Next – facebook keeps changing and it can be hard to keep up.  Plus there is a lack of transparency over what is going on and a few legal issues.  His hero status starts to be interrogated.

Finally – facebook is amazingly, popular with users, and financially very successful.  Oops very scary indeed.

Three easy ways to go from hero to villain.

1. In the start up phase (preferably while you are young, poor and working from a bedroom) it can be easy to win hearts and minds.

Your business is probably pitted against more powerful establishment businesses and you look like the attractive new kid on the block.

Think Richard Branson, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs in the early days.  Richard Branson even signed up musicians because he liked them -

even though he hadn’t heard their music demonstrating he was all-heart, plus good instincts.)

2. When the market is dominated any lack of transparency is seen as ominous.

3. Extreme financial success elevates the individual or company to villain status.

Google reaching 80% of search results, Microsoft owning the desktop market and charging for continuous upgrades,  Ipad sales topping 2 m in a few months means the general public (consumers and pundits) can feel threatened.  Apple’s treatment of its Chinese workers, brutal management at Virgin, Google slaps that are difficult to analyse and general We-love-to-hate-Microsoftishness get more air-time.

It is just the tall poppy syndrome.

As fortunes get made more quickly the hero to villain cycle becomes more rapid.  It has been six short years for  Mark Zuckerberg and it is getting more personal.  He is being portrayed as a villain in a new film.   The appealing story of a student developing a way for friends to stay in touch in the dorm at Harvard is being taken into new dimmensions of the tall poppy syndrome.

As facebook now has users totalling  the equivalent of the third biggest country in the world, and they are making a lot of money ($800 m) they have become an extremly tall poppy.

Mark Zuckerberg and facebook may or may not be adversely affected, but as a small business owners it is important to keep our customers, stakeholders and the press on side.  Building an appealing brand at all stages of development is mandatory.

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Email marketing that is so valuable your readers pay you would be a great way to make money – provided your emails are valued by your readers.  In reality your emails are in hand-to-hand fighting in the inbox with spam and other email messages and could be beaten.

One way round this is the new idea that emails are on a pay-per-read basis. On My attention people are saying how much they would charge a reader.  The real question is of course, how much would people pay to read.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that in the original days of the postal system it was the recipient who paid the man on the horse delivering the mail. Before you broke open the seal on the letter, you would decide whether it was worth it!

Improving your chances of getting your emails read is the first step – whether or not paid-for email becomes a reality.

1. Write to people you know (or who have heard of you).  It is spam to send to strangers, anyway, but the principle of a small list of fans rather than a huge list of connections is useful, so you build up genuine communication.  Your marketing generally will help to get your name into the minds of people in your target market, so the list can grow.  If you are writing from your name it is better to carry on, even if at some point this task is performed for you.  Your name is valuable.  Once your name is known, the chances of email being read, letters being opened and phone calls being received are increased.
2. Be consistent.  This sounds easier than it is!  Even if you have decided to write a monthly newsletter only, commit to it, and make it a top priority.  If in doubt be consistent, and then build up to frequenqy.  In some ways writing more often is actually easier, and the ideas flow, but the worst thing is to start in a blaze of enthusiasm and then stop.  It happens a lot, so don’t worry if it has happened in your business.
3. Write a headline which is interesting for the reader so they will want to open it.  At the start you have to provide excellent value.
4. Write a headline which can be read in one eye span.  Headlines that are too long will be cut.  Short and snappy is best.
5. Relate to your readers’ life and issues.  The more closely you know what life is like for them, the more credibility you and your company will gain.  Modern email systems let you target sub-groups without wasting trees or spending long days slaving over a hot computer.
6. Once you have written your newsletter, take a break. When you come back to it you will look at it with new ideas.  Often ideas develop during the writing, and you may be able to focus the content more clearly.
7. Check to see that you are providing value. You can be a guide-post to interesting and relevant stuff, as well as give it yourself.  You will know if you have done something amazing because people will tell you.  However, it is worth asking customers when you see them.  If your market is not very computer confident, they might prefer to tell you in person.
8. Don’t be 100% serious. We all like entertainment, and we all want to relate to real human beings not machines. Once you have gained trust, let people into your world.  The more you enjoy sending email, the more likely it is that your readers will enjoy reading it.  A few surprises can be good, too!
9. If you are giving good value it is fine to ask for a response. It could be to click a link, make a phone call, buy something.  Once you are the authority for your market, you will be doing them a disservice if you do not let them know about other opportunities.  Shake up the ratio of value to response – never just hit people to buy.
10. Deliverability and Reports. If using your own servers make sure you get the information about opened emails, bounces etc. If you do not have your own servers use a good third-party email software company.  Sending a lot of emails could get you banned, but in addition to delivering bulk email, the software will give you reports on opens, bounces etc, and will integrate easily with your website.

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Blogging Workshop on International Women’s Day

Blogging is such a great way to build company reputation, and leads to more money, and more happiness through self expression.  Many small business owners find writing their website difficult, but have no problem talking about what really matters to them in a blog.

Women are natural bloggers, and can get more spark into their marketing more easily with a blog.

International Women’s Day 8 March 2010 is the date for a blogging workshop led by Jean Wolfe

The workshop will help you gain fluency as well as understanding the interactive benefits of blogging

• What to do before you get started
• How to grab your reader’s attention
• How to write for the other audience – the search engines
• Which blog platform to choose and why
• Where to find stuff to write about and make it relevant
• 7 Principles of Copy-writing which should be obeyed
• How to fit blogging with email, twitter and social media

In honour of National Women’s Day we will also have a look at what women have had to do to get their work read.  They have not always had it so easy …

You will go away with more spark for your business and a clear plan of blogging action – with work done already.  Make the most of this unfair advantage in your blogging career.

Date: Monday March 8^th International Women’s Day

Place Berkshire / Buckinghamshire border UK

Time: 10 am – 2: 30 with an additional hour for personal questions 2:30 – 3;30

Cost: £ 99 which includes three weekly follow up blogging newsletters and an online session on March 29^th. Open to men as well as women.

Bloggers Are Us! will breathe new life into all your communications – even one to one meetings..  But if you have not doubled your investment of £ 100 within six months I will happily refund your ticket.

“It’s your enthusiasm which makes all the difference” KN

“Jean you are a natural-born motivator” AS

“You are always a breath of fresh air and I think in a different way. I also feel better about myself and would like you on tap, please, every day!” PH

Jean Wolfe is a champion of independent businesses and communication that builds business wealth. Ex-drama teacher, ex-publicist for authors, ex-creator of solar powered product markets internationally.

To reserve your place please get in touch via the contact form or the comments below.

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125 year anniversary for Marks and Spencer

I happened to see this bag left on a seat at Paddington station in London.  Somebody forgot their shopping but it looked like a good advertisement.  I immediately thought ” Oh is there a Marks and Spencer here”, and went to find the shop.

Good to see the anniversary celebrations not simply staying within one calendar year.

You don’t have to be as big as Mand S or as long established to have your own anniversary which could encourage real footfall within premises or virtual visitors on the web.  What anniversary have you got to celebrate in your small or medium sized business?

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Unlike professional qualifications there are no requirements for  continuing professional development in marketing a business, but those attending hope that their business will increase significantly.

From the viewpoint of the conference organiser there may be additional money to the entrance fee to be made through his or her own sales offer, or through offers made by other speakers.  A “multi-speaker” event is becoming more common these days, and sometimes the entrance is free as money will be made on the speaker’s offers where organiser and speaker share revenue.

Having been to a number of conferences and seminars this year I have found it interesting how very differently they are run.   The perfect conference, to be honest, would be where I leave the conference and magically new customers are already begging to work with me, or simply rushing for their credit cards so they can pay me money.

While I am waiting for that to happen (!) my wish list as an attendee is in this order:

1.  Helpful atmosphere with guru (s) available to actually talk to you in the breaks about your issues without selling hard. (Very rare and precious.)

2.  One or two big ideas that change perception and the sense of what is possible.

3.  Likeable people to sit next to and meet. (JV partners of the future/friends  starting as neighbours)

4.  Some form of development during the event which moves action forward.  We are all responsible for our own action but where it is integrated into the seminar it takes place more quickly and easily.

5.  A list of tactics or a planned programme so that the doing takes place afterwards.  A clear “next step”.

6.  Some variety of speakers and presentation styles, but not too many.

7.  One sales pitch made honestly and confidently.  Not an over-hyped pitch-fest which contributes to overwhelm and makes the organisers look indecisive or greedy.  Seeing a pitch made authentically and persuasively in the flesh can be empowering for an audience looking to develop their marketing.

8.  Energy proactively managed. This doesn’t have to be massages and roof-raising shrieks but sitting still for three days is not normal.

9.  A way of knowing who else is present. There will be natural alliances to be made.

Optional extras:

10.  An organised  follow-up group to work with to encourage implementation

11.  An exotic location so simply getting there is a good experience

12.  A beautiful notebook

13.  Manual to take away.

None of the events I have attended have had all these elements.  However, I can vouch for the fact that the non-critical (my optional points) were certainly an incentive to me to attend one of these seminars! While it had the optional extras in plenty it certainly lacked the very first option of being able to talk to the “guru/s”.

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Hope you like it!  Poetry is such a great way to express imaginative ideas.

Justice at work

As the bullies come near in the playground

I go quiet, neutral.

Skirt length unremarkable, occupied

Don’t catch their eye

Hold my breath, wishing

myself into the brick wall

While my friend more reckless

returns the stare, sticks out her tongue

and runs off laughing

Miraculously unscathed.

In the very important meeting

With the very important customer

the gang leader

takes credit for my report, my analysis, my concept.

I freeze.

Guilt shame confusion.

Six years old inside my

Adult body – not too geeky

Not too gorgeous. Unremarkable.

Why can’t I be like my friend!

Suddenly I need to throw

the fat smug bastard

through the sixteenth storey window

hoist with his own glass shard.

I need to ram the biros down

passive throats

tear my report into confetti,

stuff it into every orifice

celebrate!

So I make an innocent but

intelligent remark

in a variety of ways

relentlessly

persuasively

until they eventually

get it.

The power in the room shifts, creaks.

The mast of superiority re-angled

Over our flagship idea.

They’re groaning and dying from paper wound

Fountain pen poisoning

Laptop leprosy.

Slumped across desks, rigor mortis

Set in mid-sip

“No sugar dear

must watch the weight” still in the air

not swallowed.

While the icy wind knifes round

the room through the crazed

discordant hole where no crack is permitted

in toughened glass.

I walk on devastation

In my red stilettos

Fish net tights

Frothy skirt

Tailored jacket

Laughing

till I am dancing

on the board room table.

Me and my magic marker

return it all to order

Without sideways glance

or heartbeat missed.

Space is made for me.

I’ve made a difference

To me.

my peace is a piece of me

top of my agenda

none of their

business.

Me and my best friend run off

giggling

to blow raspberries

with our bubblegum

and leave ‘em standing.

©  Jean Wolfe

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He revealed this on Newsnight interviewed by Kirsty Wark.  I am a little astonished, as most of the people I meet on twitter are from the US!

I am often asked what is the point of twitter – and of course the answer is that it is just another marketing channel.  It is like going to a drinks party in real life – same etiquette applies – but it is online,  free and very popular.  If you stand in the corner not speaking to anyone it is not a very good party, if you jump up on a table and start shouting about your services you will find people migrate to another room.  If you walk in to twitter pleased to be there and find good people to talk to, and engage in conversation – it can be great.

Watch the interview as Evan Williams answers questions about why famous people are on twitter (and how do we know who they are), whether twitter replaces journalism, and whether it dehumanises people.  Kirsty was working hard.

Note you can follow Newsnight on twitter

Here is the interview and more information and background courtesy of Techcrunch the well-known leader of blogs for all things technical.

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Recently the comments thrown up by Akismet are more complimentary.  They have been along the lines of “This is a very interesting post, please write more” or “This is a long and worthwhile post. I look forward to reading your next one.”  or simply “Please write more”.

Am I flattered?

Of course!

Do I want to believe they are genuine?

Yes.

Do I actually think they are genuine?

No.. although some may be, and I don’t delete them all.

Recently I read a blog post by Michel Fortin the well-known copy-writer where he talks about instigating a zero tolerance approach to Fake Friendly Comments.  As a well-known authority he receives a lot of genuine comments, and an enormous amount of spam comments which recently have been dressed up as compliments.

Now, thinking about it some more I realise when you first start out to comment on someone else’s blog it is in fact quite difficult to know what to say.  You don’t know how the blog writer will respond, and as a normal good natured human you do want to spread good around the world. And despite everything that goes on via the internet, most people are good natured!

So writing a complimentary sentence or two is a natural first step.  After all you wouldn’t force your way into some else’s house unless invited in, and caution is an appropriate response.

So the spam writers have been clever. They have in fact caught what happens in real life.. where people do make vague compliments about each other.  Whether you are writing or receiving a comment on a blog or getting comments that value your business the easiest ones to write are generally non-specific and broadly complimentary. eg

” I have worked with ABC company for years and they are very good.”

“I would recommend John Smith highly.”

“XYZ company are my first choice”

This is the sort of thing people say in real life.  Very often they are the types of comment that my clients think will look good on their website.  They may have tried to get something more substantial from their clients, but they have waited a long time.  The trouble is these comments don’t look real .. even if they are .. and – even worse – they are not interesting to read.

There are no details, no rough edges, no interesting snippets that bring in some life.  Nothing about WHO the writer is, HOW the company has helped, WHAT has changed – with real figures, or real results,  WHEN it all took place, or indeed WHY there was a problem at all.

Once some of these details are written down, the vaguely complimentary comment becomes a great deal more lively.  It is more interesting to read, and becomes of use to the prospective buyer.

“ABC’s financial knowledge has helped us increase profitability by 12% each of the 5 years we have been in business.”

“John Smith’s design work has allowed us to bring in bigger target customers and position the company more confidently in our sector.”

XYZ have consistently cleaned our offices to a high standard.  We have moved to larger premises in Anytown a number of times and they are the number one company we call each time.”

In fact it may be quite a relief to just tell the truth and not have to be complimentary at all!

So too with blogs.  While a warm tone is of course preferable as the conversation is more interactive, responding to the meat of the blog post is preferable to a vaguely complimentary sentence.

It also means that your comment looks more authentic and is less likely to be deleted as spam.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

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Guest Romi Carr   of CzechMarque who is an image and colour stylist spoke about the importance of wearing colours and styles that you love and that suit you. Having a wardrobe of clothes that go with each other and are a pleasure to wear help you feel more confident and be more authentic.  The added bonus is that others will be attracted to work with you, and – ultimately – life will be better.  The colours that you instinctively pick may well have a healing resonance for you, so go with your instincts.

Mandy Temple of Magic Carpet Films spoke about her award-winning film series about Igor, a child born near Chernobyl with no limbs. She talked about the importance of integrity, and the fine line between making a good documentary and being respectful to all contributors. Being made redundant from the BBC was ultimately a blessing in disguise, and led to her freelance career, which now includes working with charities and organisations locally in and around Marlow.

The general conversation included discussion on working with famous people (Take That, French and Saunders etc), the approach of Mary Portas in her current TV series about charity shops and whether the traditional volunteers and buyers will continue, and the makeover shows which encourage viewers to buy less to wear more often.

The overall theme was about finding something that makes you feel good, which becomes particularly important when juggling business and family.

I am delighted to say that both Romi and Mandy thoroughly enjoyed being on the programme and relaxed completely which is very important.   Mandy particularly enjoyed the way the conversation moved around and still kept on topic which gave me a warm fuzzy Fabulous Friday Feeling too.

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Last night I took part in Online Marketing Magic which was hosted by Jon Davey of Business in Berkshire. /link The programme was all about social media and featured Mark White The Blog Coach who posted on twitter during the show, (he did speak as well!), and Will Corry of The Marketing Blog who is something of a legend in his own lifetime and king of email newsletters.

I was surpised when Will handed me a printout of his blog for today which included a link to my blog post 7 Reasons Why Susan Boyle’s Got Talent . Surprised but obviously delighted.
The post already had 90 visitors the previous day, but as I look at my stats now I see that 50 new visitors have dropped by. It was real social networking on line and offline!

The show will run for the next three weeks and you can listen in on Marlow FM on a Wednesday evening from 7:30 – 9:00 pm BST. It was a friendly chat about how social media is developing. We spoke a lot about twitter last night, and aim to give practical hints and tips about social media and online marketing.

The idea is that we can respond to any questions you may have. So please post any comments or questions here and I will take them into the studio to be answered next week on air.

There is nobody slaving over a hot computer reading the comments while we are on air, so it is safer to post here. We all get excited while we are talking and might forget to look at the computer!

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

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