Join the growtoonists each Friday for a humorous take on marketing, social media, and current business events.

Mars Dorian describes himself as a creative marketeer with a moon-melting passion for human potential and technology. You can follow his adventures at www.marsdorian.com/

        

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By Maureen Hannan, {grow} Community Member

I found my voice as a blogger by borrowing someone else’s. Someone who doesn’t exist.

About 10 months ago, I launched Cupid’s Laboratory, a blog about the peculiar world of online dating. It’s a world I spent a couple of years navigating, and where I met a more diverse cross-section of my local single population than I could ever have anticipated. Professors and plumbers, athletes and artists, sous chefs and scout snipers. Oh, and a Fortune-500 CEO, to boot.

All of them looking online—and browsing endless profiles—for their next date, soulmate, or fling.

Since I had approached online dating with infinite curiosity and my favorite V-7 Pilot purple pen, I’d acquired an impressive pile of journaled observations.  Oh, I was just itching to share my nuggets of hard-won wisdom (and, of course, a smattering of awkward-first-date tales) with my fellow 40-something online pilgrims.

The creation of a new me

I had also compiled a fair amount of compelling, split-tested “market research” on how to outshine and outwrite one’s dating-profile competition. Yes, I was both strategic and hopelessly nerdy in my optimization tactics. Moreover, I couldn’t wait to shine my contrarian spotlight on all of the smarmy, sexist advice foisted upon women by “dating experts.”

And so, I adopted a pseudonym—just picked the name Gina Kerrigan out of the pre-caffeine ether one morning. After all, I have teen-aged kids. And what teenager wants to know about Mom’s online dating blog, for goodness sake?

Though the pen name sprang from my desire for privacy, it had an unexpected side effect. I found, as I began to post one blog entry after another, that a new, distinct writing voice was emerging. One that was livelier and bolder than the restrained, self-censoring reporter/editor/teacher I had spent a lifetime becoming.  Gina was too exuberant and too sassy to give a flip whether all her i’s were dotted and her t’s crossed.

Gina had already dated—and dumped—numerous would-be censors. My buttoned-up superego didn’t faze that vixen one little bit—if she even noticed her arching an eyebrow and shaking her head over in the corner.

And, eventually, that shush-ing librarian vanished altogether—probably to go haunt some aspiring novelist chewing anxiously on a pencil stub somewhere. For the first time in 35 years of writing stories, poems, essays, academic papers, and articles; I felt free to write whatever I most needed to say.

A writing transformation

Then something else unprecedented happened. I … well, actually, Gina … scored a handful of page-one Google rankings for sharing personal examples of successful dating profiles. Single gals who happened upon Cupid’s Laboratory while looking for Match or OKCupid “templates” began emailing to share their experiences. Many of their stories were deeply personal. Some made me giggle. One or two made me all verklempt. But no matter what the story, each woman who wrote seemed to trust Gina to empathize with her dating travails.

And to have the answers to her many questions.

How do I write a decent dating profile?

How do I keep the creepers away?

How should I respond when someone contacts me?

Is it possible to actually have fun with this whole weird online dating thing?

The dialogues that ensued — all centering on the big question of how to optimize the experience of dating online — led to a series of case studies in which I played a role that was half cheerleader, half writing instructor, for each brave volunteer. Those case studies taught me how to break the daunting e-dating process into manageable steps — and how to help others save time through systematic screening.

After seeing a few hundred downloads of a tutorial guide I compiled, an idea for a book series took shape (the first of which I am now feverishly writing). And I’ll be damned if it isn’t the most fun I’ve ever had as a writer. But even better than my happy evenings at the keyboard, I am getting inquiries from readers who are eager to know when Book One will be done.

I adopted a pseudonym because I wanted a private space where I could experiment with subject matter that was personal …and a little risky. I learned through my pen name how to sidestep my inner censor to focus on my readers. And as a result, I planted — with generous handfuls of reader help — the seeds of new books. Books so personal that only a made-up stranger could write them.

Writing as new person … how would that impact you and your approach to blogging?

Maureen Hannan (a.k.a., Gina Kerrigan) is the blogger behind Cupid’s Laboratory. She is also a freelance editor and writer who cheerfully applies her perfectionism to her clients’ manuscripts, blogs, and magazine assignments. Add Maureen to your LinkedIn network, or contact her at BellflowerMedia@gmail.com. If her alter ego is more your style, say hi to @GinaKerrigan on Twitter. 

Illustration courtesy BigStock,.com

        

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By Mars Dorian, {grow} Contributing Columnist

Since my early childhood, there has been a guy in my life that I can’t stand.

One day, he beat me up so bad I was crying before the whole Kindergarten. It happened again. And again. Meh.

When I left Kindergarten, I thought I was never going to see my enemy again.

But Lady Luck wanted to play another game with me.

Call it twisted destiny, but we ended up in the same high school. Worse, we even ended up in the same class. The war continued. Don’t get me wrong — he was sharp and creative, but his character and perspective were on the polar opposite of mine. Whenever we met, there was poison in the air, and world views clashed like gigantic Transformers.

But when the school age was over, he finally disappeared from my life.

Until one fine day…

Many years later, I met him on the street again.

Instead of ignoring him, I actually said hello, and we ended up in a coffee shop. Ever since that day, I still occasionally meet up with him. And I hate it every single time.

Huh?

Why would I be doing this? Am I some kind of pain-inflicting freak ?

Maybe, maybe not. The reason I force myself to meet him is because it pushes my boundaries.

In a strange, small way, it helps me write better content, make better products, and create better art.

I think that if you want to be more creative — and we all need to be — we should be willing to push our psychological comfort zones, or we’re going to end up as tomorrow’s online roadkill.

My “enemy” pushes me unlike any other person I know, and allows me to expand my creativity in untold ways.

Lessons I’ve learned from my enemy

1) Everyone’s right, everyone’s wrong.

I used to believe that there’s a right way to do it, and there’s always a wrong way.

A lot of peeps in the blogosphere still seem to think this way, judging from their content … “The only way to…” or,”Why you must…” (include apparent ‘need’ here).

Blah, blah. My “enemy” does a lot of things differently, and still boasts incredible results. He has a following, but he doesn’t use social media. He created a full indie movie and crowdsourced it, without the use of the Internet. The list goes on.

Just when you think you’ve found the “right way,” remember that somewhere on this planet, there’s someone who does the exact opposite and succeeds beyond your wildest dreams.

2) Focus on your competency

My “enemy” is a slow adopter, he doesn’t swoon for new technology.

I’m an ADD crow when it comes to new tools and trends; whenever I see something new and shiny, I want to spend lots of time on it.

But whenever I want to jump on the newest fad, he grabs my shoulder and asks “why?”

Reality check. I often end up using things that waste my time and take me away from my creative process.

Falling victim to trends can lead you far away from your core competency, which can result in ending up in a place you don’t want to be. A lost leaf in the wind.

When the world around you is sprinting in some new direction, it’s better to hold still for a moment and ask yourself: Why? Are you making progress or are you just mindlessly following the masses?

3) Ask for that slap in the face.

Not literally, unless you walk the S&M path. When I ask for feedback, my friends and family always paint honey around my face. It’s well-intended, but useless when it comes to improving my work. But my “enemy” never holds back.

When I show him my work, he engages all weapon systems. Whammo.

Of course, I filter out the useful feedback from the ranting, but it helps me. A lot.

For someone who doesn’t care about offending me, he sees and says things that I’ve never heard before. I get a whole new perspective and improve my upcoming work … by a lot.

Ask people for feedback that don’t care about you. The answer will be brutal, more honest, and most importantly, more helpful.

4) Back up your claims with data. Always.

When I argue with my “enemy,” I lose most of the time. The guy’s BS meter is effective, and whenever he sniffs out my claims that are not backed up with actual data, (ummm, all the time), he deconstructs me like I’m a Lego building.

Like many, I can be a lazy thinker and run on auto-pilot,  I may repeat information and opinion snippets from other blog posts and gossip, without EVER checking whether these facts had any validity to begin with. Meh.

Whenever you make an important statement, whether that’s in a speech or in your content, ask yourself whether you can back up it with true knowledge and facts. Somewhere in the audience, there’s an “enemy” with the BS meter running high, and s/he will call you out.

5) What’s good for you is not good for you.

We are comfort-seeking creatures. We want to surround ourselves with like-minded folks who ride the same wavelengths. Good? Bad. It results in a party of puppets — samey, samey thinking that stifles innovation. In order to escape the echo chamber, you must surround yourself with ideas and people you disagree with.

Inspired by my “enemy,” I met up with people from a Christian youth church. They even invited me to their weekly events. I don’t like religion, I never did. So, I had zilch interest in meeting up. But since I love to push my thinking, I accepted the invitation anyways.

The event was … quite an experience. In fact, I visited it multiple times.

I’m still not believing in God, but I do understand the believers much, much better, and I’m stronger for it.

What about you?

I don’t get invited to my enemy’s birthday parties or call him a friend. Never ever.

But I keep meeting up with him, because he pushes me, every single time.  Creativity doesn’t just come from things you like, it comes from experiences that push your (psychological) boundaries.

The medicine may taste bitter, but it’s just what the creative patient needs. Is it time to embrace your enemy?

Mars Dorian describes himself as a creative marketeer with a moon-melting passion for human potential and technology. You can follow his adventures at www.marsdorian.com/

Original illustrations by the author.

        

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Click here if you can’t see this video interview with Mitch Joel.

Mitch Joel has a new book out and it made me so damn uncomfortable!  It is an eye-opening, sobering view of what it is going to take to compete … not just in the future, but right now. And it’s not going to be easy.

Mitch is a brilliant strategist, visionary, and business leader and his new book, Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends on It, is brilliant too. It’s so … honest. Uncomfortably honest!

I was happy to catch up with Mitch and talk to him about the new release. Be sure to watch the insightful interview I have posted above to understand why Mitch thinks we are in a period of “leadership hell.”

In his book, Mitch emphasizes that we need to act NOW to adjust to five converging forces:

#1 – Direct relationships with consumers – The real opportunity of social media connection. Don’t abdicate the personal relationship to a third party or big box retailer!

#2 – Utility – We have too much of everything on the web. Be useful to cut through the clutter. He also features an all-time great case study for Charmin Tissue! If toilet paper can have a useful digital presence, can’t you?

#3 – Active media – Create media that provokes consumers to interact.

#4 Sex with data – Not just data mining. Data understanding,  This is what leads to discoveries and action.

#5 – One Screen Marketplace – It’s not three screens — marketing is only about the screen that is currently in front of your consumer at that moment.

As I mentioned, CTRL ALT Delete is unnerving in its scope but ultimately practical in that it provides solid advice on how to deal with these cataclysmic changes, both on a personal level and a business level.

Some of the urgent scenarios he presents seem daunting. That’s why you need to keep this book in front of you for the next 12 months as a reminder to “deal with it, deal with it, deal with it.” This is not some pie in the sky prognostication. It is already here, it is already happening.

We simply must adjust or risk obsolescence.  You see, Mitch is more than smart. He’s also right.

Disclosure: Book link is an affiliate link

        

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There was a lot of buzz on the Internet last week about a report and infographic from Manta.com stating that 60 percent of small business owners are not realizing a return on their social media marketing efforts.

The results of this survey were reported on

• NBC News
• Entrepreneur.com
• USA Today
• The Austin Business Journal
• Small Business Trends

… and dozens, perhaps hundreds, of blogs.

It took a little digging, but here is an example of why we need to take this kind of information with a grain of salt. The Manta research was not a national survey. It was not a representative survey. It is not a statistical extrapolation of the current state of social media.

This was a survey of 1,200 of Manta’s own customers.  And yet it is being reported as a national trend by the mainstream news media?

None of the news channels disclosed that this was a survey of the company’s site members. In fact, most didn’t even link to the survey. They just linked to the original USA Today article.

This survey is a mildly interesting data point, but if I were reporting on this press release from Manta, I would have wanted to know:

• How was the question asked?
• What was the response rate?
• Is that sample size representative and sufficient to forecast a national trend?

I have to give credit to whoever is doing PR for Manta. This is a relatively obscure small business site that is attracting massive press through their surveys and infographics. In a world of paralyzing information density, they figured out a way to cut through the clutter and attain incredible exposure. Here is what I take away from this case study:

1. Apparently anybody can dupe the national news media by creating provocative survey results and an attractive infographic.
2. If you can just dupe one national news outlet, you’re likely to dupe them all because nobody digs for the truth or even cares about the truth. They want to break a story fast with diminishing resources devoted to checking facts. So, they just copy the other guy.
3. Bad news sells better than good news. Ironically, the spin on the original press release from Manta was positive, focusing on the 40 percent of companies who were realizing measurable gains from social media. But the press turned it upside down because negative news attracts more readers than positive news.

So after all this, what is the truth?  Are businesses getting any benefit from social media marketing?

In a survey published just two months prior to the Manta research, The McKinsey Global Institute polled 4,200 executives and found that 72 percent of their businesses used some form of social media marketing and 90 percent of those businesses reported receiving business benefits from those efforts. The report has a detailed appendix explaining the robustness of its methodology that is more than 30 pages long.

Who do you believe?

        

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One of the things I took away from the recent SXSW conference is the frenzied search going on to find new ground for our marketing messages. The media landscape is a mess. TV, radio, and newspaper advertising are in a freefall. Online ad click-though rates are dropping. Nobody is quite sure how to master “native advertising” that cleverly embeds ad messages in content.

All the old “pipelines” for our content are drying up. So one viable alternative is to borrow somebody else’s pipeline.

Today, bloggers, podcasters, and home video producers are gaining consumer mindshare through their passionate and entertaining content. No wonder this is the new media gold rush — influencer outreach.

I have a 360-degree experience with this trend as I strategize with clients, advise agencies, and become a target for outreach programs myself. And what I see is not pretty.  Sure we have tons of content. We have lots of wonderful new alternatives to identify influencers. Now, what do we do about it?

I think the core competency that needs to develop is a mindset transformation from a “purchaser of ad space” to a “developer of relationships.” Here is a model to get you thinking about this in a new way.

There are three social media influencer pipelines available to us today … let’s look at what this means.

Celebrity

Think in terms of Kim Kardashian and the huge and rapt social media channel she has developed.

• Influence is based on “being known”
• No “rich” content like blogs necessary
• Enormous “pipeline”
• Endorsement is purchased
• Little or no true brand engagement
• Goal: “Image.” Certain brands may pay to access this pipeline just to be associated with this person’s image and lifestyle.

Influencer

Think in terms of a blogger like Chris Brogan who might promote products through their content, including products unrelated to his core business

• Influence based on authoritative, original content and social proof of a large following
• Brand content may be sponsored (purchased)
• Large, engaged “pipeline”
• Limited brand engagement, i.e. probably no organic advocacy exists without sponsor dollars
• Brand goal = “Awareness”

Advocate

Think of a content creator who creates passionate videos about their favorite fashions and shopping experiences.

• Influence based on passion and authority
• Targeted, relevant “pipeline”
• Authentic content
• Organic, unpaid advocacy
• High brand engagement due to true belief in the product and company
• Goal “Drive word of mouth attention and sales”

All of these “pipelines” are legitimate options depending on brand strategy but in a short blog post, I can only cover this on a very high level!

Obviously there are many complications and nuances to this general idea. For example, as the diagram above indicates, there can be overlaps. An “influencer” like Chris Brogan can also be an authentic advocate (and he often is).  An advocate can also be a celebrity, of course.

Arguably somebody like Seth Godin could fit in all three categories — he is a celebrity often featured through the mainstream media, he is a content-based influencer, and he goes out of his way to authentically advocate people and products he believes in, without compensation.

The transformational challenge

I think one implication of this development is that there is still an opportunity for quick “advertising” opportunities but many companies and agencies should also be thinking about a more holistic approach to their outreach efforts, including the patient and hard work of developing authentic, long-term relationships with advocates.

These connections are not established through money, sponsorships, and endless streams of infographics. They only occur through authentic helpfulness and genuine personal connection. This requires a change in approach from “buying space” to “earning hearts:”

        

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Join the growtoonists each Friday for a humorous take on marketing, social media, and current business events.

Joey Strawn is a social media strategist who loves enjoying a good book and then drawing in it. Check him out on Twitter: @joey_strawn

        

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Of course many of us in the social media space were focused on the interface improvements on Google+, but the company also announced:

• It is re-charging the crucial Maps effort, including graphics, animations, and local landmarks
• Partnership with NASA on a new quantum computer laboratory to study artificial intelligence
• A host of specialized apps for Google Glass called Glassware, including alliances with Evernote, CNN, and Elle
• A new free photo storage system that gives you an option to let Google select, tag, and improve your photos for you
• A Spotify-like streaming music feature called All Access.
• Significant enhancements to Google Now, a competitor to Siri.

I wanted to stand up and cheer. In fact, I did stand up and cheer. What amazing stuff!

So you might be surprised when a reporter asked me how this will help Google+ win customers away from Facebook and I answered “It won’t.”

Arguably Google+ already had a better interface than Facebook. So why would an even spiffier interface make a difference? It’s not about the interface. It’s about psychology.

In life, we enjoy having choice most of the time. We like picking out a car or a breakfast cereal from a long aisle of choices. But on the web, we don’t want choice. We only have the psychological bandwidth for one Twitter, one LinkedIn, one YouTube. And yes, One Facebook.

Moving from Facebook is not like switching to another website or even another wireless carrier. It’s switching a lifestyle — and that is very, very difficult to get people to do.

According to research from the Social Habit, 80 percent of Americans between 12 and 24 have a Facebook account and are active at least every other day. That is incredible market penetration. Facebook is the largest media entity in history. And their user interface is terrible. Their record on privacy is terrible. Their ads are annoying. None of that seems to matter, right?

What Google does not seem to realize is that they do not have an interface problem. They have a marketing problem. They need to be spending tons of money to connect to “the cool kids” creating influence and lifestyle choices in junior high and high schools. They need to make Google+ teen-fashionable, not more like Pinterest.

I absolutely love what this company is accomplishing. To a large extent, they are creating our future. I’m just not sure if or when Google+ is going to be part of it on a mass scale.

Now I know there are a lot of passionate Plussers out there ready to skewer me in the comment section. That’s OK. All I ask is that instead of focusing on how much you love G+, let’s focus on the concept of platform adoption. Are these changes enough to get Google+ to “tip?

        

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By Ian Cleary, {grow} Contributing Columnist

Part of my daily routine is going to the gym. The gym is a chance for me to think about what I’ve delivered that morning, plan out my day and dream about potential ideas for my business.

In the world of social media it’s important to step back and review what you have done and implement changes on a regular basis. And maybe, just maybe, it’s time for a makeover.  Here are five cool tools you can use that just might deliver some new “oomph” to your social media efforts:

 1.  Ignite Facebook Fans

On average only 16 percent of your fans see your Facebook updates.  Suck!  This is a well-known number but something you should completely ignore because there’s no reason why you should be average!

But even if 50 percent of your fans see your Facebook updates there’s still the other 50 percent that don’t see them at all. And on top of this are they actually reading them? How often do you read all the updates on your Facebook page?

One strategy for ensuring more of your fans see your updates is converting your fans to eMail Subscribers.  This means you can communicate with them over both channels and have a better chance of reaching them.

You can add a customized application to your Facebook page with a provider such as Heyo, Tabsite or a run a competition using Shortstack and start building those email subscribers.

2. Measure Conversion from Social Media Traffic

Social media is not necessarily all about sales but I’m sure you’d like to see some action from the updates you make.  This may be visits to your website where you get people spending time there, subscribing to your email list or buying your products or services.

If you set up goals within Google Analytics, Google will start tracking social media activity for these goals.  If you go to the traffic sources section of Google Analytics, select all traffic and then select the relevant goal you can view the conversion rate across any channel.

The goal set up in this report is related to getting email subscribers.  From the image above you see that there is a 2.50% conversion rates from LinkedIn and 1.90% from Facebook.  This gives you a goal to achieve higher on both channels.

If you don’t have goals set up in Google Analytics or an equivalent analytics program, then consider doing so as soon as possible!

3. Easily Optimize Your Content for Google 

If you have a well-established blog with a large amount of traffic, you may not be too concerned about optimizing your content for Google.  But if you want to get additional traffic and you want to ensure that it is relevant, then it’s important to help Google index your content correctly.

When writing blog posts there is a very useful free plugin called WordPress SEO which gives some guidelines that you can  follow to optimize the content.

Using this plugin you specify the focus keywords you want Google to rank you on and then it then gives an indicator where these keywords are mentioned in the post in areas that are relevant for Google.

If you don’t have WordPress you can still identify focus keywords and make sure they are included in relevant areas as indicated in the image above.

4. Capture the Attention of your Website Visitors

What are you doing to capture the attention of your visitors when they come to your website?

Do you use popup’s, clear calls to action, a bar that appear across the top of the screen?

By getting your visitors attention you can get them to take action. Lead Converter is a useful tool for capturing attention.  You can test out a banner that appears across the top of the screen, popup’s, boxes that slide out at the bottom the page and more.

If you had a free guide you could show a banner across the top of your screen after a visitor is on the page for a certain time.  This captures the visitor’s attention like this:

The conversion chart will show what conversion you get from this and in this example it’s 2.11 percent. A conversion in this case is someone that clicks the “Yes, please” button and signs up as an e-mail subscriber.

2.11 percent is OK but not what I want so more testing is required.  Think about how you can attract attention of visitors on your website to achieve your goals.

5. Start Using Slideshare

Slideshare was initially developed as a tool for sharing presentations but has since expanded out to videos, documents and much more.  When you create your blog post it’s useful to consider where else you could promote this post.  By changing your blog post into a presentation you could share it on Slideshare.  This is very much a B2B platform so if you are targeting the business community Slideshare is ideal.

When you share out a presentation on Slideshare it’s indexed almost immediately so straight away you can start getting visitors.  Just make sure you consider what your ‘focus keywords’ are when sharing out content to help Google index it correctly.

If you are interested in Slideshare a good starting point is Todd Wheatland’s book on SlideShare.

These are just five improvements you could make today for an almost instant social media makeover.  Let us know your thoughts and please share any improvements that you would suggest.

Ian Cleary is founder of Razorsocial, a website that provides sharp insight on on social media management tools.  Follow Ian on twitter @iancleary

        

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• By: 5 Tools For a Social Media Makeover – Profitable Social Media X by 5 Tools For a Social Media Makeover – Profitable Social Media X
• [...] Five tools to help with your social media makeover by Ian ... by Top 10 Social Media Marketing Articles Of This Week (May. 11 – May. 17)
• Hi Ian, would also love to see you add FanBoom to the list. ... by FanBoom
• Hi Guys, we're always interested in checking out more tools! Ian by Ian Cleary
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Recently I was interviewed by my friend Elizabeth Sosnow and she asked me about an observation in Return On Influence: “We create content … but in a way, content is also creating us.”

It had been a long time since I thought about this and I thought it was timely to reflect on this powerful concept. I think my friend Jason Falls put it very well when he stated in the book:

“Before the social web, there was always a ceiling or a velvet rope – a limit to where you could go with your influence unless you were somebody famous. Now anybody can be heard. Social media and the Internet makes it possible for every person to be published, find an audience, and become influential.”

Let’s face it, most of the people making an impact on the social web today would not have been heard from even a few years ago, including me. Yes, I create content. But as you see, content is also creating me.

A few months ago, I was cornered at a conference by a lady who kept telling me, “You’re a rockstar! You’re a rockstar!” I realize that “celebrity” is something that exists in a person’s head and there is nothing I can do about it, but this kind of stuff makes me very uncomfortable. I’m no rockstar, trust me. This is a perception … a creation … manufactured entirely by what I publish.

And while I am occasionally unnerved by both the positive and negative extremes of fandom, I realize how very fortunate I am to live in a time when my voice can be heard and I can truly have an impact on a global audience.

And you know what? You can have an impact, too.

If you’re not using this amazing, historic opportunity to publish, you’re missing out on one of the greatest technological gifts of our generation. Free publishing tools. Access to the world. The ability to connect with people nearly anywhere.

If you’re not a decent writer, try video blogs. If you don’t like video, start a podcast. If you don’t want to commit to podcasts, how about slide presentations on Slideshare, or even photographs on Instagram?

This is Jason’s time because he found blogging and committed to it. This is my time because I have the courage to create conversational content.

If you haven’t become a content creator, what are you waiting for? This is your time too! What are you going to do about it?

        

Comments

• Pleasure is all mine sir Mark! by umer hafeez
• By: We Create Content, and It Creates Us | SocialMo... by We Create Content, and It Creates Us | SocialMo...
• I am continuously amazed at the people I've met and the ... by Beth Browning
• Keep at it. It does take a lot of patience and hard work to ... by Mark W Schaefer
• That would be great. Would love to see you! by Mark W Schaefer
• Plus 5 more...

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