About six months ago I started a blog for myself. I focused on health, nutrition and eating right. www.nicoleonthego.com It was a lot of fun for the first few months, then the “burn out” came.  After reading an article posted by Scott Hepburn on mediaemerging.com, I came to realize that I was going about it all wrong. I had thrown myself into blogging a couple times a day, adding followers on Twitter, subscribing to any blog that was even semi-related to mine and tried to comment on any blog I could. Not a good idea. I had no strategy going into it and therefore, I struggled.

I plan on continuing my blog again fairly soon but I’ve learned my lesson and I’m going to follow some of these tips next time.

1. Review Your Blog Subscribing Habits. Notice I didn’t say subscribe to more blogs. Some people need to follow fewer blogs so they can be more focused and attentive. If you’re not subscribed to any blogs, you might want to find a few to follow. The goal is to be a thoughtful and meaningful contributor as a reader and commenter.
2. Link to Other Blogs in Your Blog. This is one I screw up all the time. Your blog posts may be brilliant, but if you don’t link out to others, you’re walling yourself off. As the characters of LOST always say, “Live together, die alone.” [One tip: Outbound links should be threads of a conversation, not linking for linking's sake. Relevance is king.]
3. Share Posts That Inspire You to Comment. Your Twitter followers probably appreciate when you share links to good content. If a post is so compelling you’re inspired to comment, your followers will savor a chance to read and weigh in, too. If it’s worthy of a comment, it’s worthy of a tweet. You don’t have to say “I just commented here” — you can, but sometimes a simple link’ll do.
4. Invite Others to the Conversation — One at a Time. Here’s another one I struggle with. Tweeting a link and asking followers to weigh in is good…sometimes. But I love it when somebody shares a fascinating post and tags me, specifically, to ask me to join the convo. It says “I know you, I pay attention to you, and I know what issues you care about.”
5. Email Your Favorite Bloggers. Email is a powerful way to say thank you. Why? It’s intimate — one-on-one. And it’s private, too. Sometimes a “thank you” in the public comments feels a little…I dunno…theatrical. Send your favorite bloggers an email to say “I appreciate you, even when I don’t have your audience’s attention.”
6. Give Your Commenters the Publicity They Deserve. Did one of your readers leave an AWESOME comment? Tweet about it! Tell your followers to check out that person’s comments, and mention them by name in the Tweet. They’ll love the pimpin’, and your followers may make a new connection.

(Source: www.mediaemerging.com, Scott Hepburn)

I remember getting the initial Facebook invite my Junior year in College, which would have been 2004. It came 2 weeks after a mass e-mail from my University for all students to logon to Faceboook and click “suggest a school”. Many people today don’t realize Facebook, at first, was very exclusive. They only allowed students from certain Universities to join and they were very selective about the next allowed student body. Today, every Tom, Dick, and Harry has an account, which to some is great, but to others its bad.

The Good:

It’s a great tool to keep in touch with classmates, old high school friends you haven’t seen in 20 years, and family members. Pictures, status updates, direst messages, wall posts, and birthday reminders all help you stay in contact and updated with friends.

The Bad:

Now that it’s open to the public every Tom, Dick, and Harry have an account. I get random requests from people who’ve never met me, have met me once at a networking event, and are 40 years older than me. I try to be polite and accept everyone, but my Facebook account has gone from college friends to a mix of business and pleasure. I don’t want to offend anyone, so I accept 97.8% of friend requests, unless it is a really far out request from a random creeper.

The Ugly:

Invite overload! No, I do not want to join your fan page for the 100^th time. No offense, but I like to actually support the companies, groups, bands, and/or products that show up on my fan page listing. There is no need to ask me 10 times in a period of 4 weeks to join your group or business fan page.

There’s so much going on online these days that it’s virtually impossible to keep up with everything. Your coworker might write 5 blogs a week and get into conversations on Twitter and Smaller Indiana all day. Just because you can’t or don’t have time for that doesn’t mean you’re behind or missing out on anything.

Too many people worry that they aren’t “up-to-date” and completely fluent in all the social media tools and therefore their personal brand and company will suffer. That’s where I think a lot of people and businesses are mistaken.  I’m not saying that social media isn’t important, because it is, and I enjoy it. However, for those of you who don’t have a Twitter account or don’t know how to set up your own blog, don’t worry.

It was best said by David Griner “Social media isn’t about adapting who you are to better suit the newest technology. It’s about adapting the newest technology to better suit who you are.”

Have fun with social media and use it to best suit YOU!

We’ve all heard the expression “People have to be touched 3,4, and even 5 times before they are willing to buy from your company”. How on Earth are you going to do this without one, going insane and two, breaking the bank? I’ve comprised a system of 6 easy, non-expensive touches to help compress the sales cycle after you meet someone.

Touch 1: Meeting Someone

The first step is meeting someone. At a networking event, through a friend, at a social gathering, however you meet them is fine.

Touch 2: Follow-up E-mail

The second step is to send that person, preferably the same day, but no later than 48 hours after the initial meeting, a “nice to meet you” message. This message should include ways that they can connect with you, maybe through a twitter page, linkedIN profile, or blog. For my follow-up message I invite people to my monthly marketing seminar. Also ask them if they would like to be included in the e-mail newsletter. Assure them that you will not spam them, tell them (which I hope you do) that your newsletter provides value and isn’t all about what your company can sell them.

Touch 3: Newsletter

Hopefully they have agreed to allow you to send them your newsletter. Make sure they are added to the list by the time the next newsletter kicks out.

Touch 4: Find Them On A Social Network

An easy “Let’s Keep In Touch” is to find your new connection on a social media site such as LinkedIN or Twitter. Be careful about adding someone immediately on Facebook. I like to keep my Facebook profile geared more towards my personal life, not professional.

Touch 5: Free Seminar

Find something you can present on to offer your new contacts a reason to come listen to you give value to them. For me, it’s marketing. I put on a monthly marketing seminar which allows people to listen to me explain new marketing tools like social media and field questions they’ve been looking for answers to. It shows them I do in fact know what I am talking about, provides another touch, and gives value to them.

A Bonus Touch: Referring them to someone

If you know of someone your new contact is looking to meet, go ahead and make the e-introduction. Yeah, you’re helping them out, but you’re also providing another reason for them to remember your name the next time someone they know needs your services.

So for the cost of going to a networking event and running an e-mail campaign I have now touched a new contact 5 times in the matter of 4 weeks. They know who I am, we’re conversing on a social media platform now, they’re receiving my newsletter, and they have now allowed me to share my expertise and answer questions without hiring a marketing consultant.

The people behind Foursquare, I believe, have a hint of marketing genius. For those of you who are not familiar with Foursquare, it’s a location service-based social network-come-game. Basically, what it does is tell your friends where you are any given moment; such as your office, a restaurant, movie theatre etc. Right now, it’s just a game and a point of silly fun but it has potential to be a huge marketing tool.

According to Scott Hepburn of Mediaemerging.com these are just few of the possibilities.

Location-Based Offers: Imagine checking in at Starbucks and receiving an offer for a free coffee with purchase of a scone, or a coupon for 10% off at the neighboring bookstore. As a marketer, Foursquare could let you hyper-target your message to consumers at the precise moment they’re in your proximity.

Behavior-Based Offers: If you check in five times a week at McHooligan’s Neighborhood Pub, you provide valuable behavioral data to marketers. Expect a message (Promotion? Thank you note?) from Mr. McHooligan, and maybe an ad from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Shareable Promotions: This isn’t just mobile media — it’s social media, too. Foursquare could offer advertisers the option of letting you share a promotion with your friends. Think of it as a reward you can pass along, making your friends love you even more.

Loyalty Rewards: It’s nice to imagine all customers are equal. They’re not. Not to marketers, anyway. The customer who checks in from my place of business (and presumably spends money) most will be rewarded with better offers. Being Mayor has its perks.

I’m not a Foursquare user, but I do find the marketing aspect of it very intriguing. To all you users out there, have fun and hopefully one day all your visits to your favorite restaurant of coffee shop will pay off.

One of the reasons that I tell people why I love my job is the fact that I get to meet and learn about interesting people. It’s a pleasure to learn about what makes people get up in the morning and love what they do, all the way from a concierge to a patent and trademark designer. I’m always intrigued that someone can get up in the morning and absolutely love what would be considered boring to others.

I love running creative agency, but not for the reasons some would think. I don’t live and breathe design. I like design, a lot, but I don’t sit in front of the computer on the weekends and design just to design. I enjoy growing the business, meeting new people, pitching proposals way out of my league and trying to get them, and trying to outdo last month’s sales, productivity, and growth. It’s fun. It’s what gets me going.

So I ask, what motivates you? Are you motivated by your skill/craft? Building a strong business? The glorious paycheck when it’s all said and done? Or, are you stuck in a position that doesn’t motivate you? Maybe it’s time to finally take a leap of faith and start a business, or make a career change?

10 Reasons Every Business Should Not Only Have A Website, But A Good One.

If you’re like most business owners you battle back and forth with the famous question, “Why on earth do I need a website?” Fun question, huh? The answer without a doubt is yes, but it doesn’t stop there. Having a website is one thing, but having a good website is a whole different story. This article will explore and explain 10 (there is more than 100) reasons why everyone should not only have a website, but a good one.

1. Easy to Navigate.

Have you ever been given horrible driving directions to someone’s house? I bet you were frustrated when you took wrong turns, were confused on which way to go, wound up at the wrong house, and as a result showed up late. Well, website navigation is no different than driving directions. Make sure you website is easy to navigate!

Helpful tips:

1. Make sure all of your links work.

2. Do not make a visitor click more than twice to get to important information.

3. Place a home button on every page so your visitor can easily get back to the main page.

2. Do not use clip art.

Ok, clip art went out with bellbottoms. Yes, it’s that old school. You are running a business and you need to look professional and clip art doesn’t do it for you. You will instantly lose credibility when a visitor loads your site and is presented with clip art.

Helpful tips:

1. Uninstall clip art from your computer just in case you are tempted to use it.

2. If you can’t create professional graphics, hire someone who can. It will do wonders for your image.

3. Do not use every color in the Sherwin Williams paint deck.

Painting each room in your house a different color is one thing, but using every color of the color wheel on your website is another. Be consistent with your color scheme. If you choose blue and grey, stick with it throughout the entire site.

Helpful tips:

1. Use colors that are easy on the eyes. Stay away from bright background colors like hot pink and bright yellow. You will blind your visitors. No one should have to wear sunglasses while looking at your site.

4. You’ve got 10 seconds. Don’t waste it on a flash intro.

Some “experts” may disagree with me on this topic, but if you only have 10 seconds to impress a visitor, why would you make them wait or jump through a hoop to see your important information? Exactly, you wouldn’t. How impatient do we get when we have to wait for something? Don’t do that to a potential customer they will leave your website before getting to the “good stuff”.

Helpful tips:

1. When a potential customer types in www.yourdomain.com it should go straight to the home page where they are greeted with the important information they came to find.

2. Save your money and put it towards marketing your business.

5. Easy DJ, this aint no disco.

Unless you are a band*, do not put background music on your website. But Marsh has background music when you shop, why can’t I provide soothing jazz to entice customers? To be honest, it’s annoying and distracting.

*If you are a band, make sure your fans can mute the music.

6. Where do I sign up?

Always offer your visitors the ability to sign up for some type of newsletter, coupon feed, and/or e-mail updates. If your visitors are interested in more information a “sign up for more information” form is a perfect way to capture those interested visitors and turn them into future customers.

Helpful tips:

1. Place your form on every page.

7. How does it look now? What about now? And now?

Your website needs to look and function the same in ALL web browsers. Yes, there are more browsers than just Internet Explorer and your website must look and function the same in all of them. What looks great in Internet Explorer might not look so great or even function properly in Mozilla Firefox.

Helpful tips:

1. If you are hiring someone to design your website make sure you tell them (a good designer will already have this covered) that you want proof the website works in all major browsers.

8. Provide contact information on every page.

You’ve got them interested and they are reaching for their phone to place an order, but wait, they can’t find your number! Make sure you have your contact information on every page so customers can easily find how to contact you to place that order.

9. Slow and steady doesn’t win the race.

If the children’s story were re-written for the Internet, the rabbit would have won. Make sure your website doesn’t take years to load. Better yet, make sure it doesn’t take minutes. Remember the ten-second rule with the flash intro? The same applies with general load time. Your visitors will find a faster way to find the information they are looking for and chances are it will be from a competitor’s website. You just lost a sale because your website loads too slow.

Helpful tips:

1. Large images, a plethora of pictures, and flash movies slow down load times.

10. Too much clutter.

I’ve heard it a million times “Will, I just have so much information to share. I want to post it all on my website.” Our lives are surrounded by clutter and we don’t need one more website with a billion pictures and information to add to our cluttered lives. Keep your website simple and clean and your customers will thank you. Think of it like this, how often can you find that shirt your love to wear in your cluttered closet? How nice would it be to open the closet and find that favorite shirt hanging right in front of you? Think clean closet before loading up your site with information.

Creating good websites isn’t rocket science. It just takes a little bit of common sense. A good way to discern what is good and bad is to think about what annoys, frustrates, distracts, confuses, and overloads you the next time you visit a website.

1. Get Listed- Unless your famous (which contrary to your own beliefs, you’re not) chances of getting listed on Twitter’s suggested user list when a new account is created, but Twitter has now allowed users to create their own lists which allows someone to group people they are following by a common theme. For example: “Indianapolis Business”, “Marketing People”, “Inspirational”, or “Celebrities”. The more lists you’re on, the easier it will be for others to find you.

2. Follow Others- When you follow people, chances are they’ll follow you back. Use this advice with caution because if you follow 2,000 people and only 4 people are following you back, you’ll look like a spammer making it harder for new people to want to follow you. My advice is to try to have an even number of followers for the amount of people you are currently following. If you stumble on a gold mine of people you’d like to follow, only follow 25-50 new people at a time.

3. Talk to People- Twitter posts are public, so the more active you are, the better your chances of being seen by others. Look for users with common interests and post a message directed towards them. If someone talks to you, talk back. When you converse with someone, they’ll likely want to follow you, unless you made them mad.

4. Retweet- The lazy approach to becoming “popular” is to retweet other users when they say something clever or important. Find a good message, send it to your followers with a reference to the original author (do this by typing RT and then the @ symbol followed directly by the person’s username. Example: RT @willhardison This blog post is great!) The more times your retweet gets retweeted, the better off you are. Confusing, but trust me, it’s a good thing.

I’m sure you have heard by now that Twitter is the hip thing to do now online. What is Twitter? Well besides a website that loses money, it’s a micro-blogging platform that allows you to post your thoughts in 140 characters or less. A majority of users look to Twitter for a social outlet, but some are actually making money using Twitter. Here are 5 easy ways to make money on twitter.

1. Turn Followers Into Creators

Ask your followers for help, and offer prizes for those who comply. For example, if you’re running a special for ½ off one of your products, ask your Twitter followers to spread the word by Re-Tweeting (copying and pasting your message on their page) your message. Offer everyone who Re-Tweets it a chance to win that product for free. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your message spreads bringing you new customers and increased sales.

2. Sell Products on Twitter

Twitter can help trigger the memory of those who are interested in your product or service. Small reminders and subtle messages can help drive daily traffic to your website. Be careful to not be flagged as a “spammer” while promoting your products on Twitter. Remember, you want to provide value to those who follow you on Twitter. Keep in mind that you’re goal is to get Re-Tweeted, so keep messages close to 110 character so users can add their own personal message when re-tweeting.

Example: ½ off our winter tires http://ow.ly/UAOT (this entire message is 40 characters)

The re-tweet looks like this “RT @willhardison ½ off our winter tires http://ow.ly/UAOT You can’t beat that deal!!” (this entire message is 85 characters)

3. Look For Leads on Twitter

Ever wonder how people randomly follow you 30 seconds after you’ve said a magical keyword like “website” “marketing”, or  “ecommerce”? They’re using searches to look for users who include those keywords in their posts. To check this out for yourself go to http://search.twitter.com and type in a word like Websites, Graphic Design, or Indianapolis. This will allow you to see recent posts that include the searched word. Look for a future blog post that explains this search process further.

4. Sell Products for Twitter

This option is the most time consuming and requires an investment (unless you know how to build your own application). Twitter applications generate millions in sales. There are twitter applications that incorporate, organize, and rearrange tweets in real time. For example Twackle is a Twitter app that collects messages posted by professional athletes. Again, this route is the most time consuming and costly seeing how you have to develop an application from scratch.

5. Find Customers Anywhere

You never know where your next customer comes from. If you’re selling a product, what keeps you from selling it to someone 5 states over and shipping it? Or, if you’re providing a service that can be done electronically, you can potentially find your next customer in Japan. Twitter allows you to be found by anyone and everyone. Make sure you’re not leaving them out.

What have been your experiences on Twitter? Have you found new clients or increased revenues through using the system? If you have additional tips, please let me know. I’d be happy to add them.

If you were to go to a networking event and ask everyone the same question, “Why are you here?” most likely the most common response would be “I’m here to grow my business.”  What we have to remember is that the people we meet at these networking events may not be our next clients, but they may refer us to someone who will be. I have to remind myself of this on a regular basis.

Majority of the time a referral is not made that day or even in the next week or month. However, if your attendance at the networking event is consistent and you keep showing up someone is bound to remember what you do and refer someone to you.

It takes commitment and consistency to build your network, but over time it will pay off!