Social media allows for interactions across all sorts of barriers, whether they be time zones, geography or culture. With Facebook, you can keep up with what an old classmate is doing, even if she is living in the remotest corner of Siberia.

Although social media has made it possible to keep in touch with all sorts of people and even to create new relationships, it has also made those relationships more difficult.

It makes trolls come out to play!

It seems some people figure because it isn’t a face-to-face interaction, they can ignore you or be rude to you. That is why trolls abound on Twitter. They find things they disagree with, and then attack, often being very nasty and rude. As if they weren’t interacting with a person on the other end of the Twitter account.

It makes people forget their manners

Somebody sends you a congratulations on LinkedIn, comments on your nice new profile picture on Twitter or says happy birthday on Facebook and you forget to thank them. Maybe you “don’t have time.” Maybe you are just rude.

It makes people think actions have no consequences

Recently, Mark Schaefer from Schaefer Marketing Solutions wrote on his {grow} blog about how his blog posts have been ripped off, copied wholesale without attribution.   I have heard of other bloggers like Schaefer, who’ve found their content attributed to other writers or on other websites without attribution. People and organizations who plagiarize stuff they find through social media or on blogs seem to think it’s there for the taking, as if they can do what they want with absolutely no consequences.

They thing is although social media interactions may be virtual, they involve real live human beings at both ends. Social media is not an excuse for engaging in behavior you could not get away with in person.

What do you think? Do we need to put the personal back in social media? Or is it societal?

There’s all sorts of analysis going on right now about Tuesday’s election results. Chris Christie, a Republican, got re-elected as New Jersey governor with a 30% or so margin over his opponent. In Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, won the governorship with a razor-thin margin of 2% over his opponent Ken Cuccinelli.

If you have been following the Virginia race, you know that Ken Cuccinelli is very conservative. He has publicly-known views against abortion, birth control access, equal rights for homosexuals and he denies climate change. He is also very vocal in his opposition to the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare.  Apparently, many people in Virginia share these views, but not enough people to catapult him into the governorship.

Pundits have been saying that Cuccinelli lost because he was outspent by McAuliffe. Some say it is because of how the nominating process took place (no primary, just a convention of the party faithful who tend to be more to the right of the general voting population).

I think that one of the reasons Cuccinelli lost is because he is not likeable. You could never imagine hanging out with him. He rarely smiles and when he does, it is not a “real” smile. Contrast that with Christie.  Christie is a big bear of a man–hugging people left and right. He is a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen and not afraid to let that be known. You could definitely see yourself having a beer (or two) with Chris Christie.

Cuccinelli is a sour, judgmental kind of a guy. He doesn’t approve of many things and he has made it his mission to rid Virginia of these things. His rigidity is antithetical to likeability. Christie, on the other hand, is more pragmatic. In spite of his party’s opposition to Obama, he embraced him (literally and figuratively) in the aftermath of Sandy. His pragmatism helps boost his likeability.

The Washington Post reported that Cuccinelli did not call McAuliffe to concede or congratulate him after the election and he says he will never call him. That sounds like both sour grapes and lack of sportsmanship. Not likeable.

People don’t elect people they don’t like. It’s that simple. It goes beyond politics and policy and it comes down to likeability. I think George W. Bush won against John Kerry because Bush is the more likeable person. Kerry seemed very patrician and detached (not unlike Mitt Romney, if you think about it) while Bush had his Texas twang and swagger.

How does this translate into marketing and communications? Simple. Focus on the likeabilty of your product or service. Don’t advertise a product by denigrating the user or a potential user. People like positivity, and they are turned off by negativity.

It’s not random that Facebook asks you to “like” pages/companies/products. If you like something, you want to find out more about it, right?

Do you want to improve your blogging? Attend the How to Write Your Blog workshop next Tuesday, November 12 in Washington, DC. Only five spots are left, so register today!

Whenever I have a workshop or a presentation on blogging, someone asks how you know if you have a “successful” blog. And my answer is always the same: you define your success.  You set the goals for your blog and if you reach those goals, then you have success.

Start with having SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals, emphasis on measurable and specific.

Goals could be:

• Get a certain number of readers each day
• Get readers to click on links or go to a certain page on your website
• Get readers to subscribe to your newsletter or to your RSS feed
• Stimulate discussion or get comments
• Get shares on social networks

Once you have goals, you will track these using an analytics program such as Google Analytics. There are many resources out there, but I found this post by Jeff Sauer very helpful: Google Analytics 101 for Bloggers. Although I use Google Analytics, there are other programs out there (some free, some not). There may be a better choice for you, as Tom Ewer writes: Why I Use Clicky Analytics.

What are the goals for your blog? Are you actively tracking them?

Do you want to improve your blogging? Attend my How to Write Your Blog workshop next week on November 12 in Washington, DC. Learn more and register today!

How many blogs do you read or follow? I have about 100 on my blog reader, and I read dozens more (OK, it is an occupational hazard). Now think about the blogs you read regularly, what do you like about them? If I were to hazard a guess, the number one thing that makes that blog great (for you) is

Relevant and/or interesting content

You would not read it if it did not offer you the information you like to read about, whether your thing is food, politics, journalism, PR, beer or any number of other subjects.  But there are other reasons blogs are great.

Great blogs are:

• Shareable (no sharing buttons, no new readers)
• Interactive (allow for discussion in the comments)
• Findable (not only on by search but also on your main website)
• Pleasing to the eye (design does matter)
• Scannable (headings, bullet points, lists all help)
• Well written (or well spoken if a video or audio blog)

What would you add? Please tell me what makes you read a blog regularly.

I will be introducing a new feature where I rate blogs based on these attributes. Watch for it soon!

Want to have a great blog? Sign up for the next How to Write Your Blog workshop on 11/12/13 in Washington, DC.  Get all the details and register today (early registration prices available until Friday, November 1 at midnight).

If you ever watched the TLC show What Not to Wear, you know some people choose to wear cringe-inducing outfits when left to their own devices. It generally takes an ambush by the show’s hosts, disapprovalof the person’s loved ones, and a look in the three-way mirror for the fashion-challenged individual to consider changing his/her look.  In other words, sometimes you need an outside perspective.

Here’s my outside perspective on what you should not be doing on your blog:

Pulling a bait and switch. You tell readers you have five tips for doing something but in reality you want them to buy your e-book or webinar. Not cool.

Selling. You can funnel your readers to something you are selling, after you have given them value. In other words, your blog post is not advertising copy.

Letting down your readers. If your headline promises the ten best ways to do something, then you should deliver those ten tips.

Making readers cringe at your inability to use spell-check (or understand grammar). We all make mistakes, and we all forgive one or two typos and grammatical slip-ups, but there’s a limit.

Not understanding how people read on the web (or on mobile). Your post consists of a single paragraph, no breaks, no bolding, no graphics, no bullet points, nothing. And it is really long.  The web makes people scan content (so make your content scannable!).

Closing off comments. Why be social if you don’t want people to interact with you? You can and should have a comment policy, and you don’t have to approve every comment, but do have a way for people to interact with your blog post.

Being jargon and buzzword crazy. Few things make me want to scream as much as a blog post filled to the brim with buzzy phrases and cliched jargon (“try to find your sweet spot by selling the c-suite on the low hanging fruit…”).

What would you add? Tell me in the comments, which I moderate but always check and respond to!

Want to have an effective blog? Attend the next How to Write Your Blog workshop on November 12 in Washington, DC.  Get more details and register today! Early registration prices available until Friday.

Between content marketing and content strategy and content creation, content is everywhere. These days, it seems like the one thing that will solve your communications and marketing problems is content. And really, who hasn’t heard the phrase “content is king?”

The truth is it’s not enough to write some stuff, call it content, and post it on your website and social networks. You’ve got to work a wee bit harder than that.

Here are the six (hard) truths of content creation:

1. It’s not enough to create content–you have to have a reason behind it (also called “content strategy”).

2. It’s not enough to create content–you need to have quality content, which means that it  should be useful and/or relevant and/or interesting. And don’t forget, it MUST be well-written (yes, grammar matters).

3. It’s not enough to create content–you want content that attracts attention and gets shared. Boring, irrelevant stuff is not going viral any time soon.

4. It’s not enough to create content–you need to make sure that people can find it (thought about SEO lately?) and can share it (where is your “tweet this” button?).

5. It’s not enough to create content–your content should help (answer questions, give relevant information) your customers, supporters or advocates.

6. It’s not enough to create content–you need to measure it (don’t you want to know what is working and what isn’t?).

What rings true to you? Let me know in the comments.

Want to have a more effective blog? Attend the next How to Write Your Blog workshop on November 12 in Washington, DC.  Learn more and register today!

Not every business needs to spend lots of money on marketing communications (ads, PR, etc.) but every business should spend time/effort/money on communicating with existing customers. Why? Because these businesses probably depend on referrals for their livelihood.

Even if you don’t have a marketing budget (although you should have some dollars set aside for your website and social media efforts), you must budget for customer communications. Keeping in touch with current customers is a serious no-brainer. There are several ways to do it, depending on the size of your customer base: newsletters (electronic or print), postcards, letters, blogging on your website and even phone calls.

At a bare minimum, your existing customers need to hear from you once a year. And yet, how many businesses do not communicate with customers at all?

Let me give you a personal example. I bought my home insurance from an agency recommended by my real estate agent.  In the three years I have had this insurance this is the number of times I have heard from the insurance agency: zero. Not once. This past week, I got a policy renewal that listed a 20% increase in my premium. I called the insurer to find out what happened. It turns out that there has been a statewide, across-the-board increase, which, by the way, was announced in February. Except that I didn’t know. Because my insurance agency did not bother to inform me.

Since my agency does not communicate with me at all, I will be shopping for a new agency this week. I have no need to be loyal to the agency because they have shown absolutely no loyalty to me as a customer. They haven’t kept me informed about insurance changes. They haven’t inquired as to whether I need any type of other insurance. They have never even asked me if I am satisfied with my insurer.

Having a customer communication program is marketing. It can help maintain current customer relationships and it can lead to referrals.  It keeps your business top of mind.  The company that painted my house knows this, which is why it sent a card at Christmas. My heat/AC contractors send out postcard reminders in the spring and fall that it is time to have the system checked. The mechanics send discount coupons and reminders it is time for service on the car.

Set up a customer communication program

The first step is to develop and/or refine your customer database.  You must collect basic customer information: address, phone number, email.

Assign a budget. Call it marketing or call it customer retention or call it a referral program. Just budget for it.

Decide how many times per year you will have contact with your customers, taking into account factors including your budget, how you will communicate with customers, and the nature of your business. If you are a seasonal business (you sell Christmas baskets or you do taxes for example), then you could send out your communications once a year. If you depend on having informed customers (you deal with investments), you may need to have a monthly or even weekly newsletter.

Decide what type of information your customers need.

Line up the right vendors (printers, direct mail companies, e-marketing, etc.)

Do you have a customer communications plan? If so, what do you take into account?

Want to learn how to have a more effective blog? Attend my next How to Write Your Blog workshop on November 12, 2013 in Washington, DC. Get the details and register today!

If you are putting in the effort toward having a blog, shouldn’t visitors to your website be able to find it easily? For some organizations, the answer seems to be no. Some blogs are hiding and that is not a good place for them to be.

Why are these blogs hiding? Here are several “reasons:”

• The blog is “housed” separately than the website on free blog hosting such as Blogger or WordPress.com.
• Different departments handle the website and the blog and there is territoriality.
• Organizations believe they must have a blog but don’t want anybody to actually read it.
• The blog is an afterthought and there is no room on the home page to include it.
• Some organizations think it is obvious that blogs belong in the “newsroom” section or the “publications” section (AKA not understanding the user experience).

Successful blogs are:

• Findable/accessible
• Relevant
• Shareable

A blog that is hiding is not easy to find, and therefore, not accessible (and certainly not shared or subscribed to).  It won’t matter how relevant or great the blog’s content is if the average visitor to your website has no idea it is there.

Want to learn how to have a more effective blog? Attend my next How to Write Your Blog workshop on November 12, 2013 in Washington, DC. Get the details and register today!

At the gym today I saw a flyer for a private chef/prepared foods service. The concept is that you will get prepared meals delivered to your home on your schedule. What caught my eye was that at the bottom of the flyer it said: “Website coming soon.”

This got me thinking: Should you launch your business without having a website in place?  My gut tells me you should have your website up and running. However, nothing is so black and white, and probably, the answer depends on various factors, including:

• Type of business
• How you get business (referrals, word of mouth, advertising)
• Soft launch
• Size of business

Lastly, before launching, you need to understand how essential a website will be to your business. Will people need to consult your website to find out how to do business with you? In the case of the private chef,  a potential customer may want to check out types of food you offer, testimonials, pricing, timing.  Obviously, these questions can be answered by phone or in person too, but will you have time?

I think there is more to be gained by having your website up and running BEFORE you launch. Does this mean you can’t launch a business without a website? No. But it could cause problems for you as you try to build up your customer base.

What do you think? Vote in the poll:

[yop_poll id=”2″]

It was not until I saw a full page ad in today’s Washington Post that I realized Starbucks has waded directly into the government shutdown debate. The full page ad (right hand page, far forward, four-color, in media buying lingo) has the headline:

Sign the Come Together Petition

You can see the text  on the Starbucks home page and apparently, at all Starbucks stores starting today.

Also today, in the Post’s business section, Allen Adamson, a branding firm director, is quoted about this Starbucks’ move:

It’s always risky when brands mix politics and business.

It’s quite clear that Starbucks is taking a strong political stand against the shutdown, but I am not sure it will be risky. In fact, it may be a huge win for Starbucks (and maybe for the government, if it helps end the shutdown). To my knowledge, Starbucks is the first and only national brand that is saying something publicly about the shutdown– and it’s always good to be the first and only in marketing. Plus, it is using the petition to have people sign up to get updates, either by email or text. You know what that means: database expansion!

Finally, this is a political ad, but it is not overtly partisan, and that’s the key. It assumes that most people are against the government shutdown, and the ad does not point fingers at specific parties or politicians. In this way, Starbucks does not alienate its conservative or liberal java addicts. It may not be your cup of tea, but perhaps it is your venti of coffee!

Did you see this petition in Starbucks or the ad in the paper? What do you think? Wise move or not? Let me know in the comments.