2009 February | Kyle Lacy - Social Media Training and Digital Marketing

1 Comment Posted in social media February 26, 2009

Switching from Function to Feeling

We are into the 7th of 10 Commandments for Using Social Media. We have been investigating using personality and transparency when using your social media tool… We are going to continue that beautiful trend.

From Function to Feeling

It was hard to relate this commandment to the one Marc Gobe uses for his book, Emotional Branding. In the book the seventh commandment is related strictly to product design and sensory experiences.

I wanted to shift your focus from the “use” of a social media tool to the learning process surrounding the tool. Many small business owners focus solely on how to use a tool and then forget that a strategy needs to be in place in order for return on investment to be realized.

Learning the functionality of … Read more

Leave a Comment Posted in productivity, social media, Social Media Community February 25, 2009

Quit Listening to Your Competitors

Continuing in the tradition of the Keith McFarland world today I wanted to write about another quote that is taken from a past CIO at the SAS Institute.

“Our biggest risk is that we start listening to our competitors and stop listening to our customers.”

Why is this an amazing quote? It shows the mindset of a leader and a successful company. The last thing you need to do is react as your competitors change and move in your market. This is not saying that you should not react but it is not the first thing to focus on.Your customers (both past, present and future) are who you should be focusing on.

I will focus towards an old business adage: The customer is always right.

The customer should be … Read more

1 Comment Posted in small business, social media, Viral Marketing February 25, 2009

Get Intuit With 2-Way Communication

I have learned something new.

Keith McFarland wrote an excellent book called Breakthrough Company. I am becoming literally obsessed with the contents of the book and am starting on my 5th straight read. Now the only question is: How do I relate this to social media marketing for small business?

There is a point in the book where Keith starts talking about the concept of relying on outside influences to grow your company to a new level. I have always believed in using mentors and outside consultants to help with the things you are simply… not good at…There is one reference in the book that hit me pretty hard on a social media level:

“We found that breakthrough companies are also adapt at using advisory boards… investors… consultants and advisers.

… Read more

6 Comments Posted in Marketing, microblogging, small business, social media February 24, 2009

Hey Mediocrity. You can eat me.

Mediocrity- a disease that is spreading slowly through the ranks of small business owners across the country. It is infiltrating employees, products, services, and marketing…slowly dissecting and eating away at what YOU have worked so hard to build.

I see it happening on a daily basis (even in my own company at times). We get bogged down with everyday occurrences and it is hard for us to see weeks, months, or years into the future. It is hard to balance the daily routine when you (as the business owner) are so focused on growing the business in terms or revenue and new clients.

This post really has nothing to do with social media marketing… other than it is a new form of marketing that could differentiate you from the … Read more

3 Comments Posted in 10 Commandments, social media, social media mission February 23, 2009

We Are All Recognized. Be Remembered.

I kind of fell off the Social Media Commandment horse (or mule) the past few weeks (happy Monday by the way). Now is the time to get back to where we left off. Some of you may remember the last few commandments but for those of us who can’t remember past yesterday morning… here is the list so far.

1. From Consumers to People

2. From Product to Experience

3. From Honesty to Trust

4. From Quality to Preference

5. From Notoriety to Aspiration

The commandments are based off of Marc Gobe’s commandments for emotional branding from the book Emotional Branding which he published in 2001.

Now that we have that out of the way… time for the sixth commandment: