The reality of time constraints – admittedly different for each one – means most of us are constantly running behind . . . → Read More: Tried and True Tools for Managing Content]]> Reading about blogging best practices, it’s clear the tide is turning toward making sense of all the good (and bad) stuff generated by bazillions of people creating content on the web for mass consumption.

The reality of time constraints – admittedly different for each one – means most of us are constantly running behind the machine trying to keep up with the pace of information flow. Of course, we can Google, Bing or otherwise search our hearts out. But who’s got time?

What’s needed is a way to receive, organize and re-purpose posts and articles so we can easily share content with our community.  Content curation, written about by Beth Kanter and others, is the new buzz word and rapidly developing practice for people who take the time to read, sort, sift and republish information as a means of developing thought leadership on the web.

Recently, I’ve been making good use of three terrific tools available to help with my own content curation efforts.  While  far from cutting edge  (if you want new, go to Pinterest or Gentlemint.  But that’s another blog post), these tools are perfect for funneling content in an organized, filtered way that makes finding and sharing good content more efficient.

Google Alerts is a simple way to list a topic, term or name in a search field to be notified by email whenever that term shows up on line or in traditional media. You choose what type of alerts you want to receive – news, video, books, blogs, discussion or all of the above. And you can choose to be notified as it happens, once a day or once a week. So, the flow of information can be managed according to your schedule needs.

Google Reader has been my go-to topic content provider for some time, with it’s simple search feature and the ability to show blog posts on my iGoogle Home page, via email or in the Google reader interface.  Google Reader allows you to subscribe, organize and consume blog posts on topics of interest in an a la carte menu kind of way.

Perusing posts by topic is so much easier when you have one screen listing blogs of most interest to you.  What’s new. What’s been read.  How many posts have been made. Blog by blog. Topic by topic. Very easy and organized.

Finally, my current curation tool of choice is Alltop, the brainchild of Apple expat and online marketing guru Guy Kawasaki.  Alltop is Google Reader on steroids, offering the benefit of Alltop curators – information sifters -  bringing you the best of the web all day everyday on trending topics of most interest.

I’ve posted and shared from Alltop’s Holy Kaw listings more than from any other online information source I’ve found. It’s just cool stuff.

Even better is My Alltop, which mimics Google Reader in allowing you to choose topics of most interest to you and your readers. So whatever industry you’re in – candle making,  neuroscience, my favorite, marketing,  – My Alltop makes suggestions of the best of the web which you can then subscribe to and read regularly as new content is created.

Google Alerts, Google Reader and Alltop are among the best useful, free resources available to help make the most of your online content creation efforts.   All three go a long way toward decreasing the noise of web. And they’re better than a pair of ear muffs.

Snow Steps

With no snow or typically cold weather until January 15th,  I wondered if the Mayans got it wrong and the world was ending now. Wierd weather patterns have a way of bringing out apocalyptic thinking.

Now that the cold, white stuff is . . . → Read More: Anticipation]]> Winter finally arrived in Central New York last week.

Snow Steps

With no snow or typically cold weather until January 15th,  I wondered if the Mayans got it wrong and the world was ending now. Wierd weather patterns have a way of bringing out apocalyptic thinking.

Now that the cold, white stuff is here, anticipation of winter’s arrival is over. Which is what got me thinking about anticipation in its many forms.

Most people around here were happy every day that winter didn‘t arrive. Theirs was a kind of fear-based anticipation,  knowing that the mild weather was bound to end but not knowing when. Nobody really wants 20 degrees and three feet of snow to come.

On the other hand, the winter-lovers among us were waiting with frustration as the season didn’t change and didn’t change and annoyingly didn’t change!   Believe it or not, there really are lots of people who enjoy all four seasons equally.

As a business owner, anticipation means being ready for the next new thing, and for ever-present change. Companies with an attitude of anticipation don’t get caught off guard. They may not be able to predict exactly what will happen, but they are ready for change when it does happen.

Anticipation is a hopeful expectation that makes it easier to adapt when change stares you down. Whether you are expectantly waiting with hope, or fearfully dreading the next thing down the pike, anticipating change is a skill to embrace and develop.

Anticipate, then adapt to the circumstances of the moment. How are you doing with a strategy of anticipation?

Staying on top of changing practices in marketing and technology is a given for business owners today. As a small business marketer, I spend lots of time monitoring blogs and websites, reading posts and articles,  then sharing and reposting information on various social media channels.

. . . → Read More: Nothing New Under the Sun]]>

Martin Luther: Social Media Guru

Staying on top of changing practices in marketing and technology is a given for business owners today. As a small business marketer, I spend lots of time monitoring blogs and websites, reading posts and articles,  then sharing and reposting information on various social media channels.

Meanwhile, I’ve written about the challenges of staying focused on your core competencies, trying not to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of change confronting us each day. Sometimes, it feels like every minute brings something new down the pike.

I tell my clients – and myself – to stay engaged enough to learn what’s new so you don’t get left behind. It’s a time-consuming job with no opt-out options.

So, I was pleasantly surprised to read “How Luther Went Viral”,  (Dec.17, 2011) in the Economist , which makes a compelling,  historical case for linking the current macro-burst in social media activity to a centuries old phenomenon:  human nature kicks in when an important message wants to be told; people find the easiest way to share a message by looking to new forms of media to share it.

In 1517, almost 500 years before the Internet Revolution, Martin Luther used the relatively  ‘new’ media of printed pamphlets to spread a message of discontent with practices of the Catholic Church around the globe of Christendom. These pamphlets, quickly translated from Latin to German to various dialects and languages,  led to the Reformation, a bona fide historic time-period marking a change in the course of history.

Sounding eerily similar to recent events in the Middle East leading up to the Arab Spring, the thread of continuity in Luther’s story is that “participants took care of distribution, deciding collectively which messages to amplify through sharing and recommendations.” Can you say Facebook? Twitter? Social media, anyone?  And we thought social media was something new and cool, just birthed in the 21st century.

Each new generation tends to think of itself and its inventions as unique; in many ways, superior to the past. In the current paradigm, this generation translates that tendency to technology = value. Luther’s story, as recounted in How Luther Went Viral, is a convincing reminder that social media is, at its core, an innately human form of communicating that takes advantage of the technology most available at the time a message meets its most felt need.

Hitting pain points is what gets people sharing outside of mainstream media.  People use  methods most available to spread the word of most interest. The take-away for business owners is to work on the message part.  Find the felt need of your customers and then tell your story. Tell it well. Tell it often. Create a reason for people to want to share your message.

In the meantime, keep reading blogs and industry sites to stay abreast of changing practices for your business.  Read this blog for marketing news from time to time.

Relax if you can,  knowing there really is nothing new under the sun.  People will always find new ways to stay connected while continuing to be influenced by the past.  It’s just the methods for distribution that change.

Writing end-of-year charitable giving checks the other day got me thinking about generosity.  In particular, I was reminded of some people who have been generous in the years since I started my business.

By generosity, I mean generosity experienced as encouragement or giving of time.  As any small business owner . . . → Read More: Personal Generosity]]>

Atttibution: Joe McAlpine

Writing end-of-year charitable giving checks the other day got me thinking about generosity.  In particular, I was reminded of some people who have been generous in the years since I started my business.

By generosity, I mean generosity experienced as encouragement or giving of time.  As any small business owner knows, there are days that never seem to end, when nothing gets done and where everything that can go wrong does.  People who offer a well-timed ‘atta boy’ or send an out-of-the-blue referral to your inbox can make an entrepreneurs’ day.

My friend and early mentor Sean Branagan, Director of the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at Syracuse University, is a generous type through and through.  Not only is Sean a talented serial entrepreneur, but he was generous taking me under his virtual wing in the early days of my marketing career.

Though our paths don’t cross often these days, Sean is the kind of person who always has a good lead or connection to share.  Once, he sent me a complimentary membership to the Red House, a nonprofit theater center in the trendy Armory Square district of Syracuse where we live. Sean has introduced me to countless individuals who have more often than not been helpful as I grew my business.

Susan Beebe, of Lighthouse Marketing, is another example of someone who gives naturally of her time and gifts. Susan, technically a competitor, gave valuable advice during a time when I desperately needed direction to keep my company growing.  She didn’t have to engage with me.Yet, her innate sense of generosity gave her the freedom to help when the need was there, not because it necessarily benefited her.

Susan operates by the principal of “to get you have to first give”. That type of generosity is truly servant leadership.

Finally, I have been privileged to work with a few talented strategic partners who exude generosity of the selfless kind, while growing their businesses at the same time as I grow mine. Becky Bayne, of Becky’s Graphic Design, Larry Wilcox,  of CNY Web Design, and Chris Belna, of A La Carte Business Services, have shared volumes of website, design and systems knowledge, have successfully bailed me out of sticky situations,  and have shown the patience of saints more times than I can count. These three partners are among my greatest assets as a business owner. 

There are others in my sphere who “live to give”, if you will. Gwen Webber-McLeod and Tracy Higginbotham immediately come to mind. They stand out as shining examples of  business owners who operate with a philosophy of generosity that influences the world for good. I am happy to acknowledge them all, and to use this post to encourage generosity.

You just can’t overstate the good that genuinely generous people do in the world each day.  Personal generosity is a valuable trait for entrepreneurs to develop and exercise.  How about you?  Are you as generous as possible?  I’m working on my GQ (Generosity Quotient) this year, that’s for sure. By the end of 2012, I hope to have a few stories of my own to share. Maybe you’ll have a few too.

Staying abreast of change with social media marketing can feel like a time-sucking sink hole to the average small business person.

A week doesn’t go by it seems some bright, new, shiny, social media object comes barreling at you with the siren call of more sales, followers and subscribers if only you’ll . . . → Read More: An Eye on Google +]]>

Blueyes

Staying abreast of change with social media marketing can feel like a time-sucking sink hole to the average small business person.

A week doesn’t go by it seems some bright, new, shiny, social media object comes barreling at you with the siren call of more sales, followers and subscribers if only you’ll download, set up your profile, link to followers and post valuable content on a regular basis. Sigh……

If you’ve heard about Google +, you may be feeling that way.

But wait.  This  is something different.

Google +, officially launched on June 29, 2011, is rapidly gaining broad-based support in the online marketing world and beyond.  Social Media Examiner recently posted 34 Google+ Resources for your business: Advice from the Pros.  Thirty four articles for a social media platform that was launched less than 3 months ago!

Big name marketing types like Mari Smith, Guy Kawasaki,  and John Janstch to name a few, are participating and writing about it.

Chris Brogan has all but abandoned Facebook and is posting primarily on Google+.  In Start Now on Google+, Chris says, “The reasons to love Google+ are that it’s clean, it’s fast, it’s useful, people are very engaged, and it’s got a strong boost to your search-ability.”

In my view, Google + has one serious advantage over other popular SM tools: communicating is specific to groups of people rather than universal. You get to say what you want to who you want. Not to everyone.

Google+ conversations are just like real world conversations.  Groups of like-minded people talking about topics they’re all interested in.  It just makes sense.

Here’s a few additional reasons why Google + is different.

Google + is a copy.   Not exactly, but Google+ is a refinement of the most popular SM tools today. Google played the waiting game to watch where and how people were benefiting and also where they were struggling with Facebook, Twitter and the like. Then they built a better mousetrap – Google+. With all the bells and whistles and few of the annoyances that characterize the early players.

Google+ is rapidly growing, for all the right reasons.  While the pace of Google+ growth outstrips anything we’ve seen before, that’s not the real news.  The real news is that social media participants who get on Google+ adapt and adopt more quickly to find what works best for them.  Google+ users are by and large more focused than the bazillions on Facebook and Twitter users, and are segmenting conversations to enhance the value.

Google + is more functional than fun for the average business owner. Savvy social media users, especially busy small business people, participate on the basis of need rather than want. Google+ helps them answer these online queries:  Where are my customers?  What can I expect to gain by investing time here?  What are the best platforms for my needs?

Google + users are focused, especially in circles of colleagues, business acquaintances, clients and others. Because they are more intentional in their postings,  you waste less time reading   ‘what I”m eating today’ posts. You’re talking to a group of people who share your interest, so the conversation is bound to be more focused.

My participation on Google + has been limited so far.  The platform is still in beta form and only open by invitation. Still, I’m keeping an eye out for where Google + goes in the near future, and getting in the wagon to figure it out. I predict other platforms will adapt to the separate conversations standard sooner rather than later. I hope you’ll join in- you can right here.

Seth Godin, in this video (sidebar) rendition of his now classic, tribe-building, idea-spreading philosophy, talks about the . . . → Read More: Find, Connect, Lead]]> This week, I’ve had no less than four conversations with clients and potential clients about the new rules of marketing. I’m happy to report the concept of building community versus marketing to the masses is catching on.

Seth Godin, in this video (sidebar) rendition of his now classic, tribe-building, idea-spreading philosophy, talks about the death of the industrial complex and the desire we have, above all, to connect with others who share something we care about. Finding and leading those groups of people is the core of small business marketing today.

Find, connect and lead people and ideas. Doing that can change our world. And in the process grow your business.

So, how do you build business in 2011 and beyond?  Slowly.  Really? Person by person. Connecting one to another through a shared vision and story.  Seth says,” ‘It’s not a mass thing – its about finding the true believers who want to connect with you.”

But it bears repeating in a world obsessed with next, next, next.  Do what you do best. Leverage the tools in front of you – a website, a social platform that gives interchangeable  access to the groups and people in your life, a blog post talking about what really matters to you. When the tone or topic resonates, people will connect.

Changing the way we do business is no new thing. It’s always the new thing. Let’s do it.

I’m not a fan of country music.  Raised in Midwestern suburbia, I’ve spent most of my life tuning in to the mainstream of Top 40  rock and roll, soft  jazz and easy listening hits.  Even after Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban moved the tectonic plates of country music mainstream, I just can’t . . . → Read More: The Power of Story 2]]>

I’m not a fan of country music.  Raised in Midwestern suburbia, I’ve spent most of my life tuning in to the mainstream of Top 40  rock and roll, soft  jazz and easy listening hits.  Even after Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban moved the tectonic plates of country music mainstream, I just can’t go there.

But recently, I spent two hours in the car with my sister Connie taking her to the airport. Connie is a huge country music fan.  She says  “If it ain’t country, it ain’t music”.  I try not to roll my eyes.

Back to the car ride. Since Connie isn’t a big talker,  I figured the ride would go smoother if I gave her control of the radio.  On came Big Country WOLF ‘Your Country Music Now’  104.5. On came something sounding twangy and forlorn. At least that’s how it started.

Then an amazing thing happened.  I started listening to the lyrics, drawn into the stories of love and loss and life in each song.  Some were sappy, to be sure.  But more often than not, the human drama of relationships won and lost, families built and burned, and the universal  truths of life, death and always love were stories I found myself caring about.

Suddenly, I had an aha moment. Millions of people love country music – about 95 million according to MRI and the Country Music Association. Why?  Because millions of us, ALL of us really, love a good story.  It’s why Turner Classic Movies and Oprah’s Book Club exist.

Stories are part of the human condition. While not as popular as the kings of pop and rock and roll,  country music fans still spent 1.5 billion buying CD’s and downloads in 2009. Why?  Because people love a good story. Stories draw us in and make us want to know more. Wouldn’t you like your customers to do that?

Find, create and write your story.  Beginning.  Middle.  End.

Then tell it to your customers in person and on your website. Share snippets in your blog. Open the door to your work home and invite people in from time to time.  If you keep it short,  they’ll listen. And they’ll like you just a little better for telling it. When people like you, they think of you first, and want to buy from you more than the other guy.  That’s relationship marketing through the power of story.

Well, that happened to me. This blog post could have easily been titled Walking the Talk, Losing Momentum, Hypocrisy,  or Social Media Sink Holes: How . . . → Read More: Life Happens]]> Ever fall off the wagon?  You know, the social media wagon? Where your tweets, posts, comments, updates, and trackbacks come to a screeching halt for one reason or another?

Well, that happened to me. This blog post could have easily been titled Walking the Talk, Losing Momentum, Hypocrisy,  or Social Media Sink Holes: How a well-intentioned marketer got off track and ignored social media in the summer of 2011.

In my small business, JFields Marketing, I talk to clients all the time about getting a social media strategy in place, creating topics and a schedule for making posts, and developing the discipline to access SM to build community and promote business.  And here I was, ignoring it all.  Pathetic.

On the excuse side, my reason for letting go is mostly legit.   My oldest son Nate got married June 11.  (see the happy couple here ) In all the preparations and nuptial hoo-ha, I had to shift priorities.  SM fell off my radar. Lame.

But hey, life happens. And I‘m glad it does. Shifting priorities now and then for good reasons is a good thing.  Once in a lifetime events – a sons’ wedding, your own wedding, a birth, death or any important event surrounding the people you know and love are a good reason to take a step back from the noise and make real people in established relationships your priority.

Life Happens.  We move on as it does, and re-shift priorities as life allows. The beauty of social media communities is that they are there, just waiting to be re-engaged when priorities re-shift, as they should and must.

So, here goes. I’m back in the wagon. My work is cut out for me. I’ve essentially disappeared from the radar of my followers and now I need to reengage and get the word out that I’m back, ready to tame the world of small business marketing.  Or something like that.

If you’ve slipped a little lately with your blog posting, haven’t made a LinkedIN update in more than a month, or even if you just need a little inspiration to get back to Facebook, I hope you will join me in the wagon.  There’s plenty of room.

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Though the finer points and priority can be argued,  interactive experts generally agree what a website should have to draw more unique visitors that translate into customers.

. . . → Read More: Is Your Website A Magnet?]]> Is your website a magnet, pulling visitors in with best practice components that make it search engine and user friendly?

Click to englarge

Though the finer points and priority can be argued,  interactive experts generally agree what a website should have to draw more unique visitors that translate into customers.

1. Keep your website fresh with new content.
2. Maintain best practices for search engine optimization.
3.Provide easy linking to social media activity.
4. Include obvious and duplicate avenues for your visitors to contact you.

Is Your Website a Magnet? Inventory will help you gauge  how well your website is set up to to build an on-line presence for you and your business.  Each quick section gives insights into next steps for growing that presence by making search engine and visitor friendly changes that will empower your website to work harder and smarter.

Presented for  WomenTIES in Albany, NY, last month, the graphic to the left visually depicts these components.

It’s a  quick  and simple  review of the interactive power of your website. You may find a few take-away ideas for changes to make that will boost your on-line visibility and the credibility of your website. If not, congratulations. You’re doing well.  Keep up the good work!

I’ve been a Panera Bread fan since they came to town in 2004, long before I was meeting clients regularly in their perpetually busy storefronts. These days, I go to Panera  two or  three times a week to meet up with colleagues and clients, taking advantage of  easy-to-access  spacious booths,  free wi-fi, hot . . . → Read More: Why I Love…Panera Bread]]>

I’ve been a Panera Bread fan since they came to town in 2004, long before I was meeting clients regularly in their perpetually busy storefronts. These days, I go to Panera  two or  three times a week to meet up with colleagues and clients, taking advantage of  easy-to-access  spacious booths,  free wi-fi, hot coffee, delicious pastries and healthy, well-priced salads, soups and sandwiches.

A St. Louis based company started in 1981, Panera gets it right on so many levels that it is no wonder they made Business Week’s 2010 list of top 25 “Customer Service Champs”. But what makes me a raving fan is the Panera Rewards program.

Panera has the easiest, least annoying customer rewards program on the planet. (Disclaimer: I am a total crank about rewards and coupon offers that make you jump through hoops to get a ‘deal’. Make it simple, or forget about it.)  Here’s how it works:  sign up on-line, show your card when you buy and get free stuff.  That’s it. And if you don’t have your card, they look it up for you so you get credit for purchases every time you buy. They tell you when you have earned free stuff and tell you when the offer expires.  I don’t have to keep track of paper coupons, % off amounts, bonus limits, anything. All I can say is ‘aaaahhhhh!”

So why aren’t other companies following that model? The E-A-S-Y model, in case you weren’t catching my drift. I recognize that not all products can be offered for free as easily as a $1.80 cup of coffee or $2.75 Cobblestone Sweet Roll. But the concept is still valid – make your customers love you by making it easy to love you. Sending me a birthday e-mail for a free pastry is a smart and simple example of growing the love -  thanks, Panera!

From a marketing perspective, the take away is Panera makes a positive impression by being remarkable outside of the direct sales process. They provide simple, easy incentives to stimulate  frequent purchasing. They looked at rewards programs from the  customers’ perspective and streamlined the process. No hoops to jump through. No coupons to remember. Lots of places have good bread and pastries but no one is rewarding frequent buying quite as simply as Panera. That’s enough to bring me back again and again.

One final story. In yet another brilliant example of customer service focus, Panera  impressed a client group I met with recently by showing up unannounced with free cookie packs and catering menus for each person in the group. Panera employees were obviously paying attention, realizing we were in a business meeting and made a point to connect in hopes of gaining our business in the future.  Very smart. Very easy. I’ll be back for my free pastry very soon.