The Power of Intrinsic ‘Influencers’

24 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Brand Awareness, Branding, People relations

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This is going to be a different-kinda post; but, I really wanted to express the message and showcase the dynamic of peer relations.  You can find a lot of posts regarding influencers…

Eric Enge

Casey Henry

Rand Fishkin (post is on ‘going viral’ but influencers are a topic)

There are more posts out there; you’re welcome to share in the comments.  Basically, the posts suggest you could leverage an influencer to gain better traction with your content.  Of course, this makes sense.  Would there be a difference in perception if I tweeted something or someone better known?  I think so.

Honestly, I don’t like the concept.  I think it’s a sound concept; but, I’d rather make connections (like with link building) because the relationship makes sense, not because I want something from someone.  To me, there is a difference.  It matters to me.

Do you know what also matters?  It really makes a difference when an ‘influencer’ acts like one.  Please, don’t assume I’m directing anyone to act in a certain manner.  Be you; you’ll never hear me suggest differently.  However, I used to be a teacher.  I really respect the role and my ability to affect peoples’ external and internal lives.

The ‘influencer’ posts usually center on the extrinsic value of their relationship; however, I’m a man very interested in psychology and relations.  I would like to discuss the internal value an influencer can bestow on a peer.

I would like to give two real examples:

 

One:

Back in late February, Chris Winfield, wrote a great post on Moz, providing 92 ways to get and maximize press coverage.  I really liked the post, having a past and interest in PR myself.  I perused the comments as I always do with posts.

At a point, I noticed someone asked a question.  I know sometimes authors don’t always get around to addressing all questions in comments (some people do an outstanding job – Dan Shure for one); so, I responded.  The questioner was appreciative; but, what was so appreciated and an influence on me was Chris’ future comment under mine.

“I don’t have much to add to Anthony’s terrific response above…”

Wow!  Wow!  Chris Winfield observed my response and took notice of my PR acumen.  I can’t even begin to find the words (and I’m a writer.)  Sure, Chris didn’t award me the Pulitzer; but, small sentiments can make huge, influential impressions.  Believe me.  Moreover, afterward, Chris began following me on Twitter.  (I was like, really?  Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?  You know I’m just a…)

That’s not Chris’ attitude; he is ‘never too cool for school,’ and will offer a compliment when he sees something he likes:

Chris Winfield

@content_muse I like how you find good quotes from the stuff you tweet :)

 

I really don’t want to embarrass Chris or ‘flash around’ my online relationship with him.  If he or other influencers are reading this, I want them to know you really have the power to positively influence others.  That’s a very special gift.  I hope you all notice; and, though like suggested above, I would never make suggestions or tell people how to behave, I do celebrate those who understand their positions as teachers and influencers (extrinsically and intrinsically).

 

Two:

About a week and a half ago, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek post on being socially ironic.  Don Rhoades, who you must follow and read, was exchanging Twitter banter with me regarding the post’s picture of J.J. Jameson

Don Rhoades  Don Rhoades ‏@TheGonzoSEO

How to Be Socially Ironic Onlinehttp://www.webimax.com/blog/social-me … via @content_muse // +1000 for use of JJJ

But then, Julie Joyce, who I think is one of the best link builders and SEOchicks (their term, not mine  :p) this side of the galaxy, offered some banter of her own.

JulieJoyce  JulieJoyce‏@JulieJoyce

@content_muse @TheGonzoSEO some Sex Pistols or Clash would work, not that I’m trying to boss anyone around…

I, who’s one never to shy from witty banter, offered a jocose (or so I thought) response.

Anthony Pensabene  @JulieJoyce @TheGonzoSEO haha like ‘Writen Posts the Rotten Way’ … that would be an interesting piece..

Julie said, now I “had to write it!”  I’m sure she was pretty much kidding as well; but, I love writing.  Additionally, if Julie Joyce, a peer I respect, gave me a window, me and my pen are gonna make that square opportunity into something (hopefully) hip.  (Yeah, that was a Huey and the News ref.)

I was kinda busy last week; but, in the beginning of this one, I sat down and channeled my inner John Lydon for a ‘rotten post.’  I figured in the very least, Julie would think it was funny, as well as humorous that I took her up on her tweeted jesting.

I sent it over to Julie; and, this was a part of her response:

“I have to say that the post blew me away…seriously. VERY well written…”

Again, this was an occasion warranting the ‘happy dance’ of Balki and Cousin Larry or the ‘Carlton.’

I really can’t express what those sentiments mean to me and how much influence a peer’s words can have on another soul.  Julie had mentioned she could probably post it on Friday; so, imagine my surprise when I popped on Twitter this morning to find people already tweeting the post!  Fucking bloody awesome!! (Lydon’s words, not mine :)   )

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, like I’ve been stating here, I would never ‘tell’ someone what to do; being someone who always thought the taste of authority was a bit bitter, I abstain from such notions.  However, I’m a BIG people person and champion ‘the good’ in this world.

If you get anything from this, influencers, I ask you to please consider, whether you’re a Chris Winfield or a Charles Barkley, the value of intrinsic ‘influencing.’  Sometimes something as simple as a little tweet means the world to those who respect you.

A few years back, when I was on Facebook, some former students, now ‘adults,’ befriended their old geeky, sweater-vest wearing, argyle-sock rocking ‘teach.’  One girl, who I remembered to be particularly brilliant, artsy, and quiet, reminded me of a lunch-time conversation I had with her.  Honestly, I don’t remember it verbatim; but I remember the personal topic.  She told me (about four years later) she would never forget my kindness as long as she lived.  Wow!  Honestly, it made me tear to know I had such a positive influence on someone who looked up to me.  That’s really special.

Big Business Still Sucks

13 Sunday May 2012

Posted by in Brand Awareness, Branding, Business Strategies

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Remember when Nirvana ‘made it’ big?  It was bittersweet for Kurt Cobain, a super-creative, talented person, who I saw more as a vehicle for his musical messages than the clay-patterned ‘misunderstood’ rock star caricature spun by the media.

I celebrate his self-penned t-shirt message, which read ‘Corporate Magazines Still Suck,’ while posing for the cover of Rolling Stone.  Maybe he was just being ironic.  Maybe he was ‘playing’ the ‘against the grain’ image the mainstream expected.  Or maybe he meant what he wrote.  Maybe he thought ‘corporate’ inextricably meant a loss of ‘soul’ and ‘original intention.’  It wasn’t on scale with what was real to him.

I recently watched a documentary on Kurt.   Within, he used the metaphor of engaging ‘second-hand’ shops to explain how he felt about fame.  He explained how he enjoyed the perusal, the hunt, the need of the second-hand experience.  He explained the intrinsic value contained in the experience itself.  He mentioned the genuineness of the experience.   He then explained how going into a store, knowing one had the resources to shop elsewhere as well as purchase everything within the second-hand shop changed the experience.  He yearned for and respected the feeling of the former scenario.

Inno-sense Lost

“Mark has retained nearly absolute control over his board of directors,” said Joe Green.  “Facebook would have been sold a zillion times over if not for Mark…”  The quote is taken from a NY Times story on Zuckerberg back in February.  Let’s forward to recent Zucker-news.  Oh. Much revolves around Zuckerberg’s choice in fashion.

Peter Attia  Peter Attia ‏ @PeterAttia

@content_muse haha nice! Yeah, it’s funny how big the whole thing got. I think it should be looked at as nothing more than bad fashion.

Of course, the hoot about the hoodie stems from Zuck’s decision to ‘sport’ one while making big business rounds, shaking hands, allowing IPO investors to kiss him like presidents do babies, and all the other big-business things Zuck will have to attend to moving forward, regardless of the duds he’s donning.

Some dudes get stuff done in hoods…

I’m a fan of Zuck’s personality.  I think he’s like Cobain in regard to his original purity toward ‘the game.’  I just worry that he’s going to experience growing pains regarding the ability to ‘stay true’ and not conform to the needs of big business; because those needs are often different from those associated to people.  It may already be too late for him and his behemoth brand.

So You Wanna Be a Hip, Blog Superstar?

Let’s get down to why I’m writing this post.  I believe the principle of ‘scale’ is a huge problem for ‘big business.’  I use the quotations because I speak of big business both literally and figuratively.  In short, big business can’t exponentially expand on the original passion and purpose it was founded upon.  It’s impractical.  Sure, you can pen as many mission statements as you’d like.  I’ve penned some for businesses as a copywriter.  Does that mean it reflects the essence of the catalyst sentiment?  Can you scale the passion of the creators, the original vision of the brand?  Maybe for some, only one vision was there.

Recently, a dude I highly respect, Neil Patel, wrote a post, How to Become a Blogging Superstar.  (I was actually going to link Neil’s name to his Twitter; yet, Jon Cooper, another homeboy with a respect-warranted mind, suggested in his latest post to ask people to link to an internal Twitter profile page, which is a pretty good idea methinks…but I digress)  Neil’s post does what the title says.  However, like all things in life, there are exceptions.

Another brilliant chap, Tadeusz Szewczyk, called shenanigans on the notion; he doesn’t think it is so easy these days.  Bigger brands have more resources and publishing power.  I think I saw where Tad was coming from; but, I was curious of the notion.  I have MORE respect for smaller brands.  I tweeted at Tad for further explanation.

Anthony Pensabene

@onreact_com I liked your point on moz today, but do you think one-man gangs still can make great peer/client traction? I see that as a +

Tad, being the cool, intelligent peer he is, wrote a post to help us better wrap our heads around his understanding.  I agree with both minds.  Neil’s post gives you the tools and suggestions to make it work.  Can he be Neil Patel for you?  No, you have to be your own brand of superstar.  Tad is pretty much saying the same; yet, he’s saying don’t so readily expect to compete with brands with more resources.  I agree; yet, ‘compete’ is the operative word.  In a game of numbers, you can’t compete with big business.  In a game of quality…well that’s a horse of a different color.

Scaled Quality

All brands want to ‘make something people want’; people who are more realistic know that’s not happening.  I believe it’s due to two things.  One, the brand does not operate to make things people want; they operate to make money.  Secondly, the brand initially started with the intentions to make something people want but could not build their promise, their original intention to ‘scale.’  Because it’s impractical; because the concerns of big business alters the original visions of people, those who began a ‘business.’

I’m not debating whether big businesses can operate well…in terms of making money.  I can show you countless examples of such.  I’m debating whether big business can compete on scale with the quality, passion, and attention to original vision individuals and small boutiques can offer.  I don’t think big business can compete in that regard.

Big business still sucks regarding people.  It’s a numbers game and not a people game.  I’m not a number.  I’m Anthony.  Sure, big businesses have the sales/marketing resources to outnumber competition; but, I think such a numbers game conversely alienates people.  The numbers game doesn’t have my respect.  Brands that leverage the numbers game don’t have my respect.  What’s more valuable in regard to business tenacity, numbers or respect?  I guess the answer depends on who you ask.  I think those who respect numbers are going to have to compete harder moving forward; and, I’m not sure all the numbers in the world can cover for a lack of quality.

Relevant Author

Does the source of the information, the product, the service, still matter to anyone?  I know it does for me.  I presently get smart phone swindles services from a major brand.  I love to hear, “‘Not Provided’ appreciates your business.”  WHO appreciates my business?  The rep on the phone, the one hating life, a pawn for the machine?   Is it the CEO?  Does he/she appreciate me or my dollars?  That goes for investors too.

Let’s consider another service, like getting a surfboard shaped.  Would I want to go to a big-business shop, laying down some coin for a brief encounter, amidst a busy store, buying from a kid with zero connection to the owner and me, the customer, other than indirect obligations?  Or would I rather buy one from a guy who’s seen me surf, made suggestions, and willing to craft something specifically for me?  Give me the surfing partner all day.  I know it’s a particular scenario; but, I’m a particular dude; I’m a particular customer.  What I’m getting at is personal brand experience.  I know the source and the source knows me.  I like that…a lot.

Let me switch roles and be the service provider.  I write.  I love to write.  I hope you notice.  Your opinion matters.  It’s everything.  I’ll never lose that.  I think Cobain never wanted to lose ‘that.’  This past week, I received two writing compliments from peers (peers, yes, but they also double as consumers of my product…my writing).  That’s the ether that keeps me going.  I want to create something people want.  Through personal connection, I know, in part, I’m on the right road.  What if I reached kinda big deal proportions?  Maybe I’d try to multiply my satisfaction of the masses.  I’ll hire 50 content muses!  Then I’ll be 50x what I am now.  But wait.  Can I replicate such an experience?  Am I on a wild number chase?

Is there too much ‘big’ in my ‘deal’?

Maybe, I’d just want to keep things more Anthony, more what got the attention to start.  Maybe If I were to expand, it would strictly be with a small band of like-minded souls.  Two heads are better than one; yet, too much expansion dilutes original fires.  In order for original visions to stay relevant, so does the interaction of the original authors.  The people are the crafsman/woman and not the ‘brand.’

I’m a big believer in the notion of branding because I think it’s the process of personifying the company, making it reflect the character expressed in the original vision.  The brand was people made.  Big business has a relevant author problem.  It’s too distant from the essence of the human experience.  People are real.  Businesses are concepts.  My needs are real.  I want a real business.  My passion is real.  In order to deliver, I need to operate on a real-to-life scale.

Conclusion

I guess it depends on how you want to define “compete.”  Last week, Joe Hall, who may be funniest dude to follow on Twitter, who doubles as an intensely-sound marketing mind, wrote a piece on “scumbags.”  I “inbounded” it; excuse my colloquial speech…  In the comments, I celebrated the sentiments of Joe’s post.  I don’t dig scumbags either, but, like us all, sometimes I must tolerate them.  I did respect the Wizard of Moz’s dose of realism:

randfish

“I love the premise of the piece and I agree that it’s how I wish the world worked. That said, I’m not sure I can fully agree. The marketers I love, respect and want to emulate definitely fit this mold, but there are at least a handful who are very successful despite not embodying many of the qualities Joe points out. Perhaps that success is only temporary, but I suspect that it is possible to be a raging asshole and still achieve big marketing wins.”

I agree, Rand.  One can be a successful ‘asshole.’  We all probably know one or a few.  I like what Rand said:  “Perhaps that success is only temporary.”  Right on, Rand; it’s ‘only’ and ‘temporary.‘  Perhaps some don’t see it that way; but, those like-minded to me, who think ‘big business’ still sucks, know what smells like the right spirit.

The Sales Tunnel of Love

08 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in Branding, Business Strategies, People relations

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I’m an online matchmaker.  As a business strategist, I help align consumer desires with eligible brands.  It’s a unique perspective, causing me to understand the needs of both the courtier and the courted.  In the past six years, I’ve observed many brand/consumer relationships.  I took/take notice.  It’s my sworn duty as a matchmaker.

“…but as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature in love mortal in folly.” – William Shakespeare

As a matchmaker, I must understand the logistics of relations…  I’ve noticed the dynamics of marketing courtships and wear the following on my post’s sleeve.

Brand Intent

“Yes indeed, all I really need is…” – The Rascals

I fell in love some time ago…  It was wonderful to be under the assumption of particular sounded intentions.  It took me a while to pinpoint the disparity between what was said and what was done.  Yet, when kissed by the epiphany, it was clear that my lover’s intentions were not favorable to me.

I’m going to ask you a very simple question.  We can tango, tiptoe, waltz around the answer if you’d like; yet, it’s a straightforward inquiry.  What are your intentions regarding your consumers?  Are they dollar symbols?  Or, do you truly believe in your brand, its offerings, and yourself, and have something of value to offer?  I’m savvy in the language of love; you’ll likely tell me what I want to hear so badly…

Ken Herron  Ken Herron ‏ @KenHerron

“There is human connection, and you can’t fake it” -@amandapalmer. #BestDefinitionOfSocialMedia.

(Looks coy, curling his locks) I know none of you would try to ‘get one’ by me…or your consumers.  Some of you are doing it presently.  Your brand is a time bomb of disappointment and doomed relations.  Good intent delivers on the promise of quality, as if the brand wanted to make the world a better place in some shape or form.  Bad intent involves greed, laziness, fear, anxiety and other emotions, which propel brands to make selfish decisions.

I know brands operate to make money; but, that truth is in no way a license to create a stark contrast in exchanged value.  You’re not in business to take money; you’re in business to provide value in exchange for it.  If you’re not (and  YOU.KNOW.WHO.YOU.ARE.) in business to provide value, please leave now or forever hold your peace.  We see you, scumbags; you may not have to close shop today; but, eventually, consumers will see you too.  Don’t say I didn’t…

When I taught, I issued Pensabene’s bookends.  It wasn’t a legally binding contract, yet it held great intrinsic value.  It was an abiding, two-way promise.   I would commit to teaching my students.  They would commit in being good students.

It was a way for them to get to know me and what to expect.  I had each student sign along with a guardian.  That way everyone was on the same page as to my intentions and expectations.  Do you layout intentions and expectations for your  consumers?  Intention is monumentally important.

BlueGlass  BlueGlass ‏ @blueglass

Just be a nice person. The world is full of assholes. @petershankman#BlueGlassLA

Honeymoon Phase

“It is the spring time of my lovin…” – Led Zeppelin

People, places, and things can seem very charming at first, especially if it’s a novel experience.  I would like to call the initial ‘puppy love’ the honeymoon phase.  It’s a time of innocence… a time of confidences…  If you’re going to become acquainted like old friends with consumers, you must sustain the charm past the honeymoon phase.

The honeymoon phase is expected; but will the warm fuzzies last?  Consumers enjoy the initial courtship yet aren’t completely ‘engaged’ to your brand as of yet.

Joel Klettke recently wrote a wonderful piece on Gonzo SEO about taking your client out from under your arm.  You don’t think he’s charming enough?  Aside from being the best-looking man in the world, Joel makes some very convincing arguments.  First of all, I have observed brands making all the mistakes mentioned in Joel’s post.  Additionally, all the things mentioned take place after the honeymoon phase, after the consumer has already breached your ‘web.’  Do you think the eyes of consumers don’t wander?  You don’t think they’re thinking, “What have you done for me lately?”  Think again.

Are you providing ‘great customer service’?  Great.  That’s not novel; that’s nothing new; you’re not deserved of a trophy; it’s called running a reputable business.  What is your business doing to convey those lasting sentiments of warm fuzzies?  Going above and beyond the honeymoon phase gets you on your way to exceptional.  Otherwise, you’re only doing as expected…

Chris  Chris ‏ @RootsWebSol

“Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

 Suspicious Minds

“We can’t go on together with suspicious minds…” – Elvis

After the honeymoon phase, the butterflies flee the stomach and the heels revert back under the head.  A reality sets in.  This could be after spending some time with your product or some days/weeks into the service agreement.  At this point, regardless of what was said, of what was talked about, the consumer can observe whether the talking evolved to walking action.

The original commitment hinges on the promise of the original intent to create value.  Your job as a brand is not done.  You must preserve the value.  Otherwise, eyes begin to wander and minds begin to wonder…”Am I settling in this relationship?  Can I do better?”

I’m never involved in the production phase of marketing clients; that’s the brand’s job.  I’m the matchmaker.  Many services and products are highly similar…in function, provision, price, etc.  So, I ask you, what is special about your brand?  Why should consumers be faithful to your brand?  Why shouldn’t consumers be checking out other brands?  (Seriously, write down what you think; then ask yourself if your consumers’ lists would shadow yours.)

At this point, you must make consumers realize the extended value in their relationship with your brand.  Realize you must make the most of your time with them.  That means the longer they pledge allegiance, the more reasons they should have for doing so in the future…  Does it sound like work?  Relations warrant care and attention.  Otherwise, the courted grow suspicious minds.

Read how Dan Shure engages clients, peers, and people.  “…everything I do is genuine… there is no trickery involved… and I never try to “get” things from others.”  I highly doubt Dan’s intentions and ongoing relations are doubted.

But as Dan mentioned in a previous post on character, it’s not just about what’s said, the physical follow-up makes the lasting impression.

Dan Shure

“…you’re absolutely right, character is very important to me, and not only that, about Mike coming back uptown to see me from downtown – it’s what he DID that aligned with what he SAID. And this alignment of “talk” and “walk” means everything when building character. Something I still honestly work on all the time, basically since I tend to be overly optimistic, and mean the best, but have to be careful to not over-promise and try to be more “realistic” in my thinking.”

Through the Grapevine

“Don’t you know that…I heard it through the grapevine.” – Marvin Gaye

Let’s face it; rarely is there a stable, baseline to relations.  Relationships are charged with emotion, steering hearts and minds to and fro one another.  Such is the dynamic of relations with customers.  People like discussing relations.  A third-party offers an outside perspective, which is always good to have.  Many consumers openly discuss relations with their friends, family members, peers, the guy next to them at Starbucks, etc.

Consumers do the same regarding relations with brands.  If I’m interested in a brand, who am I going to address with inquisitions at first, the brand or someone I know that had relations with the brand?  You better believe I’m going with the latter option.  I don’t think I’m alone.

The grapevine has always existed; social media has made it more robust.  Things can go up or down; the choice is yours.  Even a negative brand/consumer interaction is an opportunity to strengthen the bond.  When you have a disagreement, you can alienate the other person, turning your back on the awkwardness of the situation; or, you can bring them closer into your world by making things right, making them understand you care to do so.

Be mindful of the grapevine.  Its information is contingent on how you treat your consumers.  Happy consumers can be powerful marketing tools; they can also be horrible impediments; but, you have the power to shape the relationship.

Gary Vaynerchuk  Gary Vaynerchuk ‏ @garyvee

if you happen to be seeing this tweet I want to say #ThankYou I am convinced people are confused by how amazing it is to have some1 follow U

The End

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” – The Beatles

Such is one of my favorite sentiments of all time.  The synergy of relations makes them go round.  I believe what you get out of something is inextricably proportionate to what you put in.  Some readers may believe such meditation on consumer relations is not warranted due to their sales cycle, product type, target market, industry norms, etc.  Maybe I’m just a marketer, using a bleeding heart to ink his page; but, I highly celebrate the notion of minding people relations at all times.  You CAN make a BIG difference in the perception of your brand.

Jon Cooper   Jon Cooper ‏ @PointBlankSEO

@chriscountey Glad to know there are awesome, helpful people like you in the world. Thanks again Chris!

No gesture is too small.  I was once enlisted in a ‘surf t-shirt’ of the month club.  I didn’t get t-shirt one month and called the owner…In short, I was sent a bunch of t-shirts to compensate for the one missed.  What was really awesome was the penned letter sent by the owner expressing his sadness in my initial disappointment; and, though he recognized the mistake was done, he hoped his proceeding actions made things ‘right’ with me in the end.  They did; and, the sentiment of that letter, which took maybe minutes to write, stays with me over ten years later.  In the end, sometimes it’s the little windows of opportunity that people look back on.  Those small moments of character resonate with others.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

Would you rather orchestrate your love tunnel in a lateral fashion, where there is a definitive end in mind’s sight from the beginning?  Or, would you rather build a cyclical love tunnel for consumers, consisting of an evolving series of positive interactions?

  

Stop Doing the ‘SEO Robot’ – Human Grooves Make for Better Marketing Moves

29 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in Brand Awareness, Public relations, Technical SEO

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Did you get the memo?  Pandas, Penguins, and Cutts, oh my!  A number of professionals are concerned about the standing Google modifications.  Some are experiencing penalties and drops in rankings.  My sympathy is contingent on a Web master’s understanding of the situation; if they knew they were being ‘bad,’ I say let them eat cake.  If they were duped into thinking SEO does the same as PR, then I express empathy and the following sentiments.

This is the world's tiniest Google violin...

What is SEO?

I’m not penning an SEO for beginners post here.  I’m trying to set a precedent to the post’s points.  We could debate on SEO, inbound marketing, and deconstructing semantics until de Saussure writes his next linguistic study.  (He won’t.  He passed in 1913.)  However, in my limited understanding SEO is a way to build exposure, a way for more people to ‘find’ a brand’s offered goods/services.  In my opinion, SEO is a means to an end, just like a billboard ad is a means to an end.  The operations don’t guarantee anything except the opportunity to bring a brand closer to an end goal, usually a consumer purchase.

So, search engine optimization is a way to make URLs more visible on a respective search engine.  Please accept the immediate, elementary definition.

What are the limitations of SEO?

I see its biggest limitation as being nothing more than a digital version of a billboard.  In short, it’s just another marketing method; yet, the billboard is now the Web rather than a static, three-dimensional entity (There are electronic billboards; so, they are not always static.)

I can create (in my mind) the best, most clever billboard ad EVER.  Does the creative, eye-catching marketing magic guarantee anything in itself?  No.  Even if the billboard or the SEO objectives do exactly as desired (getting attention), are observer actions a given?  Of course not.

I used this argument before; I apologize for the redundancy; but, the message is so clear and powerful in this 2 Metrics that Matter post by Dr. Pete.  I advise reading the post if you have not.  For brevity’s sake, I will elucidate the underlying message:  great rankings do not guarantee great conversions.  There are more pieces to the online-success pie.  The message is that simple.

Rank does not guarantee conversion. Eureka! What's the next case, Watson?

This means, as a marketer or SEO specialist, I can’t guarantee brand products or services are excellent; I can only do an excellent job at giving a brand the opportunity to reach more consumers.  I hope that resonates for readers.  I’m a marketing-savvy, potential-matchmaker.  I create opportunity, not conversions; the latter part is the client’s job entirely.

No Human Touch

Going back to the recent Google updates, many businesspeople suffered because they were optimizing for the search engines entirely.  They placed too much emphasis on robotic brand relations.  Don’t devote too many resources toward technical optimization; you’re doing your marketing campaign a disservice.  Engines are void of human thought and passion; Google desires to supply the ‘best SERP’; but, even when this theoretical future happens, brands will still have a portion of the puzzle to complete, securing the conversion.

SEO Lite

I do celebrate the endeavors of Matt Cutts and his zoo crew; because, the over-optimization sentiment MAKES SO MUCH SENSE.  Over optimization is like over marketing, you know, going overboard, implanting overkill into a business’ endeavors.  Why the radical thinking?  Why the radical marketing?  Tone it down, brands.  No one likes engaging in a ‘super salesy’ experience.  We make fun of those situations.  Clever brands lampoon hyper marketing in commercials and marketing efforts.

Being first to advertise anywhere, while other brands exist in the vertical, doesn’t guarantee you a thing!  If a brand is that confident in germane products/services, then I suggest relying less on questionable technical SEO practices and more on…the brand.  Such a decision warrants PR and social aspects of online marketing.

I know a little bit about those aspects; that’s my side of the online marketing town…  Professionals are sure to find me expressing acumen upon public relations, social media, branding, and reputation management, all of the personable aspects of marketing.  I like those.  If brand owners want to make impressions on people (not just engines), then they should like them too.

Has the Web Got Your Tongue?

I’m a little perplexed at the evolution of marketing at the moment.  Awesome, the 2000s brought us digital technology.  I now have to pay $2.50 for my printed New York Times.  (C’mon Anthony, SO many advantages have come along for the ride.)  A lot of benefits have come too.  For one, I can make a career out of writing, something I will never stop being grateful about.  Additionally, the Web is such a convenient source of information, a place to secure information on desired items and services.  Bingo.

Businesses saw tons of Web opportunity.  Good for them.  The sentiment is absolutely accurate.  However, it’s still marketing as it’s always been, just in digital form, meaning the human element is paramount and inextricable.  Why did some use SEO as an excuse to get ‘people lazy’ when it comes to marketing?

This looks kinda awkward...like your over-optimized site...

Awesome.  Your site is first on Google for t-shirts.  When in a mall, will I certainly buy a t-shirt from a store because it’s the first threshold breached?  No way, I’m a consumer with options.  We all are. So, why would a brand stop there?  What about the t-shirt brands that are doing things differently, engaging me, asking me questions, making reputations, building brands based on people relations?  Maybe these brands don’t even have a traditional store in the mall; maybe they are doing some guerilla marketing, making contact with people rather than investing in a traditional store mortgage.

Remember the notion of word of mouth?  In my elementary readings of marketing, such a free form of marketing was heralded as the “Yahtzee!” of advertising.  Personable forms of marketing are more likely to help brands reach the great heights of people relations, of making impressions.

Lite on Technical Heavy on People

In conclusion, I urge brands to go lite on technical aspects.  Don’t worry about ‘gaming’ Google; it’s not a good use of time.  Alternatively, invest in wooing people.  Invest in making better products.  Invest in creating a service that competitors can’t touch.  Technical SEO is simply advertising on an ever-changing digital billboard.  Wooing consumers is not as inconsistent.  Additionally, in my observation as a personable marketer, I’ve noticed investing resources toward relations as the better investment.

I’ve recently been trading emails with a professional.  He has SEO’d his site into a Google zoo.  It’s temporarily unfortunate; but, he’ll be okay.  He’s starting to ‘get it.’  He’s starting to realize that optimizing his online personality and ability to connect with peers, potential consumers, and present clients is the better decision.  Technical ‘games’ only get an online brand so far, resting at the brink of marketing, just as marketing has always had to do…stop at some point and face reality.  The reality that a brand’s marketing efforts are only as effective as the brand’s ability to attract attention, engage consumers, and inspire relationships.

Put in the man hours to engage people to your brand. The real marketing magic involves people relations.

Many SEO methods are robotic, as should be; limit these notions, placing more emphasis on people relations, exploring social media and PR opportunities.  Robot marketing has limitations (and penalties); personable marketing makes better moves.

The Character of the Author is Relevant

17 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Brand Awareness, Branding, Reputation Management

≈ 3 Comments

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Can you truly duplicate another’s results?  In some cases you can.  One player can hit a homerun directly after another.  But that’s just one aspect; some things can be ‘mocked.’  What about personality?  Can personality be duplicated?  People are characterized using objective words such as “funny,” “intelligent,” “friendly” and so on.  However, is one brand of friendly so similar to the next?  I don’t think so; it depends on the ‘author’ of the action; the character of the former makes the latter something unique in itself.

What exactly is ‘character’?  I throw that word around sometimes; but, it’s a very intangible notion, difficult to articulate.  Maybe it’s something you ‘feel’ or intuitively ‘observe’ rather than scientifically sample.  It’s a notion such as ‘love.’  There’s no pragmatic way to ‘measure’ love as there’s no way to weigh ‘character’; yet, we can’t dismiss they exist.

As online marketing evolves, ‘character’ is becoming more apparent, made possible through social media interactions (take your pick of social platforms), video posts, and other tools of business communication.  I think the notion of ‘character’ is largely unnoticed as an ingredient of brand success.  In the past, brands did not have such opportunities to express character (perhaps those hosting a storefront).  Now, there’s nowhere or way to hide online.

I recently exchanged Twitter DMs with a brand owner.  He was asking general questions via Twitter and I responded.  He was kind enough to take interest in my ideas and DM’d me, inquiring about things I recognized his handle does well.  I wrote that I believed a huge portion of his success was due to his personality, which also exudes from his brand.  I told him his success is something other brands will attempt to emulate; but, one aspect others can’t organically replicate is character.

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal on combining likenesses for marketing’s sake.  It’s an interesting notion.  Obviously, celebrities have been used to sell services and merchandise for years.  Why?  Their popularity for one, but research reflects an influence of trust emanating from celeb faces; as consumers we trust them; we’ve ‘seen them around’; so, we’re more likely to give our money over at that point.  However, I assume I can’t just ask Tiger Woods to promote Content Muse (I woudn’t.)  He’s likely to cost a pretty penny; but, you can borrow parts of his likeness and align it with a ‘no name’ for free in attempt to ‘duplicate’ the celeb/consumer trust/open-wallet dynamic.

Working—in this instance—before the Tiger Woods scandal broke, two marketing researchers at the University of Wisconsin blended the superstar golfer’s face with that of another male, with Woods’ face constituting 35% of the final image. 109 undergraduates then rated the trustworthiness of that face compared to another one that blended, in the same ratio, the same stock photo with one of an anonymous man carefully selected to match Woods in age and attractiveness. No participant recognized the superstar golfer—in fact, the two faces were rated as equally familiar—but the students rated the face containing traces of Tiger as significantly more trustworthy than the control face.

Oh marketers, what will you think of next?  Well, Joe Hall recently thought of something clever, a way to make emails better.  The message is simple and extremely powerful: do something uniquely…you.  Unique is the inextricable operative word.  If you’re a follower of Joe Hall’s personality, his observable online character, you understand how that fits, how that implementation is so… ‘Joe.’  Could that work for someone else?  I celebrate the notion of exploring creativity; but, don’t expect above-average results of ‘Joe’ proportions.

They say character is unique; each person has to play their hand with the respective cards dealt to them.  I like the card metaphor.  Let’s think of each brand comprised of players, much like a baseball team.  Winning in baseball is a team effort much like business.  However, business ‘players’ didn’t always have such access to the public eye.  These days, leveraging online marketing tools, they do.

I think such is incredible news for brand-savvy companies, those who actively participate in branding, in creating an overt company ‘personality’ and likeness.  This is good news for owners who host and value ‘character.’  I think the recognition of character is an ability, but one not valued or procreated by all.

I saw this tweet today:

@wellpast40 how is it so easy for so many people to forget that you must be a true friend to recognize another?

I think the tweet refers to ‘character recognition.’  I’ve often heard, “You have to be a good friend to have good friends.”  We nod at maxims; but, do we really think about the wisdom behind them all the time?

I re-tweeted this by Dan Shure:

Dan Shure Real friend —> @iPullRank comes all the way back uptown to see my 10 minute presentation

I think ‘character’ is important to Dan Shure, an online marketing entrepreneur building his brand.  Such a trajectory came to mind as I read another great post (maybe the best.one.ever on company culture I can think of?) on building a brand.

Building a brand makes more sense now more than ever; as mentioned, players are now more visible.  Branding consists of creating and enforcing a central message, maintaining the brand’s personality.  Rand Fishkin does this through his acronym of TAGFEE.  SEOmoz’s decision to recruit Dan Shure as an associate is a testament to Rand’s eye on character.  Such ‘recruiting’ of like-minded souls makes sense to me.

Anthony Pensabene Roger and the @SEOmoz crew shure know how to pick em cc: @dan_shure

A teammate I admire, Chris Countey, was recently chosen to speak at the upcoming Search Church meeting of the SEO minds.  Chris is going to discuss relevant authorship.  Two posts on the topic immediately come to mind; one by AJ Kohn and another by Tom Anthony.  I’m not sure if Chris will mention ‘character’ in his presentation but I know Chris will do an excellent job; he always does.  One thing I admire in Chris as I do with Dan Shure above, and another online marketing cohort Wayne Barker, is their attention to character.

Chris Countey Your personality is shining through man,@content_muse . Awesome brah.http://bit.ly/GCRUUR via @dohertyjf

 

Anthony Pensabene @wayneb77 thanks Wayne … I smile as I type I’ve heard that before… haha

Wayne Barker @content_muse it shines through in your copy mate!

I value character.  I value those who value character.  What’s your take on character?  Is it important to you?  I see a bright future for those building brands with like-minded players.  Is your brand going to be one of them?

‘Brand Management Watch’ on Patrol

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in Brand Awareness, Business Strategies, Public relations, Reputation Management

≈ 3 Comments

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Do you ever feel like you’re being observed?  I do.  What you say and do is recorded in time, and depending on the setting, observed by onlookers.  I’ve been branded with the nickname ‘Bene.’  The auditory expression sounds like “bean” or like “benay” (long a).  My friends have adopted the former, though I like the latter expression of Latin’s ‘good.’

A nickname adopts an array of derivations: “bene-o,” “bene-ster,” “bene-r,” and so on.  The last one can be mistaken for a slang, disrespectful term for a person of Mexican background; therefore, such a dynamic deserves attention in order to properly regulate or manage my reputation.  I would not want others mistaking my nickname for an account of slander.

I came across an article, featuring a similar ordeal, in the New York Times.  I’m fully ‘back on’ the printed news, by the way; and, I like it.  I don’t know if the printed pages will be a future presence, but; for now, I’m enjoying the tactile sensation of reading print and the showcased authors.  (I actually find myself reading more thoroughly, using the printed version versus the digital version.  Are there any others out there?  But I digress.)

I take interest in the recent reputation management-PR arrangement of 20th Century Fox.  The movie studio is modifying its marketing approach regarding an incipient comedy set to release this summer, Neighborhood Watch.  The movie, eventually about aliens, features a suburban, neighborhood watch troop.  The existence of the fictional personalities allows for an association to recent events involving the death of a young, Floridian boy, Trayvon Martin.  Trayvon was killed in Sansford, Florida on February 26 by a neighborhood patrolperson, who has gone on record to state he acted in self defense; and, no charges have been charged of present.

After the incident, the Fox brand began preemptively withdrawing marketing and advertising materials.  The brand publicly made it known it was aware of the nuances of relation.

Personally, I celebrate that maneuver.  It’s an unfortunate coincidence, but an occurrence, which may create negative associations to your immediate product (the film) and the brand (20th Century Fox) all the same, and demands recognition and address.

The Times article takes notice of the ongoing film costs ($50 million to make and ‘tens of millions’ are expected for marketing needs).  The movie brand faces a defining moment, in my opinion.  How will it handle original intentions against the occurrence of Trayvon’s death?

So far, despite preemptively eradicating marketing sentiments, some teasers have leaked on to the Web, this being one of them.

Remember, brand management has entered a whole new universe online.  What you say and do offline has repercussions; the logic remains air-tight online.  The Times article takes notice of the teasers and apparently had some sort of informative relations with a 20th Century Fox ‘inside’ source:

That “Neighborhood Watch” should be tainted by even a whiff of the vigilantism at issue in the Martin shooting is attributable not just to the film’s name, but also to an unfortunate decision by Fox to release a brief initial teaser trailer that portrayed its stars as a band of dark-clad heavies cruising their suburban turf to a hip-hop theme. Mr. Hill points his fingers as if firing a gun. Yet the trailer, according to a person who was briefed on its background but spoke on condition of anonymity because of studio policy, relies heavily on scenes that were not actually in the film. These were shot separately by the director, Akiva Schaffer, who has been a writer and director for “Saturday Night Live,” as a gag that stepped up the mock tough-guy image of the stars without giving away the movie’s real point — the aliens.

I sympathize with 20th Century Fox (and obviously with the family of Trayvon); but, I think Fox should be exceptionally diligent about the relation of the two entities and how it pursues the marketing and release of its film.

The brand has “pulled back” on some advertisements and switched others out.  For instance, the Times article tells of the associated Facebook page ad featuring the stars posing in a Ghostbusters-esque stance.

Despite the leak, Fox did cancel trailers for Neighborhood Watch and offered this statement:

Our film is a broad alien invasion comedy and bears absolutely no relation to the tragic events in Florida.

The picture is presently set for a late July release.  The Times article goes on to question the marketing future of the film.  Is the coincidence just an unfortunate connection or is it an event, which should deservedly impact the marketing and release of Fox’s film?  Additionally, the writer goes on to provide of examples of times when Hollywood both pressed on and held back due to reality news.  The closing sentiment captures the ambiguous collective online voice, one promoting, another condemning the film’s indirect association to the Floridian events.

One of the best pieces of insight I gathered from the article was this comment by Dennis Rice who is positioned as a film marketing consultant:

You err on the side of being very sensitive.

This is great advice given by a man who managed Disney’s release of Apocalypto, taking place soon after Mel Gibson’s media mayhem.  Rice now champions caution.  The article also provides traces of Fox’s intended, ongoing interest in the Trayvon Martin case.

Let me give you some advice Fox.  Please be excessively attentive to the relationships, especially considering the leaked film teaser, which unfortunately features mocked ‘gun handling’ by one of the actors.

If I were making the reputation management and branding decisions for Fox, I would consider doing the following:

-          Creating a separate release addressing the content and the occurrence of the ‘leaked’ trailer

-          Ask Jonah Hill to separately address his involvement in the trailer

-          Pushback the associated marketing and release of the film, clearly explaining why (the film’s name and (somewhat) content’s relation to events involving Trayvon Martin’s death)

-          Donate funds (establish a charity in his name?) and an explicit public apology to the family

There are more things which could be done; but, I think the list above is a necessary place to start.  I could imagine some people debating upon the relation of events and the obligations of personalities and entities involved; however, reputation and branding are long-term investments.  The above suggestions are short-term acts and small pennies compared to the value of an upstanding reputation, online, offline, and in mere mention of the name (branding).

I could allow those to call me “bener” within earshot of people of particular background. I could sit back and see if “if” occurs, but why?  I am mindful of reputation management and branding.  Being proactive is a best practice.  As Dennis Rice learned, you err on the side of sensitivity when it comes to relations in business and otherwise; because, the two are inextricably connected despite trite expressions and blind-sighted brand decisions.

Deconstructing ‘PR’ – Peer Relations

31 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Branding, Public relations, Reputation Management

≈ 1 Comment

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I’m an online marketing professional. I’m passionate about what I do; I love it. It involves thinking, reading, and writing (“these are a few of my favorite things…” Actually, you can’t have more than one favorite; it’s grammatically incorrect; something I picked up from a great teacher; but, I digress…)

I have the benefit of a diverse, professional background. I worked in the mental health field (working with brain-injured and developmentally-challenged individuals), as an English teacher (7,8,10,11,12th grade students), a PR person, a content writer, and youth counselor (ages 7-17). While my present position allows for intensive reading and writing, I also engage people (Through a computer screen mostly, but, I see it as engagement all the same.) I’ve had the benefit of working with people in a three-dimensional perspective; so, I naturally transfer my intuitions and experiences online.

I learn by observing and engaging all people.

I enjoy what I do and make strides, establishing ‘connections’ (or relationships as I would like to refer to them). Some peers are inquisitive regarding my ‘approach.’ My immediate reaction is, “I’m just being myself.”  But, I get it. I’ll deconstruct the question. “How do you do that thing you do?”

I recently wrote a post on being a newbie in SEO, the ‘game.’ John Doherty was kind enough to host it on his online book. An online friend of mine, Cleo Kirkland was nice enough to read and inquire about my approach:

Cleo Kirkland  Cleo Kirkland says: March 21, 2012 at 5:17 pm

Great post, Anthony. And your Twitter presence (i.e. which experts retweet and follow you), is certainty a testament to your ideals. Doing homework certainly is important, and it’s something I need to get better at.

What would you say is the average amount of questions you ask or answer for an “expert” before they respond to you? At times, I’ve found that even though I do my homework and write a well thought out message, I don’t get the response or retweet I’m looking for. I’ll acknowledge, though, that I’m an infrequent tweeter, sometimes spam tweeter, and use a diff picture in my Twitter photo, lol.

My reply is not presently visible from John’s post; yet, when someone asks me a question in real life, I appreciate the question and oblige with a response. I’ve never been ‘too cool for school.’ This was my response:

Thanks for the read and observations, Cleo. It’s much appreciated. I’m better at engineering words than numbers; it’s hard to figure an average…haha. I’m really glad John referred to life as well as SEO in the intro; networking with online peers is a lot like life. Keep doing your thing, Cleo, for the right reasons. People connect immediately while others are late on the uptake of good intentions sometimes in life. If you keep laying down valuable tracks, worthy listeners will eventually start bobbing their heads your way. We first connected through music; and, now know one another better…

Another cohort of mine, Chris Countey, who I like and respect, gave me a nice Twitter shout the other day:

Chris Countey  Chris Countey ‏ @chriscountey

Few in the industry know how to cultivate relationships like@content_muse. Follow him and take lots and lots of notes.

I really appreciate that; it makes me smile because I’m a fan of Chris’ work; so, him recognizing me for my work is deeply appreciated. Here was my reply:

Anthony Pensabene ‏ @content_muse

@chriscountey thanks my friend – they’ll find many of my notes are borrowed from good people in my professional and personal life ;)

It’s true.  I’m a keen observer.  Watch out for the quiet ones; just because this isn’t running (points at mouth) does not necessarily mean this isn’t (points to head).

S-troll-in like a Student

Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it ‘creative observation.’ Creative viewing. – William S. Burroughs

My sense of humor prods me to use the reference to an Internet troll.  I by no means have negative intentions of eavesdropping on the openly-social maneuvers of others; I’m just being, you know, social.  Actually, I’m learning from others.

What makes more sense?  Would you approach someone without getting to know them first, without establishing a frame of reference for the point of contact?  You could but what would happen if you just shot them a ‘how do you do’ without establishing yourself as a bit worthy of attention and their response?  Check out Danny Sullivan’s latest piece of PR advice.  No one likes those who are not completely transparent and truthful.

Don't play coy whether it's an elephant or a grasshopper 'in the room.'

Get to know your peers first.  What are their specialties? What aspects of the industry do they really feel passionate about, devoting professional and personal interests toward?  For example, I know Danny Sullivan loves reading and writing.  He focuses upon industry journalism and the evolving nature of search.

Danny Sullivan  Danny Sullivan ‏ @dannysullivan

@Rhea i do like to write :)

Admittedly, I love reading and writing too.  I am not shy about observing Danny and mentioning our similar interests.

Anthony Pensabene  Anthony Pensabene‏ @content_muse

 @dannysullivan “I wanted to read that story so much that day that I renewed at the $260 list price.” dude, I love reading that much too haha

If I wanted to connect with Danny, I might express my similar interests.  Savvy?  It’s not about connecting with “Danny Sullivan,” though we all know who Danny is in the field.  It’s about connecting with someone who shares a passion, connecting with someone I can learn from.  Savvy?

Do your homework first.  Then, the relationship has some mutual ground.  This is  true in building any professional relationships, in my opinion, whether you’re forming relations with peers, clients, consumers, etc.  Take a look at my response to Jon Cooper‘s SEOmoz post on link building:

Jon, I like how you endorse not collecting data in a nascent fashion. I liken the patience and exactness exercised to a PR outreach.  There needs to be a developed frame of reference.  The more homework done the better.  It would seem easier to address prospects on an indivdual and customized basis.  It’s likely to require more time, but likely to be more effective.  I do think it works for scalability because once you get the initial impetus going, I think it’s easier to accelerate, tweek, and enhance the process for respective purposes.

(De?)Influencer Marketing

Who wants to sit just anywhere in the cafeteria of peer relations when they can sit at the table with the ‘seniors,’ the cool kids, right?  In online marketing, we can call them ‘influencers,’ the ones ‘with klout, everybody talks about, check’em out…’

Eric Enge wrote a post addressing influencer marketing in recent history.  I have a lot of things to say, but mostly let my fingers do the talking.  Here are my condensed thoughts in the comments.

Building influential relations as a marketer is very similar to traditional public relations. Gfio made a comment on Chris’ post regarding how one, who wants to add to their community, can pretty much singlehandedly accomplish the task.

Rand Fishkin also mentions connecting with influencers in his content-going-viral WBF post.   Oh yeah, I genuinely like Rand’s personality and the way he manages his brand, SEOmoz.  It was befitting (Savvy?) to have Rand Fishkin and Chris Winfield (another classy guy) of BlueGlass on my blog, a blog with deep emphasis on gentleman branding.

After spending some time in your respective industry, you take notice of the social totem pole, with the influencers perched on top.  If the industry runs like a Swiss watch, they got there based on merit, work, and righteous means.  That’s why they’re at the top, deserved of respect, right?

I’m a realist; it makes for a moist pillow some nights; but, I get by.  I ‘favorited’ this tweet by Lisa Barone for its mirror-of-reality sentiment:

LisaBarone  Lisa Barone ‏ @LisaBarone

This. Over and over and over again. RT @thebloggess: Sometimes your heroes turn out to be d****es. Then it’s time to find better heroes.

‘The Lisa’ holds nothing back; it’s one of the reasons why I like and read her; but, this is gentleman (and lady) branding; I had to censor the tweet a bit; but, readers can read between the lines.  I think another person I dig online, Anthony Nelson, reads between the lines of influencer marketing too.  In short, I think Anthony gets it.  Read his comment on my Doherty guest post:

Anthony D. Nelson Anthony D. Nelson says: March 21, 2012 at 6:24 pm

Nice post Anthony. I want to add in that getting recognized or acknowledged by the elite or name brand SEOs shouldn’t be the reason for noobs to engage in community participation (note: I don’t think you’re implying that), but instead the goal is to become a better marketer and learn through participation. There is no better way of getting noticed than doing standout work.
–tl;dr – kick ass on your blog or for clients and the recognition will come.

Word, Anthony. I agree. My response not presently in the comments:

Thanks for reading, Anthony. Totally agree with you, bro; let’s all ride righteously, for the betterment of ourselves and community. That’s what’s up… ” kick ass on your blog or for clients and the recognition will come”

As for peer recognition…The ‘elite’…know one of (many) reasons why I think Napoleon Dynamite is so badass? The literal and alluded parallels going on with the elite/popular and geeks/noobs… The ones getting my vote are the ones displaying ‘standout work’ (like Napoleon got moves for Pedro’s cause at the end of the movie) regardless. That’s the kind of dudes/dudettes I want as peers. Others can ‘vote for Summer’ as they wish. I like it better on our side of the tetherball court. Thanks again, Anthony. Keep doing/thinking good things.

I’m not playing reindeer games; but, I can only speak for myself.  However, I’m pretty people savvy.  Watch out for the quiet ones, remember?  I’m doing my thing.  As AJ Kohn‘s recent author rank post explores, it just may be a way to get where I’m going based on my talents (I like that concept! Savvy?).  Those who are true influencers will notice and help.  There are others who engage cohorts, peers, and newbies in other manners.  It’s cool; those I respect will continue to inspire me and be open to cultivating relations.  Others, I can respect for their work, not so much for their personalities…just like in real life…   I’m gentlemanly and respectful, not blind to peoples’ personalities and intentions.  Savvy?

In short, sure, there are those who are more popular; but, I’m looking to better myself, to compete and compare myself to yesterday’s Anthony alone.  I want to ‘be down’ with any personality (currently large or small) that is moving similarly.  I want to engage those who want to build the kind of community people want to be a part of and share.

At the core of peer relations…

Make people want to engage you.  If you’re building relations for the right reasons, you’ll gravitate toward the ‘right’ relationships and vice versa.  Peer relations is a lot like producing value for consumers.  Remember:

It 'works' regarding peer relations too! Savvy?

To: Owners Subject: Internal Memo (This Message Was Sent with High Importance)

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Brand Awareness, Business Strategies, Internal Communications, Uncategorized

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Hey, business owners. Did you get the memo? Internal communications and community development matters. Inspired, dedicated, and happy employees create  your customer’s services and products as well as your brand’s office space.

Great internal dynamics and community-centric implementations benefit brands, facilitating success and workplace-related accolades and recognition. Poor communication and monotone owner-employee engagement produces other kinds of feedback.

You don’t want a TPS (This.Place.Sucks) report, one showcasing employees with eternal cases of ‘the Mondays,’ where community camaraderie is low, and employee concerns get shoved to an obscure place within the company basement of attention. Such travails need CEO attention ASAP.

SEOs encourage clients and listeners to create brand communities. The process strengthens brand missions, online successes, longevities, and legacies. That’s great advice. Is your business listening?

Company culture is the brainchild of brand leaders. Wouldn’t you like to pick the brains of some successful company officers, inquiring about internal communication and culture? I sure did…

A recent email traversed the yellow-kicks road, finding its intended recipient in the land of Moz, where wizard, Rand Fishkin, addressed a few internal-community questions for readers:

Do you issue an internal newsletter? What kind of elements are in it? (employee interviews, message from CEO, reflections of company revenue/goals/etc.)

We do have several internal status updates from each major team in the company, and a lot of random, fun and informative emails too. Since our focus is on transparency, we want to make sure everyone has access to all the information about the business; we feel it helps make us more comprehensive and effective at our work (though admittedly, it can be distracting so we’re working on ways to scale).

On a 1-10 scale, how would you rank internal sense of community in relation to achieving business goals (in general, then specifically relating to your brand)? Why are your views emphasized or not?

For us, community and culture are at the top of our priority list, so I’d say 10. Nearly every day, you can hear Mozzers in meetings and discussions talking about which path/decision is the most TAGFEE. We believe in putting culture first and that framing decisions in this fashion will have the best long-term impact on the company.

As far as other organizations go, it’s hard to say. I’ve only ever worked at Moz in my adult life, so I’m probably not a great candidate. I will say that many of the best companies I meet and talk to, particularly in the startup/tech space, have strong cultures that bring them together. Whether they’d all put it at a “10″ on the priority scale is tough to say.

Outside of an internal newsletter, what types of outings or (internal brand) community behaviors does your brand address? What are the short/long-term goals of such?

We share via social media, our blog, events and meetups, even with post-its on our windows :-)

http://www.geekwire.com/2011/postit-wars-part-space-invaders-attack-pine-street

Our goal is to maintain the commitment to our culture, including transparency, and that by sharing, we’ll be rewarded through the growth of our brand, loyalty of customers and awareness from those in the ecosystem.

In a business world, becoming increasingly transparent and (socially platform speaking) exposed, what (generally speaking) types of information is not befitting for brand partners, clients, consumers (only kept internal)?

We keep salaries private, as we believe that in this case, empathy trumps transparency. There’s very little else – our revenue, traffic, costs, etc. are all public on the web.

Editorial Note: I’m a member of the Moz community. I’ve extended accolades to SEOmoz before:

“The TAGFEE code reflects the core values of@SEOmoz .” (tips cap and lifts Johnnie to Roger and crew)

As my tweet references, I especially champion Rand and crew for their real-to-life walk of SEOmoz’s TAGFEE talk. I deeply appreciate the Wizard of Moz taking the time to address my questions; I hope to discuss SEO ‘over the rocks’ with him some day.

As if the insight was done…let’s take a transparent through-the-blue-looking-glass view of a team I find impressive for a number of reasons; one being their ability to use social media for great branding. I’ve asked Chris Winfield of BlueGlass for help before; he’s always the gentleman to oblige.

Question 1 (from above)

Yep, it’s called the ‘BG Express’ and it goes out monthly. It recaps the previous month and gives updates about what’s coming up for BlueGlass. It also ‘Spotlights’ a particular department and also one BlueGlasser, which is really cool because we it’s impossible for everyone to know what every person in the company actually ‘does’. It also gives more info about a particular client and reading suggestions (industry blogs, posts, etc).

Finally, I usually send out bi-monthly messages that give people more insight into where we are, what we’re going through and where we are headed (and pretty much always have a motivational quote in them)…

Question 2

I never thought of it on a number scale but it’s up there – so I’d say a 9 or 10. I am such a strong believer in having a strong & positive company culture and for people to LOVE what they are doing each day. We want everyone to feel (and know) that they are in a symbiotic relationship with every other person in BlueGlass.

Most of our employees hang out together outside of work (along with their families). That’s so cool to me. Happy people = productive people.

Question 3

We have an internal employee network (which is now running on Podio) where we have constant info sharing, updates mixed in with some jokes on a daily basis.

We do weekly Lunch N Learns which can consist of presentations by BlueGlassers, huge brainstorming sessions or just BS-ing. We also try to do one type of outing each month together.

The goals? Clearer communication and less ‘walls’. To be honest, communication is probably our biggest challenge. It’s hard to keep everyone on the same page and knowing what’s going on and why. So we are constantly trying new things to make it better and it’s getting there. We aren’t afraid of change!

Question 4

The main stuff is based around clients (when there are NDAs in place), special projects (we have something coming up that we haven’t been talked about at all), and methodologies (we share a lot with the community but have to keep some things propreitary). We also don’t believe in airing our dirty laundry in public, so we aren’t going to talk negatively about past employees, partners, or anyone else. We try to maintain a positive attitude internally and we want the same externally. I personally don’t want to deal with people or companies who are always stirring up drama so I try to make sure we practice what we preach. Life is too short for drama.

Editorial Note: I’ve been impressed with the copy and insight coming out of the BlueGlass brand for some time. I especially appreciate Chris’ help regarding public relations, branding, social media, and consumer psychology. Chris’ participation and help means a lot to me.

@chriswinfield That’s how I know my thoughts are on right track – because leaders care enough to guide/keep me on it – thanks always, Chris

There’s still more owner insight to be had. I also knocked on my own employer’s email door, beseeching internal communication answers. Ken Wisnefski, quarterback of the WebiMax brand, spiraled some answers my way.

Question 1

I know you’re working remotely… but, I hope you’re getting them every week? Our PR manager, John Borkowski, pens them regularly. The employee newsletter begins with a personal message from me, introducing the recipient of the ‘recently-recognized employee,’ along with some seriousness and banter mixed. We then feature an employee via Q&A (How did you start working at WebiMax?  What are your professional goals?  What’s on your iPod?) It gives employees an opportunity to express professional and out-of-office interests, allowing for all employees to learn more about those the team.

Question 2

Building an internal community is huge (more than 10). I’ve seen workers come through the door, ranging in skill levels; I’ve witnessed team players really feed off of positive environments, exceeding their own expectations and thought-to-be skill levels; that’s the kind of culture I want to promote. I’ve had the opportunity to build good professional and friendship relations with a number of people on my team. We’re building a great culture here thanks to good management and contributions all across the board.

Question 3

We’ve had a variety of both in-house and out-of-office outings. We’ve had team football games, lunches, happy hours, Christmas parties, Summer parties… We also try to do something in-house from time to time (to keep people guessing around the office).  I’ve been known to mix in employee massages, half days, and other assorted treats…  In-house and beyond ‘outings’ are great; people are more relaxed; and, though sometimes wind up discussing professional topics (can we avoid that!) it’s very important for members to recognize one another as individuals. ‘Downtime’ and excursions allow for such bonding. It makes for a good synergy.  Some employees have even invited me to their 30th-birthday rollerskating parties!

Question 4

I think most information is appropriate to address as a team. Of course, there are exceptions when it comes to disciplining for poor work, discussing salaries, and personal, employee issues; however, those are more personal and not largely brand related. Other than that, we can’t deny the importance of transparency to our employees, partners, and clients.

Editorial Note: I must be completely transparent in reminding readers I work for WebiMax and Ken (he did make a valiant effort to attend my skating party). I can honestly say Ken has been a huge contributor to my successes as an employee and person. He has been there to offer advice from a leader’s, professional’s, and friend’s perspective; and, I wouldn’t be where I am today without his help and guidance. There are a lot of special people who work at WebiMax; I’m happy to share a passion with them.

True story: Ken not only allowed me to house my drums at one time in the NJ office; he gave the nod, letting my buddies and I employ the office as an after-hours beat lab.

I believe sound internal communications and community-centric behavior is a huge part of a brand’s success.  I have seen it play out practically for a number of brands big and small.  Have you observed great examples of brand leadership?  Share with readers and the community.  Um.  Yeah.  I’m gonna need you to participate on this…mkay?

Business Owners – Click here to take survey. Help us find a cure for Lumbergh.

Com(posers?) of Words, Express Em’ if You Got Em’

19 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in Digital Information, Journalism

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First!  I want to get this idea out (before anyone else).  I was perusing the printed pages of the Wall Street Journal, coming upon an interesting number (Who shall I grant the hyperlink?  Hmm…so many commercially-related choices…I’ll go with the author.) by Mike Esterl.  His subtitle (not mine) reads, “Lawmakers, Big Tobacco Claim Upstarts Should be Taxed Just Like Manufacturers”

Retro Newsbreak:  March 27, 1979 - Frank and Valerie welcome their child to life; a life, which would usher volumes of good (enough for reader attention?) and bad thoughts, branding Anthony Pensabene (Pensa bene=”think well” – go figure!) into the world.

I see parallels between the smok’em dynamic, addressed in Esterl’s piece, and the writ’em dynamic, unrolling on the digital writing scene between (red carpets unfurl and trumpets sound) mainstream journalists and (blows his horn) everyday bloggers, like me.

Let’s begin this novice-penned piece, shall we?  Last week, I read an article in the NY Times by David Carr.  It tells of a digital world, where new lexicon takes shape, and novel terms, “content aggregation” and “content curation,” ape expressions of “real” content creation; where online entities pillage the stories of others, kidnapping them for their own, and adding salt to wounds, stealing reader traffic (to boot).  It tells of Simon Dumenco, a writer wronged by aggregation and curation; a writer who had his ‘rightful’ attention taken by another online source.

Simon says…other writers feel the same…  Dumenco and followers have formed something of a ‘citizens on patrol’ of journalism, the Council on Ethical Blogging and Aggregation, not to be confused with other iterations of CEBA, such as ‘Creative Excellence in Business Advertising’….#justsayin…

Blogger Warning: CEBA on Patrol!

Curated Taken from the NY Times piece:

All of them [the elitists members] believe there is value in looking at what might be called best practices when it comes to linking, summarizing and aggregating.

I understand.  Just like another group, who has a lot of online experience and desires change ‘for the good of all,’ some privileged journalists (once off, now online) want to change how things operate on blogger turf online.

Can the words CEBA pose as SOPA?  No, that’s silly.  Speaking of that past horror story, Danny Sullivan did a great job covering SOPA.  Danny Sullivan is one of the best online journalists bloggers I read.  (VERY) True story: DS may be (IS (IMO)) better than most personalities CEBA protects. (Isn’t this an ironic journalist’s (or is it blogger’s?) perspective on news attribution!).  I couldn’t help but notice his breakdown of digital news.  In fact, I can’t help notice his views on a lot of things…because he knows what he’s talking about…he’s a good writer…he’s a journalistic force…he’s a blogger…recognize or step aside.

Sometimes, I kid (since the days of the newsbreak above).  I was intrigued by this laser-tag-smartphone gadget (and still am!), jesting about a Wild-West-style shootout amongst journalists and bloggers:

  Anthony Pensabene@content_muse

‘Mainstream’ journalists and bloggers should settle matters in a genteel fashion.. Draw pardners!http://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/smartphone-laser-tag

Actually, this is what I really think about the situation:

  Anthony Pensabene@content_muse

I hope good writers always remember they’re on the ‘same’ team regardless of where words are housed.

And this:

  Anthony Pensabene@content_muse

Word: “there is no need to seek the approval of a committee of elite writers and editors in order to be respected”http://gawker.com/5892453

And this:

  Anthony Pensabene@content_muse

Good writers want to educate readers, right? The news was (once?) meant to educate -now it’s about.. who’s first.. to profit?

Read Danny’s post on the dynamic between Google and the WSJ (and probably other news sources at present or to come) if you didn’t heed my direction above (I mean, who am I to inspire readers, right?).

Yes, as a writer, I’m a little insulted by the notion of CEBA.  I’m not the only one  who believes it’s a bit elitist.  However, it comes down to facts (of the money-stack kind).  Other writers, journalists, bloggers, composers, novelists, persons of letters (ahh, cramp, (shakes out his writer’s hand) – can you relate?), etc, can ‘about face’ the elephant online, if they want; but, I won’t.

I didn't say it; it was the elephant in the room.

In the originally-referenced story above, cigarette shops that house machines, which roll tobacco cigarettes for consumers (who seek to evade the high costs of ready-made packages), are now seen in a different light.  Under a new Senate bill, retailers, who situate consumers with roll-your-own machines, will be treated like mainstream cigarette manufacturers.

Senator, Max Baucus (Montana), states:

Roll-your-own cigarettes machines takes advantage of an unintended tax loophole, and that isn’t right.

An “unintended” loophole, he observes.  What do the 99 percent cigarette-machine owners think?  Phil Accordino of RYO Machines:

I’m David fighting Goliath

So the Marlboros of the journalistic world believe readers are unjustly puffing on the wrong blogger streams?  I think some journalists have smoke in their eyes; it’s (very) likely due to the ‘business’ of others, those blowing smoke up mainstream journalists’ ink blots; are you really telling me (writer to writer) your words have some birthright, which mine lack?  If so, (smirks) may the ‘Writing Wild West’ be justly won; I’m your Huckleberry.  When the smoke clears, I believe readers will have a say, paying with attention rather than dollars, weighing rightful, online-writing princes and paupers.  But, who am I to express?

What's the difference between you and me? An elitist (w)rite of passage? May the people decide word's reign. You're not frightened of Huckleberry notions. Are you?

Can You Makeup for Poor-Impression Branding?

17 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Brand Awareness, Branding, Business Strategies, Reputation Management

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I’m a sensitive guy; I’m oft driven by emotion.  My passionate personality has made for interesting relationships in my thirty-two years.  I’ve experienced peaks and valleys with gals and brands.  While all’s fair in love and core business, I would like to identify some characteristics, which have indefinitely ‘turned me off’ in my time.

I'd spell the scenario a different way; but, we can agree to disagree.

I’ve met gals who need to immediately impress me (or is it themselves?).  Rather than allowing me to ‘read’ them for myself, they engage in a number of self-serving behaviors:  discussing hardly-used law degrees, past accomplishments (Is being the best-looking an accomplishment?), and peers, who cannot compare to them (by their elitist standards).  In short, they persist on shining discussion floodlights on themselves.  I can’t speak for you, readers; but, I enjoy coming to my own decisions about people..and brands.  The more a lady or brand attempts to manipulate my attention, the more I direct my attention toward why the source feels a need to do so.

I get it; you need attention, right?

Being ‘on the market’ as a single guy is a lot like being within the consumer market.  There are brands leveraging a number of tactics to capture my heart and attention.  However, I’ve been around the block a time or two and wiser for it, noticing a number of single-guy/unassuming-consumer similarities.  Keep a vigilant watch for the following brand tactics, which ‘makeup’ can’t (re)cover:

In the (Am I) (im)Press(ed)?

Take a gander at brands, which have numerous press mentions placed on the site.  Press mention and coverage is great, usually signifying an experienced brand.  However, I have a past in public relations.  It’s not extremely hard to get a press mention.  It usually requires a diligent and persistent PR person, who finds a reporter seeking input for a story.  Do some digging into the press mention.  Was the brand featured?  Or, was the brand mentioned in a story for adding a sentence or two?  In many cases, PR mentions are not directly related to the brand’s industry.  I’m not saying dismiss press mentions; I’m saying don’t be so immediately impressed.

Does the expression on my face reflect the writing on the wall?

It’s Not You, It’s (About) Me (Too)

Beware of on-site copy focused on the ‘greatness’ of services and products, rather than how a brand’s offerings can better serve you.  I don’t know about you, but I rarely come across a brand, which doesn’t think it’s the best in its respective space.  Fair enough, self esteem is a good thing.  However, if you’re selling me something, focus on me.  Otherwise, I’ll grow suspicious as to why the copy is more about you than me.  Many brands construct copy the right way; usually because, the brand has something of value to offer consumers.

I'm doing well, thanks. How are yo..oh wait. OMG. Today, I...

Mind-Numbing Numbers of AccompliSERPment

Money and numbers can’t buy you love or my affinity, that goes for ladies with shiny degrees and brands, silently propagating slimy online creeds.  Does a young brand have good rankings in a competitive market?   A lot of times, garbage makes way into the SERPs.  Those in the SEO industry know how difficult it is to begin making online traction.  It requires patience and a number of continuous implementations.  I understand the anxiety of online startups; brands want to be noticed, having a company to sustain.  However, consider a brand’s rankings in relation to its age and quality of pages.

Scrape Expectations

It’s hard to be yourself in the world of dating; it’s hard for some businesses to be themselves in the world of marketing.  Content scraping is a bit of an online ailment.  Why be yourself when you can be someone better, right?  I celebrate when the real brands stand up, rather than attempt to emulate something else.  Many consumers model my view.  There are many ways to intrigue consumers with a variety of content.  However, all brands are not created equally.  I understand some brands struggle for attention; but, I don’t sympathize with endeavors of laziness.  It takes hard work to turn content into link bait.  Bypass scrapers, those who have all the link building resources at hand, yet choose to take the easy way out, channeling the talents of others.

It's hard enough to be yourself; it's wildly foolish to explore another's road.

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