Business Blogging Pros

Have You Checked Out Periscope Yet?

Have you checked out Periscope yet?

Periscope is the new video streaming app from Twitter. (to be precise, Twitter bought Periscope) Download the Periscope app to your Android or iPhone, sign in with your Twitter account and you are al set.

Periscope displays a world map with red dots signifying people who are currently streaming video.  Right now I'm watching video of a beach in Italy. 

Streaming your own video is just as easy: two taps on the screen and you are a broadcaster, right from your phone.

If you turn Twitter sharing on, then your broadcast will be shared with your Twitter followers in a tweet that follows the following formula: LIVE on #Periscope: [Video Title] [Link to Video]. This means that you'll use your other social media channels to direct people to your Twitter feed.

Periscope has great potential for product demos, announcements, video presentations, and all sorts of business and marketing activities..

 

 

Switching from GoToMeeting to StartMeeting

This is not really blogging or social media related but I wanted to pass this along.

I was a long-time user of GoToMeeting. I primarily use it for webinars and for screen sharing during a one-to-one meeting with a client.

Along came a new kid on the block, StartMeeting, that does everything I want at 20% of the cost.

Hard to complain about that.

Agency Throwdown

So I guess I should explain.  we do a lot of joint projects with Maggiore Consulting and Marketing.  An agency 'throwdown' involving bowling has been organized between MCM and Splinter Creative. I've been drafted to participate on the MCM team due to my extraordinary bowling skills (tongue planted firmly in cheek - watch the video to see what I mean).

Update: Yes, I not only appear in this video, I also shot it and edited it.

Get a FREE TypePad Blog

Admit it:  You've always wanted a TypePad blog. 

Now you can have one for FREE.  

Typepad has created TypePad Micro, a new free version.  The layout is intended for content that's somewhere between the 140 characters of Twitter and the longer content of a traditional blog (though as far as I know there is nothing limited the length of your posts).

And while it's called MIcro, it appears at first glance to have all the features you would expect from Typepad.

I apologize if I'm sounding a little like an ad for TypePad but the truth is I'm ecstatic about Micro. TypePad is the premier platform for hosted blogs, IMHO.  Great support.  Reliable.  The best integrated connections to other important services like Twitter and Facebook and Feedburner.  The best community-related features, bar none.  Built-in SEO that is world-class and second to none.

And now you don't have to sacrifice that to have a free blog.

I'm thinking about all the ways I can make use of Micro: It will be a great adjunct to my foodie blog.  I'll probably create one as an adjunct to this blog and use it specifically for video.

Win a Copy of 'Ignore Everybody' by Hugh MacLeod

At some point in the next few days I will have my 2000th follower on Twitter. I've decided to use that event as an excuse to hold a contest.

Leave a comment on this blog containing your best guess as to the date and hour that Twitter notifies me of my 2000th follower.  The person with the closest guess will win a copy of Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod.

I am a big fan of Hugh, by the way. He's one of the real thought leaders in social media and marketing in general.  When I first started down this path, Hugh's 'Wolf vs Sheep' blogcard resonated with me and I've never been without a supply of them since.  I have it as a signed limited edition print as well. I also own Bluetrain as well.

When Hugh's book was published, I bought extra copies to give away and this seems like a perfectly reasonable occasion to do so.

The person with the closest guess wins.  In the event of a tie, my cat will decide the winner.

A Testimonial

I was really nice of Jerry Kadansky to send me a testimonial for the work we did to create his website:

In today's world the phrase "let's get together for lunch next week and talk about it" is just another way of saying, "I will call you when I have time."  When you came over on Friday and we talked and brain stormed about our new  website, you said "I will have something for you on Monday."  I heard "let's do lunch."  To my delight you got back to us on Sunday.  And the website was up and live on Monday.   One of your strongest strengths is listening. The title tells the whole story.  You made it come alive! Thanks again for your creativity and fast response.

First Shipped Guide to the New TypePad

The first copy of Guide to the New TypePad shipping to a customer:

Episode 2 of 'Plating a Shoe Tree'

"I Never Read Blogs"

I'm a big fan of David Meerman Scott and his Web Ink Now blog.

David writes a terrific post about the people who - out of ignorance - say that they never read blogs. I always reply that since blogs invariable show up near the top of every Google search, they are undoubtedly reading blogs and don't know it.

David wrote:

When people who are not regular users of social media ask their network for advice, they often do it via email. Frequently the answer that comes back includes URLs to companies and products. And those links from friends, colleagues of family members often include blog posts.

People are using social media sites, they just don't call them that. Forums and discussion boards existed long before blogs. Some of us crusty old guys made heavy use of a thing called Usenet.

People gather in these electronic communities centered around their hobbies or topic of interest. Because each community is populated by people from all walks of life, you can typically find a wide range of topics being discussed there. A huge body of experience and knowledge is available to community members just for the asking.

This is social media.

As a respected member of a Mercedes-Benz forum, for example, you can ask about Weed-Eaters and most likely get a high-quality answer from someone there you trust. These trust relationships are the engines that make social media work. Building trust relationships in these communities is not for those who want immediate results. It takes time, patience, and a willingness to contribute to the community. It does however reap huge dividends.

Markets Are Conversations. The Cluetrain.

Disclaimer: I know Chris Locke - co-author of Cluetrain Manifesto, and I consider him a friend and mentor. Chris wrote Gonzo Marketing WAY back in 2001 in which he discussed this very concept. Chris was way ahead of his time

ROI

Your blogging will have an ROI, even if you spend 10 minutes a week. Of course, the return will be proportional to the investment.

A client who has been blogging for about a year recently emailed me from the east coast. He is on his first very lucrative consulting gig that he can directly attribute to blogging. Tom writes about one blog post a week.

Another client, Mike, who has been blogging about 8 months just landed a consulting contract in Manhattan. He says that he would never have gotten the contact oif not for his blog. Mike writes a new blog post about every other week.

Two examples very close to home that blogging boosts your image, exposure and revenue without giving up your life.

The Potato Chip Thing

Blog Marketing Strategy and Mentoring

I have restructured my service offerings a bit and I thought it might be good to explain some of the rationale behind the change. The Blog Setup Service has not changed. What has changed is that I want to be able to provide more follow-on support for you, my clients.

The Blog Setup Service includes 2 hours one-on-one consulting. The second hour is focused on helping you understand how to use blogging for marketing and PR but my sense however is that for most, that second hour is like drinking from a firehose. I'd like to turn you into an expert blogger in just two hours but unless I learn the Vulcan Mind-Meld technique I don't think I can do it.

My intention therefore is to offer a service that is part mentoring and part 'doing the work for you'. We will meet anywhere from 1 to 4 times per month, depending upon the level of service you engage me for. I'll summarize all those blog posts, discussion boards, and news articles related to your business and deliver them to our meeting in one nice little package (This is a non-trivial amount of research, as you might guess).

I'll make recommendations and suggest strategy for which ones to respond to and how best to respond. And because writing a blog is different than any other form of marketing communication, each session will include helping you craft a good blog post or two.

It's almost like having your own Social Media Marketing Department.

I want to do this because I am invested in my clients' future. I want you to succeed. I know that done well, blogging can allow you to achieve things that big companies with millions to spend on marketing could never achieve. Most of you are not leveraging your blogs to their fullest potential, and I want to help you change that.

The prices you see on my services page for this service are introductory prices. Anyone who signs up will lock in that price for the entire engagement, even if (when) the published price goes up.

suggestions and comments (and criticism) are welcome.