Fact – too many businesses still need to wake up and realize that social media is not “one of these Internet fads” that will disappear. Fact – because of this mindset, too many businesses are potentially missing out on extra business that could mean the difference between staying afloat and going under. So why the problem? One of the main reasons is that businesses – whether it’s the CEO, top-tier management or otherwise – are looking at social media as…

How smart are you? How do you rack up compared to your peers; your competitors; your parallel people? There’s all sorts of smart, but only one that counts. It’s not high school diploma. It’s not college degree. It’s not university PhD. It’s experiential smart. Your experience. Your knowledge. Your ability to act. Your ability to react. Your ability to pro-act. It’s your fluidity. Your flexibility. Your awareness that smart is not not being dumb; it’s not being the dumbest. Smart marketers…

If I asked you the most important part of your business, what would you say? Marketing? PR? Perhaps advertising or sales? Now what if I said they’re all irrelevant? What if I said you don’t need sales to be successful? You’d probably say (fairly sarcastically), “Why not just hand my business over to my competitors while I’m at it?”. And you’d be right – if I were serious. Of course PR, marketing, advertising and sales are relevant, and hugely important parts…

There are two basic ways of deciding on a course of action – the Could and Need Effect. Both similar. Both different. Both entwined. Both separate. But each one defines your success and longevity. Ask yourself a question and approach it from Could and Need to decide your next step. This bill could wait until next week. I need to pay this bill to keep my business open. We could make a change in design if necessary. We need to…

There’s a mindset among many business owners that they need to be on social media. Specifically, they need to be on Facebook; or Twitter; or LinkedIn; or have a blog; or look ahead to business options on Google Plus. This is usually fostered by fly-by-night consultants and agencies who tap into the fear factor so many businesses have about social media, and use blinding statistics and numbers about these platforms, and why a business needs to be on them. You…

by Danny Brown and Geoff Livingston Much has been said about marketing on Google+. Both of us have been intentionally conservative about marketing on the new network due to a statement from Google+ specifically asking business and brands to wait until it formalized its business offering. This offering is rumored to include an open API for applications and data usage. Yesterday, a confirmed report from KCET-TV in LA surfaced that Google+ community managers are enforcing the brand “no fly zone.”…

People are hungry creatures by nature. Hungry to be liked; hungry to be loved; hungry to be respected; hungry to be successful. That’s good. Without hunger, we have no drive. Without drive, we have no goals. Without goals, we have no yardstick to base our success on. And so the circle comes back around. The problem is, people are more often than not getting speed hungry. They want the like, the love, the respect and the success yesterday. So they…

Over at his blog yesterday, Chris Brogan wrote about his admiration for Gary Vaynerchuk. The post sparked quite the discussion in the comments, a lot of it about ROI (return on investment). This stemmed from a quip Gary had made to an event attendee who was asking a few times about the ROI of social media, to which Gary replied, “What’s the ROI of your mother?” A throwaway quip, but one I thought was indicative of why so many people…

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” – Dale Carnegie. When you close a deal, what’s your next step? When you sign the contract, shake the hand and file the paperwork – what comes next? Is there a next? Or simply a next customer? Businesses talk a lot about ROI, or return on investment. They look at the man hours, financial costs, ad spend and more to get a customer…

You wake up. You wash or shower. You shave (or not). You brush your teeth. You comb or brush your hair. You get dressed. Have breakfast, drink coffee. You go to work. Safe. Routine. You know what you need to do so well that it becomes automatic. You don’t even need to think about it. Routine is good. Routine makes your day easier. But your routine is also killing you. Think about your business. Your customers. Your clients. Your contacts….