A "Breath of Fresh Air" Regarding Social Media BS!

A read a wonderfully entertaining post today by Amber Naslund of AltitudeBranding.com. BTW, it was written on Feb 11th, and because of a restful Valentine’s weekend, I am just getting to my “Human Aggregators” suggestions!

The Gist of this post was “Come on, let’s get real about Social Media”, or at least that’s what I got out of it. Go read it! Here are my favorite excerpts, amongst so many great points…

“Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.

Loosely translated: majority isn’t truth. Just because “everyone” is doing it doesn’t mean it’s great. Conversely, just because you’re being the perpetual contrarian doesn’t mean you’re any smarter than the rest, you’re just joining the complaint flock. It takes courage and thought to go against the grain, illustrate a new approach, own it, and take actual risks in execution, not just on paper.

Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.

We don’t need a bunch of internet famous people and a confluence of empty personal brands. We need people that do good work and make a difference to the people in their universe, whether on a business or personal level.

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

We need more clarity, accountability, and translation of social media into terms that everyone can relate to. Enough with the buzzwords and lingo already. “Joining the conversation” doesn’t explain anything.

Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.

Teaching and guiding adoption of social media can be an arduous task. But forcing too many rules without context and understanding is a recipe for resistance and resentment. And dragging people unwillingly into the social web before they’re truly culturally equipped will undoubtedly end in failure. Understanding new concepts and ideas takes time, patience, and the willingness of some to make small strides instead of huge leaps.”

I would translate my impression for you, but I think the comment I left on the Blog, regarding this post, says it all…

This was just an incredible post! Bravo for saying what so many of us, trying to figure this whole thing out, are thinking. I am almost ashamed I didn’t say it 1st, though I am not sure I could have done it with such elegance. This industry (Real Estate) is being over-run with career chasers, trying so hard to carve out a position as an expert, thereby creating a need for them as a “Social Media Director” or some other goofy title, that we are forgetting to help the 92% of The Realtors & Brokers who are so very confused about what SM, The Web, Blog, ect… can do for their business. They are chasing an answer out of desperation. Let’s just stop BS’ing everyone, and just work on teaching the community what this, very special, opportunity is and how it works. Then, after we have spent a little more than a year learning it, we can start to find the true “Experts”. I am guessing, we will find them amongst the traditional Marketing “Gurus”, because Marketing is Marketing, this is just a new pool to swim in!

Thanks again for a brilliant look at reality!

Stay Blogging My Friends!

The Coach

[Via http://therealestatecoach.wordpress.com]

What's Pepsi doing and how can the Interior Design Industry learn from that?

As an Interior Designer I have a very creative mind and love all things art, I also have this crazy obsession with looking at what works in business no matter what their focus is (that’s that left side of my brain working).  You could say I am a bit of an info geek!

So lately I have been reading this amazing blog series written by  Jay Deragon http://www.relationship-economy.com/?p=8880 that a good friend, who is a brilliant  financial business consultant, sent me and I  got totally hooked!

Also having a deep relationship with the interior design world, I am always trying to think about ways all this business information might be able to translate to help grow the industry of design since it is very unique and steeped in the world of creativity and art and not typically run as a corporation.

The truth is, that business is business and the interior design world, in my opinion, needs to adapt a more “fortune 500″ way of thinking.  We have never felt this more than during this crumbling economy.

The first sentence in Mr. Deragon’s blog series caught my eye immediately. “Those who do extraordinary things change the game for those that don’t. Changing the game for others means you do something which changes the rules of the game before those following the old rules know it.”

He sites just a few game changers like Apple, Google and even Barack Obama on how he leveraged the internet to raise contributions and take his message to millions of internet users.

He also wisely says: “Jumping from one technology to another there is a frenzy of tactical maneuvers, creative uses and all indicative of a race with no clear end in mind”.The limelight of tactical and creative attempts to get the audiences attention are but for a moment”.

“Strategy is What Changes the Game Not Tactics”

Mr. Deragon, couldn’t have said it better myself!

So where does Pepsi fit into all of this, and what can the interior design industry learn?

For years, we have done “BUSINESS AS USUAL”.  It has totally effected our industry from interior designers to vendors to showrooms to design centers.  The real definition of trickle down.  It’s just not working anymore, we need to change it up.

Pepsi is doing just that.  For years they took the traditional road of marketing through magazines and television ads.  I am sure we can ALL think of an amazing Pepsi ad that cost millions of advertising dollars for the soft drink giant and worked for years.

Well, I don’t know if you know, but they did NOT have one single ad this year during the Super Bowl, when most would  say the “super bowl”  of audiences is the Super Bowl, right?  Wrong, not for Pepsi!

Instead they are using SOCIAL MEDIA as their marketing vehicle.  They are launching a huge initiative which you can read about here:  http://www.relationship-economy.com/?p=8880.

It’s a totally new way of conducting business and one that the interior design industry needs to incorporate in a smart and strategic way.  As Mr. Deragon (and I) say, let’s not just jump into this new technology, we need a strategy!

OLD WAY – CHASING  NEW WAY- ATTRACTING

That’s exactly why I do what I do and love it.  I work with and teach businesses in the Interior Design Sector think DIFFERENTLY. (that’s that geeky, left brain side!) When companies are financially troubled, they call me.  And, shockingly (although, not to me) it works every, single time!  However I do not ever throw the baby out with the bath water.  I just have them think about a different approach that is strategically and carefully thought out.

That’s also why I began lecturing, teaching workshops and the latest, teaming up with another Interior Design alumnus who knows all about Social Media and internet promotion, to give a workshop on incorporating Social Media into your business strategy.

My mission is to see this industry grow stronger, but one that will be able to weather any economy.  I have done this with businesses and will continue to do this in any way I can.

Let’s learn from Pepsi, Apple, Google, Ford and many other THRIVING businesses(including some achemm..Interior Designers)..while others are crumbling in this economy.  Let’s start to change our business strategy and rise to the top again….where we all belong!  Let’s stop doing business as usual when it just does not work anymore.

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR MY RSS FEED NEXT TO THE END OF THIS BLOG TO RECEIVE MY BLOG EFFORTLESSLY!  And please feel free to leave any comments…I love to read your feedback!

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How a Guest Post opened new doors and opportunities

Recently I had the opportunity to pen an article for Mike Volpe, VP of Marketing at HubSpot.   I penned an article on story-telling, which prompted a lot of comments, but some interesting ones too.  And it really fleshed out my thoughts.  Before I share my new connections and insights, I need to make one strong recommendation:

If you’re thinking of doing a guest post for a hot company like HubSpot, get cracking now.  There’s no time like the present.

First, my article prompted discussions from many but one person who connected with me really caught my interest.  Michael Margolis is an expert in corporate story-telling and he shared a link to his great eBook called Believe Me: A Story Telling Manifesto. I highly recommend you download and read it.

As I told Michael, I consider story-telling to be the Holy Grail of marketing.  Like the Holy Grail, many think it a figment of their imagination.   But like the Grail, it is the most powerful marketing weapon a company can wield.

Story-telling is so important, I intend to keep writing about it.  So stay tuned as I share ideas from the very best minds in Marketing.

Jeff is the President of Find New Customers “Lead Generation Made Simple” who has turned the website into the best source of free information on lead generation anywhere.  His white paper, How to Find New Customers, has become the Bible of demand generation for many firms.

[Via http://fearlesscompetitor.com]

Social Networking, Spending Style

The newest, up-and-coming social networking fad of 2010 focuses more on public spending than public speaking. The Web site, Blippy.com, updates the credit card purchases of members in real time. Displaying how much was spent, where and on what to millions of viewers worldwide.

The site itself has a Twitter-like look and feel boasting an easy-to-use format for consumers who wish to share their innermost purchases. This new way of learning more about/invading the lives of strangers could provide a new way for market researchers to dig up info on the habits of demographics large and small.

Blippy allows users to follow members and make comments on their spending habits. Some users have claimed that participation increased their expenses, hoping to impress followers with where they are or what they are doing. Market researchers have looked into the mystique behind purchasing for years hoping to target specific audiences with their products or services and Blippy.com seems to be an even faster, easier way to do just that. Referencing users ‘personal profiles’ and their purchases with others could provide the same results as more traditional forms of research.

Will Blippy.com be the social-networking site of the future? Only time will tell but for now I’ll keep my credit card statements to myself J

[Via http://scgianti.wordpress.com]

marketing metrics: 50+ metrics every executive should master

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Few marketers recognize the extraordinary range of metrics now available for evaluating their strategies and tactics. In Marketing Metrics, four leading researchers and consultants systematically introduce today’s most powerful marketing metrics. The authors show how to use a “dashboard” of metrics to view market dynamics from various perspectives, maximize accuracy, and “triangulate” to optimal solutions. Their comprehensive coverage includes measurements of promotional strategy, advertising, and distribution; customer perceptions; market share; competitors’ power; margins and profits; products and portfolios; customer profitability; sales forces and channels; pricing strategies; and more. You’ll learn how and when to apply each metric, and understand tradeoffs and nuances that are critical to using them successfully. The authors also demonstrate how to use marketing metrics as leading indicators, identifying crucial new opportunities and challenges. For clarity and simplicity all calculations can be performed by hand, or with basic spreadsheet techniques. In coming years, few marketers will rise to senior executive levels without deep fluency in marketing metrics.This book is the fastest, easiest way to gain that fluency……..

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 “This book saved my confidence!” 2010-01-14

By M. Daria (California)

Marketing Metrics is great! I struggled with some reports at work and couldn’t always remember formulas or ways to “think” like a Marketer with such a demanding job. But this book saved my confidence! I do not read it chapter by chapter but more go to the section I need a little refreshment in, it is a perfect blend between great explanation yet not too much detail. I feel like this is a good way to feed your knowledge in between college and obtaining your MBA or when some years of business school wear off…

 “A great catalog of Metrics” 2009-08-21

By Brian K. Seitz (Eatonville, Wa USA)

One of the problems with Marketing is that it typically has not spent any real time looking at measuring its successes, performance, etc. While Marketing Metrics: 50+ Metrics Every Executive Should Master is a long way from such a holistic text, it does contain a great catalog of metrics, explanations of use an cautions such that a savvy manager could over time construct his own performance management system.

 “This will become part of your ‘core’ collection” 2009-05-08

By LoreDog (North Carolina)

Covers all the fundamentals.great tips on when to use, how to use and when not use. Also provides good tips on dealing with data issues and impact of assumptions and estimations on any given metric.

Unlike many other business books, this one will get dog-eared as you refer back to it time and time again.

 “Should be required for all MBA programs. “ 2008-12-13

By Rick Wingender (Knoxville, TN)

This is a great book. I bought it AFTER I finished my MBA program. I’ve now read most of it, and I only wish that I would have had it before I started on my MBA. It’s easy to read and understand, and most of the metrics are very useful. I would recommend this to ANY business student – undergraduate or graduate, marketing, accounting, finance, whatever. Anyone in these professions will find it useful, and I also think anyone who is in a Merchandising role will also find it quite useful. I keep it in an easily-accessible place – it’s great for reference too.

 “ok” 2008-04-26

By A. Rastagar (California)

While most of these metrics are true, they are not always relevant. I guess if you use it as a reference, this is a good book and will do fine. But it is not necessarily something that will turn your world upside down with new knowledge.

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Sports Business: Not Quite Saying ‘Super Bowl,’ but Cashing In on It

Every year shortly before the Super Bowl, advertisers exhort fans to “get ready for the Big Game” (with a new HDTV), “stock up for the Big Game” (with pizza and ice cream) and score some “Big Game Savings” (on Doritos).

Skip to next paragraph

Pepsi is promoting its brands with a “Big Game Savings” promotion.

The latest news, notes and analysis from Miami where the Colts and Saints will contend Super Bowl XLIV.

Go to The Fifth Down Blog

[Via http://frenkinews.wordpress.com]

10 Simple and Inexpensive Marketing Ideas for a Tough Economy

The harsh reality of today’s economy is that many people are unable or unwilling to spend money like they have in the past. It used to mean nothing to me to spend $100 or $200 on clothes and shoes every few months, go out to eat several time a week and buy things I didn’t really need but thought I wanted on a weekly basis.  I also used to donate money to several local charities. During the past year and a half, I have probably spent only $300 total on these items. Not good for the local economy, not a whole lot of fun for me personally.  

Obviously, businesses and non-profits are also reluctant to spend money on marketing efforts when customers like me aren’t adding to their bottom line. Another harsh reality: you can’t ignore your marketing efforts just because business is slow. Maintaining a strong presence now will help customers remember you when they feel inclined to start spending again. 

While you may not be able to afford a fancy direct mail piece or advertisements in your local paper right now, there are inexpensive or even free things you can do that will help keep you in your customer’s minds:

1. Develop a newsletter. Keep your customers informed about new products, services or other information they are interested in. 
2. Create fliers to promote your upcoming sale instead of more costly direct mailers. Remember, though, that any printed materials you send out need to look professional. 
3. Gather customer e-mails. If you can’t afford to have your newsletter or flier printed, send an e-mail version.
4. Partner with other businesses who compliment yours to create a “niche” event: bridal fair, home & garden show, ladies night out, etc. 
5. Start a blog. Do you have something relevant and interesting to say? Are you an expert at what you do? Of course! It is an easy way to lend credibility and increase awareness about your business or organization.  
6. Create a Facebook Fan Page for your business. Post new products, upcoming events, etc. Remember to update it on a regular basis or no one will continue to visit your page. The same is true if you have a web site. Update your content to make sure people are visiting. This is the same principle as bringing in new merchandise or changing displays in your store.
7. Participate in a community event. If you support your local community, residents will tend to support your business. 
8. Attend networking functions. Word of mouth will always be the best way to spread the word about your business. 
9. Offer to speak to other organizations about a topic of  interest/expertise that you possess. It will only cost you some of your time. 
10. Create a unique in-store event. While you will need to spend a little money to execute it effectively, a fun, memorable event can bring a lot of people into your store.  

 

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