Getting on the Social Graph - Word of Mouth Media Relationship Ladder RUNG #2 NOISE

OK, so now you understand that even though spamming is something you can do quickly and really quite effortlessly as a company, it is not a wise move in social media by anyone's measure.

The next step up on the ladder is NOISE.

No one likes to be called "noisy", yet, this is typically the first step for a company that decides to "graduate" from email spamming or the social media equivalent of mindless autoresponders trying to "sell" your idea or product to whoever follows you on social media.

Noise in Word of Mouth Media™ is the equivalent of going to an industry event and walking from group to group, introducing yourself, handing out your business card or worse, your brochure and spouting off whatever you want to say and walking away without even knowing whether anyone cared or wanted to learn more.

Engagement does NOT follow noise, nor does conversion.

One of my favorite authors is Sam Horn. She wrote a great book called POP! with the sub-title of stand out in any crowd. Trust me, it doesn't include instructions for how to generate "noise". What Sam does talk about is how to get from the place where someone "furrows their brow", which translates into not being very happy about whatever just happened, or worse, no "brow reaction", to the place where you get a positive response (or in social media terms, someone commenting on your post, your tweet or your video) that looks more like raised eyebrows, which signifies visually "Wow!" or "I get it!".

We'll talk more about engagement when we talk about Rung #3 - RESPONSE. Stay tuned!

Chicke Fitzgerald | founder | Solutionz Media | 813-925-0789

Establishing your company on the social graph - Word of Mouth Media Relationship Ladder

If you are interested in how to get not only on the social graph, but to get to the top, it is all about relationships. Check out the Word of Mouth Media relationship ladder.

For more information, see www.wordofmouthmedia.blogspot.com.

Chicke Fitzgerald | founder Solutionz Group | www.solutionz.com | 813-925-0789

Life cycles and demands on leadership

Yesterday I started a new group on Facebook for innovators. The response from industry leaders across travel, mapping and navigation has been really wonderful.

One of the categories where we are looking at getting input is in the area of leadership. Here is the Leadership Spectrum™ model, created by my friend and colleague Mary Lippitt of Enterprise Management Ltd..

Mary's theory is that at different points in an organization's lifecycle, different skills are needed.

I wholeheartedly agree. For more information about Mary's perspectives, see Mary's website.

Focus on Social Media - Distribution is all about relationship

Over the course of the last six months, I've been spending most of my time learning about the nuances of social media, or as I call it, Word of Mouth Media™.

Of all of the things that I've learned in my 6 month immersion into social media, this first lesson is the most important. It is so important, that I'm going to break it into a series of posts, each one addressing the various rungs of the relationship ladder. Throughout this post which was originally written for individuals trying to master social media, I will tie it all into the topic of distribution.

RUNG #1 - SPAM
Without any training or strategy, most everyone that wants to get across a point, get people to an event, or to somehow get them into your sales funnel, begin online at the bottom rung of the Word of Mouth media™ relationship ladder.

SPAM is not just a brand of canned mystery meat, it is what happens when you attempt to have some sort of dialogue or conversation (or what you think might appear to someone as such) without any form of current relationship.

I say current, because most of us have been building our email list (aka address book) for more than a decade. We have everyone from friends and family, to business colleagues, clients, former clients, all the way down to the guy you sat next to on an airplane in 2002, but can't even remember why you thought he was important enough to add to your address book. The same thing is true for companies that decide to use social media to expand their marketing reach.

We've all done it. You are in a hurry, so you send out a notice of a product launch, an event, a company announcement or even a particularly funny joke, but what you forget to do is to ensure that the person on the other end will actually (a) remember you; (b) care about what you want them to care about.

It goes without saying that this is not only not a good idea, but it is actually counterproductive on a number of fronts.

1. You stand to alienate people that you actually care about a great deal (either personally or professionally).
2. You don't give them a graceful way to tell you that they don't care or more likely, don't have the time for whatever you want them to care about
3. You don't sway them to your way of thinking (they hit delete or navigate away from your post, or worse, unfriend you electronically) before they figure out what it is you really want
   

When was the last time you interacted with your customer or your prospect to learn about what their challenges are and whether you have any way to reach out to them in a meaningful way to solve their problems?

Every time you want to post on Twitter or Facebook on your company page, or your executives are posting (yes, it does matter how your executives are using social media), ask yourself whether you are adding value to your clients or your prospects. Are you solving a problem? Are you educating them on something that will make a difference in their business?

So, if you are on this rung, STOP | THINK | DON'T SPAM. Stay tuned for Rung #2.

Chicke Fitzgerald | Founder | Solutionz Group | www.solutionz.com

Life as a change agent

Today after my radio broadcast, I was listening to a video from the TED conference of Seth Godin, talking about "the Tribes we lead".

So a few minutes into the speech Seth said, "Heretics are the ones that reject the status quo". I quickly learned that he was talking about me. I am the bird on the sign.

Heretics can't abide by the status quo and want to stand up and be counted. I actually like the term change agent better than heretic, but the notion is the same, so I'll go with it!

If you look back at my musings on this blog, I reject the status quo, that the travel industry revolves around the airlines and air travelers and that the future of technology and the future of online travel has to continue to focus on not only air travelers but vacation travel. Air travel only represents 15% of all travel in the US and only 8% of overnight travel. Vacation travel is only 8% of all travel spending. Yet we as an industry have been OBSESSED with this tiny slice of the pie and bemoan the fact that even that small slice is shrinking.

At the end of the video Seth gives out a challenge. I'll let you watch the video and then will say that it is time to stand up and be counted. Be a part of the Drive Market Tribe.

Stand up and be counted. Don't be a "sheep walker". Help me tell a story and connect the tribe. Let's lead the movement of this industry out of the "sea of same", commoditization, to an integrated world where we help people travel across town, to life events, to their next "memory" and we help people connect with information, tools and relationships.

Customer Service is at the heart of successful distribution, no matter the channel

Right now, whether you are trying to reach people through a retail location, a call center, direct mail or your website, your interaction with them - Customer Service - is what really makes the difference. Engaging your customer and building a relationship is what it is all about. It isn't just about selling them, it is about getting them to truly prefer doing business with you.

Check out what Dennis Snow has to say on Customer Service.

Solutionz Media Partners with Apical Resources to help those in transition

Apical Resource Group partners with Solutionz Media to offer services to its candidates
	Apical Resource Group LLC, an innovative travel and hospitality technology recruiting firm, announces that it has entered into a partnership with Solutionz Media, a subsidiary of the Solutionz Group to offer a number of services to its current and future candidates.
Apical has partnered with Solutionz to offer the following services to its candidates: • Resume Writing and Validation • Online Reputation Audit and Management • Resume Live!(TM) - a new way for candidates to market themselves online 'As the online world continues to grow and becomes more complex, it is increasingly important that job seekers fully understand how they are perceived,' stated Alan E. Young, Partner with Apical Resource Group. 'Sites like Linkedin and Facebook offer a window into a candidates background. Some people do not know how their online reputation impacts their job search. By partnering with Solutionz Media, we will be able to offer new and pertinent services to our candidates and thus work diligently to ensure their success and the success of the companies that hire them.' Solutionz focuses on providing practical tools to solve real life business and personal challenges. Solutionz is poised to offer new and innovative services to both businesses and executives alike. Its services are focused on supporting work-life transition, along with tapping into entrepreneurial energy. 'We are extremely excited to be working with Apical Resource Group and its candidates,' states Chicke Fitzgerald, CEO of the Solutionz Group. 'We are now living and working in a different time where polishing our online and offline image is an essential part of achieving our business vision. With the launch of Solutionz Media in January of this year, Solutionz is perfectly positioned to help Apical move its game plan forward, jointly helping people get back into the workforce.' About Apical Resource Group LLC Apical Resource Group LLC. (ARG) is a wholly owned travel and hospitality technology, sales and marketing recruiting firm. Apical focuses on recruiting for mid-level to executive positions and offers a new and aggressive solutions model. For a complete overview or additional information about Apical, please contact an Apical Solutions Representative at 1-770-517-5580 or visit the Apical's Web Site at www.apicalresourcegroup.com. About the Solutionz Group The Solutionz Group is a Tampa-based firm with a consulting arm focused on business growth (www.solutionz.com), a media arm focused on using social media to leave a legacy (www.solutionzmedia.blogspot.com) and a coaching and broadcast arm focused on assisting those in work-life transition (www.solutionzlive.blogspot.com). For more information about Solutionz, contact Chicke Fitzgerald at 1-813-925-0789 or visit one of our various websites.