7 Tips to Maximize Plaxo

Plaxo? huh?  I know at least two of the eyeballs reading this post thought… “Why is he writing about Plaxo?”

Frankly, I don’t hear or read much about Plaxo. Why not? It is still a viable tool to be used in terms of business networking. In light of the past-Easter weekend, I thought I would put a list together to help with the use and optimization of Plaxo. The following 25 tips are things I have learned by using Plaxo and what I have gained by reading along the way.

1. Upload a picture. This should already be common knowledge for the majority of you. We want to see a face. No more excuses. Scan a college or beauty picture is you have to!

2.  Feed your blog into your profile. Go to Edit Profile–>Websites

3. Add your powerpoint (via Slideshare) to your Plaxo feed. If you are a speaker and want the world to know what you are talking about… add your slidedecks to your Plaxo feed. To learn how check out: Add SlideShare to your Plaxo Profile.

4. Synch your Address Book. Plaxo Plaxo has the ability to synchronize with address book from Outlook Express, Hotmail, Windows Mobile, AOL, LinkedIN, Windows Mail, Mac, and Google. If you make a change in one of the multiple address books… the change is made universally across all platforms.

5. Maximize Plaxo Pulse. Plaxo Pulse is the social stream you can find on your profile page. Every social media site is starting to have the waterfall-effect-social-stream (see: your Facebook wall).

6. Invite Your Trusted Connections to Join You on Plaxo. Notice I underlined TRUSTED. Do not import your entire address book to Plaxo because they ask. Of course they ask! They are wanting as many invitations to leave your hands as possible. Only invite the people that will not be offended by you spamming them with Plaxo invites.

7. Automate Your Plaxo Status Bar with Ping.FM. If you are using multiple networks like LinkedIN, Facebook, and Twitter you can automate a status update using a site called Ping.FM. Ping lets you send one status update that will hit all of your networks. This will save you a small amount of time in the long run but remember to keep personally visiting the sites as well. Add that human flavor into the mix!

Related articles by Zemanta

• I Don’t Care If You Are On Facebook and Twitter (kylelacy.com)
• Social Network Tools (From AlertThingy to Zemanta) (edbatista.com)
• HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Status Updates (mashable.com)

Why Banks Should Listen to Social Media

I was in a recent conversation with an owner of a local advertising firm in Indianapolis and we were discussing the merits of social media with banks. In my mind, any business can benefit in some way from using social tools on the Internet. Even if the only strategy is to listen and respond… that is better than not listening at all… right?

Nielsen recently partnered with NeuroFocus, the global leader in neuro-marketing, and released a study focused on the banking industry. There were some startling facts. You can find the entire study (here).

I read the report and here is what I walked away with:

• Feelings of stability, solidity, partnership, empathy, and understanding scored highest.
• Clutter free, humanized web interaction that was different from everything seen earlier scored the highest – time to invest in web site redesign
• Empathy is most important: Consumers want to hear that banks understand their pain. Claims of “sacrifices” and applying “hard work” did not resonate as well.
• Blogs work: Blog postings – even those written by parties with a vested interest in the subject – were deemed to be the most effective form of written advocacy among consumers.

If you needed any more evidence that now is the time to step up in the banking industry and take advantage of social media… there it is.. easy to read and right in front of you.

Partnership and human interaction can be accomplished by using social media as a form of communication with your clients. We want to know you CARE about what we are experiencing.

Take that cold outward demeanor and turn it into a loving embrace… and it will be welcomed.

“The strongest message consumers want to hear from banks is how much their bank empathizes with their pain. These are neurological insights that banks cannot afford to ignore right now,” said A.K. Pradeep, CEO of NeuroFocus.  Nielsen, 3/31/09

Related articles by Zemanta

• Internet Marketing Ads Business (wealthyways4you.com)
• Replacing ANTI-Social Marketing (tedshelton.blogspot.com)
• Alex Jeffreys Student Blogs Revisited: Is Your Problem That You’re Unlike Alex? (stephenbray.com)
• How to Save Newspapers? Radically Restructuring to Dominate the Digital Media Landscape (seomashup.blogspot.com)

Forget Social Media Measurement. Get Back to the Basics.

There has been a lot of talk about measurement and return-on-investment in the world of social media. Where and what do we measure? Is there any type of return on investment we can micro manage down to the point of dollars and cents?

Richard Stacy asked a brilliant question on his Social Computing Journal post called Social Media Measurement – Are We STaring At Stones? Are we measuring/looking at the wrong thing? Are we missing the point when we use Web 1.0 measurement tools and try to squeeze them into a Web 2.0 – 3.0 world? I think so. I would guess that Richard would agree.

Are we staring at the finish line without starting the race?

We are focused so intently on understanding the measurement model of social media that we fail to recognize the tool itself.  We fail to realize that a complete understanding of social media (as a tool) has yet to be accomplished. We need to back up and refocus. As a company, we are just as guilty.

It is hard for me to swallow the concepts of using traditional and web 1.0 measurements tools (traffic, click-throughs) to social media tools like Twitter.  What is the answer? Ad agencies are falling over themselves to gain as many viewers as possible to online videos. We can have 2 million views on a YouTube video but does that measure to actual growth in sales? It is hard to tell and becoming increasingly harder (Google aquisition of YouTube).

I don’t have the answer. Every interactive marketing firm on the planet is trying to measure this phenomenal new medium of communication… We all have case studies but there hasn’t been a proven formula for measurement.

Maybe we need to go back to the basics… refocus on completely understanding a new medium  that is changing our entire communication formula.

Related articles by Zemanta

• When to NOT Use Social Media (readwriteweb.com)
• This is a viral blog (bbc.co.uk)
• Timothy Karr: The Future Begins Thru You (huffingtonpost.com)
• Earning back trust | Corporate blogging news digest (socialmediatoday.com)

Put My Money on Myspace not Facebook

Ahh… welcome back to the Myspace and Facebook debate. I love talking about the business models of social networks across the Internet.

I was reading a post from Edmund Lee at theBigMoney called Why Facebook Can’t Succeed (via alisa at socialized) and I found myself agreeing with Edmund on some of the community versus business aspects of his post. I have always been under the assumption that we were approaching another net explosion (circa 1999) because of the value of companies being placed on growth instead of revenue. It seems ridiculous to me and completely backward.

It is easy for the social media nerds of the world to bash the social networks (Myspace) that tend to be a little more “whoring” of their advertising. The truth of the matter is that users of Myspace tend to spend more time on the site compared to Facebook.

“According to comScore Media Metrix, MySpace users spend an average of 234 minutes on the site each month, as opposed to Facebook’s 169 minute per user average. Furthermore, MySpace has a bigger cut of the U.S. audience, the most lucrative, at 75 million unique visitors for January, outpacing Facebook’s 57 million.” (Edmund Lee via comScore)

I might not be using Myspace as an individual but we cannot ignore the fact that they focus more on profitability than user growth. There is something to say about Myspace still appealing to users and the overall revenue growth of the company. Facebook may have a faster growth trend than Myspace but Myspace is the smarter social network of the two. The users are still hitting the site and using the tool…that is what matters to the growth of business in social media.

We are all still waiting for the brains of Facebook to present a viable revenue model for the site (Lexicon?) but until that time… I would invest in Myspace over Facebook.. any day of the week.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Thirty-Two Percent of Influential Churches in the U.S. are on Facebook (mediabullseye.com)
• Is Facebook a Cult? (readwriteweb.com)
• Looks Like Facebook Just Took The Top Spot Among Social Media Sites (techcrunch.com)
• Twitter Is Huge? Yes. Twitter Is a Popular Marketing Tool? Probably no. (profy.com)

What Roseta, PA Can Teach You About Social Media

I have been reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and just to be clear… the book is awesome.

At the beginning of the book Malcolm talks about a researcher named Stewart Wolf who was fascinated with the long lives of a group of Italians living in Roseto, Pennsylvania. Wolf did extensive research to try and figure out when the citizens of Roseta had virtually no heart disease or any sickness related deaths of any kind. It was not the diet, exercise or location… what Wolf found was that it was the city itself (pg 9). The conversations and relationships that “Rosetians” experienced on a daily basis helped keep them healthy and jovial.

This post is not about the City of Roseta.. it is about the data that was presented to medical communities across the world. Wolf was being met with resistance because of lack of “long rows of data arrayed in complex charts (pg 10).” They had to convince the medial establishment to look PAST the data and look at the findings in an entirely new light.

The same is true for using social media. There is still resistance from the “establishment”  because of the lack of data and charts to show growth rates and return-on-investment. Have we started to discuss the negative ramifications of not being involved in the new medium of social media?

Roseta citizens remained healthy and content because of conversations and relationship driven communication.. can’t that be applied to your marketing? Can’t that be applied to your communication strategy

What is stopping you?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Have You Tried the DO Strategy of Social Business Success? (successful-blog.com)
• Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (basilandspice.com)
• Malcolm Gladwell is so money (writeblack.com)
• Malcolm Gladwell’s story of failure (news.cnet.com)

Guest Post: Twit-O-Rama – Social Media Bug Bites Kathy Ireland, and Me

Today’s Guest Post is by Jeff Timpanaro is the president of Oberata Consulting, a 2009 Certified Total Integration firm, based in Kingwood, TX. Oberata is a consulting firm founded on the principles of strategy, process, and transformation, and utilizes the Total IntegrationTM system of business consulting. This system has helped business owners and professionals in the Fortune 100 with definitive, measurable operating strategies that produce unprecedented growth and profitability.

———–

(from the Honda Auto Repair Shop waiting room)

As I write this, supermodel and supermom (self-nominated I presume) Kathy Ireland is busy touting Twitter on the Today Show. “I just love my TwitterBuddies!” she beams, with annoying enthusiasm.

Interviewer Ann Curry is mindlessly heaping sugar onto an already hyper-happy conversation. “IT-WAS-SO-GREAT-TO-TALK-TO-YOU-KATHY!” she spews. “THANKS, ANN, replies Kathy, exceeding Ann’s volume. “IT’S BEEN SO GREAT TO TALK TO YOU . . A REAL MOM . . THIS MORNING!”

Kathy’s amped up about her new book (forget the name) – but it’s something about real solutions for real moms.

Kathy’s spunky energy aside, what was more noteworthy about the interview was the continued talk of Twitter in everyday parlance. You can’t throw a pebble these days without hitting Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Plaxo, or the glut of other social media out there.

Even though many consumers – and business owners – are still wondering what all the fuss is all about, Kathy has apparently guzzled the social media Kool-Aid, and is banking on a successful campaign for her new book.

SOCIAL MEDIA and YOUR BUSINESS

Why is this bikini-hottie-turned-entrepreneur so excited about Twitter? Is she looking for meaningful relationships? Insert LOL. Her comment about “loving her TwitterBuddies” is pretty disingenuous, because the simple reason for her excitement is that zillions of solution-hungry moms are spending a zillion hours on Twitter today. Do you think that might impact her book sales?

Kathy’s message – and bubbliness – have become viral through Twitter (viral is good, folks – it means the thing you’re promoting is spreading like wildfire). To date, Kathy has 4,481 followers – moderate by Twitter standards – but numbers will certainly spike after her Today interview (and Twitter mention).

Mrs. Ireland’s celebrity, relationships, and ample budget notwithstanding, social media is part of her master marketing plan. I don’t have her sales projections, but I bet they would be paltry compared to pre-social media forecasts.

PART OF YOUR REINVENTION

If you’re not at least curious about Twitter and other social media as it relates to promoting your business, you are “ostriching” (a Kathy Ireland word I just learned).  Yes, that’s burying your head in the sand.  Historically, other breakout inventions that the experts “ostriched” about include the computer, the automobile, and the drive-thru window.

“In a world of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.” – J.P. Kelley

I am not saying Twitter is a silver bullet or a marketing savior for you.  I am also not saying that you should engage social media.  I am saying that if you keep yourself in the dark, you may be missing a huge swath of prospects that you serve best . . . who until now haven’t been able to find you.

I’m doing a 12-month trial to see what the use of social media holds for my own business.  It’s too early to tell, but my website traffic has tripled since January.  I’m working on a better net (or conversion strategy), but for the short term, I’m excited about the hike in traffic to me.

Oh dear I’m starting to sound like Kathy Ireland.

Respect the Social! Be Responsible.

What is the number one thing holding small business owners away from using social media? I will give you an example.

Brandswag: “So.. that is basically what social media can bring your business. It is a broadcast/communication medium that will turn your leads just a little warmer. What do you think?”

Small Biz Owner: “This sounds great. It really does. I just don’t have the time to spend on using the tool.”

It always seems to be time. This is not an issue for the larger companies we work with at Brandswag. They have the resources to hire either outside consultants or in-house people to act out their social media campaigns. What many small business owners fail to understand is that they have the personality that will win them business in the long run. It is harder for large companies to have individual personalities show through.

As a small business you have a huge opportunity to leverage social media as a relationship and lead generation tool. You have to make the time. You are a small business owner! You knew this was going to be more difficult then being an employee… you knew this was a bigger time commitment then the 9-5. Be responible.

If you do not respect social media… it will not return the favor.

And by respect… I mean spending time on the medium. Manage your time effectively and you will see return.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Twitter is not for every small business | Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing (tsurch.com)
• Deleting 20,000 Followers from Twitter (kylelacy.com)
• Small Business Matters: What Social Employees Can Do For Employers (graymatterminute.com)
• The Five Factors of Growth Strategy for Your Company (usnews.com)

Nominate My Friend Brad Ward at SquaredPeg

Social media is about collaboration right? I love reading and collaborating on different ideas with Brad Ward. He has a higher-ed blog called Squaredpeg and it has excellent information about using social media with the higher-ed of the world.

He is running for the eduStyle Award for the best Higher-ed blog on the market. I vote Brad and you should too.

Why? He has some excellent Facebook research on admission department marketing and he speaks all over the nation about social media marketing and higher-ed.

Plain and simple. He is the man. Follow the link and vote!

Vote for SquaredPeg

Related articles by Zemanta

• Hashtag social media launches (directmarketingobservations.com)
• Social Media 2009 = Search 2002 – ClickZ (tsurch.com)
• 10 reasons why the Unpanel worked. (directmarketingobservations.com)
• 8 Reasons Why We Love Social Media (futurelab.net)
• Facebook: “Class of 2013″ Scandal Is Unfolding (montysmegamarketing.com)

Don’t Let Fear Paralyze Social Media

Fear of Change.

We run into this a lot at Brandswag and for good reason sometimes. People tend to fear the unknown. They fear the change that will transpire when a new communication model or marketing ploy is brought into their company. Most of all, they fear open communication.

“What if someone says something negative about me or my company?”

“What if other people read it and agree?” AGHHHHHH.

What some people fail to understand is that you cannot control the medium anymore. Open communication is here to stay and that (simple fact) is something you must come to terms with. Traditional communication mediums have always controlled the conversation until recently. Technology has given us, the consumer, the power to control what we want to experience. Social media is nothing more than another communication medium (like Radio and TV). It is here to stay and must be embraced from the small business to the massive PR firm down the street.

Where do you get started? Start reading and learning. Take 10 minutes out of the day and read a blog post… read an article pertaining to communication online.

Some great places to start: Chris Brogan, ProBlogger, Beth Harte, and StyleTime.

The beautiful thing about social media is that we are all human. We all learn. We all adapt and if you don’t… you die off and start something else. As a small-to-mid sized business owner/employee it is important to start learning (at the least) about the NEW communication model.

Don’t be paralyzed. Don’t be left in the dust.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Quotable Bloggers from 2008 (marketing.fm)
• How to Attract and Influence People on Twitter – The Ultimate Twitter Resource (prevential.com)
• Become a Trust Agent Conference Call Notes (marketing-helper.com)
• Twitter Professors: 18 People to Follow for a Real Time Education (mashable.com)

Targeting Location and Conversation on Twitter

Imagine if you could target conversations around a specific target location? Do you think that would be valuable to any small business or marketing firm using Twitter as a communications tool? Probably and Yes.

I stumbled across TwitterHawk this morning while finishing up some last minute preparations for a pitch and I would have to say… at first glance.. I am pretty impressed.

Developed by Duellsy , Twitterhawk allows you to search for keywords across the conversations happening on Twitter. Now… this is not revolutionary.. I know but the cool part is that you can target specific geographic locations around a keyword. If you want to know all the conversations about coffee happening between people in Indiana it is possible to track. Here is an example:

Let’s say you just opened a new coffee store in Queens and wanted to let people know about it. As part of your advertising efforts, you could setup TwitterHawk to search for things like “coffee near:Queens within:8mi” (of course you could simply search world wide if you are global).

We would then periodically (at a frequency determined by you) find twitter posts that mentioned coffee by users that are actually located within 8 miles of Queens such as
‘@cracksh0t Oh I could really go for a coffee right now’ or
‘@loxly Coffee… my one true love’

Talk about a great marketing tool to start a conversation! I am still debating on whether or not this is just another form of Auto-Dm… which I despise.. I haven’t really made my decision. It is a great way to start conversations and use Twitter as an actual marketing platform. It is only disingenuous if you don’t respond after the initial connection is made.

What do you think?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Is Twitter Useless and Over-Hyped? (davidrisley.com)
• TwitterHawk.com – Advertise Through Twitter (killerstartups.com)
• 5 Elements of a Successful Facebook Fan Page (menson.wordpress.com)
• Main Point of Twitter? Re-Tweeting. (kylelacy.com)