Social Media Creates TRUE Networking

I have talked at length about the value of combining your offline and online networking. I have been believer in the absolute value of social networking sites being the pinnacle of true networking… the pinnacle of creating a valuable relationship between two people.

I was reading a post at the Winnepeg Sun called The Re-Wired Generation. Although this article was written about the Internet driven Generation Y it had an excerpt from University of Toronto sociology professor, Berry Wellman:

“Far from replacing face to face time and breeding a generation of reclusives, Facebook and Twitter are actually enhancing interpersonal relationships offline…

The Internet is complementing, continuing and maintains relationships,” he said. “It’s letting weaker relationships stay in contact.”

There was a time in the business world where you would meet individuals at networking events and forget them the next day. The faces and names would be categorized into a business card pile and shoved into a dark desk drawer. This “networking for forgetting” has been all but erased if the two people are connected on a social media platform  like LinkedIn. The personal development between an individual and their client is based on touch-points. The more touch-points you have with a person the greater the relationship (we would like to think so). The essence of social media is built around the touch-points on the Internet. Can you connect to prospect using LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook? The wealth of information given to you in a single sitting is exponential!

Instead of dismissing social media and using the old forms of communication. Try developing your weaker business or personal relationships using an online model. You may be pleasantly surprised.

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140 Bite Sized Ideas to Help Your Business

I have been searching for books that contain leadership information and content that I can use on Twitter when it comes to sharing information about leading companies. Kevin Eikenberry, renowned author and speaker, recently sent me a Twitter book that fulfilled all my desires. The book is called #LeadershipTweet and is filled to the brim with noteworthy leadership quotes to get me through the day. (I’m not kidding… I did love the book). I thought I would write a brief review of the book while listing some of the leadership tweets he has documented over the past couple of years.

The book breaks down into 4 sections plus a short foreword by the one and only, Chris Brogan. The sections include leadership actions, thoughts, inspiration, and how we can learn from one another to become better leaders.

I wanted to list 15 of my favorite leadership tweets from the book.

1. Remarkable leaders translate vision into reality

2. People don’t resist change; they resist being changed

3. Want better ideas? Create MORE ideas

4. Strive to be a leader who learns and a learner who leads

5. Remarkable leaders have formed a habit of doing things that average leaders don’t like to do

6. Remarkable leaders are willing to make bold decisions

7. Make a choice to make a different. Make a choice to lead

8. Great listening starts with an open heart and a curious mind

9. Your belief in someone’s potential is the first step towards helping them develop it

10. Be authentic–you will be a more successful leader (and person)

11. Remarkable leaders are network builders

12. Remarkable leaders are accountable for their actions

13. Remarkable leaders communicate with others in a way that is best for the other person

14. Remarkable learders communicate powerfully through stories.

15. Resistance is energy that leaders use to move change forward.

As you can already tell… the book is packed full of great ideas for leadership for 2010! You should definitely go check out the book. Follow this link to read thoughts, ideas, and inspiration from Kevin Eikenberry and the world of Twitter!

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My Top 20 Posts of 2009

I know.. a little egotistical right? That’s why I am splitting it down the middle! My top 10 posts from 2009 and my favorite post from the REAL geniuses of social media.

Just trying to showcase the more popular (community driven) posts from 2009. I am going to be taking the rest of the week off in the beautiful San Luis Obispo, CA to be with family. I can’t wait to hook back up in 2010! Have a restful and joyous holiday week!

My Favorite Posts of 2009

1. The Magic of Dynamic Pricing from Seth Godin
2. The Four Spheres of Social Media Strategy from Jason Falls
3. 11 Must-Dos for the Serious Blogger from Jay Baer
4. Sometimes, You Need To Fire a Customer by Lorraine Ball
5. So What’s Facebook Good For? from Chris Baggott
6. User Experience is Not A Check Box from Travis Smith
7. Are You An Elephant or a Butterly? from Douglas Karr
8. The Top 100 Twitter Publishing Tools and Services by Brian Solis
9. Becoming a Social Business from Shannon Paul
10. Death of the Brochure and more Verbal Masturbation by Duncan Alney

My Top Posts of 2009

1. 20 Ways to Drive Leads Through Social Media
2. Customers Are People First. Marketers Are Fundamentally Flawed.
3. 10 Ways to Build Trust with Social Media
4. When Should Business Engage in Social Media
5. Balancing Perception and Reality in Social Media
6. 10 Tips to Integrating Social Media with Marketing
7. Is Out Sourcing Social Media Okay?
8. 5 Things I Have Learned as a Generation Y Business Owner
9. The Three E’s of Social Media: Embrace Educate and Empower
10. Twitter Usage Plan for Success

A Look Back at 2009 and One Prediction

I know. I know. Everyone writes a post like this..blah blah blah.

Looking back at the last year… recanting exciting testimonials of accomplishing goals and just being generally… excited!
There is nothing wrong with “looking back at the year” posts which is why I am writing this today.

I can be a cynic and a little negative but not during the Holiday!

Speaking of accomplishing goals…

This post is actually number 500 on this blog. Crazy right? 500 posts about everything from Twitter marketing, Liberty Tax girl I almost hit with my car, music, and grammar in blog writing.

First off, thanks to everyone who reads, comments, and joins in the overall human think tank known as the Internet. I absolutely love everything about social media and the thought process behind community engagement!

I am going to be taking the next week off to be with my family and to recharge for 2010. I thought I would post the top 5 blog posts from 2009 for the next week.

Top 4 Things from 2009

• We have had a great year over at Brandswag with Brandon Coon, Amy Rowe, Stephen Coley, and Austin Wechter. Thank you to all of our wonderful clients
• I wrote Twitter Marketing for Dummies (with the help of Erik Deckers and the wonderful staff at Wiley Publishing
• Finally broke into the top 150 Ad Age Blogs… but it fluctuates all the time.
• Was humbled to be able to present at Re/Max Indiana Sales Rally, MBO Conference,  and Hoosier Hospitality Conference

We are blessed to live and be able to create content and conversation in this age of technology. Remember that. BRING IT ON 2010!

And my one prediction: Google is going to buy Twitter.

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The Definition of Influence in Marketing and Social Media

In the world of small business owners… we would all love to be influencers. We would love to be perceived as the expert in the matter of which we are selling and we should be. A question that keeps surfacing among the “small biz chatter” is directed toward the subject of influence.

Well… I think we are here to finally answer that. Thanks to Lisa Hoffmann and Mashable. Lisa was reading a post from Micah Baldwin (Lijit Networks) called HOW TO: Measure Online Influence and I decided to check it out and read it for myself.

I wanted to sum up some points Micah made and push them towards the small business owner.

Social media marketing is very much a brand development tool for the small business owner. The majority of the time it is used for lead generation or visibility in a specific industry or region. Now, in order to realize the potential of social media and get excited.. instead of smoke and mirrors boredom… let’s look at Micah’s definition of Influence:

Influence = (Personal Brand * Knowledge * Trust)

So.. in order to maximize your reach online.. you need to be able to focus on the three top tiers of influence listed above. I am going to add another into the mix in order to speak to the small business owners in the group:

Influence = (Personal Brand * Offline Interaction * Knowledge * Trust)

The main purpose of talking about influence and personal brand recognition is to add the concept of offline social networking (something a small business owner lives day to day). In order to maximize your influence online you need to be be able to take it offline and create a 2-Touch-Point model of influence.

You should read Micah’s post about the concepts of influence, personal brand, knowledge, and trust because it is great! We need to remember that the Personal Brand building of a small business owner has to include the offline and online networking in order to be strong.

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Take A Breath and Be Human

Go. Go. Go. Go.
Faster… Stronger… Better
I have to get it out… if I don’t… I will not be heard! I can’t let it go… I have to get out there!
Go. Go. Go. Go.

It is exhausting…. and yet somewhat fulfilling.

Every business owner can relate to this exhausting form of competitive spirit that overlaps everything from social media marketing to traditional marketing. You have to be first… You have to be the best… You have to be ahead.

I was scanning my Twitter feed this morning and Roger Byrne of Social Media Fish had a great post:

In your search to be the fastest and most comprehensive news provider on Twitter take a breath and be human (@imrogb)

It wasn’t a connection for me in terms of being the “fastest and most comprehensive news provider on Twitter.” I could really care less on how fast a tweet is sent out or how many “lists” I am on. I don’t know about you…. but sometimes I forget about the concept of taking a breath and being human. You get caught up in the race… in the push to be better… you forget about the fundamentals of running a business and your life.

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News Flash. Advertising Isn’t Dying. It’s Adapting.

This is my last post on the Razorfish FEED 09 Brand Experience Report. One thing I have learned while reading and studying the social media report is that marketing and advertising is not dieing… it is merely adapting. This may be old news to many of you but (in the social media world) the cry of the DEATH OF ADVERTISING… is constant… loud and clear. I have even taken up the battle-axe and screamed to the heavens about the slow death of the ad world.

Truth is… advertising will never be dead. The cycle of product promotion will always be a staple in the world of entertainment and communication. It is changing and adjusting with the fast changing world of online communication! The digital experience of the consumer is changing the way we communicate as brands… as companies. From Razorfish:

“According to our research, the overwhelming majority of consumers who actively engage with a brand digitally–whether by entering a contest, “friending” a brand on Facebook, or even watching an advert on YouTube–show dramatic upticks across the entire marketing funnel. Simply put, digital brand experience create customers.” (pg 4)

This change is not only happening in the world of social media but beyond… Consumers are engaging with brands on a completely different level. Through digital marketing and brand experiences consumers now have the CHOICE to communicate with a brand.

So what does this mean to us… the business owner, marketing executive, and sales person?

Shifting your marketing… adapting and changing with your environment is only the beginning. The world is changing and the business landscape will shift with it. Are you positioning yourself to take advantage of the future?

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The Problem with Fear

I was driving to work this morning listening to a great track by Sufjan Stevens… reminiscing about my “musical” days in college. I played guitar for a long time and have just recently put it aside for other hobbies and activities. I want you to know that I have never… ever… ever talked about this with anyone. This is the  “I’m Being Completely Open With My Blog Readers Morning with Kyle” show.

Get Ready.

During the years of guitar playing… I had always wanted to perform in front of a group of people and honestly… I don’t think I knew exactly what that entailed… maybe it was playing my own songs or playing a popular song from John Mayer… who knows? The deep down desire was to play in front of a group of people… my acoustic guitar and a mic.

It never happened.

I can associate most of my hesitation with fear. It is a hard thing to admit… that you were actually afraid of doing something and it kept you from actually realizing some sort of… success or maybe pride? My fear of being laughed at and individuals not enjoying my music kept me from walking up and just doing something… crossing it off my list.

Is anyone connecting with me on this?

Fear is an extremely powerful thing. It can paralyze you in business and in life… destroying the dreams that you were building over the years of work and preparation.

The problem with fear is that… sometimes… it keeps ordinary people from doing extraordinary things. And let’s be honest… do you really want to admit you didn’t do something because of fear? Steve Jobs would laugh in your face.

I decided to screw fear and take a stab at doing what I wanted… without hesitation. There may come a time when I step on a stage and perform for the.. two people in the room. Until then, I am going to move forward with my head down. I would rather deal with the ramifications of my actions than never know the outcome because of hesitation.

Quality, Service, and Expertise Do Not Matter

I am currently in a sales training class at Trustpointe, a Sandler Sales Company, who I highly recommend  to anyone looking for sales training and expertise. We were talking about the idea of quality, service, and expertise not mattering when involved in marketing communications. I have been wrestling with that concept over the past 48 hours and decided… who best to ask?

I have been under the assumption that it is absolutely idiotic to use “best customer service” in marketing communications. I’m still convinced that you have to be a little more creative  to gain the attention of a consumer base when using traditional marketing… even more when using social media marketing.

Plain and simple… everyone has quality, service, and expertise. What makes you different from everyone in your industry? If I get hit with marketing that says “Best Quality since 1889
“… Do I really care? No. I don’t.

I care about how you personally take care of your customers. I care about how you go about your daily routine.

Seth Godin has always said that people have come to expect that you have quality, service, and expertise… you do not have to keep telling us… show us.

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Brandswag featured in the Oklahoma City Journal Record

It may be a surprise to many people that my company… Brandswag has an office in Oklahoma City. The OKC Office is managed by my business partner, Brandon Coon. I am excited to announce that Brandswag is being featured in the Oklahoma City Journal today. Thank you so much to the individuals who have helped us grow in the Oklahoma City market. We could not have done it without you!

Social media marketers tagged for ‘Dummies’

OKLAHOMA CITY – Starting and maintaining a business in today’s world is brave entrepreneurship. Writing a book in the middle of that process is icing on the cake.

Kyle Lacy and Brandon Coon started BrandSwag, a social media marketing firm, in 2007. Just when they’d gotten their feet wet, the Dummies came calling. The line of books touting expertise in a digestible format wanted a Twitter Marketing for Dummies tome, and Lacy won the contract. In six short weeks, he wrote the book, which will ship to bookstores in two weeks.

Lacy, CEO of BrandSwag, heads the Indianapolis office of the company, and Coon, president, oversees the Oklahoma City office. The Dummies project was too good to pass up because its content came straight from their business strategy.

“It’s hard for me to say that everyone already knows what social media marketing means. In reality, I’m part of the minority,” Lacy said. “But this book doesn’t dumb it down; it makes it easier to learn and apply to what you’re doing in your business life.”

Lacy signed a contract to write Twitter Marketing for Dummies, but BrandSwag also plans to buy the books wholesale and resell them, Lacy said. More than financial gain, however, the book is about brand power, he said.

“It adds instant credibility to us as business owners, especially as young 25- and 26-year-olds,” Lacy said.

To read the rest of the article… click here: Oklahoma City Social Media Marketers’ tagged for Dummies