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How To Create More Agile Agencies

March 30, 2011 By 3 Comments

SXSWOne of my favorite panels I attended at SXSW asked one very simple question: Do Agencies Need to Think Like Software Companies?

Panelists drew from professional backgrounds in agencies and tech companies to discuss the things agencies can do to become more agile businesses. The big takeaway was the idea of hybrid marketing – basically, the notion that development and marketing need to go hand-in-hand.

Really, there were a few big ideas for agencies to consider. Each is rooted in a truth about the way software companies are structured and managed which could prove to be advantages for agencies, too.

 

Eliminate disconnect between the person with the idea and the person executing that idea.

Many agencies divide work between “strategy” people and “tactical” people. While there are plenty of bridges between them, sometimes it only happens in the approval process and there can tend to be a lack of collaboration during the actual creation process.

  • Takeaway: Be sure to have a “translator” who thoroughly understands both the strategy and creative processes so disconnects don’t happen because of lack of communication.

 

Be honest about actual depth of tech capabilities and knowledge.

In many agencies, “tech” is a department – and this lends itself to keeping essential information out of conversations across disciplines. Agency employees – or at least team leaders – should be well rounded and understand the technologies which effect their work. At a minmum, there should be an interest in developing technologies across disciplines.

  • Takeaway: Tech can’t be a department; it must be something woven into the fabric of how projects are completed – from the technology used for collaboration to the development of the creative to the user experience design to the strategy of the media buy.

 

Don’t chase cool.

Sometimes agencies fetishize shiny new things in order to present cutting-edge ideas to keep clients happy and feeling like they’re ahead of the curve. The problem is, this often happens without fully understanding the new technology or flashy idea and they haven’t thought through the implications of actually executing the work (in terms of knowledge, resources and budget). It can be dangerous to bring these ideas to clients because the knowledge gap may not play out until the production process.

  • Takeaway: Avoid shiny object syndrome in campaign planning. Agencies should think more like software companies in terms of product ownership – the notion of totally knowing the product (technology, idea, etc) through and through to be sure it’s really the right move for the client (and the team has the skills or parternships to pull it off).

 

Re-think the “campaign” mindset.

Typically, agencies work with clients to execute campaigns. This is partly due to many clients splitting up different parts of their marketing and communications efforts to different shops and it’s due partly to the traditional agency model based on projects and man hours against a budget. Refocusing mindset with the bigger brand – and its preferred platform – in mind, agencies can create work that’s part of a greater evolution rather than a particular product cycle.

Agency: Platform = Brand (it lives on), Campaign = Product (cycles/seasons)

Tech: Platform = Operating System (bigger structure), Campaign = Software version (iterations on OS)

  • Takeaway: Focus on the platform instead of the campaign, then you always have freedom to iterate products, brand messages, communication styles.

 

Focus on insights.

One thing tech companies can learn from agencies is how to take insights and turn them into relevant messages. Agencies are good at distilling culture when they can take insights from the actual world, not just the world of the product. Good planners are particularly great at this as they are able to remove their own notions and bias and evaluate the world as it actually exists. This skill is fundamental.

  • Takeaway: Having “crazy” people in agencies is a good thing – as is diversity in skills, interests and backgrounds. While software companies are often built of too many similar types of people, agencies have a big advantage when it comes to having quirky employees full of unique insights.

 

What do you think can make an agency more agile?

Filed Under: Business, Events and Conferences Tagged With: , , , ,

Challenge Your Assumptions

March 11, 2011 By 1 Comment

We take comfort in understanding our world based on knowing certain things are true. But what if the opposite were also true?

Spend two minutes of your life watching my favorite TED talk by Derek Sivers. I dare you leave uninspired.


This is a really important issue, it seems, particularly when it comes to the digital world. In a place where everything changes so quickly, many take comfort in clinging to technology they understand and find a niche for in their lives. Have you thought about what you’re assuming is true, what will always be true, and perhaps, that its opposite might be true as well?

One issue that seems especially relevant here is the discussion about “authenticity” online. It’s widely considered a better practice to use a personal photo as an avatar than a logo. We’re encouraged to use our real names on social networks rather than “hide” behind company names or screen names. Our email addresses are our names. Our web domains are our names. We’ve made our digital footprints with our authentic selves, and are concerned about the future of internet privacy because of it.

Earlier this month I read an article about the rate at which the internet is running out of addresses. Think about the concept for a second. The internet, the great connector of everything and everyone, the keeper of all knowledge, is running out of room for all of us.

So, what happens when an entire generation of people are no longer able to name their websites, email addresses and apps the way they want to because their names are taken? When we can’t personalize vanity URLs on social networks? What happens when we simply don’t have the option to be authentic in terms of using an actual name? In that environment, maybe it will be more critical than ever to be more creative about what you’re called in your digital real estate. Maybe being your “true self” online will be old school and out-of-touch business practice.

Something to think about. Just when we get comfortable with a system, it could be ready to change. What we assume to be true might not be the only truth. Challenge your assumptions.

I’m spending the next several days in Austin at SXSW Interactive conference to learn, network and discover things that will shake up the world as we know it.

Filed Under: Business, inspiration Tagged With:

What Music Teaches us About Building

February 8, 2011 By 2 Comments

Music is amazing. But have you ever thought about what it can teach you about building?

I came across this video of dueling cellists playing “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson. Watch it.

Awesome, right? But why?

Foundation – When a song is stripped down and performed acoustic, there are no electronics or effects to cover up weak spots. The bare bones of what’s there has to be great. If you strip away pretty design, big budgets and flashy creative from your project, what’s left? Do you have a strong foundation to stand on?

Furthermore, is the foundation of what you’ve built strong enough to be reinterpreted and built upon to become something else? Can someone take what you’ve made out of its box, play with it, re-imagine it and make something new? In other words, is it worthy of a remix?

Precision – A great performance is flawless. It flows effortlessly because each aspect of it has been researched, coordinated and rehearsed. Have you put the effort into what you’re building to make sure it performs well for others?

Passion – If you watch a musician play, you’ll tend to see crazy facial expressions, closed eyes and a general aura of intensity. They lose themselves in the music and the feelings they’re creating through the sound. You can’t create something great without passion and a desire to jump in head first to what you’re building.

Focus – In a musical performance, there’s no room for distraction. The mind must remain focused on the music and it must be able to feel what is evolving as the song takes shape. The outcome depends upon the performer’s ability to be in the moment – the very moment each note needs to be played – or the whole thing falls apart. Keep a clear focus on the goal or it’s too easy to get lost.

Discipline – You don’t become a great musician without a fundamental bit of talent and the willingness to study and practice. It takes discipline to become skilled at anything. And it applies whether you’re learning the ins and outs of what an instrument can do or whether it relates to your business. I’ve had plenty of bloodied, blistered fingers in the past 9 years of playing guitar. Are you really prepared to stick behind your goal when it’s really time to put in the work to make it happen?

Awareness – It takes true awareness of what’s happening around you to be in sync with another performer. Staying on track while also adapting to what’s happening around you is key for a musical performance like the one above. When you’re building and creating, you’ve got to be aware of what’s changing around you, too. Stay focused, but don’t get tunnel vision. Recognize new stimuli and let it influence your project if it needs to.

Collaboration – The most awesome thing about music is that it’s greater than the sum of its parts. Each note on its own is wonderful, but undoubtedly better when part of a bigger picture. Be able to work with other people or other ideas on your projects to get inspiration or learn best practices. Collaboration with outside forces is sometimes the best way to help steer your vision.

Maybe this all seems a little lofty, but watch the video again and think about each of these things. Think about how these ideas apply to what you’re building, what you’re trying to create, what you’ve imagined and what you’re going to do next. I’ve been inspired by music and it’s changed the way I approach projects before.

What do you think? What else inspires you or makes you take another look at what you create?

Filed Under: Business, inspiration, Life Tagged With: , , ,

How to Nail an Interview

January 25, 2011 By 16 Comments

There are so many people looking for jobs and internships right now. The application and interview process can be stressful and will tend to bring out the nerves in even the most confident and most qualified people.

I recently went through the process of starting a new job, did many interviews and believe there are several things you can do before, during and after an interview that will make sure you stand out in your interviewer’s mind—in a good way. So here you go: how to nail an interview.

Before the Interview

Pay close attention to the job description
Read every line. Look at the skills and experience required. Look at the department and understand where the position fits within the greater organization, immediate team and hierarchy of colleagues. Make sure you’re actually a good fit before you apply. If you do get the interview, you’ll be better prepared to talk about your specific experience and skills that make you the right candidate.

Research
Start with Google. If there’s a company you’ve got your eye on, set up Google Alerts for the company name, key clients and key executives likely to be quoted in the media. Use the news feature of search to find recent articles. Look at what ranks highly in search.

Then go to the company website and social media outposts. What’s the big call to action? What work or testimonials do they flaunt? Read any press releases you can find. Look at the tone used in writing, video, tweets and posts to get a sense of the voice. Look at update frequency so you know how much of a priority digital communications are.

Next, go to LinkedIn and Facebook. See if you can view the profiles of the person interviewing you. See where they went to college. Look at their employment history. Get a sense of who they are, what they’ve prioritized during their career and see if you have common interests or history. If you do, they’re good icebreakers for the interview.

Organize your stuff
When you first apply for a job, create a folder (physical, on your computer or in your email) and put everything associated with that in it. Email correspondence with anyone at the company. A copy of the exact cover letter and resume you sent. A map to the office and directions for where to park/how to get there via public transit and a contact phone number for the office. When you go to the interview, bring all this with you and put a few extra copies of your resume in there, just to be safe. You never know when you might need to reference any of this at the last minute. If you do, it’ll help eliminate a lot of stress so you don’t walk into your interview flustered.

During the Interview

Know Your Lines
The first thing almost every interviewer will ask you to do is “talk a little bit about yourself.” So be ready for it. Practice the summary of who you are, why you’re there and a few key relevant reasons you’re interested in the position. Some interviewers will want you to walk them through your resume. Know what you’re going to point out and offer little tidbits of impressive information in addition to what’s there. Be able to explain how you tackled problems, managed projects, tracked outcomes and how you contributed to goals. Some interviewers will expect you to lead them to the next talking point. Have concise answers ready and know when to shut up and when to move on.

Listen
You’ve got two ears and one mouth, so use them accordingly. Your interviewer will likely tell you about the company, the position, the team and why they’re hiring for the role. Listen carefully and take mental or physical notes of what is said. The things this person chooses to point out will give you some insight to their role in relation to your position and the assumptions they already have about you. When you ask questions, listen carefully to the answers so you leave the interview really understanding what the job is about.

Ask questions
One of the biggest misconceptions about an interview is that you, as the job seeker, are just there to answer questions and wait to hear if you’ve gotten the job. That’s not right. You are interviewing the company just as much as the company is interviewing you. Ask questions about company culture, what a normal workday is like, how the supervisor of the position likes to manage projects, collaboration between departments, teams and offices. Ask what typical deadlines will look like and if people work with their doors open or if most don’t want to be bothered. Ask about benefits, review and promotion cycles and how long people generally stay with the company. Ask your interviewer what they like most about their job. Ask what success looks like in the first 90 days. This is your shot to find out as much as possible. Find out everything you want to know that wasn’t in the job description.

As a side note, most interviewers are very unimpressed by people that don’t ask questions in interviews. Whether intentional or not, it shows a fundamental lack of interest in that position, critical thinking skills and confidence.

Show your work
If it’s appropriate, bring a portfolio. Bring examples of things you’ll be most likely to create in the position. Some interviewers will want to flip through it during your discussion. But, some won’t. Be ready for this. Either make a portfolio you’re willing to leave behind, burn some work samples to a disc or create a place online where they can visit and take a closer look. You might not need it, but if you do, you’ll be happy you have options ready.

Also understand that they will probably have done their research on you beforehand. This includes your social media profiles, blog posts, photos, whatever they can find. Don’t hide who you are, but be aware of what you’re posting knowing this scenario might happen.

After the interview

Say thank you
Follow up in a casual way within 24 hours. Email, direct message, phone call, whatever makes sense for the interviewer. Go with your gut on what seems right. If you promised you’d send something as a follow up, then do it. Don’t make the interviewer wait. The next day, write a handwritten thank you note or record a personal video, something just for that person that takes a little more effort than a few taps on a keyboard. Do what you need to do to make sure that person knows how much you appreciate spending the time talking with you.

In any interview, be prepared, be confident, be honest and trust your instincts. Some people are just more comfortable in interview situations than others. Try to train yourself to avoid nervous habits. Remember to bring a bottle of water. Just have a discussion with the human being sitting in front of you. Feel out the vibe. Act accordingly.

What other tips do you have for nailing interviews? What works? What should be avoided?

Filed Under: Business, Jobs and Internships

Wanting A Job vs Wanting THE Job

January 24, 2011 By 10 Comments

Most of you know I recently relocated to Chicago and began a new gig, working in Agency PR for Cramer-Krasselt. I’ve had a lot of discussions with friends and contacts about this transition, how I found the company, what the interview process was like and how I knew if it was the right fit for the professional transition I knew I was ready to make.

Several of those discussions are with folks that are in a similar situation I was: employed, making decent money, comfortable in a job, but with a feeling deep in the gut that it was time for a change. But, many of the conversations are with friends who are college students or young professionals, seeking internships or entry level positions in the communications, PR or marketing industries. And one theme keeps popping up in our conversations. Many of them want A new job, but aren’t sure how to identify what THE right new job really is.

Beautiful BowtieHere’s the problem with that: a new employer doesn’t want to give you A job. They want to hire the right person for THE position open at the company. Subtle difference on paper. Huge difference in reality.

When job seekers are in the mindset of wanting A job, it becomes easy to get sloppy and make common mistakes that will turn off employers interviewing to find the perfect candidate. Some common issues:

  • Casting too wide a net with job applications
  • Getting lazy about researching the company, its business, its clients and its employees
  • Failing to truly personalize cover letters and resumes to display relevant information and background
  • Settling for salaries, benefits or locations that don’t match up to what you feel you’re worth
  • Getting into the mindset of running away from something
  • Appearing desperate to employers
  • Not asking questions that get at the heart of the culture, expectations and other important factors that will determine how you’d perform in the new position
  • Putting yourself in a position to be a job hopper instead of taking the time to find the right fit

When you’re applying for any job remotely related to your skill set, you’re not really focusing on becoming employed doing what you’re best at. Employers will be able to tell this and you’re less likely to get hired if you appear to be someone that’s willing to do just about anything to get a job. That particular employer isn’t important to you in that scenario. How do you expect the employer to feel? No applicant wants to be viewed as “just another so-and-so”, but guess what, no employer does, either.

Instead, focus on finding THE job you want. Think about where you want to live, where you want to work, how much you want to make, which benefits are important to you, which types of tasks you’re best at, the type of boss you work best with, the type of environment in which you thrive and the types of values that are important to you in an employer or a client. THEN start looking. It’s a lot better to be picky and specific up front and widen your criteria later than it is to just take whatever you can get.

When job seekers are in the mindset of wanting THE job, there is a much higher likelihood that both sides of the equation will find the right fit.

  • You’ll go into your interview able to speak more intelligently about your experience and specifically how you can contribute to the projects
  • You’ll be a lot more excited about doing thorough research on the company, who’s interviewing you and the type of people that work at the company
  • You’ll already know you can do the job duties and it’ll be easier to ask questions about all the other things that will affect your performance (culture, leadership style, deadlines, etc)
  • The employer will be more interested if you truly convey why that particular job at that particular company is the right one
  • If you don’t get the job, you’ll be even more motivated to improve your resume, interview skills or understanding of what you’re good at the next time around.

I know it’s still tough out there for job seekers, so I understand that not every scenario is going to be perfect. But, in any application or interview situation, apply for THE job, not just A job and it will make a big difference. I’m no expert, but I’ve been through the process recently, did quite a few interviews and really saw how big of a difference those factors make.

I knew I wanted to live in a big city. I knew I wanted it to be either Chicago or New York. I knew I wanted to be on the agency side of the PR business rather than the client side. I knew I wanted to work with a firm that works with consumer brands. I knew my strengths were writing, networking, media relations and social media. I knew I wanted to be in a creative environment. I was pretty sure I wanted to work for an independent agency. I really narrowed down, and it paid off.

When the opportunity at C-K came my way, I did my research and dug into a real understanding of the company. I interviewed with several people and asked a lot of questions about culture, expectations, priorities, what successes looked like, how long people stuck around and what made people leave. I had the opportunity to interview with the CEO and asked him about his vision for the future of the agency, what he wanted the agency PR team to accomplish and how he envisioned someone with my experience making the best contribution toward his goals. I was thrilled to receive the offer because I knew I wanted THE job. Only two weeks in, I’m 100% confident I made the right decision.

Anyone else felt like this subtle difference in mindset makes a difference? Any strategies or tips you can share for job seekers? For employers as they’re wading through an over-crowded pool of applicants? Stories you can share to shine light on related issues?

Filed Under: Business, Jobs and Internships Tagged With: , , , ,

PR Pitches Have Changed Completely

November 18, 2010 By 25 Comments

PR professionals everywhere best take notice of what Ford has just done to future of pitching reporters.

This week, the company launched public, personalized video pitches to influential industry reporters for the Ford Focus Global Test Drive campaign. They’re fantastic. Ford employees personally invite the writers on video and ask those writers to share the invitation with their readers. And while they’re at it, they show off the product and its standout features.

Brilliant. Reporter gets a perfectly personal pitch. Reporter gets to invite readers to experience an exclusive new product demo. Reporter spreads pitch, which doubles as invitation. Readers wanting to test drive vehicle Like the Ford Focus Facebook Page and enter for the chance to go to Europe to test drive the vehicle and receive money to put toward a good cause. Next year, reporters and readers test drive the vehicle and share the experience. Earned media. Social media. PR gold.

I reached out to Scott Monty, Ford’s global director of social media. Here’s what he told me:

“We decided to use personalized video invitations for the Focus Global Test Drive because we wanted to be sure we had the attention of the high-level influencers we wanted to reach. Moreover, we wanted to be sure that it would be in a format that they could easily share with their readers. We believe that video is one of the most personal and intimate ways to communicate online, and it’s also a medium that allows us to showcase our products at the same time. A video invitation, shared with the world, is basically one-on-one communication in the public square.”

Ford may have taken a page from the Old Spice playbook on this one, but I say bravo with the approach. Old Spice made a big splash with personalized video ads and companies have been looking for ways to adapt the idea. Ford did it right.

Bulk distributions of releases, off-topic and non-personalized pitches don’t cut it now, and will be even worse in comparison to something like this. Across the industry, one of the biggest ongoing issues giving PR a bad name is the pitch process. Ford has been out in front of how social media and traditional media can coordinate to help each other. This is a great PR effort for Ford, but it’s bigger than that. It’s an important effort and potential new trend for the entire PR industry to watch and evaluate.

Keep an eye on this one.

Filed Under: Business, Public Relations, Social Media and Blogging Tagged With: , , , ,

How Twitter SHOULD Monetize

November 2, 2010 By 8 Comments

Twitter announced yesterday that it will be allowing advertisers to drop tweets into user timelines. It’s starting with users that access the service via HootSuite, a third party Twitter client.

Now, this news isn’t that surprising. Twitter has long needed to figure out a legitimate monetization model that wouldn’t interfere with user experience enough to turn them away from why they liked the service in the first place. But I really think they got it wrong here. The value Twitter offers isn’t tied to the attention span of its users.

Twitter’s untapped gold mines are analytics and access. These are what the company should be building its monetization models around.

Analytics
@beckyjohnsA good portion of Twitter’s super active users are the in PR, marketing, advertising and communications business. Natural communicators and oversharers. Offering paid access to proprietary analytics would be some of the most coveted information these people could possibly want. More than just things like link tracking or basic user information, but access to information about how messages spread, calculations of true reach and influence, information aggregated from lists of users, information from target demographics, the list goes on.

I know more than a handful of marketers that would gladly pay pretty big bucks for campaign-tracking stats from inside the system, rather than only what can be observed from the outside. We’re obsessed with figuring out what makes information spread and Twitter might be the internet’s best testing ground for that.

Access
Undoubtedly, a lot of people would rebel against Twitter charging its users. We’re used to having access to social networks for free and only paying for premium features. But consider for a second if Twitter moved toward focusing more on providing a service rather than its distribution. Most twitter users access it through a third party client like Tweetdeck, HootSuite, Seesmic or a mobile platform anyway, so let those continue to develop better integration and distribution and Twitter itself just focus on the technology that delivers that information.

Now enter in a small charge for access to those platforms. Everybody wins. Platforms have incentive to get better, cleaner, faster to become the best distribution points worth the download fee. They need Twitter to succeed. Twitter needs these platforms to exist in order to deliver its product. Both get a cut of the sale. Users pay based on exactly how they want their interface with Twitter to look like. And this small price could help rid it of one of Twitter’s biggest problems: spam, non-human accounts.

Basically, the app store philosophy of delivering the Twitter service. Keeping fees very low so per-user it isn’t cost prohibitive, but when scaled to the amount of users wanting access could bring in a good chunk of change to keep the company afloat. I know I’d pay a few bucks a year to have access to Twitter.

Are we really ready to pay to communicate like this?
Who knows. Traditional media is in the eyeballs business. Social networks are in the aggregate-your-life business. But Twitter owns micro-publishing, sharing and casual conversation. The reason people flock to it is because it offers the lowest barriers of entry in terms of using a digital tool to be social. It’s the one network that doesn’t force you to approve someone before you can interact. It owns real-time, topical conversation because of it and it doesn’t have to fight the creepy factor associated with lurkers trying to find something behind an approved-access wall.

Placing ads in user timelines seems temping to companies that just want to reach consumer eyeballs. But, in reality, Twitter isn’t really in the eyeballs business. And even worse for paid placement of a message, Twitter isn’t really in the attention-grabbing business either.

Twitter is in the quick-decision-to-spread-something business and thus could offer analytics information well worth a price. Twitter is in the conversation business and thus could offer access to its service well worth a small price. Maybe it’s time to re-think how to monetize?

Filed Under: Business, Social Media and Blogging Tagged With: , , , , ,

Audience ≠ Community ≠ Users ≠ Customers

October 29, 2010 By 4 Comments

Audience. Community. Users. Customers.

These things are not the same. Quite often these terms get used interchangeably to describe who is on the receiving end of communication efforts, but there is a big problem in doing so. These groups are not the same. Nor should they be communicated with the same way.

Inherent in the fact that each receiver is different, communicators need to do a better job of tailoring their efforts to those differences. If your job is to speak with other human beings (through any form of media) on behalf of a company, brand, client, boss or yourself, take the time first to carefully consider who you’re speaking with before crafting a message and setting expectations. Each group has a different relationship with you.

Audience
Dave Matthews BandAn audience has made the choice to give you permission to broadcast one-way communication in its direction. The expectation is that in exchange for its value in the form of money, attention or presence it will receive value in the form of entertainment, information or inspiration. We buy tickets to concerts to hear bands perform songs we like. We attend seminars and conferences and offer our attention to speakers so we can learn from their expertise. We read blogs to expand our understanding of a topic or gather inspiration.

Communicators tailoring messages to audiences are allowed to use broadcast and push methods, but need to remember to respect what they are getting in return. Make it worth the value exchange you’re receiving.

Community
my blood runs greenA community is a group of people that feels a connection to something and expects to interact with others that also share that connection. In this environment, engagement, conversation and interaction aren’t only expected but necessary. The success of the group happens because of the contributions of everyone. Communities can be built around ideas, geographic locations, subject matter, brands or services.

The neighborhood you live or work in is a community. Associations, universities or other affiliated groups are communities. Online discussion forums are communities. Hubs where people can communicate through posts, comments and messages are communities. Places where creative people share their work and ideas, discussing methods or critiques with others are communities.

If you want to communicate in a meaningful way with a community, then you need to actually be part of it. Study it, engage with it, learn from it, watch it, learn its norms and unwritten rules. Understand that it is made up of people that share an affinity to something and will only accept newcomers than also respect and share that interest. Collaborative communication is a necessity here.

Users
TEDxLansingUsers made a choice to bring your product or service into their lives to accomplish some kind of process or goal they couldn’t otherwise. If you’re doing it right, you’re offering something people can’t get anywhere else and you’re retaining user loyalty because you are providing a process that solves a problem in a meaningful way.

It’s important to make the distinction between users and customers. Users won’t always have paid for what you offer, but in many cases will come to rely on it and feel an entitlement to its future as if they were paying. Think about Facebook. We’re all using it for free, yet still become outraged when something changes and demand to determine the future of the product. Same goes with twitter. When the fail whale goes for a swim in the servers, many feel cut off, disconnected from our networks. Though technically not customers, users of products like these are so important to the success of the companies that make them that they learn from user behavior and often let that guide the future of what it will be.

When communicating with users, know that at the end of the day you are the one that will be making the decision about what your product or service will be, but don’t underestimate the power of user loyalty. Particularly in the tech sector, there are always going to be options to go elsewhere. Users are the lifeblood and should be appreciated as such. Be open to two-way communication here and let your testers help tell you where to go next.

Customers
Henry BalanonYour customers are your business. If a person is willing to give you money for whatever you provide, you must understand the value of that relationship. The best way to honor your customers is actually really simple: offer something great. If it’s a service, be the best, price it fairly and be accessible when people need you. If it’s a product make it high quality and back up its performance. While each individual purchase may not be a very big drop in the bucket, consider the impact of a lifelong customer.

There are really three types of customers: prospects, consumers and evangelists. The goal should be to take people through those three phases. Look at the photo to the right of Henry Balanon. How much is he worth to Apple in this photo alone? On top of what you see, he develops apps for use on Apple products. If you have people like this evangelizing your brand, shouldn’t you be doing absolutely everything you can to keep it that way?

When communicating with customers, go into every touch point understanding that they have spent money with you with the expectation of receiving value in return. If you don’t hold up your end of the bargain, make it right. If your customers are happy, say thank you, they didn’t have to choose you. Be helpful, they don’t have to come back again. Ask for feedback. Offer the best customer service you can. Take whatever brand promise you’re making in your actions and products and make them reflect in the way you communicate with people willing to pay for what you’ve made.

One thing in common
If you make anything you have users. If you do right by your users, they will likely become customers. If you treat customers with respect, they’ll be okay with being an audience. And if you nurture an audience, it can become a community.

The thing they all have in common is that they are made of people. Individuals. Human beings with feelings, priorities, expectations and capable of making decisions. Understand where the transfer of value happens in each situation and the communicate accordingly based on that value.

Thoughts? Examples? Best practices?

Filed Under: Business, Communication, Customer Engagement Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Value Your Talent

October 20, 2010 By 15 Comments

Becky Johns Photography

I’ve been a hobbyist photographer for a long time. I was always playing around with cameras as a kid and couldn’t get enough of taking photos even when I shot on film and had to wait (gasp!) and pay to get them developed (gasp!) before I could see them. And yes, I’m right on that edge of old enough to remember a world before digital photography.

It was something I had an eye for and always kind of knew I had some photo talent. And then other people started telling me I was good at it. At a certain point, something happens to make you take your talent more seriously. For many, it’s the moment you realize others are putting a value on your work—a higher value than you are.

A few months ago I started my Friends in a Frame project and quickly noticed how much better at portrait photography I was getting. Nearly every subject I’ve shot for the series has made one of the photos a profile photo, avatar or otherwise shared via social media. Less than 3 percent of photos I post in the series albums have been de-tagged. And we’re talking somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 photos at this point. Soon, I started seeing the photos pop up on friends’ websites or used as author images for guest posts or multimedia content accompanying interviews. Suddenly, the age-old amateur photographer’s dilemma about when to charge for commercial usage was facing me.

About the same time, my friend Dave Murray pulled me aside during an event and asked me why I wasn’t charging for usage of the portraits I took. He’d used photos I took of him and said he would have gladly paid me for them had I just asked. I rambled off excuses about ‘not charging from day one so I didn’t feel like I could start now’ or ‘the people were my friends and I felt weird asking them to pay me’ or ‘this was supposed to be my fun little side project, not a revenue stream’. And then Dave said to me bluntly:

“That’s stupid. You’re creating good work. People want to use it for their professional gain. They’re willing to pay you. If everyone else values your talent, then why don’t you?”

At that point I realized I was spending a very significant amount of time on what was once a little side project—enough time that I needed to start monetizing or the opportunity cost wasn’t going to be worth it much longer. I had to get over the hump of being afraid to charge for my photography services. I had to value my talent.

So I launched a fan page on Facebook, reached out to some friends who had inquired about my services previously and started booking paid gigs pretty quickly. Showing others that I do value my talent (and my time) made it easier to put monetary worth on what I create. Not only have others been more than happy to do business with me, but many have referred me to friends. The one thing in business that has never changed is that we do business with those we know, like and trust. So why had I been so afraid to do business with friends? Dave was right, and don’t worry, I made sure to tell him he was free to say “I told you so.”

I’m sure many others have faced the dilemma of when or how much to charge for their work. I’ve got plenty of friends that are freelancers, consultants, speakers and otherwise entrepreneurs. It’s been helpful to learn from them how to define the value of their talents and watch them navigate what content or intellect they’ll give away for free versus what they’ll keep behind a pay wall.

The right price point (whether or not that price is money) is different for everyone. I’ve been paid in dollars, food, link love and service exchanges. I value my talent, I value my work and I exchange it for something I receive equal value from in return.

Having gone through this learning experience and still figuring out how to navigate a freelance career in addition to my professional one, I offer others creating something excellent some advice. Don’t be afraid to take a step back and look at what you’re creating to see the value in it. Though easier said than done sometimes, you’ve got to value your talent. And if or when it’s right, don’t be afraid to charge for it.

I’ve only been riding this freelance wave for a few months, but a significant amount of people have shown they love and value what I create. Today I’m speaking at the 140 Characters Conference in Detroit about the Friends in a Frame project and how photography is affected by the real-time social web. It’s my first big speaking gig and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified. But I’m looking at it the same way I looked at photography. I’ve been invited to speak because others have put value on my talent. So I’m doing the same.

What do you know you’re great at that you’ve been afraid to assign real value to? Do it. See what happens. You might be surprised.

Filed Under: Business, Life, Photography Tagged With: , , ,

People Spread Awesome

October 4, 2010 By 17 Comments

Scott Stratten, UnMarketing Book Tour DetroitLast week, Scott Stratten visited Detroit as part of his book tour promoting UnMarketing: Stop Marketing, Start Engaging. He spoke to the Social Media Club about what UnMarketing means and dropped some nuggets of wisdom on all of us about how social media has changed communication and business.

Actually, he performed a brilliant comedy routine about how dumb people can be when using the internet. But somewhere in there was a lesson about something that seemed important.

If there’s one thing I took away from Scott’s talk, it’s this: People spread awesome.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

People
Social media is people. Forget the buzzwords, and let’s just call it talking. We’re using the internet to be social. We’re using digital means to build relationships. And if we really do it right, we’re taking those relationships offline too and turning them into something more in the physical world. There’s a reason we’ve got user names and avatar photos across the internet, it’s because we’re human beings with names and faces and want that to translate online, too.

Spread
Social doesn’t work for the old mindset of “push.” Scott made an important point both in his book and his talk and it’s that we can’t try to shortcut relationships just because we’re building them online. While technology has largely played the role of replacing human effort in traditional business models, the social web doesn’t work the same way. Referencing the old model, there is a fundamental misunderstanding of how and why things move their way across the internet and in the new model the real key idea is sharing. The word sharing has kind of a warm fuzzy feeling attached to it, and for good reason. We share what will educate, inform, entertain or otherwise amuse our connections and in turn, our personal brand shares its image with that content. We’ll only put our names behind things that really matter.

Awesome
The beauty of awesome is that it’s not the same for everyone. While different content is going to speak to different people, the one constant is that the best stuff evokes emotion. It doesn’t really matter what kind of emotion, but it has to be something strong enough to make a person take notice, feel something and be compelled to pass it along to someone else for one reason or another. It’s as simple as that. It’s the same kind of stuff that would get shared in offline conversations. Scott says the reason people talk hasn’t changed, the only thing that’s changed is how we do it.

Now Go Do It
So, the key to social media is that people spread awesome. And how does that relate to Scott’s book? At it’s core, UnMarketing is about positioning yourself to be the first person someone thinks of when they need what you offer. Awesome service, awesome products, awesome availability, awesome referrals, awesome brand differentiation and awesome customer service are all ways to do that. It all starts with putting in more effort on the conversations with customers and prospects. People do business with those they know, like and trust. Give people a reason to spread your awesome.

Speaking of awesome, I thought this book was so great that I bought two copies. And I think there is so much helpful information in it that I want to give one away to somebody that really needs it. If what you’ve read in this post sounds like the type of thing you need to dig into deeper to help your business, leave me a comment and tell me why you’re ready to learn about how UnMarketing works. If you know someone that could really benefit from reading this book, leave me a comment and tell me who they are and why. In a week, I’ll pick one and send them a copy of the book with no strings attached, only the hope that it will help them improve their business. Now, go on and spread some awesome.

Filed Under: Books and Resources, Business, Customer Engagement, Marketing, Social Media and Blogging Tagged With: , , , , ,
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