All posts by Shari Weiss

I have been writing and teaching most of my life -- and have enjoyed both vocations. However, the advent of the Social Media Revolution has turned my life around in the most exciting fashion. Rather than think about retirement, I want to help change the world -- particularly the business world -- into a "kinder," more ethical, transparent, and authentic place to help solve people's problems.

Every day we hear of “new” or “new-to-us” social media tools and platforms. How is a person, or a company, to choose what to use?

The Top Three: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are “no-brainers,” i.e. you really do need to sign up and start experimenting and/or incorporate your participation into your daily routine.

But what about the rest of the dozens and dozens and dozens [100’s] of sites?

We ask this question a lot in PR class, so the students worked in teams to examine 15 online sites: Google Reader, Zemanta, Flickr, Technorati, Squidoo, Ezine Articles, Del.ici.ous, Stumbleupon, Friendfeed, Digg, RSS, BlipTV, Hub Pages, Truveo, and Vimeo.

After brief team reports, the class as a whole voted on one of three options; (a) They would definitely check out the site for personal use; (b) They “might” check it out; or (c) They had NO intention of seeking out more details about the site.

The most popular platform by far was Flickr, followed by Delicious and RSS, with Technorati and Google Reader also scoring high in the (a) option. The lowest scoring sites included Ezine Articles, Truveo, and Vimeo.

Below [in the order seen by the students] is a brief description of each site, with a student comment, and the reported “scores”:

Google Reader: Helps you follow all your favorite sites by managing RSS feeds on one page. Free and easy to use: “Google Reader is a great site with sharing capabilities. You can subscribe to blogs and other sites on a regular basis, which reduces search time considerably” – Jason Khorge.

Class vote on Google Reader: (a) 13 will definitely check it out. (b) 31 said they may check it out; (c) 4 voted against.

Zemanta: This free Firefox add-on download that offers related web content — both text and visuals — that can help bloggers link and use valuable online information. “Zemanta is a great assistant for bloggers because it is easy to use, cuts down research time and enables content producers to enrich their publications with just a few clicks.” — Alisa Guan “I’m interested in checking out Zemanta to help me upgrade my blog. The suggested articles could help me give a more informed and useful opinion.” — Angelica Maduell

Class vote on Zemanta: (a) 14; (b) 24; (c) 13

Flickr: Online photo management and sharing web community. “”In my eyes, Flickr has garnered a lot of attention from reputable photographers and amateurs alike. It’s definitely a haven for people who want to share their passion for picture-taking and connecting with others of similar interests.” — Sarah Awang Razali “I personally thing that Flickr is really useful because of the quality of content provided on it. There are personal pages and professional pages, and all users are equally respected within the community. A lot of the photos are also the basis for much online content. They say, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words,’ so thousands of pictures must be worth a lifetime of endless content.: — Frank Lin

Class vote on Flickr: (a) 31; (b) 18; (c) 2

Technorati: Top rated blog search engine that indexes more than 1.5 million blog posts in real time. “I’m always looking for new blogs to follow and I think Technorati can really help me enlarge my collection.” — Petya Somleva

Class vote on Technorati: (a) 17; (b) 15; (c) 18

Squidoo: Content publishing on steroids: Free community website that allows users to publish pages [lenses] on line in a wide range of topics, virtually anythinhereg a person is passionate about. “Squidoo appealed to me the most, and I believe it has the greatest opportunity to grow. Providing such a diverse collection of material means it can reach a wide variety of interests.” — Liz Looney “I like the free Squidoo community website where content you’re interested in is easy to find. It is easy to use, simple to post comments, and you can earn money for charity.” — Brandon Wong

Class vote on Squidoo: (a) 13; (b) 31; (c) 4

Ezine Articles: Publishing site for original articles including tips, strategies, techniques, analysis, and case studies. Great for sending links back to a website. Sadly, no students chose to write an opinion about this site.

Class vote on Ezine: (a) 2; (b) 14; (c) 27

Del.ici.ous: A social bookmarking service that allows uses to save websites online, share them with other people, and see what other people are bookmarking. “You can build a mountain of information before ever adding a single bookmark. You find Del.ici.ous users who have saved articles you enjoy reading. Add their names to your network and with a single click, you can save all their bookmarks. That was amazing to me.” — Sarah Awang Razali

Stumbleupon: An Internet community that allows users to find, share, and rate favorite websites. “I was really impressed by Stumbleupon, particularly when someone said it was ‘a good site to waste a lot of time on the Internet.’ That being said lightly, it did strike me as the kind of site you could go on and be entertained by by topical content. I could see this website becoming part of my daily routine.” — Anna Rahnvonih

Class vote on Stumbleupon: (a) 5; (b) 20; (c) 16

Friendfeed: This microblogging site offers users a stream of updates which, unlike Twitter but similar to Facebook, allows comments and conversations to attach to updates. “With the decreasing popularity of MySpace and the growth of Twitter and Facebook, I think Friendfeed may just be the next best platform, using features from all three of these social networking sites.” — Sheena Diaz “I like the added Friendfeed feature of receiving feedback underneath your post.” — Ashley Dordan

Class vote on Friendfeed: (a) 12; (b) 27; (c) 5

Digg: A user-driven sharing site that is divided into categories for easy search. It also allows you to connect with Facebook and Twitter to share sites. “I am considering Digg because it filters news and other topics by what is important to other people.” — Caroll Vongsouthi

Class vote on Digg: (a) 6; (b) 35; (c) 7

RSS: Stands for “Really Simple syndication” and simplifies the process of getting information. It is a data format used for supplying frequently updated content. “RSS feeds allow you to easily get the latest information that you are interested in and they build Google Juice for shared sites.” — Bo Zhang

Class vote on RSS: (a) 22; (b) 21; (c) 3

BlipTV: Website for video distribution intended for anyone who wants to create a webshow to share with the world. “This site offers free hosting in any video format and tells you who is looking at your page and how they found you. I will definitely check it out.” — Ashley Hall “It’s interesting that you can find sponsors and earn revenue.: — Diedre Moseley

Class vote on BlipTV: (a) 10; (b) 28; (c) 4

Hub Pages: Website is designed for sharing advertising revenue for high quality, user-generated content. Members create individual pages on narrow topics based on the users interest. Not as popular with students as Squidoo.

Class vote on Hub Pages: (a) 3; (b) 25; (c) 18

Truveo: Video search engine that allows users to embed videos through a third party site like YouTube. It has a rating feature, and you can save favorites. “Truveo has many ways to search, e.g., by categories like business or comedy, by TV stations, by name of show. You need to become a member if you want to rate videos and add them to your favorites.” — McKenzie Hanson

Vimeo: Video file sharing and uploading site specifically for noncommercial content.Caters to a high-end artistic crowd. “Users can share or embed. Other options include title, byline, and portrait of the video listing beofre it starts playing. Videos can be enhanced with site tools.” — Riciaig Panlaqui

Class vote on Truveo & Vimeo: (a) 11; (b) 11; (c) 23

Student comments after the two-day experience:

I’ll be honest, I’m not a blogger. I don’t use Twitter and at times I don’t understand all the hype about these forms of social media. However, after seeing these presentations, there is no doubt in my mind the importance of these new media platforms. It’s plain and simple — if you want to spread the word, you MUST use these forms of social media. — Liz Looney

It was interesting to see how social media has exploded in recent years. Seeing all the sites — big and small — showed how each has its unique features. A lot of people do not realize that a small not very well known site today might in fact be the most popular six months from now. Anyone starting to use social media for business needs to check out many of these sites. — Eddie Neyman

From these presentations, I learned a lot of useful tools that will come in handy when I start looking for a job. Some of my favorites were the ones that help you find related articles on certain topics. Too often, I have the hardest time finding good information. — McKensie Hanson

With all the information presented, I feel like I’m already falling behind in the online social media world. To really be able to participate in all the social media sites, I will have to invest an outrageous amount of time. I plan to get involved by signing up for a handful of sites that I can keep up with. This was a great opportunity to learn that many sites can bring news and articles I like, rather than for me always having to search. — Caroll Vongsouthi

Next post: I evaluate my Online Presence Management

Sharisax Is Out There

Network Your Way . . . to wherever you want to be

August 8, 2009 Shari Weiss 3 Comments

They call it NetWORK for a reason

Making friends is first goal of networking

“People hire your awesome, amazing self,” said Dean Guadagni to more than 50 Marin Professionals at one of their recent weekly meetings. Dean’s hour-long presentation was a primer of Networking Tips for both face-to-face and online meet-ups.

Read on for some of Dean’s advice and a few lists of DO’s and DON’Ts:

“When you attend a networking event, be prepared to listen and create open discussion,” Dean told the group of Baby Boomers in search of new careers.

Show genuine interest in people and their businesses, and you will create connections.

Six Steps to Engage Others

1. Build charisma: Make friends by being friendly. Start out with the attitude that you will make new friends, that you want to be there with the group.

2. Introduce and refocus: Once you;ve exchanged names, ask your new friend to describe him or herself.

3. Be quiet: Give the other person the chance to talk.

4. Concentrate: Listen carefully so you will understand the other person.

5. Follow up: Ask questions to find out more about your new friend.

6. Be attentive: Make eye contact and maintain it. Use appropriate body language signals to show that you are listening.

Now for some DON’Ts

1. Don’t focus on selling yourself, your services, or your products.

2. Don’t be the first in a pair to pitch your elevator speech [i.e., your mini resume].

3. Don’t “Work the Room” by flitting from one person to another merely to collect names.

4. Don’t sollicit advice from people you have just met; wait until you know them.

5. Don’t beg for introductions; focus on the person you are speaking to.

6. Don’t turn off your ears; practice active listening.

7. Don’t monopolize a conversation or no one will want to continue being with you.

8. Don’t forget to acknowledge the message of the host organization.

9. Don’t ignore your responsibility to do some homework and research whom you want to meet.

10. Don’t ask for value before you give it: establish rapport from which to build upon.

Provide VALUE: Give before you receive

“If people do not want to connect with you, perhaps you are not adding value,” said Dean, who offered a quote from Jeffrey Gitomer:

Give something that others value, give it often, and give it without asking for anything in return.

“We all have valuable skills and knowledge to share. Identify the things that people would consider valuable and make a plan on how to deliver your expertise,” Dean explained.

Finally, a dozen “logistical” tips:

1. Dress for success: first impressions are KEY.

2. Be early: networking time is increased and organizers are more available. this will make you $$$.

3. Name tags: wear them on your right lapel so people will see your name when they shake your hand.

4. Cell phones off or on vibrate: go outside the meeting room if you must talk.

5. Notes: write on the back of business cards to help you remember details.

6. Cards: bring enough for the event; if you don’t have a business card, make yourself a general introduction card.

DON’T’S

1. Problems: Leave them at home.

2. Disingenuous Schmoozing: Don’t just slap cards in hands and run off.

3. Alcohol: Avoid spirits and give yourself the advantage over all those who are drinking.

4. Interrupting: No one likes a little kid who needs to be in every conversation.

5. Underdressing: Be professional in your appearance; don’t give the impression you do not care.

6. Overpromising: Don’t say you will do things and then underdeliver.

One thing this Networking Post still needs is stories: Any readers have a networking anecdote to share? Here’s a “link” to LinkedIn’s Network capabilities. Also CBS Money Watch offered these cautions for online jobseekers.

Next post: Students examine 15 social media platforms

Sharisax Is Out There

Listening Redux: First rule to success in business

August 7, 2009 Shari Weiss 45 Comments

My SFSU Business Communication students learn three rules to Business Success in their first class session:

(1) Listen Carefully

(2) Read Carefully

(3) Follow ALL Directions

The suggestion to students — and everyone — that active listening is a skill can be easily disregarded as many people simply hear the tip and move on.

That is, they get ready for the next “rule” without really understanding the implications, and the difficulty, of what it means to really listen.

An earlier post of mine When communication adds up to a big fat zero proposed that all the new technology and accompanying tools and tactics were of little value if strategic planners did not first begin by Listening Carefully to online voices in their community.

This advice reverberates through the web in social media blog posts countless times every day. Today, in fact, a Brian Solis update on my Facebook stream pointed to PR 2.0 guest poster Michael Brito‘s rant against companies that listen but don’t act.

Rule Number One: LISTEN CAREFULLY

Last evening’s rigorous SFSU Business Communication class [we were learning to write business reports] was sweetened with an anecdote from one student who had really learned the power and rewards of LISTENING CAREFULLY at work that very afternoon.

New to his position in a downtown business, my student was invited to a meeting featuring a high level executive from headquarters. He [we’ll call him Adam, not his real name] had heard that this exec was noted for long, sometimes very dry speeches. But Adam was determined to pay close attention and practice all the “active listening” tips we had discussed in class.

“It was hard because lots of my coworkers were chatting and not paying attention, but just the same I wanted to focus on what was being said. I kept thinking about how important that was,” Adam told me.

The speaker did go on and on. And as hard as it was for Adam to keep his focus, he managed to do it . . .

And then the speaker stopped, looked around the room, and asked “Who heard what I just said?”

There was silence.

Adam cautiously raised his hand and repeated the last few facts related by the speaker, who acknowledged the response and asked Adam to stay behind after the meeting.

Adam was terrified, but not for long. After the meeting, the executive shook his hand, asked for his name and position, and said:

Good job, Adam. I’m going to be looking out for you. You are bound to go far in this company.

Adam was overjoyed and naturally was bursting to tell me. I was overjoyed and bursting to tell my audience — both Adam’s classmates and my blog readers.

What would our business and personal lives be like if we ALL made even small efforts to listen carefully when people were talking to us and with us?

Next post: Networking Tips

Blogging

What to Blog? My story about Peter

August 2, 2009 Shari Weiss 16 Comments

Fathering a son: what's more important than that?

Many of my students have begun blogs, and their first questions seem to revolve around, “How do I get more readers?” and “How do I get people to comment?”

My standard answers have been these three:

* Comment on other people’s blogs

* Announce your new posts on Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed, and LinkedIn

* Enable a more user-friendly comment device.

However, after reading several of their posts, I have another simple answer — but, first, a story:

My Story about Peter

Several years ago, when I was teaching beginning journalism students at Southwest Missouri State, the students’ daily chore was to write in a log. And I read them.

Big mistake: both the assignment and me spending time reading them.

When left to their own devices . . . students wrote about such earth-shattering events as breaking up with their boyfriends and flushing letters down the toilet to buying a pair of boots at the mall to the scores of basketball games in the local conference. Needless to say, I was questioning my sanity for having asked for these papers.

Until Peter, that is.

Peter wrote plays and poetry. Peter analyzed the news. Peter shared intelligent conversations he had had with friends. Peter reported on books and articles he was reading.

And his writing was so flawless that I was envious.

But I loved reading his stuff and looked forward to every entry.

I was in awe of his talent and wondered what I could offer him.

So I went to several of my colleagues to ask their opinions; one comment stood out: “Peter’s stuff is good because he writes about things that are important and interesting.”

When you blog — and you want people to read and comment — WRITE ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING.

Why write about anything else?

Next post: The rewards of listening carefully

Sharisax Is Out There

What Info is HOT on my computer screen today?

August 1, 2009 Shari Weiss 4 Comments

Remember when Saturday morning meant cartoons?

This BabyBoomer does. But nowadays Saturday morning seems to be a great time to catch up on a lot of web stuff that’s going to get me thinking about the FUTURE . . . of marketing, advertising, PR, media and our lives.

So I figured I’d share some of what I liked this morning:

1) Seth’s Blog: “Fidelity vs. Convenience” – Seth commented on a new book that shows us that successful new products/services must EXCEL [x10] vs. their competition in either Performance [fidelity] or Convenience, e.g. movie theater vs Netflix.

2) Future of Advertising slide show by Paul Isakson: One of my favorite quotes tells us that Revolutions Happen When Society Changes Its Behaviors, Not Its Tools.

3) Ad Age story on how Advertising Will Change Forever: The OLD ways do take a long time to “die,” but the future is clearly digital and social.

4) Viral Video: The Ulltimate Word of Mouth. 17-year-old sparks huge sales of Web Cams – Logitech paid $0 for advertising.

5) 21 Tips for Twitter from Forbe’s Mag: (a) short & direct; (b) coupons; (c) viral; (d) customer service; (e) focus groups — to name a few. You can even let customers know their deliveries will be delayed. And don’t forget Employee Recruitment is another use, i.e., publicizing open positions.

6) Creating Newsletters that Work: 5 steps: (a) Plan; (b) Don’t sell too hard; (c) Offer value; (d) Be consistent; (e) Make it interactive.

7. Nourishing Web Relationships: I actually read this blog post a few days ago, but Adam Singer’s “The Future Buzz” is my favorite blog, so I wanted to include this. I love his take on current — as well as “evergreen” — ideas and strategies. As a teacher of public relations, I do know it truly is All About Relationships. Do check out The Future Buzz.

8. A Brief and Informal Twitter Etiquette Guide: I like DM’s for 1-to-1 plans, rather than: broadcasting personal business to everyone. And . . . not every DM or @mention requires a reply. We don’t return every phone message, do we?

9. Five Ways Traditional Media are Using Video: This idea is my understanding of the Future of Advertising, so I was really interested. What I read, however, was a bit disappointing . . . for me. It shouldn’t have been, though, when I thought about it. The Mashable article simply outlined the ways that traditional media are using video . . . to advertise their “wares”: e.g., magazines with private online video channels and publishers using online videos to promote literary works.

10. Social Media Marketing slide show: Pretty basic, but good principles, examples, and tips. Shows what Wal-Mart has done wrong by trying to “control” the process. Also points out how offline activities translate online for entrepreneurs: large and small.

TEN social media marketing slices is a pretty filling meal for one post. But I think I’ll try this again. Let me know what you think. What was most interesting to you. What other sites have you read lately that you’d suggest?

Next post: What to blog?

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Blogging, Facebook, Sharisax Is Out There, Twitter

Managing MY Online Presence: A Road Map

July 25, 2009 Shari Weiss 17 Comments

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there — If you don

Where do I WANT to go?

NOT

Where am I going?

I’m remembering the quote I often tell students: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”

Back on July 1, I started to think about “managing” my online presence, i.e., putting some routine in place primarily to help me select where I wanted to make my Web contributions. So I wrote “How do you manage your Online Social Media presence?”

In essence, I was thinking aloud. What I accomplished — and, unfortunately, all I accomplished with that post — was to ask myself to set aside time in the morning to Go Online.

But I didn’t give myself a road map. Hence, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”

Road Map — by the numbers.

1) Step one on the road must be taking time to clarify Objectives. So I thought I’d imagine the possibilities:

a) Casual: Whenever . . . of course that’s not me. It’s really OK if that label describes you, someone who spends as little or as much time as happens to be there: checking out your Facebook page, email, Twitter account, etc. I.E., WHENEVER . . . [been there, done that]

b) Experimenter: We’re ALL experimenting here, and that is a good thing. But there’s a danger — lost opportunity and value when you never really “move off the dime.” Get out there and BUILD, don’t just keep trying new things. [been there, done that]

c) Reader: One of the greatest benefits of Twitter for me personally are all of the website references with Great Stuff. I could read and read and read. How many of us bookmark and bookmark and bookmark . . . and don’t even get to read? [been there, done that]

d) Novice Participant: Read some blogs that strike a chord and add your voice once or twice a week. Join some groups and occasionally check to see what group members are asking and answering. [been there, done that]

e) Active Contributor & Engager: This is who I WANT to be. And we all know that Today is the First Day of the Rest of Our Lives.

So what does an ACE [Active Contributor & Engager] do?

Here’s my new plan . . . and a new Number One since the Objective has been taken care of:

1) Make a list of WEEKLY goals {I believe I can hold to that) and check off my accomplishments EVERY Sunday night.

2) Prioritize those goals to make certain that the ones on the top of the list are done for sure.

3) Because my original intention, way back when I first posted on April 23, was To Become an A-List Blogger — and that continues to be my Long Term Goal — Blogging will be my top priority. One of my students got around to reading my blog last week — and liked it. He asked how often I write. My immediate answer to myself was NOT ENOUGH. So Priority Number One for me is to make certain FROM NOW ON to have 3-4 posts (or more) Every Week!

4) Next, because I really believe that Twitter will become all that its creators are envisioning, my goal will be 3-5 Tweets Every Single Day! I will continue to follow my own advice on What to Tweet.

5) Facebook is a HUGE priority, especially since my partner Les Ross and I are building our Social Media/Internet Marketing consulting business Performance Social Media, which recently set up a Fan Page. We’ll be including the opportunity for small and large companies to find social media interns through us, so I’ll be monitoring and updating both my Facebook Profile and my Facebook Page EVERY Day. That means NEW content on the Facebook page at least four days a week.

6) I may be running out of time for Daily Tasks, but I thinking checking in and updating LinkedIn is essential. So besides that commitment, I plan to contribute to at least two LinkedIn Group Discussions every week.

7) Finally, my new Road Map will highly suggest that I check out at least one New social media tool, strategy or app every week; by checking out, I do mean more than reading about it.

Good luck . . . to me . . . and everyone else out there who may want to follow my Road Map.

Let me know what you think?

Do these suggestions help you?

Do you have any others to suggest?

In the meantime, I’ll see you all “Out There.”

And, Jay [my student who asked about my blog], how’s this for a new post?

Next post: What I read Saturday instead of watching cartoons

Blogging, Facebook, Twitter

Yes, Thomas, we do have to throw out those OLD RULES of PR

July 18, 2009 Shari Weiss 15 Comments

When one of my new PR students read last week’s post listing David Meerman Scott’s NEW RULES for PR & Marketing, he suggested that the old rules were still useful.

Perhaps some “old rules” may be, but not the ones DMS pointed out. Here below is my response to Thomas’ comment:

Thomas, have you ever heard the old cliche, “Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater”? That expression was the first thing that came to mind when I read your comment. In other words, when you are “cleaning up,” make certain that you don’t throw out EVERYTHING.

So I thought I’d reexamine those OLD RULES and decide if any were really worth saving:

1. The only way to get ink was through the media.

Of course, with social media, we are all publishers and do not require the mainstream media to tell our stories.

2. Companies communicated to journalists via press releases.

Organizations of all types — profit, nonprofit, government, etc. — can bypass journalists by posting releases on their own sites as well as using many different platforms to communicate with buyers, employees, community members, shareholders, and any other stakeholders they wish to reach.

3. Nobody saw the actual press release except a handful of reporters and editors.

That’s just not true anymore. People searching for our companies and/or the products we carry and/or services we provide can find releases and news and information on our websites as well as more dynamic platforms like our blogs and Twitter accounts.

4. Companies had to have significant news before they were allowed to write a press release.

DMS tells us over and over that the more we communicate directly with our buyers, the better relationships we can build — and that means sharing lots of newsworthy items, not simply “significant events.”

5. Jargon was okay because the journalists all understood it.

Jargon doesn’t work. You want your audiences to understand everything — about your company and you. Jargon does not figure at all in an Authentic World where Transparency is Key.

6. You weren’t supposed to send a release unless it included quotes from third parties, such as customers, analysts, and experts.

Now these 3rd party quotes easily find their way to the people through tweets, blogs, and updates. People do want to hear from their friends — and social media makes those recommendations so easy.

7. The only way buyers would learn about the press release content was if the media wrote a story about it.

With the opportunity to publish your releases on your own internet platforms — as well as the availability of both free and fee-based wire services, you no longer need to depend entirely on the mainstream media. However, if your messages “go viral,” you can be guaranteed that the media will find you and reinforce your message even more.

8. The only way to measure the effectiveness of press releases was through “clip books,” which noted each time the media deigned to pick up a company’s release.

Measuring ROI has a host of new tools including Google Analytics as well as blog comments and social media update — all of which are easily accessible through tools and search. Of course, for many businesses the true measurement of effectiveness has nothing to do with “clips” and everything to do with sales.

9. PR and marketing were separate disciplines run by different people with separate goals, strategies, and measurement techniques.

It seems safe to conclude that marketing is going to have to be ALL about getting out the brand reputation and the brand message to various audiences — and that is what Public Relations has ALWAYS been about.

So one remaining question could be: What OLD RULES do you think we ought to keep?

Next post: My new Road Map for becoming an ACE: Active Contributor & Engager

Twitter

Performance Social Media FACEBOOK PAGE is up and running

July 12, 2009 Shari Weiss 15 Comments

Catch up. Become a FAN of Performance Social Media and start to Make Sense of Social Media/Internet Marketing

Grow your business with social media strategies, tactics, and tools,

Forget the OLD Rules of PR.

Read below for David Meerman Scott’s NEW RULES for Marketing AND PR:

1) Marketing is MORE than ads.

2) PR is MORE than mainstream media.

3) YOU are what you Publish.

4) People want AUTHENTICITY, not Spam.

5) Participation NOT propaganda.

6) “Interruption” be GONE; instead: Content when people want it.

7) Focus on Long Tail, not Mass Audience.

8) Forget TV and maximize online presence.

9) Forget awards, forcus on winning business.

10) Public is back in PUBLIC Relations.

11) Content drives Action.

12) All sorts of social media platforms communicate directly with buyers.

13) On the Web: Marketing and PR are ONE.

You can read David Meerman Scott’s blog posts at WebInkNow.com.

Next post: Here are the Old Rules . . . for your consideration, or . . . for disposal 🙂

Twitter

How do YOU manage your Online/Social Media presence?

July 1, 2009 Shari Weiss 11 Comments

I read the above question as the title for a Forum topic, and I got excited

I’d expected some great answers to this challenge . . . but it turned out to be merely the question.

🙁

So I reasoned that I ought to spend a minute or two developing a workable strategy.

Read on for the “magical” answer.

But, first, how do YOU manage your Online/Social Media presence?

Pick one or two responses if they apply:

A. “I don’t.”

B. “Hey, that’s why I linked to this post.”

C. “I stay up late at night to go through the day’s email, RSS feeds, network friend requests, etc. etc. etc.”

D. “I go to sleep early so I can get up at 5 a.m. (or thereabouts) to do what Responder C [above] does.”

E. “I just DO IT!”

F. “I have a regular To Do List that I follow regularly.”

Basically, all of those responses could apply to me, but the last one — Response F — is the one that I suspect would work the best.

So I’m going to imagine an ideal Social Media Regimen:

1. Devote ONE HOUR in the morning. If that means going to sleep earlier, so be it.

2. Check email for action-required messages, i.e., work-related or family requests.

3. Keep jokes and noncritical email for some other time.

4. Select one or two blog posts [either because the title is intriguing or the poster him/herself typically has insightful things to say]: then READ and COMMENT.

5. If time, go to (a) Twitter/FriendFeed, followed by (b) Facebook, followed by (c) LinkedIn and WRITE AN UPDATE.

6. Finally, read through Tweets and other platform updates and COMMENT and send DMs.

Oh, only if the World were So Perfect!

Does a “plan” like what I’ve suggested work for any of you?

Do you have a different one?

What ONE TIP would you offer me and others about making the most of your Online/Social Media presence?

Next post: Guest Article from student-mom Shijia Yu, who discusses Twitter for Business

Interview

Give your Ideas the Power to Grow your Business

June 25, 2009 Shari Weiss 5 Comments

Why is it that 2/3 of small businesses fail within the first two-three years of operation?

One of the major causes for a company’s collapse is inadequate planning upfront, according to business consultant Les Ross, whom I first met this spring when he WOW-ed my SFSU advertising students with his Internet Marketing presentation.

Many students expressed their amazement at how web sites could be set up to operate on automatic pilot, maintaining customer contact and continuing to offer products and services for sale.

“Internet marketing allows the small guy to compete against the big guy — and not only compete, but outcompete — because there is no differentiation between a large business and a small one on the Web. Success is purely dependent first on the quality of the message and then on the follow-through. Product quality and customer service are essential.”

“The other remarkable thing is the ability to totally automate the entire sales and marketing process. It’s an effort to structure the system, but once in place, then it’s a process that builds on itself,” he explained.

Les has developed tools that allow a small business to grow under a structure that would easily allow its operational systems to evolve with growth. “Many small business owners put in basic systems and then when they reach a certain level, those systems cannot take them beyond that point, so the business stagnates or the owner must do a massive restructuring,” he said.

What typically is NOT planned for by many new companies?

They don’t understand their markets, according to Les.

“They run off with an idea that they think is so unique that no one has ever thought of it. And then, too late, they realize they are faced with stiff competition.”

In addition, many start-ups are inexperienced at financial planning and do not know how to identify the costs that their business will incur the first few years: “Coupled with inadequate marketing strategies, this is a recipe for disaster,” Les said.

Les is as excited as I am about marketing opportunities through social media platforms. That’s why he agreed to come speak to my class, and that’s why Les and I are starting a Social Media/Internet Marketing consulting business, which we are calling Performance Social Media.

“Some people think that you can only develop relationships face-to-face — and that you will never replace that experience. What they don’t realize is that the Internet offers opportunities to enhance your ability to offer information while you continuously build relationships.”

“With live exchanges, you have to manually follow up, and there is the danger that if you are overloaded, the necessary customer service actions for your ‘less important’ customers can be put aside.”

With an Internet marketing system, no customer ever falls through the cracks and feels ignored if you set up your system correctly to provide the information they want — it’s all on autopilot, according to Les.

Next post: In a PERFECT WORLD, how would you manage your Online/Social Media Presence?

Interview

Business will rebound when firms learn and use today’s new resources for marketing

June 19, 2009 Shari Weiss 12 Comments

Strategic thinker & Brand Specialist: Russell Volckmann

Everyone wants to work for — or own — a successful company. And we are all looking forward to a positive turn for our global economy.

The news, whether from the beleaguered mass media or the intrepid bloggers and Tweeters, continues to depress us with seemingly insurmountable challenges from foreclosures to furloughs to bankruptcies.

It should be obvious that old systems are broken, and business people must figure out how to tap new resources for strategies and tactics that will benefit everyone.

Too many companies — and industries — are wasting money, time and other valuable resources by relying on metrics, customer profiling and science, according to Russell Volckmann, a marketing professional in the Bay Area of California. Russell was one of the five participants in a panel discussion that introduced me and my 48 advertising students at San Francisco State University to the overwhelming upheaval in the world of marketing.

Russell is a strategic thinker, storyteller, and positioner, who has helped entrepreneurs, small companies, Fortune 500 firms, and global organizations tell their stories and build their brands. He is currently the Executive Producer and Creative Principal at Volckmann (& friends), now focusing entirely on branding, visual identity, brand experience.

When Russell hears the cries that “Advertising is Dead,” his first reaction is that advertisers and their agencies are lazy:

They’re not creating branded experiences and other mechanisms that connect brands to people in meaningful ways. Instead, they continue to rely on the same tired old barking ad techniques that they’ve been using for the past 50 years.

“They also continue to rely increasingly on metrics that are decreasingly relevant,” explained Russell who blogs about Brand 3.0.

Since companies use the same metrics, we get the same kind of failed ad campaigns:

We need only look at the auto companies for an example of allowing MBA numbers to drive their business into the ground.

Russel’s new agency offers an 8-point brand audit process:

Brand Research
Brand Strategy
Brand Positioning
Standards & Systems
Brand Marketing
Organization Brand Building
Brand Extension
Employee Brand Competency

In addition, Russell is Executive Creative Director at partner agency Origami Tactical Creative & Branding (Montreal-based) now, and helping spearhead the new San Francisco office.

Why is Russell doing branding and branding-related experiences instead of advertising?

In 1965, thirty-four percent of consumers could name a brand advertised on a TV show. Thirty years later, only eight percent could do so. Consumers decreasingly find ads useful, informative, relevant, or differentiating.

Did you know that only six percent of people believe an ad is generally telling the truth? With numbers like these, it is no wonder even established brands are failing.

And with evidence like Russell provides, is it any wonder that our Advertising and Marketing textbooks are “incredibly impractical” as Seth Godin wrote in his recent blog post Textbook Rant. My SFSU students, as well as industry professionals, need to study “Today 101” while organizations that want marketing success — not marketing waste — will need to work with those marketers who are continuous learners.

Next post: Les Ross suggests putting websites on autopilot

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Blogging, Twitter

What to TWEET about — Part Two

June 13, 2009 Shari Weiss 15 Comments

Best Practices for Using Twitter

Since Twitter will be changing all our lives, according to Time magazine’s recent cover story, I was thinking about how my use of Twitter differs from other Tweeple — and whether anyone could really publish a Best Practices for Using Twitter.

Don’t most of us think we are right most of the time?

If I, personally, was “right” on Saturday, May 23, when I posted my first tips on What to Tweet About — a blog entry that has so far been my most popular [732 views to date] — then I’d like to re-visit one of my Tweeting suggestions, i.e. “Share an insight that you’ve gotten all on your own and are dying to share.”

Today’s post will feature a dozen of the personal ideas I tweeted since joining Twitter this past March. My hope is that readers will find at least one of these thoughts that resonates with them in a way that invites validation through a personal story.

So tell me if any of the following ring true for you:

About Business in particular:

1 – People are NOT numbers. When businesses fully understand this, their strategies and tools will adjust.

2 – Participation is today’s Marketing & tomorrow’s Loyal Customer Base

3 – To be an effective manager: Realize that you are smarter OR wiser OR more knowledgeable than your staff . . . and coach accordingly.

About Blogging in particular

4 – Quality of content wins over fitting into someone else’s box.

5 – Content-rich means both “key words” and total substance.

About Life in general:

6 – Multi-tasking is vastly over-rated.

7 – Motivation often comes after the Hard Work is done

8 – A Work in Progress: doesn’t that describe Everything?

9 – One cannot give from a depleted state

10 – We are what we think about

11 – We like doing what we do well: when we focus our efforts on our strengths, we build our reputation and loyal followers.

12 – The more I learn, the more I want to know.

Got an experience to share? Or an insight to add?

And Follow Me on Twitter @sharisax

Next post: Marketing success will depend on tapping into Today’s New Resources

Sharisax Is Out There

All posts by Shari Weiss

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Network Your Way . . . to wherever you want to be

They call it NetWORK for a reason

What Info is HOT on my computer screen today?

Yes, Thomas, we do have to throw out those OLD RULES of PR

So one remaining question could be: What OLD RULES do you think we ought to keep?

Give your Ideas the Power to Grow your Business

Why is it that 2/3 of small businesses fail within the first two-three years of operation?

Going BEYOND the Social Media Revolution