust it because they cannot see how it works.   When you cannot see, you get impatient.  And the more impatient one gets, the more you fight for control.  Before long, you stop fighting and quit.

The Hidden Element

During the early days of computing we referred to computers as a black box because we could not fathom what was going on inside of that unit.  All we knew is that mysteriously something called software made it work.  We had to trust that software to do its job.

The blogger is the software. 

That human element is what makes it work.  And for it to work, you have to trust it.

Unrealistic Expectations

Successful bloggers will tell you that their success took much longer than they expected.  Yet, they persisted because they believed in what they were doing.  They accepted the fact that they might only help a few people.  Then  somehow it all magically started to click, seemingly overnight.

There is a tipping point to every blog.

All of your work is cumulative.  You have to keep building value for your market until you hit that critical mass.  Progress will be slow, but if you keep learning working, you'll get closer.

A Need for Control

With virtually every form of traditional marketing, including Internet marketing, size seems to matter.  Size and power combine to create a desire to control.   Blogging resists every effort to control it.  Sure, you can control the technology to some extent, but it is that human element again that dictates whether or not your message will go viral.  You have to coax that.

Blogs are like flowing water - difficult to control, but very powerful once they get moving.

The way I see this, you have three choices.

1.  Quit

2.  Resist

3.  Trust the process.

If you choose number 3, you will join the tribe that smiles when it blogs, because they know. 

My Favorite Social Media Action Tools

Listening may be the most valuable social media activity for your business.  However, listening is a form of learning that only matters if you then take action.

In this time of information overload, you have to grab information when you see it- so that you can take action when you need to.  These are my favorite tools for applying what I learn from the social networks - or any source.  I hope you find them useful in your business.

Checkvist

Checkvist is one of my favorite tools for staying focused. It's an online, collaborative tool that is easy to use.  And most importantly, it's simple and fast.  That's why I like it. 

You all know what a checklist is.  Checkvist is more than an online checklist that you can access from any computer, including your iPhone.  It's really a means of instantly cataloging all of those ideas that you must get done now, should get done soon, or will get done when you get around to it.  I maintain a list for each one of those categories.

My favorite Checkvist tool is their bookmarklet in my Firefox browser toolbar.  One click opens a small screen that allows me to plug an item into the appropriate list for taking action later.  You don't even have to wait the few additional nanoseconds to open the list, but that is an option.   

Imagine a project you have to complete next month. As ideas randomly come to mind, just tuck them away in a list for later action.  Then when you have to get the job done, its a snap. Here's a post that will explain how I use Checkvist to collaborate with clients.

Evernote

Evernote grabs urls and even complete Web pages with one click.  You use tags to organize these notes, and that makes them easily findable.

Evernote also has an iPhone app that makes your notes portable.  This works outside of business too.  When I go to my favorite sushi restaurant, I note which of their creations I enjoyed most so that I can enjoy them again.  Maybe you can remember Mango Tango, Green Turtle, and Tokyo Style maki, but I can't. 

Today Problogger posted a great page on SEO for blogs.  I'll study it when I have time, including all of the associated SEO links.  For now, it's safely tucked away in Evernote.

Twitter Favorites

The social networks move fast.  If you see a useful idea, save it.  On Twitter, just make full use of the favorites option.  Click on that star beside any Tweet and you have secured a resource that you won't have to spend 20 minutes searching for when you need it.

Typepad Links

I'm not sure what is available on Wordpress, but here on Typepad I get analytics that I can click through to see who is appreciating the work I put into this blog.  My action step is to acknowledge that through a Tweet or Facebook comment. Now I've not only made a new friend, but have also learned what is resonating with someone in my target market.

Library Card

Yes, I'm serious.  This may seem old school, but often we learn of a great book from the social networks.  Then our thriftiness kicks in and we fail to take action.  You don't have to buy every book you read. Take advantage of this free resource to learn more about the experts in your field.

I can take action with my local library by placing an online hold on a book. Think of this as another bookmarking tool that captures a valuable resource that you can explore later.

Moleskine

I've saved the low-tech solution for last.  Ideas are transient.  You need to keep a journal of some kind with you at all times to capture inspirational thoughts.  Today I spoke with Trent, an honors student at my alma mater who connected with me through the Miami University LinkedIn group.  He asked me how I maintain a steady stream of ideas for my daily blog posts. 

My response was from daily conversations with customers - and people like him.  I jot them down into my Moleskine notebook.  They have countless styles and sizes, and all of them are very affordable. Plus, writing is an action itself that tends to imprint a seed of an idea.  You can not only make notes, but draw, associate, and otherwise let those ideas grow.

The only thing left to do is to take action.

Photo Credit: seanmcgrath

Why Your Marketing Needs Video

For one thing, it's so easy even a high school kid can do it.

It's Happening

The New York Times published this article today that shows you that video is becoming a viable communication tool for college applicants.  Why?  It only takes a $100 camcorder, a little bit of ingenuity, and a commitment to getting it done.  Plus, it's fun!

Video is engaging.  It shows us your personality.  And when you combine it with words that elaborate further, you have a rich-media experience that comes awfully close to the real thing.  The video above is one excellent student submission for application into Tufts University.

This my friends is what social media is all about!

I'm not surprised that colleges are accepting videos as part of application process.  In fact, last fall I suggested to my son Zak that he should consider starting a blog so that he could point to it from one of his essays - something to give more texture to his application.  He started alright.  Though, like many others, he just didn't stick with it.  

What's interesting is Zak has created several video and audio pieces for different school projects throughout this senior year that could easily be worked into more descriptive blog posts.  I'm hoping this gives you an idea that social media marketing isn't a project - it's a process.  One that if you get going with it will eventually merge with your daily activities.  That's the idea.  It represents you to your customers - as you really are.

In case you haven't started your blog yet, take a look at Zak's.  It took us 30 minutes to build on Typepad.  That's it.  So what are you waiting for?

The System is Ripe for This

Are colleges and universities ready for this?  I can only tell you that Zak applied to major universities, mostly in the Big Ten, and it still seems that test scores (the ACT and SAT) and grade point averages (GPA) still rule - if not 100%.  He put a great deal of time into his essays, and had a lot of fun doing it, but I seriously doubt they matter just yet. 

If those essays really matter, it begs the question: Why are Honors Programs and Academic Scholarships still based solely on test scores and GPA?   If college is intended to develop well-rounded young adults, shouldn't we be measuring that at the start? 

Kudos to Tufts for at least introducing this into the process.  But, we need to see more participation. 

Think about this; we applaud great film directors, actors, and musicians every year at the Academy Awards and the Grammys, but we still cling to a standardized academic system that largely ignores their emerging talents.

Now ask the same question from the point of view of your customers.

Are they just interested in results, or in a complete experience of working with a company that personalizes the process, makes it interesting, and fun?

Get to Know the New Google

Google is Much More Than Search

Google is proving again and again that they will continue to be a force on the Web.  As a small business owner, I tend to cheer for entrepreneurs and small businesses, not behemoths like Google.  However, as this Web continues to evolve, Google is proving they are very capable at staying in touch with, and occasionally even leading the trends, with the recent introduction of Google Buzz being a prime example.

10 Google Tools You Should Know

1. Gmail

Even if you don't use Gmail regularly, it is handy to have a Web based email service, just in case your server or other email services go down. 

Gmail is more than email.  Your Gmail address is essentially your username into the array of Google's services.  For this reason, get in there and claim usernames that match the ones you are using on the other social services.  In fact, I recommend locking several of them up to have a few spares.

I only use gmail for my Facebook account.  So, all of those notices get read separately when I have stepped out of my business mode, or when the work is done.

2. Google Alerts

You absolutely need to be setting Google Alerts to monitor your company's brand, your personal reputation, and your markets.  I use a few paid Web-monitoring services, but this one is completely free.

3. Google Profile

Your Google Profile is practically a mini-website that brings in the feeds of nearly all of your social media networks, while also providing a profile that helps you to promote you and your business using images, maps, links, and more.  And because Google owns it, it gets ranked high in the search rankings.  Here's my profile to give you an example.

4. Google Buzz

This one is brand new.  Some of us are not sure what to make of Google Buzz.  However, it is becoming apparent that it is an emerging social networking tool that will be a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook. 

This makes perfect sense because while Google has tried to play ball with Facebook, they have largely shut Google out.  What did Google do? They set the stage last year by encouraging all of us to add our social network feeds to our  Google Profiles.  Now they have made a strong link between those profiles and Google Buzz.

What's their plan?  To make Google Buzz your social media hub!  I'm still trying to figure out how it can work, but for now it looks like it is here to stay.

5.  Google Wave

Google Wave was the latest Google tool just before Buzz.  While it has been slow getting off the ground, I'm using it more to collaborate with my tech savvy colleagues.

Brian Birch, an executive with the Snow and Ice Management Association and I are using it to brainstorm for an upcoming webinar we will be doing for Engage365, an online community for increasing awareness, attendance, and effectiveness of conferences and meetings.

I think Google Wave is still in beta and you need an invitation to try it out.  I have some, so if need one just leave a comment on this blog with your email, or somehow get in touch with me and I'll send it to you.

6. Google Docs

Google Docs is another collaborative tool where you share documents.  Many prefer it over Google Wave because it has more structure.  It minimizes emails and makes it easy to ensure everyone is working with the one current version of a document - without confusion.  Being Web-based, you can access your docs from any computer.

There is a good chance that once Brian and I flesh out our webinar outline and move it into a Powerpoint format, we'll take our collaboration over to Google Docs.  You can also create forms in Google Docs to capture data from your blog subscribers that goes right into a spreadsheet.

7. and 8.  Google Reader and iGoogle

Google Reader is the easiest way to manage multiple blog subscriptions without cluttering up you email inbox.  iGoogle is a platform that can host most of these Google services, including Google Reader.  I use iGoogle as my home page because it makes the Reader easier to use.  This blog post explains with videos how to use Google Reader with iGoogle.

9. Google Local Business

This service is a must if you have a physical location where you do most of your business.   As other social networks like Foursquare become less about entertainment and more about functionality, Google Local Business will become even more powerful. 

Here's a post that details how to use Google Local Business to grow you business in tight economies like this one.

10. Google Calendar

There are many other Google services that you may find useful.  I also use Google Calendar, which is Google's ical or web-based calendar that keeps me current with my personal bills.  It has a drop down menu that shows what's coming up so I don't get surprised.  Because it's Web-based, I can send it to my iPhone.

There are many other Google services that you may find useful, such as their Talk, Adwords, Analytics, and Voice.  I foresee big things for Google Voice, which is why I reserved my number months ago.  I just have not yet taken the time to explore its use. 

Needless to say there is a lot Google has to offer.  The main thing is to be aware of what's out there. 

If you don't do anything else, at least snag your preferred gmail addresses while they are still available.  If you operate a business, I would suggest Google Alerts is also on the 'must do' list.

Beyond that, just get familiar with these and know they can really help make your business more transportable by making it more web-based. 

Photo Credit:  Tashland

Why Context is King

Because it makes your content relevant to me.

Fans

If you can make your message about your audience, your market, your customers - however you care to describe the target of your communications, then you have a greater chance of building fans.

Fans enjoy feeling like they are collaborators with you.  They enjoy feeling that they have something in common with you.  This is what makes them friends at a distance.

Social media is platform that is closing the distance between you and your fans.  

Here's How it Works

If I give you information that is valuable, you will appreciate it, but possibly never use it.  If I help you appreciate the value of that information by showing you how it works for me or someone like you, then the context makes it invaluable. 

However, no matter how many pragmatic examples I give you, they don't matter unless I can relate them to you.  And that means I have to understand you. 

Social media is a collaborative platform that is helping people to better work together.

Getting Closer

We all identify with what we know.  Local context shapes our lives. We have a tendency to seek what we know based upon where we live - or have lived.   If your local context is like mine, then it is likely we will feel comfortable working together. 

Social media can help you get closer with your client or customer to understand more about how they live - or want to.

Being Relevant

How do you make your blogging or other marketing communications relevant?  You show your audience you understand them. 

My audience happens to be entrepreneurs and small businesses like you - people that work hard because you care about serving your customers well.  I try to work just as hard as you do to earn your trust.

Social media gives your customers subtle clues about why you are relevant to them.

Customer Context

Show your customers you understand them - that you understand their context.  I was a marketer in a corporate environment for ten years.  Yet, I always felt like a bystander.  The context seemed designed to keep a distance between us and our customers. 

As a small business owner for over twenty years, I learned that there are others like me that are willing to put their heart and soul into their work. That I understand, and that adds a great deal of context to the work we do, regardless of how different it may be.

Bill Gates said content is king, and he's right, as long as the context is relevant. 

The more I use social media to accomplish more with my customers, the more I realize its true value is to close gaps, build bonds, and communicate information more effectively, even though there may be physical distance between us. 

Social media is more than a medium, its an environment that makes the work of serving customers more human.

Photo Credit:  C.P. Storm

Was It Good For You

That must be the question traditional advertisers ask themselves.

In many situations, I suspect the response is - huh?

Real People

While watching the Winter Olympics I had more than a few emotional responses.  When you see athletes ready to take the challenge and their families anxiously looking on, it is easy to feel what they must be experiencing.  You feel like you are there with them.

Traditional Marketing

Then you watch a commercial by a company like Proctor and Gamble that attempts to evoke that same response.  It shows a manufactured clip of pre-teen children in full speed skating gear that suggests their lifelong dream.  Their mothers are looking on. 

And of course the message is - "Moms."  The same moms that P&G would like to buy their products.

With all respect for the fine products that P&G provides, my response is it's not working for me.  It wasn't as good for me as the real thing. 

Real Solutions

P&G could more effectively make that emotional connection with their audience by getting to know these athletes and helping to capture what goes into achieving their dreams.  That is something you cannot manufacture.  It may not always be glamorous, but it is real.

Imagine what US athlete Bryon Wilson feels like after unexpectedly capturing the bronze in the Mogul competition.  And how about Alexandre Bilodeau, the Canadian athlete who in the same competition is the first from his country to ever capture Olympic gold within his country's borders.  That's real.

The Relationship Economy

In this economy, we want to feel what you are feeling.  And the only way we can do that is if we have a relationship with you. 

While amateur sports is becoming increasingly sophisticated, it is highly unlikely these athletes cut their teeth in the manner that is depicted in those slick, traditional commercials. Why not show us the real deal - like what the conversation may have been like from the kitchen table? 

Real Customers

If you want to attract customers, real ones, it should go without saying that real stories about their challenges are what will engage them - and us, with your brand. 

If your message is real, you will know without hesitation that it connected.

You won't have to ask. 

Back-Up Your Blog

Or risk losing thousands of hours of inspiration, perspiration, and motivation.

Today I deleted two blogs.  It was tough to do this because these blogs were my foray into the world of blogging.  However, both were specific to my landscape business, which I sold two years ago next week.  And while I extensively speak and consult to the green industry, from a subject matter standpoint, this blog is where my focus is.

Deleting those blogs was just as easy as deleting a document.  One push to get to the "Are you sure?" level, and then one more to get rid of them forever.  I did the same with the RSS feeds at Feedburner, which was equally scary.  Why? 

I just wanted to be absolutely certain that this blog - jeffkorhan.com, is here for as long as I'm on this planet, and maybe longer.  So, that got me thinking about safeguarding my inspiration and hard work.  After all, this blog is my legacy of hard work.

Back It Up

Do yourself a favor - back up your blog.  And then back that back-up to the cloud.  I personally find Jungledisk to be a joy to use.  Unlike other Web based back-up services such as Mozy, Jungledisk is a virtual hard-drive.  This means you get your data back within minutes.  With Mozy and others like it, plan on approximately 4 hours or more.  That just isn't acceptable if I have a crisis just before a presentation.

WordPress Back-Up

Sometime soon I am going to write a post that will give an objective side-by-side comparison of the blogging platform I use and recommend, which is TypePad, and the other one with legions of fans - WordPress.  I use both now, as I'm a guest blogger on several WordPress platforms.  I will write that post after I build a WordPress blog next week, which will allow me to objectively compare with the dozens of TypePad blogs I've built.

Let's first look at the method for backing up a WordPress blog.  (Click on both images to enlarge.)

This is step one of approximately ten necessary steps.  While it is laid out very clearly, you can see from the sidebar that you will still have to answer questions related to SQL, plug-ins, and things like that.  If you don't know what those are, then you get my point.   

Most important is what is written at the top of this screenshot.  "It is strongly recommended you back-up your blog at regular intervals and before an upgrade."  As you can imagine, you can actually lose all of your data when making an upgrade to your Wordpress blog, which is something you have to do to stay ahead of viruses and the like.

I covered this in detail after Mashable broke a trending story on a WordPress virus last year.  Here's my post recommending Wordpress users take action.

TypePad Back-Up

As you may have surmised, I prefer TypePad.  I don't have to worry about upgrades or viruses.  TypePad takes care of that.  Better yet, the procedure for backing up your TypePad blog is extremely simple. 

You push one button and that's it!  You are presented with a .txt file that you then save to your hard drive.  As long as you do that every now and then, Jungledisk automatically takes care of the rest. 

 
Furthermore, you can see it is also a simple matter to import your blog to TypePad.  If you decide to do so, please click on the banner on the bottom of the center blue column of this blog to get a free 14 day Typepad trial.  Yes, I get a commission if you sign up.

I suppose that is my reward for recommending a blog platform that will make your blogging life a little easier --

And safer.

Markets Do Not Like Heavy Hands

In fact, they will fight your heavy-handed tactics with all their might.

No Take-Backs

Once a condition is introduced to a market, it cannot be taken back - not easily, anyway.   One example is airlines that charge for an extra piece of luggage.  Passengers are discovering creative ways to resist.  One innovative tactic that is working is to gate-check your bag.  Not only does it avoid the charge, but it's usually one of the first bags to be unloaded.  Imagine that!

Southwest Airlines evidently understands the psychology of the markets, and is therefore embracing what everyone has come to expect.  Between you and me, they have inched up their airfares, but that is acceptable behavior.  Taking back what has always been part of the deal is just not cool, so by not doing so, Southwest is adeptly positioned as cool.

We Call The Shots

What inspired this post is Macmillan Publishers' decision to charge you and me essentially the same price for an eBook as the printed version.  Does this make sense?  Of course not.  We may not be publishing experts, but we intuitively understand the cost of an eBook is pretty close to zero.  An eBook is like computer software.  And look at all of the useful software that is absolutely free.

So, why is Macmillan doing this?  Because they can.  They are telling the markets that they are in charge.  Yet, the markets will have their say.  They will call the shots.  The truth is this is a complex game that involves not just traditional publishers, but also players such as Amazon and Apple, who also have a stake in this.  It's a classic confrontation between the old model and the new one. 

Social Media Rules Apply

You can learn from this.  A variety of conditions are creating an economy that is more about people than companies.  And the companies that stand strong and ignore what the markets are saying are challenging this shift.  You can learn from this by evaluating your marketing messages.  Here's the question your customers may be considering:  Are You Asking Us or Telling Us?

Any parent knows you can get a child to do more of what you want them to do if you make it their idea.  Or you just can make them do it and endure a lot of kicking and screaming.  Let's face it - there is still plenty of child left in most of us, but we are adult children.  We want to have our way, and as adults, we will figure out how to get it. 

The Relationship Economy

You cannot expect customers to be raving fans if you do not listen to them.  And as long as you are listening, why not engage with them.  Find ways to collaborate with your customers and you will find ways to make money in this or any other economy.   Publish your views in your blog and encourage feedback.  Eavesdrop on Twitter.  And above all else, pay attention to what your friends are saying on Facebook and other social media sites.

You can learn a great deal from a hands-on approach.

Especially if you apply a light touch.

Photo Credit:  Needoptic

Your Favorite Social Media Channel

is the one that will yield your greatest social media ROI.

Marketing Style

If you have been reading this blog for the past year or so, you know I consider your blog to be the center of your social media universe.  This is where you have the largest body of information that speaks favorably about you and your company.  It is where you develop new ideas, and capture those stories that are the legacy of your business.

There are many top bloggers who will agree with me.  We all love to blog, and as a result, we get practical results from our blogs.

That said, I have recently been collaborating with Shawn Doyle, another professional speaker who uses a different approach that works equally well for him.  He uses LinkedIn as his hub, and the strength of his LinkedIn presence is the private group he created to collaborate with others who are interested in motivation and leadership. He calls his group Motivation Nation!

What is interesting about Shawn's LinkedIn group is he can manage the content, just as I manage the content of this blog.  Using different channels, we are both accomplishing our business objectives.  You should consider which channel works best for you and why.  Of course, there are still other channels to consider, such as Facebook and Twitter, which have micro-blogging capabilities much like LinkedIn.  

Blogging is the perfect channel for me because it fits my storytelling style of marketing. However, the ability of a LinkedIn group to connect people with common interests and objectives is working exceptionally well for Shawn.  The point is there is no right or wrong here.  The question is what is right for you and your target audience.

When choosing your favorite social media channel, you should consider your communication style, your audience, and most importantly, where you feel most comfortable investing your time.

I'll be honest, in the early days of Twitter, I really enjoyed using Twitter to collaborate with a wide range of people around the globe.  For that reason, it produced the greatest ROI for me.  As Twitter became more impersonal, I shifted my focus to this blog.

Extending Your Channel

Regardless of where you decide to cast your anchor to establish the hub of your social media presence, you still need to use other social media channels to encourage more people to engage with your community.   Just as your company website can benefit from an active blog that points to it, so can that blog benefit from the cross-connections of Facebook, Twitter, and many other channels.

Professional speakers often talk about meeting the audience where they are.  By that we mean connecting with them on a topic through a relevant mindset.  The mindset on Facebook is clearly more loose and open than it is on LinkedIn. 

And there is no telling what the mindset is on Twitter from day to day, but we know with certainty that it has an incredible reach, and is therefore quite valuable for extending the message that you cultivate within your hub - your favorite social media channel.

I'm really looking forward to sharing the stage with Shawn this summer at a convention where we will work together to help others learn how to apply the respective methods that have worked for us. We may even help them to develop hybrid methods that will work best for them and their community.

When it comes to social networking and marketing, there is not one size that fits all. Find a channel that allows you and your community to best do what they most want to do.

Tuning into that channel is something your will look forward to.

A positive ROI will be the natural result.

Photo Credit:  Leo™

Small Business DNA

You either have it or you don't.

Operating a small business takes a certain mindset.   It's not so much about skills, but how you think.  You need to be intensely interested in learning, and willing to take action.  Most importantly, you must be prepared to do whatever is necessary to ensure the success of your business.   

These qualities of successful small business owners seem to be congruent with the characteristics of the more proficient social media players.  A closer look suggests some of us are hard-wired for social media, just as we are for small business. 

You can distill the small business DNA, and social media hard-wiring down to just a few words:  being interested, inquisitive, and interactive.  Here's the story that inspired this understanding. 

Interested

Entrepreneurs especially, and small business owners too, are always learning.  That's how they keep their edge.  They are naturally interested in other small businesses.  I was thinking of this tonight while I waited for my dinner to be served.  It was guys night out in the Korhan family, so Zak and I went over to MeatHeads for a gourmet burger.  

We placed our order and then sat down while they prepared it.  My mind immediately drifted to sizing up this particular business.  I wondered about the seating.  The seat bottoms are hard wood, but the back cushions of the booths are soft.  Is this a compromise for cleaning and comfort?  The lighting is more like a fine restaurant, so the atmosphere feels right.  I was wondering.

Checking Out the Community

What I was intuitively doing was checking out this particular business to determine what is intentional, what may have been random, and even what could be improved.  This is part of the small business DNA. it can't be helped!

This is no different than what many of us do when listening in on a social media network.  We use our skills of observation.  We are curious, yes - but for a purpose.  We use our observation skills to learn how we can apply what we learn to our situation - to our business, our community, or our other networks. 

Inquisitive

The tab at MeatHeads was a bit under $19 for the two of us.  Is that a fair amount for a freshly made to order burger?  I began to compare with what we would have spent had we ordered a pizza, or possibly gone out for sushi.  You do learn a great deal about something by comparing it to what it isn't. 

This is one way we understand our social networks.  The early success of Twitter was due to the free-form interactivity.   Facebook took notice first, and soon LinkedIn followed suit to a lessor degree.  As you monitor your brand on the social networks,  I would hope you are taking notice of what the leaders are doing that seems to be working for them.

Comparing Businesses and Communities

I also find myself comparing social media businesses, such as Techcrunch and Mashable, especially today with the launch of the iPad.  Mashable was the first to validate its existence, with their bold TRENDING post, which has become a signature of the Mashable brand.

USAToday, however, chronicled Steve Jobs every move by the minute, which proved to be the most complete coverage.  What's interesting is while Mashable has become more CNN-like in their recent approach (with the addition of more writers and expanded coverage),  USAToday pulled an end-around on them and Techcrunch to give the best front-end technology coverage on this piece of news.  It appears the playing field may be changing.  How about yours?

Interactive

We all know you learn the most be getting involved and interacting with other people.  When our food was served, we were greeted by a big smile.  "My name is Jimmy.  If you need anything else, just let me know."  Jimmy greeted everyone like this.  And he smiled the same way when he mopped up.  You could tell he really enjoyed his work.

Engaging with People to Encourage Opportunities

I wanted to say a few words to Jimmy, but I didn't make it a priority.  Bad for me, because I believe I could have learned something.  And this is precisely how the social networks operate.  That stream rolls by, and if we hesitate, we miss the opportunity. 

DNA is one thing, but we are still human.

Photo Credit:  Pascal.Charest

Why Small Businesses Are Confused About Social Media

They are listening to self-described social media experts who have little or no real-world business experience.

The Problem

Seth Godin recently made an interesting comment on his blog about the evolution of technology trends.   Here's what he said:

The early adopters of the technology are the technicians that helped to create it. 

For that technology to stick, somebody has to figure out how to use it to get results.  That's where small business owners enter the picture.  The hallmark of small business owners is their ability to take what is complex and make it practical to achieve results that their customers can benefit from.

Later, in an effort to make the technology even better, bureaucrats and conglomerates eventually step in,  and in the process drive everything that was working into the ground. 

If you doubt this last statement, I have two words for you to consider:  Conan O'Brien.

So don't hesitate.  Get in while the going is good!

Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners

Entrepreneurs and small business owners are some of the most successful people on this planet because they understand how to make things simple, practical, and profitable.   Yet, for some reason, technology clouds their minds.  They either run from it and miss the opportunity, or embrace it and spend a fortune on misguided technicians who do not understand their business .

Social media marketing is about people, not technology.

The technician may understand the technology exceptionally well, but they frequently do not have the basis for understanding your business.   

The Solution

Small businesses should be looking for social media partners who understand both their business and the social media technology. They should be looking for the same depth of experience that they have developed over the last 20, 30 or 40 years - or more.

When I speak to entrepreneurs on social media marketing, I often hear this:  "Ah, now I get it!"  It is not that I am some kind of social media genius, because there there isn't such a thing.  I just happen to understand two pieces of a simple puzzle: social media marketing and what it takes to operate a small business.

My Recommendation

If you are a small business owner who is looking for help with your social media marketing, here are some capabilities I would recommend you be on the alert for:

1.  Pragmatic experience - Has your suitor helped companies like yours?   Another simple test is examining their blog to determine if they are experienced in their practice.  Does that blog go back a few years, or just a few months;  and has it been consistently updated?  You may be surprised at what you discover.

2.  A knack for simplicity - Can they communicate without jargon?  There is a tendency within social media circles to say what everyone is else is saying - such as "add value."  If you truly understand that, then you will know how to explain it.  Ask them to do that.

3.  Congruency - Are they consistent in their message across multiple social media networks?  Often I will see one type of behavior on Linkedin, with a more 'reckless' type of behavior on Facebook, which is a platform that encourages letting your hair down.  You have to determine what is acceptable for you and your business.

4.  Focus - Are they really focused on businesses like yours, or just "companies - which of course implies they are essentially mercenary social media experts for hire?"  You need to cut through the BS to be sure you have a good fit.  After all, nobody cares more about your business than you do.

5.  Credibility - Do you believe them?  You have been in business for a while.  You know people. And social media is about people.  Apply what you know.  This is the social media acid-test.

I can appreciate the enthusiasm many have for social media.  This is a phenomenal platform for growing any business, and especially a small business.

If you are unsure of how social media can work for you, dig deeper to get the right answers.  If you are still unsure, wait a while.

Just don't wait too long, as this may be the marketing opportunity of a lifetime.     

If you take anything from this post, it is that social media success is not about the technology, but people - the same people you have worked with to achieve your current success.

There is nothing confusing about that.

Photo Credit:  jmacphoto.com

You Know Your Marketing is Right When

you have consistency of appearance, message, and performance.

Your marketing should fit the expectations of your market.  It should look right, sound right, and deliver what you promised, which presumably is what the market wants. 

Appearance

The first impression your marketing piece gives the consumer is analogous to meeting someone important for the first time.  You should prepare your appearance accordingly.  You don't want to be too casual or too formal.  You want to be just right.

The trend I'm noticing for small business websites is simple, clean, and to the point.   If your market is looking for value, and your website or other marketing materials are too slick, then you are already out of the game.

Today I drove by several luxury automobile dealerships - one of them being Maserati.  I honestly had a feeling of hopelessness for them.  How many people want to drive a car like that when some of their neighbors are struggling?  That situation is about more than marketing, but you get the idea.

Message

How you communicate your message is more important than what you have to say - most of the time. If your message is long-winded, it's usually going to get tuned out. Not taking the time to craft a crisp message disrespects your market.  It's another form of being over the top. Get to the point by being economical with your words.

And keep in mind we make judgments from your choice of words.  Big words suggest you may be too intellectual and difficult to work with.  Simple words suggest you can relate to the common man - and most of us men and women consider ourselves to be regular people. 

Performance

Your ability to deliver on your marketing is indeed marketing.  When I was worked in the corporate world over 20 years ago, we had the traditional adversarial relationship between marketing and production. When production delivered off-spec product, we would say it was their fault - which is was. 

However, I was in marketing, and I was usually the one that had to deal with the customer.  That sure sounds like its a marketing problem to me! 

Example

My favorite example of experiencing "right marketing" is enjoying an outstanding meal at a nice restaurant that was recommended by a friend or a reviewer.

Word of mouth recommendations are the only reliable marketing for restaurants.  If the atmosphere, food, and service exceeds that marketing message, then the message and performance just scored! 

Here comes the appearance part of the equation through the back door - literally.

Once in a while when you have a fine meal you get invited back to meet the chef and see how it all comes together in the kitchen.  This invitation is a the highest honor to bestow on a patron.  If there is attention to detail and the energy is high, then you know your experience wasn't an accident.  Sure, it will be a little messy, but it's a working kitchen, after all.  

What does your kitchen look like?  Does it fit well with your message and performance? 

When you have that consistency, then your marketing is right on.

Photo Credit:  Marco Veringa

A Social Media Shift is Happening

It looks like we are seeing more leadership for paid content on the social Web.

Some of the Players

The Wall Street Journal set the the bar when they elected to charge readers for a complete read of some of their articles.  And I'll admit that after having to go to the library to get the full copy of one article on social media, I decided to suck it up and pay the freight.

More recently, the New York Times has announced that they will adopt a different, yet similar approach.

The most surprising one to me is Mashable's decision to charge $.99/month for the Kindle Edition of their blog.  This one is especially interesting.  Those of us in who are active in the social media space consider Mashable to be one of us - the free spirits who advocate, well, free content.  I suspect they are quietly testing the waters.  This makes me wonder if Techcrunch will follow.

What Others are Doing

Of course, the vast majority of bloggers like me are continuing to share our best insights for free.  Our challenge is to have a business model that supports this tactic,and there are a great number of methods for accomplishing this.

Concurrent with all of this  is the trend for industry associations to become content aggregators.  Industry associations are seeking content from people like me.  Once again, our decision with regards to participation has to consider how we will benefit from this sharing of our original content.  The nice thing is copyright laws are on the side of the content originators.

eBooks and Cable Television

The inevitable success of the eBook has turned the publishing industry upside down.  How they restructure their model to remain profitable is still in doubt  At the very least, it appears that most major publishers are learning that they have to get comfortable with a faster paced publishing market that puts more control in the hands of the content creators.

All of this gets me thinking about the early days of television - when we just had three channels to watch.  Imagine that? Then cable TV came along and charged for more.  However, in these days of media overload, I'm not so sure more is a viable approach.

Relevant News in Real Time

I initially planned to title this post: Is the Party Over?  You see, we have all been conditioned to expect our content, our news, in real time.  And we have for the most part found ways to get exactly what we want for free.

My Solution

Be aware of this change in the winds of social media.  Leave yourself a back-door to change gears.  In other words, consider how you can catalog and preserve the knowledge and wisdom that you have accumulated from your hard work and years of experience.

The best way I know to do this, while still continuing to build your visibility, reputation, and referrals through social media marketing, is to maintain a blog through a URL that you own - and one that has an identity that is clearly identifiable with you and your business.

This means you need to have a blog that is mapped to a unique domain that you plan to own for life.  You can do that right here on Typepad.  Wordpress is another option. Both platforms have their advantages.  Though, I've placed my stake in the ground here. 

And I feel comfortable that the likes of Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, and Malcom Gladwell are on the Typepad team.  I may not be the smartest guy around, so I'm trusting in their wisdom. If you need validation that is a bit edgier, add Paris Hilton to that list.

Photo Credit:  RalphBijker

The Power of Location and Time Search

Space-Time Events

Scientists will tell you that everything can be defined as a "space-time event." It's pretty remarkable really.  Everything can be unequivocally separated from its categorical look-alikes according to the real estate it occupies at a particular point in time - that's it, just two variables!  So, if you can just zoom in on the right place at the right time, you can have exactly what you are looking for.

This concept has not been lost on Google.  Sometime late last year they introduced both real-time search and Local Place Pages for businesses.  If you are searching for a business, such as a restaurant, you can now expect to receive data relevant to both location and time.  Location should be obvious.  Usually, that means close to wherever you are.   Time relates to things like specials or deals that may be here today and gone tomorrow.  This you can schedule for.

An Example

Let's say you are trying to locate a place to celebrate with a group of friends.  You envision a restaurant where you can dress up a little and also get loose and have some fun.  Since your group of friends can be, shall we say,... particular, you decide the perfect restaurant is one that merges Asian and American cuisine, such as sushi and steaks.  If they happen to have a martini special going this evening, even better yet.

Specials happen in the domain of time.  Cuisine tends to be predetermined according to the style or menu of the restaurant.  Depending upon how far you are willing to drive, you can very likely fulfill the criteria of your search.  And if you can't, you simply make a few simple adjustments until you find what works.

Google Place Pages

This apparently unlikely scenario is unfolding everyday for many small businesses.  If you wish to be are one of them, you need to go to Google Local Business and set up your Place Page.  If you happen to own business that sports multiple locations, this information can be uploaded and updated via an excel spreadsheet.  Do you think Google is serious about local search?  You bet they are.

A Category of One

My friend Joe Calloway recently updated a new edition of his book entitled A Category of One.  I'm sure you can infer the concept - own a category and you have eliminated the competition.  It seems Google is willing to allow you to prove you are a category of one.  They will ask you to place your business in predetermined categories so that they know how to place you in their searches, while also creating one of your own.

If you understand Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you know it is best to be included in the most relevant category that fits your business.  In other words, it's always good to be where most people are looking, even if that space may be crowded.  However, Google also gives allows you to create your own category in your Pages profile.  What have you got to lose?  As an example, I noticed there is only one category that starts with "green," which implies there is an opportunity there.

As for me, while I'm clear about my categories, it's the location I'm having trouble with.   I work out of airports, client's offices, and my home.  So, I'm still considering my options.  Don't worry, creativity will kick-in and reign at just the right time.

Until I decide, you can find me right here.

Photo Credit:  Wootam!

There's an App for This

and you can get it for Free!  This is what the button will look like, only a heck of a lot smaller.  To get it, just search for Jeff Korhan at the app store.

What's The Benefit

Once your phone completes the initial download, you will always have the 25 most recent posts, regardless of your Internet connection.  So, if I've shared something useful and you have a need to reference that information, it's right in your back pocket.

This may be a good time to remind everyone about this blog:  It's a practical guide for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to maximize their Web visibility, reputation, and referrals with social medial or Internet Marketing.  The app brings those insights right to your phone.

How Does it Work

When you build an iPhone app you appreciate the grace and simplicity of the RSS feeds.  This is what brings information from the Web to your phone.  It's sort of an "always" on switch that brings the news to you so that its ready when you are.

I'll be honest.  In these days of free and easy new media technology, there isn't much that get me excited, but this is one.  There is something about the graceful and smooth functioning of most iPhone apps that I find very cool indeed. 

Using the App

Once you download the app you will get a running list of my 25 most recent posts.  Tap on one and it expands so that you can read the entire post, while also having the ability to follow the links. Tap again and you get several options. You can go back and read more posts, or share the post you have open via Twitter or by sending it as an email.  Naturally, I'm am pleased if you will consider this once in a while!

Building an App

If you do plan on building your own app, I can give a thumbs up to the folks at Appmakr.com that built mine.  You should be prepared to spend some time learning which images you will need, and have a qualified graphics artist create them in the correct sizes.

You can add more functionality to these apps than I did, such as your Twitter feed.  My thought was to keep it simple and limited to the one thing I am 100% committed to long-term - and that is this blog.

Until later, I'm beginning to hear voices....

"If you build it.....!"

Let me know how you like the app - and anything you would like to see in future posts. 

Social Media Lessons from Jimi Hendrix

Rock's most iconic guitarist is about to be rediscovered when Valleys of Neptune is released on March 9th. As reported in USAToday, it will contain unreleased studio tracks, including a frenzied version of Fire, a sprawling cover of Cream's Sunshine of Your Love, and retooled originals such as Lover Man, Red House and Crying Blue Rain.

Of course, Jimi will demonstrate his usual virtuosity. 

Here are some new media lessons inspired by how Jimi favorably shaped his brief career.

1.  Develop a Unique and Consistent Username and Image

There are several ways to spell his common name, but there is only one man identified with the spelling 'Jimi'.  When you see that spelling, you know who we are talking about.  He made it his own.   

While it's nice to have interesting or descriptive usernames, I believe short and memorable is best. Some of us are fortunate that our original names are unique.  All we have to do is use them consistently, just as Jimi also developed a unique style of dress that he was consistently recognized for.  Other musicians like Prince have borrowed from it, but but we all know who is the original.

2.  Transform Your Content for Consumption

If there was anyone who could turn sound into something more, it was Jimi.  His sound was so original that even peers such as Pete Townsend were awestruck. 

Jimi took the same content that everyone else was working with and and transformed it.  He rearranged it into colors and emotions - through his music, his stage presence, and his relationship with the instrument of his music - the guitar.  He turned it upside down, played with his teeth, and yes, he even set it on fire a time or two.  What can you do that a community finds interesting?

3.  Focus on Communities That are Right for You

The United States was not particularly impressed with the early Jimi Hendrix.  So, off he went to London, where he honed his craft within a more artistically receptive community.  Soon, word spread to the US.  You could say he built his sound in a local community and then let that community spread it virally.  So, if you missed Twitter, why not become known in more localized social networks that better fit your style?

4.  Capture Your Legacy

Just a few days ago I wrote about building your business legacy with your blog.  I feel very strongly that any business, and especially any small business, can benefit enormously from this practice.  Most small business have a wealth of knowledge and little of it is written down.

Some day you may wish to sell your business, and that information will be a vibrant record of your successful track record.  The engineers said in the USA article that "Hendrix left a wealth of pristine studio and live tapes."  That's exciting.  As a fan I can't wait to listen to them - just as your fans and future employees need to hear about your best work.

I suppose applying all of this comes down to this:  Are You Experienced?

Then try some of these ideas to help your communities learn about that.

Feel free to leave a comment below.  If you've enjoyed this, share it with your social networks, and consider subscribing to the feed of this blog.

Got Time for Social Media

Or would you rather let the most revolutionary marketing opportunity you will ever witness pass you by?

Investing Your Time

Someday I should make a list of the certainties I have learned from 30+ years of business experience.  One of them is that a customer will adjust their budget upward to make a purchase when a trained sales professional takes the time to:

• Understand the objectives of the client or customer
• Make the best recommendation for them
• Educate them about the the cost basis for the price of that product or service

Then the customer will either find the money to get what know they now want, get it when they have the money, or somehow work out a phased in approach, if that is possible.

The problem with this it it takes time.  It takes time for the company to develop a valid sales process.  It takes time to find and train the right salesperson.  And most importantly, it takes them time to fully understand how to sell with that process so that they can make the best recommendations that lead to more sales.

If you are willing to invest time in learning how social media works, just as a company invests in a sales professional, you will have the time to enjoy the rewards of that investment - just as they enjoy the rewards of their training investment. This may be a good time for that.

This is The Time

I would imagine there are not too many companies too busy counting their money these days to take on new work.  This is the time to learn so that you can grow later.  It only takes an investment in your time.  Many companies are making this investment because they are willing to do just about anything to weather this economic storm, as they should. 

Learning social media marketing should involve more than just the skills for using it.  Before you get to that point, do some social media research to help answer questions like this:

• Is this a passing fad or something I can live without?
• How are other companies using it?
• Which networks or technologies are right for my company?
• Should I do this myself, build a team, or consider outsourcing?  Before you outsource, read my earlier post on building your business legacy.

Entrepreneurs, This is Your Time

In many respects, business is becoming more basic.  We are all doing more with less.  This is another way of saying we are working our butts off to remain a viable force in our markets. 

Entrepreneurs wrote the book on working hard.  Heck, even rock stars work hard.  You don't get good at anything without work.  Sure, you can enjoy a nice stretch after you put in the time to build an amazing quality product and a loyal customer base.  But if you take it for granted, it will soon become somebody else's.

Yes, social media takes time to get familiar with, to get results from it, and to sustain those results.

But time isn't usually a problem for small businesses that are committed to success.  They just need a commitment, a plan, and the dedication to work harder.  Is that a problem?

I didn't think so.

Photo Credit:  Saad.Akhtar

You Would Think

ESPN would create their own social media channel.

The Sporting Community

Last night I was half-working and half-watching the college football National Championship.  I may have fully watched the game if I had someone to share the experience with.  My thoughts drifted to my sports fanatic friends in other cities who I knew were watching this game. 

You would think this would be an opportunity for ESPN.  If they had a social media channel (or channels) of their own, they could bring all of us like-minded fans together.  That's not just a community, but a marketing opportunity too.  

We make a big deal out of which celebrities are Twittering, but what about the fans?  Those sports celebs wouldn't have a job without supportive fans.  ESPN already has the ability to aggregate much of the data, such as stats, replays, and bios on the players.  You would think they would be thinking about how to use that information to bring all of us together in a community that bears their name.

Augmented Reality

ESPN could be capitalizing on the emergence of augmented reality as one of the next social media trends.  Sports is an ideal applicaton for augmented reality, as it is already being used in small ways on television with the yellow first down markers.  There is a lot more that can be done. Can we not bring this to another level by combining the television network with an integrated social media network, one that augments the traditional viewing channel with the latest technology?

You would think this would bring more people into the ESPN fold, by unifying the sporting communities.  Imagine being able to tune into a game on TV and then tap into a social media channel where you can share in the banter, controversy, dialogue, conversation, and celebration?  You don't have to be alone either, you could be combining one group with another to create a real sporting community.

When I watched Ohio State win the Rose bowl, coach Tressel referred to the fans as the Buckeye Nation.  And when the Boise State Broncos defeated TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, their coach referenced the Bronco nation in his acceptance speech.  A nation sure sounds like a fairly significant community, one that could be easily marketed to if they were unified.  Hmm...

A Mega Opportunity

You would think there is a mega-opportunity here for creating a more enduring immersion into an event, whether that purpose is sporting or otherwise.  Thoughts of Avatar come to mind.  Who knows what the staying power of that film is.  Whatever it is, it could be extended even further.

The creation of a blockbuster film is actually an excellent model for this idea.  An extremely diverse group of people come together for a defined period of time, actors, technicians, investors, and then it's over.  It doesn't have to be over if there is a community to keep it together.  Let's face it, if you are a Buckeye Fan, or a Cubs Fan, you are in that community for life.  That seems like an opportunity.

Anyway, I was just thinking.

Photo Credit:  Aaronisnotcool

Dumb Things Business People Do

When it comes to using social media well.

1.  They Don't Do Their Research. 

Much of what I have learned about making social media work for me comes from following the leaders and learning from them.  This includes Mashable, Techcrunch, Chrisbrogan, Seth Godin's Blog, and Alltop.

If you are anxious to learn - go to these sites and use the search boxes.

Techcrunch is truly cutting edge.  Mashable and Techcrunch overlap a bit, with Mashable perspectives appealing to a wider audience.  Chrisbrogan and Seth Godin will freely offer opinions, just as I will, and most of them are well-founded.  Alltop is an aggregator where you can find more than you will ever need - thousands of blogs on a variety of topics besides social media.

To follow and learn from blogs, my recommendation is set up your Google Reader and subscribe to as many as you can handle.  Then set up iGoogle as your desktop where you can plug in the Reader, your blog, and other things like ESPN.com.  You choose.  What I like about the reader is I can research hundreds of articles at a glance, yet read only what applies to my business - all without cluttering my inbox.

2.  They Assume Too Much

Don't assume everything we all say is gospel.   While I don't rant, I opine, which comes close.  Chris Brogan will definitely rant, but not excessively.  And what's wrong with a little emotion to wake up a few readers.  We need it once in a while!

Also, if you are an experienced business owner, don't assume the tech crowd understands your 'brick and mortar' business.  They probably don't.  It's up to you to adapt to the new media ideas. You may wish to consult with a few gray hairs like me once in a while.

This gives you a reason to come back to this blog - to get a pragmatic perspective based on 30+ years in business - meeting payroll, acquiring new customers, dealing with excessive regulations.  You know what I'm talking about.

3.  They Cling to Old Habits

Look out, here comes an opinion.  How many of you are still using the Microsoft browser because it came with your computer?  Do yourself a favor and go to Mozilla.com and download the Firefox browser and make it your default.  Firefox now has the majority of the market, compared to the about 10% when I started using it.  Don't take my word for it, go to Techcrunch or Mashable and see what they have to say.

One great benefit to Firefox is the ability to drag and drop a bookmarklet to make your blogging or use of many social media sites easier and faster.  Some of my favorite bookmarklets are from Typepad, Evernote, Tbuzz and Bit.ly.

Typepad is the blogging platform I prefer.  Evernote is a wonderful site for bookmarking web pages into notes, and otherwise organizing any note for any type of endeavor, and you can carry it all on your iPhone with the free App.  Tbuzz is a site that gives you a shortened url of a page that you can push to Twitter in one click.  Pretty slick.  Bit.ly does the same thing with one or two  more clicks, but also gives you analytics to boot.

Finally, I'm not saying anyone is dumb ... or dumberer.  All of this is easy.

• If you don't like research, assign it to a staff member.
• Back up your assumptions with solid research.
• Build habits that support your social media marketing objectives.

And don't hesitate to drop me a note about what you may like to read about in the future. 

I'll even do the research!

Photo Credit:  Jungleboy

Do You Have a Social Media Callback?

"A girl phoned me the other day and said..... Come on over, there's nobody home.  I went over.  Nobody was home."     Rodney Dangerfield

Rodney was the master of the callback.  What's a callback?  A simple word, phrase, or sound that is clearly identified with you - and only you.  And what was Rodney's callback?   That's right - "I get no respect."  Whenever you hear that, you remember Rodney Dangerfield. 

In the early days of modern marketing a type of callback was created to market a brand. They were called advertising slogans, specifically because it took a lot of advertising to create and support them.  And in the days of mass marketing, slogans were quite effective at building a memorable brand. You may remember a few of them:

• Good to the Last Drop - Maxwell House Coffee
• The Pause that Refreshes - Coke
  
• Just Do It!  - Nike

That era of  marketing is now history.  Those slogans were only memorable as a result of enduring mass marketing campaigns that were costly, and during these challenging economic times, are going to fall on deaf ears.  This is the social media era. Now is the time for authenticity.

Business used to be about companies.  Now its about people.  This means a simple little callback that speaks to who you are, what you do, and who you do it for can be a valuable marketing tool for any business.

This also means entrepreneurs and small business owners like you, who are already close and personal with your customers, are now in the drivers seat.  This is your time.

While a self-deprecating callback may be perfect for a comedian like Rodney Dangerfield, something stronger and more positive is more likely to be effective for your small business.  What are you known for - or want to be? 

You have to understand the needs of your customers to determine that.  What do they really want to know that you can personally deliver on?  You may even consider phrases that we now use that you can make your own.

Like...No worries.

Callbacks work because they spread virally through the social media networks - by real people who happen to be your customers. Try to come up with three words that capture the essence of your business promise.

That's your callback. 

Make it your own.

Before You Drink the Social Media Kool-Aid

Build a Great Bio that is a Clear Statement of Your Purpose:   What You Do, Who You Do it For, and How they  Benefit.

Thanks to people like me who have been pounding the drum, a new segment of marketers are ready to jump head-first into the social media networks.  I encouraged exactly that in my previous post on how to make your blog better.  Shame on me. 

Wait!  Before you jump into this, take a little more time to get clear about what you are trying to accomplish. 

What Not To Do

Today I read a meandering blog post three times just to discern the point of the communication.  Then I searched for quite some time before I could even locate the bio of the author.  It was equally muddy.  

Later in the day I read a Facebook post about social media newbies who were just getting started with this platform by setting up their Facebook fan pages, a practice that any seasoned user will advise you to do after you build your foundation.  That fan page is like a billboard!  Shouldn't you solidify your foundation before you stand on that huge stage?  

Get a Grip on the Essentials

Jack Nicklaus has won more major PGA golf tournaments than any golfer in history.  And during his playing days, he began every season with a session with his coach to examine his grip on the club.  This is his essential leverage point as a golfer.  Your leverage point is your bio.  It is your statement of purpose.

How to Build a Great Bio

First, you have to be able to do it in 20 words or less.  That brevity alone makes a statement about your focus.  If you cannot do that, you will seriously undermine your efforts in this arena of nano-second attention spans.

Here's How:  Pretend you are being interviewed for a television spot.  The announcer is about to introduce you.  She will need to say this in a few seconds.  That means one sentence.  In that sentence she has to capture why you are here.  She has to capture:

1. Who you are
2. What you do
3. Who you do it for

If she cannot do that, 50% of her viewers have already moved on.

My suggestion is to examine the bios of the leaders in your industry, as well as leaders in other industries.  We work on our bios and never stop refining them until we are crystal clear.  So, make your best effort, and then test it with your customers to see if it resonates with them.

How does it sound when you say it out loud?  Give it the elevator test.  Can you imagine strangers asking you ....."ah, really, how do you do that?"  When you have achieved that response, your mission is accomplished.  Congratulations!

To give you an example, here is my television interview scene:  "I have with me Jeff Korhan, a .... new media marketer who works with entrepreneurs to enhance their Web visibility, reputation, and referrals.

That's 15 words.

Now go do yours.

If you care to share yours, leave me a comment.  I'll be happy to help you if I can.  That's what your social media friends are for.  Tap into their experience. 

How to Simplify Your 2010 Planning and Collaboration

Make a list.  Simple.

Or is it?  In this time of new media augmented reality, it is easy to go gaga over what technology can do for you.  Before you know it, you are so wrapped up in a loop of systems you forget the basics that got you here, namely, the venerable to-do list.

The to-do list has always been the gold standard for getting things done, regardless of your area of specialty, level of skill with technology, or hierarchy within your organization.

A couple of weeks ago I discovered a simple tool that makes the to-do list better.  Stay with me.  It makes it better by making it simpler, by sharing it, and by accomplishing all of that in real time. 

Simple 

Checkvist is the social media inspired application that I have come to love, especially at this time of the year when we are all making plans. 

I'm using Checkvist to capture all kinds of thoughts and ideas that I can then tackle one-at-a-time.  The simplicity of the keystrokes is what makes it work so well.  Once you memorize a handful of simple keystrokes, you can build your list in a few seconds and manage it accordingly, by adding a short note, prioritizing, and even color-coding - all with the flick of the finger.

Here's how it works:  A slap of the space bar strikes an item to show it as completed.   A simple 'enter' keystroke adds a new item to the list, two e's edits the field, and two n's opens a field for notes.  Simple.  Now tell me this won't make it a snap to create a list in less than 60 seconds?  You can also create cascading lists within a larger list that can be assigned to different members of your team.

And this brings me to what really makes this FREE site sing.

Sharing

I'm using Checkvist to collaborate with my consulting clients.  And they love it!  Checkvist allows me to share my lists by inviting others in to not just view the list online, but also to give them the ability to  participate in the creation, progress, and completion of those tasks.  My clients can now manage their budget by completing easier tasks on their own time, or if they choose, they can delegate it all to me. 

The feedback I'm receiving from clients is they enjoy seeing the list to get a sense of the agenda - what is necessary to get to the finish line.  They don't have to wonder what's next.  It's right in front of them.  If they have comments to make, that is easily done.  And it can be done on their own time.

Real-Time Collaboration

Much like Google Wave, Checkvist allows me and a client to collaborate, in this case by building a list together.  As soon as one of us adds something to the list, it is right there for all of us to see.  And if one of us decides to modify the list during the wee hours of the night, that information is readily shared.  Here's how:

Checkvist will send you an email to let you know that progress has been made by the other users.  This particular feature is only available with the paid version, which costs a nominal $15 for six months.  If you still want to keep it free, no worries.  You can also accomplish this through a self-generated email to the other users - all straight from the Checkvist platform. 

Here are some lists I'm working on that will give you ideas for getting started.

• 2010 Goals and Objectives - This is THE list we are all working on.
• Dr Bill Dean - A client who is an expert in the science of energy healing.
• Cody Landscape - Another client who is a top landscaping firm in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Week of January 4th - Just what I need to hit the ground running.
• Whenever List - Those things I want to do whenever I get the time.
• Motivation - Thoughts to remind me to be thankful, how to stay focused, and things like that.  I take a peek at it every morning just before my daily meditation, right from my iPhone. 

Checkvist does not yet have an iPhone or Android app, but for the time being, you can use Checkvist.com/m.

I've been communicating with the folks at Checkvist on Twitter.  You can do the same by following @checkvist_news on Twitter. 

Are you ready to make a list?

Try this:  What is the one problem your clients most need solved?

Now break it down, share it, and get it done!

Photo Credit:  Ebby

Proof We are Not Overly Connected

Do you get a response to all of your emails, Tweets, and Facebook posts?

How about 50%.  That is a more accurate estimate, isn't it?  Do I hear 25%?  You know what I'm talking about. As many of us give our perspectives on the high points of 2009, as well as the trends we see shaping up for 2010, a common theme that you are hearing is 'connectivity overload.'  Incidentally, tomorrow I will be wrapping up my three part series on 2010 Trends for Small Businesses when I focus in on sustainable communities. As you may expect, I'll discuss how social media is strongly influencing these trends.

For now, one thing I am emphatic about is that we are far from being 'overly connected.'  My belief is we are overly disconnected - from people.  Hey, I am just as guilty of this from time to time as many of you are.   Yes, I have my face in this computer more than I should.  I will even go so far as to say I am addicted to media, to news, to the next thing.  It's fun to learn, isn't it? 

Nevertheless, if you are a friend of mine, you can bet that I will return your email, your Tweet, and even your Facebook wall post.  That seems like the right thing to do.  This is what builds relationships.  It says you care enough about the sender to respond in kind. 

I've always said that social media will make you a better marketer because it puts a spotlight on your communications, and in the process, places some accountability on those communications.  Yet, this doesn't seem to matter to a lot of people.  Do you agree? 

Take a look at some of the mega social media marketers like Chris Brogan and Seth Godin.  They respond! A friend of mine was surprised that Seth returned his emails.  I'm not.  I cannot say I'm a friend of Chris Brogan, but I follow his blog that gets upwards of 100 comments a day.  And you know what, he responds.  Yes, he even responds to people like me.  I appreciate that.  And I guarantee if you do the same, you will build a larger community of friends, prospects, and customers too.

You would think that people would be over-communicating these days.  Why?  Because the economy sucks.  Why else?  Because social media makes it so easy to do so.  Guess what?  They aren't!  It honestly boggles the mind.

Click!  Light bulb.  That's right, this means there is an open field of opportunity just waiting for you and me.  All we have to do is connect, communicate, and build community through the simple action of being responsive.  O.K., I suppose that is technically a series of actions.  OMG, that sounds like work.  The question then is how badly do you wish to succeed.

You don't have to be a marketing genius like Seth Godin, or a an uber-multi-tasker like Brogan to build a successful business.  You just need to do something reasonably well, and do it consistently.  My belief is this is a vital ingredient in any marketing plan.  Marketing is synonymous with communication, and these days, it's all about personal communication. 

This the undercurrent of new media marketing.

Social media marketing doesn't do a anything for you that you are not already doing well.  What it does give you is the power to do everything better - by connecting you with people who are aligned with your message, your product and service, your personality and character, and your energy and spirit.

That's a big promise. 

Tune in tomorrow and I'll deliver on it.

Did I just make a promise? 

Yes. 

Photo Credit:  Mickal

What is Collaboration?

To work together, cooperate, join forces, unite.

Yesterday I elaborated on collaboration, the second of three trends for small businesses for 2010 that are being encouraged by a variety of converging influences, with social media being one of them. 

I've been wondering if we can harness the power of these converging influences by uniting the talents of the people in the markets where we work by capitalizing on this increased collaboration.  Maybe you have considered the same.  Here's a perspective you may not have considered.

Yoga 

When I began practicing yoga about 15 years ago, it was still an anomaly here in the Midwest.  These days its as common as going to the gym to push some iron.  To each his own.  I prefer to do both, so in a way that is my yoga. 

The word yoga is derived from the word yoke - which means union.  Yoga is the union of the mind and body, and if you believe in spirit, that too.  It's really a way of saying that everything works best when it works well together.  That is collaboration.

Where the body stops and the mind or spirit begins is subject of some debate.  It's enough to understand they are inextricably joined together.  That is most true when you have a high level of awareness.  That's one thing that yoga does for you.  It brings your awareness back to your body, which means it brings your mind and body together.  That awareness is key to the art of building solid business relationships.

There are actually eight "limbs" of yoga, according to the traditional definition.  Those postures you know as yoga are just one limb.  Meditation, the management of the mind, is another limb, along with other practices that are beyond the scope of this article. Just know that they all seek to build more refined levels of awareness.  And that is something you understand in all areas of your life, including the business side.

Social Yoga

I'm going to take some liberties here with this self-created definition.  When you think of collaborating with your markets, your customers, your business and social communities, you should be considering a balance of mind and body. In other words, collaboration in mind, such as on the social networks, should be balanced with personal, face-to-face collaboration - in body, so to speak.

The yoga tradition teaches us that when you achieve higher states of yoga, the mind and the body both disappear, with nothing left but pure awareness. This is where you have a spiritual experience.  This of course is not going to happen on a practical business level.  However, what is possible, if not entirely likely, is that the right balance of collaboration with the people you care about will lead to a higher level of creativity and accomplishment.  That's collaboration.

Collaborative Communities

No worries; you don't need to have a group hug with your customers!  Although, it's a nice thing when it happens, isn't it?  In a business context it may be surprising at times, yet it is welcome.  You and your customers should care a great deal about the success of your joint venture.  Quite simply, you can enjoy your collaborative work with others who are like-minded.

My suggestion is to think about your collaborative efforts with your customers as not necessarily work, but as uniting together as one mind.  To say someone has a mind of their own usually indicates they have ideas that are different from the norm, or at least different from yours.  Why not take those leading edge ideas and collaborate to make them work for the larger community.  

That's what we'll talk about when we wrap up our series on small business trends. We are living and working in uncharted waters these days. We have to think of new ways to accomplish in these tough times what may have been easy when the economy was easier.

In other words it's time to stretch - yoga metaphor and pun intended!

I'm up for it.  How about you?

Photo Credit: Myyogaonline

Small Business Trends for 2010

The Trends in a Nutshell

No. 1:  Human-Centric Businesses

Business used to be about companies.  Now its about people.

No. 2:  Collaborative Markets 

Markets are no longer about selling to buyers, but collaborating with them to develop better and more sustainable solutions.

No. 3:  Sustainable Communities

Organizations of people are evolving from exclusivity to inclusiveness.  This creates more sustainable communities where members place their trust in each other.

What do you see for your business?

The Evolution of this Perfect Storm

All of these trends are simultaneously converging to create a perfect storm of opportunity for businesses, especially small or entrepreneurial business that are characterized as having personal relationships with customers.

If you go back to the late '50's and early '60's, there was an emerging technology that changed the world of marketing.  That technology was television.  In the midst of an expanding post-World War II economy, middle class consumers embraced television.  Television had reach.  People had discretionary income.  And all of this created a new era of consumerism that helped make many brands household names.  

Television was a marketing technology that made everything more expansive by bringing it to a larger stage, and that fit perfectly with the growing economy.  What followed was a love affair with the automobile, highly stylized fashions, and countless consumer products guaranteed to make your life a dream!  Those companies were at the right place at the right time to capitalize on the converging trends of the day. Needless to say, some of those industries and companies are faltering today.

Human-Centric Business is Local

If you are an entrepreneur, YOU are now at the right place at the right time.

The technology that is transforming the business environment in your favor is social media marketing. It is giving everyone a voice at a period when people have gone through some tough experiences.  They want to move forward, but it is still uncertain where this economy is going.  Until that happens, they are looking for people to trust.  This means they are going to be doing business in their local communities.

This is why every Fortune 500 corporation has a presence on social media.  They know that business is going local.  They are seeing how social media is leveling the playing field to create equal opportunities for every company. In a nutshell, they want to be more like you.

Your challenge is to be who you are, a human-centric business that is willing to reach out even further than you already have.  Social media is a tool that is ideally suited for that, and most significantly, it's influence is sustainable.

What's the next step?  Collaboration. 

This morning I am presenting these trends to a group of green industry CEO's here in AL.  I'm sure our collaborative time together will generate rich insights.  I look forward to sharing them with you on parts 2 and 3 of this series.

Until then, leave a comment and tell me what you are seeing?

Why Tiger Woods Will Save His Marriage

It's a competition.

And this is one contest he needs to win.  Tiger knows there is no way to easily regain his confidence on the golf course without rebuilding the foundation that supports it. 

The Tiger Woods brand was formed when his primary relationship was with golf and himself.  That has changed.  Clearly, he will be making some dramatic changes in his life.  When he does emerge in the public domain, you can bet it will not involve golf, but his relationship with his family.

What defines Tiger Woods is his relentless ability to succeed in competitive situations, despite the odds, and maybe even because of the odds.  The odds are against him on this one, and that will only intensify the focus he needs to succeed.  If he can win this one, it helps him immensely in every other endeavor.  And  unlike it, those other challenges will always be waiting for him.

Despite pressure from sponsors and the PGA Tour, he will not relent until he has this part of his game under control.  The sponsors and the Tour understand this.  And so they will wait to the extent that they can.  Life is messy, but it is interesting.  And this scenario proves to be all of that.

What This Means for the Rest of Us

If there is anything this episode teaches us, it is that business is about relationships -  all of them.  Today social media is connecting communities with lighting speed and great accuracy.   Search engines now use real-time search to index everything we do.  With the social networks eavesdropping on more of our conversations than we know, like Tiger, we need to get comfortable with what the social networks do very well.

If Abraham Maslow is correct in his famous theory of the hierarchy of needs and desires, Tiger will do what every business or brand should be doing in this or any other economy.  He will focus on what matters most - those core relationships that we depend on every single day, and that we may sometimes take for granted.

I am frequently asked about the ROI of social media.  There are a number of ways to measure the value social media brings to your business.  Yet, while you can fairly easily measure the value a key customer brings to the table, it is exceedingly difficult to quantify this thing we call reputation. 

This much we now know:  Whether you are a celebrity or not, reputation may be immeasurable, but it is represents a drive down the middle of the fairway.  

That's something any of us can build on.

Photo Credit:  MarkLarson

Do You Trust Advertising or Friends?

What's the first thing you do when you see an interesting ad?

You call a friend to see if they will validate the product or service.  We have always looked to our friends to get their opinions because we know their frame of reference and we trust them.  With the advent of social media this inquiry is more easily accomplished than ever. 

Why then would anyone consider advertising?  Awareness is what comes to my mind.  Advertising is a suggestion to get or keep the buying process moving.  I seriously doubt in these times it results in a stand alone sale, unless of course the price point is so low that there is very little risk.  Or possibly if the purchase is one where, shall we say, getting a friend's opinion may be a bit awkward!

Our personal experiences and those of our friends are shaping new business models that are sure to include the most valuable advertising there is: the wisdom of friends.  If you are a business owner, you need real friends who can validate the value you bring to the marketplace.  I'm talking real friends here, no t the fake friends that you may be frantically collecting on Twitter. 

A few years ago I spoke to Caterpillar dealers at their Superbowl celebration in Orlando, an experience that I enjoyed immensely.  It is always a pleasure to be with a group of professionals who are genuinely interested in learning. There were dealers from across the country who converged to share best practices and learn how to connect with new markets.  One of those markets being the green industry that I was there to represent with my twenty years of experience. 

As I said, it was several years ago, long before social media had really found its legs.  The news I shared with them was the green industry is a market in excess of 50 billion dollars, yet a very fragmented one.  This is typical of most industries that are dominated by smaller, entrepreneurial businesses. 

If I were speaking to them today, I would strongly encourage strategic marketing initiatives for engaging with those entrepreneurs through the social media networks.  I would suggest a combination of advertising for awareness with a healthy component of engagement to get to know one business owner at at time.

That's how we share information. We all talk.  We trade notes.  And we value each others opinions because we know our friends understand how to get things done in the trenches just as we do.

I don't think advertising is dead by any means.

It just needs to be, hmm..friendlier.

Photo Credit: RoadsidePictures

The Easiest Internet Marketing Mistake to Fix

It's your signature.

While many of us communicate more than we ever imagined via messages on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and many other networks, we still rely on email as our main communication stream. 

Regardless of your social media savvy, you will surely agree that you still send more business proposals via email than any other means, short of possibly doing so with snail mail, or my preference, the original real-time method, face-to-face.

Why then are so many people shooting themselves in the foot by sporting email signatures that are laden with logos and buttons that connect to their Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook profiles?  My guess is they do not understand these HTML images practically guarantee their vital communication will be pushed into the junk folder of the intended recipient. Of course, the same goes for their e-newsletters, which have a variety of other problems that drive away customers.

I understand this tendency so I make a conscious effort to regularly check my junk folder.  Is this something you can count on your prospects to do?  I don't think so. It's not worth it!  For the sake of time we all move forward.  And that is what your prospects are doing.  They are moving ahead with what is clearly in front of them, which is your competitor's proposal.

As a former landscape architect, I am tuned into design.  And as an art lover, I appreciate color and the wonderful things designers can do with it.  However, as a businessman, I know that I have to temper my creative urges with my need to convey a message, as raw and stripped-down as it may have to be to safely arrive within the inbox of my targeted decision maker.

This is not an economy where you want to take a chance on missing an opportunity.  I know, because I recently missed one because I assumed my client would be sure to include me in their mix for an upcoming event.  I was wrong.  I am sorry and so are they, but that doesn't change anything.  All I can do is look ahead to their 2011 event. 

Do yourself a huge favor and stop sending emails that include anything other than text, links,and attachments.  If you need to send graphic images, they will normally arrive safely as attachments, but a link is still the surest method.  If  you have images embedded in your email signature or the body of your email correspondence, which includes your pretty logo and "follow me on Twitter" badge, you run the risk of missing your target up to 50% of the time. 

This is one of those "you don't know what you don't know" things, but it is easy enough to fix. Go green -  lighten up your signature to only text and links.  That's the solution.  Now you can sleep well knowing that you have effectively communicated, which was your initial intention, wasn't it?

With that said, how good do you want to be?  It is always a good practice to follow-up.  Ask for a confirmation of receipt at the close of your email.  If you don't get one.  Make a telephone call.

You will thank yourself for it.  

I guarantee it.

Photo Credit: Narisa

 

What You Should Do When You Get Here

What is social media? 

This is a question that I am asked to address in too many of my presentations.  It's a question that makes me want to stick a fork in my ear.  Maybe the reason is that you can easily learn the basics of this topic and any other by jumping on the Web and doing a search.

And right there is a clue to my frustration, as well as the frustration of those who ask the question.  They don't understand how to conduct a Google search, and this should not be a surprise, because to do this you first have to understand how Google thinks.  You have to understand how their system works. Do you really think the fellow at the grocery store is smarter than you?  Of course not, he just knows to send you to aisle 7 because he understands the store's system of organization. 

These days enough businesses are being led to social media that the more logical question becomes: What should you do when you get here?  Oops, you already missed a step.  This is a consideration that should have been made before you got here.  If you have to ask why you are here, then you are lost.  And being lost is never a good thing.

Let's assume you indeed have a plan for your business success, and you have a marketing plan that carefully subordinates those company objectives.  You are here.  Excellent.  Now lets take a look at what you should do if you are just getting started, and what you may need to adjust if you may have already jumped in without a solid foundation.

1.  Devote at least 1/3 of your social media marketing to listening and learning.  Use Google Alerts to monitor your company brand, personal reputation, and industry specialty.

2.  Use a personal photo for your profile, as opposed to an avatar or business logo.

3.  Standardize your usernames and profiles.  It will make your life much simpler.  Use namechk.com or knowem.com to search for availability.

4.  Start blogging.  This is the cornerstone of your social media presence that distinguishes your unique value for your customers and prospects.  Use it to help them solve their problems.  My favored platform is Typepad.  Here's why:

5. Don't try to "spin" your reputation or capabilities.  Social media amplifies who you are with amazing accuracy, so just be your best self.

6. Use multi-media messaging to make your your content consumable in as many different ways as possible, so that you can engage with as many people as possible. 

7.  Sharing is the grease that makes social media work.  Without this, there is no reason for anyone to link up to you.  And that means you don't have a reason to be here. 

Social media is a platform for interacting and engaging with people to make friends and build relationships that may create opportunities for your business.  This is what you should be doing once you are here.

If you understand this, you understand the most important thing about social media marketing: Business is a by-product of it.  And how do you find it? 

I think its over there on aisle 7.

Photo Credit: J-P-F

 

Here's What You Should Blog About

What should I blog about?

This is the most frequent inquiry I get from clients.  Do you know why this is such an interesting question?  Because you can blog about anything you please, notwithstanding a few guidelines that were recently laid down by the FTC.  New bloggers are like kids in the candy store with too much cash in their pockets.  They have no restraints, and this presents more choices than most of us are prepared to deal with in short order.

When I was in middle school in the early '70's, what we called "junior high school" back then, there was a curious thing called an underground newspaper.  This was a self-published document of potentially radical thoughts or opinions, created by the students, that was naturally in direct contrast to the establishment - the doctrine of the school system.  Eventually a teacher would get her hands on a copy and then the excitement was over.  But for a brief period, the students all felt like they had a voice. And that was exhilarating.

There was a great deal of work involved in preparing an underground newspaper because we didn't have copy machines, or any other means of easily producing them.  These documents were typed on a traditional typewriter with layers of carbon paper to create multiple copies - with multiple meaning about 2 or 3.  Of course, if one was brave enough to sneak into the office and use the mimeograph, more copies could be generated, which naturally resulted in trouble for everyone until the culprit was discovered!  But that too just added to the excitement.

When you have to fight a little to have a voice, you cherish the opportunity and take full advantage of it.  What if you didn't have this voice that blogging gives you? What then would you be dying to share with your community of friends or customers?  What is your most precious and valuable message?  That's what you should be blogging about.

These days we have easy access to a storehouse of literary works that includes time honored quotes, borrowed stories, and a great deal of history.  But these aren't yours.  Is this what you would share if you had just a few opportunities, or would you hunker down and write something that really matters - to you and your audience.  That's what you should blog about.

Everyone wants to have a voice,and this desire only increases as one acquires more experience and wisdom.  When you get to this stage in your life and career, you only need to borrow from your own personal storehouse of information.  This is the kind of wisdom that can really make a difference in the lives of those who haven't yet crossed as many fields or stepped into as many rivers and oceans.  This is good stuff that needs to be shared.  It is your garden. You only need to nurture it until it is ready for consumption. 

And if you do this well, it will be devoured.

That is what you should blog about.

Photo Credit: Douglemoin

Engaging with Communities

Many of us in the United States will be reengaging with our regular business communities after nearly a week of visiting or hosting family for the Thanksgiving holiday.  This ritual will again be repeated for a number of upcoming holidays, depending upon your faith, upbringing and background, and if you travel to warmer climates during the winter season, your geographic location.

Transportation methods, flexible work schedules and discretionary income have all contributed to the formation of more communities that we easily move in and out of.  The social media networks are increasingly taking this to another level, as communities of all kinds are now represented both on an offline.

How many different kinds of communities are there in your world?  More than you probably realize if you take the time to consider this.  These communities shape how you do everything in your life - how you work, how you enjoy your leisure, and how you make new friends.  So, this is my first challenge:  make a list of all of the communities that you engage with.  Think about work, play, education, clubs, activities, and associations and partnerships, and that list will quickly grow. 

Moving forward, you are going to become more aware of these communities and their value to your life and lifestyle.  You will start to measure that value.  Truth is you already do in some respects.  Why do many people join a health club when they can easily purchase the equipment to workout in their own home?  Why does anyone join a club?  As with most inquiries, the best answer is often that it depends.  Does it raise the quality of the experience?  If so, it  helps to answer the question:  "Why are you here?"

This past Thanksgiving week I engaged with dozens of communities that mostly involved family and friends.  This took me away from my usual business communities where I will be spending most of my time this week.  And I am looking forward to reengaging with those communities.  This variety is essential to leading a fulfilling life that grows and leads to new opportunities. However, it also makes me realize I need to start considering how I balance my participation, contribution, and engagement in every respective community.

It is interesting to notice how some communities overlap and others do not.  Most of my family members do not know a great deal about the type of work I do as a professional speaker.  They are mostly interested in how I am doing as a person - period.  Information in some communities seems to be transferred on a need to know basis?  This is just one aspect of how you can simplify your engagement with communities to maximize the value you receive and give to the other members.

How else can you  order your communities.  Please leave a comment below and share your ideas?  Here are some ideas that come to my mind that I am considering to balance out my online and offline community participation. 

Balance/Focus/Value

Boundaries/Rules/Exclusivity

Inclusiveness/Diversity

Trust/Acceptance/Friendship

Contribution/Participation/Integration

Education

Stability/Flexibility

Receptivity/Appreciation

Risk

Our time is valuable, and with the increased functionality of social media, it is possible to share nearly everything with everybody.  Anyone can do this, and it certainly encourages a great deal of discussion.  But will that discussion be as productive if  it were more ordered to encourage a desired result that is highly valued by the majority of the community? 

There is no wrong or right here.  You may believe there is no need at all to order your communities.  To that I will only suggest -  It all depends.

Photo Credit: Will Lion

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The New Playground - A Digital Conference Collaboration

This weekend I was very excited to wake up to a surprise in my inbox -  my advance copy of Google Wave.   I have to be honest, Google Wave doesn't make much of a first impression.  It is an uninspiring template that you have to learn to love.  Here is my suggestion on how to do that. 

Think of Google Wave for what it is - a playground. 

I have wonderful memories of the schoolyard playground where we played basketball, kickball, dodgeball, and many other activities that we either learned or invented together - because we had to.  If we were going to have fun on that little piece of asphalt at our elementary school, we had to create our own experience.   There is an interesting dynamic to playgrounds, just as there is to Google Wave.  It is a user controlled experience that demands cooperative collaboration. 

Playgrounds have some limitations.  There are both hard boundaries and some softer boundaries too.  However, you don't know which are which unless you are willing to push those soft edges to see where you can go.  In this respect, playgrounds reveal a great deal about who you are.  They help us to learn who are the leaders, the joiners and collaborators, the risk-takers, and the observers who prefer to hang out on the the sidelines and watch the action.  Wherever you fit, we all are participants who nevertheless help shape the overall experience. 

Google has carefully released advance copies of Wave in a series of drips to create a trickle that is building into a strong current of hype and excitement, at least among those of us who follow the technology trends.  We all know the real deal never lives up to the hype, and that is what I discovered, and what others have expressed on Twitter since the most recent release. 

Once you see what Wave looks like "fresh out of the box," you will understand the disappointment.  I'm convinced that reaction is unfounded once you realize how Wave can work.  This is your playground, and its up to you to do something special with it.  You have to make your own fun, and that means you have to get involved and do the work, which of course goes against the current of what some erroneously assume to be the rule of the road with social media.

Here's the thing.  Imagine you have the opportunity to either sit in a classroom and listen to a lecture, or go out into the playground to make some fun.  When I was in school we didn't care if it was raining or snowing, the playground was always the better option.  How about you?  Would you rather collaborate, make friends, and learn more about your capabilities with your colleagues, or would you rather sit there and have to take it as it comes  - like a lecture?

As a professional speaker, my job is to deliver a message that benefits an audience, and this is usually accomplished with a presentation that is conveyed from a platform.  Of course, I encourage participation and interaction, but there is no guarantee i will always get it.  When I do it is truly a wonderful thing.  It makes for a more enjoyable and beneficial learning experience for me and the audience, and I'm sure that then goes double for the meeting planner. 

There has been a great deal of discussion lately on blogs about creating a more interactive model of learning for adults.  Why?  Evidently, we have retained fragments of the memories of those playground experiences.  We can either sit back and listen to speakers like Jeff, or we can learn in a more collaborative environment with speakers like Jeff.  The only way we are going to evolve our conference learning model is to once again push those softer edges, and Google Wave offers some possibilities.

Last week Mashable.com shared some creative applications of Google Wave.  There is one in particular that got my attention in regards to this topic of collaborative presentations.  This use takes the Twitter hashtag experience of collaborating during a conference and and puts a tidal wave behind it.  The idea is simple:  Conference attendees can collaborate in real-time on the same playground using Google Wave to assemble a body of work that captures the unfiltered, present moment insights and inspirations of conceivably hundreds of participants. 

There is a fully documented account of this on the FreshNetworks blog.  Here's an excerpt:

“Here’s what happened: an audience member would create a Google Wave and others in the audience would edit the wave during the presentation. The result would be a crowd-sourced write-up of the presentation: a transcript of key points and a record of audience comments.”

I'm suggesting this could go even further to also include the conference presenter in the collaboration.  Imagine a presentation that gets better as it evolves into something completely original, something that has never been created before, and that is only created now because of this unique collaboration, by this audience? 

This week I am attending the Fall Conference of the National Speakers Association where a few of us discussed this topic at length.  There is risk involved with any kind of exposure, and there is certainly a great deal of risk in opening your presentation up to any and all comments.  I'm just considering that greater risk usually involves greater rewards. 

Maybe the question is how authentic are you prepared to be?  I envision a time when we won't even have to ask that question because social media will amplify and reveal our true nature to the extent that complete authenticity will be unavoidable.  How about you? 

Who wants to play?

Yes, I would love to read your comments and will be sure to respond in kind.  While you are at it, feel free to click on the green ShareThis button below to share with your friends.

Photo Credit:  Lulu Vision

Ten - A Big Day for Writing and Marketing

Over the last several months I have been coaching my son for his college entrance exams, packing up the "family truckster" to visit colleges, and generally learning a lot about the top business schools across the United States.

If you have been through this process you can relate to my enthusiasm.  Like so many other things in our society, the college experience has changed dramatically during the last thirty years.  This experience is more than a four-year rite of passage.  The process starts up to two years ahead of that, and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a tail that extends beyond the normal four-year education process.

In many ways, determining where you wish to study, what you plan to study, and where you hope to do that is much like writing a book.  There are many important decisions to be made, preparation is extremely helpful, and the work is never done until you have the prize firmly in your grasp. My son Zak and I are both in the same place with our respective objectives.

Today I wrote about 4,000 words for my book, while also helping Zak move his college acceptance process forward.  After a year visiting many schools in California, and still considering the University of Texas, the quality schools in the Big Ten are well represented on Zak's prioritized list.  I find it interesting that Ohio State and Texas, two of his top choices, are schools with powerhouse football teams.  Being a college football fan, this is totally alright by me!

Since this is Day Ten of my book writing project, I thought I would share something that we have been hearing from these typically big - Big Ten schools - that relates to marketing, and especially social media marketing.  "We are a big university that feels small."  What they mean is there are specialized programs that give students the best of both worlds - the advantages of being both big and small.  Everyone knows they are big schools, but what if you are looking for a smaller school experience?

My observation is they are delivering on this promise.  If you cannot find the major field of study you are looking for at Ohio State, the largest university in the United States, then it probably doesn't exist.  Even then, they will help you create a major just for you.  If you are interested in honors programs or international study, a narrower and more defined experience, no problem.  That is part of the curriculum too.

The marketing lesson here is to acknowledge the obvious characteristics of your brand and capitalize on them, while also addressing the perceived disadvantages.  Perception is a tough thing to change, but the power of social media allows all of us to do that in a short period of time.  You can not only use social media to this effect, but you can take your traditional marketing methods and adapt them to be more personal, and more human, which are characteristics of the evolving and increasingly humanized Web.

My favorite example of this, and one that I have included in my book, is this personalized postcard that my daughter Ali received while she was engaged in this process a couple of years ago. (Note the license plate - click on it to enlarge it.)   She is presently attending Indiana University and having a wonderful experience.  It is indeed a big school, but she has integrated well with her community at the Kelley Business School where she has made many friends, and that gives her that small school feeling.

As an entrepreneur who works primarily with entrepreneurs, I believe this creates one heck of an opportunity for all of us.  You can adapt to market influences, and you can quickly and effectively get your message out to that market.  You just need to think big, or small, creative or practical, green, or however you need to think to capture everything your company has to offer that is not necessarily obvious, yet vitally important to your customers. In most cases, this means taking a very human look at your brand.

Take five - no take 10. New media marketing is on your side.

Yes, I would love to read your comments and will be sure to respond in kind.  While you are at it, feel free to click on the green ShareThis button below to share with your friends.

Finding the Next Middle - Day 5 of My Book Project

When you are writing a book, one of your greatest challenges is not just writing something that is relevant now, but writing for a period of time in the future.  The tricky part is you don't necessarily want to create the future, you just want to be ready for it when it arrives.  A publisher would put it this way: "We don't publish books for markets that don't exist."

What does this mean to you and me?  Believe it or not, if your book is to be successful, you need competition.  Competition creates awareness.  You don't want to have to create the market for your book.  You want to show up at that marketplace with something that is newer, better, and different from the books that people are already considering.  You just need the right product that is available at the right time.

Finding The Next Middle

The next middle is the pond you are dropping your bait into - your book.  It is where your market will be fishing 3, 6, or even 12 months into the future, depending upon whether you will be self-publishing or using a traditional publisher.  The traditional publishers know that finding the next middle is exceedingly difficult, especially when your book is on a topic that is rapidly evolving, such as social media marketing, which of course is the topic of my book.

BookSurge and CreateSpace are two entities that have recently merged, and will soon operate exclusively under the CreateSpace name.  In all likelihood, this is how I will be publishing my book, because it is a means of getting to that middle before it vanishes.  Another key benefit of working with CreateSpace is it is owned by Amazon.  Selling through Amazon is not necessarily a picnic because they take a big piece of the action.  However, it is still financially more lucrative than going the traditional publishing route where you may completely miss the market.

Keeping The Game Real

There is a downside to getting into bed with Amazon. If you really believe you can be a New York Times bestseller, than you need distribution through Barnes and Noble, which isn't going to happen with this arrangement because the two are rivals. This is a big gamble for nothing more than bragging rights.  Unless you are a celebrity, you are most likely better off to forgo this dream and just put the extra profits into your pocket - and books into the hands of your market - your customers.  

Yes, it really is a game. Who is my market?  How many are they?  Will they be interested in my book as much now as they will a year from now?  My bet is on the short term.  This economy demands solutions now.  If you have a good one, you need to seize the day. If you are an entrepreneur you understand this.  My market is entrepreneurs and small business owners, so my decision is uncomplicated.

The End Around

Entrepreneurs are dreamers, and yes, some of us wonder if we can become the big fish - the solution that everyone is searching for.  No problem, you can always sell out to the major publishers.  Everybody likes a sure thing.  It has happened many times.  The One Minute Manager, The Celestine Prophecy, and  The Fred Factor, which was published by my friend Mark Sanborn, are just a few examples of successful books that were initially self-published.  They were successful enough to attract the attention of traditional publishers who were more than willing to help carry the load. 

When the lifting get too heavy, let someone else lend a hand.  Move on to the next book.  You are an entrepreneur first, and an author second.  Your work is complete.  Now you can just enjoy the ride and get started finding the next middle. It's down that road that is right ahead of you.

Photo Credit:  Aikiway

Book Project Day 4 - Find That Voice

Cheryl Crow wrote that Every Day is a Winding Road.  And that is how my book writing project went today; just as I was getting started I made a U-turn. Something was bothering me about the road I was on.  Either that or maybe I had to see it in a new way.  So, I rewrote my chapter summaries in a new voice, with a little help from a 'new voice.'

The voice I imagined was this.  "Look Jeff, just cut through the noise and show me how to use this social media stuff. No B.S.  Lay it out for me.  I'm a successful businessperson.  I've been around.  I'm street-smart.  I don't need the 'dummies' version.  So, don't talk over me just because I don't understand this technology.  Talk to me."

That's the voice I had in my mind, with a picture to go with it, thanks to an excellent comment on yesterday's post from fellow speaker Gilda Bonnano to use the power of visualization.  What Gilda may not have known is I'm a huge believer in visualization, having suggested it at the close of a recent post on getting the most out of conferences and trade shows.  Nevertheless, we all need a gentle reminder once in a while, and this one was both appreciated, and exactly what was needed.  That voice helped me find the right voice for my writing.

Suddenly, I was in that special place where time stops because you are so jazzed with what you are doing that you are not even aware of it.  I was writing and reorganizing when I excitedly realized, "now I've got this baby in my sights!"  It is still out there, but it's not nearly as distant as it was yesterday.  This can only happen by getting into the hunt, getting into the race, getting into the game.  Whatever metaphor works for you, use it! 

Every day is a winding road, and it leads somewhere, but you aren't going to know where that is if you don't take a good hard look ahead.  This certainly works for writing a book, and it's sound advice for getting traction with your social media efforts too.  Will you be ready when that big whale of a fish jumps out of the social media waters?  (Yes, ha ha, I know a whale is not technically a fish. I'm nutting this out for clarity because a whale looks like a fish!)

Do you have your business in order to handle the work you are trying to get?  What happens if you get that dream inquiry and you are unprepared to respond quickly and professionally?  Then all of this work has just been play time.

Experience matters.  If you don't have enough of it, you still have to at least be ready when it comes your way.  I've said before that social media is a dangerous place to 'fake it till you make it.'  There are a lot of people out there with a lot  of experience that want to know how you can help them.  And they can spot a fake a mile away.  So just do your best, but know that social media a tool like any other that requires learned skills and consistent effort if you plan to get results with it.   

Now go fishing.

Yes, I would love to read your comments and will be sure to respond in kind.  While you are at it, feel free to click on the green ShareThis button below to share with your friends.

Book Project Day 3 - Goals and Intentions

Since social media is about authenticity, I have to come clean.  I've thus far only written the introduction for my book, yet my chapter outline and key points are coming together nicely.  The truth is I had a speaking engagement today and the audience (customers) always come first.  It was a small gathering of like-minded professionals with the Illinois Chapter of the National Speakers Association.  The subject was social media marketing, and the collaborative discussion we had stoked the coals of my mind. 

By my calculation, I'm about 7,000 words behind schedule.  Add another 4,000 words to that for what I had already planned for tomorrow, and I can see I've got my work cut out for me.  For some reason I'm not stressed out because the script for how this film will play out is getting tighter and more clear. In fact, a conversation I had today with my friend and client Dr. Bill Dean has been especially helpful with that. 

While I have been helping Bill to ramp up his social media presence, he is helping me in kind with creative insights from entirely new angles.  That is what I love about social media.  It reflects how things work in this social world we call life.  I suppose before social media we didn't really consider how much we learn from those who are part of our team. 

Bill recently made a post about The Energy Technology of Intention.  He has some fascinating insights about how you can not only improve your health by understanding how the energy of the human species works, but you can also use this knowledge to achieve more in your work.  Great, now we are speaking my language.  It seems it is important to know where I am going with this project, yet also equally important to let go of exactly how I will achieve that goal.  In other words - Chill Jeff! 

So, I will keep an iron hand on the tiller and stay the course with confidence that I can achieve my intended goal,  because now I have science behind me.  That is comforting.  I've always believed that success is a by-product of confidently working your craft.

Tomorrow is a clean slate with no distractions.  At least none that I know of at this time.

I'm predicting big things tomorrow.  And I need sleep.  So, I'm going to turn the page on this day and take my intention to that social network where just about anything is possible.  And when I wake up, I'll type it up.  Yes, I guess intentions do manifest themselves into goals.  I can see it well, and the next steps are right in front of me.

Photo Credit:  Eric Brian Ouano

Book Writing Project Day 2 - How to Be Different

Research is not a part of the writing process that I particularly enjoy, but it is absolutely necessary.  You have to do it, do it well, and do most of it before you get started.  I'm realizing I may only have done an average effort with it, and as a result, I have lost a day of writing.

I'm not too worried about this because I know it is better to start well and build momentum, rather than muddling through a faulty premise.   To put it bluntly, you need a razor sharp statement about why your book is different.  Your audience has to know without hesitation that your book is the answer to a problem they have that is worth solving.  That is, of course, if your book is targeted to a business audience.

One purpose of my book is to cut through all of the B.S. of social media.  Sometimes I wonder if God didn't invent social media to see how we would use it, you know, as a test.  There is a lot of power there and using that power well is a huge responsibility.  Some people are not trying to abuse that power, they are just clueless about how to manage it.  In some ways, this is a lot like the process of writing a book, isn't it? 

Today as I organized my chapters and major points, I realized I have several social media books in me - using social media to grow a small business, building sustainable relationships, enhancing customer service, increasing referrals, .... and much, much more.  I am so glad my friend Judd Hoekstra made a comment on yesterday's post that cautioned me to focus on a few key points, rather than trying to  "boil the ocean."  I really like that, because that's exactly what I was preparing to do.  Judd knows what he is talking about as he has co-authored several books with legendary business author Ken Blanchard.

Would you like to hear my great aha for the day?  For months I have submitted proposals to traditional publishers.  To their credit, they were much more approachable than I had expected, especially considering I wasn't using an agent.  My challenge was to sell them on my book idea, why it was different than anything else on the market, and why that market would line up to buy it.  I did an equitable job at this, as one of them gave me a verbal yes. 

However, now that I am writing solely for my audience, having elected to self-publish, I am experiencing a freedom of expression that would have been stifled by thoughts of ...."I hope my publisher agrees with this."  I know my customers, and I'm sure you know yours.  There is an understanding with them that you have that is beyond words.  When you know, you know; and whenever you have to check that against a distant third party, a portion of your message is lost forever -  maybe the most important part.

This may be my first lap around the track of book publishing, but I now sure of one thing:  If your book is going to  be different, it has to be the one you want to write.

Photo Credit:  PaperbackWriter

My Book Writing Project Launch - Know Your Audience and Yourself

How This All Started

My friend and the recognized self-publishing expert Dan Poynter, better known as The Book Guy, is known for saying everyone has a book inside of them.  I know I do, and I'm going to prove it over the next couple of weeks. That's right, weeks.

While I have yet to put pen to paper, in many ways this book has been percolating in my brain for the better part of a year.  If you are a regular reader of this blog,  you know I have been examining perspectives on social media marketing from as many angles as an entrepreneur can have - and there are many, many more to examine, given the millions of entrepreneurs and business owners out there.  I like that! 

Why are We Here?

So, it is that path that I plan to explore.  After speaking to thousands of entrepreneurs from numerous industries over the last couple of years on this topic, I believe I have a good idea what is needed for small business owners like you and me to take full advantage of this revolutionary marketing platform.   Naturally, having been an entrepreneur myself for over the last 20 years, I intend for this book to especially help you get business traction with social media in the simplest way possible.

The true purpose of this series of posts is not to just take you through the process of writing a book, getting it published, and marketing it, but to show you how bringing your audience into your personal world is a humanizing and effective use of social media.  Here's the thing:  since I'm not a social media guru, rather a business owner like you who happens to have a solid understanding of this platform, just following along is a likely way for you to learn from the perspective of another entrepreneur - me. 

I'm a regular guy who is writing for regular guys (and ladies) like you.   Suspend your disbelief and lets take a trip together.  What can you expect to learn:  how to use the power of intention for accomplishing a major milestone,  how to orchestrate a successful marketing campaign using social media, and possibly how traditional marketing methods need to be ruthlessly reexamined if you plan to excel in the new economy?   

Why This Will Work

The first step when undertaking a project like this is to clearly understand who you are so that you can build a system that works for you.  Putting that another way, how do you get your best results?  This is a vital consideration, and exactly why I am taking this particular approach.   

Here's what I know:  I work best under the pressure of peer accountability and short-term deadlines.  How do I know this?  From experience mostly, but there is also another way to gain some insights into your preferred way of getting results.   Take the Kolbe A Profile.  If you need help getting started or interpreting the results, my friend Jason Cupp is a Certified Kolbe Consultant who will gladly help you out. 

Back to the plan.  I will write this book, somewhere around 200 pages, plus or minus, within the next 15 days.  That will be the first draft.  I will share my progress, the thrill of victory, and the lessons learned from the occasional mistakes.  Whatever happens, I can assure you that it will be real.

For clarity, I have not yet written a single word.  I have a title that I am very excited about, especially since I have also managed to secure the matching URL's, but for now I will be keeping it to myself.  The process begins right after I hit the "publish" button on this post. I will write an average of 4,000 - 5,000 words per day to get the first draft done.  Then I have some business responsibilities and holiday travels planned.  After the Thanksgiving holiday I will be on a tear to get this book published in time to offer it up to audiences that I am already scheduled to speak to this winter.  What's possible?  Join me and we'll both find out.

How You Can Work With Me

What interests you about this endeavor?  Let me know by leaving a comment. If you can get involved with me, I have a feeling you'll learn a few things too.  Do you have resources or ideas that have worked for you?  Would you like to write a book some day?  Have you tried and failed.  Have publishers rejected you too?  Let's share everything we've got to help as many as we can.  Tomorrow I'll share some thoughts about publishers and self-publishing. 

Anything else?  Uh, yeah...wish me luck!

Photo Credit:  Libraryman

How to Score at Trade Shows and Conferences Using New Media

Trade shows and conferences are time-honored business events that are presently experiencing significant challenges.  In this tight economy, attendance at many events is down, and some are questioning whether we should reinvent the format, or even if we should have them at all.  

The forces of social media are influencing how adults want to learn.  We want to be engaged.  We want to be involved, and we want to participate in the creation of solutions that affect our businesses.  This means we need trade shows and conferences, but maybe with more emphasis on interaction that gives attendees, vendors, and and presenters alike an equal voice.  

This week I will be an attendee and a presenter at the GIE/GIC - The Green Industry Expo and Conference in Louisville. I have been attending this event since 1995 when I was building my practice as a green industry professional.  Now I am a consultant to this industry, so I am able to give a perspective from both angles for maximizing the ROI from such an event.

Hollywood likes to characterize the conference attendee as a disheveled businessmen who is clueless about his local surroundings.  This is usually typified by the guy who is out on the town trying to look cool to score a date while being completely unaware he is still wearing his nametag. I believe that stereotype is behind us, especially in this economy.

The one thing we are all trying to score is new business. So, lets look at how you can maximize your ability to score a return on your conference investment by using lessons from the social media networks that give us some excellent clues about social engagement.

Be Human

Being human is the first step with social media effectiveness, because it mirrors what works in real life situations. Regardless of your objective at trade shows and conferences, your first goal is engagement.  The best approach for accomplishing this is to just be a human.  Learn what is going on in the lives of your customers and peers.  Find out how the family is doing.   I'm sure you've noticed this from the true professionals in your industry - the class acts that everyone respects. They aren't showboating about their latest success, they are just being human.  And we remember them for that.

Friends First

When you meet someone new, get to know them first before you offer up your freshly printed business cards.  Walking up to someone and eagerly pushing your business card into their hands is the same as subscribing everyone to your eZine list without their permission.  This is interruption marketing.  Try permission marketing. 

Permission marketing is engaging with people on a personal level first, so that you earn the right to present your business card or brochure. Make this a personal challenge.  Don't be the first to bring up business. Then when you are asked for your card, show it with pride.  You just scored.  Better than making just a business connection, you also made a friend you can build a relationship with.  This is exactly how it works on the social networks - friends first.

Social media is much more than broadcasting your message.   You want to create a dialogue so that everyone can learn more and make better decisions.  Since we know the social networks are great for this, you will want to improve the effectiveness of your business cards by incorporating your social media addresses.  My card is below if you need an example to get started with.  For my latest order ,I used overnightprints.com - they did a great job, delivered quickly, and the price was very fair.  Note that my usernames are consistent.  This way people can find me if they don't have my card, but have a decent memory.

Travel Light

Travel light to avoid looking like a tourist, even though we all are visitors at these events.  You have to resist the temptation to load up on all of the junk that everyone else is packing.  Carry a light load so you can be ready to easily shake hands, lend someone a hand with their load, especially an association staff member, or take in an impromptu dinner without having to make a trip to the hotel to drop off your 'luggage.'

These are lean times my friends.  Maybe you are enjoying a great year and want to tell everyone about it.  Resist the temptation.  In most cases, you will remembered more by the way you handle your interactions.  This is something social media teaches us.  Be a giver first and foremost, and be prepared to add value to every relationship you have.  Just let the opportunities unfold on their own time.

Bonus Tips

For those of you who like lists, you will probably like this one. 

Prepare - Jot down one thing you want to discuss with those people you hope to connect with so you can naturally do a little business if the opportunity presents itself.  If you have been networking well with social media, this will be a natural transition for taking that virtual conversation offline to get some business accomplished.

Be Visible - Use Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to broadcast the sessions you plan to attend so your peers can keep an eye out for you.  Pressed for time?  Use sites like http://hootsuite.com to schedule your Tweets in advance.  I like to do this to Tweet during my presentation, when in fact I've actually scheduled them days prior.

Share - Use social media to highlight the good works of others.  Did you notice a new product at the show that is helpful for you business?  Spread the word.  Just attended a great presentation? Let others know so they can get the handouts before they are gone.

Pick up the dinner tab or a round of drinks.  Bring a small gift or two for nobody in particular.  I enjoy a cigar once in a while and have friends that do.  While I won't have time to enjoy one at this event, I'm bringing a few for my cigar aficionado friends to say thanks for being a valued resource.

On the healthier side, you can share a workout.  I've already had an invitation from Facebook so I'm bringing my gear to log a few miles with an industry friend.  This is a nice break and an excellent way to share quality time.

Engage - Bring your camera or Flip Mino camcorder to shoot a video that captures the excitement and action.  It's a great way to capture the energy of the event on your blog when you get back home.

Be Green - Take what you need.  I used to pick up the little promotional do-dads when my kids were younger.  Now that they are in college, or soon will be, there is no need for me to bring trinkets home that I am just going to toss out. 

Visualize - Who is the special person you are hoping to connect with, that recognized expert in your industry?  Jot their name down in your trip folder with some ideas to share - this is a visualization exercise - and it works.  Don't be surprised when they walk around the corner and you are prepared with just the right thing to say. You scored again! 

Remember, luck is simply opportunity meeting preparedness.  Help it along with some new media strategies and it will.

  

Yes, of course you can leave a comment.  And I'll be sure to respond in kind.  While you are at it, feel free to click on the green ShareThis button below to share with your friends.