Buzz Marketing Campaigns

May 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Over the last year, we have really taken our focus away from Buzz Marketing and turned it towards lead generation with content marketing.  Why?  Because it is very measurable.  It is a clear lead acquisition strategy that works and it has a great ROI.

But what if you want to do a Buzz Marketing Campaign?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing a buzz marketing campaign.  These types of marketing campaigns can be very effective.  The problem with trying to sell it is that people think that Buzz is the outcome.  Actually, just like content marketing, Buzz Marketing must be the way that you drive prospects into the top of your sales funnel.  And that means that before you launch a Buzz Marketing Campaign, make sure you have a great lead acquisition tool and proven sales process.

I know that buzz is way more sexy than talking about lead acquisition.

But proven results with great ROI are much better than lots of buzz and no money to show for it.

Honestly, I am just tired of all the different marketing terminology being created.  Inbound Marketing, Content Marketing, Buzz Marketing, Viral Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Attraction Marketing….

Don’t fall in love with the wrapper.  Build a sales funnel and find creative ways to help people find you and opt to become your lead because you are so nice and helpful.  The only thing hard about this is shutting out the noise and clutter and focusing on results.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Buzzoodle, Interesting Buzz 

Free Wordpress Theme

January 10, 2009 | 2 Comments

Wordpress is an Open Source Blog Package.  I write about it occasionally, but really should more often.  I spend a lot of time playing with Wordpress, customizing it, setting it up, etc.

One challenge is always to find good Free Wordpress Themes.

Wordpress Themes are a package of templates, images and style sheets that you upload to a specific folder and unzip.  Then you can activate it and customize it via the admin interface of Wordpress.

So via Twitter I found this Free Wordpress Theme called Apollo today - please note that I have not installed it yet, but is looks very clean and nice.  I am looking forward to giving it a try.  Go look at all the great layouts and they even provide a bunch of generic logos.

I have paid for good themes in the past.  I do not mind doing that, but with more and more quality free themes coming out, the days of paying for a theme seem numbered.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Branding, Buzz with Blogs, Interesting Buzz, Internet Marketing, Networking, Word of Mouth Marketing 

TwitBlogger - The new Z-List?

December 23, 2008 | 7 Comments

Over on the Servant of Chaos blog there is a new post about the old z-list.

I am copying that list below this post, but instead of rehashing the old blog meme, I think it would more interesting to start something new that integrates Twitter and Blogging.

So here it is: You may copy this to your blog and add 3-5 people that you think provide the most interesting experience combining blogging and twitter. If they are not active on both, do not add them to the list. Feel free to add yourself, but don’t be a dork and do it if you are not using both tools.

I would suggest you follow everyone on the list in Twitter (since they are all added because of being interesting)

The Z-List TwitBloggers

Name Blog Twitter Category
Mack Collier Viral Garden Twitter Social Media
Gavin Heaton Servant of Chaos Twitter Marketing
Zadi Diaz - Epic FU Zadi Diaz Twitter Video - Fun
Phil Gerbyshak Make is Great Twitter Motivation
Mike Sansone Converstations Twitter Writing
Ben Yoskovitz Instigator Blog Twitter Entrepreneurship
Ron McDaniel Buzzoodle Blog Twitter Internet Marketing
Chris Brogan Chris Brogan Twitter Social Media

Add your favorites and pass it along

Old Z-List - Feel Free to Update into the new TwitBlogger Z-List if they are doing both.

You may or may not want to copy the blow list as part of the post - your choice.

Originally Started by Mack

Blog Name Author Location Category 10 Word Description
Calico Monkey Animation Focuses on the  ToonBoom software to create animation.
Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together Tammy Vitale Maryland, USA Art Art-focused, including thoughts on the art that Tammy produces.
Woolgathering Elizabeth Perry Art Looking, thinking, drawing, being
World Blog Collection ugyen Blog aggregator Blog listings categorized by type; goal to add 1000 links in ’07.
Blogging Secret Louiss Lim Malaysia Blogging Part personal but mostly blogging related site.
Blogging to Fame Divya Uttam India Blogging All aspects of online business from SEO to usability and blogging.
Blog-Op Chris Lodge Blogging How to improve your blogging by Chris and others.
Daily Blog Tips Daniel Blogging Tips to improve your blogging from tools to design.
Mike’s Money Making Mission Mike Blogging Making money using free blogs.
One Reader at a Time Bob Glaza Blogging One blogger’s experiment in building and engaging with online communities.
Ruminate this site The Ruminator Maine, USA Blogging Reviews blogs and sites so that we don’t have to.
SMogger Social Media Blog Linda Bustos Vancouver, Canada Blogging The ethical use of social media for bloggers and other web users.
SuccessCREEations Chris Cree Georgia, USA Blogging Blog Consultant bringing the twin passions of business and blogging together.
Successful Blog Liz Strauss Blogging The legendary Liz Strauss, blogger extraordinaire and creator of the SOB award.
Troy Worman’s Blog Troy Worman Jacksonville, USA Blogging Focus on writing, ideas and connections
Copywriter’s Crucible Matt Ambrose UK Blogging, Copywriting The importance of copy in corporate blogging
Copywriting Tuneups Eric Rosen Blogging, Copywriting How to measure reading effectiveness and why it is important in the blogosphere
Dipping into the Blogpond Meg Sydney, Australia Blogging, Tech Blogging about starting an Internet company in the Sutherland Shire.
BrandSizzle Anne Simons Branding Broad and deep insight into the branding process.
Own Your Brand! Mike Wagner Iowa, USA Branding Blog to help businesses re-imagine their brands.
The Emerging Brand Anna Farmery UK Branding Corporate branding blog focused on leadership.
The Engaging Brand Anna Farmery UK Branding Using technology and marketing knowledge to improve business communications.
What is Brand? Japan Branding Japanese readers/speakers? Anyone?
Presentation Zen Garr Reynolds Japan Business (Site in English) Tips for great presentations, marketing, and business communications.
Bob Sutton Bob Sutton California, USA Business Discussions of “jerks” in business.
Perspective Niti Bhan Asia Business Health, wealth and the freedom to choose. Archived blog. New one is jugaad (http://www.nitibhan.com/jugaad).
Ramblings from a Glass Half Full Terry Starbucker Connecticut, USA Business Views on business life.
Simplicity Mary’s Blog Mary Schmidt New Mexico, USA Business Business development, marketing troubleshooting
Funny Business Scrambled Toast Business commentary Wide ranging discussion on business with a funny and pictorial approach.
Creative Think Roger von Oech California, USA Business, Creativity Fun Ideas to stimulate your creativity.
The Copywriting Maven Roberta Rosenberg Washington DC, USA Copywriting Marketing and SEO copywriting tips.
Brain Based Biz Robyn McMaster Creativity Tips for stirring creativity in business.
Experienceology Stephanie Weaver California, USA Customer Experience How to create great customer experiences on the web and in the “real” world.
QAQNA Tom Vander Well Iowa, USA Customer service Business blog on call centers, quality assessment, and customer service.
Shut Up and Drink the Kool-Aid! Tim Jackson Cycling, Blogging The irrepressible Tim MasiGuy Jackson and Co’s slant on bicycle marketing.
MineThatData Kevin Hillstrom Database Marketing Tips for database marketing from the viewpoint of a DM wiz.
Design Sojourn DT Sydney and Singapore Design How to do good design and create clever products.
aialone JT (Jon) Winebrenner Canada Design, tech Design, innovation, as well as Jon’s cartoons!
Frozen Puck Brock Skywalker Canada Eclectic Making cool stuff with expensive toys
Africa Unchained Emeka Okafor Economy Discussing issues and solutions in Africa.
Energy Blog Energy Industry News, information and updates on the Energy generation industry.
Movie Marketing Madness Chris Entertainment, marketing Marketing with a focus on Hollywood. No info on About page.
gDiapers Jason Oregon, USA Environment Corporate blog discussing environmental issues.
Time to Budget Mona Weathers Finance How to gain financial freedom by controlling your finances.
Soloride Paul Sanchez California, USA Fundraising A project raising awareness and funds for children with dyslexia and learning differences
Girls Swimsuits Preety Girls The name says it all, new site, small archive.
Home Business Wiz Barbra Sundquist Canada Home business Collection of resources about home business.
Working at Home on the Internet Joe Hauckes Home business, Blogging Home business entrepreneurs and making money from home
Kristie T Kristie Tamsevicius Home business, Online Money Making Fun, mom-geared work-at-home tips and advice on making money on the net.
Asia Inspection Community Industrial Blog for Inspection Engineers based in Asia. Includes job board.
Employment Law Colorado Peter Mullison Colorado, USA Law Resource for employers and employees on Colorado employment law
Leading Questions Ed Brenegar USA Leadership Real life leadership, organisational tranformation and practical tips for leaders of all kinds.
Steve Olson Steve Olson Life Chronicling one family’s quest for personal freedom.
Make It Great! Phil Gerbyshack Wisconsin, USA Life coaching How to take your life from good to great by focusing on relationships.
You Already Know This Stuff Jodee Bock Fargo, USA Life Coaching Reminding us all that what we need to know is already in our minds and hearts.
HolyMama! USA Lifestyle Funny perspective on life from a stay at home Christian mom.
My Marrakesh Maryam Montegue Morocco Lifestyle Expatriate American with an eye for style, architecture and good living
Gangster Sonny Mafia Fascinated with all things mafia … from movies to weapons.
Talking Story Rosa Say Hawaii, USA Management Management and leadership, Hawaiian style.
AENDirect Aen Tan Singapore Marketing Freelance art director’s view on creativity and advertising
Being Peter Kim Peter Kim Massachusetts, USA Marketing Personal insights from the depths of Forrester (note: this is his personal, not Forrester, blog).
BizandBuzz Gianandrea Facchini Rome, Italy Marketing Brand building and marketing from an Italian perspective
bizsolutionsplus Lewis Green Connecticut, USA Marketing A passionate and respected author, marketer and activist.
Blog Till You Drop! Laurence-Hélène UK Marketing Marketing, advertising, branding, blogging
Branding & Marketing Chris Brown Ohio, USA Marketing Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing.
Business Garden France Marketing French readers/speakers?
Buzz Canuck Sean Moffitt Toronto, Canada Word of Mouth Passionate exponent of word of mouth from Canada.
Buzzoodle Ron McDaniel Ohio, USA Word of mouth, Marketing Creating buzz with word of mouth marketing.
Christine Kane Christine Kane Marketing, Music A recording artist, Christine harnesses the power of community to reach her audience.
CKs Blog Christina Kerley New York, USA Marketing Clever strategies, the new best practices, and the smart marketers behind them.
Conversation Agent Valeria Maltoni Pennsylvania, USA Marketing Connecting ideas and people—how talk can change our lives
converstations Mike Sansone Des Moines, USA Marketing, blogging Known as the blogging yoda (for insight not looks), Mike is a conversation generator.
CrapHammer Sean Howard Canada Marketing Marketing using new media.
Customers Rock! Becky Carroll California, USA Marketing, Customer Experience Marketing the customer experience; its importance for businesses.
Diva Marketing Toby Bloomberg Atlanta, USA Marketing The Diva herself, aligning technology, marketing and branding for businesses.
Dmitry Linkov Dmitry Linkov Moscow, Russia Marketing, Business Everyday and business issues
Drew’s Marketing Minute Drew McLellan USA Marketing, Eclectic Where strategy and passion collide
eSoup Sharon Sarmiento Alabama, USA Marketing, Entrepreneurism Productivity, marketing, web media, small biz development and other stuff entrepreneurs ought to know.
Flooring the Consumer C. B. Whittemore New Jersey, USA Marketing, Customer Experience Improving the consumer experience, particularly in flooring (carpeting)
Get Shouty! Katie Chatfield Sydney, Australia Marketing, Planning Digital strategy and thoughts on blogging.
Golden Practices Michelle Golden Marketing Thoughts on marketing for professional services firms, including lawyers and CPAs.
Hee-Haw Marketing Paul McEnany Texas, USA Marketing There is no box. New media marketing strategy thrown together with a few cuss words and a dash of panache.
Hola! Oi! Hi! Katia Adams New York, USA Marketing, Multicultural Thoughts of a Brazilian newly arrived in the US with a marketer’s point of view.
Jeremy Latham’s Blog Jeremy Latham Vancouver, Canada Marketing A marketing-business oriented blog on website development.
John Wagner John Wagner Texas, USA Marketing News and views on marketing, advertising, media, PR and grass-roots communications
Kinetic Ideas Wendy Maynard Oregon, USA Marketing Marketing tips, ideas, strategies, and musings for small businesses.
Logic + Emotion David Armano Chicago, USA Marketing The
intersection of marketing, brand engagement and experience design. How
to turn your passive consumers into active brand participants.
Marketing Hipster Cord Silverstein Raleigh, USA Marketing Online oriented blog on marketing and web 2.0 tools.
Marketing Nirvana Mario Sundar USA Marketing How corporate marketers can leverage the web & social media for better results
Mindblob Luc Brussels, Belgium Marketing Using alien intelligence to follow the path of ideas as they come to life.
Multi-Cult Classics HighJive Marketing, Advertising Musings on Multiculturalism in the Ad Industry and Beyond.
Nick Rice Nick Rice Kentucky, USA Marketing, branding Marketing strategy combined with creative thinking and design.
On Influence & Automation Douglas A. Karr Indiana, USA Marketing A marketing and technology blog
OTOInsights Jeremi Karnell Marketing Corporate blog focusing on using technology to create and sustain customer conversations.
Pardon My French Eric Frenchman New Jersey, USA Marketing Online strategy and marketing with great case studies of real projects.
Pow! Right Between The Eyes! Andy Nulman Marketing The importance of surprise in business
Purple Wren Sandy Renshaw Iowa, USA Marketing Tools and techniques for communicating life through print and images.
Servant of Chaos Gavin Heaton Sydney, Australia Marketing Gavin’s rant on the world of branding and storytelling.
Shotgun Marketing Blog Chris Houchens Kentucky, USA Marketing Musings on marketing and related ideas.
Small Business Blogging Andy Wibbels Chicago, USA Marketing, Tech Using web media to market your business
Tell Ten Friends Jordan Behan Canada Marketing Marketing using new media to make connections.
The Branding Blog Martin Jelsema Marketing Branding principals, opinions and prejudices he’s developed
The Experience Curve Karl Long California, USA Marketing, Social Media Social media and marketing from an experiential point of view.
The Instigator Blog Ben Yoskovitz Montreal, Canada Marketing Entrepreneurial focus on marketing, ideas and building your business
The Marketing Minute Drew McLellan Iowa, USA Marketing Expert insight into marketing and branding. And Drew loves Disneyland.
The Viral Garden Mack Collier Alabama, USA Marketing Mr Community leads the way in using technology to create conversation.
Two Hat Marketing Steve Miller Washington, USA Marketing Views on targeted marketing.
Unconventional Thinking Mark Stevens New York, USA Marketing The art and science of growing businesses
Viaspire A biz blog—Viaspire Marketing Marketing and Communications consulting firm blog
Popcorn n Roses TC Kirkham and Kim Brown Massachusetts, USA Movies Movie industry blog with reviews and musings.
Current World news News “Breaking” news across a couple of categories. Small archive.
Choice at Your Fingertips News, Blogging News and tips for making money blogging. No archive.
Blogtrepreneur Adnan UK Online Money Making How to be an online entrepreneur and also build community!
Can I Make Big Money Online George Brian Manty Online Money Making Tips for making money online including research, design and blogging.
Dosh Dosh Maki Online Money Making Trying to source legitimate methods for making money online.
Internet Bazaar Guhan Mathivanan Online Making Money Tips and ideas for making money online.
Kumiko’s Cash Quest Kumiko Tokyo, Japan Online Money Making Trying to make money online and sharing the experience.
Million Dollar Experiment heads Down Under Rob St George New Zealand Online Money Making Can thinking positively make you a cool mill? Rob hopes so.
Money Spider England Online Money Making An experiment to see if can make money writing, plus some tips.
Quest to make money on the internet UK Online Money Making Currently up to £128, this site makes money by letting out its posting space.
Above Popular Mark Personal Motivated to make the world a better place.
Critical Fluff Jayniek Maryland, USA Personal Ranks various things in life with mulligans, crabapples, and pineapples.
Forged Euphoria Personal Some sponsored links.
OrbitNow! Troy Worman Florida, USA Personal Miscellaneous musings
The Sartorialist Photography, fashion Photos of fashion on the streets, geared to inspire designers.
Bullshitobserver Todd Anthony Politics Politics and commentary.
New Millenium PR Andrea Weckerle PR Bringing business, branding, marketing and PR together.
The New PR Ryan Anderson Ottawa, Canada PR Public relations in the online world.
Carpe Factum Timothy Johnson Project Management Blog that focuses on the things you need to do to accomplish things. Especially big things.
Work, in Plain English Penina S Finger Project Management A design and marketing focused blog on project management. Interesting mix!
turned out David Turner Illinois, USA Religion Minister blogging to connect everyone with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Evolution…not just a theory anymore Greg Laden Minnesota, USA Science, Religion Creation vs evolution, commentary and archaeology by an independent scholar.
SEO Blog SEO New site on SEO and use of blogs to improve rankings.
Flee the Cube ICesar California, USA Small Business Starting up a small business in web design.
Community Guy Jake McKee Dallas, USA Social Media Online and offline community building tips and tricks.
The Social Media Marketing Blog Scott Monty Boston, USA Social Media, Marketing Blogger with a maniacal passion for anything related to new media / social media.
A Free and Decent Blog Host Unfathomed_Psyche Tech Technology news focusing on blogs and blog software.
Billions With Zero Knowledge Austin Hill Canada Tech, Business Changing the world with little bits of knowledge
Connected Internet Everton Blair London, UK Tech All things to do with technology, mobile phones and gaming.
darrenbarefoot.com Darren Barefoot Canada Tech, marketing Tech news, writing and marketing
Deepak Deepak Tech Focuses on the technology of the Internet and loves Google.
MapleLeaf 2.0 Mark Evans Canada Tech Tech news stories relating to Canada
Scott Burkett’s Pothole on the Infobahn Scott Burkett Georgia, USA Tech Musings on technology, IT management, and online community.
Small Surfaces Gabriel White Tech Interaction design, user interface design, user experience, usability and social trends related to mobile devices.
TechBuzz Thilak Mangalore, India Tech Tech new and reviews written by 17 year old in India. Awesome.
Masey.com Rob Masefield Travel Design and photography blog.
Through the Lenses Jas Vancouver, Canada Travel, Photography Travel/photography blog includes stunning shots and photography tips.
Travel And Vacation On Blog Travel Lightweight travel guide/destination information on selected cities. Needs more.
The Best Guides to eCommerce with Favor Viral marketing Viral marketing tools, memes and SEO tips.
Web Metrics Guru Marshall Sponder Web analytics Web analytics, in particular for blogs
The Future of the Web Jesse Skinner Canada Web Development Use of new technologies for the web.
Social Media on the fly Mark Krupinski Florida, USA Web media, blogging Learning social media on the fly
Asyuu @ Forest Japan Japanese readers/speakers? Anyone?

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Buzz with Blogs, Interesting Buzz 

How to make a Video Show

December 19, 2008 | 1 Comment

Lots of people out there are still asking themselves, Should I blog? Shut up and start blogging - then think about the next steps. If you are still thinking about blogs you are just falling further and further behind the people that are doing it.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Branding, Interesting Buzz 

Election Buzz

November 4, 2008 | 1 Comment

Today is election day.  Over the past six months I have had a similar conversation with several potential new clients - none of which I decided to work with.

It is interesting how people see that Barack Obama has raised money online and they think they can easily do the same with a website.

They see the numbers in a news story and decide they are going to raise money online too.  Usually, it is something like this:  I will raise $10,000,000 and only keep 40% for myself and give the rest to a charity.  I have $500 to spend on setting up a website, but only if I know that it is going to produce big results.

If Elections demonstrate one thing, it is that it is incredibly difficult to create massive, sustained buzz.  Especially in a competitive environment where the buzz is being created against an opponent.

What do you need to create buzz if you want it on a grand scale?  Just look at the elections - it is all there.

  1. Great Product - Your product has to be great.  It has to be better than others on the market and people have to want it more.
  2. Advocates - You cannot create big buzz by yourself.  You need to have an army of advocates willing to go door to door for free for you.
  3. Partners - People that quit their day jobs to join your cause and make less money.
  4. Endorsements - Big name, respected people that are willing to put their reputation behind you 100%.
  5. Commitment - Are you ready to commit to creating buzz every day despite being down in the polls?  Are you able to look people in the eye and ask for money when it looks like your product has no chance of winning?
  6. PR - Constantly seeking PR.
  7. Hard work - Does anyone work harder than a presidential candidate months before an election?  It seems absolutely insane how much they work.

See what I mean?  Barack Obama did not set up a $500 website and make a bunch of money.  This stuff is hard - and there are probably less painful ways to make some money on the Internet if that is your goal.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Interesting Buzz 

Litmos Training System

September 15, 2008 | 1 Comment

Litmos is a training system that for many of you will be a warm, happy relief.  It is funny that no one has done a good job of this in the past, considering how many people are out there trying to build training and learning programs. I have used Moodle and other options to build training systems, and they just have too many options and take forever to customize and make your own.

Here are the key reasons I really like Litmos, and the things I would like to see them add as well.

  1. I love simplicity.  You will be building a course in minutes.
  2. I love low cost of entry.  Because they are charging $3 per user, you know how much it will cost whether you are doing small audience or large.
  3. They charge per ACTIVE user.  So having users in there that never log in do not cost you anything.
  4. Litmus has a great, easy interface.
  5. Litmus has the option to host big video files (small $ amount more per month)
  6. Nice assessments.
  7. Incredible support and involvement - they have been emailing me to ask how I like it, what I would like to see added, etc.  They have even made a couple of changes based on my recommendations.

My Litmos Wishlist

Of course, there is a fine line between simple and having everything I would like to see.  Here is my wish list for things that would take it from good to perfect (for me.)

  1. API to log in from another location.  Right now user management has to be done from the Litmos system and users must log in there.  I find it hard to build a community of users if they have a bunch of different logins.
  2. Messages - It would be great if they built in a message board or at least messaging on each learning module.  Currently it is a one way street.  I think something as simple as leaving comments on modules would work - and it can be turned on or off based on the module setting.
  3. Audio Uploads - I know this will be there soon, but currently you can upload Powerpoint, Flash, Video but not an audio as a module.  They did say it will be there soon.  You can currently upload audio as a resource, but not as a module in the course.
  4. Ability to sell my course directly via Litmos - It would be wonderful if they would let me set the price of my course and sell it within their catalog.  Then I could create couses and promote them, and they would get $3 from each person that takes the course, and I would get the difference on what I am charging.  That would save a huge amount of work for me.

Long ago I accepted the fact that one application is not going to appear and integrate everything that I could ever want.  Instead, if you find a tool that is simple and takes minimal effort to add users into, then you have a winner.  Litmos is a winner, and I am confident that it will continue to get better.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Interesting Buzz, Small Business 

Debt and the Law of Reciprocation

September 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I have talked about the importance of providing value to people before.  If you are not providing remarkable value, why would you expect people to buzz about you?

If you are providing life-changing value, you get into the realm of Debt and the Law of Reciprocation.

Basically, it states that if you provide exceptional value to someone, they will feel in debt to you and be happy to spend money with you.  This has roots in general networking strategies (helping other people is the best way to network) and in sales (free trial).

There is a broader impact I would like to talk about here.  The Law of Reciprocation works very well, often with a simple email.  And the buzz it creates can be big.

I sent a private email to my list about a month ago.  It was the very personal story of how I have lost over 50 lb and the amazingly easy way I did it.  (No diets, no pills, no cutting and minimal working out.)

In the email I did not sell.  I used it as a marketing lesson on how one simple blog post by someone else changed my life and how they most likely extended my life, and how I would be deeply in debt to that person forever.

A Big Risk?

It was a risky email.  Very personal and no gain for me.  I was not selling anything.  A few people wrote back and said they were confused about the personal email and the lack of a marketing goal.  One even seemed offended.  3 People unsubscribed.

But I also got a huge number of supportive emails.  My personal relationships with some people deepened.  People started sharing their stories with me.  And several said they were inspired and tried out the same thing.

The Big Reward

Before today I felt like it was a success.  However, it became an even bigger success today because I was invited to lunch by a longtime friend that I only see rarely.  She read the email that came at the right time for her and she used it to make big changes.  She is making great progress.

Let me recap.  I had nothing to sell and nothing to gain.  But I knew if I wrote it with sensitivity, I could inspire some people to make similar changes.

That happened.  And the Law of Reciprocity for those people kicked in, not by anything clever but by human nature.  Today that friend not only bought me a thank you lunch, but she also really wanted to give me something in return and she is referring a huge account our way.  I am sure she would not if she did not think we could do a great job with them, but I might not have been the only choice.

Kindness and Giving Great Value are your best Buzz tools.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Interesting Buzz 

7 Stupid Social Media Mistakes - Are you making them?

June 9, 2008 | 19 Comments

There is a variety of problems with social media.  I have identified the 7 mistakes that really make you look like a rookie that just learned about the Internet thingy.  Don’t worry if you are making some of these mistakes, you are not alone.

  1. Trying to participate in too many tools
    If you are siging up and building a profile on every new thing that comes out, you better be a writer for Mashable.  No one can keep up with all the new things.  Find some you like and do a good job in them.
     
  2. Expect that just setting up an account will yield results
    Guess what - you have to do more than just set up an account to get results.  If I had a dollar for every person that has told me they set up a LinkedIn account and nothing happened, I’d be rich.
     
  3. Not using the tools to connect with people
    Nearly every site makes it possible to connect with other people (I think that is why they call is SOCIAL media).  If you are not connecting, no one is finding you.
     
  4. Giving up after a short time
    Social media is about making and sustaining connections.  The only way you can grow your influence is long term.  Stop crying - if you do not like the fact that it takes time, don’t do it at all.
     
  5. Promoting yourself without providing value
    The fact that you signed up for an account does not give you the right to promote yourself constantly.  And it is a sure way to get people to run in the other direction.
     
  6. Not using the tools to link to other resources
    Similar to not connection to people, if you only link to your website or blog and never bookmark or link to other interesting resources, you will never gain the respect of your audience.  Nor should you.
     
  7. Not intentionally building a target network
    Don’t pick the biggest network or the one that your kid brother said you should use.  Find out where your current customers go and your target audience hangs out online.  Intentionally build value and influence in the right communities, even if they are smaller.

If you are a business person trying to get into this social media thing, I fully expect that you have made all of these mistakes.  I promise you that if you get these things turned around, your popularity and influence will rise online, as will your pocketbook eventually.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Interesting Buzz, Networking 

Want Meat in your Webinar?

April 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment

All too often, you sign up for a free webinar and you get an idea or two, but the majority of the presentation is a sales pitch.  It is actually very effective and as long as you know that going in, that is fine.

Lee Salz wanted to find a place where he could pay for real training instead of suffer through the pitch.  When he could not find the network of business experts he was looking for, he created one.

Business Experts Webinars is a network of specialists giving (for fee) webinars that have real meat.  No sales and pitching to the audience - real training.

I am really pleased to be a member of this group.  I have watched Lee bring this thing to life with boundless energy.  The great thing is I make a little something from the effort and I can feel confident sending people to this network.

Please go check out the list of webinars and look for mine - I have one each month.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Buzzoodle, Interesting Buzz 

7 ways your VA can add BUZZ to your business

March 2, 2008 | 1 Comment

I asked ISHANI MITRA of Outsourcerer.com to tell me the 7 best ways a VA can create buzz for their client.  Here is his response.

Have you ever thought of a virtual assistant generating buzz for your business? Here are 7 ways in which the magic works:

  1. A virtual assistant located in a remote corner of the world can keep on posting comments on relevant blogs thus generating buzz for your business.
  2. A professionally qualified VA can write marketing content for you which can be used on promotional materials of your company.
  3. A VA can carry out market surveys and generate reports for further analysis regarding emerging trends relevant to your business.
  4. A VA can handle monotonous tasks like posting on forums and sites such as Craigslist on your behalf thus generating traffic for your business.
  5. VAs can help create strong relationships with the media and your customers, planning special events and building an image - elements that when combined gain publicity, or “buzz,” for your company.
  6. VAs can help you with writing advertisement copies to designing creative media kits based on a theme. It would add buzz to your business without the hassle of hiring a full time specialist.
  7. VAs are technically qualified to handle online marketing avenues such as search engine optimization techniques, adwords campaigns and similar other channels.

Delegating all these tasks to virtual assistants would save you valuable time, which can be devoted on other tasks requiring personalized attention. VAs would add more productivity to your business and set it on a steady path of growth. VAs can also maintain your accounts and finances, keep track of operational activities of your team and can handle recruitment and other human resource management functions for you.

If you want a free trial of VA services and what they can do for you, please visit Outsorcerer.com for further details.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Blog, Interesting Buzz 

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