July 11, 2012

Why are you blogging?

As I prepare to speak at WordCamp Boston 2012 later this week, I’m thinking about several WordPress tips to share. I manage three WordPress sites and use many of the same principles, techniques, and tools across all of them. However, each site serves a totally different audience and works in its own unique way.

So, one of the questions you should consider when setting up your own blog is why. Why are you blogging? What does the unique audience your speaking to want? What techniques will work?

One some blogs posting frequently is key to audience engagement. On others, it isn’t. On some blogs a wealth of reference information is a key resource for visitors. On others, that’s not at all what they’re looking for. On some blogs, optimizing for search is crucial. On others, they come to you from a very specific path that has nothing to do with search. On some blogs, money is to be made. On others, it isn’t.

Be wary of one-size-fits-all blogging tips, whether technical or tactical or strategic. Always ask yourself – why are you blogging? And recognize that a big part of answering that question comes from experimentation. The best way to learn why (beyond your primary mission/motivation) is to learn what your audience responds to through experimentation. Try different things. See what works. Listen to your audience and they will tell you (even if only through Google Analytics).

Photo credit: Maria Reyes-McDavis

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May 31, 2012

Are you good at telephone?

You have a cool phone on your desk. You know how to dial it to connect to people all over the world. People call you too, and you talk to them. You’ve even setup some speed dial numbers and mastered all the voicemail commands. You’re good at telephone!

Where does that get you? Not very far.

Being good at using the tool isn’t nearly as important as being good at communicating and connecting with others. Being a good listener. Being good at inspiring others. Being good at helping others advance their interests. Being good at making sales/closing deals/helping customers.

These are the things worth focusing on. Worth developing skills in. Worth investing time and energy in.

The tool is not the important thing. Being good at social media is not a good goal. It’s like saying you want to be good at telephone.

Be good at something more worthwhile.

Photo: Trace Meet

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May 2, 2012

Expedite the trust

Trust earns influence

You gain influence when people trust you. But trust does not come easily. Or quickly.

People gain trust in you over time. As you prove yourself. As you are known to be reliable and consistent. As you are known to be insightful and valuable.

This whole package – your presence, over time – is what makes you trustworthy.

And that is what makes you influential.

Building trust

Trust is built little by little. That’s a big reason why it usually takes a long time to earn it.

Credibility is a big part of trust. People want to know who you are, what you’re about, where you come from, and what motivates you. They want a context in which to better understand you.

Online, that context is your profile. And having a complete and up-to-date profile is best way you can expedite trust.

When your LinkedIn profile has a recent photo, a complete but succinct summary, relevant and up-to-date skills, an accurate work history, and information about your education, you build trust.

When your Twitter profile has a photo of you (not a logo or a cute avatar), a relevant and interesting short bio, and a link to more relevant and complete information about you (like your LinkedIn profile), you build trust.

When your blog has an about page that has a recent photo of you, a nice summary of your skills and experience, and a bit of an explanation about what you blog about and why, you build trust.

First impressions

Expediting trust in this way is simple. And it’s important, because when you finally get someone’s attention, they are going to want to know a little more about you. That’s your profile’s job. Help it to provide a good first impression of you.

Lasting impressions

Making a good first impression is crucial. But you also need to be present. When you put yourself out there, you need to be there.

When your LinkedIn profile has a recent status update, or shows a recent comment or like on someone’s post, or contains a recent book review you’ve published to your reading list, you show your presence.

When your Twitter account shows recent tweets, retweets, favorites, and follows, you show your presence.

When your blog shows recent posts, your responses to comments, and categorized listings of your many past posts, you show your presence.

This is an important component of building trust. People want to know that you’re there now, and that you’ll be there in the future. Showing your presence online expedites trust.

Becoming trustworthy

Becoming trustworthy isn’t easy. And it isn’t quick. But it can be expedited quite a bit when you put these basic measures into action.

Why slow yourself down? Go, update your profiles. And show your presence.

 

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April 27, 2012

A great non-digital mobile marketing strategy

While traveling through Chicago O’Hare Airport recently, I noticed an innovative mobile marketing strategy in action, and it looked to be quite successful.

We’re all mobile these days, with lots of attention paid to multiple screens. These mobile device screens are quickly replacing TV screens, particularly when people are moving about. Airports are full of travelers looking for a place to sit and recharge. Not only to recharge their personal energy, but also to recharge their devices.

If you’ve been to an airport recently, you’ve no doubt noticed people whose eyes are darting about along the walls in search of an outlet. Or those who find an awkward seat on the floor because it’s close to one of the rare outlets. I’ve even seen seasoned travelers with power strips so that it’s easy to share access to those rare outlets.

Well, some smart marketer figured out a clever solution – create some seats with a place to put your screen, plenty of outlets for recharging, and also a little bit of privacy from your neighbors. And then – put some good old fashioned advertisements right there where they’re sure to be seen. And ads that appeal to the explorers who are likely using those seats.

 

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February 29, 2012

Concepts in action

I teach a course on eMarketing at Bentley University. We cover a lot of concepts, frameworks, and theories on social media and online marketing. But the best learning comes from doing – from seeing this stuff in action. By trying it yourself and seeing what works and what doesn’t.

So the course is largely built around engaging with “real world” clients who have opened up their businesses to us and asked for advice and guidance in developing effective online (and offline) marketing strategies. This is a great boon to the students’ learning.

Also extremely helpful is to see things in action and hear directly from the people who make them happen. Last night we were fortunate to have Jean Wnuk of AllThingsJeep.com as a guest speaker to the class. She shared her success stories and key lessons learned.

There are tons of blogs, ebooks, podcasts and more about eMarketing readily available for free online, but there’s nothing like having someone who is doing it successfully right there in the room with you, sharing what she knows.

At one point during her talk, Jean posted to the AllThingsJeep Facebook page, simply asking for a “shout out” to the students. Responses came flooding in within minutes – bunches of likes and comments, now up to 43 and 59 as of this writing. That’s community in action, made all the more meaningful by demonstrating it live and in person. I think that will make a memorable and compelling lesson for the students, leaving them wondering exactly how they can replicate that for their client projects and other endeavors.

Thanks, Jean!

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February 13, 2012

A new way to pump up your profile online

Personal branding is something to be attentive to in this day and age. An up to date LinkedIn profile is a minimum. Participating in more public forums like Twitter can help you connect to more people in your field. And blogging can help establish you as a thought leader.

If you start to establish a presence on a variety of platforms, about.me can help you to organize all your profiles in one place and display them elegantly. It’s a great first step.

For those looking to go further, there’s a new service re.vu. Check out the video clip below where CEO Steve Years reviews the service on this week’s issue of The Social Hour and see how you can quickly import your LinkedIn data and present it in a new and exciting way (think infographics).

If you can’t see the embedded video, click here.

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January 24, 2012

Social media and the cab business

Cab drivers are independent businesses in a competitive environment with seemingly little ability to differentiate, let alone innovate using social media. However, one cab driver is leading the way using a variety of social media tools and business savvy.

In the interview below, Rashid Tamuri, talks about how he’s used Twitter, Google Latitude, Foursquare and other tools to enhance his business, differentiate himself, increase visibility, shift his business model, and also to have more fun at work.

Can’t see the embedded video? Click here: http://youtu.be/b1GN57GB0t4

Rashid reminds me of two other innovators who’ve made a difference with social media in surprising places, “Nordstrom Dave” and Kevin Zelko – Two great examples of innovation using Twitter.

Next time I’m in Chicago, I know who I’m calling for a cab ride.

 

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December 28, 2011

Presumed value

When you’re reading about a great social media marketing strategy or some clever tactics, it’s important that you keep the following in mind. No strategy or tactic can really propel you forward in a meaningful way if your value proposition stinks.

A great strategy for a crappy product just isn’t going to work so well. The most clever tactic to get someone’s attention for a poorly conceived or hastily delivered service just won’t be effective in the long run.

Make sure value is job one. When the thing you offer is of tremendous value – more valuable than the price you charge, truly useful, and wonderfully implemented – then strategies and tactics can work wonders.

Photo credit: jar

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December 27, 2011

Create content for the entire funnel

Putting out great content leads to sales. That’s the whole premise behind inbound marketing. Rather than push your message out and cram it down people’s throats, you publish great information that helps people. They find you when they need you, and then they buy from you.

The funnel

People don’t often move through the sales funnel in one fell swoop, though. For bigger or more complex purchase, or for purchases that involve multiple decision makers, it’s more than a one-step process. Shaping your content to match the various stages and the various decision makers and decision influencers is necessary in these situations.

Delivery

Of course, you can deliver this additional information through the sales process. You can spend time on the phone or in person, responding to specific situations and individualized needs. That works, except for two problems.

1. Those folks floating around the top of your sales funnel are not easily identifiable. Sure, you may capture some information from the most interested parties who have maybe given up contact information for a white paper. But, inbound marketing works for buyers because it allows them to become informed without being identified.

2. It takes a lot of time. No matter how custom each potential customer is and how unique their set of circumstances is, common themes like run throughout your entire sales process. There are probably a whole bunch of frequently asked questions, common concerns, and key pieces of education that you provide in each engagement.

A better content strategy

A better content strategy, then, would be to take all of that great information from #2 above and publish it out so that all the folks you can’t identify can easily and anonymously access it.

Publishing more specific content, tailored to the varied nuances of the entire sales transaction, will help you immensely. You will be found more easily. People searching for specific, detailed questions about the type of product or service you offer will see you, since you will feature more prominently in those search results. The depth of your content will better demonstrate your thought leadership in your industry. And you will save time and energy.

Photo credit: opensourceway

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December 22, 2011

FedEx turns customer anger into a teachable moment

Things happen quickly on the social web. You may have seen the video of a FedEx delivery man carelessly throwing someone’s new computer monitor over his fence rather than delivery it properly – 2.7 million people have.

Yep, the video that the frustrated recipient posted just a couple days ago has already been seen by a lot of people. And that has an impact on the brand.

Here’s the video, in case you missed it.

FedEx delivers, overnight

The response from FedEx was swift and complete. In their own words, this deliver was “Absolutely, Positively Unacceptable.” This turn of phrase, of course, links back to the absolute commitment of on-time delivery that was used to build the business (“When it Absolutely, Positively has to be there overnight”).

In the full message authored by Matthew Thornton, the Senior Vice President of US Operations, FedEx explains that the behavior was unacceptable and that they’ve already resolved the issue with the customer. And they did it in a face-to-face meeting, which seemed like a great way to deal with this social media firestorm. The matter is settled and the customer is satisfied. The customer’s privacy is also being respected. End of story.

No United Breaks Guitars saga. And no cheesy corporate speak memo or bland video response addressing all FedEx customers. They simply dealt with the issue directly, and then reported back publicly since the matter was played out in front of everyone.

And that’s the key. If you’re a brand like FedEx, or if you want to be, you need to be prepared to deal with matters directly, completely, and in the public eye.

By doing so, FedEx now has a good story and a teachable moment for all it’s employees. As Danielle Favreau commented over on Google Plus, this was “Very smart on their part. And they got a really nice training video for the cost of a monitor.”

Photo credit: eric leenaars

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