The New Foursquare for Admission Departments and Universities

Universities are kicking butt in social media! They’re on Twitter, Facebook and are beginning to use geolocation applications like Foursquare. Why is this going to work? Most prospective students make decisions on where they will be attending school on the campus tour. So making a good impression during the first tour is important. Foursquare allows universities to explore the campus in a whole new way. The application can be used to leave tips to ensure that prospects know where to go and what to do during a visit. Other reasons for universities to use geolocation applications are:

• Point out traditions
• Share little known facts
• Share information about landmarks, buildings, and addresses
• Address questions before they’re asked (safety,navigation)
• Offer rewards and badges to encourage new students to explore the campus
• Share traditions of the school
• Get students immersed in the community off campus
• Receive advice from alumni

Another use for Foursquare in the university setting is for alumni “re-visiting campus”. Foursquare can help them find out what’s been happening since they’ve graduated. For instance, an alum will check in and see a new building. The different landscape could be important to some people revisiting the University…. time will tell on that one. Adding onto that feature is an application that will tell them the new building purpose and “new” history. It helps the alum keep connected and not feel lost.

Harvard is one school who is utilizing Foursquare. They offer historical information and fun things to do on campus, which can all be found on Foursquare under the Harvard page. Harvard University has several pages on Foursquare for its many buildings.

Universities are known to have a lot of events. A different application to help share all these events is Whrrl.This application allows for users to check-in as well as upload photos and messages to share about the event. This app has the potential to bring together new students and alumni. They are connected by their shared experiences and can see in real time what’s going on at events on campus. According to Mashable, in May 2010, St. Edwards University used Whrrl to commemorate its graduation ceremony.

The other incentive for universities to begin using geolocal applications is the amount of data that can be collected. The data can show what events are being most attended, demographics, college culture and can make informed decisions based on what the students respond to. Higher education institutions that embrace geoloaction applications will be ahead of the game and will be able to connect with its students in valuable ways.

20 Ways Businesses Are Using Foursquare

I know. We are trying to figure this “foursquare” thing out. I understand completely. The research team at Brandswag (Rachel Elsts and Stephanie Gray) decided to put together 20 different ways foursquare is being using in the business setting. Hopefully this will help you in your search to using Foursquare for increased revenue and interaction.

1. Retail stores

Retail Stores are using Foursquare to get shoppers to not only “check-in” but to buy. It’s coupon clicking for retail without the hassle of having to chase a sale. Below are some great examples:

Express “$30 off $90 @ Express stores now-9/14/10, ring code: 2793. Limit 1 offer per customer. Offer must be presented at the time of purchase. Other terms & conditions apply, see store associate for details.”

American Eagle - “Check-in to any A store and unlock a 15% Off discount towards your next merchandise purchase. Expires 9/30/10. Limit one per customer”

2. Restaurants

Restaurants have been among the most popular places to use Foursquare. Many restaurants are being to play around with the application so be sure to “check-in” when your out. Some great examples of restaurants using the application are:

Carrabba’s Italian Grill - “Show that you’re the Mayor of Carrabba’s and enjoy a complimentary dessert with the purchase of an entrée. Grazie!”

Granite City Food & Brewery - “One Complimentary Appetizer or Flatbread for the Mayor!”

3. Fitness Clubs

Fitness clubs can engage with clientele by using Foursquare. The Five Seasons Family Sports Club offers this deal for checking in “See Thad, Fitness Director, for your complimentary Personal Training Session. Thank you for being a member. (one per member)” This is a nice incentive for current members to use the application. As a  guest who happens to visit I would consider becoming a member upon discovering this…after all I could be getting a FREE training session.

Currently they have this ad running.

4. The vast majority are doing it- even small business!

Corporations not necessarily related to customer service such as restaurants, retail stores and so forth are using Foursquare. SpinWeb (Indianapolis, IN)
“Since this is your third meeting at SpinWeb, you’ve won a free massage at Healing Key! Ask us for your gift card ” Pretty nice incentive and thank you for business gift. Businesses can give a personal gift without having to promote it all over town. It feels exclusive.

5. Parks are using Foursquare.

Parks are slightly different than any other venue. Its a venue where people assume interaction so using Foursquare to heighten this interaction is second nature.  For Instance, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park offers“$2 off General Admission on your first check-in! (one discount per Foursquare account “

6. Want to rule the town?

Mayorship is not a new perk of using Foursquare, but being recognized in the media because you’re the mayor is. Metromix Indy recently ran a cover story with the top mayors all around Indianapolis. Now, some Starbucks are even offering special discounts for “mayors” of their location. It may just be a title, but it does seem to come with fame (and a little fortune.)

7. Sport teams move to Foursquare

Redskins fans are in for a Foursquare reward: check in at the game and obtain a special Redskins badge. With the increase in geolocation social media, football season is sure to start to jump on the Foursquare bandwagon, with the Redskins leading the way. The move into social media will be a great way to measure fan base and game attendance plus the ability to make the game more interactive to fans. And the ultimate reward for constantly checking in at FedEx Field? VIP tickets. Not a bad idea at all.

8. MTV and the Entertainment Industry

MTV recently paired up with Foursquare to offer a contest to users that frequently checked into local music venues. Whatever venue had the secret “Moonman” badge put the user into a contest to win tickets to the VMAs on September 12.

The real question now is what celebs checked in at the actual event?

9. Get a discount on all the books you could ever want.

Borders has entered the digital e-book market and is using Foursquare as a new marketing strategy. Borders said it had started running a promotional campaign focused around Foursquare, where customers would receive a 10 percent discount off all full-priced books after every third Foursquare check-in at a Borders store. Borders is planning to roll out the campaign to all of its 26  stores and would keep the deal going for an initial two months (via Delimiter).

10. Did you check-in before or after you ordered your burger?

At 4food in New York City, the owners are giving customers a chance to rate their food and tell their friends immediately after eating. LED screens are displayed around the restaurant showcasing twitter mentions and Foursquare check-ins, while customers are encouraged to rate their meal during their visit. 4food states that they have yet to spend a dime on advertising, because they let their reputation and customers do it for them…and isn’t that what social media is all about?

11. FREE FOOD.

Two words that have driven crowds to dress up, wait in line and even forced college students to skip class. So how does it apply? Qdoba offered free burritos for those who checked in during a visit and shouted “I’ve been burrito boredom!” Not only does this have consumers become more outgoing due to Foursquare incentives, but the social media advertising has done the chain restaurant wonders.

12. (Socially acceptable) Gaming

With an increase in businesses participating in Foursquare, the competition between friends, peers and even strangers for mayorship/badges has taken gaming to a whole new level. The social media aspect is evident, as most hardcore Foursquare users post their status to various SM sites. However, there is a constant competition of who can become mayor of the workplace, coffee shop, etc. Coworkers “check in” fervently to try and win the title, glory,and available coupons.

13. Voice Recognition

It may not be the most socially acceptable way to check in, but Vlingo has created a way for  the Android app users to “check-in” on Foursquare by voice recognition. It’s a speech check-in feature that will save time, even if it does raise a few eyebrows.

With the new app, Android users can speak a simple “check-in to [insert place name]” command after tapping the home screen button. The command will prompt Vlingo to automatically pull up the location in question, and other nearby venues, on Foursquare, providing users with a fast alternative to touch-based Foursquare check-ins. (via Mashable)

14. Foursquare on Broadway

Have you seen Foursquare in Times Square lately? The geolocation social media app recently had a digital advertisement appear above the American Eagle store in New York City last week, encouraging users to check-in and find their friends. Foursquare is moving up beyond the local Starbucks check-in to the city that never sleeps…moving up has never been so rewarding.

15. SXSW (events) and Foursquare

South by Southwest is a popular music festival in Austin, TX flooded by young adults. The festival has been  integrating technology into the activities for the duration of  the week long event. Three years ago, Twitter dominated and this year Foursquare was all the rage. Over 15 badges specifically created for the festival and SXSW  stated that “Foursquare is a great way to keep track of one’s friends during a busy and crowded day in Austin, TX.”

16. Analytics/Check Stats

Businesses are using Foursquare to track the statistics of their locations in many ways. Here are the real time statistics businesses get insights into:
customer behavior while at venue

• most recent visitors
• most frequent visitors
• the time of day people check in
• total number of unique visitors
• histogram of check-ins per day
• gender breakdown of customers
• portion of foursquare check-ins broadcast to Twitter and Facebook

17. Foursquare as a Businesses Mobile Application

The application works as a real life walking advertisement; a potential customer checks-in somewhere down the block…they see that nearby there is a special deal just for checking-in…chances are they will visit. Foursquare tells users where the deals are and how to unlock them. Essentially, they drive traffic to your location.

18. Customer Service and Support

Foursquare helps guide the customer to this answer though tips and to do lists via friends on Foursquare. The users who give tips are customers with more than an opinion but an experience. These customers speak on the behalf of the company (good or bad). In a nutshell, customers are checking-in and soon discovering what’s so great about the product, venue or food from relevant sources. Businesses can let the customers speak for them and use their word of mouth  to spread the love.

19. Managing an Online Reputation

The application appeals to tech-savvy users and companies use it to promote themselves on various social media channels. Social media allows companies to have greater control of their online reputations. Foursquare is another way a business to manage its reputation by engaging with customers that they know have been to their location.

20. It’s still an open playing field.

Businesses are still figuring Foursquare out, which means now is the time to figure out a locations strategy. Businesses can bring all the things that make social networking fun straight through their doors.  Foursquare offer incentives ( a reason to visit the location), a game and a way to connect with friends. Why not play?

1 in 4 US Adults Use Mobile Applications

Smartphones aren’t just for the tech-savvy anymore. According to Mashable, 1 in 4 U.S. adults now use mobile applications. It is no secret that cell phone use has increased over the past couple of years. Currently, cellphones are losing steam while smartphone usage is more commonly the first choice in mobile phones. Smartphones can do more than connect you to the Internet. They provide the user with a variety of applications. Among the most popular apps are those that provide entertainment… surprising huh?

In a recent Pew Internet Project survey a national sample of 1,917 cell phone users were asked about cell phone applications. Of the 82% of adults today use cell phones with 43% of users with apps on their phones. It’s been understood that app users are younger and more aware of current technologies. This survey was able to confirm that app users tend to be younger, more educated, and more affluent.

Overall… application users still rank low when compared to other uses of cell phones. Only 29% of users have downloaded an application  while the highest percentage is at 76% of users taking pictures with cell phones. For those who do have applications on their phones, the average user has 18 applications.

Again, there is some uncertainty among cell phone users… particularly older cell phone users… about what software they have on their phones.  Fully 18% of cell phone users with apps on their phones do not know how many they have.  That figure doubles to 36% among cell phone users age 50 and older.

Finally, the survey showed that there is still some uncertainty among older cell phone users. The uncertainty is in what software they actually have on their phones. 18% of cell phone users with apps  on their phones do not know how many they actually have or what they do. When considering cell phone users over 50 that percentage doubles to 36%.

And You Don’t Know What to Do. So Jump!

…And You Don’t Know What to Do. So Jump!

Preparation. Training. Practice, practice, practice. Vigil & discipline & duty & repetition. A smidgen of ingenuity & a touch of class and merging new media with the classics becomes second nature.

All those tips & tricks & shortcuts will become tools in your arsenal before too long. But all the Tweet Laters & scheduled posts & syndicated messages will not account for the time & effort it takes to make this stuff look as easy & inviting as everyone dreams it to be when they first blog, tweet and share something on Facebook.

In the end, if you decide to jump into this & make it work for you, what will determines your will be in those little decisions you make when you have the free time to make them.

Leveraging time after the 40+ hours a week

In his keynote address during the 2009 Blog Indiana Social Media and Bloggging Conference, Chris Brogan told us the crowd about how he used to leverage every penny and free moment he had to attend every scheduled industry conference he could find. Every resource he had went into registration costs, discussion forums, travel, hotel…All with the hope that there was a continental breakfast or something he could load up on so as to not spend money on food.

A couple best selling-books and a successful company later, and Brogan’s still spanning the globe, leveraging his time to help grow the community. So much so that he’s got his own conventions now.

And I’ll leverage my time to get to more of those events.

Which means summer ends a little sooner for this year.

The end of summer means the start of the trade show season. The first one I’ll be hitting is Blog Indiana at IUPUI in Indianapolis. Lacy will be one of the featured speakers at the event. I”ll be running around all over the place.

If there’s only one event you can make it to, make it Blog Indiana. If you can’t make it to the convention itself, at least try to sneak out to the after-party. This year, the day one after party will be at Sun King Brewery.

Whatever time you can leverage.

And if we don’t see you there, well, hopefully we’ll see you somewhere. Because if you don’t end up going somewhere, you’ll end up going nowhere.

“So you come to the edge of a cliff and you don’t know what to do. So jump.” – John Lennon (Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now. By Barry Miles. 1996.)

Nat Finn is an Internet Marketing Specialist at Golden Technologies. He also serves as an Officer for NWITweetup and as a Regional Director for Blog Indiana. With the time left over, he writes for SEO Boy as well as his own blog, “How to Publish a Book. Of Blues. Hopefully.” It leaves him little time left over to finish his Books of Blues. Luckily, he’s found a few friends to help him with the editing.

Why Aren’t We Serious About Social Media?

Companies… if tuned in… are aware of the existence or need for social media. However, many don’t exactly know where to start or what to do. So instead of getting the best use out of the tool (and implementing a strategy) they makes excuses like “its annoying” and ignore the existence… doubting the endless possibilities for promotion and customer service. Then on the other end of the spectrum they hold social media on a pedestal thinking it will solve all their problems. Both ways of thinking are wrong. Lets address these two sides separately.

1. Social media is a quick fix

You should never think of social media as a quick fix solution. For one… social media is a tool to be used for an objective of an overall goal (be it marketing, PR, or customer service). There is no quick fix in life so what makes social media any different? In order to be successful in any… especially with social media… you must be patient. The pyramids weren’t built in a day and your social media goals won’t be met after a day of implementation. Yes, social media goals. When embarking in the world of social media it’s important to have a plan or strategy in mind. It is also important that the said plan integrates completely with your overall marketing plan. Don’t create accounts just to do it and then expect something from it. Think of social media as a relationship you must nurture… in order to experience maturity and development. Social media is not the answer to all your problems it’s simply a tool to be used among many.

2. Social media is annoying

It’s annoying? Sure, it can be. Especially if you have no control over it. The more energy you spend trying to understand and benefit from social media the less annoying it becomes. Think of social media as a younger sibling. Yes, your annoyed but you grow to like and love that pestering little kid. Quit fighting it and figure it out. I’m not saying it’s right for you or your business but I’m saying you should give it a chance. You shouldn’t dismiss something especially something with this much backing until you fully understand what it is.

Now that your embracing it (I hope) don’t take it all on your own or it will become annoying and overwhelming. Divide the task load up. Manage and prioritize your time online. In order to get the most out of a social media plan then you can’t  be the only one who’s reading, writing, engaging, monitoring, tracking…the list goes on. Just don’t try and take on too much at one time. Stay committed to developing and building your brand on social media. Don’t give up too quickly. Finally,it’s not supposed to be a quick fix solution so have fun and a little faith doesn’t hurt.

I Was Just Exposed on Facebook

Peter Preksto is a co-founder of image-recognition company Alta Data Solutions, Inc.

My business is pretty esoteric–we scrape petrified information off of paper or microfiche at super high speed and make it machine readable, useful for lawsuits and electronic benefits claims, among other things. Our customers are a relatively small number of service bureaus that process billions of such documents per year. I hadn’t thought of my use of social media as a marketing tool because we’re not really expecting to grow through word of mouth but by providing more functionality and speed at a lower cost to those who care about such things. My peers are in their 50′s and 60′s. Most of us started on mainframes, helped invent document-processing technology on intervening platforms, and have ended up in the cloud. In 1983, we first started inter-office chatting to each other using a utility in Novell Netware, and we mostly haven’t shut up online since. Twitter ultimately didn’t pass muster except as a novelty, but Facebook was a natural adoption. We tend to clamp our privacy down perhaps more than our younger colleagues, but we’re using and like the service a lot.

I’ve long believed that you cannot conceal who you really are if you use Facebook regularly–people can really get your number by looking through your books, music, quotations, links, videos, smart-ass remarks, notes of sympathy, whatever. In this big country, you stay closer to friends, family, acquaintances, colleagues, and folks who you might otherwise have let drift (and a few who have come drifting back against the tide). If you work it, you stand exposed.

A couple days ago, I was friended by a really important business colleague, president of one of the big service bureaus whom we serve. While we don’t need to network to grow, if you screw up in our small community, it has a big impact. He joked on the phone about my Facebook content, saying it was really “out there,” lots of “personality,” very “young at heart.” I froze. At that moment, I realized the double-edge sword of Facebook. Even if you practice a policy of avoiding writing about politics, religion, creationism, diet, immunization and handguns (and boy don’t we all have opinions we’d love to share on those!), you still stand exposed–in a way even Rotary didn’t do to you in the old style of networking.

I seriously considered un-friending all of my business colleagues and leaving it strictly social and family. Fortunately, I probed the guy a few days later, joked about his comments, and found out that I had it backwards–what he saw, he liked, and it brought us closer together–Facebook shortened the learning curve he would have climbed to learn who he’s dealing with.

A life on Facebook is no place to hide. So maybe letting whoever the heck it is that you’ve turned out to be shine through that medium might be good for business–even if you’re not using it exactly as the pros would suggest for viral growth.

Speaking of pros, many thanks and much respect to Kyle Lacy and Brandon Coon for the company they’re building, and thanks for sharing so generously their insights and experience in their blogs.

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Why Aren’t You Integrating Your Marketing?

I need to rant. I picked up REACH magazine while hanging out in my apartment yesterday… do we all know what is inside the Reach magazine? Coupons… a ton of coupons from local

businesses…spreading their message and product across the city.

I am all about coupons. I use coupons to buy food, clothing, and services. There was only one problem with the hundred (or so) ads/coupons in the magazine. There were no links associated with social media on any of the coupons. I could not find one logo from  Facebook, Twitter, or Myspace throughout the entire catalog.

This does not make any sense to me… not one bit of sense.

Why wouldn’t you integrate the different forms of media on your coupons? Why wouldn’t you show every type of touchpoint to a buyer? Even the website addresses of the companies failed to show the social media connections on the homepage.

This is absolutely idiotic and ridiculous.

Setting up a Facebook Fan Page, Twitter account, or Myspace page is FREE. The only thing that social media can cost you (initially) is your time. Why wouldn’t you setup different accounts to capture potential clients in multiple ways… multiple touchpoints… multiple places.

There are multiple levels of marketing to capture the interests of an individual. It is absolutely ridiculous that a social networking was not mentioned ONCE in the catalog.

In my mind… I would want to capture every single individual who was on social media and was ALSO picking out my coupons… why would I want this type of individual? THEY ARE THE BUYER. They are the influencer. They are the one that spends money with your brand. They are the one you need to communicate with on a daily basis. If they are on social media… why not connect with them on a completely different level then Reach Magazine or newspaper coupons.

And on a second note… their friends are with them on the social networks. Welcome to the best viral marketing you could ever possibly want, need, or desire.

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5 Tips to Being Productive in Social Media

We had a packed house yesterday for the Staying Productive in Social Media seminar! It is always fun to communicate the importance of managing your time effectively. I wanted to send out the slide deck I used for the presentation… and… give you a few basic tips for staying productive.

Tip 1: Use the 4-Points Model

When using social media you should keep in mind the 4-points model. There are 4 points social media applications should touch in regards to your daily life: Business, Local Business Networking, Social, and Information. Choose four main networks where you spend the most of your time.

I use LinkedIn for business applications, Smaller Indiana for local business networking, Facebook for social application, and Twitter for information. LinkedIn can be described as my connection Rolodex. Facebook is to keep me updated on my friends and acquaintances from college and high school. Twitter is a wonderful information aggregation tool where you can follow influential people and the information they share. Smaller Indiana is a great place to connect to local professionals and share ideas on how to make Indiana a better place.

Tip 2: Commit Yourself

You get what you put in. How many times have we heard that? When using social media commit to a set amount of time a week to using your applications. You will find yourself spending to much time on your applications if you fail to designate a certain amount during the week.
I try to designate an thirty minutes to an hour of each day to information sharing (writing blogs, commenting on blogs, perusing my Google Reader) and an hour a day to using my other networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Smaller Indiana).

Tip 3: Setup Time Blocks for Social Media Management (Facebook Meeting)

If you use Outlook or Google Calendar (well.. any calendar) it is important to setup time blocks for use of social media. Some people may disagree with me but I find it extremely valuable in helping in building a habit and setting aside time.  Setup up social media meetings!

Tip 4: Try Rescue Time

RescueTime is an AWESOME time management tool for Internet use.  RescueTime is a web-based time management and analytics tool for knowledge workers who want to be more efficient and productive. If you own a company and you are looking for a great tool to help manage your employees time online… this is for you. Check out the video below:

RescueTime Reports from Tony Wright on Vimeo.

Tip 5 : Do Not Get Sucked into the Social Media Black Hole

Everyone knows the problem of the social media black hole…. let me run the scenario. You get on Facebook at 10:00 am. What are you doing? You are probably checking your messages… updating your status… and looking at pictures.

All of a sudden your chat box ignites with a flurry of activity. Friends from long ago are tweeting you, texting you, Facebook chatting you, and frankly… destroying your ability to get anything done. This is the social media black hole. Easy fix > turn off chat functionality on everything.

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5 Ways to Use Foursquare for Business

Some would say that Foursquare has blasted into the scene of location based social networking applications with a vengeance. I would tend to agree with that sentiment. The best way to describe the service is to actually use the source. From the Foursquare site:

People use foursquare to “check-in”, which is a way of telling us your whereabouts. When you check-in someplace, we’ll tell your friends where they can find you and recommend places to go & things to do nearby. People check-in at all kind of places – cafes, bars, restaurants, parks, homes, offices.

You’ll find that as your friends use foursquare to check-in, you’ll start learning more about the places they frequent. Not only is it a great way to meet up with nearby friends, but you’ll also start to learn about their favorite spots and the new places they discover.

I will be completely honest with you (side note: I love that saying because it is a funny thing to say… just so you know… I will always be completely honest with you) I have not realized the full potential of Foursquare personally but I have seen it being used across a multitude of different users… from power users to newbies.

What I strive to accomplish while writing this blog is to give the reader practical uses of emerging digital technology and ideas to use them effectively. So let’s get this party started!

1. Encourage Foursquare Users to Check in and Post Reviews about Your Location

Foursquare allows a user to view where their friends have been within 3 hours of a certain update. This could have huge potential for a hotel chain. David Fleet mentioned in his blog post, Foursquare’s Potential for Hyper Local Marketing, the advantages of using Foursquare to check where your friends have stayed (the night) in a given location. A hotel, sauna, or day spa could encourage Foursquare users to check into a given location and put brief thoughts about the service in their tip updated.

Example : Give users of Foursquare a discount on their tab for a favorable tip update. (This could also be applied to any social network)

2. Use the Points Structure of Foursquare to Support a Local Charity

Users will gain points when they accomplish certain activities like checking in, making multiple stops in a day, adding a new venue, making a repeat visit, or consecutively checking into a certain location. Encourage users to rack up the points and put a value to the points they are accruing (Ex: $0.04 per point). At the end of the promotion donate the amount of money to a charity. This encourages visits to your business and gives back to those who need our help!

3. Use the “Mayor” Status as a Perk – You Become an Authority Figure

The user that checks in the most at a certain location will gain the notoriety of becoming “mayor” of that location. I have actually witnessed people fight over becoming mayor. If you offered special perks to the mayor of your location (ie: name on a board, gift certificate for the month, free beverage, or maybe a puppy!) it will encourage Foursquare users to visit your location more often.

4. Utilize the To-Do List to Give Users Tasks to Complete – Scott Hepburn

Each business has the potential of creating a to do list for Foursquare users. If you visit a Foursquare page for a business (Click here for an example) you will find a button to create a to-do list. This could be utilized as a contest for people visiting the location. You could offer perks much like the user became a mayor of your location.

Example : Give a to-do list of what the location wants to improve upon in terms of service. Allow users to help improve those services by viewing the to-do list and adding tips for improvement.

5. Encourage Users to Become Superusers of Your Location

When a user becomes a SUPERUSER at your location they have the ability to edit venue information. Some of you may be skeptical and hesitant at giving users the ability to edit YOUR data… but let’s be honest… it isn’t really YOUR data anymore is it? It is easier to have users edit your location information because they are actually using the tool and experiencing your company in a completely different way. Also, this help for annoying bad data that could be spread through different users.

Foursquare is an infant compared to social media titans like Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter… the important thing to remember is that it is growing and people are using it.

Is your business getting reviewed on social applications? You would be surprised…

Sell by Educating Through Social Media

Seth Godin had a great blog post yesterday talking about the fear of apples and the top two reasons people are not buying your product:

1. They don’t know about it.

2. They’re afraid of it.

Haven’t we been dealing with fear quite a bit this year? If you are a sales person (which most small business owners are) you may have seen the effects of this fear on your bottom line. The down economy has been killing the “risk-taking” gene of many professionals from corporate level employee to small business owner. The “risk-taking” gene is that diamond in the rough that allows for business to exist… to flourish. It reminds me on the William Shedd quote: A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.

Are your clients clamming up? Are potential customers not buying because they do not know about your product or service…. or they are just… afraid?

Companies that use social media for lead generation and product information have a huge advantage over the companies that do not use the tools. Social media gives you the ability to inform your potential clients on products with stories! What better way to inform?

Be honest with me… would you rather read a story or boring product/service information?

I would rather read a story… every… single… time.

What stories are you telling your clients?What about your potential clients? Do you have a blog where you are writing your business stories? The marketing for your business should read like a book… a book of stories… a book where your potential leads learn about your company.

When the time comes to buy on a product or service… who do you think they are going to call? You or the business who doesn’t care about educating through stories?

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