How often should you blog?

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I am in a quandary.  How often do I need to post something new on my blog to seem “current?”  I recently visited a colleague’s website and she hadn’t posted anything since October (it’s now January) and my reaction was “whoa…she is way out of date.”  But then I went back to review when the last time was that I wrote something new.  December.  I posted twice.  One of them however was a blatant sales pitch for my upcoming video shoot dates, not really a thoughtful, informative post that any one would want to read and comment on.  So really once.  Is that enough?  Does posting once a month justify even having a blog?  Many people tell me they want to start blogging and I always caution them:  do you have something worthwhile and interesting to say often enough to bother?  A newsletter might be better.  (and I do consistently publish a meaty monthly newsletter).  Also, there is this myth that if you blog then everyone on the web will contribute and comment on what you say and you’ll get a real conversation going on.  My experience is quite the opposite.  I do see folks reading the website and the blog ( I know this from checking my analytics)…but in the 3 years or so I’ve had this website up, I’ve had 14 legitimate comments.  14.  Not a typo.  If you have included a blog as part of your website (or have a blog instead of a website) and you have a different experience, let me know.  Also:  what do you think the right frequency is for posting?  Comments welcome.  Really.

Announcing new dates for video shoots in 2012!

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Lots of folks have been asking when I am doing my next video shoot program, so I’ve got the dates set for you!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7th, I will be working with a new partner here in Baltimore: Marty Jenoff of Focal Point Productions.

THURSDAY, MARCH 8th, I’ll be working with Rich Sigerist of RSVP Creative to do a shoot in Ventura County, California.

Check out some videos that are up and already working for clients:  Bob Your Pool Guy, Michele Baxter, Decision Tree Mediation,  Lori Gersh of LeaveItToLori.

ONLY ROOM FOR 5 PEOPLE PER DATE, RESERVE YOUR PLACE NOW.

 

How many marketing touches?

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It’s harder than ever to rise above the “noise.”There’s an underlying principle in marketing that you need to have multiple “touches” with your prospective client before you become top of mind.

I’ve been researching to see what the latest statistics are…(I’ve heard anywhere between 7 and 23!) and not surprisingly, there is no agreement among marketing professionals on what the magic number is.

Anywhere you are, we are assaulted by advertising and marketing messages.  Think about it:  there are Zappos ads in the shoe bins at the TSA security checkpoints at airports.  Facebook has a whole sidebar full of targeted ads every time you log in, even more tv-style spots directly assaulting you when you play one of those addictive Facebook games.

As small business owners, you need to figure out how your message can break through that noise to get you noticed by your best prospects.  In order for some one to want to purchase from you, you need to move them along the familiar Know–>Like—>Trust spectrum. bullhornThat requires more than one touch.  It is unlikely people will buy a high-ticket service from you the first time they hear about you.  (In fact, I’m suspicious when someone says “Yes” the first time they meet me!)

Every business needs to have an integrated marketing strategy that uses several different touchpoint methods.  Blogging, social media, workshops, conferences, in-person networking, article publishing, signage, press releases.  You’ve got to stick with it and be consistent.  There are some people who have been on my list for over five years…but they see my email newsletter arrive every month and they are reminded about me.  And yes….when the time is right for them…then they set up their coaching exploration call.  How many touches will it take for your prospects?  Call a client and ask!

Thought provoking stuff: The Agony & Ecstasy of Steve Jobs

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In New York over the weekend, my husband and I went to a one-man show that defies easy description—the performer, Mike Daisey is an uber-geek who slavishly acquires the latest technology, particularly that produced by Apple. But as a gonzo journalist, he traveled to Shenzhen, China to find out how all these gadgets get made. This show is his platform for informing the world about the scandalous situation he found there. 11,12,13 year old children working backbreaking shifts and getting debilitating repetitive stress injuries assembling iPhones, iPads and the like. Being poisoned by the cleaning products. Living stacked in dormitories. Being prohibited from speaking while on the assembly line. Mike Daisey says he always had the idea that somehow machines and assembly lines were putting together sophisticated electronics, but because it is so cheap to hire labor in China, there is no reason to mechanize the process, they just throw people at it. So our technology lifestyle is fueled by sweatshop labor. Surely there are rich enough margins in the sale price that we can treat the workers humanely? If you’re in or around New York City before December 4th, go to The Public, see the show. Certainly gives you pause.

Organizers Rule!

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Over the last month I’ve spoken to three different chapters of the National Association of Professional Organizers (Columbus, Boston and Los Angeles) and I am so impressed by what I am seeing out there.  There may be a stereotype of the organizer as a middle-aged woman with a label maker but so many of the people I’ve met are doing so much more than that!  The LA Chapter in particular showcased several members and their activities—one woman works with traditional Orthodox Jewish families to manage their complex lives and has a thriving business presenting workshops for this audience through non-profit and faith communities.  So smart.  I’ve met a few of them who are professional memory book and photo organizers.  Another very worthwhile service.  One organizer who has successfully grown her business to have several others working for her is now teaching workshops to help other coaches grow from solo to team practices.  I am so enjoying gathering all of these stories for my upcoming NAPO National conference in March 2012 (right here in Baltimore!)  Watch the video I’ve created to promote it!

Those NAPO folks sure are organized! (lol)

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I am delighted that I was chosen to present a workshop at the National Association of Professional Organizers national conference in 2012 (being conveniently held here in my new hometown of Baltimore!).  I submitted several proposals and the one they picked is “Stop Selling Your Time for Money:  Business Beyond the Billable Hour.”  I have about a million ideas for what I want to say and it’s all swirling around in my head about how to put it all together to create a blockbuster workshop that will ignite the attendees to get creative about new ways to make revenue.  But these organizers are so….ORGANIZED!  They want a ton of information, including a video to promote it right now (as in six months before the event!).  Don’t they know I do my best work at the last minute?  Oh well.  I am forcing myself to pretend the presentation is next week and meet their deadlines.  (and maybe I’ll just drop some last minute surprises in after the deadline).  Look forward to seeing many of my organizer friends and colleagues in Baltimore on March 23d!

Want a professional video for your website?

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I’m really excited to be partnering with two different video production firms to be able to offer clients on both coasts a chance to create professional videos to put up on the web. Affordably. Just $250. Really. Research has shown that video can really make a big difference in your ability to attract leads from the web, it’s a way for you to “touch” your prospects. And now I’ve come up with a way to make it affordable for just about any business owner. Here’s how it works: you sign up and I send you prepwork to get you ready for your session (including wardrobe and makeup tips) and then on the appointed day, you come to the studio with a small group (max 5 people per group) and I do personal and group coaching with each of you and you are each other’s audience. Each person is on camera for approximately 15-20 minutes with me as your off-screen interviewer. Then it gets produced into a 30-second spot that you can use for your website, post on YouTube, put on Facebook, Linked In, you name it. Video for your website in one morning. You can sign up for Tuesday, September 13th 9am to noon in Owings Mills, MD or Tuesday, October 25th in Westlake Village, CA. Payment in full is required to hold your place, so if you are interested, don’t delay! Save your place by signing up on my Store page.

Cool Tool: Click through to see it.

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Wordle imageCheck out this cool image I created in about ten minutes using a tool called wordle.net.  (thank you to Janet Slack for mentioning it in a newsletter!)  It lets you enter text and creates a word picture based on your usage of words in the document or webpage that you submit.  No registration, no charge.  Just save it yourself or it will go away.  I love that it randomly picked up the same font used by the New York Times for my Wordle.  Let me see yours!

Reflections from B-School Reunion

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Was delighted to be in NYC last weekend (okay I could have done without the monsoon weather!)–hard to believe I graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business twenty years ago. Fascinating to catch up with my former classmates and to hear about their various journeys and career paths. My most interesting observation (other than the fact that 90% of the men have lost most of the hair on top of their heads) was about where my fellow alums are working nowadays.

Back in ’91, everyone lined up for the on-campus recruiting interviews with the biggest of the big companies—Proctor& Gamble, Bristol-Myers/Squibb, Merck, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and the usual list of big financial firms. Read those name badges today and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Fortune 100 company. Many of us are self-employed coaches and consultants (plus a bunch of moms choosing to stay home with their kids for now)…but the vast majority work at smaller, more entrepreneurial-type firms, digital marketing companies, turnaround situations, scrappy up and comer-type financial players, hedge-funds, etc.

Have we changed? Has the job market changed? Both? Are the young MBAs still going to the big firms for their post-school jobs and then leaving? Or are the big companies not valuing MBAs? Of course, each of us made our own employment decisions individually, but the overall trend was striking.

What do you think?

Crazy Potential Website Building Client

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Guest blogger today, my colleague and former business partner Kevin McGillivray. This is his “near verbatim” transcript of a phone conversation with a prospective client. So funny I wanted to share it!

Here’s a call I just had. Thought you might enjoy it.
It’s long but worth it.
I don’t know how this woman got my info but she left me an almost incoherent voicemail yesterday. She called again today. I missed her and called her back.

Me: Hi, my name is Kevin. You left me a message and want to talk about a web site?

Woman: Well I don’t really have ti… I’ve got… Well, okay. I guess we can talk.

Me: Great. So, it sounded like you had some questions about a web site for your business? What does your business do?

Woman: I have some questions about the web.

Me: Okay, what’s the name of your business.

Woman: Is web sites all you do?

Me: No, I’m a web developer and a marketing consultant also.

Woman: …

Me: I build web sites, help clients create and send email marketing, build software applications and…

Woman: (Interrupts) What’s email marketing?

Me: Basically it’s sending email messages to your clients and colleagues to promote your business. Does your business…

Woman: (Interrupts) I want to know about Google.

Me: Okay, what do you…

Woman: (Interrupts) When you go to Google how does stuff get on there?

Me: Well, Google reads your web site and catalogs all that information…

Woman: (Interrupts) No, I’m not talking about Google. I’m talking about all the text.

Me: Um…do you mean when you type something into Google and they show you search results for that term?

Woman: No, I’m talking about the text you see. The TEXT!

Me: What text are you talking about?

Woman: (Getting frustrated) The text! The text you see there.

Me: … What does the text look like?

Woman: (More frustrated) It’s text about people! Like if you type in a name and it shows you text about that person. How does that text get there?

Me: Well, that’s not actually Google’s information. The text could be from any number of web sites that Google has searched.

Woman: (Still more frustrated) No! I’m asking about the text. How does the text about the person get there. Like paragraphs of text about a person.

Me: Well, without seeing exactly what you’re talking about, I’m not sure I could say.

Woman: (Obviously annoyed) It’s the text you see about a person. The text!

Me: I really can’t say. I’m not sure what text you’re seeing but it could have gotten on the web in any number of ways. I’d have to see it to say how it happened.

Woman: (Getting pissed) You don’t know what you’re talking about!

Me: Hm, I’d like to help you but you’re not describing what you’re seeing very well so I can’t say.

Woman: (Grunts. Very frustrated.) I’ve got to call you back. I’ve got a *click*

Me: (Stunned silence. Puts on tinfoil hat.)

You just can’t make this stuff up.  Thanks for sharing, Kevin!