You hear it almost daily, the urging by others to ‘keep it real’. But what’s that saying mean? Is there some other way to be?
Unfortunately, yes. In an age where there’s immediacy in all our communications and something we share can instantly be viewed and archived by others, there’s a reason to be more deliberate in our words and actions.
It’s simple to offend people just by saying the wrong thing or by typing an innocuous email or sharing a context-free photo. But are these offenses or simple missteps? Back when you wrote a letter or a postcard, or had phones that seldom dropped calls or inserted static at inopportune times, you didn’t have the same misunderstandings.
So, do we blame the lack of perspective and the prevailing hurt feelings on technology? Or is it the result of an ever-increasing pace of life. Or further, is it just softer skins on people who don’t know how to communicate IRL so their social media and online relationships also lack perspective?
I’ve asked a lot of questions here because I’m curious about the drivers of human behavior.
Confused? Am I being too obtuse? Then let’s use a hypothetical…
Bob and Sharon are joking around on the beach. Sharon sees Bob walking past the women’s changing rooms and takes a picture with her phone. Then she adds it to Twitter and shares it with the world – or her 2000 followers – with the caption, “Bob commits a foul by using the girls’ room to change.”
Clearly to Sharon it’s a joke.
Clearly to anyone standing there, it’s a joke.
But Bob goes off the deep end when he find out that Sharon did this horrible thing to his good name. He worries that all of Sharon’s followers and essentially the whole world now believe he would do something as heinous as use the ladies room.
What’s your take?
A. Should Bob pledge to make Sharon’s life miserable every chance he gets because she had fun at Bob’s expense? In a single Tweet? On a single day? Where maybe 10% of Sharon’s followers might see it? Where only the folks following both Bob and Sharon would see the joke?
B. Should Bob let it go and chalk up the experience to Sharon not fully understanding how sensitive Bob was about his image?
C. Should both Bob and Sharon go to remedial social media school to learn how to communicate using the tools of today?
D. Should the event have warranted even these 79 words I’ve used to describe them?
THAT’s what I’m talking about when I wonder if people are being too focused on the way they’re perceived and not focused enough on just being good people.
There are situations like this going on every day and I’ve got one word for the people who are taking themselves so seriously.
Seriously?
Have you run into someone who thinks they’re a bigger deal than they are; or who clearly doesn’t understand how to communicate? Please share those experiences in the comments.
And if you’re out and about tomorrow in Boston and looking for something to do, put this on your tweetup calendar…see Gary Vaynerchuk, Mike Langford, Thomas Edwards and me at the Estate. We’re Wining Dining and Signing. Tickets are still available.
We’ve all been there. Double-booked on the day of a great conference (today’s BIG Conference in Portland, ME); with other obligations during a social event (Ford’s coming to Boston with hybrid cars this week and I can’t go); or too spent to jet back into the city for another gathering or meeting ($2 Tacos Night is tonight and I’m unsure if I have the energy to attend).
How do you choose?
For me, I’ve been using a traveler’s approach to evaluate events and adjust my schedule. That’s when you give serious thought to whether you’ll have an opportunity again in your lifetime. The more likely that you’ll pass that way again, the easier it is to let moments and days slip away.
For example, when we missed a photo of cows wearing cowbells in a field in Germany, we made a segment of our journey a tiny mission to find more cowbelled cows…seriously. In three subsequent days of looking we didn’t find any, so that’s still on the list for an upcoming trip.
What about the chance to talk to someone, anyone, when they’re in the vicinity? I make it a point to say hello to authors because maybe I can offer advice about the trials of being on the road, doing book signings and dealing with publishers. I also like to meet new people.
Swimming is also a biggie for me, as is scooter riding. You hardly know around Boston when the weather will allow you to spend a day in the pool or out on the scooter. Variable weather and miniature seasons demand that I swim, golf, scoot and shoot photos when I can – for fear that 11 months might pass before I have the chance again.
What makes you scramble to be present and seize a moment? What drives you and how do you compartmentalize your efforts so you don’t neglect other parts of your life?
The above is something we plan to as Gary Vaynerchuk when he comes to town this Friday during his book launch. He’s appearing on my video show – NomX3.com – and also signing books for guests at an event I organized.
If you’ve got other things that prevent you from seizing a Friday night, I completely understand. But if you have the chance, come meet this guy. He’s an author, you get his book and a glass of wine with admission, and you’ll also allow me a chance to meet you in person if we haven’t already said hello.
Recently the amount of requests I’ve had to participate in referral marketing programs has gone through the roof.
From Amazon to Eventbrite to BlueHost to Clancy’s Chips, I’ve been ‘given the opportunity’ to create a unique URL that my friends and business associates can use to set up their own [INSERT book purchase, Web page, domain name, event, frito muchfest or other]. And it’s getting me a little confused.
Aren’t we supposed to be creatures who share good stuff?
The generation of putting one over on the man?
You know, we’re the people who would rush in droves to Lechmere at day 29 to return a microwave, VCR or answering machine because the company was too stupid to change its ‘no-questions-asked’ 30-day return policy.
Now we’re supposed to profit off our community? Where’s the fun in that and who wins?
There’s the rub. If I believe a product is good for someone AND if the referral price they get when they use my name is no different than the one they get by just going online…we all win.
For example, the other day I had a client sign up for site hosting on BlueHost. She got her account for the same amount I paid – I think around $7 a month – and the company still is sending me $65 for having her sign up by using THIS LINK.
That’s crazy.
Does it mean that Web hosting is cheaper than $2 a year? That’s what it comes out to after I get my commission.
What about the Eventbrite deal? I’ll get 35% of the proceeds of any event put on by a group that uses my link – sure, use it. And this 35% continues for an entire year. If I’m right, that’s $.35 a ticket that I get which means Eventbrite can afford to take $.64 per ticket and still remain in business.
Maybe this new way of making recommendations is the new way to stick it to corporate giants. Do you want a good deal? Do you want to also send me some cash while getting a deal? Then go use these links and sign up for some services.
I’ve been typing a lot lately but it hasn’t been on my dozen plus sites. That’s because some clients have actually called me in to create text genius and it’s taken me away from my blogs, Twitter and even my WWJCE.com site.
But an event I covered the other day had my fingers in knots. I tweeted 260 times or so during this event as I covered it for a social media group. It was Gravity Summit and it took place Monday.
Take a look at the pre-event video. I’m in there hamming it up at the Harvard Faculty Club in Cambridge, MA.
Some people might say so, but when I signed on to co-host the Ford Taurus event tonight I immediately got worried about letting down the legacy of the Ford family. Seriously.
When a quartet of us went across the heartland of America this year, we went with the help of Ford and I can’t impress upon you how cool that experience was. We got to create content about some of the greatest innovators of our time – from Ford (of course) to Zappos and Nationwide Insurance and Makers Mark and Louisville Slugger (who started by making butter churns and on a whim turned to baseball bats).
So tonight’s event has me jacked up too. It’s been organized entirely with the reach of a few social media folks and the power of Ford. Scott Monty should be thanked for remembering his friends back home – Thanks Scott! If you don’t know, Scott is the voice of Ford on Twitter and has kept that company afloat by keeping the bigwigs in touch with buyers like you and me.
But enough of that. What makes me silly is my premature attitude when it comes to events, dates, occasions and engagements. I need to be early.
I spent my formative months waiting to grow large enough to go home from the hospital and with the help of Mike Langford I’m trying to keep my weight up. At 4lbs, 4oz. I was certainly a premee.
I’m no longer 4/4 but I still maintain that it’s good to be early.
So here I sit a few hours before the event waiting for Ford representatives, 40 close friends and some soon-to-be friends to show up.
I don’t want to be premature here and say it’s gonna be a blast…oh, wait a minute, sure I do.
Chris Brogan’s latest book came out today. It’s called Trust Agents and he co-wrote the book with Julien Smith.
You know what I did when I found out that the book had hit newstands? Right, I bought it.
Really. I went to Amazon and dropped about $20 including shipping to buy his book.
Am I going to read it? Maybe. Am I going to learn anything from it. Only if I read it, and then maybe not. But I still felt some glee in buying a copy.
Why?
Because it’s important to support the people you care about. This includes family, friends, lovers and those in your community in whom you believe. Chris is one of these people.
He gives his time and opinion freely. He shares insight and perspective openly. And he’s a valuable connection and friend in the social media space.
Further, I’m a published author.
Maybe you didn’t realize it, but my first book came out in 2000. As an author I know firsthand what it’s like to give birth to a book. It’s amazing and chilling and fun and humbling. And what makes it even better is knowing that people will pay money to read your words.
That’s why I do a lot of the things I do in the social media fishbowl. Seriously.
I’m making a good portion of my income by training people how to tweet better and how to incorporate blogging and content creation into their enterprise. But if you ask me about blogging while we’re at an ice cream tweetup or during a taping of LUNCH, I’ll share my thoughts. That’s what the social part is all about.
Somewhere there are maxims and fortune cookies that tell of how great the return is when you give a little of yourself. It’s true. But I’m getting something back that’s greater than my time and attention. I’m getting to be around and learn from some really fun and smart people.
Folks like John Cass – who knows more about business operations and marketing than I could ever learn in two years of MBA classes.
Guys like Matt Searles – who keeps the oddest hours on the planet but has still self-published a bunch of music and shows up to support me at most of my random events.
Women like Laura Fitton – who also has a book out and gives all the credit to her co-authors for making it possible.
And the rest of the community who inspire me with their actions, their words and their presence. The stuff these people share isn’t something you can find in a book.
Today I’m at Radcliffe listening to various educators and technology specialists. This group of learned professionals has gathered for the Social Technology and Education Conference in an effort to impart tech knowledge to an audience of teachers, administrators and related education professionals.
There are some great things about this conference and there are some failures. Let’s start with the pluses…
*Registration was a dream. Simple and fast. All badges were ready and there was never a line
*Sessions cover a lot of ground so there’s a topic for everyone
*The facility was perfect – the Gym at Radcliffe is roomy and sound travels well
*Wifi was provided! (I still wonder about tech conferences that fail to provide reliable and strong wifi for attendees)
*Slides and presentations are already online – in part
If I were to stop there, you’d go away thinking you’d rush forward and sign up now for next year. Not so fast. Here’s how the event failed…
*It was publicized ONLY using social media and new media tools. So the people who NEED training with these tools are expected to find out about the conference via those same tools. Further, the traditional media outlets wrote nothing about the conference in advance because they are poorly trained to listen to social media noise.
*No lunch. That’s a personal pet peeve, but if you’re bringing us all together for the day, why not foster some casual networking by keeping us onsite during our meals instead of sending us out into the world during the conference?
*By the middle of the day, the conference was running 10-15 minutes behind. C’mon. How can you lose 15 minutes during a 45-minute session? Poor preparation is the only reason.
*No listening! Because the organizers want to remain on track (see previous note), they have disallowed Q&A for the entire conference? These are teachers! Don’t they know that Q&A is how people learn? If I want to try and learn something in a one-way manner I’ll go to the YouTube Learning Channel.
Don’t you think that listening is where everyone should start? How else can you figure out how to respond, how to act and what to take away?
Boston Wordpress Meetup – 7-9PM
Microsoft Cambridge, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA
RSVP Appreciated
Tuesday – June 30
MediaBistro – 6-8:30PM
The Vault, 105 Water Street, Boston, MA 02109
RSVP and Preregistration Required
Realize the ROI of a Social Media Community – 6PM FELT Boston, 533 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111 Eventbrite Link – Preregistration Required
Girls in Tech – 6-10PM 38 Cameron Gallery, 38 Cameron Avenue, Suite 100, Cambridge, MA 02140 Eventbrite Link – WOMEN ONLY (“Issues involved in being a professional women in today’s world”) – Preregistration Required
Subversive Supper Series at BetaHouse – 6:30-10{M
BetaHouse in Central Square Eventbrite Link – RSVP, Payment and Preregistration Required (Sold Out as of Mon. June 29 – Waiting List started)
Wednesday – July 1
Open Coffee – 8:30AM-???
Cafe Andala, 286 Franklin St, Cambridge, MA 02139 Meetup Group – RSVP Appreciated
Thursday – July 2
Unemployed Networking Meetup – 4PM
Bloc 11 Cafe, 11 Bow Street, Somerville, MA 02144 Eventbrite Link – RSVP Appreciated
Sunday – July 5
Boston Media Makers at Doyle’s Cafe
3484 Washington Street Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA, 02130 Link – RSVP Appreciated – Bring Cash for Brunch
Please share events I might have missed in the comments.
The other day I was a panelist on the Skeptical CMO radio show. We regularly put out broadcasts exploring the challenges, perspective and solutions applicable to C-level executives and specifically those in a Marketing Director or higher role.
Well, Wednesday’s discussion got lively when a listener asked the panel about ROI measurements when it comes to using social media.
We all realize – if we’ve been using social media for any length of time – that ROI is elusive because of the lead time these tools require. What I mean here is that if you tweet something today, it may have a measurable impact either NEVER or after a significant period of time. Rarely is a social media approach immediately effective.
That said, let’s talk for a second about ROI and Impact.
If my clients ask me to show them ROI on a social media campaign that I’ve implemented for them I counter with a request for financial and customer service logs. If I’m allowed to look at month-over-month stats in these areas, from before the campaign began to the present, I can at least show impact figures.
I would further do my work and scour the media world for mentions of my client’s brands.
Then I would collect this information and show the client that our efforts together had a measurable impact and that a likely ROI would soon follow. Some impact specifics you can look for and share are…
Blog posts by influential writers
Media mentions of your brand and your messaging
Site metrics including critical ‘where from’ information
Customer service logs that track reasons for calls
Inbound communication (email and other calls not routed to CS)
Changes in site ranking
And of course, sales figures
Once you compile this information, the skeptical client (who must already have released some of that attitude if they’re paying you to leverage social media tools on their behalf) will be even more convinced that a marketing campaign that uses all tools properly is the correct strategy.
Finally, feel free to share this one example when confronted with social media challenges…
The billboard a client just paid $50,000 for is probably going to generate fewer calls and less traffic to their Website than half a dozen well-placed messages and links in the social media space. And the cost to do that is 1/50th or less than the sign by the side of the highway.
What can you share about measuring ROI and Impact in the social media sphere?
It occurred to me the other afternoon that my cats don’t have to worry about food or kittly litter…YET!
They lead unencumbered lives and are free to nap whenever they please. They could even use Twitter and Facebook if the cat maker had given them opposable thumbs instead of those useless annoying toe claws.
I’m not that way. Neither do I have a claw on my toes or a sugar Jeffrey to keep me in marshmallows and Powerade. While that might just be an idle musing, I found out the other day that my financials support wouldn’t weep if they had an influx of cash. Luckily I’ve been planning.
As most people know, I do four things well…
I’m a kickin’ content creator in a variety of forms
I’m a friendly and effective networker
I’m a marketing expert and skilled trainer and
I’m a superior writer and journalist.
Were you in my shoes, surrounded by social-media activity and a market hungry to enter the fray, what would you do?
My answer – tweak my 17-year-old content company so that its mainstays are new media services and content services including:
A comprehensive menu or corporate new-media training and tools for all levels of employees;
Content services that include blogging and tweeting within defined campaigns and brand-building efforts;
Corporate and customer profile writing for use in existing and new-media materials;
Intensive training for the folks in the creative department who don’t already know about social media’s power and reach;
and a selection of other interactive activity that can help educate clients on the social-media world.
How’s it going? Perfectly.
This week I’ll be present at no fewer than eight networking events, I have two speaking engagements and I already have marketing assignments from two new clients.
How can you help? With your feedback and your attention.
On Wednesday I’ll be speaking on the syndicated show The Skeptical CMO. This Webinar covers everything a concerned Chief Marketing Officer might ask. Wednesday’s session is on timing your jump into the social-media fray.
Then Thursday I’m continuing my social-media world tour with a session for the Metro-West Chamber of Commerce.
As you’re likely aware, the following organizations have either already hired me to present or have expressed an interest in having me speak with them or to their organization about the power of social media…
AIM Mutual Insurance Companies
Brookstone Corporation
5 Bites Cupcakes
Grampys Charities
HMR Diet
Metro-West Chamber of Commerce
National Association of Women Business Owners
Salty Legs Career Club
Society of Professional Journalists
If you want to be next, or have questions about what goes into using social media for business, leave a comment on this blog post. I’ll get back to you shortly.
Entries (RSS)