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50 Ways to Serve up Hot Juicy Content

July 15, 2010 - Posted by Shama

2 Comments

By: Shama

Content marketing is an essential part of online marketing (and marketing in general) these days. If you have any information that helps educate your prospects and clients, chances are you are already engaging in content marketing.

Once you have crafted your message, how do you get it out there?

5 Minutes to a More LinkedIn You

July 12, 2010 - Posted by Shama

9 Comments

By: Shama

I often get asked why I don’t write more about LinkedIn and how to use LinkedIn for business purposes. For all those who keep asking – and for the rest of us – here are five ways you can amp up your LinkedIn experience. Five minutes. Five steps. (Take that 30 minute meals! Someone get this girl a show!). Jokes aside – here are my tips.

Minute 1 – Add 7 Descriptive Keywords to your Specialties Area. Think not only about your specialties within the industry – but also how people outside the industry may seek you out. For example, airline companies for the longest time bickered over the keyword “low airfares.” Until, someone (probably in the marketing department of course) discovered that people were looking for “cheap airfare.” Also, think globally and locally. Example: Search Engine Optimization but also Dallas SEO.

Minute 2 – Add your LinkedIn Address to your Email Signature. Mr. Prospect may not decide to move forward now, but if they choose to connect with you on LinkedIn it makes it that much easier to stay in their periphery.

Minute 3 – Pull your Twitter feed into your Profile. This is a debated topic. Some say don’t pull your Twitter feed into your profile because the tweets seem disconnected. I say it depends on how you Twitter. If most of your tweets are complete thoughts (as complete as 140 characters will afford), pull your Twitter feed in.

Minute 4 – Look at the LinkedIn Questions & Answers Area. Pick one question that you can quickly and valuably answer. Save 30 seconds by sharing a link to a blog post which answers the given question. (You are making the Tazmanian devil look slow!). Worst case scenario – you just earned karma points for being helpful. Best case scenario – you just found a prospect who likes how you think.

Minute 5 – Update your Status with Value (for them) and Branding (for you) in Mind. How can you be helpful and further your personal brand at the same time? Think about your status update. “Just helped a client” is good branding (albeit vague) but not very useful for those who are reading it. Compare that to – “Just helped a client find a fantastic deal for their summer vacation. Try using new search engine Bing to find the best airfares.” Built brand – check. Provided value – check.

Got an Extra 30 Seconds? Feel free to Connect with me on LinkedIn.

What are your best LinkedIn marketing tips?

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/picsbycam/3615008317/

Think Before You Post – an Open Letter to All Consumers

July 9, 2010 - Posted by Shama

18 Comments

Dear Consumer,

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt. This is one of my favorite quotes – perhaps because I consider myself a constant creator and editor at heart. I was speaking with a reporter from MSNBC today, and we started talking about business ethics. As we explored what it means for businesses to be ethical, it made me think about the flip side of the coin – consumer ethics.

We as Consumers Have NEVER Had This Much Power

It is 1972 – you are watching a Television ad for a product you know sucks. What do you do? It ranges from nothing to telling your next door neighbor to perhaps yelling at the TV. Good luck. Today, you can call a toll-free number, post on Facebook or Twitter, write a blog post, leave a review on Amazon, and a million other things. We as consumers have never had it SO GOOD. We insist on businesses being ethical, as they should, but now that we have power, we must use it responsibly as well.

Please – Think Before You Act Online

Almost every week, I address a “reputation management” issue – businesses struggling to undo the harm some individual has caused. 80% of the time, the back lash is unjustified. Businesses sometimes spend millions of dollars undoing this damage. Why? Because one individual didn’t really think through the repercussions of their actions. It can seem like you are fighting a “corporation” – but every corporation is made up of human beings. And you are no longer a powerless individual fighting the “big man.” The playing field has been leveled.

I recently heard about one small business that filed bankruptcy due to one individual (an ex-employee’s boyfriend) consistently blasting them online. I consistently hear from authors who have their book sales destroyed due to a few negative reviewers. We have all heard stories about teenagers who have committed suicide due to online harassment. From teens to business owners – it affects us all.

It Doesn’t Mean you have to Settle

This doesn’t mean that if you have a legitimate concern, you can’t use the tools at your disposal. In fact, you should use them, but use them with care. I urge you to please think before you act online.

Go the Private Route First

The best way to handle a grievance is to talk to the person or company involved privately using the channels they provide. Before you blast someone on your blog, please give them a chance to resolve the issue amicably. For example, I just took a cruise with my husband to the Caribbean. We had a few problems with the cruise line so we talked to the guest relations department. They quickly smoothed things over. We were happy, and they were happy. Now, if I do share my experience with people – it will be the whole picture.

If You Do Decide to Post Online – Provide Value

If you do decide to post comments or critique someone online, wait until you are able to objectively view the situation. If you write in anger, you may come to regret it later. And, think about who you are writing this for. If you are writing as a way to vent, a personal diary may be much more suitable. If you are writing with the genuine intent of helping others (example – to warn them about the noise level of the rooms near the elevator), be sure to provide value. Luke-warm but specific feedback is much more helpful than a vague rant. If you are publishing something as pure revenge, think twice. Aside from legal ramifications, you may be harming your reputation more than you think.

Grace and Kindness Go a Long Way

Let’s face it. We all have our moments. Someone treats us badly or we feel sincerely ripped off. We want to lash out. It is human. But, when our actions are public and permanent (as all things on the net), the consequences can be harsh. If you must act online, do it with dignity and grace. It is so easy to be “anonymous” online – but behind every screen name is a real, living, breathing human being.

What Do you Think?

I feel very passionately about ethics – business and consumer. What do you think? Do you think that people are using the power of the internet with the care it warrants?