Sunday, February 23, 2014

A Business Communication Lesson That Could Apply to Married Life

To explain a simple yet important concept, I’m comparing two (2) of my clients.

(NOTE: This does not make any connections to marriage…until the end.)

 “We need to communicate.”

*cue eye roll*

If you’re anything like me, you probably roll your eyes whenever you hear someone utter this phrase.  (…and UNDOUBTEDLY, you’ve heard this phrase.)

Why do we roll our eyes?

I can’t tell you why YOU roll them, but here’s why I do.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

7 Times Your Tweet Will Make Me Click



So what makes YOU decide to click on a link when you’re on Twitter?

There is SO much info on Twitter, it’s tough to READ all of the Tweets, much less actually click on the different links and READ what’s on that link.

That got me thinking…WHAT makes ME click on different links when I see them on Twitter?

I know we all have different reasons for selecting what we want and are willing to read, but after giving it some thought, I realize that these are MY reasons:

1. I feel like I might learn something I want without it being too painful.
2. I might find a resource that will benefit my targeted followers.
3. I’m curious about your seemingly (or potentially) contrarian view.
4. I think there is a chance you might make me laugh.
5. It’s a review of a place I might want to visit (or already have).
6. It’s a review of a product or service I might use.
7. You’re someone I want to promote, and I’m trying to find something of yours I’m willing to promote.

If you’re curious, here is a deeper explanation of each reason.  (Warning, this is a long post!)

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Twitter Doesn't Work, Unless You Do 1 of 2 Things Right



 When I first started using Twitter, I was convinced that it didn't work...

...and I was right...it didn't work for me--the way I was using it.

I gave up using it for a while, and it was probably the best, because I really didn't have a clue how to use Twitter.

See: 4 Things You’re Doing on Twitter That Shows You Don’t Have a Clue about How to Use It for Business

I've finally realized that you need to be doing just one of two things on Twitter to make it work (for you).

No matter the technique, there are only two (2) different ways to connect with people on Twitter:

1. Create Invitations to Respond
2. Initiate Conversation

(NOTICE: I did not suggest playing the Follow Me, I'll Follow You Game)

It's better if you do both, but even if you only do one (1) of these things, you'll begin to experience success on Twitter.  Here's a closer look at each:

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Marketing in Real-Time vs. Reasonable Time



“Today, your marketing MUST respond in REAL-TIME.”

I keep hearing and reading several variations of statements like this, but does it really make sense?

I know it sounds really cool.  It sort of reminds me of Just-in-Time (JIT) shipments that many manufacturing plants are doing, but like JIT shipments, real-time marketing does not always make sense.

(NOTE: If you prefer to ONLY read about marketing, you can skip this coming section.)

The Wisdom of JIT Shipments

This is mostly a marketing post, but let’s make a few points about the wisdom of JIT.