ConverStations

Reach New Audiences: What Would Bobby Darin Do?

Bobby Darin was a trend-spotter and a trend-setter. He recognized opportunities and refreshed his career to new audiences more often than most - and was a hit more often than most.

We often hear businesses or organizations ask why they should use social media because when they think their "target" isn't online.

Really? Who doesn't use Google?

Being findable when folks are looking for you specifically should be a given, not a goal. Being findable when folks are looking for something else? Now you're reaching new audiences (or reminding old ones in new ways).

In the next few weeks, we'll be looking at how some stand-by brick-and-mortars can reinvent or refresh their findability using social media tools to amplify their reach and their relationships. 

All in the spirit of Bobby Darin, hey - as long as I'm singin', yes?

Whistle Stops: 05/09/10

Whistle Stops are conversations, eye-openers, or tools representing the brain train discovered while traveling along the Conversphere.  From business to education, life hacks to giving back, these are the posts and links that have in some way grabbed my attention!

• 27 Marketing Lessons (Everyone) Should Know at Hubspot: Taking license with the title because I believe we are in an age where everyone is a content producer and infosumer. In some cases with this list, you may swap terms (e.g., employee for student; staff for colleagues or peers, etc.)
• Seven Types of Cafe Workers at GeekPreneur: I know which one I am (which three?) Fun read, but also will help you spot trends.  There's a new workplace culture - and a new venue. Java Jobplace anyone?
• Hubspotter's Guide to the (Social Media) Galaxy at Cool Infographics: Almost serendipitous to the above, here's great graphic to help identify the culture of social media.{Note: This is really a Hubspot piece, but I link to them above, and wanted to share Cool Infographics site - an infofun-ative read)
• All Social Media Sites Lead to Rome by Amber Naslund (HT to @amvvreed): Those in business who use social media first and foremost to develop with have a question of the natural (!!) progression of the conversation leading to increasing a bottom line. This is a great piece to help realize the value of social media - value for everyone.

Since 2006, Whistle Stops have been valued reads, cool tools, and blue-chip posts around the bends of blogs and social media. If you have suggestions for inclusions, just let me know at mike@converstations.com

Quotes n Notes: Spread Love

"We are not held back by the love we didn’t receive in the past, but by the love we’re not extending in the present." Marianne Williamson (Found on Symphony of Love Project)

First of all big love & thanks to all my friends
Especially those who'd go to all ends
My # 1 Captain, around-and-back into the USA
Gener and Coupon always with me every way
Two K's (Giggles and Knutterfly)
Continuing to make me a better guy
And no matter what may happen to me
I can always count on Sister Strawberry

But please, now let's begin to look ahead
And stop this bickering of what or not might have been said
There's been hurt and there's been pain
Choosing sides is not for the greater gain
And though some will continue on forever separately
Doesn't mean we have to split as a community
God certainly doesn't intend it to be that way
So let's let today be a new and better day

Let's everyone stop and not hold a grudge (I don't)
No more slinging dirt and dragging folks through a drudge (please don't)
Let's all move on with eyes toward a future bright
It's not that far away, within our grasp if we do things right
And if we are first accountable to ourselves
Then we can begin to also help the someone else
Not with a purpose to hurt again or heal a scar (hands off)
But maybe help a new pal become a bright new star (lift off)

So if I dare speak on this "thing" publicly
Tho for all's protection, with some ambiguity
The best way we can carry on as a community
It's not a them, an us, nor even a me or we
If any would continue on to follow my lead,
hold no other as an enemy, this I plead
Have peace, move on, look ahead, for we only have a few
Treat each day as our first, 'cuz we've got great works to do

From the outsides and more so from the withins
Let's please forge ahead, otherwise nobody wins
There are things in this world that need our attention more
Let the past be our past as it sits beyond our back door
It's Mother's Day, and no mom would want any fights
And if this thing isn't over let's pull it out of spotlights
I've said enough, just one more thing to plea
Go hug a frown upside down, and a smile you will see:-)

Share Love - It Spreads Faster

Restructing and Repricing: Once (1-time Only!) Offer

In light of recent changes to my professional position, a few folks have asked, "What are ya gonna do now?" Umm ... same thing I've been doing for the last decade-plus, only better -- and for far more folks.

This isn't a re-invention, this is a re-invigoration. Look, I've been building community around content since the late 80s and doing so online since the mid-90s. So let's keep this train going, but super size it!

As part of the restructuring, there is also a repricing model. And I'm excited about it.

Instead of a one-time flat fee (though I often split that into three payments), I've moved things to a retainer model. The biggest reason why I'm doing so is it's a better commitment level. Not commitment as in coach-to-student, but commitment from student-to-their own social media effort. For me to allow you to hire me, I'm requiring a one-year commitment.

Giving it a go?  We're kinda past that aren't we? If you've ever considered how you will improve your bottom line (whether that's fame or fortune or ), raise your hand.  No-halfway raises, please.

"When you're up, you're up; when you're down, you're down; when you're half-way up, you're neither up nor down.'

The unique offer is at the bottom of this post (but here's the full monty):

For new "students" of The Sansone Way; A one-year $3250 commitment ($500 ante in, $250 month) will kick your efforts (remember, coach) into high-gear. Here's what you get:

• Discovery of needs using a unique "butterfly" system of Strategy, Tactics, Curriculum, Metrics I've developed.
• One-on-one coaching for all things social media (you'll learn the talk-nology and the technology)
• A priority "hotline" phone number, just for this class of student/client
• Up to five hours per week for any combination of 1-1 coaching and/or tweaking of your site(s) and channels (hourly rate after 5 hours).
• Monthly report of data including page views, inbound links, # of subscribers, a buzz factor weighted scoring I've developed
• Free three-month access to Lunchtime Mastermind
• Access to a monthly webinar (video, audio, screen share) open Q & A session (closed to public)
• A copy of my new book on Conversational Literacy: Behaving in the Age of Social Media, due out this fall.
• A copy of "Exploiting Chaos"
• A buy-in of $2500 will show enough commitment to earn you the $750 savings, plus you'll get 8 hours per month instead of 5 hours.

But here's the one-time offer for the first 12 people to raise their hand (up or down? no half-way!):

The first 12 in get everything above for $500. That's the full-boat of one year's stuff for a single payment of $500 (savings of $2750, value of -- well, that depends on you!). Let's get this thing started, hmm?

Epiphanies of Building Online Community: Central Iowa Bloggers or #CIB

Four or five years ago, we - the business (mostly) bloggers of Central Iowa (or #CIB) began to gather around at the Student Lounge (HT @BigWags) known as Panera U - our campus of tinkerings and thinkerings.

The First Friday gatherings (bring a friend) literally take over (at least) one side of the restaurant. "We'll move the tables, You'll find a signal" (HT @kellynelsen) has become a bit of a tagline for the event.

At any one time, there might be 50-60 people mingling and sharing thoughts, ideas, and best practices, with maybe a total count of over 100 people turning through between the hours of 6am - 10am ("official start" is around 8am).

It's been called the "best networking event" in Central Iowa. There is no agenda. There is noise. And there is also signal.

And there is a designed epiphany (or three) -- if you're ready for 'em:

1. Panera gives us a "sense of ownership" (HT @PaneraIowa & @cynthiakapela). By doing so, we support them throughout the month with business meetings and creating a culture they can 'bank' on.
2. From outside the crowd gathered, the loud din of conversation is more noise than signal, but upon engagement - you're more likely to find relevancy and purpose.
3. A foundation of fans is available from the get go. New business bloggers often ask, "Who will read my blog?" Well, by attending this kind of event (and engaging sincerely), you'll have a foundation of 50-75 readers/tweeps from the word "launch." This group of people were recently where you were (a new blogger or Twitterer, so they have empathy -- and often times, a fringe you can count on to hear/read our message.

So, here's your homework assignment. Visit #CIB on a 1st Friday (tomorrow) and be ready to give a "porch pitch."  There are no strangers.

Other Epiphanies:

 - The Apartment Complex
 - The Ballpark

On This Day in Social Media History (2000-AOL): Frankie Finskle

Frankie Finskle had a fantastic thought one day while cleaning out is garage. And the fact that he came up with the idea in his garage just icing on the cake (after all, how many startups start in garages!)

Frankie was so excited that he wanted to tell everyone he knew. This was going to be THE next thing in the latest wave of information technology, community building, online portal site biggies.  Frankie was also hesitant to share the idea in fear of it getting stolen.

So he didn't share it.

You remember what happened to Frankie, right?  What?  You've never heard of this guy? Not many have. See what happens (or doesn't happen) when you say "Mine" too much

Sharing is the key these days. What doors will get you into the history books? And who will you share with along the way?  And whatever happened to Frankie Finskle?

Our Twitter 70-20-10 Engagement Formula Revisted

For those I coach, Twitter as an engagement tool is well into our social media curriculum. Often times, 4-6 weeks into our work (and sometimes longer). Rarely is it first (although Twitter as a Marketing Tool does lead off tonight's Social Media Success Summit)

Like any other conversation, your Twitter engagement should focus on your audience and co-learner more so than yourself (remember, we're on Twitter to engage for business, learning, or resources sharing purposes)

While some think of Twitter use as all chit-chat (might be fine for them), we'll use it differently. To gain the most success from Twitter, let's look at a 70-20-10 formula for success.  Here's how it works:

• 70% Be the Resource: The largest portion of your tweets should be resources or value-added messages to your core audience. Links from other sites (found in your surfing or RSS reading or RTing) or quotes that will motivate your gang. Some of the best examples of folks doing this are @amvvreed, @joywang or @shellterrell
• 20% Chit-Chat, How's Your Cat? This portion of your stuff are replies of general-type conversation (with context please). This is the "chit-chat, how's your kitty-kat" type of stuff. Polite, engaged, caring (but not overbearing).
• 10% Pimp Your Own Stuff - the 'here's what I wrote' or ' I'm speaking at' type of tweets. Less of this is more. You've been depositing with Resource Sharing and Relationship Building above. Keep this type of tweet at the lower end of the scale and you'll see more click-through.

If you use the Skim, Scan, Save...and Share method, you'll always have resources to balance your tweets in favor of your audience -- and it can earn you the right to pimp your stuff more often.

One thing to keep in mind on timing: Use a tool like HootSuite to spread out your resources and ReTweets, but don' "schedule" conversational -type tweets.

What's your engagement formula?

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Teachers, I Love You (Happy Teacher Appreciation Day)

I've been fortunate to be schooled from, worked beside, and befriend by some wonderfully gifting and heart lifting teachers in my life. 

The greatest ones

• Asked tough questions more often than they rat-a-tatted rapid-fire answers.
• They taught me how to be curious and inquisitive, and how to accept being wrong (for a minute)
• Some of them were NOT educators, but were fantastic teachers!
• My grandfather was perhaps my greatest teacher, even though he was not educated per se (so there!)
• I remember many of my childhood teachers by name -- they impacted me in more ways than just classrooms
• Even the teachers I thought as "morons" at the time end up being great teachers because of the learner I am becoming because of those who taught me to learn

In the past 2 or 3 years, I've had the privilege to work alongside some fantastic teachers. They show up without possibility of having a "bad day" - the stewardship they have of leading our kids -- their kids too! -- by their example and smarts is an extraordinary responsibility.

I'd like to link to them here and now -- but there are too many to list and link to.  From the dPLNs being created on Twitter, to the communiy portals on Ning, great teachers are leading the way in learning.

 

On this day (and really every day), dear teacher -- I appreciate you!

Flickr Image by me

On This Day in Social Media History (1915): In Flanders Fields

A day after his close friend was killed, Lt. Col. John McRae, MD penned a poem that would become as well-known as any in battlefield history. And while it has become famous, fondly remembered and reflected upon, and oft-repeated and re-quoted, In Flanders Fields almost wasn't published at all.

As he was finishing the final lines of this classic, mail call was taking place. The mail carrier was moved, watching the memory being crafted while overlooking the graves of those depicted in the poem. It was almost thrown away, but officers and others kept it alive and passing it along to others (did it go viral?)

Almost lost forever, the poem found its way to be published in England in December of 1915. McRae never thought his poem would be published -- but that's not why he wrote it.

Here is the poem in full:

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If we break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

I'm Going Underground at #PMU

I've hinted the last few days at "foxholing" and going "underground." While I love (and still will often be at) my corner office aka as Suite 12 at Panera U, I'm pitching a focused work zone known as PMUnderground

The gang at Performance Marketing offers a portion of their cool office space for temporary situations to those willing to engage in smart-storming, brain-strecthersizng, results-producing; enthusiastical conversations while also having the ability to focus their work (for me it's a season of intense writing). It's a fantastic barter.  It's not simply co-working -- it's a collaboratory.

I was "in" for just a few hours on Friday and the place was electric. We all gleaned and teamed (yet work got done!)

If you find yourself in a season of "free-agency" I have two suggestions:

1. pick a table in your favorite high-traffic coffee house and network up a storm and 
2. find a co-working space that makes sense for you, your work, and your spirit. 

I know this seems like a climb back into Cubicle Nation, but it's not. In fact, even the Escape leader is asking When is it time...?

So if you see the suite vacant at the bread aisle, I'm probably underground -- PMUnderground.

Related:

Performance Marketing site
PM Blog: UncorporatePlace

Flickr Photo by J-Cornelius

Whistle Stops: 05/02/10

Whistle Stops are conversations, eye-openers, or tools representing the brain train discovered while traveling along the Conversphere.  From business to education, life hacks to giving back, these are the posts and links that have in some way grabbed my attention!

• Age of Conversation 3 Author Interviews by Rick Liebling: A few great things about this area: 1) An extension of the spirit that AOC3 is, Rick gathered these interviews from 20 of Age's authors (incl me); 2) If you didn't get your interview in, do it and post in on your site; 3) even if you're not involved with AOC3 in authorship, you can still fill some of the questions in and post on your site (suggestion: link back to Rick (who's filled with ideas!) and AOC3 sites for inspiration). Give it a go!
• 5 Valuable Social Media Marketing Tips by Rob Angeles: Simple stuff, but basics are the foundation. Good starting stuff.
• Cultivating Strategy by Jamie Notter: Extension of earlier posts (click on the links within the article to get full benefit) Money Quote = One of the participants suggested the word "stimulate" would be better than cultivate. (Aside: Here's a pic of a worksheet I put into play this week - more to come on that soon)
• Membership Sites for Associations by Doug Mitchell and pal: Five years ago I was talking about associations and chambers doing some sort of umbrella or membership portal. Maybe it's finally time because someone is working on a solution (not a DIY solution)
• How to Stand Your Ground Without Stepping on People's Toes by Scott Ginsberg: 8 steps (not tiptoes) to standing tall without breaking the china in your pen.

Since 2006, Whistle Stops have been valued reads, cool tools, and blue-chip posts around the bends of blogs and social media. If you have suggestions for inclusions, just let me know at mike@converstations.com

Reflections and Reviews of Aprils Gone By

At the turn of the calendar, let's revisit some posts of this and past Aprils:

April 2010

• What the Heck is a "Conversation Conductor?": I get asked a lot about my 'job title' - and here's the crux of the answer.
• Epiphanies of Building Online Community: The Apartment Complex: Control is often just perception. The key to building community? A "sense" of ownership often unlocks the gates that separate.
  
• Turning and Tilling the Soil in Our Mind: There are so many farming and gardening metaphors for learning and cultivating communities of conversation. One of them is preparation of growth talked about in this post.

April 2009

• ConverStations Manifesto (A Work in Progress): There are probably three or four (12?) items I can add to this by now.
• A Single Click Cleans Up Your Feed Mess (Mass?): Sometimes a quick pruning relieves stress and creates a better signal.
• Design the Classroom Experience, Don't Control It: Again, sometimes offering a "sense" of ownership unlocks many things - including the minds of our students.
• On a Thin Slice: What Are Your Hiding, Hoarding, or Hawking?: Show me who you are, what your know, where you got it, how I can use it.

April 2008

• I must've been busy doing something else. Lots of posts, but mostly links out and lunches n learns.

April 2007

• Get Out From Behind the Counter: This is still so much of what I teach. Don't get so cocky that you know your customer -- unless you begin to see things from their side of the counter.
• Do You Sound Like Your Blog?: aka "Do You Talk Write?" Here are five sound tips to see if you're hearing it right.
• Dear Average - #$@& Mediocrity: Get Fed Up!

April 2006

• Have Your Say - It's Important to Somebody: Think out loud. Let others in on your thinking. We all get better because of it.
• What's on your "To Cause" List Today?: Sometimes it's more about 'why' you're doing than 'what' you're doing
• Get in the Routine of Feed Reading: Not just for you, but for your students, your clients, your colleagues -- and share what you see!
• Knock the Cubicles Down: Some ideas on using blogs and social media internally to create a better working environment and team work

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