Radiance Road Marketing Blog

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I get alot of questions about using social media these days – Facebook, Twitter and the like. The biggest mistake is talking about yourself, as this article describes. If you want to use social media, make it an effective part of your marketing plan. Learn, plan, apply, test and evaluate like any other marketing activity.

I’ve been reading Joan Stewart a.k.a. The Publicity Hound and her newsletter ever since she started it years ago. She offers great practical advice for small business owners seeking publicity and has grown along with the internet. Her weekly newsletter is free and the credit at the end of the article directs you to her site and blog. She is a “10″ in my book!

This is from the Nov. 24th newsletter:

1. Stop Talking About Yourself
====================================

If social media were a cocktail party, many of us would be heading
for home by 8:30.

That’s because everybody seems to be talking about themselves:

“I’m standing in line at Starbucks.”

“I’m starting my day with a hot bowl of oatmeal.”

“I just dropped my kids off at school. It’s pouring rain!”

Chris Brogan, who is arguably one of the top social media experts
in the world and whose blog has been ranked Number 1 by Advertising
Age magazine, says we should be spending 12 times as much time
talking about other people as we do about ourselves.

He spoke last week at the Web 2.0 Expo in New York City. A
10-minute snippet of his presentation at
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=L69A3&m=1fFHyyzuPTtYrK&b=rXjHm_9biQkYkibc9qCmmQ may be one of the most valuable
videos you’ll watch all year. His tips:

–If you’re not spending time using http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=L69A3&m=1fFHyyzuPTtYrK&b=DIWrIzToQ2CJjZ29Dg9vGA
or the search part of your social media application, you’re missing
one of the best opportunities that social media offers. That’s
because you can search for people who are talking about specific
topics. Following conversations is often more valuable than
following people.

–We should be listening far more than worrying about what to say.

–When we share helpful tips and information from other people,
that makes us more valuable to the people who follow us. Eighty
percent of his Twitter posts are responses to things other people
have tweeted.

–No continual “barking” (his words, not mine) about your products.

–The difference between an audience and a community is the way you
turn the chairs.

As you watch the video, notice the tweets that show up on the
screen behind him. Many of them are from audience members who are
tweeting about his presentation. They’re using the hashtag #w2e in
their tweets. That makes it easy for anyone searching for
information about the conference to find it at
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=L69A3&m=1fFHyyzuPTtYrK&b=DIWrIzToQ2CJjZ29Dg9vGA

Read more about how to use hashtags for publicity at my blog at
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=L69A3&m=1fFHyyzuPTtYrK&b=0PwgI_bFrIaM.twXKwq_KQ

and don’t forget to add your thoughts with a comment below!

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=L69A3&m=1fFHyyzuPTtYrK&b=doEjuk786e1sxsrpJjUJQA and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

Today, I attended my first Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce Schmooze a’Palooza and I am so glad I did! This “power networking” event, held at Florida Southern College in the Eleanor Searle Drawing Room, brought together about 50 of Lakeland’s shakers and movers to promote our businesses – to “sell the sizzle” – and enjoy lunch together.

We gathered in the elegant drawing room on the architecturally-awesome FSC campus about 11:30 this morning where a buffet of salad, grilled chicken, roast beef, pasta and steamed veggies awaited us. I started building my power for the event with some cheese and crackers while meeting some of my fellow Lakeland Chamber members and staff – many for the first time since I am a fairly new member. The Chamber of Commerce’s Vice-president for Membership Development Terry Ottinger and Communications VP Aaron Bates, along with our host – Account Executive Amy Wiggins (reach her at 688-8551 ext. 229) – greeted me and made me feel right at home.

Jessica Gutowski, standing-in for AllSolar’s Dillon Daniels, joined me at my table since we already knew each other from another event. Jessica is a real talented, young up-and-comer in the Lakeland biz world – a recent FSC Public Relations grad working on the Gow Field campaign for mayor.  Sitting to my right was Adam Baust of the Welborn Companies’ Adminstrative Service Offerings, who is opening a new branch here in Lakeland to help local businesses with their accounting, payroll and tax matters. Keiser University’s Director of Student Services Ryan Reis joined us, as well, and we got got to talk about helping students develop practical business experience through intership and portfolio development with Lakeland companies. I taught at [then] Keiser College in Melbourne, FL and am really excited about mentoring local students. After a nice lunch to power-up for our presentations, the ever-effervescent Amy Wiggins got things sizzling.

At the Schooze a’ Palooza, each attendee gets to stand up and give a 30-second “elevator-pitch” for their business to the crowd. It’s a great way to hone your presentation skills! I enjoyed watching my fellow Chamber members give their pitches. The event gave me a chance to hear local enterprises’ marketing messages and get to know some of the people that are active in the business community. Its a real whirl to go through almost 50 marketing pitches in less than an hour and ‘where the rubber meets the raod’ in marketing. In the marketing world, you are competing against so many messages for attention and to gain interest in about half a minute. YOU GOTTA MAKE IT SIZZLE!

As a local internet marketing consultant, I analyze marketing messages for a living. As a prospective consumer, I want to know what’s in it for me as quickly as possible. This was a wonderful way to take a look at what I do – and how I present my business to prospects. After all, my job is to get your BEST prospects to visit your website and BUY your products and services. I better be able to deliver a clear, compelling message myself!

I recommend that local business join the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce for opportunities like this. If you are a member, I recommend attending the next Schmooze a’ Palooza. In the meantime, if you’d like a few tips you can use to develop or hone your 30-second elevator pitch email me and I’ll get those out to you. It really is a vital skill for anyone who needs to explain what your business does. I’ll be working on my elevator pitch to make the best impression – to make it sizzle – at ALL of the events and encounters here in Lakeland this year.