A recent post by Alexandra Samuel on The Conversation, 10 Reasons to Stop Apologizing for Your Online Life, contends that IRL is a lie and sign that we are in denial about reality (and life) in the 21^st century.  While I agree with many of the points Samuel made, it got me thinking about people who, pardon the term, IRL are polar opposite to who you meet when the relationship moves offline.

We’ve all been there. Hit it off on Twitter and decided to meet for coffee. Been twit-matched by another tweep because we seem like a perfect virtual match, but sat in an awkward silence face-to-face. Wondered if we had the right Twitter handle show up to make our IRL acquaintance. On the flip side, we’ve all gotten what we thought we were getting when taking a relationship from virtual to face-to-face terms.  (Although, I’m sure one could contend that Skype gives us a virtual face-to-face relationship, but, alas, I digress.) The question is: how and why does it happen?

Judgment

While online judgment is undeniable, it can be blocked in a matter of seconds. Blocking in real life, while possible, is a bit more challenging. People feel more freedom to express themselves in their web-based lives.

Flying Under the Radar

Unless you are pumping out hundreds of tweets per day and have tens of thousands of followers, you can fly under the radar without even trying. This is a bit trickier IRL, if not impossible in many scenarios.

Few Can Call You Out

While your IRL friends who are also your social pals will note a discrepancy in personalities, people who only know your online persona won’t know that you aren’t providing an accurate portrayal of your IRL self.

Who You Want to Be

Let’s face it. It is human nature to want what you don’t have. So, if you are a wallflower and want to be a social butterfly, why not create that persona online while keeping one foot in your IRL comfort zone?

All of the above considered, the question is: why do we continue thinking IRL is different from virtual? We have all seen the power of virtual relationships and learned that even without a face-to-face meeting the relationships can be equally strong. You can find people with the same interests at a networking group, through a Twitter search or through a social (media) matchmaker.

So why do we still differentiate between the two. Is it a matter of timing? That we need more case studies showing the power of online relationships to believe they are the same as IRL? Does the ability to create an online persona prevent an IRL equivalent of trust? Or is it that the nuances that differentiate these two types of relationships are so significant that IRL and virtual will never be the same?

I’ll sheepishly admit that I’m not the biggest fan of obscure marketing initiatives. The Subservient Chicken bored me. I’m a landing page creator’s worst nightmare – cute, creative or otherwise, I’ll just Google the company’s name when I have a chance. However, my brand loyalty for Kettle Chips made me consider Crunch Proud, at least for a moment, that is.

I learned about Crunch Proud from AdRants, which billed the initiative as an online promotion and sweepstakes which invites people to join the loud food club. At the end of the post, a little quip caught my attention:

So if you’re a Kettle potato chip lover, this campaign’s for you. Oh wait, no it’s not. You’re already branded. So do the brand a solid and tell your Ruffles-loving friends to check out Kettle.

This statement struck me for one reason – my intuition leads me to believe it’s true, that the majority of people engaging in these light-hearted initiatives are already brand loyal. So what makes them successful? Brand ambassadors? Word-of-mouth referrals?

Having visited www.CrunchProud.com, having read the Loud Food Pledge and having downloaded the kit, I’m convinced this is just a fun, stress-buster for Kettle Chip’s existing clientele. The content, IMHO, skews young and I just can’t see this initiative converting new visitors into customers. Perhaps it’s just my natural skepticism, but I think these humorous, viral campaigns are intended more as an incentive for existing clients than a hook for baiting new ones.

Sure, they will spark conversation at the water cooler. And the topic of conversation, obscure as it is, may bring in one or two customers when coupled with a word-of-mouth referral, but is this campaign alone enough to stop people in their tracks and get them to purchase Kettle Chips? I’m interested to hear how other people react to obscure landing pages and obscure campaigns. Does out-of-the-box thinking make you brand loyal? Is it an effective tool for boosting sales or an added value offering for existing customers?

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement

When I first heard Coleman’s latest television spot, which touts the camping supply manufacturer as the inventor of the ‘original social networking site’, I thought, ‘Wow. That’s smart.’ Then I listened to it again. And again. And, I thought, ‘Wow. That’s not entirely right.’

At first blush, it seems like a great theory. The idea of building relationships with people that you may not know intimately. But, without a platform, without a mob around you, is it even similar? I just don’t think it is.

Dissimilar Surroundings

Unlike social media, camping places you in an environment with unfamiliar surroundings. It removes you from the everyday. Social media, however, is intended to integrate into the everyday. To become an extension of what you already do and where you already are.

Tent Capacity

While I don’t doubt that one could have a tent custom-built to hold as many friends as they have followers, in all likelihood, one is not camping with thousands of virtual acquaintances or near strangers. You are camping with at least one or two people that you know, most times. Therefore, you at least know one social point of entry for expanding your relationships. On Twitter, you don’t know the social point of entry day one. And the virtual interface, in most instances, requires a bit more interaction than real life to cement a relationship. (Yes, there are exceptions to the last point. But just follow my train of thought J)

Flies

One good smack of the swatter and you can win against mother nature’s pesky friends. Unfortunately, the (few) bad apples in the social media sphere are more persistent. They can, and in some instances do, create multiple handles, fake Facebook pages and lurk as they see fit. While this is isolated, it warrants a mention.

Consistency

Theoretically, there isn’t an interruption in the social media dialog, unless it is self inflicted. You can take your smartphone into the woods, but the same can’t be said for the taking the tent and campfire into your office. To that end, you aren’t going to be at the campsite day in and day out, thereby missing the opportunity to consistently deliver your message to the target audience. That’s two points for social media.

While this argument could go on and on, the idea that social network started by assembling small groups of people is preposterous. While Coleman’s campaign is clearly intended to put the brand in the company of a favorable concept, social networking, does it ultimately make a mockery of social media, implying it is a quaint activity relevant to small groups?

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement

We’ve all be on one end of the social media matrix. Be it as a source, resource or the joystick (1985 MS-DOS pc reference, anyone?). In many ways, it is what makes social media work so well. That people who don’t know one another can connect. That people can be sources for complete strangers and that the complete strangers can be resources for the other people. But the connections aren’t always made organically. Oftentimes, they are made by the social media matchmaker. You know, that bubbly, super-social person who thrives on human or digi-human interaction. The one that Has. To Be. Around. People. STAT.

How do you identify these people? Before they connect you and your casual love of fishing with an ice fishing zealot from afar, that is. So, are you or your friends/colleagues are social (media) matchmakers?

You Need a Source? Allow Me

I’m all for helping reporters find sources, whether they are my clients, acquaintances or random people that I may have seen at a networking or social soiree.  But sometimes, people will retweet anybody who is looking for anything. If you have, in the past week, retweeted several people whom you do not regularly interact with on Twitter and helped them to find everything from a manicurist to a pet sitter, odds are, you have become a social media matchmaker. While your good intentions are admirable, don’t let your Twitter stream become a sea of only matches.

Have you met. . .

Introductions from people you know and trust are a great way to build relationships with new people. Be they people you network with in real life, your tweeps, friends or connections. It adds an instant level of comfort to the new and budding relationship. But do you ever feel like you are being introduced to a new person every five seconds? On the other end, does reading ‘Do you know. . .’ make you so excited that you can barely contain your enthusiasm? If you have an obsession with introducing people to one another, be it on a social network or in real life, odds are, you are a social (media) matchmaker.

Unsolicited advice

Sometimes, it makes sense to offer people something they aren’t necessarily looking for. For example, a restaurant may be looking for a new chef, so why not tell them that your friend is available for hire. Sometimes, however, there is no logical reason to chime in. If someone is having a bad day, there is no need to suggest why they are having a bad day. Sometimes, the best thing to do is leave well-enough alone. If you have to chime in, and force yourself upon a casual acquaintance or near stranger, you, my friend, are a social media matchmaker.

Cravings

I’ve heard many a PR pro wish for an early Irish coffee, a midday happy hour and the like. But some people crave socialization. If you find yourself constantly tweeting in search of a social obligation to fill your vacant time and looking for some web-pals to tag along, you are most definitely a social media matchmaker.

So how does one peacefully coexist with a social media matchmaker? Well, you let down your walls, open yourself up to expanding your network in ways you never imagined and prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride full of intrigue. If you are a social media matchmaker, why are you reading this post? Shouldn’t you be making some introductions right now?

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement

Some people thrive on face-to-face interaction. Grabbing coffee, lunch, drinks with anybody and everybody. Others prefer to email and text. Many congregate on Facebook and Twitter. There’s no question that there are plenty of people embracing each of these mediums to establish relationships. But where do you build your relationships? Transition from acquaintances to strategic partners or friends?

I recently read The 5 Keys to Building Relationships on the Web, which indicated that entertaining, exciting and engaging with people was key to building web-based relationships.  My immediate response was that these rules were equally relevant to IRL interactions. If we are using the same tactics for creating relationships – informing, entertaining, building trust – whether it is through web-based communications or real life interactions, does it matter where you start the relationship? Does its point of origin directly correlate with the relationships value and longevity?

As a late adopter of Facebook, yes. . .I know. . .I hear about this all the time, I’ve become heavily reliant on Twitter for jumpstarting online relationships. Yes, some of my followers are also my friends, but my communications are more heavily Twitter-based. I find that the people I interact with most often on Facebook, are the people I am interacting in with real life, thereby using the platform as a photo hub and easy way of coordinating schedules.

The people I interact with on Twitter are predominantly those in different geographic regions, so there isn’t any real life interaction supplementing these relationships. Yet, I still interact with tweeps that I met just weeks after first establishing my account.

Amidst this rambling, there is a point – everyone starts their relationships in different places. And, my guess is, everyone sustains their relationships on different platforms. But is there a superior method/sequence? Do relationships that start on Twitter last longer than those started on Facebook? LinkedIn? IRL? I’m interested in hearing your thoughts!

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement

There are many nights when I would love nothing more than to twitch my nose, wave my wand and witness the magical appearance of the Fairy Blogmother. You know, that whimsical creature that brings great post ideas, fluid prose and a wealth of creativity. Yet, I’ve yet to track down this mythical legend. Despite my best attempts to coax her out (i.e. cupcakes), she is a consistent no show. And so, I thought it best to have a little heart-to-heart with the Fairy Blogmother.

Dear Fairy Blogmother,

Remember me? The one that mutters your name under her breath nearly every time she sits down to write a post? The one that keeps begging you to make just one appearance and spark some creativity? Well, I’m making my plea public and asking for a little help. Here’s what you can do:

1) Stop inspiring all of the great bloggers during the same week. I love to read other people’s insights and often pull inspiration from other posts. So stop. Tasking. Me. With. Writing. So. Many. Posts. At. One. Time.

2) Kindly make an appearance when I start to reinvent a post that has already published. If you could spare just one tap of the wand to correct the error of my ways, that would be great.

3) Ghostwriting. I know it’s an ethical quandary for many, but when my clients plan all of their events during the same week or the crisis communications plan comes into play, I could really use you. I’m happy to supply the topic, but if you could throw in the labor, I would be much obliged.

4) Read minds. If you could anticipate what the 20+ bloggers I follow regularly will be writing in the upcoming week, I would be eternally grateful. I don’t enjoy being redundant or producing derivative content, so your psychic powers could be a great added-value for me.

5) Stop. The. Clock. I don’t need you to bring the whole world to a screeching halt, but if you could slow the flow of information on marketing, PR, advertising and social media to make my post ideas relevant for a longer period of time, I would owe you. Big time.

While these list of demands. . .errrr, requests. . .is by no means inclusive, I think it’s a great starting point for getting us in synch.

Looking forward to your ongoing assistance,

Danielle

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement

Having spent last Thursday at a Business Expo, it has become evident that the days of building personal relationships have come to pass.  It seems as though people have become so intently focused on generating business transactions, that they have overlooked the importance of building and sustaining individual relationships.  The importance of the ‘Hi X,’ the ‘I enjoyed meeting you at the breakfast/luncheon/booth/event.’  While it may seem inconsequential, something as simple as a personalized salutation can mean the difference between ending up in the junk mail folder and converting a prospect into both a client and lead agent.

In the few days that have followed the expo, I have found myself on the receiving end of many communication faux pas.  That said, before you exhibit at or attend your next trade show, resolve to avoid these tradeshow missteps:

Beware of the BCC

When sending a follow-up email to those that you spoke with at the expo, take the time to send a personalized email, for example:

Hi Joe,

It was nice speaking with you about promotional products at the expo.  I hope you will consider doing business with Flying Pig Products and putting your logo on the golf balls that we discussed.  If you have any questions or would like a quote, please let me know.

Regards,

Jim

While succinct, this email acknowledges the individual person and their needs.  It is far superior to bcc-ing 50 people on one email.

Emailing Five is as Bad as the BCC

Since my most recent tradeshow, I have received two emails in which I was addressed as ‘Hi all’ and in the company of five other individuals.  While this is similar to the bcc faux pas, it is even more awkward.  I had not met any of the other people to whom the email was addressed, making a reply awkward and also confusing me about their business objectives.  I was left questioning who the target audience was and what they were hoping to achieve.  When I met said person, they asked about 401k plans, yet the email was about referring me business.  This disconnect was puzzling and made me hesitant to establish a relationship.

Bait and Switch

I met a few people at the expo, who, in-person, focused on what they could do for me.  Yet, back at the office, I received emails selling me their services with no mention of their previous offer to refer me business.  Being genuine can often differentiate you from the competition and it is key for building trust.  Don’t change your tune and risk losing business.  You are more likely to get business by remaining authentic and taking the time to build a relationship based on trust.

Tradeshows can be overwhelming for both exhibitors and attendees.  There are so many businesses to remember and people to keep track of.  Take the time to make notes on the business cards you collect so that you can create individual relationships and offer value to your target audiences.  The real value of the trade show lies in being able to build upon the relationships that you started on the show floor.

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement

While the title of this post may lead those who know me well to believe that I am finally going to blog about cupcakes, I regret to inform you that this is not the case. Well, not exactly, at least. Although it is my soft serve and frosting flavor of choice, I am not a universal fan of vanilla. When I see it in news, I simply cringe.

Yes, there are the obligatory news items – a new hire, a promotion, a new office – you get the idea. But do some of the standard ‘vanilla’ news items need to be wrapped without sprinkles, without dragees and without a little ganache? (Read: glitz, allure and panache.) Even when the budget doesn’t allow for a big splash, there are ways to turn your vanilla into caramel with a pinch of fleur de sel on top.

We’ve Moved. . .2.5 Miles
Congratulations! You relocated your office 2.5 miles down the road, in the same town, with the same square footage and without hiring any new staff. The good news is that you still have news. The bad news is that your competitor made a similar move — to an office nearly double the size of its predecessor, that is. So what can you do to make your ribbon cutting memorable? (A) Make a donation to a charity the night if your ribbon cutting, (B) Invite dignitaries to cut the ribbon, or (C) Give your event a quirky (but appropriate) theme. There is no wrong answer. Even when you have an obligatory news item to issue, there is a way to make it stand out and resonate with your key audiences.

You’ve Won. . .
Winning an award is a wonderful thing. But some awards are a bit obscure and the people who read the Green Acres Daily may not have a clue what the TwitterWit of the year award recognizes. Consequently, they may not buy tickets to the event at which you are honored. So how does the organization that has given the award for 50+ years attract attendees and make their repeat news unique? (A) Accept relevant donations for a local charity at the door (i.e. women’s business attire for Dress for Success, canned goods for the local food pantry, blankets for the pet shelter, etc.), (B) Join forces with another vanilla award ceremony, or (C) Not issue a news release and photo from the event this year. That way it will seem new next year. While (C) is blatantly wrong and (B) could work if carefully planned and executed, (A) is ideal. Your organization looks like a good neighbor, you attract new event attendees who want to show support for your cause and people remember that you gave back.

I’m not saying that tying your event or news in with a nonprofit donation is a universal fix, but it sure doesn’t hurt. Yet, many organizations scoop out the vanilla day in and day out. As we often tell our clients, run your news past the ‘who cares’ test. Focus on quality rather than quantity. Think about what you already do that you can do better. These simple steps will take you from grocery store cupcakes to couture confections. . .errr. . .bland news to memorable news. . .that will resonate with audiences for years to come.

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement

To maintain our social media accounts, and help our clients do the same, it seems that we, myself included, have become advocates of repurposing content. Taking a press releases and extracting an e-blast from it. Sending post-event photos to print media and uploading them to Facebook. Putting links to YouTube in our press releases and putting the videos on our website.

Sure, it all makes sense. Social media takes time and time is money. So why not stretch your content when and where you can? It ensures continuity of messaging, keeps all of your communication platforms looking fresh and increases touchpoints with your target audience. But at what point does repurposing become synonymous with diluting? Can you post a new spin <gosh I hate that word> on the same news too many times?

In an age where we are taught that people like to receive information on their own terms, it seems logical that we would offer the same news on every platform possible. And that we would tweak the content to fit the medium. While I’m not saying this theory isn’t valid, it has some holes in it.

Spamming If I sign up for a spa’s e-blasts, receive their hard copy newsletter, read about them in my local newspaper and engage with them on Twitter, it would seem that I have an interest in their brand and news. But if I receive the same news item in each communications, let’s say it is an ad for a new line of nail polishes, at what point do I start to feel like I am being spammed? To that end, at what point do I become indifferent or resistant to the spa’s message?

Deleting If a brand consistently sends the same news across all communication platforms, when do people start deleting the content? If I know the e-blast is going to revisit the news I just read about on Twitter, why should I open the e-blast? If there is a pattern of no differentiation or added-value, people will begin deleting or trashing your communications before they even read them. This is wasting time and money.

As we continue to do more with less resources and stretch communication dollars further, we need to remember that regurgitating isn’t repurposing. Without something new and fresh sprinkled in with the mainstream news, repurposing can easily become synonymous with diluting. And diluted news, if distributed frequently enough, may become as valuable as issuing no news at all.

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement

Look around your office. Look at your pens, pads, folders and folios. How many company names do you see? I recently did a similar activity in my own office and came to the conclusion that pens must be the universal tchotchke. I’ve got them from doctors, printers, marketers, spas, salons, clothiers and many others. And, to be blunt, I pay little if any attention to the name on the pen. I am, however, the type to note the pen’s make and model and see if I can order it, nameless, from an office supplier.

By no means am I discounting the value of promotional products. I am, however, saying that a pen isn’t for everyone. My boss recently brought me, what I currently consider to be, a brilliant tchotchke – a rain gauge branded with the name of a garden center. Now that makes sense. People can purchase their planting materials and acquire a relevant, branded add-on with their purchase. One, nonetheless, that they are very likely to use.

As we approach our trade show season, I’m already experiencing visions of an overwhelming volume of tchotchkes. I also have a hunch that I will be hard-pressed to find these ultra-relevant connections between the brand and its branded giveaways. To that end, I offer companies the following points to consider before ordering the beloved company pen:

Who is your audience: Certainly, 20-somethings may find use in a different giveaway than a more mature audience. Think about who you serve and what makes them tick.

What is relevant to your business: If you service computers, maybe it’s a PC repair toolkit. If you are a spa, maybe it’s an emery board or lotion. Think about not only what your audience will use but what will make them think of you. It’s not just about seeing your company’s name on the product, it’s about a relevant connection.

What’s the competition doing: If you sell seashells and your are going to an industry trade show, it’s likely you won’t be the only one peddling a branded pail and shovel. Think outside of the box. Be relevant but make your brand stand out.

Pause. Repeat: If you are going to be exhibiting in front of a new audience, you may be able to rely on a previous hit rather than reinventing the wheel. If business executives are your target and they typically love a laptop bag, and this audience hasn’t seen you before, then bring back the bags.

Attributes & Attribution: What do you know about your audience? Are they eco-friendly? Are they commuters? Think about their attributes and then decide how your attribution fits with the tchotchke that’s right for them.

Pens may have universal functionality but consider this. When people leave a tradeshow with hundreds of exhibitors, they aren’t going to leave with only one pen.

• 24 May 2012 : Value of a Facebook Fan – Still Worth Considering?
• 23 May 2012 : Why Viggle Will Change Television
• 22 May 2012 : 10 Ingredients to Make Your Event Execution Easy
• 21 May 2012 : Stop Being Idiots -or- NATO and Perspective
• 18 May 2012 : Facebook Research: Brand-Related Posts Drive Most Engagement