• The first event, the FCI Art Show and Auction is a silent auction sponsored by Food Concepts and other civic-minded local businesss.  It’s free to attend and raises money for our local community non-profit, Middleton Outreach Ministry, (known as MOM.) 
• The second event, Dog Paddle, lets dogs go swimming at the local pool (after it closes for the season), and costs $10 per dog.  The event raises money for the Capital K9s, an organization that funds the K9 unit of the Madison Police Department.

When setting up the FCI Art Show, I re-fell in love with EventBrite (not an affiliate link)  - and now I’m super bummed that I can’t use the service for the Capital K9s Dog Paddle event.  I forgot how much I love EventBrite.  It’s a fabulous service for free events, and for higher-ticket events.  Not only does it take your registrations, but it encourages your event attendees to tweet and status update their friends about the event.  I love how easily the social media tools are integrated with the registration.  

Unfortunately, Dog Paddle is in that uncomfortable middle — not free, but not expensive enough to make the automation worth it.  Even showing our non-profit status, we’d have to pay 2% + 99 cents per ticket, PLUS the2.9% plus 30 cent transaction fee through Paypal.  That would end up costing us $2 for every $10 .  So for now, we’ll have to take Dog Paddle registrations the old fashioned pen and paper way. (You know how much I hate that.)  The good news is that the event is so popular that we sell out anyway.  We usually have over 1000 dogs come-and-go throughout the course of the day.  (WOW!)

If you’re in the Madison / Middleton area, I encourage you to come out for these two great — but very different —  events that are raising money for two great causes. 

Are you a lifelong learner?

• Then I got to college.
• Then I started my career.
• Then I travelled.
• Then I became a mom.
• Then I started my own business.

It seemed that with each new role, I learned how much I had to learn.  I went from knowing everything to knowing just how little I really knew. 

To be successful in marketing, it seems like you have to become a perpetual student, because the game of marketing is always changing.  People’s preferences and tolerance for marketing is continually shifting.   Plus, marketing has become increasingly technology dependent, so when there are advances in technology or you want to use a specific tool, you have to learn a whole new thing.  I’ve always been curious about marketing, so being a lifelong student of marketing comes naturally to me.  (I also love teaching marketing!)

Recently, I went outside of my marketing comfort zone, and spent a weekend in Phoenix learning about sales and leadership from Blair Singer.  I wasn’t sure what to expect – and whatever I expected, I certainly didn’t get it.  The weekend was intense, with hands-on exercises that drove the points home.  I loved the interactivity, and plan to bake more of that into my own training sessions.  But more than that, I really “got” what holds me back.  Some of the lessons I learned that I’d like to share with you are:

• Hold yourself and your team accountable for the numbers.  The balance sheet. The number of sales calls.  Even the bathroom scale.  You can’t manage if you don’t know the numbers.
• Avoiding confrontation only leads to trouble.  Confront things when they’re small, and you won’t have big messes to clean up.
• Create a code of honor.  I loved this part so much that I’m kicking myself for not buying a couple of books for clients.  I’m definitely taking aspects of this and implementing it at work – and at home.

Now, none of those lessons were rocket-science type of lessons.  I knew them to be true at some level, but Blair’s teaching style makes you “get it” at a level that you won’t be able to easily forget, that compels you into taking action because you can’t now “un-know what you know.”

That’s always my wish for my students and my clients.  Take action!  Do something different.  What are you learning?  Are you pushing yourself out of your comfort zone?  What classes/teachers do you recommend? I’d love to hear.

(By the way, a.k.a. shameless plug, if you want to learn about blogging, we just broke out the WordPress blog training as a separate class. $39.00)

If you don’t, go do it right now….I’ll wait…..

Did you do it?  What did you see? 

Reviewing of your status updates is like looking yourself in the mirror.  Without self-reflection, you don’t have insight as to how others are perceiving you.  Even if you are mostly using social media for personal reasons, your status updates can leak over and affect your business reputation.  Marketing is all about perception.

An interesting, visually appealing way to see your status updates is to use wordle.  Click on the picture at right to see my Twitter Wordle.  I created this by first bringing my Twitter stream into http://www.tweetstats.com, and then converting it to this visual using http://www.wordle.net.  (Thanks to @unmarketing for the idea, which I got from his blog)

There are times when I don’t like what I see in my social media profiles, and I simply adjust.  But there are some people that I’d bet never look back at their own updates.  If they did, they’d probably change what they post.  Many of these “culprits” are friends and family members who I adore, and I don’t think are “bad” — but I wonder if others who know them less well are getting the wrong impression.  These are the 5 potentially damaging pattens that I see.  Please let me know if you have any to add.

5 Patterns to Watch Out For

1. Too Much Drinking:  If you sign off every night with… “COCKTAIL HOUR, PAR-TAY TIME, or It’s WINE-THIRTY!” Some people might think (rightly or wrongly) that you are boozing it up every night, which might affect your ability to get hired.
2. Too Much Play: If you are constantly posting quizzes you’ve taken, playing Farmville or other games, and you are trying to build a professional reputation, people might not get the impression that you’re serious…especially if you are playing during business hours.
3. Too Much Work: People have differing styles as to how much is too much, but if you are constantly in SELL, SELL, SELL, PUSH, PUSH, PUSH mode, you are probably working at it way too hard, and I’d bet your profile is being hidden by lots of people.
4. Too Much Whining:  We all need a shoulder to cry on from time to time, but some people might as well have, I’M A VICTIM plastered on their profile.  Life can’t be all bad, can it?  The extremists in this category leave you to guess what’s wrong.  Their status updates are vague, “Why me?!” pleas for sympathy. 
5. Too Offensive:  Religion. Politics. Sex. Drugs. Swearing. Inappropriate Pictures. Do I really need to remind you that your social media posts are going down on your permanent record?  Some people will be offended…especially if you are attacking others.  You might not care.  It’s your choice, but just go into it with eyes wide open knowing that choices have consequences.

What about you?  What patterns do you see that others might not notice?

1. First, you have to find the right keyword phrases to target.
2. Second, you have to optimize the pages on your website.
3. Finally, you have to get back links from other relevant sites (this is by far the most time consuming part of SEO)

Let’s say you’ve done keyword research and you know that a great term for you is “hops poisoning in dogs.”  How would you optimize your page to make sure that you are found for “hops poisoning in dogs?”

1. Put keywords in Page Title.  (Hops poisoning in dogs)
2. Put keywords in Page URL.  http://www.tornado-marketing.com/index.php/hops-poisoning-in-dogs/
3. Put keywords in Meta Data.  Keywords – less is more.  Description -  put in your keywords, but primarily focus on appealing to human readers.
4. Put keywords in your H1, H2 (these are heading types) and anchor (hyperlink) text.
5. Use keywords in the page content.

On Page Search Engine Optimization

As you can see I actually did optimize on this term.  When I first wrote the blog post, Blog. You Just Might Save a Life. I was on the first page on both Bing and Google for weeks! Search engines love fresh, juicy new content!

BUT…on page SEO is not enough

Since I only wrote one post about this subject, I haven’t built any back links, and my site doesn’t really have anything to do with dogs, over time my SEO star power has faded for this search term.  That’s why it’s important to do all three steps — not just the on page optimization.  If you need help with all three steps of SEO, I have a great team in place, ready to help.  Just shoot me an email – amachina@tornadomktg.com.

Any other on page SEO tips that you’d like to share? Tell us please!

Google Search has Indexed 1 Trillion URLs.

When someone types in your company name, or your main product/service and your geography, you want the search engines to serve up your site to the human being conducting the search.  The only way to make that happen is to optimize your site so that the search engines can find it. 

There are three main components of search engine optimization.

• Keyword research — must be done first, and done right!
• On-site search engine optimization – using keywords, title tags, URLs, etc.
• Off-site search engine optimization – getting backlinks, directory listings, etc.

Keyword research is the foundation, then the on-site and off-site components must be used together to “optimize” the effectiveness of your search engine optimization efforts. 

I can teach you how to do the on-site search engine optimization yourself.  It’s not that hard.  In fact, the next post I write, I’ll give you the crib notes to do-it-yourself on-site search engine optimization. 

But getting backlinks?  The off-site optimization piece takes time, know-how, discipline…and did I mention TIME, which is something all of us are short on.  That’s why I outsource all my SEO projects to a trusted partner, because I know I don’t have the time and discipline to do it myself — nor do my clients. 

Channel partners (VARs, ISVs, distributors) often worry about channel competition.  If they outsource their SEO work to someone like me who knows the channel model intimately, won’t I just equalize everyone?  Actually the answer is NO.  Everyone won’t do the work to the same level.  PLUS, why would you want to spend the time education someone who knows NOTHING about your industry?!   

Look at Blytheco, the “800-lb. gorilla” of the Sage channel.  They were early to recognize the power of search engine optimization, and they’ve been deeply focused on SEO for years and years.  You might not be able to beat Blytheco for broad terms like “Sage Mas 90″, but you might be able to win more specific terms, like “Phoenix AZ Sage Mas 90 Reseller.”  Because we know the industry, we can guide you to terms that might work — in a way that a SEO company off the streets never could.  

PLUS, we can help you capture the leads that visit your website and convert them into paying customers.   Being found online is just the first step.  Then the work begins to get people to know, like and trust you!

Microsoft Convergence 2010

Whether you’re showcasing your Microsoft Dynamics ISV products with a tradeshow booth at the Expo or you’re a Microsoft Dynamics VAR bringing customers, or you are a customer, independant consultant, etc., my feeling is that if you are going to spend the time and the money, you may as well do it right.  You need a strategy in place!  

Step One:  Build Pre-Show BUZZ!   Let people know you are attending and why they might want to meet with you.  I see some companies doing a great job of building pre-show buzz!

• Rock-N-Rave and The Spot are two consortiums of Microsoft Dynamics ISVs who have put together the “IT” parties for Microsoft Dynamics GP partners and customers.  Both have put together a professional looking website, and have been promoting the event through email and the social media sites:
  • Follow Rock-N-Rave on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  
  • Follow The Spot on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (no account, but use the hashtag #thespot2010)
  • While I’m sure they don’t have quite as many followers/fans as they would like — I know they’ll get a fabulous turn-out for the event.  Social media marketing is just starting to catch on in the Microsoft Dynamics community. Perhaps Rock-N-Rave and The Spot should make it interesting by having a bet on who can get the most Facebook fans?! Throw down a challenge and see who rises to the occasion.
• I see others who just want “a select few” attendees sending out promotions for their parties and dinners as well. The point is — you can’t wait until the show date.  People’s schedules will already be filled.  You need to give advance notice whenever possible.

Step Two:  Pull Your Look Together!   Make sure all your employees have current business cards (AND that they bring them along).  Shine up your website.  Shine your shoes while you’re at it…. Set yourself up for success.  Make sure you look as good as you are!

Step Three:  Be Prepared for Follow Up.  Follow up is THE most important thing you can do.  Don’t leave it as an after thought.  Know exactly how you will follow up with the people you meet at the show.  Will you send a hand-written note? Will you send follow up emails?   What will your follow up offer be?  You should know this NOW so that you can execute on your plan immediately while the leads are hot.  Leads grow colder by the day…

P.S.  If you want to meet up at Microsoft Convergence in Atlanta — either to discuss marketing or to taste test favorite beers, give me a call at 949-357-6356.  See you soon!

Tony Robbins is the master motivator, and this video is a good reminder that no change is too small.   As he says, two millimeters can be the difference between drop-dead gorgeous and butt-ugly.    We see this in marketing when we do A/B split tests, and find that one tiny wording change creates a massive difference in the results.  One millimeter isn’t a lot, but it is significant. 

As TonyRobbins points out, the internal shifts are more important than the external shifts.  Are you willing to adjust your attitude?

What one millimeter changes are you willing to make today?

If your people are the best and brightest, let them show it.   If your people are friendly, give them some room to brighten someone’s day. Don’t dictate exactly how everything needs to be done.  Tell them what they need to do, and let them figure out how to do it.

You may have seen this story before, but it’s a great reminder to tell employees what their over-arching objective should be — then sit back and watch how they use their creativity to execute your plan.

As you can see, customer service is part of marketing. It’s creating a transformative customer experience. 

Do you have examples of how you’ve allowed your employees to use their creativity?  Please share!

Until last weekend, I thought of movie theaters as expensive, fattening, and inconvenient.  Personally – I’d rather stay home.  After all, there are a ton of movies on DVD I haven’t seen yet.    

Here’s how the conversation at our house usually goes:

HIM:  Let’s go to a movie tonight.

ME:  Maybe.  What do you want to see?

HIM: (after an hour of research)  Let’s go see this movie.

ME: (reflecting on expense vs. pay-off)  Eh, forget it, let’s stay home and watch a movie here.  We can open a nice bottle of wine for all the money we’re saving.

What happened last weekend? 

I discovered a movie theater that had differentiated itself to appeal to me, to fix all the things I hate about going to the movie theaters.   Sundance 608 is unique, it’s different, and it’s going to dominate my demographic. 

Really, I don’t think I’ll ever go to another movie theater in Madison,WI again. 

What I love about Sundance 608 is:

• They have healthy and affordable food (salads, etc).
• They offer wine, beer and good coffee.
• They offer a place to eat right on-site, making the evening more social.
• You can reserve your seats.  Whoo-hoo!
• They cut out all the annoying advertising.
• They support local artists.

You get all this extra service for just a nominal amenities fee of $1 to $3 per ticket.  A price that’s totally worth it!

The marketing lesson here is that you CAN stand out.  There are thousands of ho-hum struggling movie theaters out there in the world today.  Sundance 608 is not one of them.  Sundance 608 didn’t concern itself with appealing to everybody.  They went after the 35+ market, and created an environment that appealed to them. 

The question won’t be, “Want to go see a movie tonight?” It’ll be, “Any good movies at Sundance 608?”

What can you do to make YOUR business stand out?  What can you do to knock all competitors out of even being an option?

At least I felt like I was going to die.  My heart was racing.  My face was bright red.  I was dying of thirst.  I have to reluctantly admit that taking the Advanced PowerStep class after a 4-month hiatus from the gym was not a wise idea. 

How did I get so out of shape?  What make me think I could just jump right back into it?

(sigh)

My story is sadly typical.  And it doesn’t just happen with the gym.

The same thing happens in business.  All of a sudden (it seems) you realize – My pipeline has dried up.  No fresh leads are coming in.  What happened?  I better get MOVING!  So you put forth a BURST of activity, but if you are out of (marketing) shape, you could damage your business instead of helping it.   You might do the wrong things, and instead of generating leads, you are just blowing your marketing budget. 

Ooops. 

Big oops.

If you find yourself in this spot, I want you to start taking action, but start slowly.  Test what you are doing before you blow it out onto a larger scale.  Make sure it works!  For every product, every service, and every campaign, you need to ask these simple questions:

• Who am I targeting?
• What problem am I solving?
• What makes my solution better or different than everyone else’s?
• What is the next action I want them to take?

Once you have crafted your messaging, test out subject lines and offers using email marketing, Google Adwords or a simple business letter that goes out to a small group of people.   Once you have validated that your marketing message is on target, that’s when you can start expanding your campaign.

Think big. But start small.  Make sense?  I’m taking that advice myself.  After I take two Advil.