Would You Like Fries With That, Anyway?
“Would You Like Fries With That” is an article written about a year ago and the phrase itself is almost generic now. The post made the point that something the “experts” and the “gurus” would disregard works so well it is almost unbelievable.
In particular, this phrase is rated as failing the key tests for emotive marketing and engagement. Or does it?
What makes for engagement in this electronic age? Are the old traditional phrases, words and styles being superseded by the immediacy of e-media? With faster communications, do we now respond to stimulus which doesn’t need the permanency of older styles of marketing messages?
Look at what happened in Australia, during the last Federal Election, through Twitter.
Quote: Anthillonline.com
BuzzElection released an announcement earlier this week revealing the second most influential tweeter (user of Twitter) in the Australian 2010 Federal Election is Lesley Dewar, beaten only by ABC News. ….. what is most interesting is that Lesley is not a political reporter nor does she have a career background in politics……She said: “I’m a grandmother who writes children’s stories…. I think it’s a hoot!”[i]
Twitter is good for very fast, very short messaging, and using #hashtags allows you to focus on topics by tweeters, responses and retweets. While it was a somewhat amazing result announced by BuzzElection, it was the medium itself which allowed for a sudden (and very temporary) measure of influence.
In addressing the question of blogging vs Facebook, Adam Turner writes effectively about the way the mediums have changed our interactions and responses. In his blog post (SMH) Facebook Generation Changes The Face of Blogging[ii] he notes as follows:
Social networking sites were still finding their feet when blogging rose to prominence. The ability for readers to leave comments made blogs seem like the perfect medium for interacting with people, but these days social networking sites such as Facebook are much better suited to social interaction.
This is a view with which I agree – being active in all four medium: Twitter, Facebook, Blogging and LinkedIn.
Twitter is great. It is very easy to post a link to a blog post and those who read the post will very often will also retweet the link. To get a RT from, say, @chrisbrogan or@mikehaydon really kicks you into the Twitter stratosphere. Using hashtags allows you to find mutual interests without necessarily following those other tweeters on a personal basis and still allows for interaction with them.
Facebook is fun, because you can upload your photos and videos directly onto your page, leave a quick “Like”, a friendly comment on the page of a friend or a fan and create deeper interactions. Links are easily posted to blogs and other articles, to be shared around. Business pages allow for much more open communication on Facebook – given the old “fan” page has morphed into the “business page” – and with good privacy controls, you can enjoy Facebook at a deeper level than Twitter.
Blogging is where the real work is done and the real rewards are found. It is the art of blogging which brings the greatest depth of interaction, even though most readers will NOT leave a comment – unless they are very moved indeed by your message or perhaps using the backlink options to help bring you and your readers to their own blogs, by their comment being linked to yours. If is not spam, I have no problems with that strategy.
If a “Like” on Facebook is designed to open doors by notifying others I have Liked or posted there, anyone who genuinely comments on a blog post in the spirit of its content is both welcome and entitled to the backlink. Every blog post needs to have a “share” option for at least Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other Social Media sites so with a simple click of the Share button, your readers can make the most effective comment of all – sharing your content with their friends through their own networks.
Making a buying decision is traumatic.
Leaving a comment on a blog post is a very strong buying decision. Not all your readers want to promote you – even though they like what you say. So, how do you “upsell” them. How do you offer them “fries with that” at a price they are happy to pay and enjoy the experience? When they share or comment on your blog link elsewhere, they have bought “fries with that”
The top one third of your website is the most valuable real estate you own, online.
It is where you need to display your Blog link, your Facebook page, your Twitter link – so, when they or their friends come to your site, they see your menu.
Are you flaunting your Menu for all to see, with a clear call to action?
Every visitor is a potential customer. How, and how often, do you ask them “Would you like fries with that?” You can get my fries (and more) at http://storiesmynanatells.com
About this blog:
If you share your blog posts on Social Media platforms, the comments on the link from your blog are just as valid as those left on the blog post itself. We are very happy for comments and shares to be done through our Facebook page or by RT on Twitter at @nanastories
If you find good links to share, please do it! If you like our stories, please share us with your family and friends. We would love to hear from you, too. We love comments and we love to share!
(c) Lesley Dewar 2012 to current
Do You Interview Your Networking Group Organizer?
Do You Interview Your Networking Group Organizer?
Having participated in networking activities for many years and written a book about developing Networking skills, I want to discuss what constitutes a valuable networking service for you.
By a networking service, I mean a commercially structured group designed to help its members to network with others to develop mutually beneficial sources of business.
Some have joining fees, and/or ongoing membership fees, restricted membership (usually based on occupation), and dictate a level of minimum participation, which may in fact be weekly. Events also attract attendance costs.
Others have no joining fee, structured levels of membership and some “free” activity participation, as well as paying for event attendance (usually when catering is involved)
Another model is open association, with no formal financial membership requirements, apart from paying for your own breakfasts or so, and the occasional glass of wine.
The driving force behind running a networking group can be true altruism – providing a genuine environment in which professional people can meet and talk and build their own business connections. The spin off for the organizer is a sense of loyalty to the organizer and their business, and respecting their right to deny direct competition in their own profession from participating in their group.
It may be a networking group that is focussed on a particular part of your business or personal development. Business coaching is a common theme for these networking groups.
Another is the commercial network model, where membership fees are the primary revenue for the organizer. A range of levels of Membership may be offered and Members are offered a variety of “back office” services including website listings.
The opportunity to provide the occasional contribution to a newsletter; being part of a directory where your professional skills are showcased; being part of an internal discussion group on LinkedIn or Facebook or a similar platform (usually with rules about what can and cannot be posted) and having the opportunity to be a guest speaker on occasion within the networking group are all factors which make networking attractive, regardless of the occupation or business of the participant.
Networking is a very personal event and activity. Finding the right structure to help you continue to build your own network takes time and effort, as well as money. Some models may suit you. Some may not. Some people like to mix and match different models to get a broad range of options to maximize their time and money, when they participate in networking. Finding the right group of fellow networkers is something which also needs careful consideration.
If you are only “networking” to try and advance your own business interests, your interaction with the groups you choose may be short and with little profitable results. If you are committed to helping others build their own businesses by helping them fill the gaps in their own walls of strength and growth, you will proper.
We would like to hear your comments of your networking experiences and hear suggestions on what would make your networking experiences more satisfactory.
About this blog:
If you share your blog posts on Social Media platforms, the comments on the link from your blog are just as valid as those left on the blog post itself. We are very happy for comments and shares to be done through our Facebook page or by RT on Twitter at @nanastories
Lesley Dewar shares her new eBook with you. Nothing to buy! It is a gift and you can share this link with your friends.Simply click on the book cover to get your own copy of ”Networking To A Plan”
One Hundred Heroes
Living in the hills in Stoneville for many years, our iconic red tailed black cockatoos kept me company on many a lazy afternoon while the Eagles battled on the football field or the Carnaby’s white tails sent my Dad running as they showered him with “honkey nuts”. We watched them raise their babies; tease Burt, our pink and grey galah and as a kitten, Splinter was fearless in confronting them in the branches of the banksia.
Marri trees covered with their intense white blossoms gave us “summer snow” every autumn; when March flies appear from nowhere to feast on the nectar and us, and a short time later uncountable tonnes of white stamens drift down to fill the kerbs to overflowing. Driving along Stoneville Road towards to Mundaring, for all those years, I knew little of the critical future now faced by our white and red tailed black cockatoos.
For the past six months, through meetings and public protests; Facebook, blog posts at Stories My Nana Tells and other social media sites, a lot of friends and I have been engaged in a campaign to bring their plight to the attention of [Read more...]
Do You Play An Open, Generous Game When Networking?
For the past couple of months, I have had about eight games of Words With Friends (electronic Scrabble ®) on the go at any one time on my iPhone. Thinking about playing Words With Friends (WWF) has led me to thinking about networking, because networking needs strategic planning, as does this game. You need to network with people with whom you are comfortable; can trust and with whom you can work to each other’s mutual benefit.
When you request an “ad hoc” opponent with whom to play WWF, it will probably be a stranger and may well be someone quite experienced in the strategies of the game. As you play with different opponents, you begin to see individuals have their own ways of approaching the game of word building.
One strategy is to make lots of very small, very tight moves; words of only two or three letters at a time which make it [Read more...]
Is Social Media Helping Or Hindering Your Productivity?
The major complaint about “Social Media” is that it either wastes your time or it is not effective for business. Like all activities within your business, the use of Social Media needs to be structured and focussed. You would not spend thousands of dollars on advertising without carefully deciding on your target market; the actions you want them to take and the words you use to attract their attention. Using Social Media for business is exactly the same, but with much less cost.
We have a wide range of Social Media resources for business at our fingertips – and these are my favourites (although [Read more...]
Walking and Talking With WIBWA
Networking is an excellent way to meet and get to know new people with whom you can share ideas, offer suggestions and get feedback on your business. It’s always great when you can do some networking in a new and interesting way and hats off to Jennifer Rose Bryant of Women In Business WA for her inspirational group of women – with whom I walked and talked this morning. My TShirt was given to me by The Upbeat Dad (Rodrick Walters) when he and his family took me to my first game of US Baseball in Miami!
Walking And Talking With WIBWA
This is not my first time walking and talking with Jennifer’s group – I managed to complete the 6km walk on my first outing on September 19 last year. The ladies in this group are very inspirational, high achievers and big supporters of each other. One key member is Janette Philp who led a group last year to trek the Kokoda Trail and they raised over $125,000 for Breast Cancer Care WA . It took them ten months to train for the arduous terrain in Papua New Guinea and their book about the trek and the personal stories of the women who participated is both heart warming and challenging at the same time. I urge you to get a copy from Janette’s website and read it. You will look differently at these “ordinary” Perth business women you can meet at breakfast or on a walk.
Fitness – Not Fashion
On my first walk, I wore a pair of Klouds slip-ons – very comfortable and fully supportive of my arches, etc – but the ladies (all fully rigged with ergonomically designed runners) were not convinced, even when I did 6km on my first effort. So, off I went to the Athlete’s Foot, got measured and tested and kitted out with a pair of runners that cost me over $200. Yes, they are very comfortable and probably are doing a better job than the slip-ons. I wore them today for the third time, walking and talking. I am hoping I don’t pull up sore, this time, though.
Now, I know it’s a long time from September until January – but there is a good reason why my runners have had so few outings. They were packed for the trip to Melbourne at the end of September, when I set off to see the King Tut exhibition – something I have wanted to see ever since my friend from Cleveland, Susie Sharp told me about it and shared some of her own photos with me on Facebook. The trip was planned as a triangle – going via Darwin, where I would catch up with Bronwyn Clee who came down from Darwin for the Global Women’s Summit we held in Perth in July after my return from the US. With her help, I arranged to read some of my stories to kids in schools, booked a coffee and cake morning to meet local Mums and then go on to Melbourne. As it happened, the three legged trip had much cheaper airfares, too. The only disappointment was that Bronwyn had to fly out to LA the morning I arrived and I was supported by her network in Darwin.
Dropped Like a Stone, in Darwin
While I was in Darwin a previously unknown and undiagnosed ovarian cyst saw me off to hospital in an ambulance for emergency surgery and a few days stay in the Royal Darwin Hospital. It was the size of two thirds of a box of tissues; I was too ill to risk being flown back to Perth and the admin and medical staff were just fabulous. They got the hotel in which I was staying to pack up my room and deliver my belongings to the Hospital and this large, red crocodile suitcase followed me around from station to station until we knew what was wrong with me and how long I would be staying.
I remember when the technician was doing the ultrasound while we were trying to source the site of my incredible pain and I looked at the screen and said “is that dark patch the mesh from my hernia operation, last year?” He looked at me, slightly askance and said “no, that is your cyst,” to which I replied “cyst, what cyst????” My mind began connecting the dots: ovary, ovarian cyst, ovarian cancer, usually too late when they find it – and I did a mental internal scan and decided NO, I do not have ovarian cancer. The technician was not so sure but I knew it to be the case and subsequent tests showed there were no pre-cancerous cells nor existing cancer.
The fun came when we had to arrange my flight with Qantas back to Perth from Darwin and I needed my credit card. My mobile phone had been with me all this time (three days) and there had been lots of fun on Facebook and Twitter – it saved my sanity, I think. When we retrieved my suitcase and personal belongings, the little brown envelope in which my security receipt was stored gave us lots of fun and the opportunity for many mad comments on Facebook.
Of course, that was the end of my trip to see King Tut and the next eight weeks were spent recovering from a sizable incision down the length of my tummy. If you follow Stories My Nana Tells (Facebook) on Facebook, you will know that during those eight weeks, I spent some time house and cat sitting for Lisa and Warren; did some #ScienceAtWork with a dead, cooked chook and then hatched two little chickens, posted as #DayOldChick.
Back On Track
My brand new, virginal runners were taken out for the final WomenInBusinessWA Walking and Talking event in December, 2011 – but I was only able to walk about 500 meters, before I had to turn around and go back. Since then, especially in the New Year, I have started swimming and walking in water for 30 minutes a day three or four times a week and doing a stint on the treadmill a couple of times a week as well. Building up my core strength and improving my fitness proved itself today: with a 6km walk under my belt with no trouble at all.
While we two may not have been as fast as the other ladies who do this and other walking, I had a great time walking and talking with Ruth Jenkins of Ruth Jenkins (Sina Solutions) . We got on very well, networked like there is no tomorrow and found many interests in common. She absolutely needs to be introduced to my friend Nicole Ashby of Nicole Ashby (FIFO Families)
If you are a business woman in Perth, I strongly recommend not just Walking and Talking, but networking regularly with an extraordinary group of very down to earth women at Women In Business WA By the way – they are having a breakfast next Wednesday January 18. Will we see you there?
Snap! Your Business Card, Sir!
2011 – The Year Of The App
2011 was the year of the app (application) on smart media like iPhone, iPad, Android and others, of that we have no doubt. From some diligent market research and asking the right questions on Twitter, Paul O’Mahony in Cork, Ireland has come up with an excellent list of smart media apps and he certainly makes it clear why we need to be asking who is using what:
How many Apps are there in Apple’s App Store & Google’s Android Market? 500,000+ iPhone + iPad Apps; 300,000+ Android Apps. Many Apps overlap – but it’s impossible for anyone to sample more than a tiny % of the whole field.
There are several on Paul’s list that I definitely will be investigating for my own use. There is one App, however, that does not appear on the list and I have already begun to use it, with great pleasure at the results. It is called Card Munch
Card Munch is the first App I downloaded to my new iPhone 4 as part of my commitment to being more efficient in my business. Card Munch is owned by LinkedIn who bought the business in 2010, it interacts with LinkedIn, is FREE and is very easy to use.
Once you have downloaded the App from the App store, you simply bring a business card into focus and take a photo with your iPhone or iPad camera. When you are happy that the picture is in focus, you upload it via the internet to Card Munch. There, the text and number data from the photograph of the business card is transcribed by people – and if the person whose information is being transcribed is already a member of LinkedIn, their details will be linked to your record of the upload.
The amount of information that is then available on your contact list on your smart media is amazing. Subject to what has been completed on LinkedIn, in addition to the picture of the card you submitted, you can see all of the following:
- · Name,
- · Business Name,
- · Level of connection with you (1st, 2nd etc)
- · Address,
- · Phone,
- · Fax,
- · Email,
- · Website,
- · Mutual connections on LinkedIn,
- · Number of total connections on LinkedIn,
- · Summary of their business expertise as entered into their LinkedIn profile,
- · Specialities
- · Experience
- · Employment
- · Education
- · Recommendations
- · Blog address
- · Twitter address
If the person is not a member of LinkedIn yet, your contact record will provide only whatever is on their business card.
Which begs the question: What is on YOUR business card?
With the rapid movement of business away from traditional data bases being stored on your own PC or Server and instead being consigned to the “cloud” or created using third party apps like Card Munch, the future for the innovative business cards in strange shapes and sizes looks less promising than it did in the past. Cards that do not have the individual’s name printed on them may not have the information needed to create a personal contact in your mobile media, using the Card Munch data base.
There is likely to be a move back to the more traditional business card that is rich with contact details and in particular, easy to read. Instead of hiring an intern to sit and enter personal and business details into a data base, it takes no more than photographing the card and letting it return to you, fully interpreted.
When the Card Munch information is returned to your mobile media, you have plenty of options for networking further.
If you are not connected on LinkedIn, you can invite them to connect. Because you have their business card and their email address, you comply with one of LinkedIn’s key criteria – that you must have met the person individually. If they are not already a member of LinkedIn, your invitation will help LinkedIn to rapidly expand its member base through your invitations. Along with the option of adding the data for each person to your own contact list, you can email them from your Card Munch records, phone them or forward a copy of their business card to a friend. It is particularly attractive that you can make contact from the Card Munch application without adding all the details to your permanent records immediately. Scanned information can be deleted if necessary.
2011 may well have been the Year Of The App. 2012 will be the Year Of Networking – as more and more businesses integrate their social media activities with face to face meetings. Having access to such a plethora of good information at your fingertips through LinkedIn and Card Munch means it will be much more efficient and profitable to network and make arrangements for “coffee meetings” with those whose relationships you want to strengthen.
Using the networking strategies of Networking To A Plan will be easier than ever and make Face to Face networking more efficient and profitable.
You do not have to be a member of LinkedIn to download and use Card Munch. For those who are members of LinkedIn, keeping your contact data up to date will be a snap. Now is a great time to review your business card data and freshen it up for 2012 – with apps like Card Munch in mind.
About sharing this post:
Lesley Dewar is a well known blogger and workshop facilitator who writes regularly on Social Media, marketing and customer service in the category of Business Tips
Her free eBook can be downloaded directly at Networking To a Plan Sharing this article is permitted providing this footnote is not deleted – all rights reserved. (c) Lesley Dewar 2012
Plan, Commit, Trust – for 2012
While it may only be January 1st, 2012 – already I know this will be a very good year. Because most of the time, what we get is what we expect. If we have great expectations, it is highly likely that we will get better results and rewards for our efforts than if we choose to expect little.
Why is this so? If we genuinely expect to do well, we approach our lives with a much happier outlook. We see things, not through rose coloured glasses that give a false picture, but with an exuberance and flair that shows our positive outlook.
Rather than set a whole list of New Year Resolutions, I have decided to follow the three word “guiding star” approach – but this year, I will revisit them on a regular basis and keep track of whether I have wandered off the path to my goals.
My three words for 2012 are these:
COMMIT
PLAN
TRUST
Commit: To commit to a path of action means you must do it. There is no place for procrastination – nor can there be any prevarication when confronting oneself over decisions made but not carried out. It means that I will have to think carefully before promising to do something for someone else, because this year I am committed to building Stories My Nana Tells into a world class business. Other people have made commitments to me to help me do this and I must honour their pledges in return.
Plan: To have a plan means you have given thought to a wide range of matters: What it is you want to achieve; by when; how many; how much; by what means; with what resources. It must be in writing and written in positive language that brooks no failure. Potential problems will be examined and solved. Methods will be documented. Timelines will be stated and a series of checklists will keep the plan on target and on time as strategic actions are implemented.
Trust: Trust is far more than a belief that “things will be OK – it will be alright”. Trust must be earned and trust must be honoured. Trust is earned by meeting your commitments and showing yourself to have high standards and good ethics. Trust is honoured by accepting the commitment of others and allowing them to fulfil their pledges to you, without unnecessary enquiry as to how it will be done. Trust is more easily engendered when you have a plan, because your intent is clear to see. If you honour your commitments and plan how to fulfil them, you will have great results and greater rewards. Trust is the acceptance of all good things as your right – because you will have earned them.
During the next few weeks, I will revisit these three words and discuss how they are being applied to building our business at Stories My Nana Tells. That’s my commitment to you. I trust you will take the time, now and again, to keep in touch and see how our plan is being implemented and the results we achieve.
About sharing this post:
Lesley Dewar is a well known blogger and workshop facilitator who writes regularly on Social Media, marketing and customer service in the category of Business Tips
Her free eBook can be downloaded directly at Networking To a Plan Sharing this article is permitted providing this footnote is not deleted – all rights reserved. (c) Lesley Dewar 2012