One of the great things about being in business today, is that we can get an idea, write it down, click a mouse button and get it in front of thousands of people in seconds.  Better still, we can reach all these people for little more than the cost of our time.  However, instant communications also present us with a challenge.

The marketing challenge of free, instant communications

Not that long ago, it would cost a small business owner a lot of money, to send a traditional mail shot via the postal service to a few thousand people.  It would take ages to print out all those letters and even the ink was expensive.  Then you had to fold them, stuff them into envelopes and either stick a stamp on each envelope or frank each one.  Because the cost in both time and money was so significant, people thought long and hard about what they wrote and who they sent those letters to.  Every letter needed to count, when you were paying hundreds or maybe thousands for each mail shot!

Today, Bob can write an email during his coffee break and send it to his list, with the click of a mouse button.  It will cost him nothing and take seconds.

As a result of this shift, you and I now find our email inboxes and social media streams, regularly littered with a lot of low value crap, from people like Bob.

Of course, the smartest business owners and marketers out there, are even more focused on the quality of their messages today than they were a decade ago.  They know that in order to stand out in a world full of “Bobs”, their messages have to be professionally crafted.  They also ensure that they only send their messages to people who are interested and who have given them permission to get in touch.

While people like Bob are filling the marketplace with low quality, badly targeted messages and getting added to an ever increasing number of blacklists, the savvy business owners and entrepreneurs are taking a different, less common route.  They are focusing on value first, volume second.  For them, quality comes before quantity.  They send the right message, to the right people. It’s such a simple concept, yet it’s becoming increasingly rare.

Just because there’s little financial cost attached to sending emails or using social media sites, doesn’t mean we won’t end up paying a hefty price for using them ineffectively.  If we get it wrong, we risk simultaneously damaging our reputation and missing out on an avalanche of new business and opportunities.

Related posts:

1. How to make better marketing decisions
2. Your marketing has a sell by date!
3. Response rates and timing

How well do you handle criticism?

If you use blogging, newsletters and/or social media sites as a way to market your services, you will receive varying levels of criticism.  Paradoxically, the more successful you become, the more criticism you will receive, because your work will reach more people.

I wrote a post in January, about the criticism bloggers receive, which readers never get to see – emails etc.  Today’s post covers other forms of criticism, and offers some ideas on why it happens and how to deal with it effectively.

I would also like to encourage YOU to add your tips at the end of the post!

Genuine, informed criticism

This is when someone, who knows the subject in question, believes they have found something in what you are doing or saying, which is incorrect.  Their motives are well intentioned and their feedback is often of great value, even though many people greet it with hostility or sarcasm.  In my experience, genuine, informed critics almost always tell you their opinion via email, the phone or face-to-face – Rather than via a social network or blog comment etc.  That’s because their intention is to help and nothing else.

Genuine, yet ill-informed criticism

Some people are going to tell you that you are doing something wrong or that you “don’t get it” and their intentions are good; yet their feedback is from an ill-informed perspective.  Like the people in the above example, these guys mean well, but unlike that example, their help is more likely to hinder you than it is to help you.

If we act on criticism that is factually wrong, we make bad decisions.  This is why it’s really important to check the source of the feedback we receive, before we decide to take action.  If someone with no expertise or experience in something is criticising you in that area, get some more feedback from an informed source.

Non-criticism, criticism

Just because someone disagrees with our point of view, does not mean they are being critical of us.  It’s easy to regard those who see things differently, as being negatively critical, when they are simply offering a different perspective.  This is especially the case with blog comments, where readers will often take a counter-point from the blogger or a fellow commenter.  The whole point of asking for comments and feedback, is to get different opinions and ideas.

Finally, consider the motivation behind negative criticism

People do what they do for a reason.  If we take a moment to consider why someone might make a critical comment about us or our work, it’s easy to see the point they are making in the correct context.

Some do it to attract “traffic”.  For example, the best-known bloggers often find less established bloggers writing extremely critical posts about them, in the hope that the popular blogger mentions them and in so doing, delivers a ton of traffic to the critic’s blog.  Some do it to get noticed.  Others do it because they just LOVE to look for the negative (I get lots of these, whenever I make a spelling error.)  Some do it just to have a little fun, at our expense.

The bottom line: There many reasons that people feel compelled to negatively criticise and many different types of criticism.  If you use (or plan to use) blogging, social networking sites and newsletters etc, as part of your marketing mix, negative criticism is all part of the feedback you will receive, as your audience grows.

Your tips on dealing with negative criticism

If you have any ideas, tips or experience of dealing with negative criticism (especially online), please share them with your fellow readers and myself, by leaving a comment below.

Photo: Johnny Jet

Related posts:

1. Stephen Fry, critics and a business lesson
2. Blogging and critics
3. Why bloggers post every day – Part 2

I just fell back in love with Twitter!

As some of you might remember, I was once one of the world’s top 40 most followed people on Twitter.  Then, in January 2009, after being swamped daily with hundreds of DM’s and junk emails via Twitter, I left.  I later rejoined after totally wiping my account; zero following and zero followers.  Over the past year I have built a small Twitter network, which as you are about to see, is massively more valuable!

Here’s what happened and why I fell back in love with Twitter yesterday…

Twitter contacts

I was in a small village pub last night, when David Spinks from Scribnia.com contacted me via Twitter.  David and I have never met in person, though we have spoken on the phone a few times.  Anyhow, David wanted to know if I could help him, to help a Twitter contact of ours, who is having some real challenges right now.  By the way, you will be hearing all about this very shortly.

I called David and within an hour, I had spoken with a number of my Twitter friends, to see about getting our mutual friend the help he needs.  Everyone I spoke with was eager to get involved.  Each of these relationships were initially formed, via contact made on Twitter and I’ve never met any of these people in person.

Twitter at its best

In my experience, Twitter is at it’s best (from an interpersonal point of view) as a way of connecting with people; rather than as a way of building relationships.  Once a connection is made, it’s super-easy to take that connection away from Twitter, so you can get to know the person better; either face-to-face, via the phone or email etc. 

For example, each of the people I called after speaking with David Spinks, were people I met initially via Twitter, but had built a relationship with away from Twitter; including Scott Gould from Like Minds and The CEO of Headway Themes, Grant Griffiths.

The community of people I know via Twitter, are of massive value to me and last night, the way many of them wanted to get involved and help a guy they have never met, was breathtaking.  REAL people, who right now are about to make a REAL difference to the life of a fellow Twitter community member.  I have never been more impressed with the value of Twitter or more delighted that I rejoined it.

I’m no social media guru, but surely “people” are what it’s all about?

Related posts:

1. Social media rock stars? Get real!
2. Social networking or commercial networking?
3. Another reason why I love blogging

How many Internet users have the same name as you?

For most of us, the answer will be in the thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or more.  Right now, this represents a challenge for a growing number of consultants, entrepreneurs, trainers and authors etc, who trade or work in their own names.  That’s because right now, it’s almost impossible for them to register their name on social networks or to buy theirname.com.

Whilst there is something nice about owning yourname.com, there are also a number of good reasons why it’s useful for some people to own a version of their name online.  For example, if you are an advisor and trade in your name, it’s easier for people to remember your URL / web address, if it’s yourname.com.

Also, as Gina Trapani, the founding Editor of lifehacker.com recently pointed out, there are some great SEO benefits from owning at least one version of your own name online, IF people are likely to be searching for you, by name.  I experienced this myself, when I used JimConnolly.com as my primary website and was the number one result on Google for anyone searching for me.

Social media name grab

Until quite recently, it was pretty easy to get yourname.com.  I was able to buy JimConnolly.com with zero effort at the first attempt.  However, in more recent years the Internet “got social.”  Today, hundreds of millions of people are building social networks and blogging.  For example, I was the first Jim Connolly to register their name on Twitter, so when my friend, who’s ALSO called Jim Connolly (From Thomas, Connolly & Phelps in Bloomington Illinois) joined Twitter, “his” name was taken.

To resolve this name issue, there are stories of people creating unique names for their unborn children, so that they can get them their own .com address and social media accounts!

Some possible answers

Here are a few suggestions for businesspeople, who do not already own their own name based URL, but would like to:

• The most obvious suggestion, is for you to check now if your name is actually taken.  This is especially the case, if your name is uncommon or uses an uncommon spelling.  Even if your name was not available the last time you looked, it could be now.  I use 123Reg.co.uk to check URL availability.  By the way, that is NOT an affiliate link.  It’s just a service I use.
• You can also try and get an alternative to the .com top level domain or TLD.  For example; yourname.me, yourname.biz, yourname.org etc.  However, some TLD’s come with restrictions on how you can use them, so check before you buy.
• Another suggestion is to get creative and add something to your name, such as JaneSmithMarketing.com or MrBobSmith.com or Mary JonesOnline.com etc.  This is still pretty effective and provides an easy to remember option, when giving out your web address to people you meet or in radio interviews etc.

So, what if even the most creative versions of your name are taken?

Don’t panic!

As you can see, even though I own JimConnnolly.com, I still choose not to use it here on my primary marketing website.

Why?

By including the words marketing blog in the URL of this site, almost every link that points here also includes those 2 words.  This means there are thousands of links, which point here and tell Google that this is a marketing blog.  As a result, anyone searching for marketing blog or marketing blogs etc on Google, will find this blog on page one; even though there are over 100 MILLION results listed.  It’s also pretty easy to find me here using Google, just searching for Jim Connolly.  BTW: Keep an eye on JimConnolly.com!!

With the annual price of a URL around the same as a quick trip to Starbucks, there’s no reason for business owners not to try and get at least one version of their name.  Even if it’s not something you plan to use immediately, it could prove useful for a future project.

Do you own a version of YOUR name online?

I would like to hear about your experiences, of either owning your own name based web address or trying to get one.  Equally, I would appreciate any suggestions you have, for people trying to get a name based web address.

Photo: Natalie Maynor

Related posts:

1. Growing and securing your online network
2. Why Google means so little to me (and you mean so much!)

I have already had several books sent to me this year for review, written by social media experts or gurus.  The most recent arrived this weekend.  One thing all of them have in common, is that they contain a version of the following advice, which is, in my opinion totally incorrect:
Build a following and market to that following.

Here’s what I have found to be better advice:
Don’t build a following. Build a community instead!

This is not just a play on words.

FOLLOWERS are like the audience at a rock concert.  They are set apart from the rock star on stage.  They see the rock star as distant.  They are part of the event, but a very small part.  The rock star might get the crowd to sing the occasional verse, but we all know they are REALLY just broadcasting THEIR VOICE to the crowd! I really don’t see a lot of value in positioning yourself as a rock star, if you actually want to get involved with people.  Ironically, the people I see using this approach all the time, are social media experts!

COMMUNITY members are totally different.  They are like the guests at a really enjoyable party.  The host of the party is not a “star.”  The host is not set up high on a stage with the spotlight on him or her, but on the same level as the rest of us.  The host interacts with the guests – speaking AND listening.

The host at that party will not have had tens of thousands of people attending, like the rock star did.  But here’s the thing: How many of us actually NEED tens of thousands of people around us, that we will never know or connect with in any meaningful way?

Here’s one way of seeing it

Let’s be serious for a moment.  The typical small business owner, using social media to develop new clients or customers and gain feedback, will never need tens of thousands of followers or fans.

• How many of those people can Bob EVER REALLY connect with or know?
• How many will want to use Bob’s services, simply because Bob added them to his too-big-to-connect-with network of people he will never speak to or meet?

How many? FAR fewer, than if Bob had built a targeted, manageable network of people, which he actually connected with.  I know it sounds a little old fashioned, but it really isn’t about the numbers.

Those numbers represent people. Real people. Real people, with real lives, real needs and real dreams.  Business is all about people too.  If we forget that, and just go for the numbers, we place a very low ceiling on our potential.

What do you think?

Photo: Anirudh Koul

Anirudh Koul

Related posts:

1. Don’t copy your social media guru
2. Funny: What is a social media expert?
3. Growing and securing your online network

I wrote recently about copycat marketing.  That’s where someone copies the marketing of someone else, hoping that it will work.

After writing that post, I received a lot of email and comments, from people who had personal experience of copycat marketing going wrong.

Here’s one email, which I would like to share with you and hear your thoughts on.

“Here’s what happened to me, Jim.  Please share it with your readers to avoid them making the same mistake.

I found a local guy last year; with a well ranked, well read blog.  He blogs and teaches people how to make money and generate business from social media.  So, in view of his huge readership and massive following, I decided to copy what he did and apply it to my web design business.  Sure enough, his ideas were interesting, but after wasting months doing what he said, I had still not generated a single, tangible asset. Nothing. Zip.

So last month he emailed me, to ask a favor.  We’d met at a tweet up and we got on real well hes a great guy.  Anyhow, he emailed to ask me if I could loan him a monitor as his was screwed and HE COULDN’T AFFORD TO REPLACE OR REPAIR IT!  I did have a spare, which I dropped off for him.  Over a coffee, this likeable guy confessed that he was unable to monetize what he did and that he didn’t even have a marketing or business plan in place.

Here’s the thing Jim.  This guy has thousands of RSS subscribers and followers and a kick-ass blog plus a whole bunch of very well known buddies.  I was copy cat marketing someone who looked like he was doing great, but wasn’t making a dime. Its set my marketing back like 6 months. Ive been a jerk for sure but want others to avoid making the same dumbass mistake as me so that my experience wasn’t a total waste of time. Check people out. Followers or reader numbers don’t always equal $$”

I’d really like to hear what you think about that.  Please share your thoughts below!

Photo: CarbonNYC

Related posts:

1. 2 things I didn’t know yesterday!
2. Email marketing and blog marketing – A quick tip!

Is your marketing shouting at people?

If you go into Starbucks today and start shouting at the people around you, you will definitely grab their attention.  However, it’s not the kind of attention you want to attract.  Many small businesses use a very similar approach with their marketing.  In an effort to capture attention, they act in a way that gets them noticed, but for all the wrong reasons.

They not only fail to generate new business; they can permanently damage the reputation of their business too.

Some examples of how companies shout at people with their sales and marketing:

• Adding people to their newsletter list, without permission. It’s spam.
• Spamming people on Twitter.
• Meeting people at networking events and using that transparent crap; “tell me about your business and how I can help you.” Wake up, it’s not 1985 any more!
• Asking people to join their Linkedin network, claiming they worked with them (when both parties know it’s a lie.)
• Unwanted telemarketing calls to people’s homes at 8pm.  Just what you need when getting a young child to sleep or relaxing after a hard day.

In marketing, it’s easy to confuse movement with progress.  People see that they need to win more business and they know that they must do something – quickly!  So, they do what they hope will generate the new business they need.

The marketing challenge here, is that just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should.  Just because we can pay someone to spam 500,000 people with a marketing email from us, doesn’t mean it will generate anything positive.  Yes, you can waste half your life attending the same networking events, with the same people, all there to sell, none there to buy – but it’s massively ineffective.

Thankfully, we each have the freedom to make our own choices about the way we market our products and services.  If we use our freedom of choice wisely, our success is guaranteed.

What do you think about the typical small business marketing you see?

Photo: The Dream Seeker

Related posts:

1. Can I have your attention?
2. Email marketing and blog marketing – A quick tip!

Someone studying marketing at university, recently asked me what I thought a social media expert was.

I told her that I see social media experts as people, who understand how to make social media platforms deliver results for organizations and individuals.

However, she had a better answer, which I ‘think’ she intended as a joke.  I just had to share it with you, because of you follow any of these people it might sound familiar.

“A social media expert is someone that talks about community, follows tens of thousands of people, then uses software, so they never have to listen to what the people they follow are saying!”

That made me smile!

Photo: Disco Stu

Related posts:

1. Don’t copy your social media guru
2. Twitter junkies and social media addicts

As Stephen Fry demonstrated on Twitter a few days ago, it’s easy to allow a vocal critic to screw things up for you.

In Stephen Fry’s case, one of his followers told him that his tweets were boring.  Fry then threatened to quit Twitter and sever his ties with the million people who actually DO enjoy what he has to share.  Whilst Stephen Fry’s lives with some well documented mental health challenges, his reaction to this criticism is common among many business owners; who allow fear of criticism to hurt their businesses.

Fear of criticism

I had an email today from a reader, who wants to add a pop-up box to her website; to encourage people to subscribe to her newsletter.  She explained how she was concerned that some of her readers might not like it. In my reply, I explained that her decision should be based on what’s the correct thing to do and not what’s the easiest thing to do.  If there’s a chance that by adding a pop-up box, she will get more subscribers and as a result make more sales or win more clients – then it’s worth testing and measuring it.

She then sent me a 2nd email, which said how she was worried that a few hyper-critical readers would complain.  Apparently, her readership is over 3,000 and she’s seriously considering missing out on a potentially effective way to grow her readership, because of what 3 or 4 readers (not customers) might think or say!

This got me thinking:

• I wonder how many great ideas have never seen the light of day, for fear of criticism?
• I wonder how many opportunities the average business owner or entrepreneur misses each year, for fear of what the vocal minority might say or think?

Here’s a question to ponder:
What changes would you make to your business, if you knew for certain there would be no negative criticism?

Criticism: What do you think?

I would love to hear your feedback on either the people who criticise or those who allow fear of criticism to govern their decisions.  Let us know what you think!

Related posts:

1. Not all business is good business

So, can social media really help you market or promote something?

Oh yes!

Earlier today, I launched a brand new blog. Now, usually when you launch a new blog, the first day sees very little traction; after all, no one knows it’s there.  However, thanks exclusively to the use of a few social media tools, the blog attracted hundreds of unique visitors within an hour of its launch.  The blog has also attracted some great comments and people have been emailing me and tweeting to me all morning with feedback and ideas.

Here’s how I launched the new blog (quickly)

The primary tool I used, in order to let people know about the new blog, was Twitter.

A few days ago, I set up a Twitter account for the new blog, which had a handful of ‘followers’ but was essentially sleeping until the blog was launched.  Over the past 3 days, I mentioned on my regular @jimconnolly Twitter account that I was going to launch a new blog this week.  This got people asking me about it and asking to be informed when it launched.

Earlier today, I published the first post on the new blog and sent a Tweet via @jimconnolly, to let people know. I also sent a simple message to a handful of people I know on Friendfeed, all of whom shared the information with their contacts.

This tiny amount of Twitter and Friendfeed activity was aimed at encouraging a relatively small number of people to check out the new blog.  It seems they did and that they told their contacts about it too.  In no time, traffic to the blog started increasing at the perfect rate for me to be able to monitor it.  I will explain why this was important in a moment.

When people arrived at the blog, they saw a welcome post, which also contained a few suggestions:

• I asked people to please check out a page that explained what the blog was all about.
• I then asked people to subscribe to the RSS feed, if they wanted to keep up to date with new posts.
• Finally, I asked people to join the new blog on Twitter @theideasblog – If they were interested in sharing ideas.

An hour later, I published a second post, which was a typical blog post and gave people an idea of the kind of content to expect. It also gave people something of value to read / share.

Summary

This was a simple, deliberately planned launch; which gave me the time to respond to comments and check the blog was working – rather than creating a sudden surge in numbers.  I mentioned earlier that it was important for me to be able to build the traffic to the blog steadily.  There were 2 reasons for this:

• The blog is with a new hosting provider and I had not placed it under a sudden, heavy load previously.
• For the first time ever, I configured and designed the blog theme myself. I had obviously tested it previously, but it’s different when the site goes live and it’s receiving comments etc.

By using Twitter, a message on my new blog and a few messages on Friendfeed, I was not only able to create a successful launch, but even control the initial flow of traffic (to a degree).  This was a great, real life example of what’s possible with social media.

Related posts:

1. Don’t copy your social media guru
2. Twitter junkies and social media addicts