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Maria Verven: Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 3:13 PM
Last week, I gave a presentation
on social media for 15 CEO’s of small businesses down in Faribault, Minn.
Their reactions ranged from
engaged to downright resistant, bordering on belligerence. “What’s a blog?”
asked one CEO. “Can you Tweet on a blog?”
 It occurred to me that “getting”
social media is all about having the right attitude. If you’re determined to
NOT get it, guess what? You won’t.
Age has absolutely nothing to do
with it. Sure, a lot of my contemporaries still do marketing and P.R. the
old-fashioned way – writing brochures and sending out press kits in the mail.
The good news for me is that
they then ask for my help when their clients ask them to set up a Facebook
page, do keyword research and optimize their news releases and website content.
I’m just as old as they are, but I have a different attitude: I am totally jazzed
by the social media revolution and want to be a part of it.
Conversely, Gen X and Gen Y or
the Millennials may be super comfortable with technology, since they’ve been on
the web their entire existence.
But while they know how to post
their last frat party photos on their Facebook wall, they don’t know how to use
Facebook and other social media sites to help businesses get found, connect
with customers and increase referral business.
In short, if you want help
developing a social media strategy to grow your business, find someone who has
both the right attitude and the right stuff. |
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Maria Verven: Posted on Wednesday, March 09, 2011 4:10 PM
The word copywriting (“copy”)
always bothered me. I mean, who wants to write “copy?” It just doesn’t sound
very original to me.
 Today, we’re hearing the word
“copy” less and the word “content” more.
That’s because the word
“content” connotes not just online “copy” and all of its various forms – everything from tweets to websites to e-books – but also a variety of other
media, such as photos, podcasts, screencasts and video.
I’m all for content over copy,
for two really good reasons:
1) Like most people (I heard 65%), I’m a visual learner.
Don’t just tell me, show me!
2) Also like most people (and especially Gen X, Gen Y and
probably Gen Z when they arrive on the scene), I want you to entertain me, not
bore me.
The word “copy” used to apply to
the printed page. But the style of writing for the web is far, far different
from writing for brochures and printed materials. In fact, it can be a lot
harder, because if you don’t captivate your audience, they’ll simply click
away. Most web surfers suffer from acute ADD.
Writing for the web also
requires the writer to keep it short and simple (the KISS theory is alive and
well on the web), and punctuate the text with short, snappy keyword-rich
headings. That’s actually a lot harder to do than to drivel on and on.
Thank goodness the days of
unoriginal drivel (or copy) are mostly gone. Good-bye copy. Hello content! |
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Maria Verven: Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2011 9:05 AM
I love kickboxing. Three days a week, I take a break
mid-morning, move my computer to a different part of the house, plug in a
kickboxing video and throw punches in the air.
 The good thing is that I’m motivated to do this without a
membership, a class or a personal trainer.
The bad thing is that I have to
listen to the exact same banter and prompts. Some of it motivates me, and some
actually has the opposite effect.
Which statement actually demotivates you?
1)
Dig deep, we’re with you all the way!
2)
Find that motivation and think about your goals!
3)
Don’t give up; it would be a shame to finish now!
When they say “don’t give up,” I think: I wasn’t even
considering giving up. Now they put the possibility of not finishing the
routine into my head.
I wish they hadn’t done that.
Whether you’re doing kickboxing or working on your business,
don’t even consider giving up. That’s the last I’ll mention it.
Instead, find that motivation, think about your goals and
dig deep.
I’m with you all the way! |
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Maria Verven: Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 1:53 PM
Yesterday at lunch, I met with
a potential new client, a musician and entrepreneur who complained that a few
years ago, he got suckered in by a P.R. agency who charged him a hefty monthly
retainer. The impact on his wallet was sizable but the results were negligible. He
finally ran out of both money and patience.
Last night, I met with a
friend and marketing colleague who was complaining about one of her retainer
clients: “I’ve got this and that all ready to go, but my client just isn’t
getting back to me!” she exclaimed in frustration.
 So that begs the question: do
retainers work?
Sure, they might work for big
businesses with deep pockets that have plenty of cushion in their budget.
They might even work for small businesses with shallow pockets when everything
stays the same, month to month.
But for the rest of the world,
I’m beginning to think that retainers aren’t a good idea no matter if you’re
the retainer (the one who does the retaining) or the retainee.
I just looked up “retain” and
it comes from the French word “retenir” meaning “hold back.”
Now, that makes sense when it
comes to correcting buck teeth. But do you really want your P.R. agency to “hold
back?” |
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Maria Verven: Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 8:15 AM
Think you need a Facebook Page for your business?
Let me ask
you a pretty basic question: Why?
Sure, Facebook Pages are great for some businesses –
particularly those that cater to consumers – restaurants, stores, consumer products, etc. (The most popular page on Facebook after Barack Obama is Coca-Cola, with over 3 million fans). It's an ideal way to engage your customers, offer them deals and
put referral business on steroids.
But let’s say you’re a small business that sells widgets,
software or other products and services that would cause my eyes to roll back in my head if you were
to talk shop with me at a cocktail party. Think you need a Facebook Page?
Think again. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t jump on the social media
bandwagon. Just make sure you hit the hammer on the head and go to where
your customers are really hanging out.
And guess what – they're probably not on Facebook if you sell
products and services to other businesses (B2B).
But they ARE on LinkedIn. Most B2B businesses can find their customers in LinkedIn
groups. And thanks to the six degrees (or less) of separation, you can likely find someone in your network who can introduce you to your key sales prospects.
Are you a telecom vendor? Join the Telecom Professionals Group (140,000
members strong). Does your company offer quality assurance and testing? Join
the Software Testing & Quality Assurance Group (43,000 members).
Even if
your company offers something as esoteric as mortgage software, your key staff could join the Mortgage Professionals Worldwide Group
(7,000 members).
Then jump in and join the discussions. See what your customers
are asking. Answer their questions and become a valuable resource for them.
I promise it’ll be a whole lot more worthwhile than trying
to figure out what will engage your mercurial Facebook fans.
Free software release notes anyone?
I think I’ll take a pass. |
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