New Media Marketing Blogs

Creating Short Form Video with Vine, Lightt & SnapChat

2014-03-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

Create Revenue Generating Content Without Ever Again Having to Stare at a Blank Screen

2014-03-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

Content creation is a very powerful way to build a firm foundation for your business.

And you do want a firm foundation, right? One that has worked for years, works now, and will always work, because we have always and will always need content.

So I’m going to give you 3 powerful strategies for creating revenue generating content. The first one is a mind-set strategy, and the next 2 are implementation strategies.

3 Content Creation Strategies

Strategy 1: Give up the false belief in writer’s block - Have you ever had speakers block? Have you ever had eaters block?

Silly questions, right?

But just for fun, what would you do if you ever got speakers block or eaters block? The cure for speakers block is to speak. The cure for eaters block is to eat.

The cure for writers block is to write. Consistently. Just like speaking and eating.

Strategy 2: Keep a Content Ideas List - The best way to always have lots of ideas for creating your content is to have access to lots of ideas for content.

How’s that again?

Most people, when it comes time to create some content, they reinvent the wheel by trying to come up with ideas on the spot.

A better way is to keep an ongoing list of content ideas. This is so much easier now with smart phones. Use the little note pad option in most smart phones to keep track of your ideas.

Get an idea in the middle of a movie? Don’t tell yourself you’ll remember it later and capture it then you won’t remember it!

Trust me on this one. Write it down.

In this way, you always have an ongoing list from which to draw when you need ideas for your content.

Strategy 3: Use Content Creation Templates - Most people start off creating content by staring at a blank screen or a blank sheet of paper. Memories of high school and/or college come flooding back, complete with images of and English teacher with a red pen, ready to mark up your content.

You don’t want to do what most people do, because most people are broke.

And the good news is you don’t have to do this. For one thing, you English teacher is not here. And if you’re as old as I am, he or she is probably dead. So don’t worry about it, just write conversationally, write like you talk.

When you use templates to create your content, you start out with a structure to follow. The structure triggers ideas.

And then your next step is simply plugging your expertise into the structure to create your revenue generating content.

Bonus Strategy - Grab one of my most powerful Content Creation Templates and get started before your head hits the pillow tonight.

You can get your Free Instant Access to my 3 Mistakes Content Creation Template when you visit http://JeffHerring.com/jh/3mistakes/

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Gifts for Geeks – 2013 Edition

2014-02-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

As has been the case for the past three years, I was on 207, the evening news program that appears on NBC’s Maine affiliates, talking about what gifts you can get your favorite geeks.

Because I had been doing it for the past few years, I decided to mix it up a little, and find a geeky gift for each of the six senses.

“Six?” you say. “But Rich, there’s only five senses.”

Read on, dear reader. Or, more accurately, watch…either down below or at the 207 website.

And here are those gifts for those who can’t see the video:

Hearing: Bluetooth speakers. (After much research, I personally went with the JBL Charge.) Sight: Google Glass. At this point, you’re probably going to miss Xmas since it’s by invite only. Taste: In honor of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Who, I give you the Dr. Who Cook Book.Smell: Have you ever wondered what your favorite RPG character smells like? Wonder no more, thanks to The Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Who wouldn’t want to smell like a Bard (“a ridiculously charismatic blend of bay rum, honey, and white musk mingling with the scent of harp wood and lute strings and the twang of horn brass”) or a Cleric (“rose amber, frankincense, myrrh, champaca flower, Peru balsam, cistus, palisander, cananga, hyssop, and narcissus absolute?”)Touch: This winter we bought my parents those gloves that allow you to use your smart phone with your gloves still on. While that’s cool, it’s nothing compared to a pair of bluetooth enabled gloves that allow you to answer and make phone calls. Wear these and be the coolest kid stuffed into a locker this holiday season. Spidey: Of course Spidey-Sense is a real sense, true believer. For this, I choose the Marvel-branded Monopoly. While there are actually several Spider-Man branded Monopoly sets available, the art and replacements for the Monopoly railroads–Quinjet, Fantasticar, etc.–make this my personal favorite.

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Tablets in Education Brings Everything to a New Level – sponsored post

2014-02-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

The following is a sponsored post. I talk about whatever I want, but Samsung asked that it be about tablets and education. Beyond that, it’s all me, baby.

Before I started writing this, I thought that my kids were unique insofar as they’ve used tablets for a little while (my daughter’s 11 and my son will soon be 8). I guess not. Evidently elementary schools bought 3.5 million tablets in 2012 (I think that stat’s globally, not just the US), so that means my kids are more in the norm than I suspected. Oh, and kids 13-17 who own a smartphone? 58%.

But why? What good are they? In my house, my kids use tablets to look at YouTube (both educationally and for entertainment). My son uses the music programs to create songs. My daughter draws and creates art. Both kids have a habit of answering their own questions by asking YouTube or sometimes Google (never me). Both kids are evidently learning basic coding principles this week and my son, who bleeds computers and video games, breezed through the 4th grade level tests (he’s in second grade).

The deal is simple: tablets bring a whole new level of interactivity to learning. So, when Samsung asked me to talk about something related to tablets and the like, I didn’t even flinch. I figured that this is a story that people might not fully know, and I have a lot of first hand experience with kids using tablets. But then I wondered, how does Samsung make this any better?

Evidently, the big deal is that they’re doing a lot with apps in the Samsung School that they’ve created. They’ve got interactive tools like screen sharing, screen monitoring, ways to control the student devices (because I was about to wonder what keeps kids from being like me and just doing whatever instead of learning), and more. Also, teachers can manage their scheduling, modify class info and assignments, and the like. There are rich media sharing opportunities (like audio and video sharing), and a bunch of school-wide announcement features. If I’m reading it right, there are lots of opportunities here to do something a little more tightly and part of a system that you might be able to cobble together with other tools, but Samsung’s just made it really nice and neat.

On Friday, December 13th (2013), I’ll be a guest on a live Twitter chat sponsored by Samsung. All you have to do to participate is use the hashtag #tabletchat. Not sure how to follow along? I use Tweetchat to participate. You might find that easy enough. Let’s take the conversation further, shall we?

With automatic theme updates and world-class support included, Genesis is the smart choice for your WordPress website or blog.

Become a StudioPress Affiliate

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Striving for Authority

2014-02-02T04:58:00.000-08:00

Everyone wants to play.

That kid selling cookies (or is it chocolates) is busy raising money for his basketball team (or maybe a trip to Cuba, I didn’t hear it clearly). All I know is that these cookies aren’t the real thing, they’re not Girl Scout Cookies (capitalize them please) and they’re not Thin Mints®.

That email, the one that just came in over the transom, it wants me to buy some miracle potion that’s going to make my hair grow. But of course, I’ve never heard of this person, and it cost her nothing to send me this spam.

Delete.

We opened up the world of media to anyone who wants to talk, connect or sell. We gave everyone free stamps, free paper, a free broadcast license.

And so I can watch a YouTube video that explains, in detail, how I can make a million dollars in a week if I’ll just send in some money (I think I can guess that this is precisely how you’re supposed to make a million dollars via this method, but that’s a topic for a different post). YouTube is filled with spam and scams and junk, and so is every nook and cranny of the internet.

Hence the need for authority.

Authority is recognizability and trustability.

My neighbor has authority, at least when he’s talking about what’s going on with our block. The local weatherman, by dint of his being hired by someone with an FCC license, has authority, but not about investments, just about the weather.

Obvious, of course.

What’s not obvious is the discipline necessary to earn authority. Now that you can’t be given it, now that you can’t take, now that you have to EARN it, it seems to me that many of us have forgotten that there’s a cost to earning something.

At every step along the way, you’ll feel pressure to stop earning and start taking. To include a few more links. To make a few more bold claims. To sell some ads, to shade some truth, to close the sale. Second prize is a set of steak knives, after all …

But the longer you wait, and the more generous you are, the more your authority is worth. And authority compounds. Walter Cronkite had authority, far more than Ed McMahon, because Ed was happy to put his name on this or that along the way.

Authority comes from consistent generosity, from truth telling, and from empathy. It comes from showing up. It comes from telling your truth and consistently sharing your point of view.

Hence my headline. Authority comes from trying. From striving to get there, by refusing to compromise on the things that matter.

We are thrilled that Seth Godin will be keynoting our content marketing and networking event — Authority Intensive — taking place May 7-9, 2014, in Denver, Colorado. See you there?

About the Author: Seth Godin is the author of 17 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership, and most of all, changing everything.

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Press Release PR Pitch Stupidity

2014-02-02T01:24:00.000-08:00

Web Ink Now: Press Release PR Pitch Stupidity window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )(); Web Ink NowHomeSpeaking TopicsSpeaking EngagementsRave ReviewsDavid's BioContact InfoBlog Archives « Quark Expeditions Photographic Journal drives social sharing |Main| When the world's attention turns to your expertise »

January 21, 2014Press Release PR Pitch Stupidity

I get many unsolicited PR pitches sent to me via email. Nearly all of them are untargeted broadcast pitches, usually in the form a press release. I almost always delete without reading.

Recently I got a press release with a subject line that was interesting to me. I read it because I thought there might be something in there worth sharing.

Alas, I can’t share because the company that sent it are a bunch of idiots.

Some legal eagle insisted on this notice at the bottom of the press release:

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email may contain confidential and privileged material from [company] and is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). Any review, use, distribution or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by email and delete the message and any file attachments from your computer. If you wish to be removed from this email please click here. Thank you.

Press Release PR Pitch Stupidity

Can you believe this?!

Sending a press release and then putting a notice at the bottom saying “sole use of the intended recipient” is ridiculous. That legal mumbo-jumbo means I can't share the news.

You lose.

Posted by David Meerman Scott on January 21, 2014 | Permalink

| | |

Comments

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I'm right there with you David. I receive all different types of pitches daily and some even have that same legal paragraph. It's crazy to think that you've been writing and speaking about this for a decade and companies still want to do things the same way. I think, and you've pointed this out before, that they are afraid of change.

Posted by:Dan Schawbel |January 21, 2014 at 10:17 AM

David,

Having received more than my fair share of unwanted press releases over the years I have to say, erm, wow. It's almost good it's so bad. In fact I'm chuckling to myself as I type this.

Thanks for sharing, you've made my day.

Sam.

Posted by:Sam Relph |January 21, 2014 at 10:20 AM

Dan, I pointed this out before but in the context of something else. It continues to happen which is so silly. Thanks for jumping in - hope you are well.

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 21, 2014 at 10:21 AM

Maybe it's time for a "new" marketing / PR idea called:

Critical Thought Marketing

Defined as thinking about who, what, where, why, and how your marketing or PR piece is going to affect the audience it's being sent to / placed in front of.

Oh wait... that's PR 101. ;)

Posted by:Joseph Ratliff |January 21, 2014 at 01:13 PM

I don't know if this is someone afraid of change as much as it is someone who is doing things on autopilot. It makes me wonder what stupid things I am doing on autopilot!

Posted by:Jacob Gerber |January 21, 2014 at 02:19 PM

This is what happens when corporate lawyers exceed their expertise and think nothing of turning press releases into unenforceable legal contracts.

Posted by:Joeldon |January 21, 2014 at 03:38 PM

I think Joeldon is probably right. The freakin lawyers probably insist on a disclaimer on all emails and naturally "all" emails include those from the PR dept.

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 22, 2014 at 02:15 AM

David,

For another example of corporate stupidity, put these phrases into your favourite search engine:
"You may not create a link to this website from another website or document without" "prior written consent"

Posted by:Mike Unwalla |January 22, 2014 at 03:30 AM

David,

Having worked for a Big 4 Accounting firm in their Information and Risk Management Practice (still don't know exactly what that meant) these are things that are put on a checklist as part of corporate policies.

The reality is that once you send an email that legal mumbo-jumbo is pretty much obsolete. What every they are trying to safeguard themselves with that paragraph they are pretty much already covered and in 98% of the times people don't read it much less pay attention.

Pretty funny that it was included in a press release.

Posted by:Raul Colon |January 22, 2014 at 09:04 AM

Wow, that is sad, but as other reader's have pointed out, far from uncommon. And how about all those press releases that come in with no contact information? Depending on what numbers you use, about 8-12 percent of them come in with no contact information, so in the rare event you do want to get more information, you can't. I coach small businesses how to do their own publicity and I steer my clients away from press releases. My clients find targeted, focused email pitches have much better results. And there are no distribution costs for email, so their cost effectiveness is huge. OK, thanks, Edward Smith.

Posted by:Edward Smith |January 22, 2014 at 09:12 AM

David, yes and unfortunately if you were to send a note to the PR contact you probably would not get an acknowledgment via email. It's hard to type with handcuffs. And when the C-Suite demands to know the ROI of public relations, the PR folks can let the corporate attorneys respond. Sauce for the goose.

Posted by:Joeldon |January 22, 2014 at 11:11 AM

Mike - amazing! That one is new to me.

Raul - Checklists... ugh.

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 22, 2014 at 11:22 PM

David:

Some novice sent out that press release. You are correct PR Pitch Stupidity.

Posted by:Ron Carter |January 23, 2014 at 12:27 AM

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Dave Carroll of United Breaks Guitars four years later

2014-02-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

Web Ink Now: Dave Carroll of United Breaks Guitars four years later window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )(); Web Ink NowHomeSpeaking TopicsSpeaking EngagementsRave ReviewsDavid's BioContact InfoBlog Archives « Social Media in the Middle East |Main| How to generate sales with social media in an underground business »

December 10, 2013Dave Carroll of United Breaks Guitars four years later

If you’ve heard me speak about Real-Time Marketing & PR, you’ve likely heard me riff on Dave Carroll and his United Breaks Guitars video series, which has racked up some 16 million YouTube views.

I love the videos. Song number one is especially catchy. And it is a terrific early example of how social media can disrupt traditional companies operating under the old rules.

Last week at the MCT Marketing Summit in Istanbul, I finally met Dave! We had a great time talking about how far we’ve come in four short years.

Dave is been a busy man! Not only does he continue to be a touring musician, but he's also hit the speaking circuit to talk about how one person has power with social media. He’s got a book out titled United Breaks Guitars: The Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media. And he’s got several startup companies too.

I interviewed Dave so I could share some of his current thinking with you.

To kick off the video, I show you how Dave opens his speeches. Very cool indeed.

Direct link to my interview with Dave on YouTube.

And here is how the famous guitar is now housed in an extra strong case.

Posted by David Meerman Scott on December 10, 2013 | Permalink

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What Dave says that companies are paralysed with what to do is quite a realistic view. That is because they don't let themselves be their own persona and in some case make some mistakes in social media. It's important to learn from that mistake and made a better experience for their customers.

Posted by:Alexandra Petean-Nicola |December 12, 2013 at 09:48 AM

I'm not sure if David's use of the term "doing a United" has or will become a household term, but in social media world, I imagine 9 in 10 know what it means.

Think of the continued fallout that kind of thing could do to the United brand and you have an ongoing reminder why it's vital to respect your customers in this day and age.

Posted by:Stan Dubin |December 12, 2013 at 10:44 AM

Hi David,

Here's a happier airline story :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIEIvi2MuEk#t=311

Posted by:AJ |December 12, 2013 at 04:39 PM

Nice combination of good guitar play and strong marketing opinion=)

Anyway, I agree with the point that every client is crucial for your business today , because keeping one satisfied customer in will bring a hundred in future.

Posted by:Serge |December 13, 2013 at 11:58 PM

I think you will find this video helpful:
http://youtu.be/ldhGAwNel5o

Posted by:George |December 22, 2013 at 07:43 PM

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Quark Expeditions Photographic Journal drives social sharing

2014-02-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

As regular readers may recall, I was in Antarctica in December and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. This is the last of three planned posts about my experience as it relates to marketing and sales. The first two posts are:

How Inbound Marketing got me to Antarctica
Speaking on all seven continents

Quark Expeditions Photographic Journal

On our expedition, the Quark Expeditions Ocean Diamond ship carried about 180 passengers and about 140 crew members and expedition staff.

Among the staff were several professional photographers including the amazing Sue Flood, a wildlife photographer, author and filmmaker. Sue produced four films for the BBC and was Associate Producer on the award-winning series The Blue Planet, and also Planet Earth. An personalized copy of Sue’s beautiful photography book Cold Places now sits on our living room table.

The photographers onboard the Ocean Diamond delivered lectures during the Drake Passage crossing and in the evenings after we finished exploring each day. They shared how to photograph the amazing wildlife and scenery we were experiencing. They were out with us on the Zodiacs and were with us when we landed to explore. As they shot their own photographs, they were eager to answer questions or offer advice.

Driving Social Sharing

During each night’s expedition recap, passengers were encouraged to upload our own photographs to make them part of our expedition’s Photographic Journal.

The best of the photos submitted by passengers plus those from the professionals were then collected into a Quark Expeditions Photographic Journal chronicling our voyage which each of us were given on the last day of the expedition.

This is a fascinating marketing move by Quark Expeditions because once we all got home, we had a collection of many hundreds of photos to remember our journey (and perhaps spark the desire to go again). Other expedition outfitters sell this kind of thing. Quark Expeditions sees the value of making it free.

Many of us had “epic” photos included in the disk that had been shot by Quark staff and these could be shared via social media. This, of course, serves as free promotion for Quark Expeditions voyages.

For example, the several shots of me doing my polar plunge that were taken from a Zodiac near the Ocean Diamond were perfect to share on Facebook. Last I checked there were 153 likes and 47 comments on this photo, the most I’ve ever gotten on a Facebook post. And each is a potential customer for a Quark Expeditions voyage in the future.

If you’re interested in going to Antarctica too...

As I shared in my previous post, Quark Expeditions is offering an additional 5% off any Quark Arctic and Antarctic voyages. The offer is for expeditions booked by 1 June 2014 for expeditions that depart from 1 April 2014 through 1 April 2015. Use Code Mk52

This 5% off is in addition to any other promotions Quark offers, like the $1500 air credit promotion on a selection of Arctic and Antarctic voyages.

I'd like to make it clear that I have no financial interest in people booking arctic or Antarctic travel via the code in this post. I worked with the good people at Quark Expeditions to be helpful to them and to provide an added incentive to readers who might want to go on the journey of a lifetime. It was a life-changing adventure for me and sometimes people just need a little push to do something they had always dreamed of.

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New Video! – Profitable Content Creation Content Creation Myth #2

2014-02-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

Jeff Herring's expertise is the reason why I was able to increase my sales 47% while our company was down 25% and the industry was down 40%. Thank you Jeff for this valuable content, everyone can use these methods to make their business stand out from their competitors.

~ Rich Fercy, WearAnswers.com.

Thank you Jeff, over 20,000 have visited my site since I started!

~ Thomas Muldoon, astronumbers.com.au

Jeff, I’m really starting to see the results, THANK YOU, more hits to my site, more opt-ins, more people calling me directly asking to work with me.

~ Dr Lisa Turner

Jeff, a huge thanks to you for showing me the way on article marketing back in 2007. Following your strategies and using your templates, I now have over 480 articles on Ezine Articles which have generated over HALF a MILLION views.

~ Duncan Brodie, GoalsAndAchievements.com

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Brand New YouTube Channel

2014-02-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

So recently I tore down all of my YouTube sites cuz I knew they could be so much better – sometimes you just gotta start over…

So here are the sections you’ll find in the new YouTube Channel:

Profitable Content Creation TipsProfitable Online Visibility TipsProfitable Traffic Generation TipsProfitable List Building TipsProfitable Product Creation TipsProfitable Content Repurposing TipsResults Now Webinar Replays

So here’s my personal invitation for you to visit, subscribe and comment on my new YouTube channel!!

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Speaking on all seven continents

2014-02-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

Readers of this blog know that I often discuss my passions including music, travel, surfing, and public speaking.

You may have figured out that I’m a list maker. I’ve shared that I keep a spreadsheet of all the live concerts I’ve seen since 1975, now up to 550 shows. Obsessive for sure, but I’m glad I’ve done it so I can recall the dates of the shows.

You might remember the time I visited my 50th state, North Dakota, when I delivered a talk in Fargo at the American Advertising Federation of North Dakota on a snowy December day in 2010.

Speaking on all seven continents

I reached a milestone last month that I’ve wanted for several years. I have now delivered speeches on all seven continents.

When I was in Antarctica in December, I delivered a talk on the Quark Expeditions Ocean Diamond: When You Return North: Sharing your experiences and becoming an Antarctica Ambassador via social media.

I shared with my fellow explorers how, as one of a tiny percentage of people in the world who have personally discovered the 7th Continent, we understand the critical importance of conserving the pristine Antarctic environment and its associated ecosystems for future generations. This gives us a unique position to be an Antarctica Ambassador upon returning home.

I talked about how social networks are a great way to showcase interactions with penguins, seals and whales and how we experienced the natural beauty of the water, ice, and land. I argued that each of us can help the Antarctic Continent by becoming a spokesperson for the continent and all it has to offer.

However, with sharing comes an obligation. I talked about the importance of sharing only those images of responsible travel.

All expedition travel companies must adhere to guidelines of International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. For example, visitors must not feed, touch, or handle birds or seals, or approach or photograph them in ways that cause them to alter their behavior. So any images of animals shared on social media shouldn’t show unintended consequences that make it seem like a visitor is violating a guideline.

Now that I am one of the very few people who have presented a talk on all seven continents, I am turning to a new goal. I want to visit 100 countries or territories. I’m at 98 now. It will happen soon!

If you’re interested in going to Antarctica...

This 5% off is in addition to any other promotions Quark offers, like the $1500 air credit promotion on a selection of Arctic and Antarctic voyages.

I'd like to make it clear that I have no financial interest in people booking arctic or Antarctic travel via the code in this post. I worked with the good people at Quark to be helpful to them and to provide an added incentive to readers who might want to go. It was a life-changing trip for me and sometimes people just need a little push to do something they had always dreamed of.

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Stories From Smaller NonProfits: ISDD (Innovative Solutions for Disadvantaged and Disability)

2014-02-01T02:53:00.000-08:00

This is the 5th year of Diva Marketing's Holiday For Small Nonprofits Series.

During December we invite nonprofits into Diva to tell their stories in their own very special way. It's our hope that you might find a new NPO that touches your heart.

In between shopping, wrapping and checking your list twice, we invite you to take a breath and enjoy a few from the heart stories.

At the center of this season's inspiration for joy, is of course, the children. It's our pleasure the first story is from an organization, ISDD, whose mission is to improvie the the lives/health of children living in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage.

ISDD (Innovative Solutions for Disadvantage and Disability) focuses on practical projects that serve to improve the lives of children who are vulnerable to adverse health and developmental disabilities as a result of living in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage.

Our story teller is founder Leslie Rubin.

Doctor Rubin is a developmental pediatrician who is originally from South Africa where he learned about how health disparities in children were related to social injustice and has found the opportunity to make a difference for children in Atlanta and around the world.

The ISDD (Innovative Solutions for Disadvantage and Disability) Story

I have been working with children with developmental disabilities for many years and I have stared a number of programs over the years. The one that stands out for me is the Cerebral Palsy clinic that I started with colleagues at the Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital in Downtown Atlanta in 1998.

In 2002, with some funds from a family foundation, we did a survey of the 261 children we had seen in the clinic. As we expected they had a number of physical, medical and surgical complications but what struck us was the social context. We found that many of the children had been born prematurely to mothers who had smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol or taken drugs during pregnancy and that about half of the children were living with a single mother, about 30-40% with grandparents or in foster care, only a small percentage were living in 2 parent households.

This finding completely changed my view of children with developmental disabilities. I realized that developmental disabilities could be the result of social economic, educational, psychological and environmental factors and that the disabilities further aggravated the situation. Thus, I realized that these children then became caught up in what I termed the cycle of disadvantage and disability.

I then determined that I wanted to see what difference I could make in breaking that cycle and helping children lead more fulfilling and successful lives to become functioning and contributing members of society. Shortly thereafter, with the help of some friends, we formed the Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability.

Our very first program was, in fact, called Break the Cycle of Disadvantage and Disability, which invited students from different disciplines in different universities to develop projects to Break the Cycle.

Break the Cycle Students and Faculty

Our second project was to provide support for the grandparents who were caring for their grandchildren with disabilities – Project GRANDD.

Project GRANDD Grandparents Monthly Meeting

The 3rd program was developed to provide health care for children whose mothers had problems with substance abuse and had been homeless – Healthcare Without Walls – a Medical Home for Homeless Children.

Now, in December 2013, we have had more than 80 students from around the country through our Break the Cycle Program along with 5 international journal supplements and a series of 4 books; we have served more than 100 grandparents with more than 200 grandchildren between then in our Project GRANDD and about 150 mothers with their children through our Healthcare without Walls – a Medical Home for Homeless Children.

Project GRANDD Family Zoo Outing

We have recently changed our name to Innovative Solutions for Disadvantaged and Disability to better reflect what we do, and we look forward to continuing to develop programs that will help our society’s most vulnerable children have the opportunity to become successful and lead health fulfilling lives.

More From ISDD

Facebook ISSD Website

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Going to New Media Expo

2014-01-31T21:53:00.000-08:00

I’ll be attending New Media Expo in Las Vegas on January 4-6. For years, this has been a great place to meet people and get to know those you’ve only met from afar. I thought I’d lay out my intentions, and also make a few time slots available, if there’s some matching business to be had. Work for you?

I will be there representing my publishing and media company, Owner, where I serve business professionals by creating your curriculum for the future. I intend to cover interesting businesses doing great work. I intend to meet the kinds of business people who need to reach business professionals like the ones who read Owner.

If you’re doing interesting business stuff (and I really don’t mean social media and blogging as-is), I’d love to hear and talk to you about your business. If you’re trying to reach business professionals, then I most definitely can help with that, as well.

I’ll also very likely be representing a new project by a client of mine. It fits really nicely into my thoughts on trends for 2014 and beyond, and I’ve been working with them for a while to shape it into exactly what I think you’ll find really cool. More on that, if we get everything in place in time.

I’ll also be available to do a limited number of interviews for podcasts and the like, if we can keep them to no more than 20 minutes tops.

My parents, Steve and Diane Brogan, will also be around. If you really want to have great interview guests, you should meet a professional poker dealer (Dad), two great amateur poker players (both of them) and a rogue concierge who gives visitors to Vegas secret tours and amazingly fun personal experiences (mom). You’d get so much more out of meeting them than me, so ping @stevebrogan or @dianebrogan on Twitter to see where they are.

If you want to get in touch with me, I put together this little form, so I can have the info available easily. If you prefer a more informal meeting, I’ll see you in the halls sometimes. : )

The info on the form is private to only me.

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Grab New Rainmaker in iTunes …

2014-01-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

A big “thank you” to everyone who listened in on the first episode of New Rainmaker, and for all the positive comments!

Since so many have asked for it, I wanted to let you know that New Rainmaker has landed in iTunes As you can see in the image, we’re the #1 Business podcast — gotta say thank you again for that!

Now, those who subscribe by email get the audio, plus they’ll also get transcripts, written reports, videos, and webinars. But if you want to start with just the audio, iTunes is the way to go.

After you listen to Episode One, please consider leaving a rating or comment for the show. Ratings and comments are the main way that iTunes empowers listeners to “vote” for the shows they like.

It really helps, so thank you (one more time) in advance.

See you next week for episode two …

About the author

Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and CEO of Copyblogger Media. Get more from Brian on Google+.

View the original article here

Your Brand Is Meant to Answer a Question

2014-01-31T14:37:00.000-08:00

So many people are concerned with how to brand, what branding means to their business, whether they should brand at all, and more. Friends of mine are branding experts, have written books about the topic. I’ve written on it before, mostly from the perspective of personal branding. I was thinking about this today and wanted to share a perspective: your brand is meant to answer a question.

Apple means what to you? Elegance? Design? What does it do for you? Most people like Apple because it “just works.” What car did you choose? What does it say about you? What does it do for you?

The question of branding isn’t all that complicated. Answer it however you believe you can best serve the people of your community. But it’s the next part that’s difficult.

But the DELIVERY of the PROMISE of your brand is everything. Which airline do you like? Any of them? I like Virgin American, and I like JetBlue. I like Porter. That’s about it. Why? Because the other brands failed to deliver on the basics, let alone their promise. I can think of brands that I love because they are 100% tied to their promise. My Chevy Camaro is a powerful muscle car. That’s the promise. It delivers. My Moto X phone is geeky Android goodness and has a long battery life. (The promise with the Moto X is that you can customize it to be all about you. Fine by me, but I don’t care about that.)

So first, you have to answer the question. Then, you have to deliver on whatever you answered.

The promise of Owner magazine is that we improve your business by growing your capabilities and connections. Said simpler, “Business is personal.” That’s what I’ve created to be the promise behind that brand. To deliver on it, I will work every day to find ways to empower and enrich the community who gathers around the magazine.

So turn this on you and your business: what do you do for your buyers? And do you deliver on that promise? That’s the work of branding, in my not at all humble opinion. What say you?

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A Sobering Reminder That Authority Can Change the Course of History

2014-01-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

Editor’s note: This essay is one of three Second Prize winners of the Copyblogger Media Essay contest, for which writers had 250 words to discuss why it’s essential to be an online authority.

Wayne Wheeler knows a thing or two about authority.

Essentially erased from the public conscious, Wheeler led the Anti-Saloon League, an advocacy group that made possible the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.

Though he never cast a single vote for the amendment or its ratification, Wayne Wheeler used his authority to enact Prohibition.

How did he establish this authority? It started with content marketing.

By 1913 the ASL was printing “more than 40 tons of prohibitionist propaganda each month,” according to historian Daniel Okrent. This provided Wheeler with the scale that most pre-internet marketers lacked.

Wheeler might not have been the original content marketer, but he was a stunningly effective one.

Authority and singular focus allowed Wheeler to stand out among myriad competing voices.

Online marketers and entrepreneurs face the same issues today.

Small groups of every ilk try to change the conversation. Only the authoritative, focused, unique voices can find a space among the masses.

Those with influence, built with authority, determine the course of history. Wheeler used his to constitutionally outlaw alcoholic beverages.

Times haven’t changed much since the early 20th century. The means of distribution might have, but the general rules remain the same.

The value of authority increases exponentially amid the millions of voices on the internet. Affordable tools and free social media remove barriers to entry.

The only way to stand out, as Wheeler did, is to establish authority and gain influence.

Failure means screaming for relevancy among the masses.

As a Second Prize winner, Joe received a one-year membership to Authority. Previously, Grand Prize winner Anthony Sills received a lifetime Authority membership plus a ticket to Authority Intensive, the live content marketing experience we are hosting this May. You can read Anthony’s winning essay here.

And if you want more insight on how 270+ essays were whittled down to five winners, watch the Essay Contest Wrap-Up Hangout with Demian and Jerod. They highlight the specific elements of the winning essays that separated them from the pack.

About the Author: Joe Pawlikowski is the SEO marketing team leader at PushFire, a Houston-based internet marketing agency. In his spare time he reads, plays baseball, blogs at JoePawl.com, and can be found a-Twittering at @joepawl.

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Social Media - Courageous Miracles

2014-01-31T06:10:00.000-08:00

"We'll be known as the helpful store. The friendly store. The store with a heart. The store that places public service ahead of profit. The plan sounds idiotic and impossible...consequently, we'll make more profit than ever before."

Nope, it's not a new innovative social network strategy (that would be a miracle of miracles!). In the classic film, Miracle On 34th Street, Mr. Macy took chance on a different way to conduct business.

Customers would not be coerced into buying what they did not want; however, the real courage was if another store had a better or less expensive product Macy's would refer customers there.

Fast forward 66 years. It is now 2013, and as we close out this year, we face similar challenges of how to provide value for our customers. Technology can be the gift that opens the new digital door to an exciting way to build relationships with customers .. if we can be as couragous as Mr. Macy.

Pull off the pretty red bow and you'll find social networks with funny names like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest. It's a world where to succeed we have to go beyond a one-off sale to opportunities where three entities: company, employee and customer create the brand experience together. That takes courage.

The miracle of social media is its impact reaches beyond just one customer. Digital relationships with the people who are the heart of your brand, both customers and employees, can set off a unique chain reactions.

My favorite act of couragous miracle making this season is from the Canadian airline Westjet that surprised passengers with presents that they wanted (not swag from the airline). Video is well done and worth a watch.

Continuous listening -> learning -> understanding -> results in trust -> leads to loyalty -> leads to the cash register bells ringing. And every time a cash register bell rings a marketer gets a bonus or gets to keep her job (!) .. oops wrong film.

Corner grocery store digital relationships that are build not only with you and your customers, but among your customers and your employees could never have been imagined when Kris Kringle entered Macy's Santa Land in 1947. However, even as we approach 2014, for many organizations open conversations still seem like a Miracle on (insert organization name here) or like the ghost of Xmas future (oops wrong movie again.)

The plan sounds idiotic and impossible... consequently, we'll make more profit than ever before.

As we begin 2014, technology developments spin even faster taking digital business into areas that were impossible in '47 or '57 or even '2013.

Imagine a digital destination where you can include your review of the product, service or customer care that influences your or your friends' buying decisions.

Imagine a digital destination where you can talk to a brand employee who doesn't respond with a scripted answer.

Imagine a digital destination that allows for product and service customization.

Imagine a digital destination where you can start a conversation with a real person about what matters to you regarding a product or service.

Imagine a digital destination where you can actually help change the direction of a brand before it's even launched.

Imagine multiple digital devices from mobile to tablet and computer to wearable. How will you create unique content for all that is relevant? How will you respond on mulitple channels?

Imagine a digital destination where you can chat with people about their experiences and learn from each other .. in real time during your shopping experience. The result is smarter purchases.

Imagine an authenitc conversation, in real time, with your favorite actor, politician, author or reporter who responds to your comments not with platitudes but with thoughtfulness and courage.

Imagine an authentic conversation with your senior managmenet or an admired corporate executive where ideas are transparently exchanged.

Imagine an organization that works in partnership with its customers and employees to create a brand experience that is relevant, innovative and imaginative across multiple devices.

Imagine an organization that places its customers in the center of all decisions.

The plan sounds idiotic and impossible...consequently, we'll make more profit than ever before.

What a funny world we live in. It's interesting to compare a 1940's film, where finding solutions to customers' problems was perceived as unique, to 2013 where finding solutions to customers' problems is considered ingenious.

The techniques may have changed. New buzz words may be added to the mix. Bells and whistles may be a little louder. However, after all is said and done, the premise remains the same:

-Listen

-Understand

-Add value

-Do what it takes to go the extra mile to delight your customer

I believe that as we learn how to use social media it will change how we conduct business .. leading to creating an environment where people truly matter. And that my friends, is as courageous and innovative as Mr. Macy's Miracle on 34th Street.

The plan sounds idiotic and impossible...consequently, we'll make more profit than ever before.

And with that Max and I wish you a very merry holiday!

A classic Diva Marketing Holiday Post.

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8 Myths of the Zombie Content Apocalypse

2014-01-31T01:46:00.000-08:00

You’ve seen the conversation and heard the wild conjecture about the content apocalypse.

Let’s be honest. Marketing zombies caused this problem.

That’s right, you heard me. Marketing zombies.

Their undead shuffling has spammed the world with a ceaseless stream of bad posts, bad emails, bad white papers, and bad videos. Perfectly good marketers and writers have been bitten, turning into undead content machines, oozing black goop all over the interwebs.

You can see their moans all over Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

But the content apocalypse is just a cautionary horror story shared by marketers who are sick and tired of seeing their friends turn into zombies.

Here are eight of the most common myths shared by the zombie-fearing, spam-coated digerati:

Myth: The undead shuffle will turn people away from the horror show, forever swearing off all content.

Research shows that increasing smartphone and tablet use is translating into demand for more media viewing choices. People want new, fresh content developed specifically for the evolving media devices they are using. (Hat tip to Shel Holtz.)

Myth: The mighty anti-venom created by Google in the form of Penguin and Panda updates will become so strong that all blogs will die!

Far from it.

The more natural and unique your content is, the more likely normal people will enjoy it. And as a result, so will Google.

Many of Google’s updates seek to reward well-referred, natural content while eliminating link schemes and duplicate content.

Myth: The plague of marketing zombies will forever clog our Internet pipes. There’s no way we can send magic clubs into the ethernet and hit them all in the head!

The Copyblogger team (and extended family of writers) never subscribes to violence. We do, however, encourage unsubscribing from content marketing zombies. Try it, you might find your social network experiences are more enjoyable.

Myth: Our content can’t ever beat out the noise created by the marketing zombies!

Some of this is caused by people who have had success, but are no longer being read. Others perpetuate this myth after a short attempt at creating content.

The content zombies have attacked and are moaning out the same content! It’s time to fight back and differentiate!

Differentiating content that stands out requires a few distinct skill sets:

Creative approaches to media productionStrong headline writingNew takes on topicsExperience-based usefulness

These all work to make content special.

Myth: Without a well-known social personality producing content, we can’t rise above the moans!

Ok, this one’s definitely not true.

Influencer myths would have you believe that without a well-known blogger or established personality, you cannot create new content that will be read. Or, if you have one and they depart, you will sink into the zombie ooze.

In reality, readerships tend to be blood loyal to useful and entertaining content presented with undying consistency.

Readers share content and socially validate it with their friends and with search engines. If you have an established readership and you continue to produce great quality content without X personality, your content will still rise to the top.

In one case, I have a client who lost a well-known personality last year. We continued with blue chip writers who delivered pragmatic, useful intelligence week in and week out. Over the course of one calendar year, traffic literally quintupled.

Don’t believe the hype … you can beat the content zombies!

Myth: Native advertising is the only way to rise above the content noise.

Native advertising seems to be the way most corporate types move so they can become heard above the zombie din. In truth, consumers are confused by sponsored content.

When it comes down to determining effectiveness, one study shows that sponsored content only works when it has context for the reader. Paying doesn’t get you more results unless the content is specifically engineered to serve the reader.

By the way, content that is not native advertising also falls to the wayside if it is not entertaining or useful. Notice the pattern that is emerging?

Bad content fails, sponsored or not.

Myth: Customers won’t use our content to buy because they don’t trust it … thanks to all of the free black zombie ooze on the interwebs!

The more strategic your marketing program is in its design, from usefulness to value, the more impact it will have. Create “Rainmaker content” and your business will see outcomes. Create “me too” content, like spammy blog posts, and watch the black ooze pour out of your social media accounts while the red ink seeps from the bottom line.

Myth: Once you become a content zombie, you are forever infected and can never come back to humanity.

Whether it was Mark Schaefer’s originating content shock post, Shel Holtz’s passionate defense of content marketing, or our own Sonia Simone’s measured response, everyone focused on encouraging content creators to develop stronger, more differentiated products.

It’s never too late to improve content quality and stand out.

Are you running from the ooze, too? Let us know in the comments …

Image credit: Zombie Walk by Ciao Schiavo.

About the Author: Geoff Livingston is an author, public speaker and strategist who helps companies and nonprofits develop outstanding marketing programs. He brings people together, virtually and physically for business and change.

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Matt Cutts Declares Guest Blogging “Done” … Are We All Screwed?

2014-01-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

Matt Cutts went Richard Sherman on guest blogging today.

The gist of his personal blog post — entitled “The decay and fall of guest blogging” — is this:

Guest blogging was once an authentic way to reach people, but now it’s spammy, so we should all expect Google to start spanking sites that publish guest blogs.

In his words:

So stick a fork in it: guest blogging is done; it’s just gotten too spammy.

We publish articles from guest contributors here at Copyblogger. You may too on your site. You’ve probably written a guest blog post, or two, or ten. Are you screwed? Are we all?

No. But don’t take it from me.

Take it from the CEO, who tweeted this not long after Cutts’ blog post started making its way through the Twittersphere:

If you were running your site like a true media production, this whole "no guest blogging" thing would be even sillier to you.
— Brian Clark (@brianclark) January 20, 2014

He then expounded:

@MichelleDLowery There is no way @mattcutts is talking about online magazines with multiple contributors.
— Brian Clark (@brianclark) January 20, 2014

@MichelleDLowery My point being, treat it like a magazine, with quality standards, and you're fine. cc: @mattcutts
— Brian Clark (@brianclark) January 20, 2014

And finally, the ultimate lesson in all of this:

@joehall I agree with you. But why change the type of site you create because @mattcutts said something? Build quality no matter what.
— Brian Clark (@brianclark) January 20, 2014

Google fails as a search engine if it starts penalizing sites that deliver quality content just because that content happens to be in the form of a guest post. And we all fail as publishers if we follow a strategy of chasing hypothetical algorithm changes.

Quality will always win.

Guest blogging is not “done,” dead, or destitute. Have standards, do right by your audience, and play to win in the long term.

In short, don’t act like a spammer. And I think you know what that means.

Follow this simple rule, and you’re not screwed if you publish content from outside contributors. And you’re not screwed if you contribute to other sites.

Unless they suck. Unless they are the spammers. Then, yes, you’re screwed … but you didn’t need to hear from Matt Cutts to know that.

Matt updated his post with this:

Added: It seems like most people are getting the spirit of what I was trying to say, but I’ll add a bit more context. I’m not trying to throw the baby out with the bath water. There are still many good reasons to do some guest blogging (exposure, branding, increased reach, community, etc.). Those reasons existed way before Google and they’ll continue into the future. And there are absolutely some fantastic, high-quality guest bloggers out there. I changed the title of this post to make it more clear that I’m talking about guest blogging for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes.
I’m also not talking about multi-author blogs. High-quality multi-author blogs like Boing Boing have been around since the beginning of the web, and they can be compelling, wonderful, and useful.
I just want to highlight that a bunch of low-quality or spam sites have latched on to “guest blogging” as their link-building strategy, and we see a lot more spammy attempts to do guest blogging. Because of that, I’d recommend skepticism (or at least caution) when someone reaches out and offers you a guest blog article.

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My Goals Don’t Care

2014-01-30T17:29:00.000-08:00

When looking in from the outside on people who are successful (or who you take to be more successful than you), there’s a real risk that you might believe that it’s “easy for him” (or her). You might accidentally think that “well, they have all kinds of willpower.” You might believe “Well, they started out like me, but now every day is smooth sailing.”

Just like anyone else, I have days where attaining my goals is a struggle and a challenge. One difference between me and some folks is that I’ve worked very hard to translate my larger goals into a daily process. Because of this, I stay very intimately attached to how each day relates to my goals. You should know this, as well, though. My goals don’t care.

My goals don’t care if I really would like a slice of pizza. My goals don’t care if calling people on the phone to ask them for a sale is uncomfortable. My goals don’t care that I didn’t get enough sleep last night (that was my choice, or it couldn’t be avoided). My goals don’t care that I woke up in a bad mood and I’m saying lots of bad things to myself on repeat, like a chorus of evil. My goals don’t care that someone brought in cookies. My goals don’t care that someone is on the treadmill I prefer to use. My goals don’t care that I forgot my headphones at home. My goals don’t care that Game of Thrones is on. My goals don’t care that no one said “good job” to me today. My goals don’t care that I almost met the income goal this month. (Almost isn’t all that useful.) My goals don’t care that my kid puked so I had to pick him up from school, so there went my AM cardio and my day is super busy and…

Know who cares about that?

My excuses love to tell me that it’s okay. My excuses are thrilled when I miss the mark. My excuses want me to know that I’m still a good person, and that I did good enough. My excuses feel absolutely thrilled that I want to take a break. My excuses know that I really did put good effort in. My excuses say that six days in a row is really good. My excuses know that there are only 24 hours in a day.

Excuses are awesome that way. Too bad I don’t allow for them any longer.

I’ll tell you a weird truth: people often ask me what exactly I’m doing to get more healthy, or what I did to build my business. In almost 100% of the cases, when I answer, they lose interest. The answer, mostly, is in the work it requires to make the top list more prominent than the bottom list. And people just figure out quickly that they don’t want it that badly. Or so I’ve come to experience.

But that’s not everyone. Sometimes, people come along and really commit to this. They decide they’re ready to do what they say they will do, and they invest in the effort to do so.

Owners do that. Do you?

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Qdoba annoys customers with infomercials while they eat

2014-01-30T12:30:00.000-08:00

Web Ink Now: Qdoba annoys customers with infomercials while they eat window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )(); Web Ink NowHomeSpeaking TopicsSpeaking EngagementsRave ReviewsDavid's BioContact InfoBlog Archives « Adding context to content to create sales magic |Main| What to look for in 2014 »

December 31, 2013Qdoba annoys customers with infomercials while they eat

There’s a Qdoba Mexican Grill five minutes walk from my office. I’ve eaten there about 25 times since it opened. I like the naked burrito! (No rice, chicken, extra pico de gallo, guacamole.)

Today, there was an addition to the restaurant. A television playing infomercials! And the sound was competing with the music they were also playing. Really!

Infomercials? WTF!

In the roughly 20 minutes I was eating, I heard an infomercial for a skin product, for a business expense receipt management system, and for a cable television show.

In my photo is it telling that there are no other customers visible? Besides me, the other patrons were as far away from the noise as they could get.

Irony alert – one of the receipts shown in the infomercial for the receipt system was for Taco Bell, a Qdoba competitor!

Why would an executive at Qdoba (or the franchisee) choose to play nonstop infomercials in the restaurant?

Well, because they can. Why not, these geniuses think, make a few hundred extra bucks by installing an advertising network in the store.

Attention Qdoba: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should

This is an idiotic decision. Taking a few dollars to advertise to customers who are paying good money to eat at your restaurant makes no sense. Based on the price of my typical meal at Qdoba, I’ve spent over $250 at this location. I won’t be going nearly as often now.

Just because you can advertise your airline’s credit card through the plane’s loudspeaker while people are trying to sleep doesn’t mean you should.

Just because you have my phone number, it doesn’t mean you should interrupt me with a bunch of robocalls.

Just because I have a blog, it doesn’t mean I’ll take money to advertise on it (so stop asking me).

I hope Qdoba sees the error in showing infomercials in the restaurant. If not, I guess I’ll be going exclusively to Chipotle even though I have to drive there.

Posted by David Meerman Scott on December 31, 2013 | Permalink

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Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Interesting had not realized the mistake airlines make when they are advertising especially if they are not doing it at the right time.

So many people forget the guest experience. Last night I was watching as a spectator how something like that unfolded in front of my eyes. Even worst when they will affect customer experience for cents on possible dollars lost.

Posted by:Rj_c |December 31, 2013 at 02:38 PM

David, some advertising I can tolerate. But this "we think of you as our hostage" advertising immediately flags a company that is no longer deserving of my business. And if I can't tune out the advertiser, I give them a mental thumbs down as well.

One of our local Exxons blares the 'gas station network' (all advertising) *outdoors* while you pump gas. It's obnoxious. I have three other (now clearly better) gas station choices within 150 yards.

Another good example is advertising before movies. Showing previews is one thing, but advertising? We pay $22 for a movie and a drink, they delay the movie by 15-20 minutes with trailers, and they have the gall to force us to watch additional product advertising at eardrum-popping volumes?

I'm sure they've run the numbers, but I don't think they truly "get" that we have the much cheaper alternative of watching a movie in HD on a large screen at home. For a couple, it's $7 instead of $44. And no need to be a hostage.

Posted by:Andre |December 31, 2013 at 02:49 PM

Oooh ooh and taxi video advertising! Loud and obnoxious and right in your face.

Posted by:Andre |December 31, 2013 at 02:55 PM

Get, and turn the damn TV off. If it happens often enough, maybe they'll get a clue.

Posted by:qka |December 31, 2013 at 03:06 PM

Andre, I did the same thing with gas stations! I don't go to the one that plays that stupid network. At least with taxi TV, there is a mute button (at least in NYC).

qka - It is too high to reach at Qdoba unfortunately...

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |December 31, 2013 at 04:00 PM

Parallel Universe Qdoba Job Description:

Wanted: Customer Experience Manager with a lick of sense.

Inquire within.

Posted by:Tom Borgman |December 31, 2013 at 08:09 PM

Tom, ha! Nice.

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 01, 2014 at 05:49 AM

David,

First of all, Happy New Year. I'm excited to see what 2014 has in store for us.

Secondly, great point about putting ads where they don't belong, the airlines pushing their credit card in-flight is a great example (or how about the carnival barkers pushing credit cards in the terminal as your racing to catch a flight?)

The QDoba near me has a TV but they usually have sports on. Maybe the one near you just had a lazy staff that didn't change the channel from what was on when they were cleaning the dining room before opening? Did you ask anyone if you could change the channel to CNN or ESPN? As the customer, I always ask the bartender or waitress to switch the game they are showing if its not the one I want (and if no one else is watching what is on).

Just wondering if there is another side to this story (QDoba has an agreement to pitch infomercials) or if this store is acting alone?

Keep up the great work.

Sean

Posted by:Seancarp |January 01, 2014 at 08:44 AM

Hi Sean, No I didn’t ask. The entire idea of television of any sort anywhere is terrible to me no matter what is on so the only thing I would have asked for was to turn it off. But I stopped fighting that battle long ago. Maybe I should have asked.

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 01, 2014 at 08:56 AM

When I see this sort of thing I have to think that at some point there was a meeting of the marketing group, team or whatever. People sat in a room and signed off on this. Didn't anyone raise their hand and say, "What if this pisses the customers off? We should test it first." Geez.

Posted by:Greg McVeigh |January 01, 2014 at 01:22 PM

It's ok, Qdoba is only an alternative when you are tired of Nellio's!

Posted by:John J. Wall |January 02, 2014 at 07:13 AM

Greg - That's what I have been wondering.

John - Ha!! One issue with Nellio's is there is nowhere comfortable to eat. What's interesting about this TV thing is if Qdoba keeps it up then they will be take out vs take out and will lose my business because I liked being able to sit there. Ping me if you want to meet up soon for a burrito or Turkey Terrific!

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 02, 2014 at 09:17 AM

Interesting post David,

Before the holidays I asked one of my managers to look into this issue at our company. We run a network of primary care clinics in Ontario. Some of our clinics have signed on with a marketing company to supply tv's and news with ads running 12 minutes per hour.

Mostly just news running. But i doubt anyone has asked the patients if they mind. I'll make sure to have the admin team start asking for feed back.

Posted by:Stuart Trier |January 03, 2014 at 11:16 AM

Stuart - I think what you've done is a TERRIBLE idea. Patients are in a hospital to recover. They need quiet. I discharged my wife early from a hospital because her roommate watched TV 24x7 and my wife could not sleep. The nurse said it was the roommate's "right" to be able make unlimited noise! Ridiculous!

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 03, 2014 at 12:54 PM

What was Qdoba thinking? I would have been thinking, "WTH is up with that" if I was a customer eating in. Nice Post!

Posted by:Andre L. Vaughn |January 06, 2014 at 04:44 PM

David, your comment that just because you have a blog doesn't mean you'll advertise on it brings to mind the responsibility of spandex in public: just because someone can wear it doesn't mean they should. -Douglas Burdett

Posted by:ArtilleryMarket |January 07, 2014 at 11:30 AM

Andre - Exactly.
Douglas - Wow. In a strange way, that analogy works.

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 07, 2014 at 04:36 PM

I think this type of "violent" information should be put to end. Not only because it's just my will. Time has changed. People don't perceive such a way of receiving info. Plus, subjects who still does it bury themselves alive. Don't they understand that?

Posted by:Serge |January 11, 2014 at 03:57 PM

Serge, My guess is they are reconsidering TVs in the restaurants.

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 12, 2014 at 10:55 AM

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How Connections Really Form

2014-01-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

I had a great conversation with Kyle McGuffin about something he’s interested in, and in the process, I learned a few things about Kyle. He’s a loving father who really appreciates his girls. He’s a former national level athlete who represented his whole country in soccer. And he knows a lot of the same people I know.

Kyle’s last name, McGuffin, means something like an object or something that’s used as a major plot trigger. “What’s in the case? You’ve gotta return whatever’s in the case. Oh no! They’ve sent assassins to retrieve the case.” (The case is the McGuffin). He was surprised that I knew what the word meant (I learned it because it was a major favorite method of Alfred Hitchcock).

On all and any of these points (and a few more), Kyle and I were able to find connections and bonds. I have some enterprise technology background that connects us. We both have a passion for the digital channel.

What I left the conversation thinking was this:

Business, when done right, feels like a great conversation where we learn about each other, and where we finish it off by deciding to do it again sometimes.

This gets missed. It gets missed when we’re fighting to hit a number. It gets missed when we get rushed. It gets missed for myriad reasons. But that’s not how it has to be. HUMAN business is about making connections with the people you intend to work with that leave you feeling like you hope you know the person long after any actual business has transacted.

When you’re fortunate to serve the community you love, that’s what happens.

Now, imagine telling this to someone whose job it is to dial 25-50 people a day and book ten appointments. Imagine selling this mindset to a company who is watching its revenue get eaten on all sides. There’s nothing easy about pushing for a relationship-minded business core. And yet, it’s how things get done best in my experience.

Great talking with you, Kyle, and this post? Well, maybe it’s the McGuffin in our story.

Special thanks to Forbes magazine for naming Human Business Works one of the 100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs.

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Newsjacking Chris Christie

2014-01-30T03:40:00.000-08:00

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January 15, 2014Newsjacking Chris Christie

On Saturday, I presented at the Tony Robbins Business Mastery event in Palm Beach. The event was amazingly high energy! I enjoyed every moment I was there.

During my talk to the 1,000 enthusiastic entrepreneurs, I shared the strategy of newsjacking, the art of how to inject your ideas into a breaking news story and generate tons of attention for your business.

I always like to discuss the news story of the day, so I brought up New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the ongoing scandal surrounding the lane closures of the George Washington Bridge.

At the time of my talk on Saturday, I had yet to see anybody newsjack the Chris Christie story, but I put myself out there by predicting that Sports International Holdings, the operator of fitness centers including New York Sports Clubs, Boston Sports Clubs, Philadelphia Sports Clubs and Washington Sports Clubs would be among the first.

I shared their terrific newsjacking of Miley Cyrus, Paula Dean, Charlie Sheen, and Kim Jong-un as examples. (See below for images.)

Newsjacking Chris Christie

Today I saw it in my local Boston Globe newspaper. And it is pure brilliance: “Don’t worry Chris, our members stop traffic too.”

This ad works great because it doesn’t take the obvious route and focus on Christie’s weight. Instead it focuses on Boston Sports Club members looking good. Love it.

While newsjacking as I define it involves posting free content such as a blog post, video, or Tweet to get the attention or the media and your buyers for free, the technique works with paid advertising like this too because it gets people talking about your brand. This smallish ad (about 9 inches by 6 inches), will generate much more attention than a generic product based ad of much larger (and more expensive) size.

Over time, people like me come to expect these ads when a public figure ends up in the news and it becomes a big story. I was waiting for this and they delivered.

Oh, and these ads got me to join Boston Sports Club about a year ago. So they work to build business as well as awareness!

+++++++++++++++++++++
UPDATE 1/15 at 3:00 pm - Last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was this awesomeness now on YouTube. Bruce Springsteen & Jimmy Fallon: "Gov. Christie Traffic Jam" ("Born To Run" Parody)

UPDATE 1/16 at 9:00 am - The New York Sports Club Chris Christie ad is starting to hit the news. Here are WPIX-TV reporters talking about it. New York Sports Club piles on with new Christie Bridgegate ad.

Posted by David Meerman Scott on January 15, 2014 | Permalink

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OMG
This is so smart. Talking about branding and connection. LOVE IT!
Thank you for sharing.

Posted by:Howard Margolis |January 15, 2014 at 10:59 PM

Howard. Yes it is!

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 16, 2014 at 07:37 AM

David, I was at the Business Mastery seminar this weekend. You were great, really opened my eyes to some new ideas and possibilities in marketing.
Thank you
Frank Averill
Averill Electric

Posted by:Frank Averill |January 16, 2014 at 10:02 AM

Thank you Frank! It was a terrific event. Glad that my ideas got you thinking.

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 16, 2014 at 10:29 AM

Newsjacking can be and it actually is a great source of inspiration when there is no topics in mind. Add some creativity (connect this news to your content theme) and you'll get a perfect article.
Thanks for awesome samples!

Posted by:Serge |January 18, 2014 at 02:56 PM

Those are hilarious and great examples of newsjacking, David. Thanks for sharing and getting my creative juices going for some campaigns I'm getting started on!

Posted by:Megan Casey |January 20, 2014 at 09:09 PM

Megan and Serge - Glad you enjoyed! What I love about newsjacking is it makes marketing fun! Good luck with your own newsjacking efforts

Posted by:David Meerman Scott |January 21, 2014 at 08:30 AM

Did you also enjoyed the 7 forces of business mastery? Was Frank Kern there as well?

Posted by:Nguyen |January 24, 2014 at 05:29 AM

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Do Local Businesses Deserve Your Money?

2014-01-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

I sat at the counter at my local restaurant the other day and waited for over 7 minutes without anyone bothering to acknowledge that I was there.

And then I walked out. And so did my money. For good. In fact, I drove to McDonalds, got some scrambled eggs and an iced coffee, and was in and out of the system within the same 7 minutes. (You can save your comments with disdain for McDonalds. If you’re a parent, you go there, unless you don’t. Either way. It’s not the point.)

Now, before you try to defend this other place, no, it wasn’t busy. Yes, at least two employees had seen me, and frankly, I don’t much care. If I had been even greeted, I would have been able to tolerate the wait. But not even a hello.

By comparison, the Ale House and the Barking Dog (both local places) have trained their entire staff to greet anyone they see walking in, and wish everyone walking out a great day. You feel warmly greeted there.

Local equals local. For instance, there are many coffee shops around. One of the local coffee shops invariably has a huge line, and locals know to go there only if you have some extra time. The coffee is good, but not amazing. Are they extra kind there? No. Do they greet people? No.

The local Dunkin Donuts is faster. They’re not much more kind (I mean, they’re not unkind, but they just do what they do with little beyond the script). Is that good? Depends on what you want.

I went into a running store to pick up a windbreaker kind of thingy because evidently wearing a spring jacket means I will sweat like a prisoner. The guy who runs the shop remembered selling me my shoes (almost a year ago). That feeling, of being remembered, equals good to me. But maybe not to everyone. Heck, I once took a part time job at a local bookstore simply because the manager remembered my name after meeting me once ever (great person, by the way).

I’m writing in the Barnes & Noble, which means they get my $4.10 for the iced coffee I bought to “rent” my table. The places that sell ice coffee near my house don’t get that money because they don’t have enough room to sit, aren’t the right environment, lack wifi, etc. All just choices. But let’s talk about that with regards to YOUR business.

If you intend to be a local business, what will push people to choose you instead of the competition?

If you sell physical products, you don’t have to carry everything, but you have to be able to recommend everything, and be able to get it in fast. Any service you can add above and beyond the product becomes a reason to consider local. Knowledge trumps big box stores sometimes. I bought my windbreaker at the running store because I knew that the people in there knew about the product. Will someone at Target? Far less likely. Warm welcomes make everything better. I’d much rather give money to people who make me feel welcome and invited. I know this sounds “duh,” but pay attention next time you’re out and about. It’s a rarity to be welcomed and treated well. If you have a great story, sometimes that’s enough to sway one’s money towards you. There’s a farm where I like to get my vegetables and there’s usually a bit more “story” going on there in descriptions and signage and more, compared to my local grocery store. Being responsive and able to reply and able to offer customer service is one place where you can shine.

But it’s all a choice.

If you can add value, you can trump price or availability as a local business. It’s up to you to decide if that matters. The rest? Well, we can talk about that another time.

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