The Edgy Entrepreneur

Skype: A Love Hate Relationship

I have a very passionate relationship with my steady eddie: Skype. I am an absolute fanatic, use it as my primary business phone, have access to it on my Blackberry with iSkoot, record our podcasts via Skype and it's recording counterpart, Pamela, and evangelize (and sometimes shame) people into using it for chats and calls. And while it is outstanding when everything is working correctly, when something goes wrong, it is a nightmare to figure out how to fix it. 

I suppose I should back up and say that Skype is a free service that allows users to chat (IM and Video), as well as make phone calls to other Skype users over the internet. The conversations can have 24 participants, or some crazy high number like that. Skype also has premium services, which are really affordable. I have two premiums, one is an unlimited number of calls from Skype to cell and landlines, the other is an assigned phone number that lets outside cells and landlines call my computer.

Though I do have occasional problems with call quality (reverb, cutting out), those generally straighten out in a few days. The larger problem is when something happens that directly impacts my business. Right now, everytime someone tries to call my Skype number, they are immediately sent to voice mail (did I mention I have voice mail, too?). Today, I discovered that I couldn't add an incoming call to a chat I had already started...something that I had been able to do prior to now.

The help pages on Skypes site are of almost of no use...talk about user unfriendly, they simply don't search well. So, I know when there is a problem, I am on my own or I have to be prepared to wait 3-4 days for a return email from customer service. When your customers can't reach you, 3-4 days is a lifetime.

I know that Skype is continuing to work on upgrading its services...and now that Oprah is using Skype on her show regularly, I suspect they are having their own Twitter-fail whale-esque overload. And, yeah, I will stick with them, like I have with my past love, Twitter. But it doesn't do me any good to have all of these great options, then not be able to access them.

Skype, if you are listening, you have one foot in the dog house. Better come home tonight with flowers and chocolates...and champagne!

Self Publishing Myths and Realities

So if you follow any of my blogs, you likely know about my self published book, "Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners". I wrote, formatted, edited, created the cover, added illustrations, marketed it, and generally made it my life. And, I have to tell you, I didn't even bother trying to pitch it to a traditional garden publisher because I didn't think they would be interested in a book that was partially  crowdsourced and heavily social media friendly. (If you would like to know what I mean by that, check out the Growing Food blog for press releases and a sample chapter). Since I have survived the process, I thought I would share with you what I consider to be the myths and realities of self publishing.

Myth #1: You can sell tons of books if your book is good enough.

Reality: The truth is that could happen...but it is more likely that you will sell your book to a smaller niche audience who has always wanted to know how to create a picnic blanket out of zipties, or whatever your subject matter. In fact, I would say that it is these specialized markets where self publishers have an advantage. You can tailor your book to meet the needs of the audience, as long as you know what those are.

Myth #2: Nobody ever gets picked up by a major publisher because they self publish.

Reality: Not true. I was snagged by a major garden publisher (thanks to Roger at Cool Springs Press) and signed a contract to write a big deal garden book. And did the fact that I had taken the initiative to write my own book, start to finish, have an impact on that? You bet it did. Will my "Growing Food" book be republished by Cool Springs or anyone else? I am going to guess yes. Because, why not? Here's a book that is already completed with market research and a small, but die hard following. That's a great indicator of a successful niche book. 

Myth #3: Nobody takes self publishers seriously.

Reality: Absolutely false...now if you are churning out spammy MLM junk, then yes, no one will take you seriously. But there is something about having a published book that makes people stop and take a second look. And that second look may be your opportunity to get your foot in the door...

Myth #4: Self published content isn't as high quality as content published through other channels.

Reality: Um, no, that would be false...Self publishing is not the determining factor in quality. There are plenty of authors who simply can't make it into the big publishing houses because they can't get above the fray. That doesn't make them less of an author.

Myth #5: Well, I am just going to stick to traditional books, because I always have.

Reality: Here's the news about that...you may think you are, but you aren't. As publishing looks to survive a major paradigm shift in content production and distribution, more authors will have an opportunity to publish their work. And you have likely already purchased something through Amazon that was self pubbed. Further, all of that terrific content is going to start showing up in books...really, it already has in a number of books about Twitter.

It is a better time than ever to consider self publishing, especially for your first book. The key is in understanding what it can and can't do for you. Right now, the self publishing or print on demand options are not as fantastic and user friendly as they will be in the next couple of years. But those systems will improve and publishing your own book will be a great option to traditional channels.

Have you written and self published your own book? Tell me about it...

Twitter in Context, TweetTree

One of the biggest challenges with Twitter, especially for new users, is the never ending flow of information. So far, attempts to make sense of this barrage have been via applications that segment discussions and friend groups. Both Tweetdeck and Seesmic do an admirable job of creating group structures that give the user an opportunity to focus on specific people or topics. Really, I think the  potential of Twitter isn't realized until someone grabs a hold of an app like Tweetdeck and starts experimenting.

But what hasn't been available to date, is an app that will create context and relevancy for ongoing conversations. Essentially, a tweet stream is very linear...chronological postings of tweets, one after the other. This can make it a big challenge to follow a conversation, yours or anyone else's. Hell, there are times when I get a delayed response and I have no memory of what we were discussing. In order to avoid serious flakiness, I have to go back and dig through hundreds of tweets to find the original thread.

Enter TweetTree. This site allows Twitter users to enter in their id and password and see a version of the stream that has conversations located in proximity to each other. Put simply, if you are tweeting with someone, you can see what you said, then what they said right next to it. And, you can see what your friends are talking about with their friends in the same format. Such a simple thing, but the difference it makes in readability is huge.

The other fantastic thing that TweetTree does is that it creates a feed that looks a lot like something you would see in Google Reader out of your Twitter stream. Links, photos and videos show up right in the stream, no need to click over and leave the page. Talk about adding dimensionality...it's like suddenly seeing Twitter in 3-D!

I think TweetTree has a lot of potential...though it is not in a place where I could use it as my sole Twitter client. As much as I like the 3-D experience, I still follow way too many people to not use an application that corrals them into segments. However, I definintely love this site as an ancillary to what I am already doing. The depth of information is fantastic.

This application could certainly be used to enhance individual user's experiences. But, it is also a great market research tool. The depth of information gathered, combined with the efficiency of it being in one location is really amazing. I am certain TweetTree will have all kinds of applications that haven't been discovered yet.

I would love to know if you are using TweetTree. If so, how?

Marketing and Telling the Truth

I've been thinking quite a bit about branding strategies of late and I have a question...why can't marketing be about telling the truth? I mean, you know, the plain old truth...the "this is a great product, give it a try, if you like it, buy it again", kind of truth? Some sort of "here's the real value to you, here's how your life will actually benefit from giving this a go"...kind of message?

Because that is not what I usually experience...I usually read things that tell me my clothes will shine with radiance like the sun or smell as fresh as the ocean. I am conditioned to look for things that say "extra strength' or "super" or whatever the current moniker is that tells me I have the really, really good stuff...not just the plain old good stuff. I mean, how clean can you get something? If you scrub it with the extra, super, duper cleaner instead of say, vinegar and water with a little dish washing detergent, is it a billion times cleaner?

Consumers have been fed and led by this kind of advertising for so long that we have become jaded to the very adjectives that have been used to motivate us. And this approach might very well have continued had social media and the interactive web not come along. There are many things that happen within the culture of social networks, but one consistent message rises to the top. "We want truth in messaging. We want to know the people who work at the companies that make the products we buy. We want to know why we should care."

Still, there are precious few who are able to respond to this call, online or otherwise. Because this requires an openness, an eagerness to communicate, a willingness to tell the truth...and above all, a desire to understand your audience well enough to know if the product you are trying to sell them will actually be of benefit to them. This means a deeper understanding of your customers and potential customers, less (instead of more) advertising, highly target messages that reflect your knowledge and interest in the communities you serve, and lots of relationship building. Did I mention truth telling? Yeah, there's that, too...

And aside from yours truly, who has embraced this concept to the point of naming my gardening podcast "Good Enough Gardening", there are very few people out there who do a great job applying these concepts...David Meerman Scott is one of my faves. But I know that there are a whole lot of people out there grapling with these concepts, struggling to pave a new marketing road. What about you, what are you doing? Who do you follow or admire?

The Seesmic Twitter Client: There's a New Sheriff in Town

I have long been an avid supporter of TweetDeck, particularly when it comes to its uses for marketing online...maybe even more than avid (is there such a thing?). Which is why it grieves me to say that Seesmic Desktop is just short of kicking some serious TweetDeck butt.

If you have used the Twitter client, Twirl, then you are already familiar with Seesmic.  My difficulty with Twirl was that it was too small and didn't afford me near the versatility I needed to search Twitter. This new incarnation is both a Twitter and Facebook app that let's you manage multiple Twitter accounts, as well as your Facebook profile.

Here's the skinny on features:

• post to and follow multiple twitter accounts from one desktop application
• Facebook integration for posting status updates and following friends updates
• groupings of friends, even across multiple twitter accounts
• all searches and groupings are saved, they aren't deleted when you close the column
• post pictures and web cam shots via drag and drop in the update box

Right now, this service is in its infancy, so it has bugs to work out. And, it will have to address the black hole of memory loss that TweetDeck had to face in the beginning, too. But Seesmic is responding to the demands of Twitter and Facebook users everywhere. And the primary complaints are lack of flexibility...we are no longer satisfied with having to log in and out of all of our accounts to post, contact friends and reply to messages. Not to mention that we can't keep track of anybody without a grouping feature.

Essentially, Seesmic is attempting something that neither Twitter nor Facebook have been able to do very successfully...and that is build a grouping system that would allow for cross-platform connectivity. Twitter and Facebook couldn't do it because they were so focused on keeping their platforms proprietary, they didn't listen to their customers begging for this kind of functionality. And though Twitter has had an open API and Facebook has taken recent steps in the right direction, it still is not far enough.

Maybe it will have to be a third party like Seesmic, that builds a management system to corral our social media platforms. Truthfully, I have been less than excited by Facebook and Google's attempts at connecting people across sites. This could be the best approach, sort of like an Outlook for social media...gather all of your accounts and contacts into one location and organize them all, then transfer to your handheld device for mobile conversations.

We will have to stay tuned to see where Seesmic takes its Twitter/Facebook application. For now, I am using both TweetDeck and Seesmic...but I can forsee a day where the balance will tip in favor of that rascally racoon...

Social Media Marketing Training

Recently, I decided to offer social media marketing training classes as sort of a way to lift the veil, so to speak. I had two primary motivators. The first was that it seemed to me that the companies that were really benefiting from online marketing campaigns were the big guys who could afford to outsource it. The second was that I was just so tired of the secretive bull crap that seems to be inherent in conversations about the cost and effectiveness of social media marketing that I decided to be as transparent as possible.

And while it isn't possible to quantify the cost and exact services of each and every thing I could offer, I decided to put forth some packages to give people an idea of the cost of my services. Even if you choose not to use me, these will give you an idea of what these services should cost with someone else...though I will tell you, I am on the affordable side. It is also important to note that the complexity of a campaign makes the cost more difficult to predict. So, without further ado:

We offer three social media training packages, a research option, and a project-based bidding option.

• Just Getting Started: This training package is a 1 month introduction to social media marketing. Over the course of 4, 2 hour sessions (with assigned homework) we will teach you the basic information about top social media platforms, engagement and basic monitoring. The sessions will be taught virtually. If you are in need of in person training outside of the Portland, OR area, please contact me for more information. The cost of this package is $1000.
• SEO/SMO: This is not your mother's SEO...if your mother had SEO, that is. This is the new, social media friendly version of search engine optimization. We build out a language to use on your home site, as well as any social media platforms where you establish a presence. The cost of this service is affected by the size of the job, the fee can range from $400-$750.
• Online Campaign Research and Recommendations: We work with your company to create a research and recommendations package that can include online competitive analysis, market research, target market identification, identification of "best fit" social media platforms, effective engagement strategies, and strategies for measuring results. The length of time for these sessions will vary. Generally, these will be taught virtually. If you are in need of in person training outside of the Portland area, please contact me for more information. This is a project-based fee.
• We Want More: This training package is fully loaded with information online brand research, identifying target markets, basic SEO and SMO, campaign development, identification and utilization of social media platforms, engagement strategies, metrics, analysis and implementation of feedback. These sessions are taught over the course of 3 months in 2 hour blocks, once a week. Generally, these will be taught virtually. If you are in need of in person training outside of the Portland area, please contact me for more information. The cost of this package is $6,000.

And that's the scoop...I hope it is helpful in setting your own expectations when looking for a social media consultant. If you happen to be Florida and are looking for an amazing social media consultant who offers services and prices very similar to mine, check out my colleague, Lauren Candito.

I would love to hear of any experiences you have had with contracting social media consultants or finding training programs for reasonable fees.

*Photo found by M_Napper on Flickr: Creative Commons License

Building Community on the Web

Seems like I have been so busy with the release of my book (Growing Food) and the kick off of my podcast with Amanda Thomsen (Good Enough Gardening) that I haven't had a single minute to write about my second passion...social media marketing, and in particular, building communities online. I have learned a really a couple of really valuable lessons during this process, so I thought I would share them with you.

The first is this...though every brand or company might want an online community, not all will be able  to build one. That's just a cold, hard fact. Now, I am not saying that people can't benefit from online marketing...because everyone can...but no, not everyone can benefit from an online community.

The second is this...it will not happen overnight. If you try to push people into becoming a community overnight, they will do everything they can to avoid it...and you will be treated like a spammer. And no matter how many clients want you to bring in 8,000 new people to their social media accounts each week and offer to pay you to do so, you must still tell them that is an impossibility. That's not a community...and a great example of that is the ill-fated MySpace.

The third is this...your networks will build slowly and then suddenly take off. I don't know why this happens, but it is as if you reach a level of critical mass that results in exponential growth. And once this happens on one platform, it makes growth on other platforms much easier. Graphic Depiction of Online Communities by D'Arcy Norman

The fourth is this...even if all of these things are in place, if the market doesn't want what you are selling, they won't buy it...period. So before you do anything else, use social media for market research. It has to be one of its best and most effective uses.

The fifth is this...and when people buy, the conversion rate won't equal the significance you feel in your social media relationships. Here's what I mean by that...social media marketing is relationship based, so a significant part of your time is spent building connections. And, when you do start promoting a product, you will naturally expect all of your online friends to feel as passionate about it as you do. And while I am not saying they won't ever buy it...I am saying that a lot of variables go in to making a purchase, so don't be disappointed if you have lower than expected sales.

Let me help put this into perspective, Grokdot posted the Top Ten Sites for Conversion Rates:
 1. ProFlowers 31.1%
2. LL Bean 25.7%
3. Amazon 23.7%
4. VitaCost 23.0%
5. Coldwater Creek 22.4%
6. QVC 21.1%
7. Roamans 20.4%
8. Office Depot 20.2%
9. LandsEnd 19.3%
10. Victoria’s Secret 19.2%

And these are well established brands that put a ton of money into marketing on and off line...average rates for small businesses would range from 1-10%. See what I am saying?

All of this is not to dissuade you, but to help you create a realistic marketing plan that will help you portion your time and resources efficiently and effectively. Since most small businesses don't have a lot of money, they have to be prepared to use the one thing they do have...time. It may take longer, but the long, slow burn can be just as effective, even more so, in building and maintaining a happy, healthy community.

Finding Illustrations for Posts and Publishing

I recently finished my first book, "Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners". It is a book about starting a vegetable garden, with sections on harvesting, preparing and storing on my top ten picks. It was a challenge, to be sure...but I enjoyed writing it.

Since I was publishing in black and white, I didn't want to use photographs...sadly, I am not an illustrator of any kind. So, I was forced to research the public domain for usable art. Since it took me so long to figure this out, I thought it might be helpful to share. Even if you aren't writing a book, chances are good that you are business blogging...and having a great illustration can really make your post pop!

But before I do, I am offering a disclaimer: Before you use images in the public domain, you need to understand a bit about copyright. Since I am not an attorney, I recommend that you read this quick wiki article for the basics, then check each site to make sure it is truly in the public domain. The sites I am listing are not sites that I own or control, but they have assurances on their site that specify the use of the materials.

That said, here's my favorite sites for free public domain images:

Grandma's Graphics

The Graphics Fairy

The Household Cyclopedia

Internet Archive

Karen's Whimsy

US National Archives

Time Tunnel

Do you have sites that you use? Leave a comment and share your resources!

Social Media Marketing: How It Works

It can be challenging, to say the least, to try and capture the way in which social media marketing actually works. The framework for understanding this process is so different from traditional marketing that not having experience in marketing can actually make the tenets easier to adopt.

 

The good news is that communicating via social media is much more like real life communications, on fast forward. We have removed the barrier of travel and quite a bit of the "getting to know you" niceties. And because much of the "screening" function has been removed from the relationship dance, users expect direct (tactful?) and transparent communication.

Implementing an online marketing campaign in this context requires that a company be flexible and responsive. This ongoing effort is about building culture and community around a product or business. And though there are some time-saving tips, this is not a quick fix or a one time effort.

Businesses who choose to enter this space need to understand that they are a part of the community they are building. They do not own the community they are building. And it is that lack of control that feels very uncomfortable to many. But by letting go of this need to have a polished and perfect (and unbelievable) brand, companies are able to build deep brand loyalty and viral recognition.

This loyalty is the result of a real life desire to support the people we care about and admire. Relationships create customers, and relationships are significantly harder to build if your campaign is only utilizing billboards, TV ads, and print.

With social media, when one of your contacts buys your product it is because they believe in the company at a much deeper level. They have stronger buy in and a connection with the person(s) who is running the campaign. Which is just common sense, really...don't you give your business to your friends first?

All of which makes social media marketing a very enjoyable process...if you have passion for your business and have a great product, you will have the opportunity to share that with a receptive and engaged audience. And this is a hell of a lot more fun than creating a whole bunch of static messages and using them to talk "at" a potential group of customers.

And where traditional marketing is about flooding the target market, hoping a small percentage of people respond, social media marketing is about building relationships. The latter necessitates more time spent on the front end, but results in a higher response rate. Taking the time to build these relationships will also increase the likelihood that your customer will continue to be your customer time and time again.

The jury is still out on whether or not social media marketing can benefit every business. This depends on multiple factors, including market pull and brand positioning. It is definitely in your company's interest to explore it a bit more, whether that is via hiring an interactive marketing consultant or using existing company resources to gather information.

Chances are that your customers are already using some form of social media. If you aren't showing up to engage them, someone else is.

Why Skittles' New Branding Strategy is Brilliant

Skittles made a daring move in its recent web redesign and online branding strategy. Their home page has become a series of links to pages that show user generated content about their candy.Twitter search, Facebook, and YouTube all make an appearance. Essentially, their marketing plan is to harness the wisdom of the crowds (also known as "crowdsourcing").

And though it is risky to use content you don't control as your primary marketing strategy, I happen to think it is brilliant. Skittles understands their target market,the majority of visitors to their site are teens who are influenced by pop culture and online trends. Take a look at the Quantcast lifestyle analysis for www.skittles.com.
You can see that the site with the highest affinity rating is MTV. We also see gaming and lyrics sites. In the keyword section, we can see that a high percentage of people reach their site using their brand name...which is no surprise given their high brand visibility.

Just taking a look at their user demographics and traffic patterns more than likely sent them in the direction of strengthening their online campaign. The genius is in understanding that implementing a social media campaign means embracing it as a living thing and celebrating the unpredictability of it. And in knowing that their target market will think that seeing themselves on their product website is just about the coolest freaking thing ever...dude.

This site guarantees chatter will skyrocket...much like the people who like to wave at the cameras on the Today Show. But instead of the folks standing in a circle around the Today Show crew, the crew is coming to their neighborhoods, talking to them, filming them, asking them to create the content for the show. And who doesn't want to watch (buy) something they helped to create?

There is always an associated risk with this type of transparency. Anything that is said...good or bad...will end up on their home page. But I don't think that will bother their customers. Anyone who has a teen knows that one week they can't be separated from their best friend, the next week they can't stand each other...and so on, and so on, and so on.

While this obviously won't work for every company, it is an absolutely awesome example of the right strategy, at the right time, with the right people. I can't wait to see what happens!