Positioning is more important than ever!

There is no denying the fact that mass marketing is less effective for 99.5% of businesses out there. What are you doing to stand out from the crowd? How are you finding, attracting, and building relationships with your tribe?

The answer is being weird. 

Look internally at your brand, business, and culture. What is it about you that is a little different than others in your space? What is a little off? Weird?

This concept isn’t new. Read Jack Trout and Al Reis’s book “Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind” and Godin’s best selling Purple Cow for a little history. What is new though, is the power of the web and social media to connect your weird with other people like you.

Near my home town they hold an annual Core Sound Decoy Festival. Thousands come in from all over the country to share a love for duck decoys.  This may seem weird, but it isn’t to the brands that supply the carving wood or paint. It is perfect for the person who has perfected their craft in making great decoys.

You are closer than you think. Stop trying to reach everyone and reach the right ones.

So, what is yours?

photo credit: Glover Art

We talk a lot about the keys, pillars, principles, secrets, and lessons of successful content marketing. But rarely do we discuss the “cannots” of success.

Until today.

Sometimes success is knowing what not to do.

There are many paths one can take to the top of a mountain but only a few pitfalls that have to be avoided. This also holds true for business, leadership, life, and content marketing.

Content creation comes in many forms. You can record audio for a podcast, shoot video, or write long or short-form content like blog posts or white papers. There are numerous media channel strategies to get your message spread to the right audience.

There are also things you absolutely cannot do if you want to be successful. Here are three:

1. You Cannot be Lame

There has never been a successful content marketer that published weak or crappy stuff. This holds especially true as more and more people publish blogs, articles, and other offline and online content. Make sure you make great stuff that stands out from the crowd. David Ogilvy said  “What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form.”

2. You Cannot be Fake 

Charlatans, Decoys, and Counterfeits do not succeed in the content game. Sooner or later the truth comes out. Commit to the long term and produce content that is honest. There is no need to pull the wool over your audience’s eyes. Win them over by being real. Trust is more important than ever to being successful in today’s marketplace.

3. You Cannot be Lazy

Successful content marketing takes work. It requires consistent and persistent effort. Lazy marketers end up doing #1 and #2 (see above), and try and shortcut the process. Launching content that hits the mark is tough. The more you launch the better you get. Discipline is the price laziness will not pay. Therefore you cannot be lazy and successful. Don’t believe me? Ask Brian.

This is just the start. What are your cannots?

photo credit: quinn.anya

What constraints are holding you back from creating and executing a content marketing plan for your business?  Is it a lack of time, fear, or doubt?

If any or all of those is you, I hope this helps:   How to Overcome content marketing fears and doubts.

photo credit: laffy4k

Promote the current thing and the next thing, but never more than that.  I learned this years ago, and it has served me well. And it’s more true today in our real-time marketplace.

The Current Thing

What is hot and now? You may have a live campaign, brand/product release, or upcoming event that you are working hard to launch. You are creating awareness, converting calls to action, and locking customers in. There is no time to focus on the past or next year. The goal here is a concentrated effort to put the best resources, content, and value into what is now.

Giving people anything that can distract them may cost you a fan, sale, or advocate. Pay attention to the content you are creating. This is the time to build trust and influence for what is current. Do this by providing supportive and relevant information that builds equity in what you are promoting. For example, if you have an event coming up, talk about how to get the most out of it, interview speakers and past attendees, or showcase local businesses around the event.

The Next Thing

Who likes movie trailers? I do. Have you ever noticed that the previews they show you before the flick you are about to watch are relevant (same actors/directors, similar genre, etc.) to the movie you are getting ready to see? Even better examples are the 30 second clips after the credits that give you a peek at the sequel. These are done by design.

Most of your customers can’t think about a series of 5 things over the course of 2 years but, what’s next is completely doable. If you are launching a product, you talk about the upcoming feature (and its benefit) that is around the corner. The best run events always talk about the next event and why you don’t wan to miss it.

BAMFAM

In sales BAMFAM means, book a meeting from a meeting. This is important even if you aren’t “selling” something. Promoting the current thing and the next thing gives you the opportunity to earn the attention of your audience now and plant the seed for later.

What ideas do you have about what is now and what is next?

photo credit: return the sun

Are you producing great content that hits home with your audience or is your message getting lost in the creative? I’ve seen it a hundred times and so have you. Have you ever watched a commercial that left you confused? You paid attention for the entire 30 seconds and didn’t know what the brand was or what they were selling.

Recently, I found literal music videos which illustrates my point perfectly.

How often do we try to be too clever or sensational when trying to garner attention? More than ever before we must focus on content that is relevant and in the context for the consumer to receive.

Having good data that can be interpreted to guide your creative is part of it, but what else?

photo credit: EraPhernalia Vintage . . . (playin’ hooky ;o)

Everyone is looking for validation. Your customers, partners, employees, friends, and community desire assurance they belong to something. Building customer loyalty and creating raving fans happens when you are the one to give it to them. You be the one that supports and confirms they are ok and fit in.

Do this, and  people will be drawn to your brand or cause. Look at Ezekiel, Invisible People, or 37signals. As people interact with these organizations they are continually validated by the experience.

Here is a great short film that illustrates beautifully what I mean. (It is a little over 16 mins long, so come back and check it out if you don’t have time right now).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao

If you can’t see the video, click [here].

You will be amazed at the impact you can have, and the business you can build, when you take your eyes off yourself and put them on others.

For example, let’s look at the case of T.J. Hairston. He is an athlete from my hometown of Greensboro, who is being recruited by colleges to play basketball. One school made one costly withdrawal:

“The thing about Duke was, every time they sent me a letter, they wouldn’t spell my name right,” Hairston said. “They would have ‘T.J. Harrison’ or something like that. And I’m like, ‘OK. How can I go here? You can’t even spell my name right.’ It’s only two letters and HAIR and STON. I’m trying to figure out how that’s so hard.” (check out the full article here.)

All the great marketing in the world is undone with too many debits from the trust account. Obviously, Duke made some big mistakes that cost them the sale.  Remember the competition is trying to make credits too, and it usually comes down to who has the higher trust balance with the consumer when they are ready to buy. Here are a few examples of  interactions and how they affect the customer’s ledger.

Deposits include:

• Recognition
• Going the Extra Mile
• Human Business

Withdrawals include:

• Acting Weird
• No Follow Through
• Poor Service

When you look at every interaction with your audience as a transaction, it gives you a different perspective on how to build your business.  Take a look at your interactions and make sure they are  increasing the consumer’s trust balance.

What are other examples of deposit and withdrawal transactions?

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photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Have you heard the saying, “A rising tide raises all ships”?

Collaboration raises that tide.

There is a myth that there is only one pie of customers for every business. The fact is, there are many pies and they can be made bigger. All you need is collaboration. To make this work you need to have trust and long-term thinking. Are you in business for a season or are you going the distance?

Why not find and connect with related businesses in your town or industry and throw your cards on the table? Let each other know who your ideal customers are and how you reach them. Talk about challenges you are facing and goals you want to achieve. Then work as a group to help each other succeed.

Together you help each other get more of the right customers.

I was the marketing guy for a software consulting firm many moons ago. We were the best in the country in several areas. We knew who our ideal customer was and what we did that was remarkable. When a prospective customer came to us (or we found them) and our solutions weren’t the best fit, we referred them to someone else. Sometimes that company was a competitor.

We knew that if a customer wasn’t right for us and we could point them in the best direction for them, then it was a win for us. The customer would get the best fit for their needs and they would love us for it. They would send people our way and they would buy from us when the timing was right and their needs changed to fit our services. The company we sent the business to would in turn do the same for us when the shoe was on their foot. This practice was part of our marketing strategy.

Find a group of like minded businesses and create a mastermind. This will be the iron sharpening iron and idea sharing that will move your business forward. Gone are the days when a company was an island. Working together, organizations can change the landscape of an entire industry or region by providing better value to the right customers while helping each other succeed.

What are some of the ways you can see this working for your business?

photo credit: onecle

My class is filled with bright young men and women who hold all the potential in the world to go out and change it. It has been cool to see the light bulbs go off in their heads as understanding takes root. I have to say I am learning as much from them as they are from me.

We have brought in some great speakers so far too! Jeff SanGeorge, Mitch Miles, and Vanessa Boynton were gracious with their time and knowledge to share with the class.

Jeff discussed blogging and how he has applied what he has learned to social media. You can check out his presentation [Jeff SanGeorge Blogging 101]. Jeff has a great understanding of how design, technology, and content marketing fit together. It was great how he mixed the fundamentals of blogging with social media application.

Mitch came in and rocked LinkedIN. You would have thought Reid Hoffman himself came in to teach the how to’s and why’s of the professional social network. Mitch is the only guy I know that brings props to talk about web apps. He is the Gallagher of social media speakers. You can check out some of Mitch’s presentations [Mitch Miles Presents].

Vanessa presented on the business case of social media. She is one of the linchpins at M Creative and talked about how they work with non-profits in developing “value-driven” communication strategies in social media. Her interaction with the class was very conversational and I hope the class learned as much as I did. In addition to being a marketing practitioner, Vanessa is an award-winning artist. See what she is up to [VanessaBoynton.com].

Of course we are only half-way home this semester but things are shaping up nicely. Greensboro College Social Media Brand Review is progressing and I can’t wait for the students to start their class projects. They will be getting their hands dirty developing content, launching social campaigns, and marketing awesomeness for a few Triad companies.

As always, if you have any suggestions for the class please hit me up in the comments.

photo credit: greensboro college

This start up is in the fundraising phases of growth and knowing where this money would go is crucial. Even if your organization isn’t seeking capital, asking yourself hypothetically what you would do with it should tell you what your business needs to move forward.

Money Bucket Exercise:

First, list which buckets of your business, if given additional resources, could move the needle forward. Is it sales, product development, lead generation, customer service, infrastructure, paid media, paid intelligence, tools, etc? Notice I didn’t list marketing as a bucket. Marketing is philosophy of business and should be “baked in” to every department of your organization.

Second, rank the buckets in order of current importance. Which ones will have the highest business impact for the highest priority objective?

Third, spend (invest) each of the amounts into the assigned buckets.

If you are having trouble with answering then you need to establish clearer goals. The amounts, $50K, $500K, and $5 Million address short term to long term objectives and how they rank in importance. Your amounts may differ in size depending on scale. You could replace it with $500, $1,000, and $5,000. The important thing to answer is, “What would you do with it and why?”

How would you answer these questions for your organization? Does the exercise give you any other insights?

photo credit: Gerry Dincher

This simple (but not always easy) exercise will help you get clarity for where you are and what is next for your business. People often underestimate the power of sustained thought. Instead of using google as a magic 8 ball or referring to your favorite guru’s blog, just take your pen and paper and write down the thoughts that come to you. Don’t filter, write.

If you do this daily, you will discover new direction and clear paths to your objectives. You will find solutions to problems your company faces. Knowledge of where to spend your time and resources to get the maximum affect will emerge.

You will change your business.

I know, you may be thinking this is some hokey bologna, but understand it is simply taking away constraints. I love being plugged-in and staying ultra productive as much as the next person, but those can become hindrances to revelation and ideas trying to surface.

Trust me. Give it a week and come back here and comment about your experience, what you’ve learned, and its impact.

What do you say, are you with me?

Few people are as experienced in storytelling as Warren Miller. He has made ski movies every year since 1950 (over 750 sports films total). The 61st Warren Miller Film Tour, Wintervention, stopped by Greensboro last night and being in town, I had to attend (Thanks to the GSOC for hosting). You can learn a lot about the art of storytelling from Warren Miller’s films.

I was turned on to these films by my friend Marty. He is an avid skier and fan of Miller. He thought I’d enjoy his movies since I was a fan of surf films like Bruce Brown’s Endless Summer films. He was right.

What you can learn from Miller’s films is less about the mechanics and more about how to educate, entertain, and inspire an audience. Telling stories about your organization, brand, or cause can use these elements to connect with your audience.

Educate: Each segment of the film highlights an extraordinary ski destination explored by world class skiers. The viewer is taught about the location and its uniqueness by experiencing it through the eyes of the skiers. This is important. The education provides context for your audience to become characters in the story.

Entertain: Stories should be fun and entertaining. Miller achieves this with witty dialogue from the narrator, humorous wipeouts from the skiers, and a dynamic soundtrack. This ensures the pacing of the story will move at a engaging speed for the audience.

Inspire: Above all else, Warren Miller’s movies touch the hearts of its audience. In his case, the desire for all skiers to chase winter and fresh powder around the world. When your stories pull on the heart strings of your audience connections are made and experience is created.

When your stories educate, entertain, and inspire they will be memorable and your audience will develop an appetite for them.

Think about the stories you tell. What are you doing to make a connection with its audience? What are you doing to make your story memorable?

photo credit: GSOC

I love it when companies do little things unexpectedly to give their customers a better experience. Earlier this week I met a friend at Penn Station for lunch. It is a sub shop/franchise with locations throughout the east coast and midwest. I had only been there once before and the visit hadn’t left an impression. This time was a different story.

The food was good. The experience was great. Out of nowhere, as everyone was eating their sandwiches talking about WikiLeaks, Lebron, and holiday shopping, the workers started passing out fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. The nice young lady came up to our booth with a basketful of cookies in hand, offered us one, and asked how our meal was. She treated us like she knew us. Almost as if we were real people. It was great. Great experience, mission accomplished.

We should all give our clients a cookie. These are the little things that leave a lasting memory in the minds of customers.

Think about how you can do this in your business. You do it through servitude and exceeding what your clients expect you to do. You do it through adding high touch to high tech. The great thing is it usually doesn’t cost that much. What costs more is not doing it and falling into average. When you are average you compete with price.

Give your customers a cookie and you build loyalty. Loyalty is when customers choose you for reasons other than price. Loyalty based on the fact you are cheaper isn’t real loyalty. Loyalty is about commitment and a sense of belonging to a group or tribe.

As you move into 2011, start baking cookies into your brand. What ideas do you have to build loyalty through better experience and value?

photo credit: bochalla

Freelance Whales and Miniature Tigers, two of my favorite bands right now, played recently in Chapel Hill at the Local 506. Rob Blackwell and I went to the show and it was fantastic. But I want to offer a few ideas about tour and show marketing for bands per my time with Freelance Whales and Mini Tigers. If you are in a band or any profession where you “tour,” I hope this helps and encourages you to leave your thoughts in the comments.

I love going to shows and this opportunity was no exception. I first heard of these artists from my friend and West Hall Media co-founder, Josh. He met them a couple of years ago and raved about how great they were. He wasn’t wrong. Both groups have major league game and chances are you’ve heard Hannah [listen] and Bullfighter Jacket [listen] on Pandora, XM, or the web.

12 Tour Marketing Tips for Bands & Artists:

1. Announce your tour dates as soon as they are booked and get the dates on sites like Eventful and Upcoming.com.

2. Name the tour and create a specific URL (make sure there is a mobile or app version). Have the date, venue, and geo-local information. Allow fans and bands to publish and share content on the site.

3. Develop exclusive merchandise (exclusive ep, vinyl, posters, shirts, etc.) for the tour.

4. Build a street team for each city’s stop. Put them on the guest list +1 and give them offline and online promotional tools like stickers, posters, video, mp3, and tour landing page.

5. Encourage user generated content like photos or video, and hold contests on your site, Facebook, or Twitter.

6. Blogger outreach to local or influential bloggers that care about your art or genre and are willing to cover the event can boost attraction and coverage.

7. Email marketing to subscribers with tour videos and photos.

8. Take your fans on tour with you by blogging, creating videos on Youtube, and posting pictures on Flickr about each stop and the experiences (mention local businesses and people you meet) along the way.

9. Spend time with fans at your merch table before or after your set. Meet and thank the fans for attending.

10. Make the show memorable by playing new material or a cover that few or no one has heard.

11. Compile all the video and photos (yours and fans) and create a tour documentary video.

12. A few other ideas on Rock Star Marketing.

There are many more…what are your tour marketing tips?

Seasons change. Fall is here so I took my family to Moses Cone manor in Blowing Rock, NC. The Blue Ridge Parkway is beautiful this time of year. Millions of leaves paint the landscape with hues of yellow, orange, and red.

Business is seasonal too. Most don’t follow typical Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter like we do. Of course, landscaping, tourism, and agriculture would certainly mirror the climate.

It’s amazing me how many organizations act like they don’t know the seasons are coming. This occurs when you don’t have a pulse on what’s going on in your industry. This happens when you lose relevancy and stop communicating with your audience. They are your meteorologists (but with much higher accuracy).

Here are the three main seasons for your business.

Do you know what season you are in?

Sowing: Give Yourself Away.

• Work hard creating awareness and valuable content- Develop your digital footprint and participate.
• Listen to what your audience is saying- Capture data and metrics that are valuable to your business.
• Put a lot of creative energy into developing the best product or service- The best marketing is invisible.
• Focus on building the culture of your organization- Create a brand identity from inside out.

Gestation: Nurture and Build Trust.

• Create and share relevant content that is valuable for your niche- Inform, Inspire, and Educate them.
• Have excellent customer service and follow up- Be helpful and reliable.
• Go the extra mile- Do the unexpected and create legends and myths.
• Be a connector for your audience- Introduce them to other resources and share your network where relevant.
• Humanize your business- Be authentic, sincere, and others focused.

Reaping: Sales and Referrals.

• Make it easy for customers to buy- Simple call to action.
• Show up and work your butt off- You’ve done the hard work now finish the race.
• Exceed expectations- Give customers an experience.
• Receive be thankful- You don’t need everybody, just the right ones.
• Give customers a megaphone- ignite word of mouth marketing.

The one rule of seasons is they will change. Always cherish the one you are in and learn from it. This will help you go through it next time with better results and productivity. That is how businesses grow.

I’m sure I didn’t cover all the characteristics to these seasons. Please share any others in the comments. What say you?

A lot of companies miss out on new business due to short term thinking. They mistake not Right Now for No. There are more future customers than today customers. Understand the difference between Right and Right Now.

“Right” is your ideal customer. These are the folks that want what you have to offer and reflect your brand positively. They may just not be ready to buy. In this case, building permission based marketing and social media touch-points will help you nurture them until they are ready to buy.

“Right Now” is low hanging fruit. These ideal customers are ready to purchase. Hopefully your strategy and tactics allow reach these folks. This is where your data is important. Answering the who? and what? questions will help you accomplish this.

Think long-term. Be helpful and treat people with respect. Remember to court your customers. You plan on being in business for a while, right?

What are you doing to nurture your customers?

phot credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

The social web helps us connect with brands and topics we care about. It gives a medium to meet and converse with like minds. I even believe it can help deepen relationships between organizations and their customers, partners, and prospects. As powerful as it is, nothing is as good as face time.

Whenever possible, look for ways to take online communications offline (and vice versa). By doing so, you shrink the online/offline gap.

Shrinking the gap builds trust and transforms interactions into meaningful connections.

photo credit: fabbio

Organizations need to do this with their customers. They need to set the proper expectations and earn their trust. Carmax does this with its “no-haggle price” policy. Customers know exactly what they are getting into, and if you want to wheel-and-deal they will recommend the seller down the street.

Companies may even need to fire some customers and help them find a better fit for their needs (it may even be a competitor). If your goals is really to help them succeed, then this is an easy decision. I worked at a software consulting company that was famous for recommending clients to other consulting firms if their needs and our services didn’t align. It is amazing how often those clients would come back or refer their peers to us.

Remember this as you develop strategies for growing your business. Remember you don’t need everyone, you need the right ones.

Ask yourself these two questions:

1. Are we setting the right expectations for how our prospects, customers, and partners interact with our brand?

2. Have we defined our ideal customer? Who are they? Why are we choosing them?

Would love to hear your experiences. Please leave any thoughts in the comments.

photo credit: WalkingGeek

We sat at round tables with the speakers and other attendees. This layout encouraged more interaction and conversation with each other. There was a great blend of panel discussions and keynotes with the last fifteen minutes of each set aside for audience participation. These interactive masterminds, called deep dives, allowed attendees to share experiences, success stories, different perspectives, and ask questions. Justin Levy and Dave Thomas MC’d the event and did a great job.

To get an inside scoop and follow the action from New Marketing Experience Chicago check out #nme10.

The underlining theme of the event was that social media and marketing online needs to move past awareness for the organization (as its presence matures) and  towards positively growing the business. Part B to this is brands need to bridge the online and offline gap with continuity and meaningful engagement.

Over the next several weeks I will highlight some of the conversations I had and people I met. Building and starting relationships with super people is always the most valuable part of attending conferences (and living life).

photo credit: kevindooley

If you can’t see the video click here

If you can’t see the video click here.

Good communication involves listening as well as speaking the language of your audience.

You will need to speak multiple languages depending on the medium. Print is a different language than audio and video. Blogging uses a different language than press releases or email.

Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook create real-time interactions where responsiveness is paramount. They also give us the opportunity to communicate personally but be seen by many. The Old Spice responses are a classic example of this.

Above all else, communication is a two way street. Responsibilities are held by the listener and sender. Ask for feedback, test different messaging, and learn how to think before you speak.

How do you overcome communication failure?

I hope you get the chance to go to one of Jason’s events. He does a first class job. The speakers were on their A games. My hats off to David Thomas, Amber Nasland, Brett Dumas, Greg Cangialosi, and others. You can check out their decks here. It was also great seeing my fellow triad peeps and meeting some new friends. That being said, what makes Social Fresh amazing, is the people. Check out a list of the folks who attended  here. They are all worth a follow.

Relationships are the hidden treasure you get out of attending conferences. For more ways to get value out of the events you attend, check out my post on SocialFresh.com: How to get value out of attending Social Fresh (or any conference).

photo credit: social fresh

PSE Marketing

1. Perfect your product and story

2. Set expectations with valuable online content

3. Exceed expectations offline

Last week I saw Tommy Emmanuel live. He is by far one of the best guitarists in the universe. I heard about Tommy from my friend Rob Blackwell (an amazing songwriter and musician too).

1. Perfect your product and story- Tommy Emmanuel has played guitar almost every day since he was four years old. Tommy grew up as a gypsy in Australia. He has toured and played live since he was five. He has been awarded numerous awards and is considered by man to be the best in the world. And to top it all off, he is humble and generous, donating countless hours and dollars to charities and ministries around the world.

You have to figure out what your story is for your brand or organization. What are the things that make it unique and shared experiences that make it relatable to your audience? Your product has to back up your story. Tommy’s product is his playing. He backs up the story by playing mind blowing guitar. You need to purge your product of mediocrity and perfect it.

2. Set expectations with valuable online content- If you search for Tommy Emmanuel in Google, many videos will come up showing him playing live or on tv. Hearing and seeing these videos sets an expectation in your mind of what you will experience watching him in person. Everywhere he is mentioned, from blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc., his performances are heralded. As I watched these videos an expectation of what interactions offline would be like started to form.

The same will happen for your company as customers and consumers find and explore your digital thumbprint. The content you publish will set an expectation level in the minds of the folks that interact with you online. Valuable and relevant content combined with responsiveness will create the right expectations.

3. Exceed expectations offline- Seeing Tommy Emmanuel live blew what I thought I was in for away. My experience was better than the expectations set by watching videos and comments online. I left telling everyone about that show. I encouraged people to check him out as I told them what they would see. I am now setting expectations for the people I know would want to hear him play.

Organizations sometimes believe the digital and social media arm of your business is separate from your offline business. I disagree. I think they work together. Continuity will help you exceed your customers expectations and move them towards connection. Connecting grows into advocacy and creates word of mouth.

Following the simple PSE Marketing strategy will build your brand and create word of mouth exposure. The misconception is this is a one time execution. It should be continual. Always work to make your story better and your product more remarkable. Always create great content online and on social platforms to set expectations. Always back up those expectations with authentic and amazing client experiences.

What is your best client experience from a brand?

photo credit: Paull Young

I have the great fortune to live in an area with some very bright folks in the MarCom world. In the last month or so I’ve had an opportunity to get to know some great folks. You should get to know them too.

John Cass- He is the head of digital marketing efforts at Pace Communications. John is brilliant and generous. None are better at business blogging strategy than John. You can find him at PR Communications and @johncass.

Kevin Briody- Kevin heads up strategic partnerships at Ignite Social Media. This man is full of ideas pertaining to social media business application. Check out Social Mallard and @kevinbriody.

Bob Knorp- Most people know him as the voice behind The Beancast. It is one of the premier marketing/advertising podcasts. Bob is also an incredible brand strategist. He can also be found at @thebeancast.

Jeff SanGeorge- Jeff stirs things up as head of Connect Marketing and Design. Jeff combines creative design with the technical knowledge to execute. Reach out to Jeff at @jeffsangeorge.

Ken Pitman- He is the mastermind behind Square Hat Media and Presidente of  Social Media Club Greenboro. He is one of the wittiest on Twitter. Find him here @kennedypittman.

Mitch Miles- Mitch has amazing charisma. He is founder of The 26.2 Group and a sought after public speaker. If you get the chance to hear him, he is a true spellbinder. When not on stage Mitch is here @mitchmiles

Vanessa Boynton- She leads the social media efforts at M Creative and creates art at VanessaBoynton.com . Vanessa recently won an award for her one of her illustrations. Online she can be found at @vboynton.

Brandon Pierce & Danielle Hatfield- This is the dynamic duo behind Experience Farm. They do wonderful web design and new media work.  Check them out at @dhatfield and @brandonpierce

Kyle Lambert- Kyle is the big kahuna at Callout Creative. He has an incredible eye for design and visual communications. Not to mention he is hilarious. Kyle is on Twitter at @calloutcreative.

There are many more folks to come on this list, stay tuned. Research has shown that following these folks will make you smarter and  extend your life expectancy by 6 years.

Have a great weekend.

Organizations: We need a digital footprint! Get on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Yelp, Foursquare, and Flickr. Build a Blog. Send email campaigns. We need to engage and build community.

Consumer: Knock Knock?

Consumer: Knock Knock?

Consumer: Hello?

Consumer: Anybody there?

Companies are beginning to understand the value associated with establishing a digital footprint. They see conversations happening in real time and desperately want to join them. The secret isn’t having an account or page. That doesn’t mean you are connecting. Organizations need to go beyond having an @ handle, video channel, and blog. They need to be there.

If you decide twitter is a good place for your company to be then be there. What does it say if someone shows up on twitter (via the pretty icon on your home page) to talk and there is no activity? Or they go to your Facebook fan page and crickets chirp? How about a blog whose last post was in 2009? It says no one is home.

Building community with social presence takes showing up and follow through.

photo credit: J.L. Settle