Twitter Can and Will Drive Business

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of participating in a first hand account of how Twitter can drive a customer to a place of business. This, my friends, is the story:

I have been wanting (for awhile now) to get my second tattoo. It has been a self-debate on how much I should spend, where I should go to be “tatted,” and what tattoo I should ink into my skin. I finally came to the point where I was ready to take the dive and step out into the world of tattooing but I had one more question to answer:

Where should I go for a tattoo?

I decided to ask the Twitter world where I should get my tattoo because I believe in the concept of word-of-mouth marketing over any other system. I sent a tweet out that read:

Best place to get a tattoo in #Indianapolis?

Within minutes I had multiple tweets from individuals telling me their favorite place to be tattooed in Indianapolis. Metamorphosis won over the rest because of the evangelists (customers) that love and cherish the work of the shop.

The sad part of this entire marketing test is that I was not contacted by a tattoo shop on Twitter. The other shops in Indianapolis may have missed an opportunity to influence my buying decision because they failed to use Twitter as a communication medium.

I will be heading over to Metamorphosis this week to get the tattoo priced and to finally get inked. Let this be a lesson to all… if you train your customers to be your Evangelists and they use Twitter… you should also join them on the platform.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Getting Down to Business (revenews.com)
• Social Networking: Changing More Than How I Do Business | Law Firm … (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
• Visualize Word of Mouth, Get A Free Pass To WOMM-U (darmano.typepad.com)
• Marketing on Facebook Part 2 (mjroseblog.typepad.com)

Jason Falls to Visit Indianapolis to talk Social Media

Don’t forget, social media expert Jason Falls of SocialMediaExplorer.com is speaking at the Confluence NorthNetwork on Wednesday, May 27 at 3:00 pm at the Blu Martini at 96th and Gray Rd. This is a really big deal for us, because Jason is a nationally-known speaker on social media, and he’s going to be here in Indianapolis for just a few hours.

His topic will be “The Future of Social Media for Corporations.” If you’re part of a corporation or organization who’s wondering whether to get into social media, and what it’s going to look like in the next few years, this is a must-see.

Besides being a social media geek’s idol, Jason is the director of social media for Doe-Anderson, a brand-building agency in Louisville. He is also the co-founder of the Social Media Club Louisville. Jason is a widely-respected speaker at conferences and special events throughout the country. He speaks about how social media can build corporate brands, and how corporations and organizations can use social media. His blog is one of the leading blogs on the subject of social media.

Registration begins at 2:30, and Jason will begin speaking at 3:00. The cost for the event is $20, and you can purchase tickets at the Confluence website. The event will be at the Blu Martini, at 96th & Gray Rd.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Jason Falls to Speak at Special Event in Indianapolis! (kylelacy.com)
• Would Advertising Offend You? (socialmediaexplorer.com)
• People-Powered Louisville (beingpeterkim.com)
• SMCQuestion of the Week: Popularity Contest or Relationship? (socialmediaclub.org)

Flickr a Tweet in the Facebook. Speaking at Fundraising 2.0

I will be speaking at the Fundraising 2.0 Conference on Friday put on by the Association for Fundraising Professionals. There is an amazing list of speaker from the city of Indianapolis and it is going to be AWESOME! Check out the information below. 

—————————————-

The web isn’t what it used to be.

Social networking is here and here to stay. Can you Flickr a Del.icio.us Tweet in the Facebook? Would you even want to if you could? Obama used it, raised millions and fundraisers raised eyebrows.

Studies show that all ages are using these media in some fashion, but how do you tell what is right for your organization and where to start? How do you spread the word without spreading yourself too thin? Well, if you’re ready to learn, you need: Fundraising 2.0 – Raising Money on the Social Media Landscape
AFP’s Spring Conference will give you the quick and dirty on how to Digg the Newsvine if you Stumbleupon an RSS Feed. We’ll help you determine exactly what social networks are best to accompany your organization’s fundraising plan and how to use them efficiently to meet your objectives. Hear from the experts and walk away with a manageable toolkit to get started.

Web 2.0 – It’s here to stay (at least until 3.0)

8:30 Hazel Walker, BNI – The social media movement (an overview)

9:15 Mitch Maxson, MediaSauce – Best Practices, Practical applications (what’s working)

Build it and they will donate – A How-To Workshop!

10:00 Erik Decker, Pro Blog Service– Tools and design (what to use, how to use it right)

11:00 Kyle Lacy, Brandswag – Productive Social Media (Impact in 30 minutes a day)

Learn more about the speakers here!

Where: Riverwalk Conference Center
When Friday, April 17, 2009
7:30 am Registration and breakfast
8:00 am Workshop begins

Cost: $75 for AFP members (Scholarship assistance may be available)
$95 nonmembers

Thanks to our sponsor!

What’s Behind ILearningGlobal.tv? Coal or Gold?

There has been a slow but steady push (at least here in Indianapolis) to join a website with the likes of T. Harv Ecker, Brian Tracy, and Dr. Tony Allesandra. It is called iLearningGlobal. The whole concept behind the site:

“As an iLearningGlobal member you have direct 24/7 access to the most valuable training and learning content available today. iLearningGlobal provides training videos, audio programs, and ebooks from the top speakers, trainers, and authors worldwide. Fresh new content is added to the site weekly so the information is always fresh and you never run out of resources for continuous learning.

iLearningGlobal offers you the most advanced user viewing experience today within the iLG Signature Video Theater where you can experience full screen, High Definition video free of loading and buffering. This is web learning 2,0!” -From the Features section on iLearningGlobal.tv

I guess the question now is… what is this post about? I want to know what everyone thinks about the concept of iLearning Global. There has been the negative and positive viewpoints shared about the site. The negative borders on the Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) aspect of the site. Another negative has been the monthly cost of a online video based site (around $80/month). There are just as many positives as negatives.

The content on iLearningGlobal is excellent. I have watched multiple videos and they are short, concise, and give you a good boost of either confidence, ideas, or business knowledge (pick your poison). The instructors are fabulous and the video player is actually quite good.

On the other hand there are plenty of great content sites that are free. What is the draw?

Does the MLM pose a problem to people when using the site? Are you disgusted with the multi-level hundred grand a month scheme? I haven’t made my decision yet but I thought I would ask the more important critics: the readers of this blog.

What do you think?

35 Lbs of Food to End Hunger

There is a great site that was just launched yesterday by Indianapolis creative firm Mediasauce. The site is called Pledge to End Hunger and it was created to help feed needy families and children across this great nation of ours.

I am a huge fan when companies take the initiative and try to make our world a better place. The site is extremely well designed and as of this morning they have a total of:

761 Pledges

266,351 lbs of food

106,540 meals

On the site there is a way for the user to either GIVE, VOLUNTEER, or SHARE. To be completely honest with you… I just get excited when people take it upon themselves to help others. This is a great way to get a ton of people onto a cause and the site is well designed too! I am looking forward to seeing what comes of this entire campaign.

Also, if you are looking for a good way to take your website from 1.0 to 2.0… Go check out the Pledge to End Hunger site.

Announcing a Bid for Congress on Facebook

(hat tip to Hoosier Access for the post about Brose McVey)

In my opinion the political world received a massive dose of social media when (now) President Obama created a massive viral MACHINE using sites like Facebook and Myspace. We are now experiencing a shift between traditional and new media marketing in the political world. This shift may be small but it is still being pushed across the mainstream world.

Brose McVey is running for the 5th Congressional District against Congressman “Indiana” Dan Burton. Where did I witness the announcement? Facebook. Brose McVey’s update status read something like this:

Brose McVey is running for Congress in the 5th CD.

Now… I know that Mr. McVey will have something extremely formal for his ACTUAL announcement but it is encouraging to see the political world embracing the use of tools like Facebook and Twitter.

As long as the use is genuine and not a hard sell.. Is Dan Burton on Facebook?

Huntington: A Bank That Cares in Indianapolis

I have always been a fan of rewarding companies or individuals who really take the extra step to help an individual. I experienced that today with a local bank in Indianapolis.

My company was switching banks and were investigating a couple of local institutions in the area. While investigating I remembered meeting with an individual named Scott Long who works at Huntington Bank.

We decided to meet with Huntington to discuss our options. Needless to say it was a great meeting but the beautiful part comes next…

I had some personal issues arise and Scott helped me over the wall. We were able to secure a checking account through Huntington and move towards a more secure and organized financial future (as a company).

I have had bad experiences in the past with banks because of things that happened 5-8 years ago. Scott went overboard and helped me out of my problems and put me on the straight path.

Do you want to know who is going to succeed in this world? The people like Scott who take care of people… individuals… business owners… and employees. I will be with Huntington for a long time because of the support they gave me as an individual and for my company.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Smaller Banks’ Losses Expected to Bring Mergers (nytimes.com)
• The Citi Franchise (portfolio.com)
• Credit Losses Lower Earnings for Regional Banks (nytimes.com)
• Is Your Money Really Safe with FDIC? (citizeneconomists.com)

Top 50 + Bloggers in Indianapolis

Lorraine Ball and myself decided to make a list of 50 of the top bloggers in Indianapolis. Let me give you the run down of how people made the list.

This is not ranked.

50 could be bigger than number 1.

I made the decision on who to make the list by updates on who I read. I read most of the blogs on the list. If you have not updated for the month of November you were not placed on the list.

I apologize ahead of time for anyone I have forgotten. Now. Enjoy

1. Douglas Karr: Technology and everything web
Recent Post: StumbleUpon Continues to Feed My Blog

2. Erik Deckers: Humor:
Recent Post: Sport Stacking: Pretty Cool, But It’s Not A Sport:

3. Hazel Walker: Referral Marketing and Networking
Recent Post: Your Reputation and Networking

4. Amy Magan: Lighthearted fare about Diet Coke, Scrabble and other encounters with life.
Recent Post: Wordless Wednesday: Food Fun

5. Jeb Banner: Web Design and Everything Media
Recent Post: Secrets of Psychic Web Pages by Small Box EXPOSED

6. Patric Welch: Technology Consultant
Recent Post: When You Think Netflix Don’t Think Just Movies

7. Pat Coyle: Sports Marketing
Recent Post: Will Young Fans Choose Virtual Over Reality?

8. Lorraine Ball: Small Business Marketing
Recent Post: My Top 50 Blogs

9. Colin Clark: Social Media Guru
Recent Post: Changing Marketing Hubs

10. Chris Baggott: Blogging and SEO
Recent Post: Blogs for Business: My Lunch with a Real Estate Company

11. Susan Davis: Day Nursery Blog
Recent Post: Setting the Turkeys Free

12. Jason Bean: Technology and all things web
Recent Post: Pockets Can Be Dangerous in Cold Weather

13. Casey Mullins: Pretty much the best mommy blogger I know.
Recent Post: The Beach Has Gone to the Dogs

14. Matt Zentz: Practical Internet Marketing
Recent Post:Website Chauffeurs

15. Tom Britt: Information about Geist, Indiana
Recent Post: Geist Clubhouse Issue Headed for a Vote

16. CJ McClanahan: Business Org and Management:
Recent Post: Mistakes

17. Amy Stark: One of the smartest people I know and NFP extraordinaire!
Recent Post: One Laptop Per Child

18. Nicki Laycoax: Crazy. Cool. Marketer
Recent Post: Need to Know More About Your Network? Use Twitter

19. Mark Juleen: Pretty much the coolest guy ever and everything marketing
Recent Post: Social Media & Music Story of the Year

20.Aaron Renn: Urban Enthusiast and a “thinker”
Recent Post: The Facts on the Ground

21. Rodger Johnson: Public Relations
Recent Post: For Business Sake Create a Corporate Blog!

22. Megan Glover: Blog Content, Marketing and SEO
Recent Post: Compendium Client – Estridge Homes named in recent article.

23. Ken Moore: Career Counseling, Resume Writing
Recent Post: How To Avoid 3 Common Job Search Mistakes

24. Brad Ruggles: Marketing, Social Media, Design, Religion
Recent Post: Watch. Think. Discuss

25. Chuck Gose: Cellular Digital Signage
Recent Post: Updates From The Strategy Institute

26. Duncan Alney and Chad Richards: Social Media, Marketing, Design
Recent Post: Obama Marketing

27. Erin McMahon: Social Media NFP and the Internet
Recent Post: Does Twitter Ranking Constitute Vanity?

28. William Brown: Sports, College, Education
Recent Post: Colleges Tackle Climate Change at AASHE…

29. Jacob Leffler: Amazing Designer and Visionary
Recent Post: Madison Avenue Biggies See Digital Media As Stable

30. Justin Clupper: Digital Signage and Other Fun Things
Recent Post: I hate to say it… but Digital Signage is Old

31. Matt Breeden: Sports Law and Everything Sports
Recent Post: $500,000 in Fees To Fire Sampson?

32. Andy Horning: Government and the Constitution
Recent Post:OK, So Now What?

33. Scott Henderson: MediaSauce Creative Blog
Recent Post: Why Won’t You Listen? AirTran Loses.

34. Noah Coffey: Technology and Web
Recent Post:Win a Nintendo WII from Mr. Noobie

35. Kevin Makice: Indiana University Professor
Recent Post A Very Long Wait

36. Stephen James:Designer, Thinking, Just plain Awesome
Recent Post: CSSsprite: Photoshop script combines two images for CSS hover

37. Deb New: connecting ideas between business and communication
Recent Post:Talk the Talk with Gen Y

38. Joe Wikert: Future Visions of Print, Online, Video and All Media
Recent Post: An Interesting New Publishing Model

39. Chris Lucas: Sports and Information
Recent Post: Rich Rod Is Right

40. Michelle Hartz: Design, Branding, and Dreams
Recent Post: Four Foods on Friday

41. Ed Illig: Branding and Design
Recent Post: Yes, It’s Shameless Self Promotion

42. Hoosierati: Culture and Humanitarian Concepts in Indiana
Recent Post: Master the Technology and Share The Cookies

43. Ruth Holladay: Ex-Journalist and an Amazing Writer. I love reading this blog
Recent Post: Gannett fans flames of resentment with deep sacrifices comments.

44. Emily Sutherland: Everything Gaither.. and some personal stuff
Recent Post: Wes In A Booster Seat

45. Hope Baugh: Everything Theatre.. This is a great blog.
Recent Post: More Alike Than Not: Stories of Three Americans

46. TheContent Wrangler: Content is a business asset
Recent Post: DITA Metrics: Developing Cost Metrics

47. Brad Ward: Social Media and Education
Recent Post:The Good Project Graveyard [Part 1]

48. Neil Cox: Thoughts on Serving People and Christian Community
Recent Post: 7 Ways To Bring About Change

49. Santina Sullivan: Marketing, Consulting, and PR
Recent Post: Product Placements and Breakfast at Tiffany’s

50. John Wooten: Marketing, Social Media, and Web Design
Recent Post: New Site: Kristie Blankenhorn

51. Nila Nealy: Branding, Branding, Branding, and Design
Recent Post: It Really Is The Little Things

52. Susan Conyers: Marketing Professional and Twitterati
Recent Post: A Reality Based Argument

If you know of anyone else that has been a great blogger in Indianapolis. Please place their name and url in the comment box. I want them to be added to the list.

You can find many more Indianapolis and Indiana bloggers at Smaller Indiana.

An Amazing Social Network: Smaller Indiana

I have been a member of the NING social site Smaller Indiana since it’s inception in late 2007. Since the birth of this site by Pat Coyle and Douglas Karr.. it has been growing by leaps and bounds!

Here are some stats from the 3,798 strong SmallerIndiana.com

Global Traffic year-to-date 2008:

So far this year we’ve seen 193,970 visits from 453 Indiana Cities

The interesting stat is that 66% of the visitors are NOT from Indiana. Talk about a good way to get a state on the map!

Smaller Indiana is an amazing place to network and talk about Indiana as a major mover and shaker in the USA. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about starting a social network…

Go check out smallerindiana.com… it was done right.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Small is the New Big in Social Media: Smaller Indiana
• Online and Offline Networking: Connect the Two
• People Who Want to Look Better

What I Am Reading and Focusing On

We had a great event tonight at the Confluence Networking Corporate Blogging Panel. Thanks to everyone who made it out to the event. It was awesome!

I wanted to link some posts I have been concentrating on lately. I thought it would be a good digression from my daily rants!

1. 123SocialMedia: Social Media Politics – How Fast Things Change

I have been fascinated with the social media and marketing extravaganza known as the recent political campaigns. Barry Hurd talks about the transition from traditional media to new media by politicians.

2. Andy DeSoto: Social Media Basics Provide Necessary Spice

I love reading posts about combining social media with traditional marketing strategies. Andy is a genius at giving helpful hints on combining social media with the “real world.”

3. Chris Brogan: Communications in a Post Media World

Nobody can say it better than Chris.

Put up your first signal. Get your voice out there. What happens next? Do people respond? Because what comes next, I believe, is that you gather together the people who share your views. You reach out and connect with those who understand your goals, who share them, who breathe them in the same pulse.

4. Megan Glover: Blog Content is King

Megan at Compendium always has excellent posts around blogging, seo, and social media. This post is outlines the steps that Compendium Blogware has taken to measure the important of content and driving blog traffic. Excellent Post!

5. Lorraine Ball: If The Answer Is No, You Haven’t Asked the Right Question:

Lorraine is a mentor and a friend. I always enjoy reading her daily posts about small business marketing. The post is about Kenneth Cole refusing to let the answer of “NO” stop him from pursuing his dreams. What about you? What is the NO slowing you down right now?