Waxing UnLyrical

Friday Roundup: Customer Service

Shonali Burke — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

TGIF, everyone!

Today’s roundup focuses on one of the most important aspects of any business, customer service. When it’s good, it’s great; but when it’s bad, it can spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for your company. Here are five posts looking at the importance of customer service (including its importance in public relations).

Image: larryc (Smile) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1. What You Don’t Want Me Thinking When I Buy From You

Why: Adam Toporek explains why a great product alone can’t make up for below average customer service.

2. On Falling in Love…and Public Relations

Why: A wonderful WUL guest post by Kirk Hazlett that reminds us that nurturing customer relations is a year round job.

3. How Stories Improve Sales and Customer Experience

Why: Daniel Newman discusses how emotional attachment plays a key role in customer retention and brand loyalty.

4. This Canopy Needed a Customer Service Safety Net

Why: Brian Vickery shares a terrible customer service experience that illustrates why customer service needs to be ingrained in every employee, and at every level, of any organization.

5. The 51 Best Customer Service Tips for Entrepreneurs

Why: The ultimate list of customer service tips, courtesy Mike Michalowicz.

How do you provide your customers with the best service possible? Are there any tips, tricks, or relevant material you would like to share? If so, do add to the comments below, you know how we love to hear from you!

Friday Roundup: Customer Service is a post from: Waxing UnLyrical

Author information

Shonali Burke

President & Grand Poobah at Shonali Burke Consulting, Inc.

Head honcho of Waxing UnLyrical, Shonali Burke is President & CEO of Shonali Burke Consulting, Inc. Based in the Washington, D.C., area, she loves helping for- and non-profit clients, both small and large, turn corporate codswallop into community cool™. She also loves ABBA, bacon, cooking, dogs, and Elvis. Wouldn't you like to be in her kitchen?

Friday Roundup: Customer Service

Thursday Roundup: Twitter Tips

Shonali Burke — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Social media platforms will come and go; but I truly believe that if any recent platform has had a dramatic impact on how we communicate, it’s Twitter. And even if it “goes away” at some point, what it’s taught us about two- and multi-way communication, not to mention brevity, is remarkable.

An admitted Twitterholic (or, at least, I used to be… I’m not on the platform that much these days, but it’s still my favorite), here are some fresh takes on Twitter, at least, according to me.

Image: Pasquale D’Silva [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

1. 6 Tips to Grow Your Twitter Followers

Why: From choosing the correct profile picture to using hashtags correctly, Daniel Sharkov, guest-posting for Jeff Bullas, provides practical advice to gaining more Twitter followers, if that’s what floats your boat.

2. 15 People Every B2B Marketer Should Follow On Twitter

Why: Yes, yes, lists are subjective. Eric Wittlake has an interesting take on this one, and shares his personal list of “hidden gems” on Twitter.

3. 18 Tweetable Twitter Tips for Newbies

Why: For those who are new to, or uncomfortable, using Twitter, this WUL post I wrote not that long ago has 18 tips… all of which are tweetable (wanna guess how much time that took?!)

4. Follow me on twitter…no, really…

Why: Bill Dorman explains his screening process for following accounts on Twitter, and how it helps make his live feed more manageable.

5. Infographic: How Twitter affects the stock market

Why: Jim Dougherty shares an infographic that gives us a fascinating look at how tweets can have far-reaching real world consequences.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these Twitter tips and maybe even learned a thing or two. If you have something you’d like to add, would you add it in the comments below, please? You know how I love to see you there!

Thursday Roundup: Twitter Tips is a post from: Waxing UnLyrical

Author information

Shonali Burke

President & Grand Poobah at Shonali Burke Consulting, Inc.

Thursday Roundup: Twitter Tips

Wednesday Roundup: Tips for Entrepreneurs

Shonali Burke — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Here at WUL, we’re huge fans of entrepreneurship. So whether you’ve already started your entrepreneurial journey or are considering taking the first step towards starting your own business, I hope you find these five articles – some recent, some not-so-recent but still relevant – inspiring and useful.

Image: Megforce1 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

1. Tales from the Field: Raising an Entrepreneur

Why: Entrepreneurship can start at any age. Autumn Thompson shares the story of her business savvy eight year old daughter.

2. My First Six Weeks as a Successful Entrepreneur, Part I: Liftoff

Why: Here on WUL, Dan Cohen shares the struggles he has faced as an entrepreneur and offers advice on how to overcome them. Don’t forget to check out Part II as well.

3. Trash talk: 5 business lessons from a 10-year-old entrepreneur

Why: As Ryan Hanley explains, entrepreneurship is a mind set that can be achieved at any age as long as you keep your eyes on the prize regardless of what others may think.

4. What’s Wrong with Today’s Entrepreneurs

Why: An insightful interview about entrepreneurship in today’s evolving business world and struggling economy, with Dan McGinn Senior Editor of Harvard Business Review.

5. The A to Z Guide to PR Entrepreneurship

Why: One of my favorite posts from last year, this is a terrific alphabet soup of tips for entrepreneurs, all the way from “A” (advice) to “Z” (zzzzzz’s), by Jackson Wightman.

We love to hear success stories of those who’ve gone into business for themselves and made it. Do you have one to share, or an inspiring post to add to the mix? If so, please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Wednesday Roundup: Tips for Entrepreneurs is a post from: Waxing UnLyrical

Author information

Shonali Burke

President & Grand Poobah at Shonali Burke Consulting, Inc.

Wednesday Roundup: Tips for Entrepreneurs

Tuesday Roundup: Dance Like A Chicken

Shonali Burke — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

If you thought that the Chicken Dance was reserved solely for county fairs and wedding receptions, think again. Today’s National Dance Like a Chicken Day. Amazingly enough, our fine feathered friends have more to do with social media then you may think.

Here are five articles from around the web that offer something to dance and squawk about.

Image: Michael Gäbler [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1. The Chicken and the Egg Social Media Conundrum

Why: Jay Baer applies the age old question to social media marketing.

2. How Chicken Poetry Is Helping KFC Recover From China Scandal

Why: Anita Chang Beattie demonstrates how KFC is using social media to revamp their public image after it was revealed that hormones were being used in chicken production. A couple of months old, it’s still an interesting read.

3. “K” is King in Brand and Company Naming

Why: In a terrific guest post for WUL, Donna Vincent Roa explained the importance of the letter “K” in branding, and why the word “chicken” is funnier than “rooster.”

4. The Chicken Dance and Social Media. More in common than you’d think

Why: Three years ago, Hilton Barbour opined on the similarities between admitting you love the chicken dance and the lack of actual dialogue between brands and customers on social media. Still a relevant read.

5. The Chicken Dance #sm4np

Why: Because no roundup with “dance like a chicken” in the headline would be complete without the dance itself. This was from Social Media for Nonprofits San Francisco a couple of years ago, and was led by Beth Kanter and Darian Heyman.

Did you have fun reading these posts? If yes, don’t forget to dance like a chicken today… it’ll brighten your day!

Tuesday Roundup: Dance Like A Chicken is a post from: Waxing UnLyrical

Author information

Shonali Burke

President & Grand Poobah at Shonali Burke Consulting, Inc.

Tuesday Roundup: Dance Like A Chicken

Monday Roundup: Blogging Tips from Around the Interwebz

Shonali Burke — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Happy Monday, everyone!

There’s a ton of stuff going on, so here at WUL we’re taking a short break from “live” blogging this week. That doesn’t mean how we can provide value to you isn’t still on our minds… it is!

So, in the spirit of education and the public good, here are are five articles that will provide you with blogging tips from optimizing your excerpts to increasing your readership.

Enjoy!

Image: By Cortega9 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1. Blogging Best Practices: How to Get More Blog Readers

Why: Shelly Kramer Breaks down the key focus areas including knowing your audience, keyword research, headlines, and marketing your post.

2. Optimizing WordPress Excerpts for Maximum Clickability

Why: An oldie, but goodie from the WUL vault that talks about the importance of human friendly excerpts to increase readability and SEO placement in Google searches.

3. SurveyAct – New Online Survey Tool for Small Business Owners

Why: Mike Allton explains how conducting a survey on your blog allows you to get to know your readers and can help you generate future content that they will find interesting and helpful.

4. 5 Ways to Ensure Your Blog Posts are Not Ranking on Google

Why: As Ian Cleary explains sometimes the best way to improve is knowing what not to do.

5. Where is Chuck Norris and other crucial social media questions

Why: Mark Schaefer rules! And this is a fun and interesting exercise that could ultimately provide you with some very cool blog headlines.

Are there any interesting, helpful, or fun blogging articles that you have run across this week? If so, please share in the comments below.

Monday Roundup: Blogging Tips from Around the Interwebz is a post from: Waxing UnLyrical

Author information

Shonali Burke

President & Grand Poobah at Shonali Burke Consulting, Inc.

Monday Roundup: Blogging Tips from Around the Interwebz