I can’t stress enough how important it is to be reading as often as possible. It is shown over and over that it is not only a great way to learn, but a natural by-product is increased brain power and productivity. Staring at a television all day is not the greatest thing for your brain and energy.

The statistics on reading levels of  high school graduates is seriously disturbing. So many, will never read a book again after high school.

I am constantly reminding clients that they need to be reading and learning. Learning should not end after school. It should begin!

When I read, I read nonfiction books. I want to be learning something. I rarely will read fiction unless it has some other purpose or is highly recommended to me.

I do read a lot, and not just books. I am often asked how I am able to do so much reading. I average about a book a week. Last year when I first started this, I did not start off that well but finished the year strong. This year I am right on pace with a book a week. This doesn’t factor in blogs, news, magazines, newsletters and plenty of other reading material that comes my way.

So how do I do it?

40 Pages a Day

I read a great post from Julian Smith on how he reads a book a week. This is where I got the idea and motivation to do so. I had always loved reading and tried to read as often as possible. But I did not necessarily have an actual goal.

Julian talks about how the average book is 200-300 pages long. So 40 pages a day will average out to a book a week. Depending on how much you read now, that may seem easy or really hard. I get mixed reactions when I mention it to someone.

It is not that difficult if you really want to stick with it. Make it a goal and schedule it into your day. Try to get it done early in the day if possible. Reading before bed is a great way to get a better night’s sleep. Try reading 20 pages early in the day and 20 before bed. This makes it a little easier and 20 pages before bed is a cake.

Start slow if needed. Start with 10 pages a day and gradually increase each week until you are at 40.

I recently bought a Kindle Fire and have not really looked into a way to do this on there. Being that there are no pages with a kindle. But I am sure you can just divide the sections by 7 and come up with a plan.

Turn Off the TV

One of the ways I find time to read so much is that I do not watch much TV. I see so many who waste time watching TV all night and say they have no time to read. The same excuse is used for those who say they have no time to learn something new. Turn off the TV!

If I do watch TV, I do not watch  it live. I record everything to the DVR and watch it later. That way I am maximizing my time by skipping the commercials. Even with sports I will often times wait an hour to start watching. There are plenty of wasted hours in the average home, spent on watching TV.

Use Every Opportunity

I use every opportunity I can to get in some reading time. I bring my book or Kindle with me whenever I am going somewhere that there may be waiting involved. You’d be surprised how many chances there are to knock out a few pages here and there.

Don’t forget about the times you are sitting around in the bathroom. This is a great place to knock out some reading.

The point is that if you really wanted to do it, you could. It’s really a matter of commitment, just like any other goal. If you want it bad enough and you make it a priority, you will do it.

If you get behind or need a break, try a smaller book. Maybe even an audio book. You can knock one of those out in a day sometimes. It’s ok to cheat

So how many books are you reading this year?

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I know the feeling well. You are staring at a blank piece of paper, or a blank word doc, with a blank stare. Nothing! Can’t write a single word.

Being that I work with business owners a lot, this is one of their biggest concerns with blogging or writing a book, etc. They may not be the greatest writers and know that they often get writer’s block. But writing is not just for blogging or writing a book. There are many times as a business owner that you may need to get some writing done but just can’t seem to do it.

Here are 3 ways you can get over your writer’s block and start writing!

1 – Group Writing Tasks Together

I try to put all of my writing tasks together. I put the easiest ones first. This makes it easier to get into the writing mode and by the time I get to the harder tasks, I am ready to go. When you start writing, after some time your brain goes into writing mode. The words will start flowing.

So if I have a blog post to write and I am just not in the mood, I will start off by responding to emails or sending new ones. This is a much easier writing task. You know what you need to write or want to say. So you naturally just start writing the emails. Respond to comments on your blog, etc.

Once you have done those simple writing tasks, you will notice that you are in a mood to write and will find it much easier. The key is to just get your fingers moving and your brain into the mode.

This is really one of the best ways I have found to get over my writer’s block. I do this with as many tasks as  I can, not just writing. I group phone calls together, errands together, filing together, etc. It is far more difficult to go from task to task when they are not the same nature.

2 – Keep an Idea File

This works really well for bloggers but can be used for other writing tasks. I got this idea from David Risley. If you are a blogger, you get ideas all the time. The problem is that if they are not written down, we will not remember them.

Keeping a file with topic ideas is a great way to make sure you always have something to write about. My idea file is usually filled with a minimum of 20 ideas to choose from. It makes it pretty simple to pick a topic. Anytime I get an idea for a blog post I write it down.

I use Evernote for keeping ideas on what to write about. This is a great product that I have on my iPhone, Kindle Fire and computers. I can easily add ideas to my idea file anytime I get them. I will always have one of those devices near by.

It is also wise to map out other writing tasks. You may not have an idea file for something like a letter you need to write, or a employee manual. However, having ideas mapped out will help a lot. This is similar to an idea file but in a separate form. It will keep you on task with the ideas you want to include in your writing.

3 – Just start writing

If you do not have an idea file or other tasks to group together. Just start writing. Write anything. Find a book, start writing something from the book. This will also trigger your brain to go into writing mode. It is a low energy task because you just have to type what you are reading.

As I said before, once your brain is in the mode of writing, the words will just flow. The important thing here is to be prepared and to get into the writing mode.

Feel free to share any ideas you have for getting over your writer’s block.

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There I was sitting in front of a personal trainer. Ready to hear all the best kept  secrets of losing weight and building muscle. I had just signed up for a gym membership and as usual, I got a free consultation with a personal trainer.

I wasn’t very overweight but I could certainly use some tightening around the waist. I was also getting married soon, so I needed to trim up for the honeymoon.

There was just one problem.

The “Personal Trainer”, was about 3 times my size! And not in muscle.

My confidence in his ability to help lose fat, was in the toilet. Shouldn’t this weight loss expert, be as thin as he says he can make me?

Imagine if you signed up for an aerobics class to burn some extra fat. Then the instructor walks in and they themselves have a whole lot of burning to do. Would you be confident in this instructor’s abilities?

This is what many businesses do, everyday.

Be a Product of the Product

Your business and employees, should be a product of your product. If you are in the business of physical fitness or personal training, you better look how your customers want to look. I can tell you right now, if you are selling physical fitness and you’re not physically fit, you are making sales 10 times harder.

A janitorial service should have an extremely clean office. If they can’t keep their office clean how will they keep mine?

If you’re a financial expert trying to tell me how to manage my money, you better have a darn good portfolio.

You should be hiring employees who are a product of your product.

Martial Arts schools are a great example. Their product claims to deliver physical fitness, mental focus, leadership, etc. Anyone on the staff of a Martial Arts School, should be an example of those benefits.

A dentist should be expected to have employees with great teeth.

Seems like common sense, right? Sadly though, I see so many businesses who fail at it. If you are one of those businesses, it’s killing your profits.

So How do You Achieve This?

One concern you may have is discrimination. Can you turn down someone for a dental position because their teeth are bad? This is really a non-issue. Good teeth are not a reason to hire someone, it is a by-product of the right candidate.

If you own a gym, someone who is physically fit is a by-product of knowing what works. There should be plenty of other reasons to hire them.

Look for traits of the right employee. One who will exemplify your business.

If you are dealing more with how a company is run, create systems to make sure your business is a product of the product. Practice what you preach.

If you run a janitorial business and clients stop by the office, there should be a system that ensures your office is clean at all times.

The showroom of a flooring company, should have some really nice flooring. I see places like this, that have worn out flooring. Makes me think their product won’t last/

Here’s the bottom line – Your staff should exemplify what you sell. Your business should exemplify what you sell. If not, you are losing money. You are inadvertently telling your customers, that you are full of crap.

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For quite some time I have been hearing about the benefits of having a stand up desk. Increased blood flow, better focus, etc. Every article or blog post I read about stand up desks, talked about more productivity.

Add to that all the articles about how bad it is to sit all day and I was sold. (just do a google search)

I spent quite a bit of time researching the benefits and some different options for a stand up desk. I’ll cover the benefits, some options and how I built mine.

Why a Stand Up Desk

You might think this is something new but it certainly is not. Thomas Jefferson used one. They are however, gaining in popularity now. I believe the reason for that is office jobs are more popular now. Less manufacturing, etc. Also we are starting to see the effects of sitting all day and it has taken time to get attention.

Our bodies were not meant to sit down all day. If you are sitting at a desk all day, you are spending 8 – 12 hours a day sitting. That is a lot of time. Don’t forget about the 6-8 hours a night you are laying in bed.

Then you try to make up for it with a few hours a week of exercise.

When you’re standing, your blood is flowing faster. This increases focus and burns more calories. This is better for your productivity and your health.

Stand Up Desk Options

There are quite a few options for getting a stand up desk. My favorite was the electronic adjustable one from GeekDesk. You can adjust it for standing and sitting on the fly.

I knew that I would not want to stand all day. There are times where I would want to sit. When I go running in the morning it’s nice to sit for a little. So the adjustable was appealing.

It’s a pricey option but this is where you spend most of your day. This is your money making station. It should be worth an investment.

I was set on getting the adjustable stand up desk. I wanted the ability to sit when I needed to. Then my wife said “Why don’t you just get a stool to sit on?”

Duh! I was so focused on the adjustable desk I didn’t think of just getting a chair high enough to sit on. It’s faster to change from sitting or standing with a stool, than waiting for the desk to raise or lower. It’s also less expensive.

So I started researching the best way to purchase or build a stand up desk.

Building My Stand Up Desk

After more research on buying one, I decided the best option was to just build one. This would allow me to have a custom desk at the height I need and the right size top.

The important thing with building one was making sure the height was right. You need your arms to be just about at a 90 degree angle. You want the monitors to be lined up so that the top of the monitor should be at eye level.

So I began researching the best way to build one and possible still be able to adjust it. IKEA turned out to have everything I needed. I got the legs, top, and a monitor stand all at IKEA.

I figured adjustable legs would allow me to make sure the height was perfect. For that I got these adjustable legs that are the perfect height. These are $30 each and I bought 4.

Then I got a nice black top for $35.

For my monitor stand I got a shelf combo for $50. Here are the legs and shelf.

That’s it. $205 for a pretty sweet stand up desk.

I absolutely love it. It looks great, has tons of room and productivity is up. I feel better at the end of the day. Have less time where I feel sluggish.

For a stool I grabbed a cheap $20 stool for now until I find one I like. I didn’t want something too comfortable though, I don’t plan on using it much.

You can see more pictures of the finished product on Facebook and Google +

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I have talked before about how important it is to make your business look like a million dollar business. There are a lot of ways to pay attention to the smallest details and make them a better experience for your customers. The picture to the left was taken at a seminar I was attending. I was eating lunch outside with some friends and took a picture of the ketchup packets they had on the table. It looks a little nicer than a packet you find at a fast food restaurant, or a cheaper hotel.

I’m sure this little upgrade did not cost the hotel a fortune, but it is a small detail that stands out from cheaper hotels. I have also seen some restaurants give you a miniature bottle of ketchup, instead of a packet. These little details say to the customer that the business is not cheap. They are presenting a part of their product in a better way.

You should be finding even the smallest ways to say that you are different. That you are worth more money. Use the best products you can or the best ways to present those products. Add a nice bottle of hand lotion and a box of tissues to the women’s bathrooms. A small expense that can go a long way.

If you are sending a customer a letter, use a premium paper. Save the copy paper for when you just need cheap copies. Put some real toilet paper in the bathrooms. Your customers are not only hating the cheap garbage you put in there, but they are using twice as much of it.

Take a look around your business and see if there are ways you can create a better experience. Even in the smallest details, your customers will notice.

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Just a quick post to remind you that every holiday is a chance to speak to your market and customers. Let your customers who have already done business with you, know that you care. Send them a valentines day card with a gift. It could be as simple as a coupon, but do something.

Putting something on sale can be effective, but putting something on sale for a reason works even better. When customers come in and see a sale, they are not sure why it is on sale. They think maybe you can’t sell it or it’s a late model. But when it’s a Valentines Day Sale, that looks different. You will get a much better response.

Don’t forget to use every holiday as a chance for a sale and to talk to your customers. They will love you right back, I promise.

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One of the really nice things about owning your own business, is the bragging rights on people who never thought you would amount to much. Since most entrepreneurs were average students in school, you are probably one of those people. The kids that got the good grades are generally working for someone, somewhere they hate. Some of the most successful people I know, did not go to college and barely passed high school.

The smartest ones are working at some 9-5 job and judging from their Facebook posts, only like Fridays. It’s interesting to look back on those who thought they were better, or thought you could never do something. Not just back in high school but even today. You will have people who think you can’t go any further. They may think they are better than you or they may just resent you. Either way, they look down on you and wait for failure.

My last 2 years of high school I had this kid Tom in a few of my classes. This guy was as arrogant as could be. Total snob. He was God’s gift to this world and could do no wrong. He was too good for everyone and had serious anger issues.

To this day, I keep waiting to see him on the news after going postal somewhere. To Tom, I was a loser. Not as smart as him and it was a burden to have to put up with anyone not on his level. His parents must have really done a number on him.

They’re No Better Off

The interesting thing is that after I graduated high school, I had a job at Publix Supermarkets. No college, no internship or fancy job  for smart people. Just a bag boy at a grocery store. Then one day we got a new guy in. Who was it? Good old Tom! With all his arrogance we end up in the same place. He hadn’t changed a bit either. Still as arrogant as could be.

A few years later I became a salesman with Nextel (now Sprint). As I was walking the mall one day, I stopped into one of our retail locations. Guess who was behind the counter? That’s right, good old Tom! Selling Nextel phones in a mall. We chatted for a bit and I of course humbly mentioned that I was doing sales for Nextel as well but not in retail.

It was really interesting to see that years after high school, we were both pretty much doing the same thing. His brains and smarts and good grades, landed him in the same job as me. The biggest difference being that he was selling to the consumer and I was selling to big companies, radio stations, etc. But in all honesty, we were both selling cell phones.

I have no idea what Tom is doing today. I would imagine he is working at some tech job. That is what he wanted to go into but was having a hard time getting hired. I would also imagine that he is the same arrogant person. Unless someone finally popped him one, to settle him down.

Use it as Motivation

I’m sure you have a very similar story. It may not be from high school. It could be a co-worker from an old job. It could be an old boss. But there was probably someone as arrogant as could be, who thought you were a loser. Someone who thought you could never be a successful business owner. Aside from freedom, money, more time with my family and a ton of other benefits. Proving people wrong, has been a great motivator for me to be successful.

It doesn’t stop. You will continue to meet people like that, just on different levels. Always remember how good it feels to prove them wrong.

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Last night we saw the most watched sporting event in the world. The Super Bowl. Of course with it were the most anticipated commercials. So anticipated, I have heard reports that some get bladder infections, from not wanting to go to the bathroom during commercials. Right now there are lists being made by different magazines and networks, to determine the best Super Bowl commercials. There are even articles already out declaring which commercials succeeded and which ones failed.

What interesting is that all of this is done, with zero consideration of which ads actually pulled in sales. If your ad makes one of the lists, success right? I mean, who doesn’t want to pay millions for a Super Bowl commercial and have no concern for sales? It’s all about making the funniest commercial list, right? As I previously mentioned with Proctor & Gamble’ Old Spice ads, just because people think it’s funny, doesn’t mean they will buy it.

Long before anyone knows which commercials actually brought in sales, awards will be given out. People will champion the commercials that are voted the best. CEO’s and business owners will make the enormous mistake of following suit. Trying to create funny commercials and ads that don’t bring in sales. The madness will just go on and on.

It’s not that funny doesn’t work. It can work well. However, when your being funny but not giving a single reason to actually buy your product, it will fail. The Old Spice commercials are funny, but they are not convincing people to wear Old Spice. I thought the M&M commercial was hilarious. I was already eating M&M’s during the game though. And when I left and was asked if I wanted to take the left over M&M’s home, I declined. I know how many extra miles I have to run to burn those little suckers off.

Branding vs Direct Response

That of course doesn’t mean that the M&M commercial was ineffective. I have no clue, only sales will tell. I don’t think they are advertising to bring in more sales but maintain the awareness. There is value in brand awareness and keeping your name out there. Doritos is in the same boat. As a business owner, you must understand this difference. There is a difference between branding and direct response advertising. There is also a way to do both.

For instance, the M&M commercial could have finished with a line on the screen that reads “Go to mms.com/NakedM&M to get a 10% off coupon”. That would take the buzz of the commercial and drive sales with the coupon. That takes the same commercial and simply adds direct response into the mix. M&M’s do not have to convince you to buy them. They just have to remind you to.

Old Spice however, is trying to compete against Axe. They need a little more than reminding. If they really wanted to get a feel for their market and how to better approach it, they could do research right there in the commercials. They could add something at the end that says “Go to OldSpice.com/TellUs and tell us what your favorite deodorant is and why, to download a Buy One Get One Free coupon for Old Spice.” Will that work? Heck I don’t know, I am just brainstorming here and using techniques that normally do.

The point is that your ads need to drive in sales. Being funny or even controversial may create awareness, but will they create sales? GoDaddy’s great awareness came from their first Super Bowl commercial. Their success came from their inexpensive products. Their commercials always end with a call to action, of going to the site to see more. They used a controversial commercial to get attention and brand awareness. Added direct response by sending viewers to the website. Then finished with a great product at a great price. Enormous success followed.

So this year, after watching all the commercials last night, which ones convinced you to buy their product?

Think about that the next time you want to advertise and are more worried about how funny the ad is or what award it wins.

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One important area that I work on with clients is how their business looks. It can make a huge difference to not only their customers but themselves as well. It has been documented over and over that people will pay more based on appearance. You could take a Big Mac from McDonald’s, put it on a plate at a nice restaurant and charge 3 times as much for it. Our perception can change what we are willing to pay.

Don’t believe me? Try this out. Go to your local grocery store and buy 2 bottles of store brand water and a bottle of Fiji water. Empty out the Fiji water and refill the bottle, with the water from one of the store brand bottles. Now find someone who is not an avid Fiji water drinker and ask them to do a taste test. I guarantee you Fiji wins. Same water, different presentation and perception. Then ask what they would pay for each bottle.

Your customers notice everything when they walk into your business. Even if they don’t realize it, they do. Think of them as having an antenna sticking out of their head that is computing everything. Every piece of trash, the smell, dirt on the floor or walls, paint peeling. It all registers.

Keep it Clean

It never ceases to amaze me how many businesses I go into, that do not take care of the simplest details. Dust on window sills, dirty grout, paint peeling, etc. If that is how your business looks, you are not giving the perception that you are a high value business. You also do not give the impression that you care about your business. If you do not care about your business, why would you care about the customer?

Customers will pay more to go to cleaner business. Women especially will go out of their way to do business where there are clean bathrooms. Ray Kroc of McDonald’s wisely stated that bathrooms were part of marketing. He knew they could make the greatest burgers ever but the bathrooms would make or break them.

Be Disney World

I teach clients to treat their business like it’s Disney World. No piece of trash can be on the ground for more than a minute or two. Next time you’re at Disney, drop a wrapper and time how long it stays there. Cleanliness is an enormous deal at Disney. They could save a ton of money by not having all those employees constantly sweeping and cleaning. They could just pay a company to come in at night and handle it. But they are focused on the presentation and that is what sells.

Stop Being Cheap

Everyday you should be touring your business and taking a good look at it. How does it look from the customers eye? Stop cutting corners and buying the cheapest possible products and furniture. Look, I understand all about keeping costs down and being smart with your money. But there are other ways to do that and the customer is the last place you should save money. If cutting costs is at the expense of a lesser experience or product, don’t do it.

The bottom line is that you will make more money. Creating a better experience for the customer is rewarded by more customers. This culture should be taught to every employee so they see the way you want your business run. Get them on the same page so they understand the importance. Send them to Disney for the day. Whatever it takes to get your entire company on this mission.

Even if you are a business that does not have face to face customer interaction. Your office, warehouse or vehicles should have the same effort. Don’t be cheap with your employees surroundings either. When employees work in a dreary, dirty environment, that is how they feel. Production drops. Even just better lighting has been shown to improve productivity. If you are a one man operation in an office. Make it look like an office on Wall Street. You will feel better and it will show in your productivity.

There are a lot of ways to do this without spending a fortune. Just paying attention to details and being smart is generally enough. Spending hours of your time bargain shopping for furniture that doesn’t match, is not being smart. Spend the money to get a nice set and use those hours to go make more money.

When your business looks like a million dollar business, you feel it and your customers feel it.

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The latest news that Proctor & Gamble is laying off 1,600 employees, assumingly in their marketing division, has had some confusing and misinformed statements. Many of the headlines are either assuming statements or a complete lack of understanding. At first I attributed this solely to CEO Bob McDonald, who made the announcement. However after further review, it appears it is a stretch of his statement, coupled with some bad decisions on his part.

The original article I read on this was from Business Insider in a post titled, “P&G To Lay Off 1,600 After Discovering It’s Free To Advertise On Facebook”.

The first shocking item here is the incorrect statement that it is free to advertise on Facebook. It is certainly not free and even if they were just referring to fan pages, you still need to hire people to manage them. After further reading I see that McDonald never stated that Facebook was free. He did however reference getting 1.8 billion free impressions with their Old Spice campaign. Notice he did not say anything about money made on those impressions. It is also unclear as to if all 1,600 are in marketing.

The writer of this article goes on to state that “P&G’s Old Spice campaign is a textbook example of what the entire company should be doing.” I guess the fact that the campaign did nothing for sales is lost on both the writer and McDonald. Any gains in sales during that campaign, can be tied directly back to a buy one, get one free coupon they ran at the same time. Take into account the normal response to those coupons and the campaign was garbage.

Did it help Old Spice’s brand recognition? Probably, but are you wearing Old Spice?

The real measure is and always will be sales. Dollars. Profits. It doesn’t matter if you get 5 billion impressions if it doesn’t increase sales.

It appears that the real reason for the cutbacks are the increases they made before. Over the last two years P&G increased ad spend by 24%. I’m sure with that increase, came new hires. Leading to a portion of the current layoffs. Add to that other cost increases and sales losses of the current economy.

Common sense says that the lay offs are not as simple as a change in media. Switching to digital media does not reduce need for staff. Even if Facebook or Google were free advertising (which they aren’t), it doesn’t affect your staff needs. Unless your staff was also responsible for cutting down trees, milling paper and creating magazines and mailers.

If you have a staff of 5,000 to handle your advertising and the company that you order paper from decides not to charge you anymore, how does that reduce staff needs? It should increase budget for staff. So this idea that they are laying people off because they found a cheaper advertising media, is ridiculous.

The Real Story

So let’s look at the real story here.

P&G’s advertising problem is not a digital vs. traditional problem. It’s a product and message problem. Funny commercials might get a lot of attention, but they do not sell product. Whenever I hear someone ranting about some hilarious commercial, I find it interesting to ask if they bought the product. The answer is “No”, just about every time.

There still needs to be a message and a reason for the consumer to make the purchase. Old Spice is trying to compete with the growing popularity of Axe. Axe is growing fast in the younger market. “Old” Spice, is a tough sell to that market. The commercials may have created the attention, but the message did not convince the market. The message and the product are the issue.

I admit, I enjoyed the commercials and thought what they did on YouTube was pretty innovative. But I did not buy Old Spice.

Branding vs. Advertising

I separate branding from advertising and think that to combine the two is a serious error. They can work together but they are not the same thing. Branding should be used to create awareness and not for every business. That awareness should lead people to a message that sells the product. True advertising. Direct Response advertising. This is what generates sales.

Has branding increased sales? Sure, it happens often. But there are usually other forces in play. Especially a new product. People love new products. While some brands stay for the long haul, many of the brands you buy today, did not exist 10 years ago.

Sadly though, most advertisers are going after awards for being funny or cute. I know of no such award for sales made. When sales are dropping, those awards are nothing more than an expensive paper weight. The public would be surprised to see what advertisements actually result in the most sales.

Market, Message and Media

There are three components to proper advertising. Your market, your message and the media you use to deliver your message to the market. All three must be right to have success. Fail on one and the whole campaign fails.

You can have the greatest message and use the greatest media, but if sent to the wrong market, it’s garbage. Get the market right and have no message that sells and you fail again Find the right market, have the perfect message and use the wrong media to reach the market and you again fail.

It doesn’t matter if it is traditional media, digital media or whatever comes next. You must get all three right. Forget making the funniest commercials of the year list. Sales are more important.

Traditional vs. Digital

The question of traditional vs. digital is only dealing with one of the three components. The media. If your market and message are wrong, the media does not matter, it will fail. P&G went digital with their Old Spice campaign and the only boost in sales came from the traditional media, where their coupons were circulating. But the conclusion they came to was that digital was better?

Look, I am a big fan of digital marketing. I think every business should be using it. But, not at the expense of “traditional” media. The error, is thinking of it as anything but another tool. Thinking it is some golden ticket that lets you overcome other flaws in your advertising.

I won’t get into all the numerous studies that show traditional media is still highly effective. But just for a quick comparison let’s look at an interesting statistic. In direct mail, a 1% response is considered decent. 3-5% is great. And anything above that is an amazing campaign.

So what are the response rates on Social Media? Here is a study that shows 1% engagement on Facebook. How interesting is that? Some companies are getting more than that with better efforts and a better understanding of how to use Social Media. But many are only averaging 1%. Same as direct mail. Yet so many incorrectly state that digital media is better.

Social Media and other digital media have many benefits over traditional media. For one, it is the future of marketing. It has far better tracking capabilities. But, you still need the right market and message. Add to that also, the right product. Digital media is not a golden ticket that will just magically increase sales. It will not reduce your need for talented people, to create sales producing ads. It is not free.

There are companies having enormous success with Social Media. However it is a long term process and just the act of using Social Media, is not what makes it successful. You must have other key ingredients in place. You must have the proper market and message. With Social Media, you must also understand how to communicate with your market. Something many do not yet understand.

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