Since this is the second “back to school” post I guess we can call it a series. I want to share 6 back to school resources to grow your brand and business. You don’t have to be enrolled in a university or sit in a classroom to go to school. It means getting back into the learning mode if you took the summer off. Most people turn their brains off when June gets here. I guess it is 12 years of conditioning from our youth.

These books and online communities will give you a valuable education and empower you to be do great work. Enjoy.

Back to School Resources (affiliate links)

Rework- The guys from 37 Signals have blazed their own trail with this book that reads like a collection of essays. You can start anywhere and read one or two page chapters on topics like Productivity, Progress, Hiring, and Culture. These guys make some great points. You will probably not agree with all of them but it will get you thinking differently about working your business.

Richard Branson: Business Stripped Bare- Sir Richard serves up the spirit of the entrepreneur and the power of chasing your dreams. He uses personal stories to provide business and brand building wisdom. After reading this it made want to start an airline and fly to the moon. Well, at least helped me believe it is possible.

The Referral Engine-  John Janstch helps small businesses across the country be more effective at marketing their goods and services with his Duct Tape Marketing System. It is a natural progression to leverage those existing fans for new business. The Referral Engine frees your mind with sound thought process and practical application for building a referral stream.

Switch- The Heath brothers’ insights into why it is hard to make changes that last will challenge both your body and mind. The book dives into the internal battle between our emotions and intellect. They do a great job of identifying symptoms and prescribing antidotes around the issues that are resists to change. If you want to move your life or company in a new direction this book will help.

Delivering Happiness- We all know of Zappos.com. It is a popular reference for benchmarks in customer service, company culture, and e-commerce dominance. Want to find out how and why? This book will answer those questions. Tony writes like he is talking to you over a cup of coffee. I liked this book because it shows you how an organization made it to the top by growing from the inside out. Tony teaches us how culture drives strategy at Zappos. The formula is given to us through great stories and third party commentary.

Third Tribe- Is an online community of marketers and other business practitioners founded by the smart and tenacious Brian Clark, Chris Brogan, Sonia Simone, and Darren Rowse. The great value is being able to mastermind with a few thousand experts in many disciplines. Tapping into that network is extremely useful for taking you and your business to the next level.

I believe accessing these resources will make a major difference in your life. There are many more for another time. Please leave any of your back to school resources in the comments. I’d love to hear about what you are learning.

photo  credit: alamosbasement

Wednesday was the national day of action for Citizen Gulf . They are a nonprofit organization helping fishing families affected by the Gulf Crisis.

The Greensboro Chapter of Social Media Club hosted one of the benefts. Tammy Friedeck and Chuck Hester did a great job sharing about the power of social media for social good. The evening wrapped up with Rob Blackwell performing New Sunrise, a song he wrote for the victims in the Gulf. Proceeds will go to those in need in the Gulf region.

One of the coolest things was this video put together on short notice from Jeff Dolan. Rob, Jeff, and I grew up in a coastal town of NC and have a heart for coastal communities. Jeff and Rob are amazingly talented (you might even know them from the band Remember Jonah).  It was fantastic to see them collaborate again. You can check out the video [here].

The sweet spot of social media is the ability to unify people from anywhere and any background who care about a certain topic or idea. Remember there is incredible power in that. Remember this is bigger than ourselves but enables you, the individual to make a difference.

photo credit: Infrogmation

In honor of school starting back today, I want to dedicate “movie lessons” to Wes Anderson’s Rushmore. It is one of my favorite high school movies. Max Fischer, played by then unknown Jason Shartzman, tells us the secret. I believe if you grasp this one idea you will have more fun, joy, and success in your life. It is the key to having the passion that separates you, your company, your brand, and your cause from the masses. My friend Whitman Toland learned the secret. So have my friends Mark Burris, Chris Laney, and Brandon Burke. Learn this secret and your work will be extraordinary.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGen7BhPJds

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

Now that you know, will you change anything

Monday I attended Social Fresh in Charlotte with several hundred other marketers and media folks. I could recap the event, but these folks, Jackie Adkins, Stacey Alex, and Kyle Chowing have already done a great job.

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

Last week I spent Sunday through Wednesday in New York City with Josh Madden, my great friend and partner of West Hall Media. We were meeting for a few days to rework our company. Sometimes you have to refine and reinvent yourself in order to reach the next summit.

Taking a break from the norm, I want to tell you about my trip’s highlights.

Sunday evening we attended a surprise birthday party in Queens for one of Josh’s buddies, McInnis. He manages some great bands like Freelance Whales. I also met Ben and his wife who own Modern Art. They are good people. It was a blast. (Thanks Amy for the great conversation. Know any good grill masters?)

Monday was pretty relaxed, with the exception of recording Josh’s radio show, First Person, for Idobi. I was caught completely off guard when he said I was going to be on it with him. No planning, no warning, only sink or swim. I drowned. Between Josh making me laugh and my uncertainty of when to contribute, I was pretty silent. I hope his show isn’t cancelled due to his “silent bob” co-host’s fumbling.

That night we met up with some of  his friends at a great spot in the lower east side, called The Meatball Shop (thanks Robbie for the ordering advice). This place has great food, wonderful staff, and a cool atmosphere. If you are ever in the city you must check it out.

Tuesday we met with Claudine at ThinkPR. She and Josh have been good friends for a while. She was super cool to meet and chat with. They are a smart company. Claudine, Rhesma, and the girls are doing some great work over there.

Tuesday afternoon was a major highlight to the trip. We met AJ and Melissa Leon at The Bean. They have been friends in the twitterverse for a few years. It was awesome to meet them offline. Amazingly they were in town and kind enough to meet up. They run a brilliant company called The LaC Project. The beauty of social media is being able to find like minds and build real relationships with those people. Thanks AJ and Melissa for a great time. I look forward to us becoming better friends.

Tuesday night’s experience was a first. We checked out the Fall 2010 Russell Simmons Argyleculture Preview. Hey, I was in NY, it seemed like the thing to do. The fashion event was packed with beautiful people and nice threads. I wish I had been better prepared. My jeans and t-shirt blended in like wearing a scuba suit to a funeral.

In between all of this, Josh and I discussed plans for growing West Hall Media and providing better value and results for our client partners. The future is bright for all of us pursuing our dreams and helping others achieve theirs.

photo credit: Tomás Fano

I think we complicate word-of-mouth (WOM). Many organizations spend countless hours trying to get their Youtube video to go viral. Facebook and Twitter, let’s not go there. Here is a simple strategy for creating WOM and building brand value.

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

Hello friends.

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

Over the last several months I have been contributing over at Workshifting.com. The site is dedicated to provide tips and advice for folks whose office is anywhere.  I wanted to share with you a post I wrote about my flying lessons

with Chris Laney. He is a good friend and mentor. He authors a great blog on maximizing your life called  Lessons from the Cockpit.

The lessons I learned about preparation, communication, and community can be applied to any arena.

I hope you enjoy.

Lessons Workshifters Can Take From Flying.

Be purpose minded not process minded. That statement will help you immensely.

I work with companies sometimes that are focused on the process. Which isn’t horrible unless you focus only on the process. How do we find customers and get them to do something? What constraints can we eliminate to be more productive? These are all decent questions but they are not the root of the problem. Organizations fall into short term thinking that could lead to trouble when they only work at the mechanics. David, what does this have to do with marketing? Everything. Purpose minded companies have great marketing strategies.

Last week I spoke with Clay Moseley at Blue Sky Factory.  They are an email service provider that has a great product and Clay was showing me some of their new features. BSF is a company that is purpose driven. Their purpose is to help organizations succeed by providing the best email services and products for their clients. The purpose is their focus. Their purpose has produced amazing customer service, smart and passionate ambassadors like DJ Waldow, Chris Penn, and Greg Cangialosi, and innovative products like SocialSync.

Process mind organizations get caught up in X’s and O’s and become disconnected from the intangibles (like relationships and a good story ) that make businesses grow and build community. I worked at a golf retail store one time that fell into this. We started out providing great value to our customers because our purpose was to provide the right equipment to help golfers play better. Clients used to drive across town because they knew the support they would receive from us would be in their best interest. Then one day the management lost its focus. They began trying to achieve their goals by cutting corners and selling specific products with higher margins instead of meeting customer needs. They became process minded. They went out  of business.

Purpose minded is long term. Process minded is short term.

Purpose minded enhances every other part of your business. Process minded stifles the greatness of your business.

I encourage you to look at yourself (since we can apply this to our own lives) and your business. Changing a mindset is usually the answer to increasing leads, sales, customer loyalty, etc.

What is your purpose?

Do you remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? Did you know it is a marketing story?

The one where the rabbit takes off in a blaze leaving the tortoise moseying behind. We all know the ending, the hare gives out of gas before the finish line and the turtle jogs by breaking the tape.

This story is not unlike mass advertising and social media.

The hare and mass advertising have a lot in common. Mass advertising, like the hare, spends a lot of energy out of the gate but usually expires before the finish. I am not against advertising. Eyeballs don’t mean people are buying or evening listening just like the hare’s speed doesn’t ensure he will win the race. Check out  Bob Knorp‘s viewership vs. buyership post along the same lines.

The tortoise reminds me of social media. Social wins the race by consistently delivering value and building trust. Reaching the right people with the right message takes patience and persistent effort. Building relationships that connect folks to your company is a marathon not a sprint. Here is a good post by Trey Pennington on how to win with social.

Could these two different animals work together?

Mass marketing is good at getting a message to a large number of people. With enough money, ads can overcome the invisible impressions with frequency and depth. If you get in front of enough people you will reach somebody that presently wants what you have. If you try this with social media it will fail. Social media is not about exposure. It is about community and conversation.

Advertising and social media can work hand in hand when they both focus on relevance and permission. Advertising to people that want to receive your message converts. Using social to build advocacy and retention through human interactions after reach is huge.

Your thoughts?

photo credit: peretzpup

It is time for another movie lesson. This episode’s lesson, Five ways to win customers, comes from High Fidelity.

It is no secret John Cusack is one of my favorite actors.  The film centers on Cusack’s character, Rob Gordon,  as he struggles with relationships and a failing record store.  I caught a bit of it recently on Hulu.  In the scene below, Rob is discussing the top five things he misses about his girl. I think we can learn a lot from these in our pursuit to win customers.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8q5wiMYojo

If you can’t see the video click here

1. Humor/Smile: Smiling and a good sense of humor go a long way to break the ice and build bridges. Think of the friends you like to spend time with.  I bet they smile and laugh often.  Help people have fun to build customers.

2. Character: Trust is a currency. Honesty, loyalty, and doing the right thing will never go out of style. Consumers are fed up with crooked CEOs, snake oil salesman, and insincere brands. They are looking for organizations with integrity to commit to.

3. Feel like home: People do business with brands they feel comfortable with.  Create an environment where people fit in.  There is a Japanese restaurant near our house that serves great food. The reason we go so often is because it feels like going to a friends house for dinner.

4. Walk with grace: One of the things you notice about great brands is they carry themselves with a sense of self assurance.  I like to wear Vans because they are cool (cough) and because they won over me years ago with an attitude I wanted to mirror. Be confident and generous. Be humble and assertive. You will win customers.

5: Be unique: The world is full of average. You are one in a billion. Don’t be afraid to show the world what makes you YOU. People aren’t looking for robots or perfection. They are looking for someone real and authentic. Last time I checked humans do business with other humans.

There is probably a list of 1,000 ways to win customers.  One thing is true. People generally do business with people they like. These five recommendations will  help you grow your business.  What ways do you win customers?

Last week was full of great association and new ideas.  J Paul Getty once said, “Where you will be in five years is determined by the books you read and the people you associate with.”  True words.  I learned a bunch this week spending time with guys like (and including) Jeff SanGeorge and  Kennedy Pittman.  There is a lot of value in masterminding ideas and framing thoughts.  I also appreciate the community at The Third Tribe Marketing for being a great place to interact and discuss work that matters.

As important as it is for us to associate with people that stretch our thinking and aid our growth, companies need to associate internally to accomplish the same. An organization that is moving forward is one that spends creative time together. Vision is transfered, success stories are shared, and innovations are made. This benefits every aspect of the business. Marketing becomes better at communicating its message. Operations becomes more efficient. Unity is created.

Zappos.com famously sends all of their employees, from the CIO to the receptionists, through a training program that includes spending time with the call center team. Zappos’ culture is built around customer service. Everyone associates with the folks answering the phones because their brand was built on having great client interactions.

Facebook created “Hackathons” as way for different groups  to come together and table ideas. During these monthly sessions everyone from coders to accountants show up and contribute. Some of the company’s best features have come out of these meetings of the minds. Hackathons impact Facebook’s brand image as one of the most  innovative companies in a positive way.

Advertising used to suffer from a lack of internal association. At one time copy writers and art directors never communicated during the creation of an ad. The copywriter wrote then passed it off to the art director. The art director then created the ad. When the two groups started talking about bringing a campaign to life something magical happened. The ideas got better. The team was able to tell a better story and connect to their audience. We should do more of this.

How can you create a collaborative environment within your organization? What groups would benefit by spending time together?

I encourage you to look into your business. Find the right people to associate with. Share ideas. Create a better product or service for your customers. Get a new perspective on how you can improve and grow.

photo credit: @superamit

I believe there is an entrepreneur gene in all of us.  Tony Hsieh‘s book, “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose,” is about that gene. Yes, he is the CEO of Zappos, and the book talks a lot about the culture they have created at Zappos. The value of the book for me was a personal look into Tony’s thought process and his recipe for happiness.  The 240 pages are filled with stories and lessons he learned from doing things right and making mistakes. One of the coolest parts of “Delivering Happiness” is the contributions made by  friends and Zappos’ employees. It is interesting seeing the continuity of service, passion, and adventure as told by the individuals that make up the company’s culture.

The book is divided into three sections:

Profits - Tony’s history as an entrepreneur. Early ventures and the journey to Zappos. Everyone loves a great success story, and this part of the book lays the foundation and introduces key characters.

Profits and Passion - Growing pains and defining a culture. Section two of the book dives into the tactics and philosophies of building their brand.

Profits, Passion, and Purpose - Successful businesses and leaders empower and impart vision. The final act of the story shares with us where Zappos is going.

Tony is also asking us to come with him to share happiness with the world in a real and personal way. Zappos’ success, his success, is a byproduct of the atmosphere they created. If you’ve had that feeling inside, urging you to do something great, to create something bigger than yourself, and change the atmosphere where you work and live then you will get the most out of Delivering Happiness.

photo credit: Marcus Vegas

The other day I eavesdropped on a person I like to call an awfulizer. I don’t make a habit of listening to strangers’ conversations, but it appears that many of the Bluetooth headsets you see people wearing, don’t work very well because people always seem to talk very loud at them. I was working in a cafe when the person sat down near me, and I couldn’t help but hear every word the awfulizer said. For the record, an awfulizer is a person who focuses on everything that is wrong with their world: a boss, the economy, perceived lack, a neighbor’s pet.

But truth be told, I used to be an awfulizer myself. When I was pursuing my golf career in college, I often pondered everything that was less than perfect in my life. I used play one-upmanship by arguing with people over which of us had the worst luck, or how everyone seemed better than me at so many things. I did not understand certain truths about controlling my actions and attitudes, and was a chronic complainer. If you are infected with the awfulizer virus and see every failure as outside your control, I hope the rest of the post will help you overcome it.

Symptoms you may recognize:

-When alone you think about all the things you don’t have or condemn yourself for failures

-You get jealous of other peoples’ successes and make excuses for why you can’t

-You love to tell war stories of how bad things are

Unfortunately, many of our society’s systems, like education, consumerism, and keeping appearances have made us carriers without even knowing it.

Treatment

-Instead of focusing on your problems and lack, focus on solutions and abundance

-Watch your words; only speak positive  (Your words are the rudder to your life)

-Do something creative, don’t sit around and wallow or busy yourself in unproductive tasks

-Associate** yourself with people that encourage you and talk about possibilities & dissociate with other awfulizers

**Association can be reading books like The Traveler’s Gift and The Greatest Miracle in the World , blogs like Sander’s Says and fear.less , follow folks on twitter like @MichaelHyatt, or join communities like The Third Tribe.

My Cure

My coach, Robert Linville, sat me down and taught me that I can only control my actions and attitudes, but that I CAN control those two things. He said look at all the things you have inside of you and around you to architect your own life. He reminded me of Whose I am and helped me direct the Ryder and motivate the Elephant. I focused on things I could control and started changing daily. Over time I learned to capture my thoughts and live above my circumstances.

Have you been an awfulizer? How did you find your cure?

photo credit: kat m research

It wasn’t too long ago when “Rock Star” was a term reserved for people wearing leather pants and performing arena rock to sold out coliseums. Today the phrase has crossed over to the tech and marketing world (along with “Ninja” and a few others) to allude to expertise in some skill. I think we do it because we all wish we were Rock Stars or Ninjas or the rare “Rock Star Ninja.”

I met a new friend named Danny, he is doing a great job of helping bands leverage these keys in new media. Social platforms, blogs, and video enable us to capture the right metrics, reach the right audiences, and build bridges to our fans. Armed with a flip video camera and quick wit he is telling rock star stories to fans across the country. He is helping them remember what they felt and give them a vehicle to share it.

How do you rock?

Organizations often damage their online reputation with interruption marketing tactics. When this happens brand engagement plummets, fans flee, and prospects treat your company like a leper.  If this has happened to you, fear not!  You can rebuild your online reputation.  It is not easy, it won’t happen overnight, but it can be done.

The road to recovery starts with answering these three questions.

How did this happen?

You are in the old business. My uncle was the partner in an Atlanta ad agency during the 70s and 80s. Before that he worked with DDB.  They were great at creating mass marketing ad campaigns.  They were designed to get in front of as many eyeballs as they could as often as they could. Relevance was not a high priority. Interruption, frequency, and persuasion were the order of the day.

What did you do wrong?

You SPAMMED. You may not have meant to, but you did. If social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin are broadcast channels for you to pitch your widgets and services, you are doing it wrong.  If your blog is filled with self promotion and  ”me monster” talk, you are doing it wrong.

How do you fix it?

Step one: Ask for forgiveness and rebuild trust and respect. Forgiveness is completely in the hands of the offended. You cannot buy it or demand it. Forgiveness also deals with the past. It is only good for things already done. Let people know you are sorry in a sincere, specific way (not in a fake, ambiguous, politician/celebrity way). Start the long journey of rebuilding trust and respect. This is not easy and takes time. Just because you changed overnight doesn’t mean your community will change quickly. Humility, generosity, and honesty will be your guide. Unlike forgiveness, trust and respect can be earned. You can restore and build these important currencies.

Step two: Listen more and talk less. Nothing will help you improve communications with your prospects and customers like listening. You will learn what they want and what problems they have. You will learn where they are and who they associate with. This information will allow you to improve your interactions and make connections with the right people. There are paid listening tools like ScoutLabs, Radian 6, Sysomos, or SAS to name a few.  Start with Google alerts and blog search, Twitter search, and Backtype. You could create a survey for your email list.

Step three: Give value. You have made the decision and turned a new leaf. Use the data from listening and help your community. Begin your brand’s new life as one that contributes relevant valuable content to its communities. Look for ways to promote others and highlight the good work of your people. Start a meaningful email “newsletter” to a subscriber base. Focus on high touch vs. high tech strategies that build relationships.

Remember this takes patience, but you will get there.  Swallow your pride and seek forgiveness.  Take your eyes off of yourself and focus on others.  With a little time you can reinvent your organization. You can learn from your mistakes so you never repeat them.

Your thoughts?

photo credit: misterbisson

I have been thinking a lot about the idea of generosity marketing and social media. I am sure I didn’t make up the term. Kudos to whoever you are out there who did. What this means to me is social media are the suite of tools that enable generosity to be the most an effective marketing strategy. We used to be constrained by geography or budget or some other barrier to reach our audience. Now Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and other tools have given us the opportunity to find anyone that is looking for what we have to offer. Offer the most you can.

I won’t name names but several of the biggest names in business right reached certain summits because they used the tools to be generous with their knowledge and experiences. Brands like Zappos, Comcast, and Starbucks have showed generosity using Twitter.  The History Channel is using Foursquare as a platform to give value.

Today I met the very bright, Mitch Miles, for coffee. We discussed marketing strategies and tactics that focused on generosity. We talked about connecting local people together.  We talked about being helpful in any area we can to grow others peoples’ businesses. Why? Becuase it always comes back.

In The Noticer (affiliate link) by Andy Andrews, a character by the name of Jones offers perspective. An entire town is enriched by his giving. We should use social media the same way. We should use it for the benefit of others. Generosity marketing is about helping enough others get what they want with no strings attached. In return, I promise you will get what you want.

photo credit: MarcinMoga / Lolek

Having a media channel strategy is important.  Seth said so the other day. The key is getting the different marketing channels to work together.

A lot of organizations use the same tactics across the different mediums.  They try to get in front of as many eyeballs as possible regardless of relevance.  They try to go for the quick close instead of building trust.  I call this the fist approach.  The fist, uses all of media’s fingers to  punch its way into customers’ attention.

A better approach is when organizations use the channels like hands playing the piano.  To play the piano each finger must work interdependently with the others. Each finger plays different keys and performs different roles. Individually they only play notes but together they create music. Monitor which mediums customers use to find you in the first place. Invest time into those channels and find out how you can communicate more effectively.  Maybe it is through blogs or video. Maybe your best engaement is via permission based email marketing. I heard Greg Rollet teach music artists about email marketing. It is the best way to sell products to fans even though most bands are putting all of their energy into social networks which only account for a fraction of the sales. Does that mean artists shouldn’t use facebook and twitter to reach fans? No. It is the combination of multiple channels that move a consumer to action and advocacy.

No single channel will be the silver bullet. Each channel distributes your ideas in a different way. Media channels also reach different communities.  You cannot fully engage your customers with one medium just like you can’t play Mozart with one finger.

What is your media strategy? How are you using the different channels to grow your business?

photo credit: Serenae

Toms Shoes + Whole Foods = match made in marketing heaven

Recently, I was in Winston Salem and witnessed the marketing arranged marriage between TOMS and Whole Foods.  I have to admit these two are perfect for each other.  Well done Brad Otts, the cupid in this love story.  Here is a link about the matrimony between TOMS & Whole Foods.

When I was in college Dr. Hanson talked a lot about the Marketing Mix and its Four Ps; Price, Promotion, Place, and Product.  When two brands share these ingredients, a good partnership will result.  Let’s take a look:

Price: This is how much the customer pays for the product. TOMS and Whole Foods do not sell average products. They are not selling toothpicks. When you are buying toothpicks you go for cheap. Brand is less important. All you want to do is get the spinach out of your teeth so the person next to you doesn’t run away. They are selling something with similar perceived value and a comparative price. Customers that pay for Whole Foods groceries will also pay for TOMS shoes.

Takeaway: Do you price your product or service to match the perceived value of your audience?  Do you bottom feed on price?  Only try to be the cheapest if it makes sense.  Sell your goods at a fair price that satisfies your tribe.

Promotion: These brands have parallel paths in this part of the mix.  Their Advertising, PR, Word-of-Mouth, Point-of-Sale, and New Media channels reach the same target.  Their promotion segments a specific person in mind. To me promotion is best done by telling a story.  TOMS’ and Whole Foods’ stories speak to the same audience.

Takeaway: Identify your ideal customers.  Be relevant to their needs and tell the stories they want to be characters in.

Place: Location is still important.  Be where you are found.  TOMS’ ideal prospects shop at Whole Foods and Whole Foods’ ideal prospects wear Toms shoes.

Takeaway: In the digital landscape place is equally important.  Find where your customers and prospects are by using twitter search, blogs, google, facebook, youtube, etc.

Product: Most importantly the products are compatible.  You won’t find Nikes in Whole Foods or TOMS in Walmart.  This relationship works because the products have the same suit. It is hard to build continuity with spades and diamonds. The suits don’t match. TOMS’ and Whole Foods’ customers are socially conscience, eco-friendly, and “Organic.”  They are both hearts.  They influence and are influenced by the same culture (check out Jackie Adkins regarding the influence of culture).

Takeaway: Product relationships have to be able to leverage the same ecosystems.  You wouldn’t pair McDonald’s with Dom Pérignon.  You would pair Starbucks and Barnes & Noble.  Leverage will make your marketing invisible.

These Ps aren’t the only ones. There are also some Cs and Ss and Rs. I do hope you think about what you are trying to accomplish with developing your brand and growing your business. In the article above, Brad, talks about the how Whole foods understands what TOMS is about and would want to be a part of it. That is gold. They built a mutually beneficial relationship that is win-win for both companies. Seek those partnerships where you can be advocates for each other. Your customers are looking for it.

You have to try Ben’s Homemade Peach ice cream.  It is amazing!  I always stop in for a scoop on my way to or from (or both) Pinehurst.  I was there on Monday taking advantage of my birthday round at Pine Needles/Mid Pines.  Their key marketing strategy is in making the product awesome. Seth may call it remarkable.  I believe this should be the first marketing strategy.  If your product isn’t worth talking about, all of the other tactics of exposure and community building are futile.  In a recent post, Mitch Joel talks about marketing at its best is invisible.  Ben’s Ice Cream has accomplished this.

Here is what we can learn from Ben’s about invisible marketing:

Many people are looking for the next big thing or social media silver bullet to catapult their brand into Apple, Amazon, or 37 Signals Land. In reality, not even bringing in experts like Chris Brogan, Amber Nauslund, Brian Solis, or Don Draper will help move your company’s needle if your product isn’t any good. Start with what matters most.

What strategies have you found to create invisible marketing?

Often times we feel the need to come up with something profound to engage our customers or market our business. In most cases, great ways to promote your product or service are found in simple solutions. For example, today is my birthday and Pineneedles Resort is giving me a free round of golf within seven days of my birthdate.

Last year they sent out an offer for a birthday round of golf on them. All I needed to do was sign up for their newsletter. The offer was relevant and timely. The generated a new lead, I got a free round of golf at one of the top courses in the country.  Simple. Effective.  The lesson is this, simple is often the best route and is usually the most cost effective. John Jantsch is great at this.

Have you found simple ways to connect with your customers and prospects?

[photo credit: skipyjon]

Welcome to Linchpins Episode #2. Here we discuss people that are indispensable and stand out from the crowd in their work.

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

Mark Burris- Burris Company

Scott Harris- Harris Design Studios

Gary Rello- El Azteca Taqueria

In case you missed it, here is Linchpins Episode #1

Yesterday I became a dad for the first time.  Joshua was born at 7:16am on March 30th. Today I wanted to share with you a post I’ve written called  Failure Diseases and How to Cure Them at workshifting.com. We talk about common symptoms like Excusitis and Procrastination that lead to failing and how you can overcome them.

I hope you enjoy.

Failure Diseases and How to Cure Them