This past January in the Liverpool train station in London, what appeared at first to be a spontaneous dance broke out. A day later, the event, which had been captured by hidden cameras, aired one time only as a television commercial for T-Mobile wireless, with the slogan “Life’s for Sharing.”
The ad was so compelling that people passed the word and shared the video, racking up more than 15 million views on YouTube, and spawning a bevy of imitations and events.
There are least three great lessons to walk dance away with here.
1. Content is still king
And people love a sense of fun. Commercials used to be so deadly dull that someone invented TiVo so we could skip them. Now they can be so good that people hunt them down and pass them on. But only if they’re really good. And these days, that means creative, fun, and often a little crazy.
2. Make it available
There are still businesses trying desperately to copyright and control every self-serving, promotional word that comes out of their mouths. A complete turnaround can save advertising money and win the hearts of consumers. Why not think of a way to promote yourself and then make your promotions something other people can download, upload, remix, share, imitate or even spoof?
3. Video is the future
And it doesn’t stop with YouTube. It migrates to FaceBook, smartphones, email, blogs, and so on. Make it visual, make it brief, but more than anything, make it portable.
No way, baby. Texting has been around for ages, and this photo, which appeared in the August 1935 issue of Modern Mechanix proves it. For a small fee Londoners could write a brief message (I don’t know if they had Twitter’s 140 character limit) that would be saved for viewing by others for two hours. So when you showed up at the barber shop at 5:30 pm and your buddy wasn’t there as expected, you’d look around for a nearby Notificator (what a great name!) and see if there was a reason why he was delayed. That’s my guess, anyway. Wouldn’t you love to see what some of those messages really were? Me too.
One of the most powerful things a company can do is to thank the people who make that company thrive. I know one business professional who keeps a database of all his online contacts, including where his contacts are on the web. He makes a great effort to not only find some way to add value for or thank his contacts on a regular basis, he also keeps track of it in the database! While you might not be ready for that level of tracking, the practice of appreciation is always well-received and often brings tremendous benefit to both parties.
1. Give them something free (that they normally have to pay for).
This can be information, links, gift baskets, tee-shirts, prizes, discounts, you name it. Everyone loves to get something of value for free.
2. Put a sincere, glowing review on someone’s LinkedIn account, blog or other online property.
Not only can this really make someone’s day/week/month, positive recommendations can also translate to more contracts, job offers, and other gigs for the people you recommend.
3. Leave a useful, incisive comment on someone’s blog.
It only takes a minute to comment, but it takes a bit longer to make a comment that really adds value. But taking the time to do this can serve both parties, especially if the comment includes a link back to your site.
4. Connect them with others that would add value to their community.
When you are considering ways to thank a particular group or individual, think of other people in your network they should know and pass on an introduction.
5. Make an otherwise boring thing fun.
Use humor, be engaging, don’t take yourself too seriously. (Woot and BlendTech both do an awesome job of this!)
6. Show clients and customers that you really do care.
Maintain a good set of online alerts and respond immediately to customer concerns.
Does your business still laboriously copy documents onto mini-drives or CDs to transfer information from one computer to another? Do you worry about reading someone else’s CD on your computer and unwittingly opening yourself up to a potential virus? Maybe you recently had a document on your work computer that you wished you had access to while working from your home computer.
You’re gonna love cloud computing.
Cloud computing is a phrase used to define online workspace that exists independently of your personal computer. There are applications (like WordPress, Flickr, and Gmail), platforms (where developers write and collaborate on code), and even infrastructure (storage and other resources) in the cloud.
Get a free Google Account
Most businesses can benefit tremendously from using the cloud in the application space. If you don’t already have a Google account, open one today. Then look around: you’ll see dozens of ways to use this free account for your business. You can measure all the statistics on your website with Google Analytics. You can manage all your subscriptions and feeds from other websites. You can set up Google Alerts on your name, competition, or keywords in your industry, and you can create, share, and collaborate with Google Documents.
Far more than word processing
Google Documents offers a basic word processing application you can use, but you can also create and share presentations, spreadsheets, forms, and take advantage of far more templates than you’ll ever need. The basic word processing docs have plenty of editing and formatting functions without being as bloated as Microsoft Word. You can also upload already-created documents onto Google Docs (just click the “upload” button on the GDocs homepage) to store or share. These docs can also be emailed from the cloud (if you have Gmail) or your own desktop email client.
Share and collaborate
To share your document, simply add the email address of the person you want to share the documents with. They must have a Google account for this to work, and you must add the email address they use for that account. When they log into their own Google Docs account, they will see the document you shared with them on their homepage.
The shared docs are only available to the people you share them with, and you get to specify whether the other persons you invite can only view, or can also modify the document. You also get to say whether those other people can share the document with others.
The ability to collaborate on and share documents via the cloud eliminates the need to copy to a storage device or travel to deliver your information. You can keep up with multiple revisions (and remember where you left the final copy), and you don’t have to worry about virus transmission, loosing the storage device, or finding your data has been corrupted because of a scratched disk, etc.
And it’s free.
Did I mention the “free” part? Some companies have quit paying for office software entirely, and are humming right along with free cloud-based applications. You could be next.
Leave a comment and tell what your favorite cloud application is. How is it changing the way you do business?
Recently a friend invited me to offer advice to her sister, who was considering moving to the area to look for work. With layoffs and unemployment so high, how can she increase her chances of landing a great job? The good news is, there are lots of ways to get an edge on the competition using online (usually free!) media.
1. Clarify your career goals
Before doing anything, decide what your career goals are. Do you want to work in the field in which you were trained? Are you are trying to break into a new area? Maybe you want to work in a field in which you already have considerable experience. Whatever you decide, focus all your efforts (and your resume) toward that specific goal.
2. Create an outstanding LinkedIn.com profile.
It’s the standard business professional beginning. Join related LinkedIn groups in your field. Be active, asking and answering questions in those groups. Attend local group events and expand your LinkedIn connections.
3. Get networked online.
Choose the right networks and build your following accordingly. This takes time and effort, but isn’t difficult to do. For example, if you join Twitter you can do network searches on keywords and use third-party services such as TwitterLocal and Twellow to find others in the area, including potential colleagues and bosses, as well as service partners (like staffing agencies) who might be able to help you in your search.
4. Join local business groups and attend their meetings.
Start with your local Chamber of Commerce and work outward from there. Exchange business cards, meet people. Check MeetUp.com and Craigslist in your area.
5. Subscribe to feeds related to your area.
If you don’t already know about and love RSS feeds, now is the time to learn. You’ll come off well in front of the people you are talking with if you are current on happenings within your industry or field. This is easier these days than ever before. Put all of your feeds on an iGoogle homepage or reader. Check it regularly.
6. Consider a staffing agency.
You can Google agencies in your area, or ask about them in the online networks that you are using.
7. Clean up your Facebook.
Make sure it looks professional, not college-party.
8. Google your name.
Claim online profiles. There are dozens of data-scrapers like JigSaw who will capture your name, potentially out-of-date information. clean up the flotsam you may have left laying around on the internet. This means dead blogs, old profiles, snarky comments on other high-traffic sites; anything connected with your name that could distract your future employer from your best qualities. Your future employers assuredly Google you; make sure they will like what they see.
9. Dot-com yourself.
Consider purchasing your name URL and set up a website all about you. Make yourself incredibly easy to find online, even if you need to purchase pay-per-click ads on your name or industry in order to get page rank.
10. Upgrade your email address.
Dump your yahoo or aol or mindspring etc. email address, or else don’t use it for your job search. Get an email addy that goes with your site or get a gmail account with your professional name.
11. Simplify your professional name use.
Make sure you use the same professional name EVERYWHERE. If it’s Susan G. Miller, be sure to use that exact version everywhere so that the search engines start to separate you from the plain Susan [no middle initial] Millers. If your name is Susan but you go by Sue, stop. Or else make all your online stuff and business cards say Sue. Pick something, and stick with it.
12. Say cheese.
Make sure your resume has a good photo of you on it (get a professional to do it or ask a clever friend, it’s worth the effort) and is also available in PDF format, so that you can easily send it to people online and have it on your site as a download, as well as having it available in a paper version (use good paper, print in full color).
And of course, there are lots of online job listing sites. Google it, and you’ll find sites from “A” (AllJobSearch.com) to “W” (WorkTree.com). I tried for “Z,” I really did.
You don’t have to do all of the above, but any of them will certainly help! And as always, we’d love to hear your suggestions. Leave a comment and offer your ideas for getting back in the game.
A long and grueling presidential campaign came to an end a week ago, with Barack Obama emerging as the victor, the first African American to do so. Obama’s “Historic Road to the White House” has been mapped out forwards and backwards, with every media outlet and blogger out there covering everything from Obama’s message of hope to his love of basketball, and everything in between.
And almost every marketing blog you can find has extensively covered the Obama campaign’s successful use of online and mobile communication.
Most of the blogs I’ve read that talk about Obama’s use of the web go a little something like this (and I’ll paraphrase slightly): “Obama stuck to a consistent message, displayed it through clear and elegant design, and delivered it to millions through internet technology. He engaged voters, and made it easy for everyone to be a part of the campaign. We call this Web 2.0.”
I’m not here to disagree, by any means. Obama’s embrace of good design and the web as a powerful marketing tool was an unbelievable sight. Who would have expected a presidential candidate to take up a Twitter account, text his supporters his VP choice, and display, for once, a beautifully designed website that was actually easy and enjoyable to navigate? Whether you voted for him or not, no one can deny the force in which Obama spread throughout the country, creating one of the biggest ground campaigns in the history of this country, garnering millions of supporters and over $200 million in campaign donations. Advertising Age, a leading online source of news and data for the marketing and media industries, recognized the impact of Obama’s campaign and just recently named him Marketer of the Year, beating out Apple and Nike.
But now the campaign is over. Barack Obama will be in the White House at the end of January. My question is this: Is this the end of Obama’s social networking and participation with voters? Will he now be tied to the status quo of government communication (ie. press conferences, annual State of the Union addresses, the occasional Late Night Show appearance)? Will he fade into the Oval Office, be blanketed with pages of legislation and meetings with foreign leaders, and be forced to let the media deliver news about his daily activity and policy choices?
My hope is no.
I have to admit, I got pretty excited when I saw Obama’s new site www.change.gov (launched within 24 hours after Obama’s victory). Wow, I thought, he is allowing the American public to participate in the transition from the Bush to the Obama administration! How cool is that? Then I starting wondering, will this continue while he is president? Will the American government begin adapting Web 2.0 values of viewer participation, allowing you to talk instead of just talking at you? Can the communication from the Oval Office be open and direct, and can American citizens, the people who voted for our country’s leaders, be involved more than just watching the Senate floor coverage on CSPAN?
Obama’s message for the past two years was about bringing change to America. My hope is that part of this change will be how our government communicates with its people, and that we as US citizens stay involved and care enough to remain engaged even after the balloons and banners from this historic election fade away.
If your business is just beginning to move from web 1.0 (hanging out a virtual shingle) to web 2.0 (having real conversations with real people), you are probably working to figure out how to find the people in your target markets online. The best plan is to define your audience as closely as possible, then get started with a handful of the following ideas. We also hope you’ll leave a comment so we can hear your ideas and success stories as well!
1. Check print publications
Examine trade publications and industry-related magazines for online directories, blogs, sites, and forums. Many publications well-known for their print versions now have online versions with a whole host of ways to interact online. For example, if you are selling woodworking tools, you might look in print publications like Fine Woodworking, Woodworker’s Journal, or Popular Mechanics.
2. Ask the influencers
Send a polite email to the leaders and influencers in the market you’re trying to reach. Be sincere and complimentary about their work; let them know why you value them. Very often they will tell you where they blog or what social network is most useful for them.
3. Google it
Searching on the keywords in your field will often turn up places where your audience goes when they are looking for something in your industry.
4. Scour Wikipedia and other knowledge platforms
Some areas are very well documented on Wikipedia. For example, a search on “Organic Foods” turns up an article with 82 linked references to other sources, many of which are online. In addition, Wikipedia’s “External Links” are often good online sources as well. Other knowledge platforms, such as Squidoo or Knol might also reveal industry watering-holes where you want to be connected.
5. Search in social networks.
Start with a search of the Groups on LinkedIn and join the ones that fit your goals. If you use Twitter, resources like Twellow, which allows Twitter-users to have an online profile in multiple categories based on location, industry, etc., can help you build a following. If you use Flickr, try a tag search to find others in your target market. Networking platforms like Ning, Facebook and MySpace also have search functions to help you begin to build groups of the kind of contacts with whom you would like to be able to interact.
6. Use online news release target markets
Groups like PRNewswire will allow you to select the target markets you would like to reach online. Services like this generally come with a fee.
7. Create old-fashioned email lists
You can purchase email lists from a number of companies, but you can also create an email list from scratch. Sponsor a big event for all your existing and potential clients, and invite attendees to drop their business cards in a basket. But be sure to do the following as well:
Offer an event or a free service that you know for certain will add value to their work and lives.
Be clear that you are starting an email list, and allow them to opt-in as they desire.
Set expectations, such as promising not to spam, sell/share their info, or send emails more than “x” number of times per month, then keep your promises.
8. Connect with Professional Associations and Directories
Start with the ones that are free to join. For example, if you are running a restaurant, you’ll want to register with all of the directories that offer listings of eateries in your area. These generally turn up in a quick Google search. Sometimes directories will allow you a free profile, and request a small payment in return for a link. In addition, local Chambers of Commerce have business directories that are great for connecting with your target markets. To get in front of professional associations, you might try offering to speak for a monthly association meeting, conference, or chamber event.
9. Utilize Amazon.com
Sites like Amazon are great for telling your target market about yourself and your products. Consider regularly reviewing products in your area and related areas, and be sure to showcase the differences in your products and the competition’s.
Are you ready to begin utilizing the power of online media for your business? This new three-part seminar series is the perfect place to begin. Mark your calendars for October 1st, 8th, and 15th, and join Calvert Creative from 10am – 12 noon for a multimedia interactive seminar series at the historic Long View Center in downtown Raleigh.
QUICK INFO & LINKS:
DATE: October 1, 8, and 15, 2008 TIME: 10 am - 12 noon, networking lunch optional LOCATION:Long View Center, 1880 Hall
118 South Person Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 DIRECTIONS & PARKING
COST: $1000 per team of two people (from same business or industry)
*This cost covers ALL THREE seminars. For TWO people. We thought you’d like that.
**Checks are payable to Calvert Creative, mailed in advance to 1225 Crescent Green Drive, Suite 115, Cary NC, 27518. REGISTER: by email to lisa@calvertcreative.com by September 29; position confirmed by receipt of payment. QUESTIONS? Call 919-854-4453, ext. 109 or email lisa@calvertcreative.com
How to Know if this Seminar Series is Right for You
You may have attended our free introductory seminar, “Leveraging Social Media for Business,” or you may have already been testing the waters of online marketing, collaboration, and engagement. This series is designed for businesses and companies ready to begin creating a goal-driven strategy for leveraging the power of social media for business.
1-2-3: Pay Once, Take Two People, Go Three Times!
Have you ever gone to a great conference or seminar, but when you came back, it was just too hard to try and implement change? We’ve been there, done that, and decided never to let it happen with our seminars. That’s why our registration includes TWO people for ONE price. So bring your co-worker, web person, marketing buddy, or assistant and double your odds of success.
Seminar Content
Below is our basic outline. However, we’re flexible, and will range into new or different territory depending on the needs and desires of the participants. We’re bendy, like Gumby.
1. Measuring and Monitoring the Online Conversation (2 hrs)
Discovering Your Online Identity
What to Measure and How to Measure It
The Twenty Most Useful Free Online Tools
2. Increasing Online Traffic (2 hrs)
Optimization of Web Properties
Expanding Your Online Visibility
Becoming a Respected Thought Leader
Preventing and Addressing Reputation Attacks
3. Jet-Fueled Networking (2 hrs)
Finding Your Target Markets Online
Getting Your Product/Service/Message to the People Who Want It Most
Helping Your Fans Promote You
How to Thank Your Online Community
All three seminars are followed by an optional strategy and networking lunch (price not included) in which we bring in service providers you want to meet!
Cost & Registration
The seminar series costs $1000, and covers all three seminars for a team of two people (from the same business or industry). Checks can be made out to Calvert Creative and mailed in advance to 1225 Crescent Green Dr., Cary NC, 27518. The size of these classes is strictly limited in order to allow for maximum one-to-one interaction. Please register by email to lisa@calvertcreative.com; your place will be assured upon the receipt of your check. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is co-sponsoring this seminar series with us. If your business is a member, be sure to ask for the seminar discount. If you aren’t yet a member of the DRA, now is the time to join!
Location, Directions and Parking
All three of these classes will be held in downtown Raleigh’s beautiful and historic Long View Center, in the 1880 Hall. Be sure to download one of the clear and helpful downtown maps from the Long View Center site; there are plenty of great parking options within a very short walk. You’ll also see some great lunch spots in the area.
What to bring
Bring your laptop or a notepad and pen. We’ll bring the gourmet coffee. See you there!
Free Introductory Seminar: September 10, 10-11 am, Long View Center in Downtown Raleigh
Calvert Creative is pleased to announce our next free seminar, open to the public, called “Leveraging Social Media for Business”. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 10th from 10 -11 am and join us in downtown Raleigh’s Long View Center, in the newly renovated 1880 Hall. No pre-registration is required; just join us for an outstanding seminar and some prime business networking time.
QUICK INFO & LINKS:
DATE: September 10, 2008 TIME: 10-11 am LOCATION:Long View Center, 1880 Hall
118 South Person Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 DIRECTIONS & PARKING COST: Free! Free is good. QUESTIONS? Call 919-854-4453, ext. 109 or email lisa@calvertcreative.com
More info? Read on…
About Social Media
Social media is how collaborative communication happens online. You’ve heard the buzzwords: LinkedIn, blogging, social networking, web 2.0, Flickr, YouTube, and so on. Social media’s continually evolving tools — whether video, audio, image, or text-based — are all directed toward online (and offline) sharing, talking, networking, giving and receiving feedback, and community. There is already an online conversation about your brand and industry; adding your voice and leveraging these online media tools can give smart businesses a competitive edge.
What You’ll Learn
In this seminar, Calvert Creative explores social media basics as they apply to business practices, and will give you a solid foundation from which to begin listening to, engaging with, and measuring the online conversation about your company, industry, and clients.
A Flexible Seminar
Our format is open and encouraging of questions and answers. If we are talking about wikis and YouTube’s applications for business, but you want to know about how Jott or Twitter can be leveraged by your company, we’ll do our best to cover it. And don’t worry, we have a follow-up set of seminars for those who want to take their knowledge and understanding to the next level.
Include Your CEO and Co-Workers
Have you already begun to explore social media, yet haven’t been able to convince others in your company about the power of online media? Bring them along to this free social media training event and you may be on your way toward powerful changes that can give your business a competitive edge.
Long View Center and the 1880 Hall
You may have been downtown and wondered about the beautiful church building on the corner of East Hargett and South Person Streets facing Moore Square. An impressive and historic landmark, the Long View Center was once was home to Tabernacle Baptist Church (established in 1870), and is now host to weddings, art shows, concerts, and a variety of other community gatherings.
If you are standing on East Hargett street facing the Long View Center, you’ll see the wrought iron gateway which leads to an entrance under the street to the lovely 1880 Hall. With it’s exposed brick walls and recently refinished hardwood stage, this Hall offers the perfect location for our seminar.
Directions and Parking
Be sure to download one of the clear and helpful downtown maps from the Long View Center site; there are plenty of great parking options within a very short walk. You’ll also see some great lunch spots in the area.
About Downtown Raleigh Alliance
The Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) advocates for the formation of business improvement districts, which provides revenue for services in downtown Raleigh that enhance everyone’s experience: sidewalks, visitor outreach, assistance in leasing retail space, business recruitment and retention, and more. The Alliance has partnered with Calvert Creative in order to make this seminar available to more businesses in the Raleigh area. Thanks, DRA, for all you do!
By signing up, campaign supporters and followers (and competitors, if they’re smart) get to be the first to know, direct from the source, a singularly valuable and strategic piece of information. In return, the campaign gains a phenomenal list of cell phone numbers, and can also send other messages to their followers as well.
The next hurdle will be for the Obama Campaign to hit the right balance on number and type of text messages. There’s a fine line between broadcasting information and spamming. The key here will be to offer customization. I can envision an entire site devoted to types of text feeds that I might opt to receive (news on particular policies, for example), and a way to contribute information as well.
Overall, a brilliant campaign move and a great use of new media. What other ways have you seen texting and other online media tools used well?
Helping businesses communicate at the speed of innovation
We specialize in training companies in the use of cutting-edge communication tools. We not only teach the best innovative practices, we also are among the first to use them. This means we get lots of cool gadgets.
Our highly popular "How Social Media Can Move Business" seminar is free! Would you like to bring a team to the next one we hold, or schedule one for your group or venue?
Give us a shout.
