Jeff Korhan

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

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

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

Two Words of Brillance

Ship it!

This is a brilliant way of reminding yourself to get something done.  Here's why.

You Feel Good About Yourself

When you get something done, you feel good about yourself.  This predisposes you to getting more done.

We all procrastinate.  In some cases we do so because we can, and in other cases because we fear consequences, whether we admit to them or not.  Just ship it.

Your Progress is Easier

You may be thinking this sounds a lot like "getting it done."  Yes, it does.  The problem with getting it done, for many of us, is it is negative programming. 

It reminds us of overbearing teachers or parents that pressured us, instead of guiding us to use our own initiative, which would have allowed us to feel good about ourselves. Ship it paints a picture in your mind that makes progress easier.

You Are More Likely To Remember

Tonight I attended my son Zak's banquet to celebrate his achievement of the Eagle Scout rank. That's him just below the keynote speaker with his head cocked and a strange look in his eye!

Zak shared this honor with 357 other young men from the area.  Most people know the Eagle Scout rank is the highest accomplishment a Boy Scout can achieve, and it is the result of years of accomplishments and building skills that they will use the rest of their lives. 

Significant projects, achievements, and other milestones are memorable because hard work was applied that resulted in a positive result.  The final step is shipping.  We forget about the hard work and the challenges, but we remember that we shipped.

The idea of shipping is not mine.  I learned it from reading Seth Godin's latest book, Linchpin.  You've heard me talk about it before.  I promise this will be the last time as I've finished it, and will be starting a new book tomorrow. However, I encourage you to check it out. Here's the link to get Linchpin from Amazon.

I'm sure they'll be happy to ship it to you!

How To Attract the Right Customers with Social Media

Just be honest.

Some people will like your message, and others won't. That's OK, because you are only interested in the ones that do. 

Brutally Honest

My friend Dr Marc Swerdlick is a brilliant marketer - but his message is not for everyone.  And that is exactly why he is so successful as a marketer, and as a small business owner.  He doesn't compromise.  He doesn't water down his message to attract a larger audience. 

When you know Dr Marc personally, you understand his brash style of marketing reflects exactly who he is.  He's not trying be controversial; he just is.  Many are offended by his style.  And many others laud his pragmatic approach because it has helped them to get results.  Customers choose what they like.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

If you blog long enough, you will get comments that your content is either too general or too specific.  This is the Goldilocks syndrome.  It's never just right! 

You will be appreciated most when you do what you believe is right. That's all you can do.  Great artists like the Beatles and Bob Dylan understood this. That's honesty.

There is a range of capabilities and experience with any group, market, or audience.  And it is easy to respond to that by adjusting your message.  When you do that, everyone loses - both you and your customers.

Yesterday my post gave my 27 favorite blogging tips.  I wrote them for those that were saying I don't give enough practical steps for getting results.  I could have given them 101 tips!  I get them, because when I sit in on presentations by those that do what I do, I am often thinking that while they may know a lot about what works for them, I need to know how to get results with my business. 

One size doesn't fit all.  Having consulted with many small businesses, I can assure you they are all different - different markets, different capabilities, and different goals.  That is why I try help my audience understand the larger picture so that they can then better help themselves - without me, by learning with me.

Help the Ones You Can Help

I can't help everyone and neither can you.  Your style, your message, and your experience will only work with those that you understand, and that understand you.  

Read Seth Godin's new book - Linchpin.  He covers at length those fears that we all deal with that compromise our work.  And he provides some great insights and practical tips for exorcising those demons.

If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner who wants to learn how to use social media well, I believe you are at the right place - one of them anyway.

Stick around for a while.  Subscribe to this blog and I will help you to enhance your Web visibility, enhance your reputation, and attract more of the right customers.

The ones that are right for you.

Photo Credit: Mimax

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. 

The Only Writing and Speaking Tip You Need

Trust yourself and the right words will come.

We are Different, and the Same

Today I had a conversation with a green industry peer about how to speed up the process of writing a good quality blog post.

I had a similar conversation with my son Zak about giving his next presentation in his high school speech class without notes.

And to be honest, even though I speak professionally, I have to remind myself of this in preparation for my speech to tree care professionals tomorrow.  Yep, I get anxious before a big talk - and sometimes even a small writing project.

Learn, then Forget

Here is a post I wrote on speed blogging.  There are links in there to several other sources.  This will help you to build your skills.  But that isn't what I'm talking about here.  You can have all the skills in the world and still struggle.  You actually have to learn to go beyond those skills.  You have to trust.

If you sweat the details, seek perfection, and do all of the things you and I were trained to do through our formal education, then you still may fall short of your capabilities.  I'm suggesting you may want to learn to forget - not what you know, but how you apply what you know.

Here is a personal example that may help you.

Get in the Groove

I have some time this evening to practice more for my presentation tomorrow - and I will.  However, I am confident I know the material.  I just need to get off to a good start and I will be fine.  More practice is just going to wind me up and increase the anxiety.  So what is my secret? I'm doing it now.  Blogging!

I discovered by accident that writing settles me down before a presentation.  What works for you?  What will help you hammer out your blog posts in record time. It may be as simple as the right piece of inspirational music that gets you jazzed. 

Give it a try.

But more importantly, learn to trust yourself. 

My friend shared this quote from Mark Twain that is insightful and humorous - and true.

" I know my worrying pays off and helps fix things because any problem I worry about never comes about!"

Photo Credit:  WallyG

Game Changers

Tony Hawk

This morning I read this New York Times article about Tony Hawk, a man who transformed skateboarding into a legitimate sport.  After reading just a few paragraphs, you get the idea that success was merely the by-product of Tony's career path.  More important is that he followed the path he believed in.

Sean Payton

This evening I watched the Super Bowl and realized, once again, that if you believe in what you are doing, and you act on those instincts, you indeed can be game changer.  I doubt that it works all of the time, but it did this time for Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints. 

Here's what Coach Payton did:  

In the first half, instead of settling for a field goal on 4th down, he went for the touchdown.  And he failed.  But he sent a message to his team that he came to win.

He started the second half with a successful on-side kick,which led to a touchdown. This may have been THE game changer.

Then he went for two points after the next touchdown.  He succeeded again after the initial ruling was reversed.

And as we all know, the Saints won the game.  They are officially the Champions of the 44th Superbowl. 

You

What does this have to do with marketing a small business like yours?   Virtually every small business owner secretly has a dream about being a game changer, whether they admit it or not.  This is why fans like us are loyal.  We see ourselves in those that succeed.  

You may not succeed in being a game changer, but you still have to go for it.  At the very least, you will dramatically increase your odds of building a successful company that serves a loyal customer base - your fans.

I hope these two examples will inspire you as much as they did me.  But inspiration isn't enough.  That's what others do for you.  You still need aspirations.  And there's only one place you will find them. 

And that is exactly why they can make you a game changer.

Photo Credit:  Maitri

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.

People and Business Systems

The right mix of these two ingredients is how you make social media work for your business.

People

People are arguably the main ingredient of any business.  This includes your customers, employees, vendors, and other partners that help you take care of those customers.  Without the right ones, it is tough to sustain a profitable business.  The right people are vital to the success of any business, and that naturally extends to the social media marketing of your business.

An Extension of Your Business

When you begin to think of social media as an extension of your business, it becomes easier to get the pieces into place to achieve the results you are seeking.   Anyone who has operated a small business for a period of time knows you always get more done with people you agree with in principle.  Talented superstars can make great contributions, but they often have a low tolerance for working with a team.

The Right People

While it may be beneficial to be friends with some of the social media celebrities, and thousands of people you hardly know, I will bet money that you will do more for your business if you focus on regular people like yourself that you can actually work with.  This is your team.

Business Systems

Your Team

While people are responsible for getting results, business systems help get those results consistently.  I love systems, but I learned the hard way that they need to be flexible if they are going to work well for the entire team.

Take an assessment of your most highly valued team members.  Are you running too fast or not leading strongly enough for others?  If your systems are counterproductive to the efforts of your social media network, you may wish to reconsider your approach.

A Social Media Viewpoint

We are still in uncharted waters with social media, a marketing medium that has turned the business world upside down in many ways.   There are many paradoxes associated with this platform.  For this reason, I'm going to suggest you consider looking at it from multiple perspectives before trying the next shiny new technology, as many are characterizing the latest 'gotta have (or do)' in social media.

Just as I would take at least two views of a putt I really needed to sink to win a golf match, I like to look at my social media marketing from a viewpoint that is both with the crowd - and without them.  It is then much easier to choose the best approach for me.

Here's an example.  When Twitter was young and many people thought the whole idea of communicating in short, rapid-fire bursts was bordering on the ridiculous, I was intrigued.  I wondered if they were missing something.  So I gave it a test drive that proved to be extremely productive.   The majority was only looking at it from one angle.

Now is Now

This brings us to today.   We are settling into social media.  We know what a blog is, and if you read my post from yesterday, you have more than enough reasons to blog.  The same goes for the social networks.

The Merge

What's next?  It's time to stop looking at social media like an alien, because it's nothing to be afraid of.  It's time to get up close and take a practical look at what it really is.

An extension of your business that should be treated like all of the other ingredients. 

Thanks to my green industry friend Steve Hoogenakker for the conversation today that inspired this post.

Photo Credit:  emeryc

21 Reasons to Blog

1. 1.To build a hub for your social media presence.  Everyone needs a home, and your blog can be your home on the Web.  From a social media perspective this is where I live.  This is my foundation where ideas grow into something worth sharing on the other networks - and offline.
   
2. To get found on the Web.  This may be the most common business reason for blogging.  Active blogs create relevant information that gets indexed, and that builds links, which builds the Web presence of the blog and those sites it points to.
3. To strengthen your marketing messages.  Blogging makes you a better communicator.  And in many instances, it does this by helping you communicate more concisely.
4. To provide tips and advice that help your community of fans and customers.  If you enter your business specialty into a Google search, it will give you a prioritized drop-down list of what people are searching for that relates to that term.  9 times out of 10 times they are looking for tips and advice.  Do this well, and your credibility skyrockets.
5. To test new ideas.   Why not test the waters before making an investment of time and money into a new project.  I did this recently to see if my readers were interested in a series that explored common small business marketing challenges.
6. To show off.  Your community likes to see you succeed.  Just be cool  about it.
7. To rave about the good works of others.  Seth Godin does a nice job with this.  He recently shared an excellent eBook on the psychology and art of pricing.
8. To help with a good cause.  Geez. I don't even know the guy, but again, Seth Godin recently did a nice job or raising several hundred thousand dollars for a good cause through the launch of his new book, Linchpin.
9. To entertain.  I'm not good at this at all, but here is one post about social media callbacks where I got lucky.
10. To celebrate or make an announcement.  Everyone enjoys a great success story!
11. To challenge.  Oh, believe me, I have wanted to write many posts like this.   I just recently let the string out when I wrote about why small businesses are confused about social media.
12. To apologize.  Social media is a platform that amplifies.  I've had to apologize on Facebook, but not here .... yet. :)
13. To unite a community.  First, it helps if your community is actively commenting on your blog.  When this happens, the energy is ripe for change.
14. To share.  How can you help your market, your community, to do more of what it wants to do?
15. To clarify or respond to a question.  When you solve a problem for one customer, why not post it for others to benefit from.  I like this reason a lot.
16. To collaborate.  The easiest way to do this is to leave a call to action at the close of your post to encourage comments.  I tend to highlight it in color to make it more noticeable.
17. To give a new perspective.   Try to do this without it being all about you, but more about being of service to the community.
18. To rant.  I don't recommend this, but it is still a popular use for a blog.  You decide.
19. To promote or sell.  This should be limited to less than 5% of your posts - maybe a lot less.  If your product or service is truly a good value and will help your readers, then go ahead.  This is how I feel about my CD: Strategic Social Media Marketing for Entrepreneurs.  It's a great overview that I carefully scripted and studio-recorded for those just getting started with this platform.
20. To document your business legacy.  I implore you to get started blogging if you haven't, for no other reason than to document your decades of wisdom and experience.  New prospects will often see their situation in your real life examples.  Here's a post I kicked of 2010 with to show how to do this to grow your business.
21. Because you can.  If you have a gift for communicating, then you should use it.  How do you know?  You just do.

How about adding to this list by leaving a comment to share your reasons for blogging?

The Simplest Social Media Strategy

involves the application of two skills: Attention and Intention.

Attention

Are you noticing any changes in the social networks?  I am.  I'm noticing that it is very quiet on Twitter.  This may seem like an odd thing to say because the number of people using Twitter it is huge.  However, unlike when it was young, Twitter is becoming so crowded with business messages looking to go viral that there is very little conversation. 

You can notice a lot if you use your attention.  Then you can adjust your strategy, and possibly put more effort into other networks.  That conversation on the early Twitter is exactly why I was able to achieve what I did back then. 

Now I'm giving more thought to LinkedIn.  This is where I recommend anyone new to social media should get started.  Although, I have to admit I haven't used it much over the years.  Lately, however, the functionality of LinkedIn has improved, and I'm finding more ways to engage with like-minded colleagues.

Look around and experiment a little.  I'm thinking of starting a LinkedIn group to work in conjunction with a new series with this blog on the small business challenges that many of us share.  I'm still not quite sure how I can be most effective, so I'm keeping my attention on it, with the intention of making it work.

Intention

When you make a commitment to accomplish a result, and you stick to your commitments, two things happen.  First, you tend to achieve your objective.  But more importantly, you tend to grow, which makes the next goal that much easier.

Whether you are here to learn, to help a community, or to build a business, or like me - all three, then you have to be willing to do the work.  And that is where we are going.

My belief is we are now entering a period where the social media networks are seeing a shift towards achieving practical results.  The more clear you are about what you wish to accomplish, the more likely the effort you make will connect you with those that you should be working with.

These are exciting times for anyone that is active with social media.  Many of us have worked through the various forms of technology to achieve a comfort level.  We now have our favorites tools.  We've settled in with the technology.  Now is the time to use those skills to be productive.

The logical question is this:  Why are you here?

I know that I am committed to helping other entrepreneurs and small businesses use this amazing platform to build a business that is stronger and more sustainable.  How I will do that will evolve over time and get better as long as I am doing two things:

1.  Paying attention to the what people in the small business communities want to do.

2.  Having the intention to apply my abilities to make it happen for them.

This simple two-step strategy can work for anyone.

And I love simple!

How about you?

Photo Credit:  Caro's Lines

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™

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

5 Tips to Keep Your Blog Fresh: A Series Inspired by 150 Posts

Variety in all of its forms will keep your blog fresh, and your audience engaged.

Yesterday we covered speed as a method for getting your blog read.  I suggested taking a fast food mindset to accomplish that. 

Before that I discussed how to create titles that build curiosity.  Freshness takes all of this, and your blog, to a higher level.  Take a taste and let me know what you think.   

1.  Frequency Sets Expectations - I put this one at the top for a reason.  Very few bloggers are consistent.  Therefore, frequency is an approach that creates new expectations that are, well, unexpected.  This keeps your blog fresh and your readers engaged.

Increasing your blogging frequency is a challenge that enhances the value of your blog.

2.  Share Original Stories -  Yesterday I spoke to a group of entrepreneurs in the tent rental industry.   A show of hands indicated 90% of them had been in business at least 20 years.  Imagine the customer stories they have experienced in that time.  There is nothing more engaging than a fresh and original story that is well told. 

Stories engage new customers by helping them see themselves working with you.

3.  Avoid the Rant - There is nothing fresh about the rant. We've seen it and we are bored with it.  It is a  method used by inexperienced bloggers who don't have stories to tell, or don't have the guts to tell them.  Furthermore, the rant is usually about you, not the prospect or customer. 

You can rant or rave. Which do you think most people want to hear?

4.  Write a Series and Vary the Rate - I have written several different series and all have worked out well.  This series is sequential.  You can also vary the rate by 'leaking' the posts out in a random fashion to build suspense. 

A series is like a realty show that keeps people tuned in.  

5. Just Write and It Will Come - Sometimes you have to start writing from the seed of an idea with the hope that it will lead somewhere.  If you are earnest, it will.  This is the best way to crawl out of a rut and give your blog the texture that keeps it fresh.  Just be prepared to ruthlessly edit the big chunks of waste.

When your blogging starts to get a little weird, you are probably on to something original.

Thanks for tuning in to this series.  I built it on paper on a 4 hour flight from Phoenix to Chicago when the battery to my laptop was dead.  I soon realized my abundant 'think time' resulted in an idea that was too long for one post, so I made it a series. 

This alone is a lesson in blogging. 

Be open to new paths and your blog will achieve new levels of freshness.

Photo Credit: BrittneyBush

 

Getting Your Blog Read: 5 Tips from 150 Posts - A Series

Build each post for rapid consumption by developing a fast-food mindset. 

Content is not king.  Speed is.  Readers want to know at a glance that they can quickly consume your message.  That makes the first visual impression critical.  Most readers expect to read a blog post within a minute, with 90 seconds being the maximum.  

1.  Short Paragraphs - My rule is paragraphs should be no more than three sentences.  If I get up to five, I find I can usually break that paragraph into two, or cut one sentence out and cheat a little to make it four.  My preference is always to break - even if one paragraph is only one sentence.  That one sentence paragraph is now a point of emphasis.  Here's an example: Haiti Reminds Us.

2.  Sub-Headings - Sub-headings help to give the reader a quick overview.  They show at-a-glance that you have taken the time to organize your material.  Often when I am writing and have that dreaded thought:  "Where is this going?" - I simply need to set up headings of 2, 3, or 5, and occasionally 4.  This forces me give the post the structure it needs to get it going places.  Here's an example: A Social Media Shift is Happening. 

3.  Links to Previous Posts - This actually slows down the reading process when those links are clicked on.  However, those bold links often serve as a form of sub-headings that provide additional emphasis.  Here's an example:  Writing My First Book:  A Fortnight of Lessons.

4.  Less Than 450 Words - If you are going to be a writer, you have to start counting words.  This is part of the language.  Writers don't talk about short or long, they quantify in words.  You can read 300 words in less than a minute.  Here's an example that is 350 words:  Can You Handle The Truth?

5.  Write Well - The most frequent, favorable comment I get is that my posts have a depth to them that resonates with the reader.  This suggests they are written well, and that takes time.  However, if you enjoy writing, you will take the time.   And if you take the time to write well, it saves your reader time because it will then read well, too.   Here's an example with a comment of that sort:  How To Be Where People Are Looking

I suppose the paradox with blogs is that they can be quickly consumed like fast food, while also being nutritious, meaning educational, too. 

I'll wrap up this series tomorrow with How To Use Variety for Engagement.  

If you have enjoyed this post, please leave a comment to let me know why.  And feel free to use the ShareThis link below to share it with your community.

Photo Credit:  Quinn.Anya

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. 

Small Business Ownership is Limited

to what you can manage and control.

That means if you cannot control it or manage it, it owns you. 

What Ownership Usually Means

Yesterday we learned social media marketing takes a commitment to working hard.  Yet, hard work doesn't seem like work at all when it generates productive results.  This had me thinking about the  work that sucks the life out of our businesses.

When I looked up ownership, then owner, and even own, all of the definitions were surprisingly vague.  The dictionary used words like possess, claim, and hold - words that fail to define.   

And this is my point exactly:  If you can only claim or hold something, then you have bought into the illusion of ownership.  You don't own your home; you only have a claim.  And so does the bank, who is in line ahead of you, which means that they own the house and you.

Real Ownership

While you clearly don't own employees, they are indeed human assets that you have to manage.  Yet, if you have to work at managing an employee, they own you.  The best and most productive employees don't feel like employees at all, but collaborators who are self-managed.  Besides, some day they will move own.  All you can do is to take advantage of the mutually beneficial collaboration.

For that matter, why not take the same approach with your depreciable capital equipment?  Get your mind right with it from the beginning.  Unless you have an awesome mechanic, and a bulletproof insurance policy and anti-theft system, you'll never feel like its really yours. So just lease it and let it go from the get-go. 

Manage Your Ownership

I realized the projects on my 2010 plate that are  getting done are what I have taken mental ownership of.  A case in point is this blog.  I own this blog, and for good reason.  It is an integral piece of my marketing plan.  When I see that plan working, it fires me up to do more. 

Today I took some action on what was not working.  I forwarded the url of my seriously outdated website truenature.com to this blog.  I'm here.  This is where I'm doing my best work. So, that website was not speaking well for me at all.  While I have to protect those links and the 10+ years of history associated with them, I made a decision that puts me in the driver's seat. I'll get it fixed soon enough.

Liberate Yourself

There are piles of files, books, and reference materials in my office that I'm realizing I will never need.  So they are getting tossed or donated to someone that may be able to use them.  Try it. 

Liberate yourself of whatever is owning you - get rid of it all.  

Remain Free

If you have to take on work that you don't want to, make sure you own as little of it as possible.  How do you do this?  Don't make long-term commitments.  And get outside help with it if you can.  As a small business or solo-preneur like me, there has never been a better time to outsource.

There is a lot of talent out there looking for work.  If you can't find it locally, try sites like Elance or 99Designs.

Finally, protect your freedom.  Resist the temptation to do, think, or feel what somebody else says you should.  Include in that list the biggest enemy to your freedom - your ego - that misguided fool that works for everyone else but you. 

When you can manage that bad boy,

you will truly be free to own the rest!

I have a feeling we'll be hearing more about this in 2010.  How about you?

Photo Credit:  TheTruthAbout...

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

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

How To Build a Business Legacy with Your Blog

Make it Simple, Strong, and Social.

Blogging is the most powerful marketing tool available to any business marketer today - without exception.  It is the great equalizer.  Whatever you do well, it amplifies it.   And unlike your other social media networks, you own the content you create.  That is why it is also your legacy. 

You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide

You many have 100,000 followers on Twitter, or a Facebook Fan Page that is electrified with endless conversations.  But that is all transient. The time comes when your prospects want to know the substance that makes your business worthy of their investment.  Your blog is that proof.

When I am out speaking to entrepreneurs, I find many of them are operating very successful businesses.  They are the real deal.  Though many have yet to build an online legacy that illuminates their truth.

Here are my recommendations for building or refining your blog to make it a legacy that matches your business accomplishments.

Make it Simple

Words are powerful.  Images and videos are even more powerful.  Be discerning.   Choose your words carefully.  Keep your videos short.  And use images that capture the essence of your message.  Distill your message down to what will make a difference in the lives of the people in your target market.

Make it Strong

Marketing in all of its forms is about influence.  If your message lacks authority, than so do you - and by inference, so does the business you represent.  When you are blogging, you are standing on a mountaintop. Now say what you have to say as if you had the undivided attention of thousands of people.  Do it well, and someday you will.

Make it Social

Business is no longer about companies.  It is about people.  We are living in a world where superior quality and value are expected.  The differentiating factor is the opportunity to work with someone we can trust.  HOW you convey your message is even more important than the message itself. Make an emotional connection and you will be remembered forever. 

Be strong.  Keep it simple.  And use the power of this social media platform.

A great blog is the marker's marketer.

Photo Credit:  Jerrold

A New Year of Opportunity - Once in a Blue Moon

You will only be able to greet a New Year like this one - well, once in a Blue Moon.

Like me, you may never have actually understood what a Blue Moon is - other than a span of time that your mother promised you would pass until the nearly impossible would occur!

Well, guess what?  You will be able to see that Blue Moon tonight.  And take a good look because you won't see it again on New Year's Eve until the year 2028.

There is a great deal of folklore about the Blue Moon.  Though, the simple definition is the Blue Moon is the second full moon in a single calendar month. 

I'll leave it to the scientists to have fun with what makes all of this possible every few years in general, and every few decades on New Year's Eve.  I'm more interested in what this metaphor represents.

The mere existence of a Blue Moon, something that truly was full of mystery to me as a kid, represents the unexpected  - a New Year of new opportunities.

And after the challenging times the residents of this planet have recently experienced, I cannot think of a better time to have a reason to take an especially fresh look ahead. 

Happy New Year!

Photo Credit:  Shenghung_Lin

How To Improve Your Vision

Make it younger.  It's a game.

Yesterday I went to the optometrist.  His testing indicated my vision has actually improved.  Now that may be a shock to some people, due to the fact that we are all advancing in age, but not to me.  I've always contended that your physical vision is a direct function of your mindset.  If you want to see, you will!  It works the same way with your business.

When you were younger, didn't you have a vision that was practically unlimited?  Didn't you think that pretty much anything was possible?  Well, it was and still is.  What gets in the way of that is the simple fact that the fulfillment of any vision requires the willingness to do the necessary work. That can't be changed, no matter how many books you read about the Secrets of the universe.  You know what I'm talking about.

If you are six years old, you have no concept of the duration of a lifespan, so your vision is limitless.  As you get older, you associate with people who educate you on the realities of life.  They teach you not to see.

First you disagree with them, then you get comfortable with the idea.  And pretty soon, you become one of them. Yep, when you start following the herd your vision is only as good as those people you have come to believe.

Trust Your Gut

My business started to improve when I stopped  listening to how things should be done, and started doing what I felt was right.  This approach does not by any means guarantee results, but it frees you from at least some of the shackles that limit the thinking that restricts your vision.

The key to making this work is not to be a contrarian, although that helps, but to quietly go about your business.  When you talk up your wild ideas you will meet with many obstacles.  Play dumb if you have to.  Do whatever it takes to stretch your vision to what is mentally and physically possible.  It's that easy.  And its a safe bet that we were all put on this planet to have a mind of our own.

Do The Work

When I started blogging and learning about social media a few years ago, the people around me thought I was out of my mind.  The truth is I was just out of their mind, that collective mind that said this social media crap just isn't going to work.

Nevertheless, something told me I was on the right path, and I now I am building a business that helps others learn what I have learned.  How about you?  How is your business or industry changing?  That is a question we should all be asking ourselves.

Given the economic, technological, and social influences we are all witnessing, you would be insane to think that dramatic changes are not imminent.  Just look farther, wider, and in the places where the masses are not looking and you will likely find some invaluable insights.  It will take some work, which is exactly why most people aren't doing it.

Keep Doing the Work

We have been conditioned to think that technology will make our lives easier.  Marketing has encouraged this.  Yet, how often do you learn that regardless of talent, the hard workers always seem to succeed.  This formula is an old one, but it always works.  These days it may even become fashionable.  Imagine that? 

Here's my little secret.  I love to work.  It energizes me.  I can't say that I have always felt that way, but when I look back over my career, I have accomplished the most when I have been excited about what I am doing.  I have no doubts that many of you feel the same way.  If you don't, try to remember when you did.

When you were younger, you had boundless energy.  That energy is what made your wild dreams and visions possible. It's also what made you capable of working hard enough to bring your goals and objectives to fruition.

Here are some ideas for maximizing your energy, your vision,  and your results.

• Be Thankful - When you appreciate what's working, you feed your energy into more of it.
• Have Goals - They give meaning to what you are doing now, and that focuses your actions.
• Clear a Space - You cannot accomplish more if your life is cluttered.  Simplify it.
• Visualize - This is where we started.  A vision is a mental picture that holds a great deal of energy for its accomplishment.  This is the science of quantum mechanics - the body and the mind are linked.  If you can make it real in your mind, the body will figure out a way to make it happen.
• Learn to Meditate - I can honestly say that meditation is a discipline I fell into.  And after 15 years of practicing it - I know with certainty that it works.  Maybe I should do my next post on this, because in my opinion it is the ultimate tool for succeeding in business.  Meditation increases your focus; it helps you clear a space, and all of that leads to greater clarity for seeing what you know at a gut level to be real.

It's all a game.  See it.  Feel it .  Do it. 

That's what you did without effort when you were younger. 

Photo Credit:  Clairity

.

 

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

Small Business Trends for 2010 - Part 3 of 3

If you are new here, this is the third post in a series.  Here is the leading post on  Small Business Trends for 2010.  And here is the previous, or 2nd post in the series on Collaborative Markets. 

 

Sustainable Communities

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

While not fashionable, sustainability generated some critical discussion a couple of decades ago.  Back then the talk was mostly among scientists, those of us within the green industry, and more than a few citizens at large.  What happened?  Well, times were so good for so long that the movement just didn't develop much traction.  Disposable was more accurately the word of the day back then.

Today we are waking up to how our wasteful behaviors have now collided with a devastating economy.  In these unprecedented times, we need to build sustainable communities. And the only way that is going to happen is by working together.

A Community of Communities

We live on one planet, and that means all communities eventually merge into one.

You may only be concerned with what happens in your local community, but you now know that the economic future of your community is highly dependent upon global markets, multiple currencies, the supply and demand for necessary commodities and skilled labor. 

Social media is helping us to understand how our communities overlap  They freely co-mingle resources when that is possible. Your company is a community that merges with other communities that includes industry associations and markets.  This means you are vying for the same resources as other companies.

If you wish to be successful in the future, it's vital to begin thinking about managing your communities for inclusiveness, as opposed to exclusivity.  In times of scarcity, no organization, company, or community can expect to succeed on the merits of exclusivity. 

What's the a logical first step?  Engage more with the communities you depend upon.  Make a list.  It's a list that will continue to grow with more examination.  Here are some suggestions for building engagement with your communities.

Sharing and Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is collaboration with a community group to perform a simple task, usually one that solves a simple problem for the majority of the community.  This is often best accomplished when there is a degree of anonymity. This active participation is almost certain to generate more sustainable solutions.  Why? Because the crowd has ownership in what it helps to create. 

Marketers have traditionally considered themselves to be the experts who processed market information.  Focus groups are the best example of this.  Crowdsourcing is different. It spins that concept around 180 degrees.  It's a new way of thinking that taps into the wisdom of a crowd.  How can you do this?  Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter, online surveys, comments on your blog, and practically every other form of social media.  

Why is this significant?  It's not what you have to say about your products and services that matters most, but what others are saying.

A New Business Model

One of the greatest contributors to the failure of small businesses is the belief that they are mini-corporations.  This is top-down thinking that minimizes inclusiveness, a model that is doomed in our emerging economy. Top-down thinking leads to taking on too much overhead, forgetting that customers want to be engaged, and otherwise assuming a 'one size fits all' mentality.  

Entrepreneurs and small businesses need a business model that is community focused.  They need a model that takes what is working for them now, their personal relationships with people in the community, and extends it.  Social media can do this - because social media is not about more - but better.    

Think about how you can help your communities do more of what they want to do. You can surely discern that they are concerned about the economy?  What else?  Education, health care, safety, communication, and the environment. You decide. 

Most importantly, consider how can you help your community in a way that is congruent with your business mission.

This is all a process, not an event.  Being human-centric, and collaborating with people to build sustainable communities is not that difficult at all.  

It just has to be done. 

Have an outstanding year!

Photo Credit:  Sreejith K

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

Why I Blog

Because I can.

People often wonder why bloggers continue to ply their craft, regardless of who may be reading.  I've given other excuses, such as the fact that Google is always reading my blogs.  That means that somebody, someday will read them.  But that's not enough to sustain the effort.

And when I say effort, I'm talking about much more than time.  You can crank out a blog in a few minutes.  All you have to do is read a few headlines and give another perspective.  That's nice, and few people will read it.  But that is not enough for me.  My nature is to do what I do well, regardless of who may be reading.

The true motivation comes from the response you get from real people with common interests that connect with your message.  When you make a connection like that, you have communicated.  You have in some way helped someone in your community do what they want to do better.  That's what it is all about. 

Of course, whether you are a new or an experienced blogger, you will have to blog with abandon just to receive a few morsels of encouragement.  And that's OK.  If you have something to say that is of value, you know that those seeds will eventually fall upon fertile soil.  So you bend, shape, and package your message in such a way to potentially engage a few readers.

Is that the goal?  Not at all.  The goal, if you are honest, is thousands of readers!  But you had better be prepared to engage them one at a time.  That's how this works.  You plant seeds, you watch over them, scaring away the birds and rodents until those seeds bear fruit. It's simple enough, but it takes patience.

In order to develop that patience, here are a few other reasons to blog.

Find Your Voice

You don't realize how poorly you communicate until you really start to measure it.  That measurement comes in the form of a message that feels right.  It's you. The more you practice, the more skillful you get. If you need some role models, look to any well-known presenter.  My business finds me presenting to green industry professionals at least 50% of the time.  Recently my friend Al Lautenslager sent me a video of George Carlin giving his perspective on Saving the Planet.  You may not agree with George's style or language, but his skill in delivering his message is truly amazing.  It takes a lifetime to develop your voice.  So, you may as well get started now.

Create a Forum for Engagement

A few weeks ago I created a series of posts about my project to write a book within two weeks.  I proceeded to burn through the first week by reorganizing my material.  Yet, when I finally hit the ground running, I wrote half of that book in the second week.  This proved the validity of my thesis.  More importantly, I engaged with many friends who gave me their tips and advice.  And that made the effort incredibly valuable and worthwhile.

Differentiate Your Business

Your market, your customers, only know what they know.  It is your job to communicate what is unique about your business.  How do you do things differently that makes a difference?  These days the bar is set high.  Quality is expected.  Your customers need to be reminded, again and again, why they should be doing business with you.  They need a reason to continue their relationship with you.  Often this has little to do with what you do, but how you do it.  It has a lot to do with who you are on a personal level.  Pull back the curtain and give them a show they will remember.

Fan the Flames

Have you ever felt you were at the right place at the right time?  This is what marketing is all about.  It's reminding your customers that they have made the right decision to do business with you. Give them evidence.  Make them feel great.  That's what people want.  It's simple.  And that is why it works.

Own Your Ideas

This week I presented some new material on green industry trends to a group of industry leaders.  Any speaker knows the most important aspect of any presentation is the first few minutes where you set the stage.  I had worked on those few minutes for weeks. I had the idea in my mind, but how to present it best kept changing.  That's when I determined how I could best create a tight, well-written opening.  I needed to blog about it to really own it. I knew when I was done with that I could comfortably stand in front of those industry leaders and say what needed to be said.

As a professional speaker, that is what I do.

And I do it because I can. That's why I love what I do, and why I keep doing it.

How about you?

Photo Credit:  Fellowship of The Rich

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

The 100% Solution

When was the last time you considered how you can deliver a perfect solution for your customer?

While this is a lofty goal that you may never achieve, it is possible.  And having the intention alone makes it that much more attainable.  Thoughts do have a way of attracting more thoughts that can manifest into something grand, at least once in a while.  Isn't it worth considering?

The reason I pose this question is these days we have the ability to engage and interact with our our clients and customers in ways we could only have dreamed of a few years ago.  When I started my contracting business in the late '80's, I did endeavor to create a perfect solution for each one of them. While I doubt I ever achieved that goal, something very significant happened.  They noticed!

Customers notice when you care about them.  And most of them reward you for the effort.  That reward may come in the form of additional business, or at the very least, building a stronger relationship that solidifies your client base.  We may not have appreciated that a few years ago, but I'm sure everyone does today, regardless your industry.  To paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield, "It's tough out there."  So, if you expect to generate the respect that ensures the survival and growth of your business, you would be wise to give this some thought.

Years ago I organized my customer's needs and desires with chronological written logs in files, bold notes on index cards posted on my bulletin board, and a lot of scribbled notes that probably got lost.  Today I have actually gone back to some of those methods because as good as databases are today, they still take time to manage.  And it only takes a moment to jot down a note.  Best of all, when you write it down, you tend to remember it.

These days I'm using Batchbook as my database to capture information.  I'm supplementing that with Evernote, which works great to capture on my laptop and my iPhone.  It captures Web pages and the iPhone integration means I always have a virtual notepad to record my client's thoughts.  This week I discovered the Dragon app for the iPhone.  This is voice a free app that transcribes into text what you speak into your phone - with about 85% accuracy.  Very nice indeed!

These are useful applications for recording information.  Yet, they are only of value if they are consistently applied to a solution.  Now that social media is maturing as a platform, you should be thinking long and hard about how to all of this to achieve better business solutions.

What's that sound?  Do you hear that?  It's the footsteps of your competitors who are late to the social media game, but who have a great deal of experience in their business serving their customers - just like you. 

Don't lose your place in line. Many of us have found our way to the social media trough, but there is always limited space to take a drink while the water is fresh.  These are tough times indeed.  This is when you have to push a little.  Try what's new, drill down on your social networks, of course, but try to integrate what they do with what made you successful in better times.

It's very unlikely that you will discover the 100% solution.  Yet, it is also impossible to achieve any level of customer satisfaction if you don't make the effort. 

This much I do know.  My formal undergraduate education in college was in Chemistry.  It is a discipline that teaches you to vary the ingredients in your mix until you achieve the desired solution.  It's a process of study, research, and to a great extent, trial and error.  And it works.

Sometimes it works on the first try.  Most often, it takes days or weeks or months.  Is it worth the effort?

Yes it is - 100%.

Photo Credit: ChemicalHeritageFoundation

Getting Comfortable with Authenticity

Show me what you can do?

These words are typical of what you may hear from a coach, your boss, or a prospect and customer.  These words are intended to reveal what makes you worth being a member of a team, a community, or an organization. This is the  foundation that shapes your personal brand.  It is based upon your performance, your reputation, and sometimes a good dose of self-promotion or marketing, which these days is strongly influenced by social media marketing.

Yesterday I gave a presentation on business trends that are being shaped by social media.  Naturally, one of the topics that came up is the increasing visibility that social media is bringing to all of us, whether we pursue that visibility or not. 

The truth is we have very little control over our reputation, other than of course how we play the game.  What's the game? The game is not just your performance on the athletic field, or in your business if you are an entrepreneur, but everything you do in every community that you are a member of. 

Today social media is connecting communities with lighting speed and with great accuracy.  Search engines and recent innovations that include real-time search are indexing everything we do, including where, when, and how we connect with other people.  It's time to get comfortable with that.

You and I have to get comfortable with the fact that our society is evolving into an open book. And there is at least one championship golfer who is painfully aware of this.  What remains to be seen is what can be salvaged of his personal brand.  My belief is the best strategy is to go straight to that inevitable destination that seems to arrive more quickly, and with greater regularity than ever - authenticity.

This past weekend I discovered a discussion string from Facebook that occurred over two years ago.  It was a discussion among my daughter's friends while she was in high school.  Since we share the same last name, it was inevitable that I would discover this discourse involving dozens of students. While the information contained within that stream of comments was innocuous, it was indeed interesting.  Most interesting to me is that Google is cracking through the "great wall of Facebook," and indexing some of that content that gives us clues to character, capabilities, aspirations, and much more.

You may not be a celebrity, or even a Web celebrity, but you are a human being.  And the increasingly humanized Web is eavesdropping on your conversations more than you know.  This is a trend that is sure to gain momentum as the social media networks do what they do best.  Some people fear this, but fear never results in anything positive.  So, you have to get comfortable with this.

The good news is good news travels well.  Some may disagree, but when the day is done, we want to hear the good news. We want to know how you are  helping your communities.  We want to know how your product and service will solve our problems. Human beings naturally seek the high road.  The rest is just noise.

Getting comfortable with the authenticity of this Web is going to change your business and mine for the better. Here's why.

Your customers, your markets, and your communities only want to know one thing: What can you do?

Do that, and do it well, from tee to green, and the social Web will treat you like a champion.

That's the only score we really care about.

Photo Credit:  PocketWiley

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

 

My No-Risk Business Model for This Economy

This is the time of year when you are finishing up, actively involved with, or at least thinking about your business plans for next year. 

If you have been in business for a while, you know with certainty that business in the future will be dramatically different as a result of at least two influences that are reshaping buying behavior: the economy and the sensational growth of the social media networks.  The economy you know about.  If you have been asleep for a while, one measure of social media's influence is Facebook just celebrated 350 million user, which is over 200 million more users than this time last year.  

The economy has taught many of us to do with less, as we have discovered we really didn't need much of the stuff that was cluttering up our lives.  That habit is almost sure to prevail.  Then there is the habit that became a sport - getting a better deal.  Not everyone has been struggling, but it has become fun to search and wrangle for a better deal - better quality, a lower price or at least more value for the same price, and new and different options that only come your way when you are able to take advantage of them.

My belief is flexibility and choice are destined to be strong buying influences this coming year, and probably well beyond.  This creates a major problem for a specific business model that I'll refer to as The Club Model.  If you have been a member of a health club or a golf club, owned a cell phone or subscribed to a magazine, then you know the premise of the model: Get customers and keep them for as long as possible, preferably a lifetime.  Wasn't this partly the model of apparel and automakers?   Their brand was the club. 

The problem with the club is it is easy to get locked in, which of course is the idea.  Oh, but c'mon, you are a member of the club, so don't you want your club to do well?  Well, um...I guess so.  But what if you wish to try another club for a while?  Most club models are designed to keep you from doing exactly that. Cell phone companies love this model. You typically have to be a member of their club for two years, or you have to pay dearly for the flexibility of a shorter, one-year commitment, which in this economy still feels like a lifetime!

The model you should consider, and one that I am adapting to my speaking and consulting, is increasingly common in this Web based society.  It's the No Risk Model.  And coming out of a tough economy, this is exactly what a lot of your customers are looking for. 

Please understand I operated a contracting business for 20 years and I completely understand the need for annual contracts.  Nevertheless, I'm not in charge of this economy and neither are you, so maybe you should give this some thought.  Find the middle ground for your company and your customers.

Most of the social media services you and I use are free.  Since social media happens to be my business, I pay for a number of services too, and they all offer a no-risk trial with a low-risk payment plan that allows you to opt out at any time.  And that is what makes it easy to opt in in the first place!

Some of my favorites examples are Batchbook.com, Shoeboxed.com, and Freshbooks.com, which are all Web based services.  Batchbook is a customer relationships manager (CRM), Shoeboxed is a business card and receipt organization service, and Freshbooks is a time-tracking and invoicing service. These are great services for the entrepreneur who is usually on-the-go.

I tried all of these services out for little or no investment.  The "pay-as-you-go" method is easy on my budget and easy to budget for.  Though the best part is their model requires them to get better and offer more value to keep me as a customer.  I like that!  And let me tell you, the better they get, the more I sing their praises - as I am here. 

And to paraphrase Billy Mays - That's not all!  They listen to me.  I can get a live person on the phone, and I know for a fact they are listening to customers like me because they have made the improvements many of us have suggested.  This tells me they are looking down the road to what business is evolving to. 

And this leads me to my three requirements for a successful business model in this economy:

Vision - Always be looking ahead, because your customers are.

Voice - Listen to your customers.  Give them a voice and they will be your biggest fans.

Value - When you stop offering more, your customers start thinking about opting out.

Is your business model closer to the Club or the No-Risk Model? 

Your answer will help you get ready for the economic recovery.  When that happens, there will be a lot of people ready to make a change.  These people will remember the clubs that locked them up, and that's an opportunity for you. 

If a club is typically exclusive, then inclusiveness is the future.

Let 'em all in.  Make it easy.  Some may leave.  That's o.k. If you are good enough, they'll be back.  Let that door swing both ways.  No risk in that.

Here's my no-risk offer:  Leave a comment and I'll respond.  Guaranteed!

Photo Credit: BrianButko 

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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Writing My First Book: A Fortnight of Lessons

On this day I had promised all of you that I would have the first draft of my book completed, all 60,000 words.  While I have only 30,000 to my credit, I didn't actually get started writing until after the first week.  This became the most important lesson of this little endeavor.  It isn't that tough to write 5,000 words in a day if you know the topic well, which I do --- and you are very clear about the how the book will be organized and what points you will cover, which I didn't.

Nevertheless, I'm calling this project a success.  The first reason is I maintained my promise to blog about my progress daily, which generated some supportive and beneficial feedback from readers like you.  The second is I now not only have the shape of the book, but with more than half of it completed, I feel like someone who has completed an equal portion of an agonizingly large and intricate crossword puzzle.  Once you have the finish line in your sights, it is a simple matter of methodically chipping away to make more progress, which may occur in big or little chunks.  However it occurs, you get more excited about reaching the destination, and that becomes increasingly motivating. Incidentally, I don't do crossword puzzles, but that seemed like a decent metaphor - so I'm using it!

To bring this phase of my book writing project to a close, here are the lesson I learned, either on my own or from friends who were happy to share from their experiences.  I've included the tips, lessons, and suggestions that helped me the most, along with an occasional translation, as well as links to the respective posts, mine or theirs, where you can read more in the context of the complete story.  And finally, I have given attribution to the respective contributors for their insights and inspiration.  Thank you to all!

Don't Boil the Ocean  -  better to cover just a few key points well - Judd Hoekstra (via Ken Blanchard)

Tap into the Power of Visualization - Gilda Bonnano.

Get the Shape of the Book as Quickly as Possible - do your research, organize your points, and see it coming alive, all the way down to the font that looks right to you - Jeff Korhan

If you have to do a great deal of research before you start writing, then you may be writing about the wrong topic - unknown blogger.

Write with the Door Closed, Edit with the Door Open - Stephen King

The Trend is Your Friend - Despite setbacks, stay the course with what you know and you will arrive at your destination - James Dines

Write about your industry and you will find the big news of the future today - Frank Schulte-Ladbeck 

The Power of Intention is Healthier (and therefore more effective) than the power of a goal - Dr. Bill Dean

You Need to Keep a Balance - my wife Leslie

Everyone has a Book Inside of Them - Dan Poynter

If your book is going to be different, it has to be the one YOU want to write! - Jeff Korhan

This ought to be enough for now.  In a few weeks, when I'm back from my business and holiday travels, I will share news about the next leg of the journey - editing.  I'm sure it will be another collaborative effort. Until then, keep writing.  I know I will.

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:  Hddod

Every Great Performance Starts Back Stage

Entrepreneurs and small business owners understand that the product, the performance, the end-game - whatever you wish to call it, requires a well planned back-stage effort. 

This is the one of the greatest challenges with social media marketing.  Before the audience or customer can enjoy the performance, which is the delivery of your product or service, a lot of diverse skills must be organized and properly orchestrated.  This is work, and it is the rare individual who can provide the necessary creative ideas, the technical skills, and a sustained effort to bring everything to its desired completion.  I know I am trying, but I am certainly getting a lot of help from my friends. 

Social media networking and marketing teaches us to build relationships.  It encourages us to make friends.  And the best friends are the ones who can not only help us, but that we can help in return.  That is my simple formula for a great relationship - in life and business.

Today I was not able to apply my creative skills to writing my book because I was busy working on the back-stage publishing details. I started the day as I usually do, getting the shape of my ideas together through my process of thinking, writing, and visualizing, and then meditating on all of that before I get to work.  This consumes the better part of an hour or more of my day, however, it helps me get to plan and shape the day for a great performance. 

As you know, it is tough to get your creative work done if you have a lot of little things to take care of, so that's where I focused my efforts on this eleventh day of my book writing project.  Think about it, how can you go on stage to perform if someone hasn't done a sound check?  You have to sweat the details if you expect to deliver the goods.  This is usually best accomplished as a team, and that is my recommendation.  I'm still building my team, which is 100% outsourced, so I did a lot of that back-stage work today to make tomorrow more productive.

Now, here's the thing - it is possible to take this too far.  As legendary sales trainer and speaker Zig Ziglar has said, "If you wait until all of the lights are green before you head to town, you'll probably never get out of the driveway."  So, clean up the messes that need your attention and get on with it.  Today this involved a conversation with my publisher, which is Booksurge, and another conversation with my friend Chris Heiler, who is also within a whisper of publishing his first book. Chris is approaching his book much differently than I am, yet the sharing of ideas with a trusted friend is indeed a valuable exercise.

The work of developing and sustaining friendships is an investment that takes time.  It is a necessary investment.  If you plan to develop a social media presence that will build and grow your business into a sustainable enterprise, you should give it its due. While I am tempted to look at today as a wasted effort because I only manged to write 500 words, I am now ready for a great performance tomorrow.

Take some time today to be thankful for those friends that help to make your performance great.  This is your back-stage crew.  You can get by with a little help from your friends, but you can accomplish great things if you give them support too.  By my count I had help today from eleven friends.  When I lay it out like that,  I realize today was one hell of a productive day! 

Photo Credit:  Ben Sutherland

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.

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Get the Shape - Book Project Day 9

Good research makes for a good book. 

We all ought to know that, because good research gives you a foundation to build on.  Research should never stop, because the more you write, the more you will remember or discover ideas that you wish to incorporate into your finished product.  This is something to be careful with because you don't want to mess with that foundation.  None of that research is of any value if you don't have a foundation to place it on.

Whether I'm blogging, writing an article, or working on my book, I believe it is essential to get the shape as quickly as possible.  This simple approach makes your book an original, and that's what every reader is looking for.  That foundation is everything.

If you have been reading this blog regularly, you know that I am trying to write the first draft of my book before November 17th.  I started this process 9 days ago.  My average day of productivity seems to bounce between near zero and 5,000 words.  To put this into perspective, there are approximately 65,000 words in a typical non-fiction book.

Today I had the opportunity to have lunch with a friend who also happens to be a leader in my target market - entrepreneurs and small businesses.  Scott heard me speak recently and had some excellent insights about my presentation, which of course are relevant to this book. My temptation is to alter my scope and direction, and I have to guard against that.

Who is the ideal reader you are writing for?   If you don't have a clear answer for this, then you may have to stop and give it a great deal of consideration.  Scott is indeed an ideal reader, but he also happens to know a great deal about social media, which is uncommon in my market.  I will seriously consider and probably incorporate many of his ideas, but I have to be careful to stay committed to the shape I have envisioned.  I will give them their due during the editing and review process.

Every day is different and you can get to a point where you doubt yourself.  Don't do it!  You know more than you realize you know.  This goes back to my comments from yesterday.  Keep in mind that any kind of research amounts to opening the door, and that can be a dangerous thing.  Remember what Stephen King said,  write with the door closed, and edit with the door open.  He wouldn't even listen to his wife, who is also an accomplished author whose opinions he greatly valued.

There is plenty of time to polish, color, and dress up that shape after you get it.  Check my earlier post on how to do this with your blogging.  Keep thinking - "done is better than perfect."  Put 110% of your energy into that. Know that it is not going to be perfect.  Just push all of your energies into that shape, and I am sure you will see the value on the other side.

Photo Credit:  DanielaNob

Writing Project Day 8 - The Trend is Your Friend

When we were younger, many of us wanted to set the trend, now I'm just happy if I can recognize it.  

I borrowed the expression "The Trend is Your Friend" from James Dines, the publisher of a financial newsletter known as the Dinesletter. It is one of, if not the oldest financial newsletter, dating back to 1960.  That alone is one validation, and the other one is that I have done very well from its recommendations.  I should add for safety that I am not a financial expert, so take my comments for what they are and invest at your own risk.

One of Mr Dines premises is that when all others are losing their nerve in the market, just follow the underlying trend and it will protect and support you. 

If the market for a particular commodity is trending upward, then you should not be swayed by those that are selling selling short as a result of fear-based news that does not substantially impact the value of the commodity that supports the equity you are investing in, unless of course management has made some serious errors, which is another matter. The intrinsic value of a commodity is within the trend, not in the erratic behavior of human beings who may make decisions that are not entirely rational. 

This insight fits well with my topic of social media marketing, which is becoming increasingly more humanized, and therefore subject to a number of human influences that are impossible to predict in the short term. That is why I will be addressing how to understand and capitalize on that apparent unpredictability in my book.

Getting to the point, today I completed 4600 words, just shy of another Chapter, which is Chapter 2 of my anticipated 12 Chapter book on social media marketing.  As a result of this, I'm invoking the law of "the trend" to affirm I will be able to sustain this level of performance and complete the first draft in approximately 11 more days. 

My tip for today's accomplishment comes from my wife Leslie, who suggested I need more balance in my life.  "You are always working," she says.  Having announced my goal of completing this project to the blogoshere in an exceedingly tight timeframe, I have to admit I may have been operating under a slightly fear-based mentality.  So, today I allowed time to break up my writing with clients calls, social calls, and even a drive with the top down to enjoy the fresh, autumn air on this balmy Chicago day. It worked!  I'm right on track.

The commodity in my situation is not the gold, or silver, or rare earth metals that Mr Dines is currently recommending, but something very intangible - ideas.  I have to mine those ideas. I know they are there, yet, as with those precious metals, they are also buried beneath a bunch of rubble.  The key is knowing they are there and available to me if I allow them to come to the surface through a sustained, yet, balanced effort.  Keep digging Jeff, the trend is your friend.

Photo Credit:  Kadeeae

Day 7 of Jeff's Book Project - On Writing

When a golfer scores a birdie, it's a celebration, regardless of their level of skill.  If you are a golfer, you know that getting a birdie can really get you pumped up and lead to greater things on the remaining holes.  It can also lead to a loss of focus, and a horrible shot that is the antithesis of what you just accomplished.  There is an expression for this: No birdie ever goes unpunished!

While this may sound like negative thinking, the truth of the matter is excellent performance at the game of golf is difficult to sustain, unless of course you are a professional golfer. Most of us aren't.  Yesterday I scored a birdie with my writing project.  I had purpose, clarity of thought, and as a result, I accomplished my goals with very little effort.  It was a great day.

Today was the punishment of that birdie.  Was I foolish to believe that I could just write with abandon like Stephen King?  All I know is I'm committed to this project, and I will persevere, despite the fact that everything I wrote today took 2 - 3 times as long, and the quality is suspect.  I guess that is where editing comes in. You don't get a chance to repeat a bad hole in a round of golf; you have to let it go.  What's nice about writing a book is you have the opportunity to circle back and clean things up.

Thus far I have completed my introduction, chapter summaries, and the first chapter.  Tomorrow is another day.  Unlike Mick Jagger and the Stones, time is not on my side.  If I continue at my expected pace, I believe I can finish the first draft within 10 - 22 days.  My goal was to accomplish this within two weeks, but I blew through the first week playing around with the organization.  Now I have ten days to go until I have to be out of town.  Lets hope for a few birdies.

It is very common to score well in a round of golf despite not playing your best.  What do you do, you take that gift and run with it?  This feat is usually accomplished by gutting it out despite the obstacles. I can do that. Is it possible for me to write two chapters in a day?  Absolutely!  I can do that too. I could have written three chapters yesterday if I did not have other responsibilities. 

So, in the quest for whatever lies ahead, I'm committing myself to making this happen.  See my earlier post on intention.  My theory is the process should get easier. Hey, it seems to be working for Stephen King.  His soon to be released novel, Under the Dome, is 1088 pages. The shipping weight alone is 3.7 pounds.  That's not a book, that's FIVE books!  

If you are interested in how Mr. King pulls this off, check out his memoir On Writing.  This is a true account of how Stephen King's career as a mega-author developed, and full of his unusual wit. I first read this book on a flight to India in 2000.  I finished the entire book on that flight,with tears of laughter rolling down my face. BTW, he changed the cover from the original edition,which I prefer and is pictured here.

I'm not much of a reader of novels, but I have developed great respect for how this novelist tackles his craft.  He shares great pearls of wisdom in his memoir that are guiding me through this process, namely:  "Write with the door closed.  And edit with the door open." 

When you write with the door closed you are more likely to snag a few birdies, because you can get and stay in the zone without any conflicting input.  When that door is open, you will realize you are not as good as you thought you were, despite those birdies.  You are human, and that is exactly why you will learn what is necessary to make your work better for your readers when you eventually open that door.

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 6 - Go With What You Know

This has been an amazing day for me and my first book writing project.  For over two years I have been blogging.  It started with posts that were nothing more than words that were laid down and most likely never read by anyone other than me.  Over time, those posts became more targeted and meaningful, not just to me, but to my audience - entrepreneurs and small business owners.  This learning experience took more than weeks or months, it spanned at least a year.

When you write on a consistent basis you begin to build the communication and presentation skills that work for you.  In a few words, you get better at connecting with your audience.  I began to develop my skills by by finding what my friend John Reddish refers to as your groove.  He made the comment on one of my previous posts that there is a huge difference between a rut and a groove.  Well said John!

Just because blogging has become easy for me doesn't mean that I can easily write a book, or does it?  This is something that has been puzzling me the last few days.  So, today, I said to myself:  "Look Jeff, if it looks like a blog, and feels like a blog, then it must be a blog; so make it a blog."  So that's what I did.  I restructured my approach to be more blog-like, and viola - breakthrough!

Here is what I did.  When I am blogging within the Typepad platform that I have become intimate with, there are a number of things that give me the right feeling.  I usually choose a meaningful title up front and write from that.  And I also have an idea of the image that I will search for, usually using Flickr's Creative Commons.  This is an awesome resource for high quality images that you can use by simply providing attribution to the creator of that image.

You may now be getting a visual of how I create my jumping off point.  When I get these two things set, I'm usually off to the races.  Then I just start writing and everything evolves from there. I attempted to put this into practice today but something was missing.  Hmm...?  As I sat in front of my computer screen, staring at some of the words I had written, I realized something just wasn't right. 

Here is the aha moment that created my breakthrough.  It's so simple, yet in some way, profound too.  Ready?  I wasn't quite into the groove.  Why?  Well, the font that Microsoft Word sets you up with is typically an 11 or 12 point font.  When I see that font, my eyes just glaze over because it feels like work.  This is the visual of reports, articles with deadlines, and so many other things that I am doing because I have to.  For me, this is the font of responsibility, not creativity.

All I had to do was adjust that font down to 9 points and, voila again, everything suddenly looked like a blog post to me.  That's all I needed to get into the groove.  Amazing.

How can something so simple be so significant?  My honest answer is I have no idea.  I'm just glad I discovered it.  Today I wrote 5,000 words like it was nothing.  I accomplished that in less than 3 hours.  Now that's groovy baby!

After years of teaching meditation, a practice that is predicated on developing new patterns of conditioning that lead to productive results, I should have realized that there is also a reason to follow and reinforce those patterns that take you to those places where you want to go.  I'm not sure if this insight makes sense to help you, but I hope it does. 

Human beings are an interesting species.  We are all the same and different at the same time, like individual waves in the same ocean.  If we are writers, we want to write well, just as every wave seeks to eventually roll onto the beach in its own unique way. The trick is evidently understanding how to be part of something that is common, call that an ocean of humanity, while also expressing yourself in a way you know will work for you.

Go with what you know.

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:  Felix63

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