Specializing in social marketing and business communications training

12 insights from Seth Godin on the emotional marketing revolution

godinWant to learn from one of the best social media marketers and business leaders?

Today, best-selling author Seth Godin shared his thoughts on social media marketing, creativity, and business relationships. Godin was the guest on a webinar organized by Vocus, a provider of cloud marketing software.

Godin says the Energy, Industrial, and Mass Media revolutions have given way to the “revolution of our time, the revolution of connection.”

Here are 12 takeaways on the human connection in digital marketing:

  1. “The only asset you can build on the Internet is the connection to people. Connection, the idea that someone knows you, trusts you, and works with you, is not new. It’s 1,000 years old, but it’s new because the people marketing Burger King and Procter and Gamble in 1980 didn’t have this ability to hear back from customers.”
  2. “Highlight and cater to small groups of people who care desperately.”
  3. “Marketing and advertising are not the same things. Marketing is making a product or service that’s worth talking about it. Marketing is about telling a story that spreads and resonates with people. We need to think deeply about feelings.”
  4. “The essence of marketing today is to tell a story to people who want to hear it, in a way that resonates with them so they are likely to either respond or connect to you, or tell their friends.”
  5. “Don’t yell to the masses; whisper to a few. People will choose to talk about it. Give away your ideas. When your ideas are widespread and you are trusted, you don’t have trouble making a living.”
  6. “If you’re not ranked first, second, or third on search pages, you’re invisible.”
  7. “What products are you going to make that are worth talking about?”
  8. “Permission marketing is real permission—the privilege, not the right but the privilege—of delivering personal, anticipated, and  relevant stories to people who want to get them. Not to everyone, not by spam or exploiting your company’s privacy policies. But instead by earning one person at a time; it’s the privilege of showing up. Here’s the measure: If the recipient thinks it’s spam, then it’s spam…Here’s how you know if you have the privilege: ‘Would we miss you if you were gone?’”
  9. “The Internet takes word-of-mouth and leverages it by a factor of 1,000…every single day.”
  10. “Remarkable means worth making a remark about.  Not you making a remark because you work for the company. It’s about people making a remark because they choose to, they want to, because they can.”
  11. “We can’t sell everything to everyone. The market has fractured. Instead of radically shifting the way the media has, most companies and charities have only shifted a little. The fast-growing public or private companies who have made a huge impact in the last five years (e-Bay, Instagram, Facebook, and Amazon), are built around connecting tribes. Connecting people who share a passion and interest. All human beings want to feel like we are a part of something.”
  12. “If we expect to build connections, we have to expect to be generous. There are no secrets or shortcuts. No one wants to connect to the selfish person.”

Nos. 5 and 8 are among my favorites.

Which points can you relate to? Which ones do you need to improve?

 

(Image via)

 

3 reasons email interviews stink

 Audrey Hepburn

When a reporter or blogger is looking for a source, it’s important to recognize there are significant disadvantages to participating in an email interview and not a typical phone interview.

Are e-mail interviews the lazy person’s way to get information? Many media requests listed on HARO (Help a Reporter Out) stipulate interviews will be conducted via e-mail.

It seems a growing number of people skip the human element of exchanging pleasantries and instead hide behind their keyboards. For me, it’s simple. I prefer to talk rather than type. You?

Sure,  in our busy worlds, there’s a certain convenience to receiving information electronically. But e-mail interviews lack a critical communication dynamic that’s present when a reporter takes the time to speak with a source.

Without dialogue, the art of give-and-take doesn’t exist at a deep level.

Nudging our curiosity

We must also recognize the role that our natural curiosity plays in the interview process. Even if 10 rounds of e-mails are traded, the content will never match that of a human conversation.

The reason?  E-mail deprives a reporter or blogger the opportunity to spark their own curiosity and possibly uncover new insights and content. Nudging our curiosity is essential in developing content and learning new things. Curiosity and education go hand-in-hand.    

E-mail interviews detract from the fundamental news-gathering process because they:

Lack the human exchange and conversation that gives life to interviews.  I have interviewed thousands of people, from homeless individuals to presidents. Each was conducted in-person or on the telephone. And each response within a conversation typically sparked a follow-up question or slight tangent that I, as a trained journalist and news reporter, could never have anticipated. This is why scripted Q&A doesn’t compare with live interviews. E-mail misses our communication nuances, speech patterns, and vocal vitality. These live exchanges—fueled by a natural curiosity—improved the quality of information I had been gathering that simply cannot exist in an e-mail interview.  

Fail to capture the essence of the source that’s being interviewed. Based on the perspectives I have shared above, we now turn to the actual writing of the story. When a reporter or blogger is finished gathering material and is ready to sit down and write, I wonder if they can truly capture the essence of a story in the same way a counterpart could who spoke with a source.   Yes, any reporter can miss the mark and fail to truly “get” the story. But why increase the odds?  

Keep people from using their communication skills. Typing responses to a series of questions limits our verbal communication and rapport building skills. We have all sent and received electronic messages that were misconstrued in some way.  In phone interviews, tone of voice, rhythm, pacing, pauses, and enthusiasm help reporters grasp a story and the person behind it. Human to human. Some reporters even prefer to Skype with sources, as the visual adds an additional layer of valuable communication. Skype and in-person interviews allow the reporter or blogger to observe a source’s body language, which is a significant factor in our verbal and nonverbal communication. 

Do you agree or have an experience to share? Your comments are welcome.  

PS: Want to learn tons of tips and ideas for pitching news stories and working with the media? Order my new Kindle book, The Badass Book of Social Media and Business Communication.

5 (more) things every social content marketer must know how to do

In business, 2012 has been a banner year for social content and marketing. How have you fared, and where are you heading in 2013?

The Content Marketing Institute’s latest report, B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends concludes that marketing on the major social channels grew approximately 15-20 percent as compared to 2011. 

As more of us jump on the social content bandwagon, I wanted to share some thoughts and resources that can help.

Here are five things social content marketers must know how to do:   

 1. Repurpose and reimagine your content. This means curation, updating older posts, and much, much more. 

How to build and operate a content marketing machine

Two funnels, two types of content marketing 

2. Embrace visuals.  Prospects like to see things. Remember show-and-tell in grade school? Effective online marketers know that the ‘show’ element rules.  Think beyond infographics.  Consider video testimonials and fun images. And yes, charts and graphs with hard data are part of the mix, too. 

12 ways to visualize data, without infographics

 64 Pinterest marketing tips and tactics

Photo sharing for your B2B online marketing

3.  Use keywords to create quality content for your target audience. If it’s B2B or B2C, you must have a constant handle on the trends and challenges affecting prospects and clients. If conversion rates are on your mind, the following links will come in handy.

31 easy ideas to create content your customers want

Tools and resources for keyword search  

4.  Cross promote your content. Cross channel marketing, which includes online and offline, mobile, display ads, and e-mail campaigns, ought to be the centerpiece of your strategy. Businesses and brands that use this approach on a regular basis will lead the content marketing pack in 2013. 

6 steps to a cross channel marketing plan

Report: Cross Channel Marketing in 2012

5 lessons in cross channel marketing

5. Be sticky. Malcolm Gladwell covered this in his best-selling book, The Tipping Point. What makes some websites, blogs, products, and brands explode and stay on top for the long-haul?  

Let’s get sticky!

Is your website deliciously sticky?

5 secrets of shareable content

Finally, here’s a gem from Gary Friedman of Restoration Hardware. ”Great brands don’t chase customers; customers chase great brands.” 

 

Social media health check: Is your strategy on life support?

It’s time to zero in on your social media strategy and determine if you’re having an identity crisis (online, of course). Do you think your digital strategy is healthy or lingering on life support?

 

Your messaging must be: 

  • Cohesive
  • Integrated
  • Consistent

 

The Big Picture

Keep in mind that strategy is the big picture and tactics are the everyday activities to help you achieve success in your big picture (vision).

Do you have a written vision of what you want to achieve and why it’s important to you?

This is not about money. It’s about doing work and providing products and services that you are genuinely passionate about. Don’t panic; you won’t need a 63-page business plan. A few lines can provide clarity and a foundation for our next steps.

Does your staff know your vision? Are they enthusiastic and fully committed to it? Do they use the same verbiage and language in describing the company as the CEO?

Have you identified your niche, ideal client, and target market?  Do you know their specific challenges, needs, and problems AND how your company can solve them? Which Twitter chats and LinkedIn groups are decision makers involved with? What’s your message to them? If you are a B2B company, you must focus on what your customer’s customer needs.

Think of your marketing like this: Your prospect and/or client has pain (problem) and you have the medicine (expertise) to ease their discomfort. Focus on the results you get for people, not the title on your business card.

Let the Journey Begin

To create a cohesive, integrated, and consistent strategy, the place to begin is with your website. This is the hub of your identity and activities.

The goal is to use various social and traditional communications to lead people to your site. Once there, you want to keep visitors interested and engaged with valuable information and a clear call to action. Be sure your site is easy to navigate. Simplicity is a good thing.

What do you want visitors to do? Sign up for something, watch a video, subscribe to a newsletter or download a free e-book?

Keep a watchful eye on Google Analytics to see the bounce rate, time spent on the site, and other important metrics. Your focus should be on list building and your sales funnel (monetization).

Another critical part of your online presence and website is the title tag. That’s the short phrase or descriptor with keywords at the top of your site. This phrase can help you hyper-focus on your services.  These few words directly impact search engine optimization and rankings.

This point may seem obvious, but be sure to have a professionally designed logo, color scheme, and visuals that communicate the heart of your company. The tone and feel are important.

Your 11-point-Checklist

  1. Your blog. Like your website, your blog must be current, offer sound advice, and be written in a casual voice. How often do you post? How do you decide on content and frequency? Hint: It goes back to the challenges of your niche market. Does more than one person post? Is the voice of your blog in harmony with your main messaging? Who are your readers and why have they chosen your site over millions of others?  
  2. Your e-zine or newsletter. Does your newsletter include the title tag from your site? Encourage people to connect online by listing your social links and URL.
  3. Your videos. Do you have an opening and closing slide with your company name and/or logo? Is your website woven into the text so the speaker can subtly promote it as a resource?
  4. Your e-mail marketing. Does the same common attitude of helping people shine through? Don’t sell; build relationships with your target market. Use your title tag descriptor, and forget the jargon, rhetoric, and BS.
  5. Your social profiles. Do your profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and your other channels have (nearly) identical language that’s crystal clear in describing how you help people?
  6. Your business cards. Are business cards are a thing of the past?  I don’t think so, but not everyone agrees.  If you have cards, do you have one or two social links listed? Do you really need your fax number or is it obsolete?  Your logo and consistent punchy phrase of how you solve problems and get results is what people are looking for. Clear, uncluttered, visually pleasing. Dump the cutesy titles; focus on the prospect/client.
  7. Your e-mail signature line. This is an area that tends to be forgotten. Your social links, website, and anything that separates you from others should be included. Use live links as well. Remember, the goal is to get people back to your site or profile.
  8. Your “about us” page. These pages tend to be static, but if you update them periodically with staff changes, awards, accomplishments, and links to new testimonials, it can be compelling for visitors to stay on your site and poke around.
  9. Your Pinterest boards. Is it absolutely clear from your visuals and pictures the field/industry you’re in? Is your profile congruent with your bio, title tag, e-mail marketing, and blog?
  10. Your bio line. Do you have two versions (long and short) that are used at the end of your bylined articles, white papers, and case studies?  
  11. Your traditional print marketing pieces. Many industries find success in mailers, print advertising, and other traditional marketing channels. Do these pieces have that thread of consistency and clarity that are congruent will all of the above? Is your message, clear, concise, compelling, and visually appealing? Does your contact information and call to action stand out?

Now, what can you do to improve the health of your social media set-up? If your organziation needs help and an outside analysis, contact my office now, mention this post, and receive a discounted fee! You will have a complete report in just 7 days!

 

5 time-sensitive phrases to avoid when blogging

Real-time is the name of the game in our digital space. Why do so many bloggers and writers insist on beginning their prose with old, outdated, and stale references to time and “current” events?

Here are 5 phrases to avoid in the opening/intro of your blog. By the way, these are real. Not real-time, just real blunders.  

1. “Three months ago…”

      My take: What were you waiting for? I’m outta here.

2. “When I attended the XXX conference in Vegas a few weeks ago…” 

       My take: I wasn’t there, it’s old, goodbye.

3. “Five years ago when I wrote an article on…” 

      My take: What rock have you been under?

4. “A study from 2010…” 

      My take: Tell me something new. Until then, I’ll be napping. 

5. “Industry leaders debated the March, 2011 research…” 

      My take: Where were you in March? 

Author Eckhart Tolle writes in his best-selling book, The Power of Now: “The time is Now.”

And by the way, if you need ideas and help with blogging, writing, and content, I invite you to sign up for my free, 21-day video series, “Speaking of Communication.” 

Deciding what’s news: 6 questions to determine if your story is newsworthy

Newsrooms and bloggers are constantly flooded with pitches that aren’t even close to being newsworthy. Why are only a few stories and pitches picked up and the rest land in the trash or delete folder? 

Let’s go back to the old “Journalism 101″ inverted pyramid style of writing news. OK, I’m dating myself here, but these six rudimentary questions will help determine if you have a remarkable story to share.  

Before you begin writing your pitch or press release, ask yourself: 

  1. Who gives a crap? If you can answer this question, your response belongs in the headline or subject line. Hint: Relatives and paid employees don’t count. 
  2. What makes my story outshine the other 372 that crossed the desk of the reporter or blogger today? Hint: Pitch purple snowflakes. 
  3. Where would my story fit in to this reporter’s world?  Hint: Relevance rules. 
  4. When is this most important? Today, tomorrow, next Tuesday?  Hint: Yesterday=snore. 
  5. Why would anyone sitting in their den in Utah, driving on I-95 in Florida, or bowling next to my dad in New Jersey want to pay attention to this story? Hint: Connect with emotions and the human factor.  
  6. How can this story help other people? Hint: It’s not about buying your book or hiring you to train execs.  

Most reporters look at unsolicited press releases from people they don’t know as mere interruptions in the workday. Don’t be an interruption. Go for impact. How do I know? I was a news reporter and radio news director.

My mantra when I read or heard a pitch: Come on, make my day. Hint: I’ve mellowed, but the business hasn’t.

P.S. Here’s my shameless plug: Check out my 21-day, free video series, Speaking of Communication. It’s packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for blogging, social media, publicity, and business communication. The box is on the top right.


Your A-Z Guide to Successful Business Blogging

Are you ready to launch a blog or ramp up your existing one? 

Here are 26 tips to help you on your blogging  journey:

Add pictures, visuals, and images to your posts to communicate with readers on different levels.   

Be the solution.  Help people solve their problems. Solve, don’t sell.

Consider all multimedia platforms such as video blogs, podcasts, and audio clips.  

Define who you are, who your audience is, and what benefits blogging may bring you.  The bottom line: Why are you blogging?  

Eavesdrop on conversations to help you develop new content. 

Forget the word count. Be clear and make your point. That’s it. 

Grab people’s attention from the get-go with compelling and punchy headlines. 

Highlight text, subheads, key phrases, and lists to emphasize important points and make your posts more reader-friendly.

Interact with your readers by asking them questions in your posts and responding to comments.  

Jump into the fray. Don’t be afraid to take a stand on an issue or controversy in your niche or field. Boldness counts. 

Kill the negative self-talk and judgment. You don’t have to be a professional writer to be a great blogger.    

Listen to the conversations in chats and groups to determine what people are “stuck” on. There’s your content.

Move people emotionally through your words, language, metaphors, real-life experiences, and humanity.

Notice what other bloggers are doing. Get ideas on layout, colors, design, content, and self-promotion.

Open your eyes, heart, and mind. We’re in uncharted waters.

Position yourself as a credible resource in your field. Become the “go-to” guy (or gal) 

Quit taking it personally (Q-TIP) if no one comments on your blog. Comments do not equal readers. 

Remember we are in a real-time world. Post often so your blog doesn’t become static and stale. 

Simplify your words. Blogging is not business writing, even though you’re probably writing about business. Be conversational. Consider yourself a creative artist. 

Try using patience. You may get frustrated or overwhelmed with the pressures that come along with a blog. This isn’t a short-term commitment with fast results. 

Understand the analytics, metrics, search engine optimization, keywords, and other important tools to help you determine content, audience, readership, and more.

Vary your posts but not your expertise. Stick with what you know without painting yourself into a corner.  

Write when you have something to say. Your readers will appreciate it.

X-ray your life. Take a close look into the body and soul of your professional career and personal experiences.  Shine a light on them to diagnose your ”lessons learned.”   The result: Content. Lots of it.

Yearn for more. Your curiosity and willingness to learn about new trends in your industry, technology, and life in general will serve you well in your blogging endeavors. 

Zero in on your readers. Write as if you’re speaking directly to them. A blog is merely the medium (vehicle) to reach mass amounts of people.  Make each one feel special and connected to you. 

Now I know my ABCs…

One final note: Here’s a free resource for you. Take advantage of my 21-day video series “Speaking of Communication.” It focuses on Social Media, blogging, PR, writing, and communication themes. Click on this link now for instant access http://www.getinfrontcommunications.com/

5 Ways to Think Like a News Reporter

Kid pitching baseballI can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase, “Think like a reporter.”

Instructors, media pros, and PR wonks tell laymen this all the time. But what does it really mean? How do reporters think? And why do you need to be privy to this information?

You can’t effectively pitch stories to anyone in traditional or social media if you don’t understand how their minds operate.

I was a news reporter. Please, allow me.

Here are five tips to help you figure out what they are looking for in a story.

1. Answer the question: “Who cares?” Every time someone pitched me a story, the overriding, nagging question in my mind as I listened or read was, “Who cares? Why should I cover this story?”  When you write your pitch or press release, be sure you can answer that question. This is about the content the reporter or blogger provides to their core demographic; their audience. Consider this powerful statement: How does my story affect and impact their audience?

2. Understand the medium. Some stories have great visuals and are perfect for TV, video or print. For example, the demolition of a sporting arena is visually appealing but isn’t as impactful for radio news. Think about the elements available to you and how they can complement your words and storytelling.

3. Put a face on your story. News is about people. People love great stories. Yes, a quote from an author, CEO, or board member can suffice, but it’s dull. Look for a person who has been directly affected by your news. They will tell a much better and different tale. They can get to the emotion because they actually experienced something. That, my friends, is the connection to the audience. It’s all about the human factor.

4. Find something new. A good reporter will ask the question, “What’s new here? Has something happened that we haven’t covered yet?” Look for new statistics, updates, or a fresh angle.  Clue: In the word “news” is the word “new.”

5. Give them the right tools. Like you, news decision makers want things to help make their jobs easier. I worked in radio. People would send me cheesy pictures in the mail of their CEO accepting some award. Forget the picture (this was pre-Internet). I needed a voice; a sound bite for my on-air newscasts. Come on, could I go into the news booth and hold up the goofy picture of the CEO and his award? Of course not. The PR person could have easily called me and arranged for the CEO to speak with me for literally two minutes so I could record the conversation and get his audio on the air. Instead, the picture and story landed in the trash. So did their credibility. You may notice that common sense is helpful.

In the end, reporters tend to be naysayers. They are so inundated with irrelevant phone calls, e-mails, texts, and general crap that it’s easy to become jaded. Mix in lousy pay, a fiercely competitive industry, and crazy hours. The mindset of, “Make my day” rules their world. It’s your job to do just that–make their day.


(Photo Credit: Jonathan Rossi)

How to Dispel the Myth of Writer’s Block

human brain“Nametag Scott” (a.k.a. Scott Ginsburg) is not only an interesting guy to speak with; he’s an innovative businessman who has the courage to allow his creative and entrepreneurial instincts to thrive.

If you’re not familiar with him, Scott’s been wearing a nametag since he was in college, some 10 years ago. He says he walked out of a campus event, left his nametag on his shirt and people were suddenly quite friendly. They told him he was ”approachable.” And with that, Scott built an enterprise. He’s written 12 books, and is a professional speaker, consultant, and award-winning blogger. He also created NametagTV.com.

I recently interviewed Scott for my “Winning Ways” series on successful leaders. I’m happy to share his insights on creativity and the myth of writer’s block.  Here’s Part 1 of our conversation:

The Endless Reservoir

“Writers block doesn’t exist. It’s a lie. There’s no such thing as writer’s block because writing is an extension of thinking, so you don’t have writer’s block you have thinker’s  block. If you want to become a better writer, you need to become a better thinker. People ask me all the time how I come up with so many ideas and so much content. They complain they can’t find anything to write about.  Are you kidding me?! Do you live on this planet?! It’s easy to get ideas. Creativity is nothing but active listening. That’s it. ….every morning I don’t decide what I’m going to write.  I just listen for what wants to be written.  That’s the challenge for anyone in any form of art.  Just listen to what wants to be written. It’s everywhere; pay attention. There’s an endless reservoir of stuff to write about. No, I’ve never had writer’s block and I never will. It’s not because I’m an amazing writer.  I make observations, I listen, I write everything down. I’ll always have a full reservoir.”

Not Everyone’s a Writer

“People have this misconception that writing is with your hand. Not at all. Remember that writing is an extension of  thinking. You can talk on a video camera and then  have it transcribed. Here’s another idea for non-writers. You can find someone who is great on riffing with you who has a somewhat comparable brain style. Sit down with them, turn on the Flipcam, give them a list of questions to ask you, and have them provoke you.  That’s because you always say better stuff when you’re just chatting. Then have it transcribed. There are so many different ways of getting your thoughts on paper. It’s not about writing. It’s about thinking. Consider yourself as a thinker, find out how you can get what’s within your brain onto paper. There’s a million ways to do it that satisfies every learning style.”

Part Two: More with Nametag Scott and building business.

By the way, if you want to refine your communication skills and learn more about blogging, Social Media, PR, and sales, sign up for my 21-day free video series, “Speaking of Communication.”



(Photo Credit: Ethan Hein)

5 Emmy Awards You Should Have Won for Social Media

NASA Television 2009 Philo T. Farnsworth Primetime Emmy Award“Mad Men”, “Nurse Jackie” and ”The Closer”—all winners at the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards, which honors the best in television acting. (Hey, where was Snooki???!—rhetorical question my friends).

Don’t you deserve some credit for honing your craft and waiting tables while praying your Social Media strategy will pan out? Sure you do.

Best Series, Drama- for responding to off-the-wall, misconstrued, and over-the-top comments on your blog. You kept the dramatics at just the right tempo, and added 47 subscribers too. Sweet.

Best Actor in a Comedy- for attempting to have the creativity and humor of Larry David or Lorne Michaels, only to discover your video kinda sucks. Keepin’ the day job.

Best Guest Actor in a Drama- for nailing a fabulous guest post from a heralded “Social Media Guru/Expert”–yes we can create a buzz without Betty White. Who knew?

Best Social Media Movie-for getting in just under the new YouTube deadline of 15 minutes. IMHO, most of those embarrassing ”Made for TV” movies should be forced to comply with the 15 minute rule too. Just sayin’ .

Best Supporting Actress-for recruiting your stylish and trendy coworker, a lady on the street, or 3-year-old daughter for a cameo in your video blog. It’s all good.

Quick, grab the remote. The damn speeches are coming.


(Photo Credit: NASA HQ Trophy)