4 things about press releases you should already know

by Jon Ray on Feb 16 in PR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
New media blogger, Jon Ray, helps fulfill man’s dreams by helping him become more like a giant chicken.

I was meeting with a client this morning who was wondering why she wasn’t getting any press off of the press releases she was sending out. She had spent a great deal of time writing up her release and followed the formatting that the book she purchased told her was best. She hired an administrative assistant, who sent this press release out to every major and minor publication they could find that had anything to do with her industry. Then, they waited.

After waiting and waiting, not much happened. They landed a couple of minor blog posts, but it wasn’t the media frenzy she was hoping for when she started out. Why didn’t more people write about her?

1. Build relationships with the press. It is never really a good idea to blind copy, unsolicited press releases to the press. It’s not generally a practice that they appreciate. Just like with creating a social media campaign, it is important to create REAL relationships. That’s why you hire a PR firm or publicist to send out press releases. Contrary to popular belief a good publicist DOES do something. They have intimate relationships with the press and know who to go to, when to go to them and with what kind of story. If you don’t have time to form relationships with the press…hire a publicist!
2. Paint us a picture and make us care. Just because you’re really excited about your new event, company or product, doesn’t mean anyone else is going to care about it. When you’re writing up your press release, find a way to make your company relatable to the mass public. Whether it’s TV, Newspaper or the blog-o-sphere, people enjoy visual images. Find a way to make your event stand out as a memorable image in people’s minds. (i.e. Snow Cone Stand – Get a snow machine and create a day where you invite kids to come and sled down a giant mountain of ice in the middle of the summer. Now, that’s visual! Here comes the press!) Think in photo ops and your press release will do well.
3. Is it the right time? One of the biggest reasons your press release gets passed over is because it simply wasn’t the right day. If it’s a busy news day, your story isn’t going to be covered no matter HOW amazing it might be. Be conscious of what else is going on in the news. You want to, ideally, identify which days are slow news days. On a slow news day, the press will praise you for bringing them any kind of story.
4. Give both sides. You know, if you’ve ever turned on a television, that the press LOVE controversy! They LOVE it! So, why not give them a little? Are there opposing opinions to whatever you’re trying to promote? Why not list them in your press release and give contacts for the press to reach the opposition for comment? A good reporter is going to list both sides of the story anyway. Make their job easier and your story stands a much better chance at getting picked up.

Of course, there are plenty of other things that can be done to give your press release a better chance of being picked up, but these four things are a good start. It’s amazing to me how many people spend the time, effort and money to promote a press release that is guaranteed to be looked over.

If you’d like to talk further about best practices for gaining press, then feel free to shoot an email to whoisjonray AT gmail DOT com. Otherwise, I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments section. What have you done in the past that garnered you a lot of press? What have you done that was a complete disaster? What would you add to this list?

How much referral business are you getting?

by Jon Ray on Feb 16 in Marketing

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for new business everywhere you go. I do my darndest (is that a word?) to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone I meet because you never know. I was out at Trece Tequilla Bar the other night (yeah, i know…lush) and randomly ran into a retired couple at the bar. This was my first time at this particular tequilla bar (I’m working on a project in Dallas, right now and unfamiliar with many of the new establishments). The retired couple at the bar, though, were regulars and knew the lay of the land all too well. After a few minutes of “Hi, How are Ya’s” they introduced me to the three bartenders (getting to know your bartenders is the best thing you can ever do) and then I started asking them about some of the things they did when they weren’t guzzling tequilla and chipotle salsa. One thing led to another and I got to talking about my work as a film/video producer and social media and marketing consultant. Wouldn’t you know it, they have a son who is the marketing director at a very prominent company here in Dallas. I gave them my card and took down their son’s information. They promised they would call him, so that he would be expecting my call. Guess who I had a 20-minute conversation with on the phone today and guess who is now a part-time freelance consultant for a very prominent company here in Dallas? You guessed it, I am.

Now, I’m not trying to brag (alright, I am a little), but I am trying to illustrate the point that new business can come from anywhere or anyone. I’ve never understood business people who act so standoffish towards meeting new people or discussing what makes their company so great. This makes no sense to me. The more people you meet the greater chances of coming across someone that your company can genuinely help, or even better, someone that can genuinely help your company. It’s been said millions upon millions of times, landing new business is strictly a numbers game. If you put yourself in front of enough people, you will find you have more business than you can handle. So, what do you do once you have a steady portfolio of clients?

5 Ways to Maximize Your Relationships and Get Business Referrals:

1. Give your clients quality work. If you consistently go above and beyond what your clients ask for, you won’t even need to ask for referrals, your clients will just give them to you voluntarily.
2. Follow up once projects are completed. You did everything and more that your client asked you to do and you hit it out of the park. But, often times, there will be tiny little changes or additions to a project that a client may realize they need once a project has been officially invoiced and closed. Your client may not feel the changes are that important and might not want to bother you, but if you follow up any project with a quick phone call asking if the client needs anything else and then make a few tweaks or changes free of charge, then you can bet the client is going to come to you first with the next project and sing your praises all over town.
3. Keep clients abreast of other project success you are having. I like to call this soft bragging. Whenever my team and I complete a new project, I will send out an e.mail to my entire client list and brag about what a great job my team did and list any awards that might be attached to the project. The key is to brag about your team, not about your company or yourself. Your team deserves to be recognized for their efforts and the more you brag about them, the more confidence your clients will have in you the next time they have a project that requires your company’s expertise.
4. Take your clients out on the town. This can get tricky, especially if you’re not that familiar with what your client does for entertainment. But, if you’re perceptive, then you probably know one or two things that they might enjoy. Invite them out to a round of golf, for a drink (make sure they drink), to a networking event, etc. An even better approach is to throw a company party every quarter and invite ALL your clients. This allows you to treat everyone at the same time and is a great way to get one set of clients to brag about you to another set of clients. Even better, have your clients invite other companies that might be interested in utilizing the services you offer. In addition to free food and booze, provide a brief presentation of your product or service and then hand out some literature that can easily fold up into someone’s coat pocket. Be sure to give your presentation early in the night, though. The last thing you want is a bunch of businessmen that have had too much “sauce” watching your presentation at the end of the night and remembering none of it in the morning. Make sure you collect business cards and follow up in a day or two, thanking everyone for coming to the party and offering to go into more detail about the services you offer.
5. Just ask them. If you’re doing your job right, then your clients probably like you. If you’ve had a client for some period of time, then you probably have somewhat of a more relaxed or even personal relationship. I wouldn’t suggest asking every single week, but in passing, while you’re having a more relaxed conversation with a client, simply drop into conversation that you’re expanding and looking to take on a few more clients. Then ask them if they have any suggestions of companies that might be a good fit with your product or service? If they do, great! If they don’t, no harm done. Just make sure it is clear that you will always give the same amount of attention to their company.

If you follow the above five suggestions, then you’ll find you can increase your client base significantly. Another great way to keep current clients informed and attract new clients is to start a company blog or newsletter. Anytime you can separate yourself as an expert in your particular field, you will see an increase in new and referral business.

Bonus Tip: Finally, make sure your clients understand all of the services you offer. Sure, you may have done a great job putting together a marketing campaign for Client X, but do they know that you also offer video production services? You’d be surprised how many of your clients don’t fully understand all of the products or services you offer. Make sure they know that you offer multiple solutions to multiple problems. There’s a strong possibility that you could double the revenue you make off one client, simply by up-selling them to more than one of your products/services.

How do you get referral business, or new business for that matter? Do you find more of your clients come through online relationships, or is a face-to-face meeting still more valuable in acquiring new clientele? What am I missing here? What is working for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the best ways to expand your business.

How to be a mover and a shaker?

by Jon Ray on Feb 16 in Marketing

While I was playing golf today, one of the people I was playing with complimented me and called me one of Austin’s movers and shakers. WOW! That made my head about as big as a blimp and whether they were just blowing smoke up my rear or being serious, it got me thinking what a real (someone other than myself) mover and shaker is made up of and how could I better a become one?

Personality
First things first, I have never met a mover and shaker that did not have a magical quality about their personality. Getting ahead has always been easiest when people genuinely like you. So, how do you develop a winning personality? Well, I guess a lot of it is instinct, but there are a few things that will put you ahead of those lacking any personality whatsoever, or worse those having a bad personality. Here are a few tips that I think help any negotiation, relationship or conversation start on the right track:

1. Look people in the eyes. People want to know that you are sincere and by looking someone in the eyes, they can tell if you are being genuine or not.
2. Be genuine and sincere. There’s no point in faking this. Sure, you can pretend for a while, but eventually you’ll be found out and everything you’ve worked towards will fly out the window. Lose your credibility and you’re screwed.
3. Be friendly. It’s not hard to put a smile on and it makes everyone in the room more comfortable. Smiles are contagious and it’s hard to be anything but happy when you’re wearing one. Try it. Just putting on a smile for ten seconds will make you and everyone around you feel better.
4. Don’t come on too strong. We get it, you’re the life of the party, or the funny guy, or the hot shot at whatever you do. But, that doesn’t mean we want to hear about it all the time. Nobody likes someone who brags about themselves too much. Let others brag about you and spend your time bragging about the people around you. They’ll appreciate the compliment and it will give them an opportunity to talk about themselves a little. People love to talk about themselves. Set someone up to talk about something they are passionate about and they will love you, too.

Work Ethic
Personality can only get you so far, though. Sure, in high school and college it was easy to skate by on personality alone, but in the real world, you might actually have to do a little work. In the beginning you’ll need to work around the clock, that’s just the way it goes. But, if you’re smart, things will get easier and easier for you. Just remember, that you’re work ethic is not necessarily the number of hours you put in on any given project, but how well you manage the time and assets at your disposal. You don’t want to work 16 hour days, after all, what time would that leave you for networking and building new business relationships? The key is to hire people more talented than you and then become the best boss they’ve ever had. Work hard and get to the point where you can afford to put together a talented team. Don’t skimp on your hires, because they are an extension of who you are as a person and a company. It is much better to hire someone with infinite talent and pay them three times the average salary, than to hire three people who are unmotivated, just to save some money. The talented employee will be the greater asset to your team. Be a fun, fair and dedicated boss and show your employees that you appreciate them helping you reach your ultimate goal. As they help you get closer, reward them and thank them. Work ethic, like smiling, is contagious. If you work hard and are passionate about what you are doing, then your employees will be as well. Now, you can take over the world together.

Style
Many would argue that style doesn’t matter as long as the quality of work is exceptional. Obviously, quality of work is the most important thing to worry about, but when it comes to taking on new clients, style goes a long way. In business, first impressions can make or break you. As you are out on the town networking, you never know who you are going to meet and you only get one chance to meet them the first time. I’m not saying you have to be dressed like you walked out of a GQ Magazine every time you go out. But, it certainly wouldn’t hurt. The key is confidence and confidence is its own style. If you can be 120% confident in you and your company while wearing jeans and a T-shirt, then that is exactly what you should wear. But, big clients want to see that their money is going to be handled responsibly and that 2004 5K Fun Run T-shirt with the cut off sleeves doesn’t necessarily scream confidence. The same goes for your office. An interior decorator doesn’t cost that much money and it is well worth the investment. It’s hard to close a $100,000 (much less a million dollar) deal while your client is sitting in a folding chair you bought at a church yard sale. Perceived value can go a long way.

Can’t afford fancy office furniture, or worse, can’t afford an office yet? Not a problem. Do what I used to do and find a swanky conference room downtown that you can rent out for a nominal fee. Most big office buildings have a reservation schedule for their conference room, and you can usually work out some sort of fee by the hour to rent it out. In nicer buildings, the rental will even come with a secretary that can take drink and food orders and take your forwarded phone calls for the duration of the rental. This is an inexpensive way to impress clients and put them at ease from the get-go. You want each potential client listening to your pitch, not wondering if the water stains on the floor were an artistic choice. For really special/important clients, I suggest finding a conference room that looks out over a body of water. Trust me, clients like this.

Networking
Great! You’re sporting a winning personality, putting in 10+ hours days with a staff that’s doing the same and you’ve developed impeccable style, now what? Now we need to round up some business, shake a few hands and land some clients. This is where networking comes in to play. Whatever city I happen to be in, I like to find the local rag paper and find out what the recommended or popular events for any given night might be. Events designated as industry networking events are obviously the best, but any event that you feel will draw a crowd will suffice. When you arrive at the event, open a bar tab and if you can afford it, tip the bartender twenty or so dollars right off the bat. This will assure that you take precedence over everyone else at the bar. Nothing is more embarrassing than trying to buy a prospect client (or worse, beautiful young lady) a drink, only to have the bartender completely ignore you. Now, make your way around the room and meet people. For more information on how to network, you can read this post that I wrote a while back. Perfect! Now make sure you have some business cards (the more creative you get with these, the better) and more importantly, make sure you get a business card from everyone you talk to over the course of the night. I like to make little notes on each card so I remember what we talked about, then when I get home or the next day, I will send a personal email to each person I spoke with the night before. If I feel they could be a potential client, I make a personal phone call, as well, to request a meeting where we could get to know each other better and decide if our two companies might be a fit with one another. You can word this however you like, but if you can afford it, people love a free lunch. Just remember to save those receipts!

Time Management
Finally, the greatest thing you can ever learn to do is manage and use your time efficiently. The typical mover and shaker will work 10+ hours a day, 7 days a week. But, that doesn’t mean you’re always in the office. Much of that time will be spent drinking (I mean, networking) and pitching new clients. When you are in the office, though, it is important to create a list of things you need to do for the day and then prioritize them in order of importance. Learning to delegate to your staff or project team is the most important thing you can do in freeing up your own time. Remember, if you hired well, then your staff is more than capable of handling anything you throw at them. So, determine what chores need your personal attention and then delegate everything else out to your project team. Hold weekly, or bi-weekly meetings with your staff and make sure everyone is on the same page. Let them know how you’d like to see something handled and then ask if anyone has a better suggestion. A lot of the time someone else will have a better idea than you. Congratulations, you put together a great team!

The next thing you know, Forbes, People, GQ and Time will all be knocking on your door. Have your butler politely seat your admiring guests, you’ll be downstairs in a moment.

How did you become a mover and a shaker? What advice would you give to someone trying to achieve that status?

5 Ways to Network in the Real World & Be Fabulous!

by Jon Ray on Feb 16 in Marketing

That’s right. The real world is still out there, even though we pretend it is extinct and at the end of this post, with the help of a friend, I’ll give you five of my own unique ways to work the room and effectively network in the real world.

I think it’s funny to see people talk about how crucial social networking is in the various virtual worlds that we all inhabit. Yet, when it comes to doing any sort of networking in the real world, those very same people are tied to the wall, sipping cocktail after cocktail and talking to no one in particular. Of course, that’s the beauty of social networking online. There’s never the pressure you feel when you walk into a large room full of people. It’s a lot easier to send a message over Facebook, than to weasel your way into a circle of people, mid-conversation, without seeming too obtrusive. If you’re the type of person that turns white every time you walk into a conference or industry mixer, then I’d like to prescribe you a healthy dose of Thom Singer (Some Assembly Required).

Thom was recently quoted in a Forbes.com article titled, “Party Your Way To A New Job.” Which is pretty much a mantra for how I live my life. Thom says this:

…….Now that you’ve got a list of people to talk with, make sure to get there on time. Arriving when there are fewer people makes it easier to get time with the party’s hosts and the board of directors. For people who feel shy about meeting strangers, getting there while the crowd is small is much easier to manage than entering a room full of 200 partiers already having a good time, says Thom Singer , author ofThe ABCs of Networking.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with Thom on several occasions, as he and I are both Austinites. In one particular meeting, we swapped stories about networking online and in real life for an hour and a half. It was really nice to meet with a guy that actually “gets it.” If you’re the type of person that needs a reminder from time to time on how to connect with people in the real world, then Thom Singer is someone you should start studying. And I’m not just saying that because he wrote this flattering post about our meeting at Starbuck’s. Thom, you made me blush!

For the time being, here are five of my own unique ways to work the room and effectively network in the real world:

1. Get rid of your business cards. I know that many of you have a couple of withered business cards that have been sitting in your wallet since 1993. I try to set a minimum at conferences depending on its size of how many I’ll hand out. I’ll put 25 business cards in my pocket and know that I can’t leave until I’ve met and passed them out to at least that many people. If you don’t hand out your business card, there’s really no point in having one, other than its neat color. Is that bone?
2. Scour the wall. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t do so well in real life social situations, then find someone else that is more terrified than you. Look along the outskirts of the room you’re in and find the people that are keeping to themselves, pounding cocktails. They’re more nervous than you and desperately want someone to talk with. Introduce yourself and find out what they do, then tell them what you do. Now, you can attack the rest of the room as a team. You can introduce him/her to everyone and he/she can introduce you. You’re like the dynamic duo!
3. Start smoking. Now, I think smoking is a filthy habit, but it certainly allows for membership to a unique networking opportunity. If you can stand the secondhand smoke killing you early, then head outside from time to time and mingle with the smoking crowd. Learn to always carry matches (a lot classier than a lighter), so that you can be someone’s savior when they forget theirs. Smoking is the one activity that will always put lower level customer service reps in the same room and conversation as their nicotine loving CEO.
4. Know your elevator pitch. If you’re going to a conference or mixer, someone is going to ask you what you do. Have something prepared! It amazes me how many people cannot tell me what they do without stumbling all over their words and sounding like an idiot. Practice in a mirror or with friends your two sentence elevator pitch of who you are and what you do. It never hurts to throw in a joke if you’re good at that sort of thing. What really matters is that you sound like you love what you do and say your pitch with enthusiasm and passion. People eat that sort of thing up.
5. Memorize the lay of the land. People don’t realize this, but knowing where you are, what the event is about and where the restrooms are located can be some of the best conversation starters out there. Before you go to an event, learn the background information on it, who the hosting parties are, where they work and what they’re all about. It’s amazing how just having the answer to the most basic of event questions makes you seem like you’re a conference expert. Do a little homework and you’ll be the goto guy for event information, history, conversation and potty breaks.
6. BONUS: Follow up. This is the most important one, but many people never take the time to do this. After a conference or mixer, you’re hopefully holding quite a few new contact names, numbers, emails, etc. When your hangover wears off, do some quick research and find out some additional information about the people you met. Then, send them an e.mail and tell them that you enjoyed meeting them. I usually try to find a blog entry that I have written that might relate to their particular industry or work situation and enclose this with my email. This quick, friendly reminder is a nice way to further your conversation with that particular person and make sure that they do not forget who you are in the future.

This list could go on and on, but I’ll stop at five (plus a Follow Up bonus). If you’re looking for more excellent ways to network in the real world, head on over to Thom’s blog or pick up a copy of his book, The ABCs of Networking. If you think you’re a networking expert, why don’t you share some of your proven strategies in the comments section. How do you go about starting conversations with people in real life? Better yet, how is networking in real life similar or different than networking online in a virtual world? How has networking online changed the way you network in the real world? Your thoughts, as always, are what makes this blog valuable. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

P.S. If you were wondering, other than Thom Singer’s advice, I learned everything I know about networking at a party from this video. Enjoy!

10 Tips to Make Your Social Media Campaign a Success

by Jon Ray on Feb 16 in Social Media

If you’re a person or company getting into the social media game to promote yourself, please note that all the bells, whistles and buzz words in the world won’t bring in long term, qualified customers. Social media is a fickle beast and cannot be approached like a traditional advertising or marketing campaign. Social media campaigns can take time. Like a snow ball rolling down a mountain, it takes time to put on warm clothes, climb up the hill, gather enough snow and slowly start rolling a ball of snow down the hill. But, eventually, with enough preparation, that snow ball will take on a life of its own and its forward momentum will allow it to grow and grow, faster and faster. Social media campaigns work in the same kind of way. So, bundle up!

A successful social media campaign can make every single one of your customers an evangelist for your product and brand. An unsuccessful campaign can prove disastrous. Social media campaigns have to be designed solely with the consumer in mind. Before you go out and put together a social media campaign for your own company, take a look at the following list of ten things that will help you start your social media campaign off on the right foot and see it through to success.

10 Things That Will Make Your Social Media Campaign a Success:

1. Listen, Listen. Listen. The purpose of a social media campaign is to create conversations with your potential and existing customers. A conversation is a two-way communication and if you’re not listening, then you’ll have no idea how to adapt to “whatever comes next.” Just like any relationship, listening is more important than anything.
2. Respond. Equally as important to listening is actually responding to your customer’s concerns and figuring out exactly what and why those concerns exist. Building a conversation is not the same thing as taking a poll, it’s a two way street with you voicing your opinion and your customers voicing their’s.
3. Contribute. Don’t be the person that shows up to the birthday party without a present. Who cares if you didn’t know them “all that well,” the bottom line is that no one likes a freeloader. As you build your community and your company grows, it is important that you never alienate the people who got you there – your everyday consumer. These are the people on the front line screaming your name and you should show them respect by adding value to their particular community. If you’re having conversations with your target audience, then it will be easy to discover what contribution your consumers want you to make. If all else fails, just ask them.
4. Open the Dialog. Now that you are having conversations with your customers and those prospects interested in your company, it’s time to step it up a notch. It’s fine to talk about your company, but not all the time. Sometimes it can be more valuable to raise concerns or voice opinions on issues that your customers share a strong affinity towards. By making statements for or against issues, you will open your conversation to more than just your existing consumer pool. As long as your stance is rooted in truth and has your customer’s best interest in mind, then this can be a great way to raise awareness about issues and about yourself.
5. Educate. Do your customers know how your company operates and why it does things a certain way? Is there something about your products that no one knows about that might be an interesting topic of conversation? Can your product be used in more than one way for more than one thing? Is your customer demographic prone to a certain activity or interest? Can you provide an online community that will help them further their interests? People are hungry for knowledge. How are you offering it to them?
6. Encourage. Sometimes life can be hard and none of us live the perfect life all of the time. Everyone needs a little encouragement from time to time. What types of things motivate your customer’s? Creating an area of inspiration and genuine encouragement not only helps your customers live a better life, but gives you an opportunity to associate those positive feelings with your company. Any time you can help your customer prosper in their own life, you can rest assured that that prosperity will be reciprocated.
7. Be human. Nothing kills a social media campaign faster than automated responses and false intentions. The purpose of social media is to streamline communication on a one-to-one basis. Assign a human being in your company to handle your social media efforts or do it yourself. But, never decide that these social media efforts can be automated. Your customers want to see the human side of your company. So, let them talk and interact with a human. Are you more likely to buy a new television off the recommendation of a computer or the interaction with a friend or colleague? With social media, your customers are your friends and colleagues. Treat them that way.
8. Acknowledge. We all crave acknowledgment for the tiny things we do in our lives to make a difference. Many of us would never admit that we want acknowledgment, but deep down, it feels good when people recognize you. Your customers are doing great things everyday and they deserve someone to take note. Find out the ways that your customers are helping out and put a spotlight on them. Congratulate them. Honor them. Positivity is contagious. One man/woman really can change the world. Recognize them for doing so.
9. Stay Transparent. Honesty is and always will be the best policy. There is no point in utilizing the tools available via social media and networking if you are not going to be 100% upfront with your customers. This big world of ours gets smaller and smaller every day and if you’re not being honest, then it’s only a matter of time before somebody blows the whistle on you. Countless companies have tried and failed at social media because they didn’t understand that there are ways to legitimately raise awareness about your company without fudging the truth. You are an organization of people working towards a common goal, whatever that might be. Someone in your organization has something to say that your customers will want to hear. Find that person and make them your company’s number one evangelist. If his/her enthusiasm is genuine, then it will become contagious and spread to everyone that comes into contact with them.
10. Listen. Listen. Listen. Remember when I said that listening was the most important thing in any relationship? Well, I meant it and that is doubly true when it comes to a successful social media campaign. You can never stop listening. Our world, your industry and the businesses within it are changing and evolving more rapidly than they ever have before. Industries that used to last for decades are now becoming obsolete in a matter of years. If you’re not listening, then you will never know when the tide is starting to change or if your snowball is going to hit a tree.

A successful social media campaign can prove to be one of the most valuable assets in your company’s repertoire. It can prove valuable not only in enhancing your marketing and public relations efforts, but also in product development, brand development, hiring top notch employees, streamlining inner-office communication and much, much more. Social media transforms itself around however you use it. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination. So, find the dreamer in your company and let their creative juices start flowing.

Lacking a Social Media Strategy Makes Your Company Ugly

by Jon Ray on Feb 16 in Social Media

I’ve got a bone to pick with Nick Corcodilos for writing this post over at InfoWorld. In it, Nick rants about a young woman straight out of college who rejected a job offer from a tech company because the company wasn’t “cool and hip.” Of course, he’s taking her words completely out of context and throwing her in a group of “cognoscenti” who “post our rants on screwoldfartcompanies.com and then meet back on MySpace with a double latte!”

Nick is absolutely right, trying to be cool has been the downfall of many companies. But, there is a big difference between social networking and being “cool.” As Nick writes it, there is no value in creating a presence on one or many of the social networks that keep popping up all around us. I hope he doesn’t really believe that, because that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Is social media and networking cool? I think so, but that’s certainly not the reason that I utilize those tools. I use them as a way to effectively and efficiently communicate with my family, friends, staff and most importantly, my customers.

Social networking is not about a bunch of people who are too cool for school. If a graduate turns down a job based on the fact that a company is not utilizing social media, they are not doing it because they think the company is “ugly.” The graduate is doing it because the company is showing that they are either 1) unfamiliar with the new technology available to them or 2) afraid to implement any kind of new strategy. Perhaps there are other reasons, but as an outsider looking in, I would be wary of working in any place that refused to even experiment a little with new media and technology. After all, as Nick says in his post, “Blogs and websites are free.”

I would never want to work for a company that I thought was going to frown on new ideas or innovation. College graduates these days realize that they are in the driver’s seat when it comes to applying for employment. Why would anyone choose to work at a company that was sending a non-verbal message that it was opposed to change or thinking outside of the box?

The way all of us do business is changing and the ball is no longer in any particular company’s court. The customer controls the way businesses operate and the products they release more than they ever have in the past. The “ugly” companies Nick refers to, while I’m sure are based on sound principles, would be good to extend the conversation to their customers. Can this be done without social media? Of course! Mom and pop businesses do it better than any of us and rarely use a computer. But, if you’re a company that wants to streamline the process and grow your company faster and more efficiently, then social media and networking are great tools for you to listen to what your customers are thinking and feeling. Social media allows every big corporation to operate like the mom and pop corner store in Smalltown, USA and that’s a powerful notion.

Integrity, credibility and profit will always be the base foundation that drives business. What social media allows your company to do is monitor those three principles on a much wider scale, gauge when and how you are swaying from that original goal, and give your faceless company a human side that consumers can relate to and interact with should they have comments, concerns or praise.

Word of mouth is a powerful tool in your marketing toolkit. Social media allows you to squash bad word of mouth while it’s in its infancy, while you harness and spread good word of mouth on a vast scale. We are moving into a world where business needs to be transparent. Social media offers your company a tool to be just that. So Nick, don’t think that social media is just a cool fad with no real value. No matter how large your company gets, social media gives you the unique opportunity to treat each and every customer as if they were your only client. And yeah, that is cool.

What do you think? Is social media and networking just a bunch of hipsters running around with “concomitant arrogance and I-am-cool posturing for foolish venture dollars?” Or is it foolish for a company, no matter how established, to refuse to accept social media as a viable tool for continued success? Have you experienced any sort of backlash, be it in hiring, marketing, operations, etc. that was directly related to the lack of a social media strategy? What do you think about all of this social networking mumbo-jumbo? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments section.

Thanks for letting me rag on you a bit, Nick.