Cat's Eye Marketing Blog

"Anything You Say Can and Will be Used Against You…": 3 Easy Ways to Protect Your Online Reputation

2009-12-11T02:00:00-08:00

I loved those cop shows. Dragnet. Hill Street Blues. Law and Order. All the poor losers in handcuffs sneering as the detective read them their rights:

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

I know. Talking to cops and talking online are two different things. But these days, it's easy to forget that anything we say online can be used against us.

You may be in places online you never dreamed you would be

Your online talk can be used against you. But will it?

Yeah, sometimes.

The other day, I was scanning a blog post written by a social media consultant. About mid-way through, something caught my eye. It was a screenshot of three people's Twitter updates. What struck me right away was how the blog author had specifically called people out for what he thought was bad online behavior—without any context. Just one isolated tweet from three people's Twitter streams.

The author's topic was the new LinkedIn feature (not even one week old) that, unless the user changes their settings, will automatically publish their most recent tweet on their LinkedIn profile.

The blogger, in an attempt to "teach" us how to use (and not to use) the new feature, had pointed out a "good example" of how to link a tweet to LinkedIn. If he had left it at that, and talked in more general terms about which tweets shouldn't be posted on LinkedIn and why, well, that would have been one thing.

But he went on to spotlight what he called a wrong way, and a totally inappropriate and unprofessional way.

And there they were, for all the world to see, names and faces plastered on a blog post like some wanted sign on a telephone pole.

It left me with the thought that he was the unprofessional one, illustrating a point by bringing down other people. But there it was.

What was the takeaway for me?

A single tweet can appear anywhere in the e-universe. Out of context and misleading.

The problem is, you might not even know about it.

And what's up with Facebook?

You may have two different accounts on Facebook: one personal, for friends and family, and one business. Maybe you even have business colleagues who are in your personal Facebook network, too.

But did you know, as of December 9, that Facebook, in an attempt to compete with Twitter, has made their "Everyone Update" the new default? What that means is that the updates you thought were only going to your FB friends are suddenly accessible to everyone on the web—unless you change your privacy settings.

In the early part of 2010, Bing will be allowed access to Everyone Updates. Experts predict that Google will soon follow, paying for syndication rights, too.

And Facebook even admits:

If you delete "everyone" content that you posted on Facebook, we will remove it from your Facebook profile, but have no control over its use outside of Facebook.

So be careful out there, people. You've been warned.

Sort of.

For more details on Facebook's new privacy policy, see Jason Kincaid's excellent post on TechCrunch, The Facebook Privacy Fiasco Begins.

3 easy ways to protect your online reputation

We've all seen the totally stupid tweets:

My friend took my car keys away because I was too drunk to drive.

Working with a clueless client who doesn't get social media.

8am. Looking out office window with worst hangover I've ever had.

These were actual tweets that migrated through my Twitter stream. Whether you are tweeting, blogging, writing a Facebook update or having a conversation in an online forum, it's a good idea to stop and think before you hit that submit button.

Because what you say about yourself, your family, your clients and customers will be out there as part of your digital footprint.

At the minimum:

1. Don't say anything that could be remotely used against you—or discourage a prospective customer from doing business with you. This gets tricky because it's not just the obvious: revealing things about yourself that are better left unsaid, saying mean or negative things about your clients (even if you don't name them, your prospects are watching and thinking about what you may say about them if they work with you), a divisive political rant. Or, it might be merely a public discussion you had with someone that somebody else pulls out of context and republishes.

2. Monitor your reputation. This is getting easier to do with all the online services, many of them free, that have hit the market. I am fond of a tool called steprep, which informs you about what people are saying about you and your business and actually allows you to promote the good things so your customers find them first. You can do other things there, too, like asking friends and colleagues to recommend you as a trusted source.

3. Respond if you think someone is saying something false or misleading about you. If you find something negative, like my example of the blogger above who labeled other people in an attempt to boost his own credibility, you should consider contacting them. If you feel that what they have said is false or misleading, ask them to remove it.

What about you?

Are you concerned about protecting your online reputation? Do you know what is being said about you on the web? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

10 for 2010: Flab-Busting Marketing Tips for Busy People

2009-11-27T14:50:45-08:00

It's Black Friday 2009. The beginning of the madness, the 35-day countdown to 2010.

I know it seems early, but 35 days, come on.

Each year, bloggers come out with posts in the last week of December: Be a Stunning Success in 2010 or Make Twice as Much in 2010 in Half the Time.

I hate those blog posts with the titles that promise you the world. Because if it were that easy, we'd all be living on the French Riviera with wedges of aged Camembert and glasses of fine Merlot.

I like the simple, practical stuff. The marketing ideas that, if you put two or three of them together—and actually work them, daily—you'll see results. Not the go--golfing-and-check-your iPhone-for-the-thousands-you're-making-each-hour kind of results. Because, let's face it, that's just a lot of hype.

And since in the real world, we don't just all go golfing (or go to sleep) and watch the money roll in like a tsunami, I offer these ten tips.

The thing is, though, they'll work a whole lot better if you make time in the next 35 days to try at least one of them, hopefully more. This is the perfect day to start. That turkey stuffiness—or as my Twitter friend Sonia Simone calls, it "pie hangover"—has loosened its grip on you. And you are probably finished with the Black Friday crazies (if you even ventured out to the mall).

Here are my 10 marketing tips for 2010, from the simple to the takes-some-work-but-definitely-worth-it:

Simple

1. Create a 'smart' e-mail signature line. You have a free marketing tool to use every day—multiple times a day. Are you making the best use of it?

2. Collect results-focused testimonials for your website. Two parts here: know the most effective questions to ask and follow the right sequence of steps.

3. Write your first guest blog post. You can triple or quadruple traffic to your own site with a unique, well-written guest post. Here's how to do it.

4. Leave comments on other blogs regularly. There are many benefits to leaving comments on other blogs. Follow this simple, 5-step process.

A little more work

5. Grow your e-newsletter subscriber list. Maybe you have a newsletter but you'd like to have more than 27 subscribers. Because, man, it's hard work putting that quality content out each week. Grow your list and you'll grow your business.

6. Create a marketing calendar—and follow it. Map out where you want to go and how you will get therewith a simple calendar. Start with just 30 days and build from there.

7. Write (or refresh) your website's FAQ page. Your customers might have the slightest, silliest littlequestion that, if you answered it on your website's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, you'd get a sale. Why not tackle (or rewrite) it?

Even more work (but definitely worth it)

8. Start a blog. If you don't have one, it might be dizzying to think about, but consider starting your own blog. With WordPress, you can manage it easily.

9. Send out an e-newsletter. If you break it into pieces, it's not so hard to do. Just be sure to get permission from prospects and customers first; choose your delivery service with care; create quality content; focus your formatting on readability and the needs of web scanners and skimmers; and find your unique voice.

10. Redesign your website. Take a look at your current site. Is it clean and easy-to-navigate? Doesit really reflect all the cool things you are doing now? Watch for signs that you may need a makeover. If you're thinking maybe so, here are some website design trends for 2010.

If these tips were helpful, you can get ideas like this delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning when you sign up for Marketing Hotspots, our free weekly e-tip.

Content Marketing: Why Are You Giving All That Good Stuff Away?

2009-11-20T02:00:00-08:00

I have a marketing friend, a smart guy named Bill Doerr, who describes his target market as biz owners whose greatest assets are "between their ears and above their shoulder blades."

How's that for a definition of your pool of prospects? Immediately I get a picture of his clients. Business coaches. Sales consultants. Mortgage brokers. Accountants.

He works with professionals from many different fields, helping them find the best ways to market their services. But his clients have one thing in common.

They all sell their expertise.

And the smart ones have figured something out.

They know that it can be scary choosing a marketing firm or graphic designer or real estate agent from a Google search.

They know that a website alone won't convince most people to hire you.

They know that, before a prospect picks up the phone, they want to know that you can solve their problem. That you know what you are doing, And that their hard-earned dollars will not be sucked into a swirling vortex.

That disconnect can be a huge problem.

Because if people don't know anything about you, how can they trust you with their taxes or home purchase or marketing copy?

The smart ones have figured it out. They have discovered content marketing.

They are feeding their prospects fresh, helpful, content-rich tips in snack-sized bites. In e-newsletters. In blogs. In Internet article directories.

And, yes, they are giving it away.

"But how can you make a living giving stuff away?"

I got a sweet email last week from a subscriber to Marketing Hotspots, our free weekly e-tip. He said:

I have been enjoying Marketing Hotspots from the very first issue. What has me stumped is I can't figure out how you can be making a living on this. I don't remember sending any money or seeing anything that says anyone who gets Hotspots has to pay for it.

I guess I am just dense.

I was struck by his honesty. And the fact that he wondered why I wasn't charging for the content. That one made me smile.

Because free content is only remarkable when it adds value.

This subscriber I happened to know well. He leans toward the old school marketing side. You provide a service. Your customer pays. You get to buy groceries. Or pay your electric bill. Or your mortgage.

The content marketing piggy bank

I answered my friend's question in an email something like this:

You are right. We do not charge for Marketing Hotspots. It's free, useful content. But you know what? I can't count the number of times we have gotten a call on a Tuesday (the day Hotspots comes out) from someone who is having just the kind of problem that particular issue focused on.

And they say:

"You hit me at just the right time. I need help with just this thing. Can you help me?"

Other times, I'll get emails like:

"Wow. This e-tip seems to have been written just for me this week. Thanks!"

"This e-tip was particularly helpful. I'm going to take your advice."

So it all goes into the content marketing piggy bank. The good will. The increased trust. The credibility building. And when the time is right, you open the piggy bank. And you know what happens next.

Used right, content marketing helps you:

Build trust. As your prospects get to know you, they also come to trust you. They know you will not take advantage of them because you are always so darned helpful. Giving while asking for nothing in return builds trust. And eventually they trust you enough to ask if you can solve a problem for them. And you get a new client.

Show how much you know. Your blog, your newsletter, your articles, that free report are perfect for positioning yourself as the one who understands your clients' problems and can show them how to solve them—or how you can solve them. On places like biznik.com, even at the free membership level, you can write content-rich articles that are rated by others for their helpfulness, on a scale from 1 to 10. I publish articles there regularly. Because it builds my credibility as an expert.

Strengthen relationships. Every email you get, "Thank you for the social media profile copywriting tips. I'm going to my LinkedIn profile right now to make some changes!", every comment on your blog post or article, brings you closer to your clients and prospective customers. They get to know you better, you get to know them better. And you have a deeper understanding of their issues and problems.

It's true that people may run with your advice in a do-it-yourself kind of way. Sometimes, though, they have one of two problems: They don't have the skills or they don't have the time. In both cases, they will probably pick up the phone and call you. Or they might forward the issue to a friend who is having just this kind of problem.

If they trust you, if they see you as an expert and if they feel that you have taken the time to develop a relationship with them.

What do you think? Does content marketing make sense for your business? Are you using it as a strategy? Are you considering it?

Writing Mistakes That Make You Look Stupid: 5 Things Your Teacher Was Right About

2009-11-13T08:03:51-08:00

Recently I read an article on writing that encouraged bloggers to forget everything about writing they learned in school.

Yeah, sometimes English teachers can overload you with reading books by dead white authors.

It's not exactly the way to get the hang of writing to inform, engage and entertain. You know, like the good bloggers and content marketers do?

I believe in breaking the rules—when it makes sense and doesn't make you look stupid.

Take my blog post title. You are never supposed to end a sentence with a preposition like "of" or "about," right? The right way to write that title would be:

5 Things About Which Your Teacher Was Right.

Now read that aloud. It's silly, clunky and downright stupid sounding. So don't write it that way. Go ahead. Break the rule.

But there are other rules you shouldn't break. Because when you do, your readers lose faith in you. Your silly mistakes make them stop reading. Or they just get so distracted about the wrong word choice that it's all they can see, in a blinking-stoplight-at-an-intersection kind of way.

5 things your teacher was right about

Use exclamation points sparingly. You've seen it before. A piece of marketing copy that screams at you:

Sign up now! Don't wait! Time is running out! Get your online marketing ebook for just $19.99! It'll give you everything you need to know to start your own online business! Offer good until December 31, 2009! Click here to order!

Okay, the exclamation point test. Read the above paragraph aloud. For every sentence that has an exclamation point at the end, read with the proper emotion. That would be with extreme excitement. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Does it sound a little silly? Of course it does. I don't use exclamation points a lot. When I do, it's to scream.

Use apostrophes in the right way. This one gets me going. A lot. Someone will write:

The movie had it's moments, but, mostly, it was boring.

Okay, test time. Every time you use an apostrophe, say the sentence using the two separate words instead (in this case, "it is" instead of "it's). If it still makes sense, you've used the apostrophe correctly. If it doesn't make sense, lose that apostrophe. In the above sentence, it would read:

The movie had it is moments, but, mostly, it was boring.

The writer should have used "its" instead of "it's."

Dump the clichés. I wrote one post on clichés and then another, so I won't go on and on here. Just know that words like "killer" and "awesome" and "rock star" make you sound like every other writer out there. Find your unique voice and use it.

Avoid 'throat clearing.' I love this term. I heard it first from Chris Brogan. One of the rules in the classic book on writing by Strunk and White says it a little differently: "Omit needless words." Whatever you want to call it, it means getting the scissors out and cutting anything that doesn't add meaning or value to your sentence. Take the first sentence of this memo:

It has come to my attention that we are having a problem with some of our staff who are arriving late and leaving early.

The writer doesn't need the first seven words. Because if it hadn't come to her attention, how could she be writing about it? So, removing those and other needless words, you have:

Some staff are arriving late and leaving early.

Then go on to explain how that is hurting the company and what should be done about it.

Adverbs are not your friends. This one comes from the great Stephen King in his book On Writing. He goes so far as to say, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs." Use a strong verb instead. It's much more powerful. Take the sentence:

He closed the door firmly.

Is the word "firmly" really necessary? Why not say instead:

He slammed the door.

It's okay to use adverbs. Just be careful, so when you do use one, it makes your sentence stand out. Mostly though, you should just avoid them.

Do you see writing mistakes that make you cringe? Care to share them?

The Cat from Cat's Eye: In Memory of the Nuz

2009-11-07T11:18:18-08:00

No blog post has been harder to write than this one. But I have my kleenex close by. So here goes.

A pet is hard to lose.

A pet that showed up at a special time in your life is very hard to lose.

We called him the Great White Cat. His name was Nuz.

He would have been mortified if he knew that it was short for Nuzzle. We named him that because he would stand on his hind legs like a pony and give us strong head butts until we thought he was going to knock us over.

Extreme nuzzles.

How Nuz found us

Some of you have heard the story. Bear with me because I need to tell it one last time.

It was April 1993 in Ocean Shores, Washington. Bob and I were giddy with excitement. We had spent hours and hours thinking of a name for the graphic design business we had just created.

We had scribbled dozens of ideas on post-it-notes and pressed them on the white board. The notes stuck, but none of the names did.

Until Bob turned to me and said, "Cat's Eye."

The cat's eye conjured up the ability to focus, attention to detail, curiosity about new things—everything that would make a design company sharp.

It was decided. Cat's Eye it would be.

Just hours later, in the midst of a wild spring storm, through the sound of the wind and pelting rain, I heard a faint cry. I opened the patio door and there was a tiny, frail, soaking wet, white kitten, shaking violently.

I brought him inside, dried him off and turned him around. It was then that I saw the cat's eyes. One was green and the other blue. It was a sign.

He was all kinds of sick. Fleas. Worms. And an upper respiratory infection that left him on IVs for two days.

But he was spunky and he survived.

Quirky Nuz

He was quirky, this cat. It was as if he had searched for us because he knew he would fit right in.

He was several animals in one and could take on the personality of each. Kind of like a writer does.

Early on, when he jumped up on our bed, we learned that if we threw a small object, say a wrapped cough drop, he would fly through the air, catch it in his mouth, trot back up to us and drop it. Then came the stare that meant, "Throw it again. Please throw it again."

He learned the command, "In position!" and when one of us would say it, he would scramble to the end of the bed and sit up, at attention, waiting for us to throw it again.

He could fetch. He was a dog.

Sometimes he would jump up on the bed in the middle of the night and we would hear a plop. It was Pépe, his furry purple hand puppet. He had carried him in with his mouth, fully expecting us to play.

Other times he would scale our stone fireplace that went from floor to ceiling—without the harness a climber uses. He was a mountain goat.

He climbed to the top of our Christmas tree one year and knocked it over. Okay he was just being himself that time. Bad cat.

For a few months, our daughter's cat Alex stayed with us. Not exactly the perfect role model, he showed Nuz how to pull food from the cupboards and refrigerator.

One day after Alex was gone, we came home to a mess. Nuz had climbed up onto the kitchen counter, opened the cupboard and dragged an opened bag of potato chips onto the floor. Bad cat.

He loved cantaloupe and corn and Pudding Pops. Yes, he was a little weird.

He had great taste in music. We moved three times with him and the only thing that would calm him down in the car were the sounds of James Taylor, BB King or Pavarotti.

Business partner Nuz

He was the Cat's Eye mascot from day one and took on the role with class.

He was in our print ads. In one, he was sprawled out on the carpet on his side. The ad's headline said, "Relax. Cat's Eye will take care of it."

He was fascinated by the fax machine and waited by it, as if he was our assistant, watching the paper until it finally came through on the other side. Never could quite teach him to bring us the fax, though. Sometimes he got tired of watching and would fall asleep.

The press loved him. In 2000, when Cat's Eye won the Best in the Northwest Family Business of the Year award, his photo was on the big screen as the master of ceremonies told the story of our name, and of Nuz. A day later, he was in The Puget Sound Business Journal.

He was unimpressed.

The day that was different

Monday, November 2, was a typical day. Except, come to think of it, for a week or so, Nuz had been spending more time on our bed at night. More than he usually did.

That night, he left for his own soft bed in the living room at 10.

At 2:30 Tuesday morning, a strange crinkling noise woke me up. I turned on the light and there was Nuz, pawing at the cover of the New Yorker magazine I had left on the floor.

He didn't look right. I pulled him onto the bed. He couldn't stand up. His eyes were dark.

I wrapped him in the soft UW Huskies blanket he loved and called the vet hospital. Our problem: the first ferry from the island to the mainland didn't leave until 6:30.

When I described the symptoms, the woman on the other end of the phone, said,

"Wrap him in a blanket. Turn the lights down low and hold him."

I did. He died in my arms at 4:45am, Tuesday, November 3.

He wasn't destined to catch the 6:30 ferry.

I like to think that he managed to somehow make it to our bedroom that night because he wanted to tell us that he was leaving us. And because he did that, I got to spend his last two hours with him.

He was a good cat.

Rest in peace, sweet Nuz.

1993 - 2009.

What Connects Us in Social Media: On Puppets, Davenports and Other Stuff

2009-10-30T09:58:27-07:00

I had a strange memory return today.

On twitter (you know that micro-blogging thing where everyone talks at once?), a writer friend I follow, @copylicious, was having a bad day.

You see, the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland was closed. So she couldn't get home.

And the only word was that they would be sending "updates on when people might get the next update."

And, on top of it, it was her birthday!

And she had not one, but four writing deadlines staring her in the face.

So you see, she really was having a bad day, when she blurted (tweeted):

"Why don't they allow puppets in high-level meetings?"

Well, that started people talking.

"Yeah, why don't they allow puppets, anyway?" said @wildheartqueen.

"Did somebody say a meeting with puppets?" said @starshyne, "Sign me up!"

And so it started. Our puppet stories. Now, with twitter names like @copylicious, @wildheartqueen, @starshyne, and @CatsEyeWriter (that's me), you'd kind of expect it, right?

But wait. Why don't they allow puppets in high-level meetings?

My puppet story was begging to be told. So I told it. On twitter. The condensed story, that is.

Here's the slightly longer version:

Several years ago I was manager of writing resources for an international nonprofit that had 5,000+ life-saving relief and development projects in 126 countries around the world. Projects to bring clean water to villages. Health care. Agricultural tools. Schools and classrooms.

I worked from the headquarters in L.A.

It was a high-stress job. Tense deadlines. 14-hour days. I traveled to West Africa to film a documentary and got malaria. Survived 130-degree days and a sandstorm in a village chief's hut in the Sahara Desert.

When I returned, I was a changed person. And exhausted. And really needing a "normal" job again.

Of course, I was afraid to tell my boss, especially after having just returned from this month-long trip, which was my class in International Development 101.

Then I remembered. Bob and I had just been to a silly small-town carnival, where he won an adorable purple furry hand puppet for tossing a ring that landed on milk bottle lid. You know that carnival game. The one it's almost impossible to win? Oh, wait. Every game at a carnival is impossible to win.

We named him Pépe.

I didn't have the nerve to quit my job just like that. But I had a feeling I could get Pépe to do it for me.

We went to a restaurant by the Santa Anita racetrack called The Brown Derby. Just the three of us. Me, my boss Dori and Pépe, who I kept in my purse through lunch. After the meal, when the coffee had arrived, I pulled him out and he managed to say, in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, "I'm so sorry but I think it's time to leave this job."

Moment of silence. Okay, huge moment of silence.

Then Dori burst out laughing.

Pépe had broken the tension so we could have a conversation. I talked about how honored I was to have been selected from more than 200 applicants for the job. How much I had learned about myself and the world. How I would love to stay involved as a consultant (which ended up happening).

We connected, even though I had just quit my job.

How social media connects us

Yesterday on twitter, I found a way to connect. Over puppets. Again.

I found like-minded people who also loved puppets and weren't afraid to use them. Other weird people. Like me.

Plus, I recently connected with another twitter friend. The uber-talented and very cool @sparkyfirepants. He's a designer and illustrator who lives in the mountains of Oregon and raises alpacas.

I wrote an article for Biznik called FAQ Page Lessons from the Encyclopedia Man. It was all about overcoming objections in the Q & As on your website's FAQ page, so you can move prospects farther along the path to purchase.

@sparkyfirepants read the article and sent this message (publicly) to me on twitter:

@CatsEyeWriter: Enjoying your article. One of my favorite words is "davenport."

I had started my article with a scene from my childhood, where the door-to-door salesman was trying his best to sell my mom a new set of Encyclopedia Britannicas. I used the word "davenport" because that's what we called our couch.

I explained that to @sparkyfirepants (Don't you just love his name?).

He tweeted back:

@CatsEyeWriter: No, really, I love it. I have a story to tell you when we meet sometime. A funny davenport story.

Another connection.

Now, mind you, I've known Sparky Firepants (real name, David Billings) for almost two years, but we've never met in person.

But I feel like I know him. We can talk about business, family and weird words like "davenport." How cool is that?

So much is written today about being authentic. Don't hide your uniqueness. Don't be afraid to show the real you.

But if the real you is someone who likes to make puppets talk, is that okay?

If you like to form bonds and connections with people by making them laugh, is that okay?

Once we started talking about puppets on Twitter, there was a separation. The people who definitely believe in puppets and story and magic. And the people who think it's a little weird.

We puppet people actually attracted each other.

What do you think? Do you attract people like you—on your blog, on Twitter, on LinkedIn? And if so, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

How has social media connected you with others? Do you sometimes connect over things that have nothing to do with business.

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Who Are You, Anyway?: Showing Up Online

2009-10-17T10:07:07-07:00

It's been a strange week. I'm in day 10 of the crappy upper respiratory stuff.

Type. Cough. Sniffle. Repeat.

I'm keeping my water glass to myself and trying not to breathe on Bob. In fact, it would be better if I just didn't breathe at all, his eyes are saying.

And why is everyone talking about website bios all of a sudden?

This week had a weird synchronicity to it. People have been talking about website bios and social media profiles. In phone calls. On Twitter. On forums. In emails.

Everywhere.

For a minute, I thought they'd all gone crazy. Then I put it together.

It's what I've been working on all week for clients. Fun, memorable bios. About Us pages. Social media profiles.

Bios are on my brain. So of course I'm paying attention more.

You know, like when you buy a new car and all of a sudden you see all the other ones on the road just like it? They were always there, but you just noticed them.

Showing up online: part II

This past week, I had lots of smart questions from people struggling to create their bios, to boil down the essence of who they are in a short paragraph or two—in a way that is consistent and that attracts the people they want to work with.

Here are some starter tips:

1. Align your profile and website bio with your brand.

Your website gives people a good idea of who you are (or it should). But if the bio on your website, the one on your blog and the one on Facebook sound like you are talking about three different people, I'd say you have a problem. Unless you have multiple personality disorder. Then, of course, it would make perfect sense.

Connect your profile with your brand. If you are playful, and your website copy reflects that, so should your profile. Got a quirky sense of humor? Go with it. Someone tweeted a line from my website bio on Twitter yesterday: She said, "@CatsEyeWriter's website bio says she can juggle, has been to Timbuktu and can say, 'Four knives will be sufficient' in Swahili. I LOVE THIS!"

Everything I said was true. And, yes, a little quirky. Just like me.

Just be sure you show yourself in a real and consistent way—across all platforms.

2. Tell what you do best—and for whom.

When I am browsing through Twitter profiles and bios or visiting someone's About Us page on their website, I am attracted to the ones that deliver their messages with style and originality.

One of my Twitter friends, Havi Brooks, says it this way on her website's About Havi page:

My duck and I (okay, the duck is a little weird and that could be a blog post all by itself) help bright, creative kooky people (who she does it for) destuckify their stuff so they can do their thing (what she does best).

She goes on to say:

So they can work through all the overwhelming, sometimes-terrifying goo that gets in the way of doing what they love and biggifying it like crazy.

When I read this, I know right away. Either I am her target market or I am not.

3. Leave the cardboard person at the doorstep.

I saw a small business networking site recently that warned its members to only enter "basic business information" into their profile. They said, "It's not about you personally. It's a business profile.

I couldn't disagree more, particularly if you are a small biz owner. People who are deciding whether to interact with you are looking for someone real.

Asking yourself a few of these questions will help you uncover—and show—the real, multi-dimensional you:

1. What three things do you believe most about people?

2. What is the one thing you've done in your life that you are most proud of?

3. What's the one thing you haven't done yet that you want to do before you die?

4. What three adjectives best describe you?

5. Which movie or TV character are you most like and why?

6. What's your favorite food or beverage?

7. Name the two things that bug you the most when they happen.

Use phrases from these answers to make a list. From that list, mix and match until you come up with the whole person that best describes you.

On Twitter, it's a challenge to do that in just 160 characters, but that's part of the fun. And it's the very process that gets you to the core of who you are.

My Twitter profile says:

Slightly neurotic copywriter. Loves strong verbs, creating unique online identities, oaky Merlot & John Cleese. Thinks the word cree-A-tive is overused.

4. Act online in ways that match your profile.

People are getting to know and, hopefully, trust you, so your online behavior and the copy in your bio should not clash. Who you are should not change. Whether you write an article for a social networking site like Biznik, create a new blog post or make a comment on Twitter, stay true to yourself.

5. Play with the content as you change and grow.

You aren't going to be the same person you are today. None of us are. Hey, next year you might climb Mt. Everest. Or write a book. Or become a goalie on a women's indoor soccer team (which one of my clients did) You might join the hole-in-one club. Or master conversational French.

Profiles are easy to edit. Be sure to do that regularly so when things change, your customers, prospects and colleagues can keep up with all the cool things you are doing.

What does your profile say about you?

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll buy stuff.: 5 Strategies for 'emotion-based marketing'

2009-10-02T02:30:00-07:00

There's a big fat war raging. We've always been told that people buy based on emotions, but need to justify their purchase with logic.

They satisfy the heart before the head kicks in to tell them they've made the right choice because…blah, blah blah (insert boring reasons here).

But, the thing is, two nights ago I was in a fun audience (how many educational events do you go to where you get to sit in the auditorium and sip on wine as the presenter goes through his PowerPoint show?).

Anyway, this semi-famous marketing expert from the cold white north (Canada) was talking about social media as a marketing tool for businesses when he turned around and said:

"Of course you would never use emotions in B2B (business-to-business) marketing."

Kind of caught me off guard.

B2B, B2C, Aren't They All Just People?

We forget that business-to-business and business-to-consumer have something quite obvious in common.

Consumers are people who buy stuff.

Businesses are run by people who buy stuff.

So why treat B2B marketing any differently?

My 5 strategies for emotion-based marketing

Inside that business owner in the stuffy shirt is a real person. She laughs. She cries. She likes songs and movies because they make her feel. She has a heart and a head. And when her emotions are touched, she tends to remember the message more.

Here are some ways to reach her:

1. Tell her stories.

You can do a lot with the right story, one that appeals to the senses, one that shows your personality and voice, and paints a picture.

2. Use analogies.

People love an analogy because they "get it" right away. And because they are visual, analogies touch a deep, emotional part of the brain. We explained why we dumped our brand new business by comparing the needy "baby" to our jealous 16-year-old, Cat's Eye Marketing. Use this powerful tool when you can.

3. Make him laugh.

John Cleese, one of my heroes, said it perfectly: "If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas." I'm not talking cruel or sarcastic humor here, or just telling jokes. I mean the kind of humor that makes us all see that we are a lot alike. The kind that brings us together.

4. Scare her (in a nice way).

Don't underestimate the fear factor. We all have fears of losing something or someone. Of not doing something right. Of losing our best clients. Of our business failing because we made the wrong decision, went with the wrong vendor, spent too much money on a solution that didn't work. Find a way to identify that fear, then walk your client to the solution which, of course, is your product or service.

5. Satisfy other emotional 'cravings.'

There are tons of these. It takes a little time and skill to hit on the one your customer may be feeling, but it's worth it. Put yourself in their shoes, find the right emotional craving, then satisfy it.

What about you? Do you think emotions should be used in B2B marketing? Do you ever market to people's emotions?