by Marvin Kane | Dec 12, 2011 | Business, Rants, Sharing, Social Media
Want to really be social? Spend more time away from your computer.
This is not a picture of me. The point is, it could be. Ironic isn’t it? Here I am, a web designer/social media maven/blogger and I came to the sudden and startling realization that I’m spending too much time at my computer. Further introspection has revealed that I may also be suffering from NPWYP syndrome. (That’s Not Practicing What You Preach). And here is where my Baby Boomer perspective kicks in.
Being Social Is Still About In Person Connections
What I love about today’s internet is the ease with which people can connect. It’s been fun rekindling relationships on Facebook and finding old friends on LinkedIn. But we boomers have always been a bit cynical about online relationships. Back in the day there was no such thing. Personal relationships were forged by looking someone in the eye when you spoke to them, shaking hands when you met or said goodbye and …. well you know what I’m talking about. Don’t misunderstand. This is not a case of some old guy pining for the good old days. I’m simply saying that an active online social life should add richness to your offline (real) social life not be a substitute for it. Let me put it another way. If you spend hours each day at your computer tweeting, blogging, facebooking, google plussing, (yes, I’m making up words here), you are not being social. You are being anti-social.
You Really Need to Get Out More
Back to me. Why am I guilty of not practicing what I preach? Because I’m starting to feel like the guy in the picture. I’m working hard at building my online relationships but not hard enough on the real ones. I need to get out more. I need to join more groups, meet more people, attend more events, look into more eyes and shake more hands.
And Now Back to You
Do you think of yourself as a social person? How about this one – do you like people? Do you use social media tools to build online relationships? Do you look like the guy in the picture? Be honest.
Photo credit: LuChOeDu »
by Marvin Kane | Dec 5, 2011 | Business, Sales and Marketing
Collaboration - The Best Way to Produce Something Beautiful
My best clients are those who understand the importance of collaboration. Sure I’ve worked with companies over the years who have handed me some copy then said build me a website and call me when it’s done. And for the most part those projects have turned out just fine. But just fine isn’t good enough. Not any more. Not in the age of engagement where company websites and their associated social profiles have become the primary means by which businesses communicate with their customers.
The “Two Ears One Mouth” Model
Metaphorically speaking the fact that we have two ears and one mouth ought to suggest that we listen more than we talk. Metaphors aside, most of us still do it the other way around. But the key to collaboration is active listening. Asking questions and really listening to the answers. This, of course, is essential to any successful relationship, whether it’s personal or business. But many companies, and many clients/customers, still don’t get it. Let me put it this way. I can’t produce a website that properly represents your business if I don’t truly listen to your answers to my questions. You won’t feel confident in my ability if you don’t truly listen to my answers to your questions.
What You Should Expect From Me
You can expect me to:
- be at the top of my game – this means I will always be monitoring latest trends, best practices and new technologies
- be responsive – I will always do my best to respond to your voice or emails within 24 hours
- be proactive – I will always tell you about developments in the industry that I think will benefit your business
- be fun to work with – trust me on this one
What I Expect From You
In a word? Stay engaged. (Okay, that’s two words).
- stick to deadlines – if the project depends on you delivering content, stick to the deadline. It will keep the momentum going and will ensure that we don’t lose our enthusiasm
- keep the communication going – I know you’re busy. But try to answer my voice or emails within 24 hours. (I promise I’ll do the same)
- smile – working together should be fun. I’ll do my part to ensure it is
And Now Back to You
Is collaboration important to you? Would you rather be less involved? If you’ve worked with a company recently, were expectations clearly laid out? Did that make the process easier? Better? As always, thanks for your participation.
Photo credit: Artotem
by Marvin Kane | Sep 12, 2011 | Business, Design
Why treating your website as an afterthought can stall your business before it starts
Don't Make Your Website an Afterthought
The latest statistics suggest that it will take visitors to your site all of 4 seconds to decide if they want to stay or move on. And that’s down from the last study which put the number at 8 seconds. On the web, first impressions count – a lot! That’s why it continues to surprise me when businesses treat their website as an afterthought. You simply can’t think that way anymore. When I ask would-be clients about their current websites, I typically hear some variation of this response: “I just needed to throw something up there quickly.” Ouch!
Your Website is the Face of Your Business
You wouldn’t go to a business meeting in bell bottom jeans and a tie dye shirt (unless you were very certain the theme of the meeting was “remember the 60’s“). Don’t “dress” your website in outdated styles either. And it’s not just about looks. It’s about content, credibility and positive user experience. Remember that for many of your clients, your website will be the only connection they have to your business. If it fails to impress, it may well be the last time they consider doing business with you. Think of it this way: if your website is well constructed, looks professional and polished and is easy to use, it won’t matter if you are actually working out of a broom closet. Why? Because your website gives you the credibility of a well established, successful business. That’s what you really want isn’t it? But here’s the danger. It works the other way too. If you are a long established business with an impressive client list, a poorly designed and executed website will erode your credibility. See where I’m going with this?
Your Website is Huge Part of Your Marketing Effort
It’s true, and a bit surprising, that many business owners still don’t get the power of the Internet and the importance of a website. Why else would they “throw something up there quickly“? If you’re a start up or a new company still writing a business plan, make your website part of the plan. Budget for it. How much should you budget? Hard to say but you should be talking to a web professional early in the process to get a handle on the cost. If you don’t see clients at your office or facility then I would say this. Take the money you might spend on a fancy chair and expensive desk – which your clients will never see – and add it to your website budget. Not only will your clients see your website, they will judge you by it.
The Tragedy of Underestimating Your Website
Here’s why I call it a tragedy.You’ve spent countless hours planning, thinking, forecasting, hoping. You’ve spent hard earned money on equipment, office space, employees. Then you launch a website that squanders the precious 4 seconds you have to make a first impression. That’s a tragedy.
Summary
- Understand your website is the face of your business
- Understand your website is a very powerful marketing tool
- Make your website part of your business plan from the beginning. Don’t treat it as an afterthought.
- Budget for it. Make a web design professional part of your early discussions so you will always have a realistic idea about the cost
Is your website an effective expression of your business? What’s the feedback been?
by Marvin Kane | Sep 7, 2011 | Social Media
Part Four in a Four-Part Series: Common Objections to Social Media
Be Patient. Results Will Be There
At the end of my previous post in this series I hinted that the biblical figure Job would have been very successful with social media. Did you get the reference? Let me explain: Job had in abundance the quality that many of us lack but need more of to successfully manage a social marketing campaign. Patience. Social media marketing has to be understood as a long-term commitment. Unfortunately, this is not a comfortable outlook for today’s business leaders who are expected to produce results quickly. That’s why we find so many marketers today complaining that they tried social marketing and it doesn’t work. Really? How long did you give it? Two weeks? Three weeks. Here’s the answer: you didn’t give it long enough.
Okay, Then. How Long is Long Enough?
Let me share a true story quickly. In my younger days my friends and I became interested in eastern religions. It was New York in the sixties. Enough said. We were enthralled with the notion of spiritual enlightenment, this place of perfect peace and equilibrium. To get there we were told, we needed to meditate twice daily. Once first thing in the morning and again before going to bed. One of our crew was particularly disciplined with his daily meditation. After a month or so I asked him how it was going. I was surprised by his answer. “I quit. I meditated for thirty minutes every morning and every night for three weeks and I’m still not enlightened. This meditation stuff just doesn’t work”. See where I’m going with this? Did he give it enough time? Was the time he gave it appropriate given the goal?
Define Your Social Media Marketing Goals First
Break your larger marketing goals into smaller, easier to manage pieces. Your first goal might be to get people to sign up for your newsletter. In that case you can use your social media tools to point people to your newsletter sign up page. Next you may want to get people to sign up for your webinar. After that you may want people to download a white paper. Once you’ve clearly defined you goals you can come back after a month or so into your social marketing campaign and see how you are doing. Soon you will have a good feel for how long is long enough.
Summary
- Be patient. I know it’s hard but it pays off
- Make sure you understand the social tools you are using. If you don’t, get help
- Break your larger marketing objective into smaller goals that can be tracked and monitored
Have you abandoned social media because you thought you gave it enough time and it just wasn’t working? Can you be persuaded to try again?
Photo Credit: The Inspiration Room
by Marvin Kane | Aug 31, 2011 | Social Media
Part Three in a Four Part Series: Common Objections to Social Media
“Complacency is the enemy of progress.” “If you’re not growing, you’re dying“. We’ve all heard these catchy phrases reminding us that in business, as in life, we should never be satisfied. We must always keep moving forward. So why are so many businesses content to be …. you know, content? How far back do you go? Do you remember your workplace before copy machines? before fax machines? before computers? I’ll bet your boss thought you were doing fine. Maybe you were, maybe you weren’t. Gary Vaynerchuk says it well, “Any company that gets so complacent it thinks everything is “fine” deserves to go out of business.”
Think Your Business Is Doing Fine? How do You Know?
If you’re the owner of a business, it doesn’t matter if you think your doing fine. What matters is what your customers and clients think. And now we have the means to ask them. How did we get this information before? Focus groups, comment cards, surveys, mailers. Sure, those were the only means we had back then but even if customers took the time to respond, it was a one time, one way communication. Now with tools like Facebook , Twitter and Yelp, to name just a very few, we can see what our customers are saying in real time, respond quickly and nurture relationships. As business owners, isn’t this what we want?
The Value in Social Media Far Outweighs the Risks
Last week I wrote how fear is what keeps most businesses from adopting a social media marketing strategy. I think it’s worth repeating: what should really scare you as a business owner is not knowing what your customers are saying. Consider these two fictional scenarios (ok, not so fictional as this stuff really happens every day).
Scenario 1: John and Mary eat at the Good Eats Eatery. They’re not happy with the service and not terribly thrilled with the food either. They tell everyone in their circle of friends about their bad experience. They don’t come back to the restaurant and neither do their friends. Without any social channels to communicate with her guests, Stacey, the hard working owner of the restaurant never knew there was a problem in the first place. Sadly, she only knows there is a drop off in business but doesn’t know why.
Scenario 2: Jim and Sue eat at Good Food is Us. They too are not so happy with the service and food. But they’ve been following Good Food is Us on Twitter and post a tweet about their disappointment. Homer, the owner of Good Food is Us, sees the tweet and quickly and honestly responds. He also notices Jim and Sue’s less than flattering review on Yelp. He takes the time to respond directly to them, apologizes, assures them it will never happen again and sends them a gift certificate to the restaurant. When they come in he waits on them personally. The result: he turned two unhappy customers into strong advocates.
Note: See my earlier post The New Rules of Engagement to see how one restaurant is doing it right.
Summary
- You can’t really know if you’re doing fine if you don’t ask your customers.
- Don’t worry about negative comments. They are far more valuable than no comments at all.
- If you’re afraid to jump into social media, start slowly by listening to others first.
Does this make sense? Don’t hesitate to use the comment box below to disagree with me. Disagreement makes for lively conversation.
Stay tuned to this channel for part four in the series: Common Objections to Social Media. Next week we’ll talk about companies who claim they’ve tried it but it doesn’t work. Hint: Job of the Bible would have been very successful with social media.
Photo Credit: The Inspiration Room
