Get off my lawn!

This blog entry is more of an etiquette lesson. But I will put it in real terms too. Imagine that the guy painting your house, put a sign in your front yard without telling you.  Or the guy running for office put his bumper sticker on your car without asking you if you supported him, or would even want the sticker.
That's what it's like when someone posts their ad to your pages and accounts without consulting you.  It's an invasion of privacy, and potentially an attack on your brand.

I manage several Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and the whatnot. When someone posts to my page (other than a customer) trying to promote their band, art, business without consulting me - I delete it. Plain and simple, across the board, I delete it (or hide depending on the system). I then message them what they can do to cross brand with us and wait for them to communicate back.  Most of the time, it's spam. It's like when people post their events on the outside of my windows at the wine bar, I take them down.  It's actually even against a public ordinance, so I can't be the only one that feels this way.

So why do I write this? Not to be a nag, but there are ways to cross market that aren't trespassing on others pages. Basically it comes down to figuring out the commonality between your two companies/organizations - For example: If you have an event, and you would like to tell my company's customers about it, see how it can compliment my traffic that evening and maybe get us more customers because your event brings them in town.  Remember, my company worked hard to get that customer base - you are borrowing it. Cross-marketing is an amazing way to get people together from similar backgrounds.  I am on the board of our Village Association, and we constantly are trying to work to get people to the Village to experience all of the businesses and sites.  It's not easy to make it look cohesive, but when it works, it works well.

Short blog today - moral of the story - don't advertise your interest on other people's pages without their nod.  End of message :)

I call Bull$hit!

Bank of America made a big mistake this year.  They thought they could charge a minor fee to their customers, and it would be ok. People started realizing how much this minor charge would be - and were probably quite offended that their tax dollars were spent to bail this bank out just a few months earlier and posted the cry foul all over Facebook, Twitter - and it made the news.  Some time afterwards (and really not quick enough to be a marketing ploy executed well if you ask me) BoA changed their tune and took that idea of fee away.

Now, this week, Verizon pulls the same crapola. Two to five days after, they change their tune. This my friends in my opinion was a coattails marketing ploy.  They got free press all over the place. Sure it looks bad - but none of us remember half the things on the top 10 events of 2011 - this gets a burst of press energy.  That is priceless.  I still call BS though on this one - it was weak.

Not really a blog today - I need to get the bar all pretty for New Years and watch other people drink and have fun - so thought I would call BS and walk away today! Happy New Year :)

I can make you rich... really.

Uh huh...

Every day at my bar I get at least two cold calls and at least one walk in that tells me how I am messing up my online presence and how they can bring in hundreds of people into my establishment if I just let them take over my social networking and website. Now, there is always room for improvement, but is that how you were raised to start a conversation, let alone try to make a sale?

My favorite, is when they say, "We ran a report and found TONS of errors on your site, and that they can fix them for you for a nominal fee" or even, "Whoever designed your site didn't know what they were doing."  Um, that person would be me, the person who will be paying for your service as well.  Starting our business relationship off like a bad abusive relationship where the salesmen first tells me that my past decisions sucked, and even that I do, but they are the only can make me better -  is REALLY not the way to motivate me, and I can't think of it working on any other small business owner. Honey, I can spot a snake oil salesman a mile away now, and mostly learning from my mistakes.  Maybe you can learn from some of them too...

1. Don't be their first customer.
• Ask for references... pages, quotes, phone numbers.
• Ask their references... how much time they were saved, how much traffic change did they see,
  how well their vision is being communicated online.
2. If they promise traffic and increased followers ask them:
• Twitter
• What % will be robots and what % high visibility people?
• What % of followers retweet?
• What tools do they use (existing or in house created)?
• Where will they get content for tweeting? How often do they plan to tweet?
• What are their goals for followers?
• How will they report updates?
• Facebook
• What is their method for getting new followers?
• Who will be responding and posting
• Where will they get content for posts? How often do they plan to post?
• What are their goals for followers?
  
• How will they report updates?
3. How much will this cost me?
• Seriously, we tout social media as being free all the time, but we know it costs time, and time is money.  It also really needs tools and they cost money too. Lets say it costs minimum wage in California for someone to be maintaining your interests online. That's about $250 a month for 1 hour a day to be spent on Tweeting and FaceBooking.  That's a lot of money for a pretty low hourly wage to be guiding and directing your business strategy online, so what are they doing and how do they work for you?

I have worked in media companies, as well as now owning my own business for two years.   I need to listen to what they are saying in their criticisms, to see if I hear the same thing a lot, and then change things up to make that criticism go away and make room for the next one.  After all, I  let that "horrible" website (http://gatherwinebar.com) lie dormant for 2 years, and in one week of making changes have made 5x the effort in party scheduling. What I don't need to do though, is spend a lot of money for someone who cannot show me how they will make up the cost with income like I just did.  Most can't.  I know how to run my business, today.  I learn more daily - my opinion is  - most people who cold call my business over the phone or by walking in off the street, should not have my business.

Your thoughts?

Disclaimer: I worked on a design/ad company for 2 years, and Fortune 500 companies for years before that - vision comes from within.  If you have a company telling (or even yelling at you like I have heard in the past) what you should be doing and that you don't know how to reach your customers, run.  You started your business.  You know who you want for customers, you know what you want to sell, you know what makes you money.  If you don't know that, then an ad guy or social media maven is not going to help you.  At best, they are going to send you a bunch of traffic that you are not going to be able to fulfill, at worst, no one new will come to your door because the vision they communicate is not your business. 

Assuming you do know your vision for your business, this marketing company should be able to come back with a plan that tells you how to reach the customers you planned your business for. If they can't, you can do this yourself.

A Place for Online SNARK...

 

 

UrbanDictionary -noun Combination of "snide" and "remark". Sarcastic comment(s). Also snarky (adj.) and snarkily (adv.)

 

I am sarcastic. I come by it honestly from a long line of New Yorkers that tell it how it is, and when they aren't being straight with you, they say the truth, sarcastically.

I moved to California 6 years ago. To say it's PC where I live is incorrect.  It's small town.  Sarcasm is lost on many, thought of as mean and unapproachable by some and only appreciated by a few.  Add to that, owning a business in a service industry, and it is a sword that needs to be wielded very carefully if at all. When said in person, one can hear tone, see facial expressions, and has a much better chance of understanding your gist.

Online... ooh that's another matter.  I thought about having my own personal Facebook page where I could be "me" and be pissy and acerbic if I feel like it, and have a way to vent. I thought about having my own twitter as well... *EPIC FAIL* No one cares. Really. If they do, they will use it against you. They will find you funny and awesome for 5 minutes and then a jerk for the rest of the day. 

I am not a jerk, I just have jerky moments (yup, I am human). Jerky moments in print are forever.  Have you ever gotten an email that you sent in the past thrown in your face?  I have.  Have you ever print screened someone's status on Facebook?  It's been done...  A post and a delete, is out there somewhere still - trust me.

My business was founded on buzz. Controlled buzz. I posted construction pictures, I got people excited about me buying their wine and showing it off, I invited them to the party that happens every night.  My business is based on my wine bar being "comfortably elegant" and comfortable comes from my business being an extension of my customer's home.

Drumming up passion about negative situations or people in my life does not create comfort.  It might create traffic, but if people don't like our wine, our food or feel comfortable, then it's not a marketing win.

That's the point - it's all marketing.  Know that every part of your life is your business. From going to the grocery store and running into customers, to getting a pedicure and chatting in the chair, to talking in a coffee shop, you are always a representative of your business.  If you have more than your closest 12 friends and followers online, then every account you have is marketing you, and therefore your business.

There is no place for SNARK online if you have a business.  Belittling the competition, customers, rules will bite you in the butt. Personally, if you think about it, what profiles do you hide? I hide the jerky and pissy ones.  Do you want to be hidden or heard?

Making a club...

My last post was about being cool.  What is cooler than being in a club?  Clubs are organized cliques! Cliques by definition are cool!  So why a club? Why make a group for people to be members in? How do you do it so that your goals for your business and the club are maintained? Because clubs get things DONE!

I joined a board and a business association when I first opened my business. I really could not participate until I had my feet on the ground and had staff that could run the place so I could attend meetings and get time to help out with things - I am glad I stuck with it, because it's been a great thing for my company and to help build relationships with the bizs around me. I then was asked to be on a chamber board.  It was outside my physical business area, but the members of the board I knew were supportive, and it felt like a good fit - but then there was drama - and a LOT of it, so I left it before the ink was dry. Then, I was asked to join the Rotary.  I was sponsored, nominated and approved by the board.  It's a group that I enjoy because it has structure, goals and camaraderie. I am sure there will be others, but these are 3 great examples to start with.


Why create a club?

• Common interests attract people to each other
• Relationships within the club keep people
• Positive clubs with good membership invite the same to it

How to create a club?

• Start small 2-4 core people -you need workers and people with time and skills to help build the club
• Set goals and objectives - keep them small 1 core goal, 2-4 objectives that meet that goal
• Be selective who joins in the beginning - you are setting a tone and exclusivity will make the ones that want to join later, more willing to follow your structure and help out

How to grow and keep the club going?
Monitor your club... Your club has a goal, and objectives. You and your core group are now responsible for keeping it in line.  How to do that in your social media tools is important.

• Facebook - watch for spam, hide it, block if necessary.  Talk offline to people about the goals of the group.  Do not chastise! No one, no one wants to be told they are wrong - so don't.  Explain your rules, and then moderate. If you need to - change to a group, and make it invite only.
• Twitter - search for mentions, use tools that alert you. Search for your business or club name - stay on top of what people say - thank a lot and retweet as much as you can for things that fit your goals and objectives.
• Blog posts - check for responses.  Delete spam, and respond to all posts.  Yes, all.  Your blog needs to be active.

If I could say one thing about the club you are making it would be this - STAY POSITIVE.  Your club has to have a positive energy and goal to have growth, keep that always in mind.  If you have a Negative Nellie or a Drama Debbie, get them out.  The ripped band-aid hurts, but the club will be better for it in the end.