Geoff's Blog

Achieving Business Objectives Using Email

2012-02-03T08:08:00.000-08:00

First and foremost I need to put in a quick plug for marketingsherpa.com. I have no clue what their name means, but I am sure it makes complete sense relative to offering exceptional content and insight, which they always seem to do. Their site is well worth a visit and bookmark.

The catalyst for my endorsement (although there are many) is the chart they offer as this week’s “chart of the week.”

http://www.marketingsherpa.com/1news/chartofweek-01-31-12-lp.htm

The crux of the chart and meaningful takeaway I believe, is a clear statement as per the effectiveness email can have when properly aligned with specific business objectives.

The chart speaks for itself. I’m not a big “chart” guy truth be told, but this one does a fantastic job conveying substance. Viable objectives business can expect when Emailing is done correctly include:

• Driving website traffic
• Increasing lead generation
• Nurturing prospects
• Building brand awareness and reputation
• Improving customer retention
• Enhancing trust and Deepening relationships (my add on!)

All of the aforementioned (excluding the last of course) were perceived in the benchmark survey to be 70% and above in effectiveness relative to objectives Email can achieve.

An important caveat I may add is of course “not all emailing’s are alike”. Careful consideration and attention must be given to meaningful messaging, creative execution, and a good emailing list. All are key factors not to be underestimated.

When done right, however, one can see Email delivers significant results.

A time and place for SEO, social media and paid search.

2012-01-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

Search-engine optimization, social media and paid search all have a time and place. However, connecting with and especially persuading audiences who are unaware you exist and/or of the compelling reasons they need to connect - is best achieved through other means (banner or print advertising, targeted mailing/emailing, etc.)

Facebook Still Top Social Marketing Venue for SMBs

2011-11-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

An excerpt from a recent, interesting eMarketer.com article...

"Many small businesses have adopted social media marketing, and it’s typically an easy choice for them to use Facebook—with its 750 million members and counting, not to mention easy self-serve ad sales system—when they do so.

According to October 2011 research from email marketing software firm Constant Contact, Facebook was the most commonly used social media tactic for small businesses to connect one-on-one with their customers or prospects. Among all online methods, it was second only to email.

Facebook’s popularity goes along with its perceived effectiveness. Among small businesses that said social media marketing in general was effective, 83% said that Facebook was at least moderately so. By comparison, 46% said the same of Twitter, the second-ranked social channel."

"Why Content Marketing is King"

2011-10-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

This interesting article was copied from Entrepreneur.com and written by Mikal E. Belicove on Octber 20, 2011. A link to the actual article is included at the end...

"When it comes to marketing strategies, content marketing has just been crowned king, far surpassing search engine marketing, public relations and even print, television and radio advertising as the preferred marketing tool for today's business-to-business entrepreneur.

Late this summer, HiveFire, a Cambridge, Mass.-based internet marketing software solutions company, surveyed nearly 400 marketing professionals about the state of the business-to-business, or B2B, market, and discovered that marketers are retreating from traditional marketing tactics such as search marketing and have made content marketing the most-used tactic in their brand-enhancing tool box. Fact is, according to HiveFire's B2B Marketing Trends Survey Report, twice as many B2B marketers now employ content marketing as they do print, TV and radio advertising, according to the survey.

So what exactly is content marketing? It's the creation and publication of original content -- including blog posts, case studies, white papers, videos and photos -- for the purpose of generating leads, enhancing a brand's visibility, and putting the company's subject matter expertise on display. HiveFire's researchers found that an impressive 82 percent of B2B marketers now employ content marketing as a strategy in their marketing programs. Coming in at a distant second place is search engine marketing at 70 percent, followed by events at 68 percent, public relations at 64 percent and print/TV/radio advertising at 32 percent.

Seventy-eight percent of respondents said driving sales and leads was the top marketing goal of their organization, followed by boosting brand awareness and establishing or maintaining thought leadership (both at 35 percent). Another 28 percent said their primary goal was to increase web traffic and 24 percent said it was to improve search results.

Part of the popularity of content marketing is its ability to generate qualified leads while engaging prospects in a branded environment without busting the budget. Nearly half of the content marketers interviewed said they dedicate less than a third of their budgets to such marketing expenditures. In addition to frugality, B2B marketers also believe most of their customers and prospects are online, which is why they're focusing their marketing efforts on the Internet.

Finally, the survey shows that "content curation" -- which is defined as the process of finding, organizing and sharing content -- continues to gain strength as a top marketing strategy, up 17 percent from six months ago. Seen as a way for marketers to fuel their marketing programs, content curation does have its problems. Nearly 70 percent of content curators say lack of time hinders their efforts, with 66 percent saying a lack of original and quality content is a major drawback. Another 38 percent say difficulty in measuring results is the stumbling block and 37 percent say lack of staff to do the work is the hindrance.

Despite these issues, the survey makes clear that content marketing is only going to become more important going forward, whether you market to other businesses or to the public at large."

Photo: Thomas Pajot/Shutterstock

To view the actual article as published please go to: http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/220587

Highlights from a Blog Content Checklist (by Michael Gass)

2011-10-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

1. Identify your audience. This will help to make your writing easier and more focused.
2. State the purpose of your blog. Create a descriptor statement in the blog’s Header. A one sentence summation of the purpose for your blog. Expand upon the descriptor statement in a “Welcome” section in your blog’s sidebar.
3. Make sure that your blog’s benefit to your visitors is crystal clear.
4. Reading fuels your writing. You need a good strategic reading program with a clear focus that is centered upon your audience’s interest and needs.
5. Have calls-to-action that are clear. What do you want your audience to do? They can subscribe to your newsletter, inquire about your services, download a white-paper or eBook, email you their questions, etc.
6. Create each post title with the keywords you want to dominate through search (i.e. “ad agency new business”). It is also helpful to flag a targeted audience through Twitter and let them know the content is specific to their needs.
7. The first sentence of your post should be the “takeaway or benefit statement”. Just simply answer the question, what will be my takeaway or benefit if I commit to read this post? Lead with the conclusion.
8. Have a distinct point-of-differentiation.
9. Remember that online readers prefer writing that is concise, easy to scan, and objective (rather than promotional) in style.
10. Focus on providing quality information over the quantity of posts being generated.
11. Build relationships with your readers by integrating your blog with Facebook, Google +, Twitter and LinkedIn.
12. Your blog should become a repository of valued information for your audience. This means that it’s not all original content. I recommend writing 1 original post for every 4 or 5 resource posts.
13. Use bulleted or numbered lists often. Readers love them.
14. Highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others).
15. Publish on a regular schedule.
16. Build credibility and authority for your niche.
17. Provide links to additional resources. I almost always provide “Additional articles that may be of interest” at the end of most of my post, linking to similar content from my blog and other sources. It also will keep your visitors on your site longer and improve their experience.
18. Half the word count (or less) than conventional writing. Usually 350 to 450 words.
19. Demonstrate how you stand out in your niche. Provide testimonials, comments, featured articles, endorsements, and statistics—in text, audio, and video format through additional linked blog pages or specialty pages.
20. Provide one call-to-action with clear instructions above the fold.
21. Avoid jargon and agency speak.
22. Provide captions (where appropriate) on photos that are keyword rich and benefit-driven.
23. Have a clean, simple, banner at the top of your blog that creates the right feeling on your site. A personal rather than corporate feel.
24. Break-up long text with sub-headings, bullet points, italics, indention, photos and graphics.
25. Provide an incentive for visitors to give you their name and email.
26. Don’t adhere to the belief that if you “build it and they will come”.
27. Test, monitor and fine tune your blog regularly.
28. Use offline-to-online marketing to further promote your blog.
29. Collect blog stats on results weekly, or per campaign.
30. In promoting your blog, consider paid traffic, Facebook PPC and banner ads.
31. Submit your blog post to online directories.
32. Facilitate referral opportunities through your blog.
33. Interact regularly through social media—Facebook, Google +, Twitter and LinkedIn.
34. Run competitions. I’ve generated a lot of traffic to my blog through an “Agency Blog of the Month” contest that culminated into an “Agency Blog of the Year”.
35. Conduct online surveys and polls through your blog

To see Michael's full checklist (70 tips) please visit http://fuelingnewbusiness.com/2011/09/29/a-70-point-checklist-for-jump-starting-or-tuning-up-your-blog-for-new-business/

What Do Facebook Users Expect from Brands?

2011-10-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

After "liking" a company on Facebook, users expect certain perks, such as exclusive content, discounts and more.

Many US Facebook users have certain expectations of perks they should get after following a company’s Facebook page.
An ExactTarget study found that 58% of US Facebook users expect to gain access to exclusive content, events or sales after “liking” a company, while 58% also expect to receive discounts or promotions. Additionally 47% expect to see updates about the company, person or organization they “liked” in their newsfeed, which bodes well for brands as they work to have their content always show up for their followers.

Additionally, younger consumers, ExactTarget found, have fewer expectations and generally “like” brands as a form of expression, not to get certain perks. Meanwhile, older consumers want something of value for “liking” a brand. By listening to what their target fanbase wants out of the Facebook relationship, marketers can get more interaction on their page and encourage more people to “like” rather than avoid brands on Facebook.

Source = eMarketer Daily October 7th 2011

Steve Jobs philosophy of death (and life!)

2011-10-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

An emerging blogging platform.

2011-09-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from a recent eMarketer publication as to an emerging blogging platform called Tumblr (www.tumblr.com)...

  "Who’s Using Tumblr?   Unique visitors to Tumblr have skyrocketed since May 2010  Tumblr, the social blogging site, has seen solid growth since its launch in 2007. More users are publishing on the site and viewing others’ posts, while brands, media outlets and marketers are experimenting with how best to leverage this growing community.

  In its “State of the Media: Social Media Report Q3, 2011,” The Nielsen Company tracked Tumblr unique US visitors from May 2010 to May 2011 and found 183% growth in a single year. In May 2011, the site had 11.9 million unique visitors, up from 4.2 million one year earlier, and averaged 21,280 messages and links posted per day.

  In June 2011, Tumblr surpassed more established blogging site WordPress in number of blogs hosted, according to Mashable, and as of September 2011, the site reports hosting more than 29 million blogs."

Going Mobile?

2011-09-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

I went to a BMA (Business Marketing Association) meeting a while back and left (as per usual) with some interesting thoughts. The timely subject (as BMA frequently delivers) was “Marketing Goes Mobile”.

When it comes to mobile branding and communication opportunities, there are a wide-range of alternatives and many important things to think about before jumping in (or not!). These include completely ignoring the medium and dismissing it as irrelevant, to simply being sure your primary site is mobile friendly, to having a fully mobile (alternative) version of your site.

As always should be the case, most critical in determining what’s right for you are the characteristics of your business and offering, your audiences, and, especially your objectives. These strategic considerations are key before undertaking any tactical initiative of course.

Back to the subject at hand, “mobile marketing”, the degree of attention it merits and the appropriate level of tactical execution need be strategically driven and aligned at the outset. Mobile marketing is not right for everyone, nor is any other tactic for that matter. Exceptional branding is inherently custom in my mind at least, never “one-size-fits-all”. On the flip side, mobile marketing may present you with a huge opportunity.

The answer as with many things in life is “it depends”. Whether it’s right for you or not mobile marketing certainly merits your consideration at this point in time, with “consideration” being the operative word. The medium is not only here to stay, but has been here for a while and continues moving forward at lightning speed.

All said, if you do feel the medium and time are right, the following are a few things to keep in mind when designing your “user-experience”:

• “A mobile device may be a small computer, but it’s not a mini-PC.”
• Keep the experience and content simple. Mobile device usage is location specific and often driven by an immediate, basic informational need (“users are task oriented”)
• Mobile devices are time and location dependent with users frequently having little time and often not being in great viewing locations
• Mobil device screens are small - a critical variable to keep in mind while designing a mobile site
• Mobil device users often have limited connectivity
• Mobile users are often transitioning between settings, alternatively, tablet users are most often in a setting/state conducive to more of a time-based experience
• App’s are another tool to think about potentially incorporating into a mobile strategy
• Envisioning your objectives and “what success looks like” (outcomes) will enable you to decide whether a mobile version of your website is a communication tool worth investing in or not

Next time you find yourself in-between meetings, waiting at the bus stop, or anywhere else enabling a little time to think, instead of mindlessly grabbing your mobile device, challenge and enlighten yourself a bit by trying to answer the question “What, if anything, could this (device) do for our customers?”

How to gain a customer for life.

2011-07-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my family and I were at Disney World where I had a moving “Disney Experience”. How will this help you better your branding, you may ask? Read on to find out.

After waiting in line at Splash Mountain for what seemed like an eternity we finally reached the front and got to ride. The wait was worth every second. The only problem was the flash on the Disney stationed camera didn’t go off, so we couldn’t appropriately freeze in time our special family moment – plummeting over the waterfall and down through Brer Rabbit’s briar patch.

We visited the viewing counter just after, of course, but were apologetically told by the person working that the picture would be dark. Without looking, we turned away a bit disappointed.

Suddenly, another employee who had been watching from a distance motioned us over quietly but enthusiastically. “Come here. Come here.” She said.

We moved to her register, which she leaned across then whispered, “I’ll get you on right away again. Usually it’s a case of the camera flash not working from overheating and it’s fine the next time. Just come back to me before you pay.”

We thanked her profusely as we were ecstatic just to be going again. We decided we’d definitely by a picture no matter how it turned out.

The ride, of course, again was awesome. This time though it was immortalized on disc and captured in perfect light. We came through the shop and went right to the viewing counter. The picture was great.

Glancing over at the other counter and not seeing anyone, I handed the person my credit card and they rang us up. I felt badly as I was sure the employee who had helped us ride again wanted credit for the sale – and, deserved it.

Unfortunately we were in a hurry to get to the next ride, so we paid and prepared to move on. I figured and rationalized that employee would have other sales anyway, and our time was more important.

“Come here” a voice sounded out as we were almost to the door. There she was! My heart sank and I was instantly overcome by a terrible feeling of guilt. As I was quickly thinking of what to say, my wife preempted me. “They rang us up over there”. She said politely while pointing toward the other counter.

The employee looked disappointed and dismayed. “Can I have your receipt?” she asked. Then she requested we wait.

She returned a couple minutes later with a beautiful 8x10 of our family, not quite as well lit, but fantastic none-the-less.

Each of us was screaming a little differently - which was certainly fun to see. “No charge” she said. “Enjoy your time at Disney”.

Suffice it to say relative to both expert branding and life in general, there are many lessons to be learned from my story. So as not to infringe on the thoughts in your head though, I will leave you with just one.

Albeit human nature and my being only human, I clearly made the mistake of negatively assuming as per the employee’s intentions.

I’m hoping after your investment of valuable reading time you can learn from my example and think differently next time similar circumstances arise.

As per branding, you may not only positively effect a perception, but gain a customer for life. Disney did!

Where does a "Green" strategy fit?

2011-07-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

The following is an interesting ADWEEK article given the many company's out there hanging there hats on being "Green" as a justification for higher prices. Whether it's an "added value" or not is a different positioning relative question. Have a look at http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/americans-are-tightwads-when-it-comes-green-brands-133247

What are "Paraprosdokian's"?

2011-07-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

If you don't know you're not alone. However, you are missing out! Hopefully this will enlighten you (alongside providing quite a few laugh's!)...

A good friend recently sent me a list of "Paraprosdokian's - a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected;" As you can never laugh in life enough I will pass along some periodically. Please enjoy and here's the first...

"Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience."

PS - As per sources I have bee unable to find any, but want to make it clear and credit whomever may have come up with these. Very funny!

Business Benefits of Social Media

2011-05-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

Although Social Media benefits are still emerging the following are a number I have seen clients successfully apply to their advantage so far (in no particular order):
1. Generating exposure and awareness
2. Increasing website and other interactive (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc.) traffic and participation
3. Increasing subscription bases (Contact info being provided and requests for ongoing communication)
4. Improving search engine rankings (optimizing)
5. Facilitating new business and relationships (esp. amongst unique audience niches)
6. Generating leads
7. Reducing expenses
8. Enhancing relationships
9. Building credibility and trust
10. Creating and sustaining a “buzz”
11. Increasing sales

A Two-Sided Coin (Tapping the full potential of online branding - and life!)

2011-05-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

We’re living in an amazing time and the world of branding and communication is no exception. Online mediums enable measurement like never before, yet at the same time, building trust and authentic relationships is more important than ever before.

As you know there are two sides to every coin, which is a blessing not a curse. What’s really exciting is you can leverage both.

On one (side), we can now quickly and easily (using a wide-variety of online metrics and resources) garner extremely useful information that sheds meaningful light on the effect of our online branding campaigns (offline I would argue too by the way).

“Click-throughs”, “Conversion rates”, “Page views” and a wide-variety of other measurements and statistics are all readily available – enabling “smart marketing” to say the least (not to mention directly driving sales).

On the flip side, online advertising provides a huge creative branding opportunity - one that unfortunately many are missing, or, perhaps don’t fully understand. In all the excitement about measurability and metrics amazing “branding” potential frequently is getting lost.

Tangible metrics are certainly exciting, provide valuable insight, and are extremely costly to ignore. A huge value of branding though – namely visibility, connecting with lifelong customers, and building trust – is ready and waiting for those who realize there is more.

While direct response and driving immediate behaviors (both online and off) will always be important - engaging invaluable, lifelong customers and building meaningful, trust based relationships is where the greatest opportunity ultimately lies.

Fortunately, as the true beauty of our world can’t be extracted through “either/or” equations, neither can effective online branding. One must think “holistically” to yield the greatest reward.

Please keep this in mind moving forward there for. Thought of and approached correctly it provides extreme upside and “real” (both tangible and intangible) value and results.

Have No Fear

2011-03-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

I keep being reminded as per the importance of "having no fear" when it comes to social media.

"Having no fear" is not an excuse for ignorance of course. So do your homework, learn, think strategically (or have someone qualified help you), and jump in.

Pick one tool (a la Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or whatever) to focus on that seems to best fit your objective and try it for a while. Take the time to participate (doesn't have to be an inordinate amount of time by the way) and watch/listen for the results.

Remember, results (as people) come in many shapes and sizes. In your strategic thinking, there for, be sure to map out/consider the actions you'd like to see. Both emotional and behavioral are important considerations.

This exercise will take a bit of thinking and time, but I promise you'll feel good about the valuable learning.

E-mail ROI

2011-01-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

I recently came across some E-mail survey research I found interesting that I‘d like to share. There really are two key takeaways.

First, when asked which digital channel delivers the greatest ROI, 38% of respondents answered “E-mail”, 21% “Web site/Blog” and 16% Facebook. Multiple other answers garnered either 5 or 6%.

Second, when questioned as per the main benefit of E-mail (different survey), 78% answered “Increasing sales revenue” was “very important”, 72% “Customer retention and improving customer relations” (“very important”), 67% Increasing lead generation” (“very important”), and, 61% increasing website traffic (“very important”).

As you can see, when used correctly and for the right reasons E-mail is an extremely effective medium and usually a viable opportunity.

Opportunity Awaits

2010-12-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

With current Web based targeting methods being primarily driven by the objective of direct response, a huge untapped opportunity exists for demanding the attention of lucrative and engaged audiences – inspiring them to learn more.

Although immediate action is never a bad thing in most cases, especially given sales as the ultimate goal, in the Web world equal consideration should be given to a currently far less obvious potential benefit - the opportunity for good old fashioned trust and relationship building amongst people who care.

A smart and simple way to otpimize.

2010-09-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

If you use social media (or don’t but perhaps are considering it) and haven’t taken advantage of utilizing the “Company Profile” (or something of the like) feature you should. Aside from being a great positioning opportunity in general, it is an easy way for you to enhance/optimize your search presence.

Just as with your website, using and incorporating meaningful, relevant keywords will increase your visibility online – specifically within search engines, online directories and social media (Google, Yahoo, Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or others). Blogging is another great way to optimize, alongside sharing valuable content if you have it.

Email Marketing Can Really Work

2010-06-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

I came across an Adweek article today stating that “a recent international study yielded 58% of respondents saying an email-marketing message has prompted them to make a purchase at an offline store or via a call-center order desk.”

The article continues citing “57% said they’d be more likely to buy a product in a store after receiving a marketing email about it, with 54% of U.S. respondents answering likewise.”

The survey also yielded some interesting information relative to where the surveyed parties were most likely to submit their email addresses. “47% said via the company’s web site, 46% when placing an order, and, 45% during a consumer survey.”

We do quite a bit of email marketing at GCGage and what we’ve seen echoes the aforementioned. Two thoughts come to mind.

First, if you haven’t already strongly considered email marketing perhaps you should. In this day and age of extreme target ability - with the right message(s) and audience(s) (using an “in-house” and/or “opt-in” list) I firmly believe you’ll get meaningful results. I know many of you are already already are using this (communication) tool and reaping the benefits, but for those who aren't, there’s an opportunity at hand.

Second, if you aren’t already proactively collecting names, addresses, and permission to capitalize on and engage in conversation with your most important audiences – by all means start now.

When it comes to email quality over quantity is most important (in almost all cases), so, no worries if you don’t have a ton of information right away. If you feel strongly about growing your database quickly, supplementing with a purchased “opt-in” list can provide a “turbo boost” and is always an option.

Visible callouts (and “calls-to-action”) on your home page, basic data entry fields and capability, and simply asking and encouraging prospects and clients in person, via email or over the phone to sign up if they’re interested in meaningful correspondence are great places to begin.

"What Do I Get?" New Insight on an "Age-Old" Question.

2010-05-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

In answer to the "age-old" question "What do I get for my Advertising?" (One of many answers I may add), a specific key benefit has recently and frequently been emerging in our client work that I would like to share. My hope is in your consideration of successfully deploying some of the more "traditional" driven messaging and communication tools (a la print and "E" advertising, Print Collateral, Direct and Email, etc.) in a "Positioning" driven manner the following will be a positive outcome you realize as well.

The benefit stems from the many positive applications for and uses of traditional media and positioning driven messaging relative to a variety of objectives. The positive effect of note is driving meaningful, enthusiastic, and ready to learn more people to your website, Facebook, Email and other "next step" communication mechanisms.

In today's world with an astounding number of tactical choices and alternatives to choose from (and/or impactfully mix and match), where positive outcomes are frequently overlooked, hard to recognize, or taken for granted - please consider this insight and hopefully feel a little bit better about "What you get" next time you choose to position, be more visible, and Advertise.

Establishing a Leading Brand

2010-05-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

“Leadership is not about doing what is easy. It’s about doing what is right.” I recently came across this quote I think provides a wonderful opportunity for us all. Each day in our work, family and wide-variety of other roles we come across real opportunities and always have choices. We frequently face decisions where the easiest route is unfortunately not the best. Please keep this in mind as you proceed throughout your day – choosing to do what is right each time and being the best at it. When all is said and done this type of authenticity creates a truly "leading brand".

Truly Interactive

2010-03-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

Prior to getting into more meaningful and interesting “Food-for-Thought”, I feel compelled to make a brief apology – and, clarify expectations moving forward. I realize this posting has been a long time coming, completely shooting the “real time” opportunity and aspect of this exciting new medium in the foot. I sincerely apologize for the delay.

That said, my goal with this “Blog” is delivering quality over quantity every time – completely out of respect for your time. I know your time is extremely valuable, don’t take it for granted, and, greatly appreciate your willingness to visit. It is my goal to make each moment you spend and every visit worth your while, and, I plan on doing just that moving ahead.

While on the subject, each time we update as hopefully you’ve realized, please count on email notification if you’ve provided your email address. At that time you’ll be assured your visit will pay off in new insight and information. That said, “on with the show ”, and, some hopefully new, relevant and/or interesting insight…

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Interactive”? Your website? You’re not alone, and, certainly the answer isn’t wrong. In fact, those understanding and utilizing their web site to the fullest brand/relationship building potential are benefitting from an extremely unique and powerful medium that enables visitors to learn, build trust, and build substantial and enduring relationships completely on their own terms and as they will.

Think about it a little more though, and/or read on. Hopefully I can provide a broader and more valuable perspective.

“Interactive”, the word, is an adjective assuming pro-activity and involvement. When defined fully, the word “Compelling” can also be included. As human beings living in a busy, cluttered world, life frequently has us staring at the tree instead of the forest.

As “Consumers” though, in light of this fact, we tend to walk around a bit, liking to learn and explore – building trust and gaining confidence along the way. This is perfectly natural, and a huge brand building opportunity, albeit extremely frustrating for those desiring to build relationships by “flicking a switch”.

I started off this “Blog” entry with an apology, yet trade-off, relative to “Substance”. I sincerely hope in your business, lives and relationships when it comes to “Substance” you do the same. A great place to start, in fact some great places, are in the messages you’re sending, engagement you’re facilitating, and ultimately actions you’re desiring and expecting across all communications mediums – as opposed to just one or two.

Daunting? Maybe. Overwhelming? Perhaps. Doesn’t have to be though. Impossible? Nothing is impossible – unless you convince yourself it is. Just pick the biggest tree, look closely, address it and move on. In doing so, and making a commitment instead of hollow or empty promises, you’ll enable your most important audiences to build substantial trust and truly interact.

How executives are using Twitter — Posting #3 (of 3)

2009-12-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

These are the final excerpts I’ll post from an insightful BusinessWeek magazine article recently published on the subject of Executives using Twitter to help better run their businesses. Furthermore, it is my final posting for 2009. Hope you continue finding the insight interesting and applicable, and, for more please check back in 2010. Meanwhile, have a happy and safe holiday season!

Jeff Bonforte, Chief Executive of Xobni says, “I think it helps build buzz for Xobni. Helps with recruiting. Helps show the company’s personality and voice. We’ve also used it to interact directly with Xobni users when they have questions/concerns.”

Mike Troiano, Chief Executive of Matchmine says, “1) It helps make me more of a real person to my team. 2) It helps me stay closer to what’s happening in the lives of my own people. 3) It’s an invaluable business-networking tool. 4) It help’s me raise Matchmine’s visibility among the thought leaders online. 5) It’s just plain entertaining.”

Shafqat Islam, Chief Executive of NewsCred says, “The concept of Word-Of-Mouth takes a new meaning on at Twitter. I routinely tweet about things happening at our company, challenges, opportunities, or interesting news. The day of our launch we had hundreds of people tweeting and retweeting about all the press we were getting, and, it causes a snowball effect.”

Barry Libert, Chairman of Mzigna says, “I believe in the idea of community, and I think Twitter embodies the type of conversation and transparency that the industry is all about. By using Twitter, I can keep up with the fast-paced nature of the social media space, connect with employees and clients, and hopefully demonstrate successfully that there’s a human side to leadership.”

Louis Paul, Chief Executive of Lois Paul & Partners says, “We use Twitter to help (business-to-business startups beyond the seeding stage) get a read into what topics are gaining traction in the market. We can watch the chatter and gauge early opinions on major moves made by our clients or their competitors. (And) we are monitoring Twitter for our clients to make them aware of customers or users of their products who are talking about them and advising them on the best way to engage those people.”

How executives are using Twitter — Posting #2 (of 3)

2009-11-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Here is my second excerpt posting from an insightful BusinessWeek magazine article recently published on the subject of Executives using Twitter to help better run their businesses. Hope you find them applicable and are willing to share other valuable uses you’re finding…

Jack Dorsey, Chief Executive of Twitter says, “It’s (Twitter) the fastest and best way to get feedback on what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and, what we should do next – both from users and co-workers.”

David Sifry, Chairman of Technorati says, “I subscribe to lots of people who say interesting things, and, I listen (and) read a lot. I find these people become a sounding board for ideas, and I learn a lot from them. When I post to Twitter, sometimes it’s about interesting things I’ve seen or observed, and, sometimes it’s ‘questions to the world’ – where I ask questions that I can’t find easy or reliable answers to just by searching Google or reference works.”

Christine Perkett, Chief Executive of Perkett PR says, “We tweet about our own industry insights, technology, PR and more – and people have been receptive and responsive. We feel we’ve earned a new respect as communications professionals in this way. We’ve had the advantage of receiving ‘first mover information’- benefiting both our agency and clients – by connecting with reporters who often tweet about what their stories are going to be before anyone else knows about them and analysts/influencers – some of whom have shared early insights into reports or other important information that they have only offered to their Twitter followers.”

Michael Hyatt, Chief Executive of Thomas Nelson says, “Twitter enables me to humanize Thomas Nelson and thus better connect me with my employees, customers and authors.”

How executives are using Twitter...

2009-09-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

Recently I came across an insightful BusinessWeek magazine article on the subject of Executives using Twitter to help them better run their businesses. My next sequence of postings will be excerpts and highlights that I hope you find interesting. Please feel free to share additional uses you’re finding…

Kevin Rose, Chief Executive of Digg says, “Twitter is a great way for us to get news out about Digg. Whether it’s company announcements or sharing information, Twitter is a great way to reach people quickly.

Tony Hsieh of Zappos.com says “I suggested it to the rest of the company initially just to help build our company culture…Now a lot of customers know we are on it as well, and, it’s a good way for them to get insight into our personality and culture.

Jason Calacanis of Mahalo.com says, “With Twitter, I can release new features and ideas to Mahalo’s ‘superfans’ ahead of time to get their input. Many of the bloggers and press watch my Twitter stream as well, so if I want to leak something to the press, I can do it by just saying ‘what do you think about this…?’ and if it’s notable, it will be on 10 blogs in a day. So, for me, it’s part focus group, part press release system, and, a lot of fun to interact with users and fans.”

Michael Arrington, co-founder of Twitter says, “Discussions break out on Twitter regularly, and we post links to most of our posts there. Sometimes the tone of the discussion is much different from the one that occurs in the comments on our blog. It also sends a fair amount of (website) traffic.”

Loic Lemeur, Chief Executive of Seesmic says, “I know there is always a friend, at any time, which has the answer I am looking for about anything. But careful, it does not come for free. As a Twitter user you have to share and give value first, which is part of the process. Listening to my Twitter feed is also the best ‘focus group’ you can get. It is active 24 hours a day and feedback comes instantly without any filter. I keep improving our product with everything I hear from my Twitter community.”

Your Website is your brand anchor

2009-07-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

With all the buzz surrounding social media today, it’s easy to lose focus and forget the importance of your Website. Don’t get me wrong, the brave new world of interactive communication (including the most recent addition – social media) has many positive implications for most brands wanting to jump-in, or, for those having done so already.

An easily forgotten fact, however, is that your Website is still your brand anchor. It is the place no matter where visitors come from (offline and on), they can understand the value of your offering to either an existing or potential relationship and engage and interact accordingly.

It’s imperative your Website always represent you well, your best foot forward, either communicating your meaningful story or setting it straight. It’s a blank slate (work-in-process is okay too!). Your chance to demand-attention, educate, inspire, and involve – a golden opportunity to present your brand exactly how you want it and set yourself apart. The right people will choose to get involved.

Introduction to Geoff's Blog...

2009-06-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

“If I had ten hours to chop down a cherry tree I’d spend nine sharpening my axe.” – George Washington

Although this favorite quote applies well to a number of things, in the case at hand it provides purpose for the forthcoming blog.

It is my intent in this space moving forward to post meaningful, relevant and hopefully enlightening “food-for-thought” in regard to you, your business and perhaps even life.

Be it useful advice, inspirational insight, a few laughs, or, anything in-between,

I greatly appreciate your taking the time to visit and hope you walk away feeling it was time well spent.