PR is Only Dying If It Isn’t Evolving

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with Brian Solis (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes

For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast I asked Brian Solis, Principal of FutureWorks and co-author of Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, about the future of the PR industry as we know it.

There’s plenty of doom and gloom surrounding the practice of public relations in the social web world, but Solis suggests, and I totally agree, that there’s a tremendous opportunity if firms and departments understand how to evolve and grab it.

In a sense, old school PR was about control of the message, but ironically, we lost control the minute the press release went to distribution. In PR 2.0 we can listen, in real time, to how a message is being received, accepted and talked about. With that aspect in play we actually have more ability to jump in and shape or reshape how a message is perceived and shared – actually more control.

Social media has evolved to the point where it impacts every department, whether they choose to participate or not. The new PR agency and department must embrace the social web as an umbrella that links HR, Interactive, Marketing, Management and Finance. The role of the PR agency should expand in this new model.

The new PR firm has the awesome responsibility of helping every department realize that real people exist on the other end of every interaction and message.

Analytics from a Really Smart Guy

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with Avinash Kaushik (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes

Avinash Kaushik, author of Web Analytics 2.0 is one of those rare people who can take a somewhat dry and mathlike subject of web analytics and make it sound easy and even fun. I got to spend a few minutes with Avinash for this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast for some tips about this important, but often overlooked topic.

Web Analytics can seem like a scary subject, but it’s essential, so like brushing your teeth, just do it. You’ll be so glad you did once you get the basic reporting tools in place. Once you have a baseline you can start to do what Kaushik calls “controlled experiments” to start breaking down everything you do with an eye on making it better and stop doing the stuff that your customers don’t like.

Analyzing how many people come to your web site and trying to figure out what got them there was the 1.0 version of tracking I suppose. What Web Analytics 2.0 attempts to do is also measure what they did there and why through the use of tools like surveys that engage individual users.

Here’s the Web Analytics tool set for the small business (there are paid tools for each of these steps, but these are free)

1. Google Analytics – install this free site analytics tool to get the base data collection going
2. 4Q – this is a free exit survey tool that asks people who come to your site four questions about their experience – this is akin to getting people to tell you why your site sucks – hello! – it’s the first step.
3. Google Website Optimizer – Another free Google tool that allows you to easily set up a/b tests to start taking what people tell you from 4Q surveys and start experimenting which of your changes is getting a better result.

GoToWebinar is the presenting sponsor of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast.

Talking Linchpin with Seth Godin

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with Seth Godin (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes

I had the pleasure of visiting with Seth Godin for this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast. Seth’s new book Linchpin is out today and, as we discussed in our time together, this is probably his most personal message and book to date.

The message of Linchpin, to workers everywhere, is pretty simple: “The only way to get what you’re worth is to stand out, to exert emotional labor, to be seen as indispensable, and to produce interactions that organizations and people care deeply about.” A Linchpin is someone who can walk into a room and create order out of chaos. They are special people who view the world differently and who may or may not have the title applicable to the value they bring.

Godin is telling you that you must become that indispensable linchpin in today’s world of work or you’ll become the drone easily replace by the mechanical drone. (In fact on page 15 of Linchpin he recounts an interaction that he and I had about a year ago that drives this very point home – The Law of the Mechanical Turk) In a way Godin is also telling those would be Linchpins, the people inside organizations that do view the world differently, to rise up and make your role as a leader tangible – to make a choice.

There is no instruction manual for becoming a linchpin, although in Godin’s words, if you have a job where you wait around for someone to tell you what to do next, you’re giving up the chance to create value. There is plenty of evidence, however, that creative workers, problem solvers, those who can lead customers and inspire staff are on the path to becoming linchpins.

In true Seth fashion he has made the launch of Linchpin, as with any book he writes, a lesson in marketing. He has an uncanny knack for tying the central message of his books to the promotional tactics of his launch. Linchpin is being reviewed not by the traditional media factory, but by a thousand you and we, linchpins in our own little world. You can read more reviews and interviews on the Linchpin Squidoo lens.

GoToWebinar is the presenting sponsor of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast.

Facebook App Makes It Easy to Add Content

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with Tyler Willis (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes

One of the keys to success in building a fan base with your Facebook efforts is to consistently add great content and engagement. One of my favorite ways to do that is through the use of applications. Applications are either Facebook or 3rd Party built tools that allow your to add functionality to Facebook.

For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast I visited with Tyler Willis, the Director of Marketing of Involver. Involver has developed a suite of tools and an application that makes it very easy to add content and engagement tools to Facebook Fan Pages.

When you visit the Duct Tape Marketing Fan page you will see a YouTube, Twitter and Poll tab. These are all powered by Involver and in my opinion offer one of the easiest ways to bring this kind of content to Facebook. There are many other options, including coupons, RSS Feeds, file sharing, Flickr, and sign-up forms that can help you build your brand on Facebook and add functionality that helps you sell.

Involver has a free and paid version and while the free version is robust, it does limit you to two add-ons. Currently, this is one of my favorite applications for business on Facebook.

GoToWebinar is the presenting sponsor of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast.

Marketing Podcast with Grammar Girl

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with Mignon Fogerty (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes

For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast I thought I would grab one of my favorite podcasters Mignon Fogarty. Fogarty is known to legions as Grammar Girl and she’s built an impressive empire dishing out Grammar and a growing list of other topics in Quick and Dirty style.

On top of finding a way to build an audience for tips about grammar, she has turned her approach and idea into the the Quick and Dirty Tips Network. The Quick and Dirty Network is a platform created for other experts including Dog Training, Nutrition, Sales, Get it Done Guy and Public Speaking. The brand and approach has led to traffic, advertising and book deals for several of the experts.

Fogerty’s the author of New York Times bestseller Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing and the 365 day long Grammar Devotional. Mignon makes grammar fun and lord knows we could all use a bit of that. Make sure you check out some of the t-shirts she’s created.

In this podcast:

• About the Quick and Dirty Network
• Secret behind the success of the Grammar Girl podcast
• Five worst grammar mistakes
• Grammar Girl vs. The Elements of Style
• Making grammar and usage discussion interesting
• Resources from Grammar Girl

GoToWebinar is the presenting sponsor of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast.

Six Pixels with Mitch Joel

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with Mitch Joel (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes

In this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast I visited with Mitch Joel, President of Twist Image and Author of Six Pixels of Separation

Given the subtitle of the book – Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone – you can guess we talked a bit about how social media can impact a company’s growth.

Like me, Mitch is a long time podcaster so it was great to finally swap stories. I also got to return the interview favor when we met recently at the Word of Mouth Marketing Summit in Chicago.

In this podcast:

• Inspiration behind Six Pixels of Separation
• Social networking: are we too connected?
• Measuring Social media buzz vs. measuring ROI
• Using social media to enhance marketing

GoToWebinar is the presenting sponsor of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast.

Tim Ferriss on the New 4-Hour Workweek

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with Tim Ferriss (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes

For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast, I grabbed a few minutes with Tim Ferriss, author of the newly released – The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated. The expanded edition features over 100 pages of case studies and anecdotes taken from people that embraced Tim’s Lifestyle Design theme and put it into action in their lives over the last few years.

Tim’s book was a surprise run away best seller when first released and landed him in the spotlight for those who garnered hope from his positive message of work less and live more. However, his message also created a camp of doubters that likely felt the message was unrealistic. I find it ironic that Amazon has his book selling in tandem with Gary Vs CrushIT message of work 80 hours a week until your eyes bleed.

I’ve always felt that Tim’s detractors fall somewhere in one of the camps of resenting his books sales, resenting his go get em sales tactics, or misunderstand the core message of the book. I wrote a post long ago called The Four Daughter Workweek that takes what I think is the message of this work and makes it relevant for me.

Hey, putting yourself out there as the 4-Hour Workweek guy is always going to have people questioning, it’s like saying your holy or the world’s best parent -if you do, your kids sure better behave in public Either way, hope you enjoy our conversation and I welcome your thoughts.

In this podcast:

• Expansion of The 4-Hour Workweek
• Applying the 4-Hour Workweek principles
• Tim’s tech tool tips
• Concept of selling around the product

Practical Guide to Social Media

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing podcast with OpenForum (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes

The above podcast is an interview I conducted with OPEN Mic, hosted by Monocle editor Tyler Brûlé, as part of a social media special. Guests also include Adam Ostrow of Mashable and several very interesting small businesses from around the world.

The project, sponsored by AMEX OpenForum, included a written guide to social media with contributions from Ostrow, Anita Campbell and myself. You can download the complete OPEN Book: A Practical Guide to Social Media