Be Different. Be Genuine. Be You.

There isn’t a day that goes by where I DO NOT enjoy the writings of Seth Godin. As many of you know, he writes about the concepts of being yourself and standing out from a crowd. He recently talked about the concept of fitting in and standing out and how it is always easier to fit in.

You can see it on a daily basis..

…marketing and communication companies helping their clients fit in. “Do what is safe”… they will say.

Let me give you a little insight into the consumers people of the world. They do not want you to be safe. They do not want you to look and feel like the other company in the industry.

We want you to be genuine and different. We want to know that there is a human being on the other end of that logo. We want to know we can trust you.

If you fit in…

What’s the point?

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25 Steps to Choosing a Social Media Consultant and Educator

I have been discovering many people starting to enter the world of social media marketing in Indianapolis. It can be anything from an advertising firm to a small business coach. It is probably pretty confusing for business owners trying to learn about the amazing new tools available on the web. I wanted to help you out with your first steps in choosing a social media educator or consultant.

1. They need to use the tools they are teaching.

It is extremely important that the teacher is using the tools. Before you decide to use a social media consultant… investigate! Make sure they are using tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN, and Plaxo. If they do not use the tools on a regular basis, they are just riding a wave.

2. They communicate with their audience.

The last person you will want to hire is someone who throws content out on the bed and doesn’t allow for two way communication. The best way to test this? Go to their Twitter account and make sure they are actually sending “RT” and replies to people. 2-way communication is key.

3. Do they call themselves a Social Media Expert? Ask about the 10,000 hours rule.

The person that calls themselves a “social media expert” is the last person you want to hire. Read Paul Dunay’s post about 10,000 hours to become an expert.

4. Ask them their definition of social media.

If they give you a list of tools. Fail them.

5. They will run your Twitter account for you.

It is impossible to ghost a Twitter account. YOU either use it or you don’t. Ghostwriting for a blog is a different story and NOT for this post.

6. Their blog is less than six months old with no comments. (thanks Beth)

7. Ask them about social bookmarking. Do they know what it is? Do they use it?

8. Have they taught a class before on social media? Even a webinar?

It is important that your consultant or educator has experience in teaching or presenting on social media. The last thing you want to do is spend money for something that is going to be a DRAG. You want to know that you are not wasting your money.

9. Are they a Just-add-water expert?

10. They actually have a personality and GET people.

It is important that your social media consultant have a personality. What do I mean by personality? They are not stuck in an office all day pecking away at Twitter and have no sense of humor. ALSO, they are not overly bubbly and excited about everything under the sun. Sanity is key.

11. They blog more than once a week.

It is important that the investigation goes deeper into the blogging world. Your social media consultant should be learning on a daily basis and expounding upon what they are learning by blogging. This does not have to be catered specifically to a BLOG (wordpress or blogger). You can always check on Twitter on how they are communicating and learning.

12. They are linking and being linked.

Complete a Google link search and make sure your social media consultant actually has people and blogs linking back to their site. It is extremely important

13. Ask their opinion on viral marketing.

It is extremely important that your social media consultant and educator understand the concepts behind word-or-mouth marketing and viral marketing. Social media marketing is a relationship drive model. The evangelists and lovers of your product or service need to have the means to shout to the world… WE LOVE YOU!

14. Check out their website.

The first step to any Internet or social media strategy is the website. Do they have a communication drive website or is it a web 1.0 brochure driven site? Are they interacting with people? Are they talking about social media? Are they talking to YOU and not about their services.

15. What do other people think about them?

Mentors are one of the greatest asset to any small business owner. Who would they choose? Maybe they think social media is a waste of time. You need to take that into account. Maybe they were burned in the past? It is extremely important to get another perspective when entering into a relationship with any type of consultant or marketing professional.

16. They advise you to start a Facebook page as the first step.

It isn’t about starting in one spot. If you are new to the world of social media it may be smart to start USING Facebook other than trying to manage all 5 but the last thing you need to do is just start a Facebook fan page. SM strategy should be surrounding an integrated marketing approach. Period.

17. The instant success test

It takes time and knowledge to be successful at using social media as a small business strategy. If they promise instant results.. You should probably find another consultant.

18. What do they think about traditional marketing and advertising?

Ask them. If they come back to you and say that the traditional approach to marketing is dead. They are just riding a wave of no return. They will never understand the concepts of combining traditional and new media into an overall strategy.

19. Ask them about Radian6.

Radian6 is one of the better brand monitoring companies out there. If they have no idea about Radian6. FAIL.

20. What is their opinion of Quality over Quantity?

If your social media consultant starts talking about driving hundreds of followers to your social media account they don’t understand the concept of TWO WAY COMMUNICATION. Quality is so much better than quantity. Quality connections are the only way to succeed at using social media to expand your business.

21. They believe in actually listening to your problems instead of convincing you about the world of social media.

22. If they are still using an @aol.com, @aim.com, @comcast.net, or @att.net email. Fail them.

23. Listen for new approaches to strategy.

Everyone is offering to be a “social” consultant. Do they talk and think differently than anyone else you have listened to? If they do. You have a gem on your hands. Creative thinkers are the best social media consultants.

24. Are they a used car salesman? Do they seem genuine?

For the sake of argument I am going to list this. Do not work with someone you do not trust. Period.

25.Do they have any success stories?

Ask them about their history in using social media. The space is extremely new but there are people who are succeeding in using the tool. If they do not have case studies. Ask.

There are plenty more but this is just the beginning. Add to the list if you would like!

Small Businesses Can Compete without Borders

I was reading a post over at David Castor’s Business & Culture blog where he was discussing the Long Tail by Chris Anderson. Many of us (small business owners) understand the concept of the Long Tail. It has helped us grow in the early years of running a company. It is now easier than ever to enter into the LT strategy by using the Internet as a marketing medium.

I had another thought while reading David’s post:

It is now more important than ever to realize that competition stretches beyond borders in the “new economy.”

Small businesses across the nation (and the globe) are slowly starting to compete on an International scale. Whether you like it or not, the Internet has created a global market that is becoming faster and stronger than ever. Marketing plans have change. SWOT analysis have grown longer and more intense.

Why is it important to learn how to use the Internet as a marketing tool? There are plenty of reasons. The global economy should be pushing YOU to use the tools to cross borders and gain clientele that you wouldn’t have dreamed of 5-10 years ago.

You can be a lawyer or a accountant and begin gaining clients from all over a specific geographic region (the mid-west). If it is part of your goal structure of your company it is even possible to go GLOBAL.

Think about it…the world is open.

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Facebook Isn’t For Your Kids Anymore

I was reading a new social networking report from Nielsen called Global Faces and Networked Places and they had some stats about the growth of Facebook over the past year.

At Brandswag we deal with the Facebook paradigm from the older generations. Many of the small business owners we talk to would rather not think about using Facebook for marketing or networking because it is something their kids use. Now, we know that is not entirely true and yes… Facebook is used by your children but there is more behind .

The past few years have seen an increase in the use of Facebook by the Gen X and Baby Boomer crowd. According to the Nielsen report the greatest growth on Facebook has been from the people aged 35-49.

Guess what age group doubled that of their 18 year old children? The 50-64 year olds.

We are talking about one-third of the global audience on Facebook being between the ages of 35-49! What does this mean for small business owners? It means that you now have a viable source for business networking. It means that social media is no longer all about your children.

This small piece of your marketing strategy is now catering to all age groups… young and old. Is it time to start using social media to grow your business? Is it time to at least learn how to communicate online?

Absolutely. Start now.

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Your Job as a CEO and Small Business Owner? Mimic Obama.

Aghast. Mimic Obama?
Did all my fellow conservatives just unsubscribe?
I am not implying you need to mimic Obama in anyway other than the strategy he used in the world of social media. That is right. Social Media.

I was reading a Forbes article last night about how CEOs should be (at least) considering using Facebook and Twitter for productivity and communication tools. They mention Obama in the article because his campaign did an excellent job at using social media to push a message out to multiple generations and Internet users. No matter what your political affiliation… Obama and his team did it the right way.

So why should a CEO or small business owner mimic Obama and his campaign when using social media marketing or social media tools?

It is pretty simple. He changed (no pun intended). The one thing that large and small business owners are failing to grasp is that you have to adapt to the changes in the marketplace. The world of the Internet is slowly grabbing hold of external communication and pulling it from the traditional strategy.

The question you need to ask yourself is this…

Are you willing to step over the edge and start using the tools that will transform the way you communicate? Are you willing to get over the impatience of learning… and start using?

This a new age of communication… a new way to do business.. a new way to connect to your client base.

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Grow Your Biz Using Social Media Class

For those of you in the Indianapolis area.

I have completed some Rain University Classes the past couple of months and I have another class coming up on the 19th of March.

This class is not for beginners. We will not be covering basics. It will help if you have been through at least one of the introductory classes or are already blogging and engaged in several social media sites.

Social networking is a great way to promote your business and build your brand. With that said, how do you use it productively? How do you spend 30-60 mins a day and get the most out of social media?

What you will learn:

We will also be offering this class with a live online video stream. To find out more information follow the link to the Information Page.

The Guardian Gets It. NY Times Still Missing.

The Guardian (out of the UK) has finally launched an open platform that allows users to share and distribute content directly from their site.

And I would like to say that traditional journalism (at least some of them) may finally be understanding what it means to share and distribute content.

Now onto the people who are still not understanding the concept of the new media: the NY Times. NYT is still trying to focus on the paid subscription and micro-payment models.

I still don’t understand why the New York Times is still having problems accepting the fact that content is now free in an online environment. The Guardian has it figured out.

Take your content and allow users to share it across the millions and millions of pages spread across the Internet. Why? Because the consumer is now in control of the content spread across the web. Let the consumer control the content and your traffic will fly!

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Twitter Replaces Offline Networking

(disclaimer: this rant stems off a post by Mike Sanson at ConverStations)

I hope I never find a blog post written towards a social media site replacing face-to-face networking. It is extremely important for all business owners to realize social media marketing is not meant to replace your traditional strategies… just transform them.

I have told people now and again… If you ever come to me and say you stopped all traditional marketing and started a Facebook page… I will smack you in the face with my mind. I am not really that physical of a person and pretty tame.

Sites like Twitter are meant to strengthen your network and add a second touch point to the people geographically close to your business. They were never meant to replace face-to-face networking, ever. Go ahead and test it out.

Invite a Twitter friend to coffee or lunch. You will find that the working relationship has progressed a little farther because of the use of social media. You will learn a lot about a person online before you ever meet them.

It just adds to the fun!

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Defining Twitter Using Your Goals

Twitter is slowly starting to shift mainstream and (believe me) this does not mean anyone really knows how to use the tool. It is a chameleon of sorts, shifting definitions with every new user who joins the network.  There are a few necessary rules that have been developed post the creation of the site.

Overall it is a growing mass of people spouting links, ideas, quotes, conversations, and sometimes the Sleestacks (Copyright Michelle Riggen-Ransom via Twittip).

The question now stands… How do you define Twitter for yourself and how do you use Twitter the right way? Remember how you use the tool is completely based around your definition.

Defining Twitter

Why define Twitter? It is pretty simple. SO YOU DON’T WASTE TIME! Social media can be a huge time-suck if you do not define how you use each site. Believe me… even the most dedicated can drown in the social media pool.

Ask yourself why you decided to use the tool. Was it because you heard it was the THING to do? Do you want to keep up with old friend and colleages? Do you want to use it as a business networking tool? Maybe lead generation?

The questions you ask yourself are extremely important. Be honest with the way you want to use the tool. Write down your goals for using the Twitter network. I will give you the first couple goals on my Jan 2008 list.

1. Increase brand recognition for Brandswag and Kyle Lacy.

2. Learn from the professionals in the social media world.

3. Become obsessive in order to help others use Twitter for their benefit.

Twitter is whatever you define it (business and personal goals). Honestly, that is what makes the tool so attractive in the long run. Your experience is based on how you use the tool, who follows you and vice-versa.

How do you define Twitter?

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Guest Blog: America’s First Viral Restaurant: Kogi

Jamie Varon spends her days writing on her blog, intersected. Intersected is that place where work, love, and life all meet and you wonder, “Where the hell do I go from here?” She is also currently looking for a job (any takers?) and resides in the Bay Area. Her goal is to one day achieve world domination through her blog, but for now she’ll settle for a decent readership. Jamie is a writer, a marketer, a graphic designer, and on her good days, a comedian.

By now, I think most of us have heard about Kogi BBQ. It‘s been said to be “America’s first viral restaurant” because the Korean BBQ taco truck tweets where it will be headed to in LA and hundreds of people show up at the location they post on Twitter. It’s buzz and viral marketing at its best and even Twitter co-founder Evan Williams was impressed at how the taco truck had utilized his micro-blogging platform. What’s interesting about this company, beyond their “buzziness”, is that there are two very fundamental things to learn from them in regards to how small businesses can utilize social media.

1. There is no right or wrong way to use social media

No one could have predicted that Kogi was going to splash onto the social media scene and become as successful as they have. I’m sure many people would have thought Kogi’s idea was ridiculous: “You want to use Twitter to do what!? To tell people where you’ll truck will be? Yeah, like anyone will show up.” But now, it seems brilliantly simple. This mysterious and elusive taco truck can only be found through word of mouth; the Easter egg/scavenger hunt aspect of it only makes it more… cool. They utilized Twitter in a way that no one else had. And, that’s the essence of social media: make it work for you.

The internet and the landscape of social media has become intensely diverse that you’d be hard-pressed to find a niche that is not represented somewhere. For small businesses, that’s perfect for marketing your company. Find out where your niche is hanging out online and saturate that area. Be creative and mold what’s already available within social media into something that works for your business. Be inspired by what Kogi has done and how they have morphed a simple networking site into a legitimate cornerstone of what makes them successful.

2. Small or large business: there’s a place for you here

With over a million users on Twitter, Kogi isn’t attempting to reach all of them. Their audience is fairly narrow, because the only people that can visit the truck are the ones in the LA area. So, although Twitter far surpasses just the LA area, Kogi has found a way to reach their market within the broadness. They’ve found a voice within the interminable noise of millions of users. Small businesses can do that, even though social media can seem intimidating.

There’s a way for even the internet to feel local. There’s a way to shrink down the scope of social media, so you can have the “what a small world!” moments all the time.

Be creative. Be relevant. And find ways for social media to work for you.

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