Title Surge in Harbor Near My Home Following 2010 Chilean Earthquake

http://youtu.be/x3Gj-1w0X1U

How I'm Using Google+ (Hint: It's About Relevance)

Posted by Melissa Parrish on August 8, 2011

If you were to glance at my Google+ profile, you’d probably think I’m practically inactive. But what you’re seeing is the public view of a very targeted set of actions, based on relevance.

I like to have different kinds of conversations with different people, so when I share content it’s with circles that designate not only relationship but topics too, and Google+ makes it really easy for me to be highly relevant in this way. Take, for example, politics. I like to talk about it, but I’m rarely interested in fighting, so when I share a politically focused news article, it’s not enough to be in my Friends circle. To see it, you have to be in my Friends-Politics circle, where I’ve included people who I know I’ll have an interesting conversation with that won’t result in insults and multiple exclamation points. 

There is one thing missing if relevance is an aim of the platform. As of today, my relevance-based circles only apply to what I share with others. What would be especially helpful would be a way to limit the content I see from others in that circle to the topic I’ve assigned it. For example, I’m following Christian Oestlien, one of the Google+ product managers, specifically for updates about Google+. So while the YouTube music videos and Onion articles he posts are probably funny, I can’t say I’m particularly interested in seeing them from him. Now, if one of the people in my Friends-Hilarious circle posted them, that’s another story . . ..

So what are the implications for brands?

Once business pages become available, brands may get the most from Google+ by prioritizing relevance over scale, regardless of how quickly the user base grows. If your audience uses the service like I do, it’s going to be in your best interest to get your brand in our Brands-Deals I’ll Use or our Brands-Great Links or our Brands-Things I Want For My Birthday circles. You’re not going want to end up in Brands-General.

Since business pages haven’t been revealed yet, I can only offer ideas on how brands might be able to accomplish this, but 2 possibilities come to mind:

1) Brands can launch their Google+ presences with a single, focused content theme first (deals, links, new products, etc.). This would mean that users who add you to their circles are interested in that specific content. Then your interaction with customers will be around that particular content theme so engagement expectations will be set on both sides.

2) Consumers could tell the brand what type of content they want, and the brand would create circles and share content accordingly. If business pages work mostly like consumer pages do today, then this would be a manual process involving something like comments from users, spreadsheets, and manual circle creation -- probably not something a lot of brands will have the time and energy to do. But this could be a really compelling strategy if Google were to build an easy way for marketers to collect content-theme “opt-ins” and auto-populate circles based on that info. That would allow marketers to diversify the content they’re sharing to maximize the size of their Google+ audience, while still respecting relevance needs.

What business pages will do remains to be seen, and it’ll be some time before true user trends emerge that will show whether I’m alone on the relevance thing or not. In the meantime, what do you think? Is Google+ all about relevance for you? How are you using the platform?

Kevin Brown www.kbsinsight.blogspot.com 

Modern PR Tactics: Blending The Old & The New

by Eric Richard

Topic: Small Business MarketingQuick, what does the term "public relations" mean? If a variety of answers popped into your head, youre on the right track. “Public relations” is a fairly broad term that can have different meanings depending on the company, objective and situation. A large corporation might see it as a tactic that puts it in a good light with the public at large. A government agency or nonprofit association might see it as a direct voice to residents and members on a variety of different issues. A small business may view it as an opportunity to generate name recognition and free advertising for their products and services. Still others regard it as a response mechanism to unforeseen or unplanned news or crisis.   

All of these viewpoints –as well as many others—are correct. Public relations plays an integral role in the operations of businesses and organizations of all sizes. And thanks to the Internet and Web-based services, it’s become an even more valuable and versatile tool in getting your business’ name in front of prospective customers and landing more of them on your Web site, Facebook page or other online property.   

HIT-OR-MISS

Before the Internet took hold in our daily lives, public relations activities were largely hit-or-miss. A business owner or staffer (or an agency, if the business had the means to afford its services) would come up with a catchy, news angle for a press release, story pitch or media advisory to send to the local media in hopes of getting some coverage. And by “send”, we mean faxed or mailed, as this was the preferred method of receiving information before e-mail became standard in newsrooms and magazine production offices. This usually was followed up with a phone call to the recipient.

The topic and its appeal to readers typically determined whether a business would receive coverage. Having established media contacts was important as well. However, despite the strategy and planning in pushing an announcement or information to a media outlet, uncertainty was a given. If successful, a business could expect a few lines in the publication or perhaps even a phone interview with a reporter interested in its proposed topic. But more often than not, that mailed press release or story pitch ended up in the wastebasket instead of on the mind of an editor or reporter.

Regardless, engaging in public relations activities geared toward print publications, radio and television outlets was still important, as these were the primary means by which prospective customers got their information. This all changed when a little technology called the Internet came along and changed the way people found information. Instead of picking up a newspaper, magazine or phone book, they instead went online. This changed the dynamics of not only the dissemination of information on local, national and worldwide levels, it also significantly altered press release distribution tactics.

A NEW AND IMPROVED WAY

As the Internet expanded into our personal and professional lives, so did the number of services offered through it. These include press release distribution services, article submission sites and directories, blogs, and other venues that allow users to distribute their information online. Unlike the uncertainty that comes with sending a press release to a member of the media and not knowing if and when it will run, this method almost guarantees that information will be available to interested parties. In some instances, the copy is live and on the Internet instantly; in others, the press release distribution service may have to approve the copy first, which may take a few days.

And it’s not just confined to one page of one edition of a publication. Unlike communication vehicles of the past, individuals are now actively searching out information through search engines, in which press releases, articles and blog posts can appear. Additionally, RSS feeds, other Web sites and blogs regularly pick up articles of interest and link to them or repurpose them, resulting in even greater exposure.

This new approach to public relations still relies on the fundamental strategies that have proved successful for decades, such as producing clear, concise and attention-grabbing headlines and copy. Press releases have essentially remained the same in terms of format and look. What’s different is the manner and speed with which they’re distributed.

In addition to building awareness and exposure, these online publications can also be a valuable component of a business’ search engine optimization (SEO). Inserting key terms back-linked to pages on your Web site can not only trigger an action from the reader—such as visiting the site to learn more or purchasing or scheduling a service—it also helps build the SEO power needed to ensure that your Web site and online pages have prominence in online search results.

Today’s public relations activities are no longer just a way to garner a short mention in the local daily or to promote an upcoming event. By taking advantage of online services and tactics, you’ll discover an affordable (and oftentimes free) and effective way to educate your prospective customer base about your business and, ultimately, increase sales.

Eric Richard is the senior technology writer for Appointment-Plus, a cloud-based scheduling software application that has booked over 60 million appointments since 2001

The Top Five Social Media Mistakes

Sure you're marketing with Twitter and Facebook, but are you doing it well? Here are the most common traps you might be falling into.
By Starr Hall http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220099

No matter how you slice it, reaching out, connecting and having conversations with customer online costs a business owner time and money. Could your social-media efforts be yielding better results?

Here's a list of the biggest mistakes I've seen business owners make with social media and how to avoid them.

1. Talking One-Way: Many business owners start posting status updates because they think that is all they need to do to grow their company online. But the way they do it cuts off any chance of having a two-way conversation. In today's messaging marketplace, consumers want to be heard. If you are just talking to customers but not letting them to talk back and engage with you, then you are wasting considerable time and effort online.

When you go online and post in a status update area, do not just talk at or to people; speak with them. Tag people in a post and ask them a question. Tagging simple means that you write directly to a person on their facebook wall or on their Twitter feed. On Facebook you put the "@" sign in front of their profile name, for Twitter this sign would go in front of their username.

Also, take a few minutes to stop by the "neighborhood" of each social site that you frequent and say hello, find out what your neighbors are up to, and post a quick reply. By actively engaging in these spheres, you keep your business top of mind.

2. Not Knowing When to Ask for Business: Many online businesses have conducted conversations with their connections for quite some time now, without translating this dialogue into any sales. Some companies fail to ask for business online or they ask too soon. You need to build some rapport first; people will buy from you only as much as they trust you. Set up a rule to convert conversation into clients or customers.

I follow the 3/3 rule, whereby I talk to someone no more than three times, for not more than three minutes on each occasion, freely offering tips, exploring another company's branding or directly helping them, before I ask that person for some business. When I do the asking, I send the prospective customer a closing script or a post to indicate how I can help further.

3. Shiny Object Syndrome: With all the flashy new websites and with social networking capabilities changing by the minute, no wonder you are swept up in checking out a new site or a fresh feature when you go online. Instead of spending countless hours exploring new dazzlers, devote only a set amount of time each day or week to review the new happenings online. Otherwise you will be sucked into a vortex of shiny objects and before you know it your week is over and you have not converted any online relationships into profits. Flag interesting sites or novel capabilities in a folder or on your calendar to revisit later for research and development.

4. Poor Messaging: A consumer can become overwhelmed by dealing with all the wrong messages that are crowding the Internet lately. Company owners are projecting the wrong image through what they say online. In some cases, their posts have absolutely nothing to do with their company, brand, or personality.

Too many entrepreneurs do what I call panic posting -- just posting for the sake of posting and sharing ideas that do not highlight their overall brand image. If you have a serious company, don't post jokes and funny videos; instead post statistics and updates about your company's team members. If your business has a relaxed image, inject humor into your posts; a funny YouTube video can go a long way.

5. Sales Faux Pas: Writing how much your product or services cost in a status update or post is not only a time waste; it is plain wrong. Would you walk up to someone before you have even introduced yourself and say that your latest product is now available at a certain price for a limited time? If so, you would probably end up not only talking to yourself (the person would walk away), but also you likely would lose the entire room of people as customers just from their overhearing your sales introduction.

Instead, try sharing the pros and cons about your industry or product category and ask people to provide feedback and participate. This is a great way to bridge the distance between you and your prospects and get them involved with your company's brand. Ultimately newfound fans will promote you without being asked because they feel included; the fact that you asked and listened goes a long way.

Whether yours is a one-person business or it has 150 employees, take time every month or quarter to examine your social media practices. You could save thousands of dollars and hours -- and have more to show for it.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

More on Social Media Return on Investment!

Q-and-A with Susan Bratton: 23 ways to look at social media ROI This blog series, featuring interviews with speakers from the SES Conference & Expo, scheduled Aug. 15 to 19 in San Francisco,  is brought to you by Incisive Media.

This interview is with Susan Bratton, CEO of Personal Life Media, a lifestyle brand that publishes 20 online home-study courses. She founded, took public and sold eight consumer-publishing and tech companies and two industry associations.

Is content truly king when it comes to social media? Do businesses need to become publishers to make the most of social channels?

Social media include Flickr, YouTube, webinars and blogging — the list of social outlets and platforms is endless. Content is not king; it’s simply one tactic. Where is your audience? What are your existing programs? What are your corporate assets, talents and budgets? 

How will you measure return on investment — what are your bottom-line goals? Before worrying about creating content, think about the broader role that social media can provide to your business and customers.

The only aspect of social media that I think is mandatory, and only if your brand registers any noise in the social sphere, is a social-listening strategy.

What advice do you have for companies that succeed in developing thought-leadership content but then have trouble promoting it?

Make it someone’s job internally to promote the content on a regular, editorial schedule. Find someone who would like the job. It can’t take that much time; how much thought-leadership content could one have? If the content is that great, hire a public relations firm or hand it off to an agency so it’s well managed, if there are no resources internally. Having a thought leader who’s willing to produce content is a valuable asset. Treat it as such.

How do you approach the social media ROI question? Are you looking at sales? Connections? Something else?

Whatever strategy you choose will determine the ROI you can track.

Brand buzz? Market presence? Brand building? Reputation? Networking with customers and prospects? Customer service or social customer-relationship management? Customer insight and market research? Prospecting and lead gen? Direct response? Competitive tracking? Crisis management? Customer segmentation? Campaign development and design? Share of voice? PR outreach? Thought leadership? Revenue generation? Collaboration with customers, vendors, partners or employees? Product feedback and research and development? Universal search linking? Local and geo-location? Loyalty or advocacy programs? Credibility via ratings or reviews?

This is a short list of the myriad ways social media can be used by a brand. Trackable ROI depends on the strategy, the channel and the available metrics.

Download my Social Media Super Powers slide deck for free, which leads any brand through the decision logic for determining the best social strategy by taking into account all of the ramifications of the decision. At a top level — there’s significantly more detail in the presentation, and you can paste your logo on it and call it your own — consider:

• Who is my audience, and where do they aggregate socially?
• Can I target customers and prospects?
• What are my business objectives?
• How would a social strategy align with existing messages?
• Who are the stakeholders, internally and externally?
• What are my customers’ desires? How could I delight them most?
• Which channels work best for me based on reach, assets, capabilities and strategies?
• What are my internal and external assets and employee talents or skill sets?
• How will I monitor the metrics and ROI?

How much can you budget, not only for launch, but for maintenance and growth of your successful programs?
When will you kill programs that are not providing results?

How can marketers use social media to better understand potential customers?

There are clever marketers who use social to understand customers, especially with insight, R&D, collaboration, feedback and customer support. The oft-quoted IdeaStorm concept by Dell proves this is useful. Yet I still like good, old market research — surveys, verbatim, focus groups, interviews and questionnaires. If you want to understand potential customers, use the classic tools and check in with your social-listening platform as well.

To find out how to enter the conversation that your prospect, and customer, is having in his head, download my free Conversion Triggers presentation, in which I show how the Four Realms of Persuasion: copy writing, storytelling, neuro-marketing and structured communication. They significantly increase conversion to sale when fed with empathic market research that’s easy to collect.

Kevin Brown www.kbsinsight.blogspot.com

Personal Branding

The Brand Called You

Be real, be memorable.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2008

By Scott Lahde

Remember all the talk in the late '90s of the “brand called you”? Well, much has changed in the past 10 years – including the way we conduct a job search and the way we network with each other. But the original concept of branding yourself, especially in today’s competitive marketplace for plum roles and positions, is more relevant than ever.

Sure, you have a LinkedIn page. Perhaps you’ve signed up for Naymz and one of your colleagues invited you to join NotchUp or another business social network like Ryze. More and more online business networkingopportunities are sprouting up every day. You may have even designed a personal Web page with your professional credentials.

That’s a good start, but is that enough to build your own personal brand? No.

Focus on No. 1

As executives in marketing, advertising and sales can certainly attest, marketing a company’s product or service, generating sales leads and enhancing the brand are paramount to company success. So why wouldn’t you use that same approach for yourself? Sound too self-serving? Think again.

Really successful executives, the ones who are consistently written about, quoted as experts, and asked to partner with top executives and companies, do one thing and do it well. They promote themselves and their expert opinions.

Creating an online profile in a number of places and monitoring your online presence is definitely important, but if you ignore your real-worldpresence, you’re cutting your own legs. Busy executives pour through hundreds of e-mails and view scores of Web pages each day. Will your digital communication or Web presence stand out among the deluge of daily digital information? Well, it’s a big challenge.


What will be remembered is poignant, real-world interaction.

Make It Real

You can generate this sort of interaction and attention for the “brand called you” in a dozen different ways. However, the three ways that have had the biggest impact and are often a catalyst for more opportunities are:

1. Participating in industry trade groups and associations
2. Speaking at prominent industry events
3. Writing well-crafted, by-lined articles in trade publications

In a sense, think back to basics. Some may scoff at the notion of participation at the trade level. Whether it’s engineering, finance or technology, the trades are not nearly as glamorous as being featured inForbes or Fortune or speaking at Davos. But let’s be realistic: Only a handful of people are invited to participate at those high levels.

So don’t scoff at them – embrace your trades! It will be your entrance to bigger and better things. Everything is cyclical – a trade article could lead to being selected for a speaking engagement, which leads to being quoted in a news article, which leads to a panel opportunity, which leads to being interviewed on television as an industry expert. You never know. Your participation with Beer Advocate magazine could have led to being asked to comment on the mammoth Anheuser-Busch/InBev merger.

Be Memorable

The same holds true for conferences, conventions and industry association events. You certainly don’t need to attend every single gathering in your industry, but select a few key events and really focus on your personal interactions. You may be a salesperson for your organization, so of course one of your goals might be generating sales leads, but don’t make the mistake of ignoring your other goal – selling YOU.

Focus on real-world interaction with people. Have the kind of conversations that will make people remember you, not run in the opposite direction because you are hounding them. Be genuine. Be thoughtful. Find ways you can help people as much as they can help you. These tenets may seem natural to some, foreign to others, but they will go a long way in building your brand.

In Short

Create this simple litmus test: Is what I am doing improving mybrand, both online and offline?

Remember: Networking is not about collecting as many business cards as you can. It’s about quality over quantity.

I recently attended a conference and during the networking portion I was approached by a gentleman who quite frankly told me that his boss told him to attend the conference and hand out his business cards. He then offered me his business card and walked away.

Obviously, his business card was immediately filed the same way I file random online invites when I receive them. Do yourself a favor – don’t be that person.

Kevin Brown www.kbsinsight.blogspot.com 

Using Org Charts to Drive Sales

Complex Sales-No Org Chart-Why Not?
Posted on July 25th, 2011 by Dave Stein

Why don’t sales reps don’t utilize org charts for complex opportunities they’re pursuing? Why don’t their sales managers insist that they do?  Those graphic representations of a company/division structure are invaluable in a complex sale. The most effective sales coaches I know refuse to help a rep with a deal unless they have an up-to-date organization chart.

Org charts are so important that several sales training companies require them as a critical component of their opportunity and account management approaches. More advanced opportunity and account plans (and supporting software) allow you to overlay a political map on top of the org chart so you see the relationships between influencers, decision makers, your supporters and those who would gladly serve those functions for your competitors. (By the way, if you’re in a complex selling environment and your team isn’t taking the political landscape within the customers’ organizations into account when developing a strategy to win, you need help. Yesterday.)

If a rep can’t get someone in the account to give them an org chart, they should be able to build one with help from their contacts.

Here’s a link to Forbes Corporate Org Chart Wiki. Try it. Think about what impact org charts and the skills to understand them would have on the outcome of your team’s sales opportunities.

Would you comment and share with us how an org chart helped you win an opportunity?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Kevin Brown www.kbsinsight.blogspot.com 

Location:Driving Sales With Corp Org Charts