My latest column is up for you at Entrepreneur Magazine:

When Blogging Advice is Bad for Business Owners

Read the column and let us know what things have held you back from using a blog more effectively for your business. What are some of your wins? Who do you learn from to use a business blog more effectively?

Enjoy!

Yesterday @TerryBean asked a question via twitter that many entrepreneurs worry themselves sick over (and thereby hamstring their success), not just on Twitter, but on many Social and New Media Marketing channels.

Terry asked; “Do you worry about losing followers? If so do you think you lose them from not tweeting enough or tweeting too much?”

My multi-Tweet reply addressed a core issue WAY more important than too few or too many updates. I answered Terry:

• Msg 1 “If your not strong enough to turn some people off, you’ll NEVER be strong enough to attract a Tribe of true Loyals (cont)”

• Msg 2 “You need to establish your Persuasive Selling Platform - then stand boldly on it. Too many/few Tweets is least of concerns. ;-)”

My first statement there got picked up and used by Ken Burbary in a post yesterday discussing unfollow tools and their impact: “Twitter: Unfollow me, it’s not personal.” Ken correctly touches on the fact that Twitter has a “culture.” But that point has much larger ramifications to the way you do business. In fact; emotions and interactions tangled up in “culture” is the entire basis for Tribal Marketing.

Unfollows will never hurt you, but beating yourself with sticks will break your business bones

“Twitter culture” is no different than any other human interaction, online in New Media or off-line face-to-face. People with jobs dabbling in Social and New Media to gain friends and “converse” can afford to get sucked into a never-ending downward spiral of narcissistic analysis.

But for entrepreneurs, marketers and business owners; analysis of this type without a benchmark or platform against which to judge reactions creates a self-imposed profit killing death sentence.

Contrary to what you’ve heard? Not surprising when most Social Media “experts are corporate refugees with a worker mindset, brainwashed to “get along” at all costs.

Here’s the danger in that “careful not to offend anyone” approach…

If business people begin altering their behavior, words and statements to avoid “unfollow sting”, the ramifications are no different than trying to fit into a high-school clique. Even if the group accepts you, you will always be the outsider… the poser. NOT a good position for an entrepreneur who is (or should be) looking to be seen as a knowledgeable leader.

To attract and retain a Tribe of raving fans (Loyals) means taking strong positions. The stronger your positions, the stronger the bond between you and your Tribe… and among the Tribe members themselves. It’s human nature that the mundane and the luke-warm are either ignored or spit out.

Only in politics every two years do “moderates” get any attention. And when we look at their actual numbers (average only 2% of voters via Battleground Poll for the last 10 years) — we see the fact that the vast majority of people DO have opinions. They just may not have the kahonas to state those thoughts.

The entrepreneurs and business people who take strong stands in their niche or industry, who make bold pronouncements for the benefit of their Tribe — they will get the respect, loyalty and patronage that people are waiting to shower on a true leader.

The question is not “too many or too few Tweets.” It is “do you know your Tribe?”

YOUR Tribe, YOUR Loyals — they are ALL that matter!

If you don’t know your Persuasive Selling Platform well enough to know what may have turned someone off, (and to know that, in many cases that unfollow is a good thing) — then any “tool” like Qwitter http://useqwitter.com/ that lets you know what words triggered an unfollow will only serve to further shake your confidence and throw you off track.

If you have your Loyals Profiles and Tribal Factor firmly established as two of the four foundation stones of your Persuasive Selling Platform, the ability to keep your focus allows you to be in total control of your emotions.

That control for you can mean ignoring, or even celebrating unfollows as you continue on a profitable path of New Media Marketing. But YOU are in control… not some tool or technology.

What’s your take?

• How do unfollows on Twitter or friend drop-offs on FaceBook or MySpace impact you?
• Do you just ignore those unfollows, or do you revel in the fact they’ve occurred?
• How do you know when an unfollow is a good thing vs. a “learning opportunity”?

Leave your thoughts in some graffiti down in the comment area below.

Oct 27th Coach Deb will be on stage in front of a LIVE studio audience talking about Twitter & Tribal Marketing. Mari Smith will be presenting about Facebook, and Denise Wakeman from the BlogSquad will be talking about blogging for business.

Will you join us as VIP or guest and be in LIVE studio audience that will be in the next hottest social media learning DVD set in the world?

Social Media Simplified is the LIVE event held in Ventura this Monday, with an optional VIP dinner at a local winery where you’ll be able to strategize with Coach Deb, Mari Smith and Denise Wakeman plus two other special guests in a casual setting.

Simon Leung (Google Insider) will be our special guest panelist along with Nancy Marmolejo when we take questions from the LIVE studio audience.

Join us by registering directly at: Social Media Simplified and leave a comment below if you’re able to make it to this rare event where 5 of the Top 50 Influential Social Media experts will reveal secrets not shared anywhere else!

PS: For those of you who know Coach Deb, Mari Smith, Denise Wakeman (BlogSquad) Simon Leung and Nancy Marmolejo, you may be shocked to see how affordable this event is compared to their usual speaking gigs where you pay $2,000 to get in the door. That’s because the Technology Development Center is underwriting the costs of the live studio production and creating a DVD set that they’ll be using in order to train their students.

This is the speakers way of giving back to the community while at the same time giving YOU a rare opportunity to learn everything you can about the hottest social network, and how to market your business or non-profit online using the free advertising channels available to you.

Saturday night Deb and I stopped at Ala Moana mall before heading out to dinner in Honolulu. As Deb was doing her “shoppinnnng” thing I was on the hunt scouting for examples of Tribal Marketing. I found it at our second stop — the Jimmy Choo store.

With my shoe fetish in control I “dragged” Deb into the store. (Yeah, kicking and screaming. lol) And within two-minutes I was struck by a Tribal Seduction marketing principle I failed to pick up on in previous visits. The profit-producing power of story.

Why is that Jimmy Choo shoes command $400 to $4,000 and more?

Sure Jimmy Choo shoes are hand made (first in London by Choo himself, then after 96′ in Italy.) And yes Jimmy Choo Ltd. has a team of four designers who’s only job is to create to-die-for shoes and handbags.

But what’s the real profit power behind the Jimmy Choo brand? It’s something that as a Jimmy Choo lover you might not have realized, because it’s something that is never said. It just is. (A key in effectively using Tribal Seduction marketing.)

Ultimately the Jimmy Choo brand is not only the story of the man behind the name, but also the fortuitous linking of his story with the greatest real-life fairy tale of the 20th Century.

Jimmy Choo was born in Malaysia in 1961 to a family of shoe makers and made his first shoe when he was 11 years old. OK, authenticity. Good start for a story.

After attending college in London he opened his own workshop in 1986 and gained international fame when his creations were featured in a record eight pages in a 1988 issue of Vogue magazine. Public recognition of passionate pursuit of excellence. Another good element of the story.

But the real boost in the Jimmy Choo story comes with the loyal patronage (and vocal sharing of passionate love for hand made Jimmy Choo shoes) by Princess Diana. The real-life fairy tale Princess became the catalyst for dozens of other celebrities to become Jimmy Choo Loyals as well; spreading the story, passion and love of shoes even further.

Jimmy Choo = beauty, elegance and sexiness… protected by price

Today the Jimmy Choo philosophy, as stated on jimmychoo.com is:

… to create exclusive shoes and accessories that are both luxurious and practical for all occasions, while at the same time creating a look that’s instantaneously recognized as “Jimmy Choo”. The understated distinctiveness of the brand, and its integrity, is controlled with the limited distribution of the products to a few select retailers.

Jimmy Choo shoes are void of obvious labels and logos. Yes, you are marketing and reinforcing the brand when wearing the shoes. But with a Tribal Marketing approach it’s subliminal and seductive, not in your face. It takes a true shoe lover to know and recognize Jimmy Choo’s. You know you’ve met another member of your Tribe when someone recognizes your Jimmy Choo shoes.

The story behind the brand is protected and kept intact by the unique use of materials and exclusivity of both pricing and distribution.

Sure customer service and the experience of buying Jimmy Choo shoes is part of the aura. But the true profit-producing power of the brand remains the authentic story of the founder imperceptibly linked with the fairy tale stories of the rich-and-famous Jimmy Choo Loyals. It happens when you first slip your foot into the shoe… or watch your lady slip her’s into a pair.

What about you?

• What’s your story? Have you given thought to how it relates to your business?
• Do you agree that the Jimmy Choo story teamed with the fairy tale is a big part of profit-producing power of the Jimmy Choo brand?
• Are you passionate about Jimmy Choo or any other brand because of the story behind it?

Share your thoughts in some graffiti below.

You don’t need to have a techie or online business to benefit from the power of New Media marketing. A bigger prospect list, more sales, and higher profits are possible for just about any business — even the oldest profession in the world. The difference between winners and losers when using New Media marketing strategies is not in intelligence, technology, or industry — it’s in the strategy, mindset, and skills of influence employed.

The world’s oldest profession shows you how to (and how NOT to) market with New Media

As some of you know, the way we got to live our ideal lifestyle in Hawaii is by my starting, growing, and selling two 7-figure companies in the horticulture industry. Both were generating healthy cash flow, but my passion was always with the design/build work we did for affluent clients and owners of private estates.

Because of that, I still keep my finger on the pulse of the Landscape Design/Build industry. That includes monitoring how companies are using New Media to market their off-line business. This case study is based on one of those companies and will show you how virtually any company in any industry — online or off-line — can use New Media to market and sell more.

If you were to pick the most unlikely industry to use New Media, why not chose the oldest profession in the world. And if you’re thinking prostitution, that’s not it. Besides, I’m sure you’d agree that industry pretty much figured out how to use the Internet.

The world’s oldest profession is actually gardening. After all, that’s what God had Adam doing to keep busy before Eve ever stepped foot in the Garden of Eden, right? Well, in this case study you have some very powerful lessons laid out based on what some people in this profession have done right and wrong online with New Media.

One company used New Media Marketing to influence, persuade, and connect with new prospects and their existing client base in a memorable way. The second company got it all wrong.

The business that got it right

The landscape design/build firm Rosenlof/Lucas in Minnesota had a project that was featured in an HGTV program. But instead of relying on a single episode of a cable show to generate buzz, they created a simple four-minute video that has allowed them to maximize leverage with a single project to attract new prospects and clients using online video.

First – watch the video and the read on to learn from what they did right using the New Media marketing channel of online video. Then – we’ll take a look at what they left out and what they could have done better.

OK, so it may be pretty obvious what they did right at the end of the video, but let’s start at the beginning and go through the online persuasion strategies they incorporated with this New Media foray.

Online Persuasion done right

1: Use a personal/informal tone. The video starts with an informal and completely “personal” intro to the company. You feel as if you’re riding along with Matt Olsen.

2: Grab your target audiences attention up front & disqualify tire-kickers. The initial intro to Rosenlof/Lucas is brief and immediately defines what differentiates their design/build firm from the competition.

Don’t be afraid of losing people. If you don’t turn off (and turn away) some people, you’re not going to really turn-on anybody either. For example; not everyone likes contemporary design. But Rosenlof/Lucas specializes in that styles, so they’d be foolish to not make that clear. Who cares if people who don’t like contemporary design tune out. That’s not their target audience.

With my Design/Build company our style was based on French Provincial estates of Europe. We specialized in that style for several reasons, but one was to immediately turn most people away.

The French Provincial design style is inherently elite and costly, which helped to prospects to disqualify themselves before any of our time was required. Simultaneously, because of a strong stand on exclusivity, we were building rapport with the truly affluent before they even picked up the phone to schedule a consultation. Influence and persuasion not spoken is the most powerful.

3: Tell a story. Matt starts the story feel right in the beginning of the video and

Read the rest of this entry »

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Many “Social Media experts” spout the talking point that if you “align your personality with your brand” you’ll sell like gang-busters. But is Social and New Media marketing about revealing your personality? Or is this advice a recipe for disaster?

Personality and a personal brand are two very different things. And once again, as we discussed with Social Media Profit Killer #1, understanding the difference will either rip the heart out of your business, or put more money in your pocketbook.

The Personal Brand quagmire

Marketing with New Media relies on a strong personal brand. No getting around that. In fact, it’s a requirement to win in today’s marketplace; online or off-line.

Everyone knows:

• If you don’t stand out
• If you ride the middle of the road
• If you don’t create a strong presence

… you’re doomed to mediocrity at best.

But many of the same people chanting the “authenticity is a currency” mantra are also advising that you align your brand with your personality. And by doing that you’ll magically “maximize your every social media interaction.”

That may be true for those who have a naturally magnetic persona. But what about the rest of us? What if we have “flaws” in our persona or personality?

Read the rest of this entry »

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Authenticity and transparency. Are they important marketing in today’s New Media marketplace? You bet! Are they, as some have proposed, the “currency” of social media? Not if you’re a business owner or marketer. Here’s why this currency concept can slowly suck your energy and profits, and what the cash-creating alternative is.

Do buzz-words equal bucks?

Authenticity & transparency are Social and New Media buzz-words. That’s fine.

The dangerous thing is when these buzz-words are used by Social Media “experts” in a way that leads people to think they are cash creators. But are they really?

There are literally billions of POOR “authentic” people around the world who are completely “transparent” in their daily lives. Most of these people struggle from day-to-day trying to make ends meet. Many are simply struggling to survive.

When’s the last time you paid your mortgage or car payment with authenticity? Are you earning interest on your transparency account at the Social Bank of America? Of course not.

Come on, currency is just a word… isn’t it?

Now you may be thinking I’ve gone too far here. That “currency” is just a word. But words do have power. The power to focus. To stir up emotions. To make connections between what’s known and what’s new. And that’s why the currency concept is a profit killer.

Look, the definition of currency is a unit of exchange that facilitates the transfer of goods and/or services.

When people say authenticity and transparency are a “currency” it’s a direct implication that there is transactional value there. Authenticity & transparency cannot be exchanged, stored or compounded as currency can. Putting the focus on authenticity and transparency creates a fuzzy financial future for business owners and marketers.

So what’s a better way to look at authenticity and transparency?

Authenticity and transparency are merely the lenses by which people perceive congruence, character and trust. To harness their power you must act like an optometrist who adjusts a person’s vision using their Optical Refractor (yep that’s what that funny machine is called.) Instead of using a complex machine with lots of numbers, you develop the skills to control and adjust what people see when they look through the lenses of authenticity and transparency.

• Authenticity and transparency are the LENSES
• Self-Influence and persuasion are the ADJUSTMENT DIALS

Self-Influence and persuasion are (and should be) the things you can actually control. The most successful people in business, entertainment and politics know these controls are the root of power and profit.

For you, understanding the inter-relationship between these lenses and adjustment dials is what will make the difference between success, struggle or failure in today’s marketplace.

Is “manipulation” a bad word?

Self-Influence, being obviously self-focused, identifies and gives you control over your strengths. Persuasion allows you to influence others. Is this manipulation. Damn right! But you’re manipulating your mouse to read this page right now aren’t you? Since when did manipulation become a bad word?

Remember those billions of POOR “authentic” people around the world who are completely “transparent” in their daily lives? They think manipulation is a bad word too. This puts them at the mercy of anyone who understands the power of the lenses and dials. Is that the position you want to be in?

Ultimately you determine what manipulation means by how you use it an what you achieve with it. With the power to focus people on your strongest assets, and the ability to control transparency — you’ll increase rapport, trust and connections. Once you’ve mastered these skills, you’ll have the ability to attract, stack, and spend as much REAL currency as you want.

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