My “other hat” is as the Marketing Director for the South Willamette Wineries Association and as such I have the horrible tedious task of running wine tours (sigh). Yeah, yeah, my job sucks.

One of my favorite clients, Sam’s Place, bought a “party bus” and basically turned it over to me to run folks out to the tasting rooms. On Mother’s Day Weekend I guided a bus full of rambunctious women on a fun-filled “Girl’s Day Out”. The wonderful Julia Crowley wrote a blog post about the day – check it out!

1. Know your audience. – The content you put out into the social media world must be of value to your target market. I still live by the adage “Don’t publish (on the internet) anything you wouldn’t want your grandma (or biggest client) to see or hear about!” Keep it relevant and interesting. Offer up some value; an inspiring quote, an interesting anecdote or a link to some fascinating tidbit. Engage with your friends and colleagues without sharing so much that your other 430 followers are made uncomfortable. On Twitter there is no space to waste. 140 characters means get to the point and get me interested!

2. Plan your content. Content is definitely the hardest component of social media presence. It’s a constant, ongoing demand on an organization’s resource so having ‘timeless’ content or snippets of content to hand can fill in those gaps of information. Create a theme and collect a “library” of snippets that you can pull from.

3. Use readily available tools. As social media continues to gain millions of users, tools (apps) are flying at us. Research the tools that will best suit your needs and use them! I use Seesmic Desktop to easily manage several twitter and facebook accounts in one spot.  Other favorites are Tweedeck & Hootsuite. I also recently discovered Tweeple, an app that helps me manage followers on twitter. What are some of your favorites?

4. Don’t use in isolation. Social Media should be a part of your overall marketing plan – it is not a stand-alone. Combine SMM with your direct mail, advertising or networking plane. Publish your social media “handles” on your business card and in your email signature. Cross promote your pages among various SMM platforms.

5. Remember it’s a conversation. Social media is a great platform for your organization to actively engage in 2-way communication with targeted audiences. One terrific example of how this conversation can truly benefit your company (and save you money) is The Gaps’ recent logo change attempt – the feedback on Facebook and twitter was overwhelmingly against the change so The Gap was able to put the brakes on a re-brand that would have cost them millions and flopped.

Still feeling a bit overwhelmed but you KNOW this is a must for your business? Rossetti Marketing offers Social Media Starter Kit which is designed to help you understand and implement your own SMM strategy. Click on the briefcase below for more information!

One of my all time favorite lines in a movie is from “You’ve Got Mail”. Tom Hanks is trying to tell Meg Ryan that his giant bookstore knocking out her little shop around the corner wasn’t “personal”.  She says: “What is that supposed to mean? I am so sick of that. All that means is that it wasn’t personal to you. But it was personal to me. It’s *personal* to a lot of people. And what’s so wrong with being personal, anyway?”

“Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.”

Is your business one that markets to businesses or to end users (customers)? Are you selling B2B or a B2C? Well, I would propose that there is no such thing as B2B…I have never sold anything to a building – it’s all B2C.  Think of the businesses you are marketing to as having a heart and soul. Yes, there are more people to weed through in a “B2B’ sale, the sales cycle is longer and you will run into a gatekeeper or two. All of those scenarios involve PEOPLE.  So, B2B or B2C are really the same. It’s about developing relationships and treating those relationships with kindness and respect. SEE the people in these roles – What are they worried about? How do they feel? Who are they, really?

Now, having said all that, I do believe, in business, that it’s important not to internalize things when a deal goes south or when somebody doesn’t respond to your marketing efforts the way you want them too. So how do we be personal and yet, at the same time, not take things personally?  For me, I understand that while I must treat individuals as people not just a cold business, not everyone is going to need my service, relate to my approach or even like me…I take all of that to heart and learn how to make my next relationship out there in the business world work better. So I guess I do take it personally – just not in a way that defeats me or my spirit.

Your thoughts?

I love to network – online and in person! It’s where most of my marketing efforts are directed. Some say that “networking” is my middle name….I was born to do it. It works out well for me (I’m just a wee tad social) and my business. Here I am at a very young age networking (negotiating) during a carpooling session:

Click here to view the embedded video.

OK, so that’s not me…and that’s the exact OPPOSITE way you should approach networking (super cute though, huh?).

Will it work for you?

I say YES! Absolutely! If you are a small business with a small budget for marketing/advertising then you had better brush up  on your social skills…Networking is fun but it’s also WORK! It means showing up frequently, consistently, with a professional image and with your “active listening” ears on! It means becoming a source of support to your fellow business networkers. It means, more than anything, becoming a valued part of a community that is both local and online.

Here are my ten tips on successful and meaningful networking:

1. Be authentic! Be yourself! Be genuine! In a small business community we do business with people we know and trust. We want to help and support those who share common interests and ideas. We LOVE to do business with people who seem to genuinely want to help us too.

2. When you meet people with like interests and business goals, ask them which groups they find valuable. Some groups are more about professional development and some are the “good ole’ boys” weekly breakfast. Make sure the time you spend is worth it. OR, if you don’t find the right group do what I did and make up your own – I created Fridays at Five a year and a half ago. You can do it too!

3. Always start with “Tell me about your business”….even if they ask you first. Then when they ask you about yours say “No, tell me more about you – how can I help you??”. Only when you’ve exhausted all avenues of potential support do you hand your card. Ask open ended questions which opens up the discussion and shows people that you are interested in them.

4. Have a clear understanding of what you do and what sets you apart. I can’t tell you how many people I run into that are at networking events and cannot articulate what it is they do in such a way that causes me to say “really? Tell me more”. DON’T, however, fall into the cheese trap and say something like “I offer solutions to people who are looking to make all of their dreams come true”. You lost me. Goodbye.

5. When asking for referrals BE SPECIFIC! Don’t tell me “A good referral for me is anyone who would like to save money”. Yawn. We live in Eugene, Oregon so if you’ve been cold calling, say…Rusty Rexius and can’t get a call back – ASK FOR THAT! One of us is going to know him or his neighbor (or his wife’s yoga teacher…or…). I can’t tell you how many times this has worked at Fridays at Five.

6. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given.  When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.

7. Follow up with a personal phone call or a hand-written note to those who may benefit from your product or service. Thank them for taking some time out to speak with you and let them know that it was a joy meeting them. Common courtesy goes a long way in the electronic mail age!

8. Volunteer for the organization. Great way to give back to those groups that have helped you!

9. Help promote the group. It benefits the memebers as well as you! More the merrier! Promote gatherings on Facebook and Twitter.

Which bring s me to online networking, or Social Media Networking. Click here for a previous post on that subject. (more to come!)

Cheers!

Every day I hear objections from my small business clients about social media from “It will take too much time” to “It’s a fad, right?” (wrong!). This morning I came across a really great post by Nick Shin (Marketwire). Here are Nick’s 30 typical objections and the responses to those objections

1. Why should I? I don’t need to. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean I have to.
   • Getting involved in social media allows you to be more engaged with your current and potential clients.  The word “transparency” was probably 2009’s most cliched word used to describe social media, but it’s true.  Social media allows companies to have a voice and to show the public that your company is willing to listen and garner unsolicited feedback.  Social media also allows your company to provide that extra customer service option outside of the traditional email and phone outlets.
2. Fear of change; I’m going to stick to what works for our business; we’ve been fine without it
   • I won’t quote the 100’s of statistics and studies that prove social media isn’t just a fad.  Instead, the best way to argue against this is to consider it.  If you don’t give social media a chance, aren’t you afraid of the missed opportunity in lead generation or cost savings social media can offer?  The business/marketing world continues to evolve and many companies are re-inventing themselves as innovative by their usage of social media.  Think Ford.  The fact that fortune 50 companies are embracing social media should be enough to warrant consideration.
3. It costs too much
   • Contrary to popular belief, social media is NOT free.  There is time investment involved and you will not see the impact social media will have on your company right away.  However, it’s important to consider that revenue should be viewed as equally as cost savings.  It can save a company money by reducing customer service outlets as well as reducing the cost of marketing campaigns.  For those relying heavily on direct mail, try testing a social media campaign where you only invest time/money spreading the word online.
4. I’m in no hurry
   • Fair enough, but maybe your competitors are.  It’s about missed opportunities.  Look at all the Fortune 500 companies (Walmart, Dell, Bank of America, General Motors, to name a few) that lost out on their name on Twitter before it exploded into a phenomenon.
5. I have no desire
   • No one is forcing anyone to use social media, but there are very convincing reasons why businesses should use social media.
6. It will require too many resources within our company
   • Just like any other marketing campaign, social media will require resources.  In order to debunk this objection, you have to look at the reasons why social media benefits your company – missed opportunity, cost savings, lead generation, etc.  Focus your social media strategy on what you want to accomplish through goals, objectives, and success metrics.
7. I’m worried about the legal ramifications/regulatory issues
   • This objection can be overcome by drafting a social media policy that clearly outlines the responsibility of using social media as it relates to legal and regulatory issues.
8. It’s too risky; we’re better off doing nothing
   • The only risk that I see is the risk of doing nothing.  Do you really want to risk letting your competitors take over the opportunities you are missing?  Do you not care what customers (and competitors) are saying about you online?  Monitor and engage to offset that risk.
9. You can’t measure it; social media results are not easily visible to non-users
   • We all love the term ROI.  Social media ROI involves more in depth analysis than traditional stats.  Here are my favorite presentations of social media ROI – Basics of Social Media ROI and Social Media ROI by Socialnomics
10. We give up too much to the customer; privacy issues
    • This is a valid objection as I understand that in some industries, there are client privileges or at least want to avoid showing favoritism.  The key point to remember is that you are voluntarily participating in social media meaning you can control what you put out to the public.   If you are in the position where revealing certain aspects of your company is against the rules, then develop a social media policy.  Clearly state the roles and responsibilities for those participating in social media on behalf AND outside of the company.  The latter is extremely important because it requires a level of trust with your employees.
11. We won’t make any money/no ROI potential; it will take too long to pay off
    • I’ll be the first to say, from personal experience, that social media will not have an immediate financial impact, but it will have an immediate impact on brand recognition.  Social media takes time and energy, but what successful venture doesn’t require time and energy?  Don’t just think about the revenue that is generated, but also the cost savings involved.  Look at the traffic your website is getting due to your social media efforts.  Are you noticing more positive mentions?  It’s all part of the benefits of social media.
12. We can’t control the message
    • Social media is the voice of the customer and a channel that is influenced by the customer.  By taking part in social media, you can start to monitor conversations about your brand and competitors.  People will say whatever they want about your company whether you like it or not, but isn’t it better to know what they are saying rather than standing on the sidelines and not knowing?  It feels like a common sense business practice to monitor, engage, and understand the situation.  In reality, social media actually gives you MORE control over the message.  An example: a customer starts badmouthing your company because of outdated pricing information on a website.  [Scenario 1]-not participating in social media results in you never knowing so this bad testimonial spreads (which you don’t know about).  [Scenario 2]-by participating in social media, you can reach out to the dissatisfied customer, ask where they got the information, correct the issue with IT due to this customer’s feedback, and explain the situation to the customer.  More likely than not, that customer will thank you for the correction, correcting any negative misconceptions about the company.
13. We want to control the message
    • What you can control is your engagement with the public and how you respond to comments.  What you can’t control is what is being said about your company.  Participating in social media gives you more control.
14. It will take too long to implement
    • Social media does not take long to implement, however, it’s important to spend time creating a social media strategy to understand goals, objectives, success metrics, and plan of action.  Social media is a time investment and you will not see results overnight.  It takes time and commitment.  If you tackle social media half-assed, you are wasting your time.
15. It’s just a blog, Twitter and Facebook- What’s that going to do?
    • Social media does the following: SEO, increase in traffic, lead generation, increased customer service satisfaction, brand management, customer engagement, acts as a focus group, cost savings, on and on and on and on…
16. Our customers are not on social networks/don’t use social media; Not our target market
    • This is just a bad excuse.  You will be surprised to see how many of your customers and potential customers are using social media.  You know what they say about assumptions right?  The most useful social networking sites are meant for the general audience.
17. It’s too complicated; we don’t know the first thing about social media
    • There are many tutorials available on the web that will help you get started in the world of social media.  For PR and marketing professionals, check out Marketwire’s Social Media Fitness Program.  I am also here to help answer any online marketing questions as are the thousands of social media “experts”.
18. We can’t control our employees using it
    • Believe it or not, your employees are using social media.  So no, you can’t control whether your employees use it outside of work.  What you can control, however, is allowing your employees to use social media in the workplace and setting strict guidelines for writing about the company’s products, service, clients, etc.  If you are concerned about employee usage, I recommend that you develop a social media policy that outlines usage terms and responsibilities of using social media.
19. We’re B2B so there is no reason for us to engage consumers
    • The great thing about social media?  It doesn’t discriminate.  Social media works just as great for B2B as it does for B2c.  In some cases, B2B is all the more reason to participate in social media.  Read Brian Solis’ post on B2B and B2C Engagement by the Numbers.
20. Don’t want to acknowledge negatives
    • With the global acceptance of social media across all types of businesses and industries, negative comments will happen whether you want it to or not.  The power of social media is in the public, i.e., the users.  It gives your customers and potential customers a voice they didn’t have before.  Negative comments is inevitable so instead of ignoring it, embrace this opportunity to reach out as needed.  The missed opportunity is to let it happen behind your back.  You will be surprised to find out that many negative comments are based on inaccurate information.  In addition this type of feedback can lead to improved business processes or product/service enhancements.  The power to influence is extremely powerful.  You don’t have to respond to every negative mention, but at least follow the conversation.
21. Don’t have time to adapt to the technology
    • If you don’t adapt to new technology, you will become obsolete or fall behind your competitors to the point of extinction.  Embracing social media is viewed as an innovative new approach to marketing, PR, customer service, R&D, etc.  If you hear this particular objection, perhaps it’s time to start thinking about joining a new company.
22. There is too much meaningless discussions online; no trust
    • Very true, but luckily there is a filter for all that noise.  You can monitor from whom you want to listen and what you want to listen to whether it is your brand, related keywords, competitors or a select group of followers.  The great thing about social media is the ability to engage with your audience.  Spark a conversation by asking a simple question or join a Twitter chat where other users tweet about similar tastes.  If you are reactive to the conversations that are happening online, you will only see meaningless tweets.  Instead, be proactive and spark those conversations.  There are more than enough users willing to discuss subjects that matter to you.
23. Lack of expertise
    • Social media continues to develop and everyone is still learning.   My advice is to experience social media yourself because nothing beats experience.  You can read all the articles you want and listen to all these “experts” talk about social media, but these should be used as guidelines only.  Your own experience will determine how you use and benefit from social media, no one else.
24. We already do social networking, we have a facebook fan page.
    • That’s a great 5th step, but what are you doing with that fan page?  Social media not just about setting up a fan page or setting up an account; it is so much more than that.  Develop a social media strategy to understand your goals, objectives, and how you are going to measure your success.  You can’t just create a fan page or Twitter account, snap your fingers, and poof, you do social networking.   In order to really “do social networking”, provide useful links to industry related articles, don’t sell your product/service, engage and participate in conversations, don’t sell, offer any help whether they are your current clients or prospects, and listen.
25. We’re waiting for it to mature
    • If you want to risk doing nothing and waiting for your competitors to jump ahead, fair enough.  How do you define a site being “mature” anyway?  Check out these social media statistics.
26. We tried it and it didn’t work.
    • Trying is good until I ask these type of questions:  how long did you “try” social media?  Did you have a strategy in place?  What did the strategy consist of?  How did you measure success? What were your goals and objectives?  What gave you the conclusion that social media did not work?  What results from social media would you have considered a success?  What process did you go through when participating in social media?
27. It doesn’t fit the company’s brand.
    • The most useful social networking sites are meant for the general public with no preference to any type of brand or industry.  Social media is not a fad and is starting to become a best practice for PR, marketing, customer service, business development etc.   What is important to consider is your company culture.  I truly believe that your company culture is reflected in whatever social media participation you do.  Whether you’re in a bland industry or not, your brand will come out shining.
28. We can’t convince upper management/management doesn’t support it
    
    • If it comes time to present your case to upper management, you will likely encounter more than a couple of these objections.  You may also want to take a look at my post about how to convince and sell social media to your boss.
29. I suffer from information overload so I don’t need anymore.
    • Social media can certainly be overwhelming at first especially if you believe in any of these objections.  Don’t just jump into social media and think you are ready.  Take it in stride.  Set goals and monthly expectations.  Information overload will only continue to grow and you do not want to fall behind.  It’s also inevitable.  Technology continues to change and improve the way we obtain information.
30. We’ll stick with traditional media
    
    • Traditional media outlets are also using social media.  In early 2009, CNN purchased a Twitter account that had nearly 1MM followers at that time (it now has almost tripled that amount of followers).

“ Knowing what people are buying will make you a living. Knowing why they’re buying will make you rich.” Stephen Pierce

How to Get Traffic to Your Blog by Seth Godin is an informative and great post to print and put on that bulletin board across form your desk. You now, the one with all the story ideas for your blog. I, clearly, have not done that yet. I blame H1N1. In fact, I blame H1N1 for just about everything these days. My weiner dog has decided, at 4 yrs. old, that it’s perfectly acceptable to crap on the carpet under the pool table upstairs. I blame H1N1.

I’m on my way out the door this morning, to facilitate another CEO roundtable. It’s a fantastic group of professional business folks here in Eugene who meet every other week to be inspired and motivated. Today we are talking about blogging. I am a fraud! Well, I HAVE been sick with that stupid virus. But now that I am better, the gig is up.I can no longer blame H1N1 for my blogging deficiencies.

So why is it so easy to be creative, witty, informative, inspirational and sometimes cheerful in real life and so hard to do that on a blog? I am determined to get to the bottom of it. So far I have found some compelling advice from the “experts” out there in the blogosphere. It’s a start. I am going to offer that to you here and then get back to the business of growing my business!

Chris Brogan’s best advice
Tips from ProBlogger
How to Blog: A Beginners Publishing Guide
How to Get me To Read Your Blog

Chat soon….

D

So I am making the switch from Blogger to WordPress. Haven’t figured out how to get my archives over here and I realize my blog is looking brand new and “skinny”. Bear with me! I will populate soon.

Meanwhile – enjoy some of the posts I placed in my pages…

See you soon! and WELCOME!!!

D

As fallout from the current economic crisis continues to mount, thoughtful people are beginning to ask what we can learn from this experience. In a post at Harvard Business Online, Bill Taylor highlights a Warren Buffett interview on Charlie Rose in which the billionaire investor responds to the question “Should wise people have known better?” in the affirmative, with the note that there’s a natural progression when things go wrong:

• Innovation
• Imitation
• Idiocy

An innovator spots an untapped opportunity; the imitator attempts to capitalize on its merit; finally, explains Taylor, the idiot goes and apes the imitator, and with avarice “undoes the very innovations [he is] trying to use to get rich.”

According to Taylor, avoiding this cycle means developing the ability to distinguish between “genuine innovation” and “mindless imitation.” In other words, he asks, “Are you prepared to walk away from ideas that promise to make money [when] they make no sense?” Taylor, like Buffett, concedes this is easier said than done when you see competition heading in a particular direction and fear you’ll never catch up if you don’t join the charge. It takes discipline, notes Taylor, to remain conscious of the difference—taking advantage of innovation without getting caught up in the idiocy.

The Po!nt: “[D]on’t use the financial crisis as an excuse to stop taking chances or downsize your ambitions,” says Taylor. “But do use the crisis as an opportunity to take stock of what really matters—and to stop looking over your shoulder.”