Speaking with Conviction

Why don't we say what we mean? Speak our mind? Tell it like it is?

This clip set to the words of poet Taylor Mali (and put into type by Ronnie Bruce) is an interesting and compelling call to action. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://vimeo.com/3829682

Speed Thrills

One of the influences that the explosion of social media has generated is the speed at which information is disseminated. If you are a marketer you cannot ignore this new paradigm.

Those of us old enough to remember when printed communications were a marketing staple may fondly recall that developing, producing and distributing a brochure, advertisement or direct mail piece was a process that took weeks or months. It required advanced planning and coordination, significant resources and lots of patience.

That's gone. Now you can have an idea over breakfast, craft the message by lunch, distribute in the afternoon and start measuring results before the evening meal is on the table. In fact, customers are coming to expect this sort of instant communication.

This incredible acceleration in the process is wonderful for marketers. Or is it?

With such a short cycle to work with, there is no time for consideration or deliberation. There is barely time for editing. Which means that, from time to time, the message that goes out is going to be less than compelling, misdirected, or perhaps even damaging.

Speed must not be a substitute for effectiveness. Just look at the news media professionals and politicians who rushed to announce that they had viewed the "real" photos of Osama Bin Laden after he was killed; only to find out that the photos were fake. In their rush to be first, the talking heads and eager pols allowed themselves to be duped - willingly so, it seems.

So when you get that great idea at breakfast, make sure you stand back and assess it with a critical eye. If it passes muster, take the time to craft the message so that it will be accurate, compelling and effective. Only then should it be released. It may take a little longer to enter the communications stream, but the end result should be more to your liking.

Yellow Pages, RIP?

The Seattle City Council has passed an ordinance creating a “Yellow Pages Opt-Out System.” Once put into operation, this system will give city residents the option of declining delivery of once-ubiquitous telephone directories. No more phone books crammed into the mailbox or piled at the end of the driveway.

While the aim of the ordinance may have been to reduce environmental impact and clutter, there is a much deeper message here: the people of Seattle don’t need their phone books anymore.

Remember Steve Martin’s character in The Jerk,who danced about wildly shouting, “The new phone books are here!”? We really did used to get excited when the thick yellow books were dropped off. That’s how large a part of everybody’s life the Yellow Pages were. No more.

This does not bode well for those stubborn traditionalist businesses that dedicate large chunks of their marketing budget to phone book ads. I have been in the marketing game long enough to remember ad agencies that worked exclusively on phone book campaigns.

Why do the residents of Seattle feel comfortable in rejecting this traditional part of every home’s informational system? Think about it. When was the last time you reached for a phone book to look up information on a business? The first option now is to simply Google the company or conduct an on-line search for similar providers.

I have long argued with clients who continued to sink money into Yellow Pages that the only businesses that needed to advertise there were auto glass companies, plumbers, pizza parlors and personal injury attorneys. Today, even those stalwarts are better served investing in a website with strong SEO.

As has happened with so many trends that sweep across the nation, I believe that Seattle is leading the way. I think the days are numbered for Yellow Page directories across the country. Don’t forget, Starbucks got its start in Seattle, too.

Does Blogging Work for Small and Medium Size Businesses?

Aside from its value as a mental exercise and outlet for creativity, does writing a regular blog provide any value for a small or medium size business? The answer is yes.

A recent study by inbound marketing agency Hubspot (www.hubspot.com) reports that "companies that blog have far better marketing results." The study found that companies that blogged had 55% more visitors to their websites, accumulated 97% more inbound links, and had 434% more indexed web pages.

Are these important figures? Absolutely.

More visitors to a website is obviously vital, as it gives a company more opportunity to tell its story and sell its products or services.

More inbound links increases a website's visibility with search engines, helping the website move up the in the results for keyword searches.

More indexed pages also increase the chance a search engine will find and report a website.

What the Hubspot study tells us is clear: if you want your website to be a more active and contributing part of your overall marketing program, you should be blogging on a regular and consistent basis.

It does not take much to get a blog started. The first post is easy. It is the second and all subsequent blog posts that are difficult! Yet, if you think about it for just a short time, there is plenty about your business to talk about and share.

Take "Start a blog" off your "to do" list and put it onto your list of regular duties. If you need help starting or maintaining a blog, I'd be glad to help. Shoot me an email to bill@scribendi.net and we can work together to make you a blogger.

Want people to be interested? Be interesting!

My clients pay me to communicate their messages in such a way as to cause individuals to respond. The first step in that process is to get people to take notice, an increasingly difficult task in our media-rich world.

Breaking through the clutter has been the marketer's assignment since the beginning of the profession. How we go about it continues to evolve.

The best advice I can give my clients is this: If you want people to be interested, you'd better be interesting.

A marketing message, no matter what the delivery method, must spark your interest, catch your eye and demand your attention. Boring does not cut it. Safe is a snooze. "Tried and true" equals "old and tired."

Turn the tables for a moment. What captures your attention? Which TV commercials do you like? What does it take to get you to turn up the radio volume in the car? How do you decide which items in the pile of today's mail get read and which get tossed? What is it about a website that gets you to go deeper than the home page?

Today you must engage the prospect immediately or lose him or her forever. Your message must be smart, memorable and resonate with something that is already "on the radar screen" of the potential customer. You can't force an idea into a closed mind, so you must find an opening that already exists.

The message must zero in on the self-interest of the individual or it will be ignored. Yet too many companies are too self-absorbed to do anything more than spout off about themselves and their own interests, which are seldom aligned with the customer's.

To be successful at attracting interest, you must succeed at being interesting. That means crafting a message that connects with the right prospects, delivered through the right channels, at the right time.

Say More by Saying Less

Thomas Jefferson was a prolific author and correspondent. His words continue to inspire us today. But he was also well aware of the power of brevity. Jefferson closed one three-page letter to a friend with an apology: "Forgive me for writing such a long letter, but I did not have time to write a shorter one."

Unfortunately, many writers today cannot keep themselves from rambling, unable or unwilling to pare their thoughts down to the essentials. Jefferson launched the world's greatest nation with a single page, the Declaration of Independence. But your local personal injury attorney needs to blast out a 3,000 word blog every week. Sad.

We should all follow the example of William Mulholland, the man responsible for developing the remarkable waterworks for the City of Los Angeles early in the last century. Mulholland was asked to speak at the dedication ceremony for a 233-mile aqueduct that brought water from the Colorado River across the desert to the city. When the first stream started to flow out from the aqueduct, Mulholland stepped up to the microphone and commemorated the momentous occasion by saying, "There it is. Take it."

Fewer and truer words were never spoken.

Giving Away Knowledge Can Pay Off

You know stuff. And I think you should give it away.

Knowing stuff is how you got where you are, by possessing knowledge and skills that are valuable to your company and your customers. The information you posses and how you use it is your "inventory." This is especially true if you are in a service business like law or accounting, but also applies to trades and retail.

So why give it away?

Because that is the only way potential customers will come to believe that you know what you are talking about. By "showing what you know" your customers will have the opportunity to sell themselves on your value. When they do pick up the phone to call you they will already be ready to do business with you. Half the sales job will be done in advance.

How can you give away your knowledge? It is easier than ever. Publish a blog and add content regularly. Write articles for trade journals. Publish a newsletter for clients and send it to prospects, too. Look for speaking engagements. Any chance you can find to demonstrate how good you are at what you do.

Giving away information that normally costs money may seem counterintuitive. Many people fear they will share too much and thereby negate the need for a customer to call. Trust me. Those who will contact you are the ones who recognize talent and skill and are willing to pay for it.

Facebook Explained

Confused about what Facebook is and is not? Wondering if Facebook is a good place for your business? Here is a link to an excellent explanation of how Facebook can work for business: http://www.box.net/shared/v114cwzk00

Does Branding Still Have a Place at the Marketing Table?

Many years ago, burnishing the image of a company or product was one of the most important functions of marketing. Everybody wanted their customers and prospects to think favorably of their business. And rightfully so! Being seen as a solid company or even a market leader went hand-in-hand with improved sales and stronger profits over the long term

But then came the age of promotion. Every ad, every message had to create an instant return on investment. Even if it meant diminishing or demeaning the image of the company or product being promoted. Slowly but surely, "branding" lost favor.

Need an example? Automobile manufacturers and dealers have conditioned the American public to purchase a car only when there is a "special event" in progress. They convinced us that, if we waited for a "sale" (real or fabricated) we would save big bucks. It worked so well that the occasional sales events had to be extended and expanded so that practically every day is a "special" day at your local dealer.

By relying so heavily on promotion and pricing, the automobile industry turned its products into commodities, and lost the ability to differentiate vehicles based on quality and service. The almighty "monthly lease payment" rules.

(Toyota certainly wishes they had paid more attention to branding today. It will take more than another round of "Toyotathons" to repair the damage done to the corporate image.)

There is hope. The prolonged recession has shown that promotional marketing has its limits. With discretionary money tight, consumers have been less inclined to jump at the first offer they see. Instead, we have returned to the practice of deliberation and consideration before parting with our dollars.

When buyers stop to think, the image of a company enters the equation. Instead of being dazzled by a "once in a lifetime offer," the buyer needs to be convinced that he or she is making an intelligent purchasing decision. And an important part of that decision is having confidence in the business from which we are buying.

A return to branding fits in well with the expansion of media that has come about in recent years. Instead of trying to tell a company's story in 30 seconds, the internet allows plenty of time and space to delve more deeply into the who, what, when and where of a product or service. Picky consumers can satisfy themselves that they are making a good decision before plunking down their hard-earned cash or clicking the "buy now" button on their web browser.

What about your business? Have you been paying attention to your company's image among customers and prospects? Or have you come to rely on price cutting and special deals that have reduced your value in their eyes?

Long live branding.

Tweet? Blog? E-Mail? It's Still the Message That Motivates!

We are blessed with (beset by?) an amazing array of communications media in today’s modern world. You can deliver a message in traditional ways (newspaper, magazine, radio, television, billboard, direct mail), or through an assortment of web-based channels (web sites, e-mail, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.).

But beware! It is easy to get caught up in how to make contact and lose sight of what you are saying. No matter how you deliver it, the content of your message is what makes things happen.

I recently met with a prospect about starting a social media program for his company. He was skeptical, saying that he had young people on staff who could easily set up Twitter and Facebook accounts without having to pay an outside agency. Perfectly true, as most social media is free and open to all.

“But what,” I asked, “will you say?” As adept as his young staffers are with web-based media, they do not have the experience or insight into what the message should be. Nor do they have the discipline to consistently develop and deliver compelling information to fans and followers who sign up.

If you are going to use social media for marketing purposes — and I think most businesses should — you must make sure your tweets, e-mails, posts and blog entries are:

1. Consistent with your brand image,
2. Contain information of value and interest,
3. Include a call to action,
4. Are compelling enough to elicit a measurable response.

Otherwise, you’ll be just another noisemaker on the web. Remember, just because the media is free does not mean you can afford to take it lightly. Rushing into a social media program without a plan and purpose-driven message is a waste of everybody’s time, and could actually backfire with web-savvy customers.

Go back to basics and remember my “Four I’s” of advertising. Every message should have impact in the form of a strong headline, subject line or tag. It should burnish your company’s image by being well-written and (when appropriate) having an attractive layout. The message must contain information that is interesting and not self-serving. And the message should be written so as to generate inquiries, which can be easily measured.

Keep these rules in mind every time you log on to tweet or post a blog entry. They will help you make the most of the amazing power of social media.

Have You Earned the Right to Speak to Customers and Prospects?

You may have heard that we recently held a special election to elect a new U.S. Senator here in my home state of Massachusetts. Because the race between Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley was so tight, both sides unleashed a torrent of advertising over the final few weeks leading up to election day.

Among the most annoying of the ads (and there were plenty to be annoyed with) were the seemingly endless series of “robo-dial” automated phone calls. Over the final five days of the campaign I received at least 100 phone calls from the candidates, famous supporters, not-so-famous supporters and political action groups.

As someone who had already taken the time to become an informed voter, I did not want to waste my time with these calls. I hung up quickly on 99 of the calls.

But I patiently listened to one.

That call came from my state representative. His message was not surprising, offering his support for one of the candidates. But, why, you might wonder, did I take the time to listen to this single call out of the hundred I received?

Because it came from a source that I knew and trusted. Because my local representative had been in communication with me on a regular basis over the past several years, keeping me informed of issues that were important to my town, my business and my family.

By his accumulated efforts, he had earned the right to be heard.

Have you earned that right with customers and prospects? Have you put forth the effort to start a relationship? To establish your authority and expertise? To allow the customer or prospect to become familiar and comfortable with you?

It is foolish to believe that a single communication, no matter how powerful a blast it may be, will be sufficient to motivate people to action. It takes time and consistent effort to reach a point of understanding and acceptance. And the effort must continue to maintain that tenuous relationship.

If such an effort is required in an important arena like politics, you can imagine the necessity of regular communications in the world of commerce. What have you done today to earn the right to be heard?

Make ONE New Year's Resolution: A Blog

I have never been big on making New Year's resolutions, either personally or for a business. But I am going to make an exception for 2010 and urge you to get going on a blog. Here's why:

1. It's easy. While it is best to host a blog on your company's web site (see below) you can always get started with a free blog hosting service like Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. It takes very little time to set up a basic blog. You can customize the look and format later, if you want.

2. It helps SEO. "SEO" is search engine optimization, and it is the best way to grow traffic to your web site organically, without spending money advertising the site. Updating your blog (if it is hosted on your web site) on a regular basis tells the search engines that something is new and worth viewing, thus incrementally increasing search engine visibility and placement.

3. It's a great marketing tool. Sharing knowledge with your customers and prospects has always been a terrific way to brand a business and build trust. In the past we have used newsletters, white papers and published articles to accomplish this. But a blog is faster, more immediate, less expensive and is rapidly becoming an accepted - if not preferred - way of receiving communications.

If you have not already done so, make 2010 the year you enter the blogosphere. While a blog is not the path to instant riches and success, it is an increasingly important tool in communicating in the business world.

Social Media is Not New.

I attended an excellent seminar recently on social media (blogs, Twitter, on-line communities, etc., etc.). The event was sponsored by the Publicity Club of New England and presented by Lois Kelly of Beeline Labs. Lois gave the most coherent overview of a fragmented and sometimes confusing world of new technology, shifting responsibilities and frighteningly fleeting opportunities.

But what I came away with was a sense of deja vu. For, despite the amazing technology that gives us the ability to connect with so many people, the success of social media still comes down to a statement Lois made late in her presentation:

"If you want people to be interested, be interesting."

It still comes down to the story. It has always been about the story. If you don't have something worthwhile to say that provides value, and say it clearly and compellingly, it does not matter how you deliver the message - it won't be effective.

Social media is merely new channels. Capturing attention and motivating action are still the same. Having a strong story and tell it convincingly is still the core of successful marketing.

Is Your Web Site Evolving?

The World Wide Web is almost 20 years old now, and many businesses (especially the "early adopters") are working on the third, fourth or fifth version of their corporate web site. Just as the web has evolved, so must your place in it change and grow.

Unfortunately, too many business "leaders" still consider their web site to be nothing more than an electronic brochure. Or, worse, a nuisance that costs too much money to build and maintain for very little payback. Chances are they are correct, as it is unlikely they have developed a well thought out web strategy as an integral part of their overall corporate planning.

But other companies have embraced the web as an exciting and all-encompassing communications tool, with all the opportunities that entails. Some have converted their entire business model to be web based, while others are using the web as a powerful marketing engine to drive leads and sales.

How about you? Is your web site something you can point to as a valuable part of your organization? Does it actively, engagingly and effectively communication your company's message? Most importantly, does your web site contribute to the profitability of your business?

If not, it is time to reevaluate your commitment. The web and the world are moving on around you. You can either get on board or get left behind.

Recession's over? Now what?

In case you have not heard, the recession is over and economic activity is on the rebound. What? Your business is not booming again? Customers are still hard to come by?

Join the club. While Wall Street may be on an upswing, it will be several months before any semblance of "normal" returns to Main Street.

But that does not mean you should sit back and wait. Just the opposite, in fact. Now is the time to launch a preemptive marketing strike aimed at recapturing lost customers and conquering new ones.

The mood of the country is definitely shifting, and tightened purse strings will surely loosen somewhat. But painful memories of the recession will linger and cause consumers (including business-to-business customers) to be more prudent and cautious. All the more reason to be aggressive with your marketing.

Putting your name, products and services in front of potential customers now will better position your company for the time when customers do start spending again. In fact, acting now will leave you a less crowded field, as timid competitors try to tiptoe through the next few months without making any impact on the market.

Be bold and loud and consistent today and you'll be the one buyers choose when they start writing checks again.

Is Twitter for Twits?

Do you Twitter? Should you Twitter?

The debate rages on about whether Twitter is a legitimate communications tool with staying power, or simply a passing fad that lets the ADD generation think they are having meaningful conversations with the world. The "Pet Rock" for the new millennium.

We won't know about the lasting value of Twitter for quite some time yet. But that does not mean you can afford to ignore it. Anything that exhibits such extraordinary growth (475,000 users to 19 million users in less than a year!) must have something to offer.

And, be honest, if you are 45 or older you thought this e-mail thing was just a passing fancy, too.

I believe that Twitter can be effective when used in concert with other communications tools, such as Facebook, blogs and web sites.

For example, I am big fan of blogging, as it fulfills the role once played by newsletters, only with more frequency and timeliness. (Not to mention less paper and ink and postage.) Whenever I post a new entry to the blog you are reading (www.agoodmind.blogspot.com), I alert my "followers" with a "tweet" and link to the new missive.

Similarly, every new blog entry gets posted to my Facebook page. I want as many people as possible to have access to the information I am sharing.

So Twitter is not necessarily limited to inane, voyeuristic, nihilistic updates about every waking moment in a tweeter's life. Used properly, Twitter can serve as another channel for distributing information and ideas, quickly and efficiently.

Tweet that!

A Tasty Option

I am constantly finding new and interesting ways to use the web. OK, so maybe I am late to the party on many of them. But I still think there are some simple things that the web does so much better than anything else.

Map directions, for one. Looking up zip codes. And now, making restaurant reservations.

I recently stumbled across OpenTable, a really cool site that let's you find a restaurant and make a reservation without having to look up a phone number, get put on hold for ten minutes, then speak to a bored host or hostess who will probably get your name wrong and write down the wrong time or date.

Give OpenTable a try next time you are planning a dinner out.

Succeeding in the Long Run

I am training for a marathon (again). I have run several marathons in the past, but each one is a new challenge. This one is the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, at the end of October.

Why am I writing about it now? Because I am about to begin a 16 week training program that includes progressively longer runs and additional workouts to build my strength and endurance. It starts with a simple, easy 4 mile run and concludes with the 26.2 mile marathon.

Notice that I will not start out by running 20 miles right away. That would be foolish, as I am unprepared at this time to handle such a long run. Instead, I will gradually build up to longer distances and faster paces over 16 weeks.

There is a marketing lesson here. Do you find yourself thinking (or even saying out loud), "We need a huge sale right now." Or, "We'd better sign a big new client this month or else!"

While it is great to have lofty goals and big objectives, you can't knock them down right out of the box. Marketing is like marathon running. You need to take the smaller steps first so that you will be able to tackle the big run at the right time.

Just as my series of shorter runs performed consistently over several months will prepare me for 26.2 miles in October, your marketing effort must consist of interim objectives and smaller successes on the road to "the big one."

Strangely enough, you might find that all the "little wins" add up quickly and can even be more satisfying than completing one big sale or capturing a single large client.

Giving Away the Store

For many years I have encouraged my clients to "share your knowledge" as an effective form of marketing. Tell people what you know - demonstrate your expertise - and they will be more likely to remember you when they need your services or products.

That approach to marketing is more prevalent and more effective than ever, thanks in large part to the explosion of more direct channels of distribution. Years ago the "sharing" was done on a limited basis, through articles that we managed to get published, white papers and newsletters. Now my clients share what they know through blogs, on Facebook, with self-published e-books, via e-mail blasts - there are ten times as many options today.

Still, some are still reluctant to "give away the store" by providing too much information for free. They are afraid that, by anticipating and answering questions and offering problem-solving solutions, they will obviate the need for a prospective client to hire them.

Nonsense! Sharing what you know is simply proof of expertise in advance. It allows a potential customer a glimpse into how you think, and what your area (or areas) of expertise might be. Consider this "show and tell" as an audition that could lead to a starring role.

Drug Wars Come to the Supermarket

I was stunned over the weekend to see a television commercial promoting the giveaway of free antibiotics (with a prescription). Was this a government sponsored program for the underprivileged? A community health center reaching out to the uninsured?

Nope. Just Stop & Shop, the region's largest supermarket chain trying to build store traffic by using pharmaceuticals as a loss leader.

Oh what a slippery slope this is going to be. It starts with free antibiotics, a good deed done in hopes of a financial gain. But when all the other supermarkets are tossing out free penicillin, how far will the new "drug war" escalate? How soon will we see giveaways of pain killers, anti-depressant medication and narcotics? (Free Viagra is a given!)

This is a dangerous precedent being set. If supermarkets and pharmacies are allowed to give away drugs (even "mild" ones), there is nothing to stop them from ratcheting up the hype to include other, less savory items. How soon will we see a free quart of Jack Daniels with every $100 grocery purchase?

Yes, the free antibiotics is a great marketing coup. But somebody needs to bring some common sense and decency into the decision making process before our society falls further toward the "bread & circus" mentality that marked the end of the Roman empire.

Come to think of it, "Bread & Circus" was the name of a grocery chain that was absorbed by another, larger competitor. Perhaps if they offered free gladiator bouts in the produce aisle they may have been able to stay afloat.