Tag Archives: boomers

40 Years since the 1st Cell Phone Call – a Retrospective

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Picturephone

Picturephones never made it…

Mashable posted this morning about today making 40 years since the first cell phone call. I had to stop and calculate how young I was at the time…

Ok – so I was in high school

…and we were happy enough having a phone extension in the bedroom (for you Gen x & Yers, an extension was the teen’s only way to get out of the hall to have a private conversation!) Back then, our parents were panicking that they couldn’t hear all of our conversations anymore. We teens were always worried someone would pick up the other line and listen. Nothing compared to today’s worries over teens and the internet!

So who cared?

I don’t recall knowing anything about this new cellular technology. But then, that is how it was with most inventions in that era. New inventions splashed on the evening news and then disappeared. You learned it was best to not to get too excited because many of these earth changing discoveries tended never to get to the masses due to the huge expense of production.

A great example was Jetson’s style visual communication that featured in the Ma Bell “Future” section of the State Fair (above image) year after year. It was a big flop. Of course, now, the internet has taken over that function with Skype and other internet options. Oddly, visual communication finally surfaced without the use of telephones.

Marketing Potential?

So in light of the simplistic perception we all had about the power of visual communication back then, the only advantage we saw to Picturephones was the ability to see who was on the other end of the line. And we weren’t always sure that we wanted to BE seen! The first concern was whether there was an OFF button!

Never was there any discussion as to the marketing possibilities that would come with portable visual capabilities. After all, this was the era of newspapers, magazines, billboards and only 3 TV networks.

Similar to the beginnings of Social Media, it was just about communication and that’s all. Now, the primary discussion is all in Market-speak.

As with all inventions, you never really know what ultimate usage will evolve, but one thing you can be sure of, someone in marketing will always be asking:

How can we use this to reach our consumer? ;)

2012: Email Marketing is Dead; 2013 Email Marketing is King – HUH?

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All through 2012, the buzz was “E-Mail Marketing is Dead!”

Now in 2013, most articles are about why Email Marketing is Supreme for Small Business!

HUH?

Actually, the latter is really true. Email is perfect for small business.

But let’s discuss the why of the mixed messaging and why you as a small business owner need to pay attention.

1. Social Media platforms grew exponentially over the last few years.

Soooo, “they” assumed, that because the growth was so rapid, social media platforms would soon replace email and all other traditional forms of marketing and communications.

While that might be true in major metropolitan areas and college campuses, there is still a huge population out there that doesn’t own a SmartPhone or that  only accesses internet through a desktop.

But, email is universal.

Everyone sits down at home and work and checks their email…

Another assumption was that because Social Media platforms are “Free,” that it would be nonsense for anyone to ignore it as a marketing avenue. Again, you can pick up a hammer, but that ain’t gonna make ya a carpenter!

Sure you can create an account for free, but time is money, and it takes time to maintain a social media business page, not to mention at least basic marketing skills. Nothing wrong with that, – all marketing comes with a cost – but that has to be considered.

Then, when it comes to attracting fans, many of those fans are laggers in social media who only use it for sharing funny cat pictures and playing application games. So, getting fans to pursue your page is another form of investment – a good offer to like a page, the giveaway, someone to manage the comments and likes, someone to engage to grow fans… And don’t believe those hucksters claiming to bring you from 0 to 40,000 fans! Fake profiles = fake fans = no rise in insights or revenue.

Now, why was email getting badmouthed:

2. “Free” Email services were springing up all over the place.

Why pay for email service when you can get it for free? Again, because FREE is never really free! You pay a price eventually – think of the hidden cost to you when your email goes to a spam folder and never reaches your intended recipient?

So, if you were judging the effectiveness of free email vs free social media… neither one will bring results so that comparison is probably moot.

They are both an investment in Time and time costs money.

OK, so now what should you invest your time in? Social Media or Email Marketing?

If you are asking this question, it tells me you don’t know your customers or clients. Face it, most of you small business owners have poo-poo-ed SoMe and Email.

Why don’t you let your customers tell you where you should invest your time?

  • Have you noted whether your customer is tapping away on a mobile while they are waiting in line?
  • Have you asked them what platforms they use?
  • Have you invited them to join your email subscriber list?

Stop being an employee of your own business and market your business. How?

  • Find out which Social Media platforms are appropriate for your business and demographic – Start with one and do well, then move on to others.
  • Invest in an email service that fulfills your needs for marketing and has integrated social media tools for efficiency and broader distribution that will attract new subscribers. (want to play around with one for free for 60 days? Click here!
  • And pay Freaking attention to where your customers live online! ASK THEM. SURVEY THEM. TALK TO THEM.
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Keep it Slow and Simple with LOTS of Visuals! – Seminars and Webinars, that is… :)

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Seminars have your head spinning?

I’ve been asked to provide a presentation/demo on online tools that a) are free and b) easy for even the tech-challenged (these aren’t just boomers either… I’m surprised how many in their 30s have no clue).

It started with an email newsletter that I sent with a few tips on free tools. The host of the event is a subscriber and loved it, so she asked me to present on it at one of her events. (Which shows you never know where opportunity will knock).

To tell the truth, I had felt guilty about that newsletter. I had been so busy that I didn’t have time to do the newsletter I wanted, so I featured the tools. Hmm. But, turns out it was fortuitous in giving me the opportunity to speak (I loooove to speak!).

Now, how do you fill 45 minutes on tools without overwhelming the audience?

I’ve decided to keep it slow and simple. With LOTS of visuals!

I mean, don’t you attend a seminar or webinar to feel like you actually LEARNED something?! I haven’t been attending as many as I used to because I get disgusted with people who hold you captive for an hour only to gloss over the topic and then slam you with a sell at the end. And the worst are those webinars with a stagnant visual just in your face the whole time.

Give me some meat and potatoes. Give me something to chew on for a while. Give me a reason to go back to my desk and try something new.

How about you?

I hope my audience walks away with something of real value…

 

I Can, I Can, But Do I Have the Time? Technology Offers Too Many Options!

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Rotary phone

Frequently I get on my laptop, pad, phone, whatever, and read about or see all kinds of things I CAN do with the various platforms, software, apps, gadgets, widgets, etc…

But I thought of something today. Maybe I CAN, but I don’t have the time!!

No. There is just not enough time in the world to learn, use and play with all the coooooool stuff out there. Much less the incredible productivity tools.

The ironic side of the productivity tools is they take to long to learn to use – therefore I am either a) not using them, or b) only skimming the surface in terms of their capabilities.

I know I am not the only one suffering from technology overload!

BUT

There is a cure from these time eating distractions!

  1. Unsubscribe from newsletters that update you on the latest technology (in other words, all of them…)
  2. Unfollow all social media accounts that tweet and post on technology (in other words, all of them…)
  3. Cancel all printed subscriptions that mention the latest tools and gadgets (in other words, any printed media…)
  4. Stop watching any show on TV that tells you about the latest trends in technology (in other words, all TV news, infotainment and shopping channels…)
  5. Stop watching any shows on TV that has anyone USING the latest technology (in other words, the rest of them…)
  6. Stop going to any place of business that has a TV or WiFi (if you are in a major metro area, looks like you aren’t going anywhere…)

Now that you’ve done all that, you don’t need your:

  1. data plan
  2. Smart Phone
  3. gadgets
  4. TV
  5. desktop, laptop, pad, etc…

Ummm – What did we used to do before we got tricked out with technology?

Oh, yeah, we talked about all the time we would have when we modernized and advanced into the age of technology… :-)

Nevermind…

P.S.  How do YOU manage it all?

 

Social Media Changes Mean Never Put all Your Marketing Eggs in Just One Basket

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Don't put all your eggs in one basket

So you finally got comfortable in social media, but the recent changes and demands are making you a little more than nuts. You spend a lot of time learning how to stay up in edge rank, but they keep changing the rules. Facebook’s recent stock decline forces scrambling with monetization strategies to keep stockholders happy, Twitter is playing with ads and tweet promoting, and LinkedIn is knocking at that door. (related post – Facebook – Stop Charging the Cows for Providing the Milk …)

Just like the presidential debate last night, it’s hard to know what’s in store for us tomorrow!

It’s case by case with some generalities and your online presence must have a firm foundation. But as so many small businesses focus primarily on Facebook, it’s important to consider that the Facebook you are using today may be nothing like the Facebook we use next year.

Never, never put all your marketing eggs in one basket!

So what IS your foundation? What can you rely on for marketing your business? No one knows what’s coming down the pike, but two things you should be thinking more about are your website and your blog.

Your website and blog are the online presence(s) you have (almost) total control over.  In the scurry over social media, have you neglected both?

Is your website up to date with current promotions, pictures and captivating information about your business?

When is the last time you took an objective look at your website content? Does it still look the same as the day it was uploaded?

Does it have flash? Get rid of that. It messes with your search engine rank and flash is NOT mobile friendly. Yes, both very important considerations.

Is the About information still correct? Pictures of staff current?

Do you have link buttons for your social media and newsletter?

Do you blog and is your blog linked to your website?

Blogging is not a specific social media platform, but no other social media platform is as effective in generating new content for search engines as blogs. And the beauty of blogging is the ability to re-purpose the content to your social media. And when is the last time you posted? No excuses about not knowing what to write. If you can converse with your customers and clients, you can put a version of those conversations online. Those customer queries on your product or service are gold for content. If they have the question, so do many others! Share your knowledge, tips, anecdotes, experiences….

But what about your social media?

No, I’m not saying to dump Social Media. But make the time to blog and keep website content fresh! That content can be virtually duplicated across all social media platforms,  so tweak and tailor your content to the medium and you’ll have plenty to post. Think of your blog content as evergreen content to post when you get stumped on what to post.

Don’t stay at the mercy of the whims and bumps of dealing with the unknown controls of the various platforms.

Now get to work.