The BirdDog Perspective

Social media is reporting a new normal in society’s view of money and success. The greed of the dotcom era seems to have been replaced by a new set of priorities which favor trust and authenticity.

If this is true and we are having a cultural shift in values,  are your marketing messages compatible? Or, like most firms, does your value proposition boast profits and growth for customers who buy your offering?

Let it known that this author embraces profits and growth, but if there is truly a cultural shift at play there may be no choice but to adapt.  Otherwise, your offering will look out of date. Worse yet, you could be sending a message that is rejected.

John Bradley Jackson

Top Dog

The BirdDog Group

http://www.bestsocialmediamarketingtips.com/2124″

I just finished my new book “Déjà New Marketing: Increase Sales with Social Media, Search Marketing, E-mail Marketing, Blogs, and More”.

It is now with the publisher and should be available in 120 days or so. The book took 3 years to write and is an update to my first book, “First, Best, or Different”. This one is more search marketing and social media focused.

I will keep you updated on its progress.

John Bradley Jackson

Courtesy of Alex Rutledge, CSUF Entrepreneur. Take a look at this list of trends that are good, bad, or interesting:

http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/100-things-to-watch-in-2010-and-the-40-that-might-matter-to-your-business-ann-handley

John Bradley Jackson

The BirdDog Group

It is legend that in good times people drink (alcohol) a lot and when times are bad they drink even more.  Yet, for the first time in recent memory, alcohol sales dropped in the fourth quarter during the holiday season.

According to Jerry Hirsch of the LA Times in the December 25, 2009 issue, preliminary results show total sales dollars are down about 1.4% over the same period last year.

Does this mean people are drinking less? Not necessarily. It appears that they have downgraded to the “cheap stuff”. Discounting and coupons are coincidentally at an all time high.

The lesson to all marketers is that substitutes exist and that customers will reach for them if the incentives are high enough. True brand loyalty resides in a small group. The rest can be teased away by a lower price or other incentives.

John Bradley Jackson

The BirdDog Group

A lot of people ask me about the value of social media and if it really applies to the the B2B space.

My answer is yes. Absolutely.

Watch this video now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypmfs3z8esI

John Bradley Jackson

The BirdDog Group

Social media is, at its essence, about connecting with people. Unfortunately, too many individuals and companies believe that social media is about reaching people, or, to put it in the proper web 2.0 vernacular, spamming. Everyone knows a spammer when they see one and they will usually ignore what the spammer has to say, so I’ll continue my focus on connections.

There are things that are very important about your life – family, religion, work, hobbies – and this is why social media is the evolution in communication that it is. Before the advent of all the different social media avenues we have today (cell phones, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, forums, and all the rest) we talked to people directly. Which is fine and is still an extremely important part of everyday life. But now we can communicate with billions of people with a couple clicks of the mouse.

This astonishing evolution of technology makes it possible for anyone to have direct access to those who have the best knowledge on just about every subject available. Granted, there is a lot of static in the social web but, in general, most people try to be as genuine on the Internet as they are in real life. When you are considering a venture into the social media world you need to understand this.

If you are under the impression that social media is something to be gamed then you will most certainly fail at creating any kind of long lasting relationships. Maybe you will be able to finagle some new business this way but, rest assured, if your product is subpar or your clients figure out that you are nothing more than a charlatan you will eventually fail.

On the other hand, if your product is good and people trust you then great things can happen. Chic fil-A, Dell, and Zappos are all great examples of how proper use of social media can improve a business. Small companies are using social media to achieve great results as well.

Using social media is not easy nor is it free. To be effective you will need to spend a good amount of your time on it but, to put it bluntly, you don’t really have a choice anymore.

Every time a customer leaves your store they may very well log onto Yelp and post a positive or negative review of your company. At a minimum you need to have mechanisms in place for monitoring what is said about you and your company online. If you don’t you will lose control of your brand and you will have no input into what others think about you or your company.

What’s your holdup? Get active online and make things happen!

The Lakota Sioux have a saying that reads “Mitakuye Oyasin”. It means we are all related or come from the same place.  This infers that everyone deserves respect and we that we need to be truthful with each other.

Tell people the truth and you will get what you want. Exaggerate, lie, fib, or try to be something that you are not and people will see right through you and they will pass on what you are trying to sell them.

When you are wrong, admit it. Humans are tolerant and an honest man is very appreciated in our society. An example is a recall of a product problem by General Motors; when a recall announcement is made and the public learns of the defect, the consumer forgives GM for the error. What is left in the public’s mind is the image of GM trying to make things safer or better.

Unfortunately, the political spin masters and the big PR machines often head the other direction, which is ill advised in my opinion. Bill Clinton, when confronted about his indiscretions with Monica Lewinsky, repeatedly denied the claims (under oath as I recall). Later, he recanted his story and apologized. The best course of action would have been to tell the truth at the beginning and move on. Despite his lies, the nation did forgive him, more or less.

Honesty is valued highly by the customer, but the customer has learned not to trust nor believe what they are told. This particularly applies to salespeople and I believe that this distrust is warranted. Too many years of interfacing with manipulative sales reps who tell the truth only when it is expedient have soured the purchasing community.

The lesson for a business is to market your product enthusiastically, but accurately. Never take on an assignment or a commitment that you really cannot do well. This means committing to do only what is truly possible, to always tell the truth even when it means admitting a mistake or weakness, and to always follow up on your commitments.

John Bradley Jackson

The BirdDog Group

According to Jan Norman, small-business columnist….

Where do entrepreneurs turn for information and help in a recession? Most likely to industry networking groups and events, according to a soon-to-be-released study from Ventureneer an interactive information sharing web site.

http://jan.freedomblogging.com/2009/08/30/where-do-struggling-entrepreneurs-seek-help/20905/

John Bradley Jackson

The BirdDog Group

Twitter is a waste of time.

Or, is it a an efficient tool for public relations?

Blogger and copywriter Bob Bly has created a crude metric for measuring whether Twitter is getting you results or just wasting your time—it is called Followed-to-Follow (FF) Ratio.

Check it out:

http://bly.com/blog/online-marketing/a-new-metric-for-measuring-twitter-roi/

John Bradley Jackson

Body language helps us communicate whether or not we are aware of it. A recent university study on how people receive information had the following results:

- 55% of what we learn from others comes from their body language (mostly from the eyes)

- 38% of what we learn from others comes from their tone of voice.

- 7% of what we learn from others comes from the words they say.

What this means to you and me is that our body language communicates a lot of information whether or not we try to manage it. This makes the initial greeting critical to the beginning of a new relationship. While people expect a firm and professional handshake, studies show that we make up our minds about people in the first three to four seconds

Essentially, we make a judgment based on physical characteristics such shape of the face, posture, eye contact, body type, voice, clothing, and smell. We quickly determine if the new person is friend, foe, or neutral. This mammalian reaction comes from thousands of years of learning to survive and thrive in a hostile world.

Beware that when you meet new customers or contacts that you are being sized up and categorized. To make the best first impression, a smiling face and direct eye contact helps get you off to a good start. A firm, uncomplicated handshake is best; avoid a weak hand shake or an overly aggressive grip. The goal is to be accepted not to dominate. Stand straight but relaxed.

Your voice should be steady and enthusiastic. A happy person has a higher pitch and fast pace, while a depressed or bored person speaks slowly in a monotone voice. An aggressive person can be loud with a deep voice (think growl).

Clothing matters. Have you ever noticed how a person who is dressed-up, even in older or out-of-style clothing, always commands more authority and respect? The impression you make and what you have to say is enhanced by your personal presentation. The goal is to fit in but not to draw extra attention, so beware of flashy or provocative clothing.

Finally, good grooming is essential. Body odor can be offensive in most cultures; also, beware of over doing it with perfume and cologne since this can also be offensive to some. Clean hands and well groomed nails are essential.

Your body language tells a story to others whether you mean to or not.

John Bradley Jackson

The BirdDog Group