Increasing Employee & Client Engagement

Twitter could be the most powerful social media tool…
It has the ability to create conversations better than any other with complete strangers. However, Twitter is the most easily dismissed. 60% of people who get on Twitter get off. It is probably the easiest platform on the surface, but by far the most misunderstood. I have done panel discussions and workshops and 80% of questions surround Twitter.

People either love it or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be an in between.

Most people I talk to think Twitter is a lot about nothing…
Hopefully, I can dispel that. I believe Twitter is becoming the most powerful method to syndicate your message.
· It is one of the best prospecting tools 
· It encourages interaction.
· It is one of the best ways to promote events.

Let’s start with the reason for being…
Twitter was created to compete with texting. Short bursts of information. It is a micro-blogging service. Posts of 140 characters or less. Facebook and LinkedIn have status updates that were added due to Twitter. They function in the same method.

Why would someone want to be on Twitter?
· Connect with friends, colleagues, prospects
· Keep people informed of what you are doing
· Be a trusted resource
· You can share content you create
· Share & discover news
· Share & discover events
· Customer Service
· Find out what people are saying about you, your company or brands.

This is a little background for Twitter.  Over the next couple of weeks we will dig deep into Twitter and why you have to cement yourself into its power and more importantly how to use it EFFECTIVELY.

You can follow me at @chadrothschild 

If you do not use or like Twitter please let me know why in the comments.  If you do use it, please share which ways you feel it works best.

Other Related Twitter Articles
Twitter Set Up Basics - http://bit.ly/ojb20
Twitter Basics – Terms & How to Communicate - http://bit.ly/hFn4Z
Twitter’s Power Comes From Ease of Sharing & Interaction - http://bit.ly/JIBjw

No matter the product, service or whatever you are tackling… Take it to the edge. Take a look at the last posts  

Are You Worth Mentioning http://bit.ly/1dJeps   
Are You Memorable http://bit.ly/1fIJRx

Your product or service needs to be an extreme that is so different… that people sit up and go I can’t believe what I just saw.   It was the coolest; it had the sleekest design or whatever it takes to fill that headspace in the mind of the consumer to separate you from your competition.

An important step is to plan on how to market it before you build it…  If you have not already determined if it is going to be on the edge, remarkable and so great that people will talk about it then don’t do it.  Take the extra time to create awesome packaging, create an unbelievable design.   Find a unique way to get people to take notice. 

Seth used the example of a bank that wanted to really bring to light that it had more ATM’s than any other bank.  So he suggested they shuffle a couple of 100 bills in the 20 slot through out the entire ATM system.   It reminded me of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory. Can you imagine the reaction that people would have by getting $100 by surprise?  They will be excited, and they will share with their friends. 

Design, What is it good For?  Design is a much more important element than we give it credit for.   Seth Godin talks about time.  You can buy accurate time for about $5 or so.  So a watch that is $10K is just as accurate as the $5 watch.  So it is not accuracy of time that gets people to buy a watch.  It is the style, design.  The product is the marketing.  It is so cool or different that people take notice and comment about it.

I really noticed this on my wife’s wedding ring…  We had a solitaire that was a very nice size and a band for a long time.  It wasn’t the biggest diamond, but almost colorless princess diamond.    I did months of research finding the perfect diamond for my budget.  It was beautiful in its own right but no one really remarked on it. 

On one of our anniversaries, I wanted to really make her ring stand out.  I went to a custom jewelry maker and had a setting made with Baggett diamonds to surround the original stone.  We took a lot of time in the design (several weeks worth of molding the prefect design before we actually cast it) so that it would maximize the beauty of the diamond I had originally bought.  My wife was so excited when she saw it.  She absolutely was taken back by it.  We cannot go anywhere where someone doesn’t comment on it.    It is not the size or the cost, BUT the design.

So don’t just be different, be extraordinarily monumentally unique…  That is the only way to win.  If you do not, then you are just a commodity.   People do not deserve to take notice.   You have to give them reason and earn it.

Be clear, I used a product example but this is for anything.  Design of a website, design of whatever you want people to notice.

I was watching the launch of Google Wave…  http://wave.google.com/  One of the interesting comments I heard and something I felt worth mentioning and repeating.  If email were built today, what would it look like.  Email has been around a long time and it has remained the same basically.  Well technology has changed so much while email has remained archaic.  Look at Wikis, new collaboration tools, things that would incorporate beautifully into email.  Well Google decided to take the stance of reinventing email in the 21st century programming.

Take a look at your business and if it was created today in the 21st century what would it look like?  What new things would be added?  What wish list would you add?  What would you change?  What would need to make it happen?

The greatest thing is it doesn’t have to be expensive to change…  Cost is not the factor.  It just has to be to the edge better.   It could be the smallest change or a complete reinvention.  Something worth getting excited about. 

What can you do to the design of your website, your packaging, your service that will make people take notice.

Other Related Articles
Are You Worth Mentioning http://bit.ly/1dJeps   
Are You Memorable http://bit.ly/1fIJRx

So if you are actively trying to get people to talk about you and remember you…  then you better make the experience unforgettable (or at least for a short term memorable) so they will tell someone about it.  This requires care and really looking at the overall interaction and dividing it into pieces and make sure every part of it is the best it can be and special enough to share.

Read Last Article - Are You Worth Mentioning - http://bit.ly/1dJeps

There is only so much information you can have in your head…  It is already filled in certain spaces. So just doing things a little bit better is worthless because it will not take enough to move the clutter in your brain. It has to be so different that it opens a whole new area of your brain where it doesn’t compete with anything.

In Dave Balter’s book Word of Mouth he talks about…  how people only have room for 40 products like Casey Kasem’s top 40 list. That list is ever changing. It is either skyrocketing up the charts or spiraling down. That list changes every second.  So your goal has got to be to stay on that list.  It requires sensational, substantial & sustained effort.

Seth Godin used a cool idea about creating a memorable experience…  When a famous person stays at a hotel, that they write their signature on the shower curtain or somewhere like that.  How many people would you tell if you saw your favorite celebrity’s name on the wall and you could tell everybody you had the same room as Tiger Woods.  He would probably be one of the few to really get me excited.  That would be memorable.

Although I know I could never afford a room he was staying in anyway…  I doubt we frequent the same hotels or rooms for that matter.   Although with my name Charles Hudson Rothschild IV, I have had people think I am part of a line I am not.  I remember they told my asst one time that the presidential penthouse was not available and would I be willing to take just an enlarged suite.   I said, what did you tell them… you told them who I really was right?  I can barely afford a closet, more or less a room…

Now the only thing left to do is build it.   How can you better build your company to be memorable?

Other Related Articles
Are You Worth Mentioning http://bit.ly/1dJeps   
Build It And They Will Come http://bit.ly/QDy4t

We have been talking about whether your content should be free or is it so valuable that you should charge for it.

Free vs Fee Debate - http://trim/r6EE      
Free vs Fee Debate Part II - http://tr.im/rB52

So after reading Seth Godin’s Ideavirus and Free Prize Inside this weekend..  I feel like I went to Italy and was in the enlightenment period or the renaissance. Seth continues to change and re-shape my thinking. I also finished reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping point.

There are people like Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, and a few others that really push your mind to the edge… There info is not valuable, it is life changing.  If you have read Seth before, you know he talks about being remarkable or worth remarking about.  The product is so great in the mind of the consumer, they just have to tell their friends.  So you can not just create a product or service that is good, it has to be mind blowing.

Are you pushing your ideas to the edge…  Seth talks about not just being a little bit different because there is very little difference in the mind of the consumer and not worth the effort. Your ideas have to be so far from center that they are on the edge or the best are outside the edge. It is so different that people have to notice and talk about it.

Too many of us, probably me included, always try to look at just the staple things to improve…  If I just do it faster, better customer service, more creative, more value, and all of those. First, everyone is trying to do that. So unless you do one of those to an extreme and it is so different that people sit up and go I cant believe what I just saw, then it will still be status quo and invisible. So you just wasted time and effort. The amazing part is that YOU think that you are doing something great, but that doesn’t matter because it really depends on how the customer sees it.

So the Question is “Are You Worth Mentioning?”

Other Related Articles
Are You Memorable - http://bit.ly/1fIJRx
Build It & They Will Come - http://bit.ly/QDy4t

Tomorrow, ChadRothschild.com will have been active for 3 months… My growth is extremely steady. I do a lot of workshops and people think Blogging is dead. I wanted to share some thoughts on why I disagree and why I suggest you join the party.

First, I have had thousands of visits, but you know that number doesn’t matter to me… The number that excites me is that I had close to 1750 unique visitors who came to my site who stayed an average time of close to a minute and a half. I had tons of other visitors but they chose not to stay around and that is fine. I hope they get great content elsewhere. Decision time. I could concern myself with why they didn’t stay. It could be my layout, my style, my look, my content and I could try to change it to fit more people or I could say who cares…

My answer is… this is not politics, so stay true to yourself, your niche and cater to those who DO like you and worry about them. This is not about being everything to everybody. SO BE HAPPY AND CONTENT WITH WHO YOU HAVE AND DON’T CONCERN YOURSELF WITH THOSE YOU DON’T. Write for the followers that like and engage your content. They will be happier for it and so will you.

More important than unique visitors to me is return visitors… Getting them to visit is important to at least try you out, but if they do not return or subscribe it was for not. So I really look at the return rate. Did they like me enough to come back? I was happy to see that of those 1500 who visited at least one minute, one time, 1000 people returned for at least a second visit. 550 of those have come back more than 3 times. 250 came back more than 10 times. This is very important to me. I wish I could email every one of them and thank them for allowing me the opportunity to earn their time. I hope they write me and tell me what they like and how I can better provide content for them.

I do get 100’s of comments or emails a week and really cherish them… I have met and connected with people I would of NEVER met otherwise. This is my favorite part and most exciting part.

Those are the numbers that are important to me… I do like to see where my traffic comes from, but this is an easy correlation. Other than my clients, prospects and friends who come to my site directly, I spend all my time on LinkedIn and Twitter and so that is where all my other traffic comes from. I do not worry about SEO, because I am only trying to appeal to a very small niche.

I love blogging and I hope you see some value and power in those numbers… because what other method could one person connect with that many people nationwide (globally for that matter) in a real way with very little money invested. I would have to do hundreds of networking events to do it and would be confined to my local area.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my thoughts… I hope you get as much value, as the pleasure I get of writing and sharing it with you.

If you do enjoy this site, make a comment and share what I can do better to serve you in a more positive way. Any topics you would like to cover or just to say hi. God Bless!

Yours Truly,

Chad Rothschild

I get this question all the time…  How much time do you spend on Social Media a week. OR What is the magic number to spend on Social Media to be successful.   I do not have a magic paintbrush, magic beans that grows a magic beanstalk, a goose that lays golden eggs or a magic crystal ball.

First, I am biased because I love it… The issue I have is, I see the power from my own personal standpoint and I wish I could increase the time I can spend. So time is relative.

What if I was able to tell you that for every minute you spent…, you were able to connect with one new person in a positive manner, would you want to spend 60 minutes or 1440 minutes a day?

I am not sure I can answer that any more than…, if you want to be good at golf or any activity for that matter. As a former golf professional I know what type of time commitment it takes to be able to play golf well and why only a very small handful get to that level.

How can you determine how much time do you have to spend to be good?  The first thing you have to define is what your goals are. Everyone is going to have a different time requirement. Flip the question, How much time do you have to devote to growing, maintaining and insulating your business?

I always tell people to start with the end in mind and work backwards… If you tell me you want to reach 10,000 people a day and you only have 15 minutes a day, then I think it will be a challenge to meet that goal. Especially when you are just getting started. It is like anything, the more you do it, the better you get, the more efficient and effective you can be.

What I have found is the more you do it… The more meat you get on the bone. The more success you will start to see. It is like planting. You have to till the soil, you have to plant the seeds, then water and through time, you will start to see the sprouts.

If you have heard or read me before…, you know I am all about quality and not quantity which definitely helps reduce time commitment because you are able to focus your time & energy on the right audience which will more than likely be smaller. So throw your net over a group you can cover, engage and interact with.

The less time you have…, then reduce the number of platforms you are trying to use. This only makes sense to prioritize. Better to be a master of one than a master of none. Decide to have laser beam focus. Put on the blinders.

So if you are reading saying he really didn’t answer… It is because I can’t. Develop your goals, define your audience, list your resources, prioritize your platforms. Then you will back into a time commitment.

It is just like love, in the eyes of the beholder.   Like anything in life.  You will get what you put into it.

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10 Things Social Media Is Not… http://bit.ly/uqcMq
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After doing several Social Media Workshops, Panel discussions and everything in between.  I am writing this article for all of the conversations, discussions and pushback.  I hope this list adds some value.

Social Media is NOT…

1.  It is NOT the Holy Grail…  Yes it is everywhere.  Yes it is low cost.  Yes it is  effective.  Yes it is Powerful if used properly.  It still can only be one prong of your overall marketing approach.  Social Media is designed to strengthen and insulate relationships.  You still need some traditional marketing.  Obviously this is based on your market, your company, your goals etc.  It is meant to enhance and amplify your message.   Do not put all your eggs in any basket.  Balance, prioritize, have a strategy and goals.  Engage you audience.

2.  It is NOT Magic… You are not pulling a rabbit out of a hat.  It is not a way to pull the cover over your customer’s eyes.  So let me advise not going out and planting those beans in hopes of a magic beanstalk.

3.  It is NOT Fake…  I truly believe it can be either the most powerful tool or the biggest fake.  Always remember that you have to earn attention.  It is creating, maintaining and enhancing relationships.  So do not have someone write tweets for you.  Work hard at providing the right experience for the right audience in an authentic and genuine way.

4.  It is NOT One-Way…  I hear SO many people say that they do not think a social media tool doesn’t work or that social media overall is not an effective medium.  Then after discussion with them about how they are using it, we discover they use it as a broadcast medium.  They do not engage with the audience.  They create content and let it sit without using the real power of the medium.  CONVERSATION.  This creates connection.

5.  It is NOT Advertising…  It is not about you.  It is social exchange of ideas, thoughts, insights and best practices.  The great news for those who forget.  It is Social Media and it is in the title for you.  It is SOCIAL.  It is a chance to interact with your customers, prospects and suspects in an engaging way.
 
6.  It is NOT Something to Do Without a Plan…  Take the time and effort to set some goals, a benchmark.  Have an idea where your audience is and what you are going to share with them.  Start with a destination and then a map of how you will get there.  If you do not, then any road will get you there and that road may be through un-travelable roads or roads with heavy roadblocks.

7.  It is NOT Corporate…  Again, this is human and personal.  Do not talk about you, your products or your company.  Do not talk like a corporation in your annual report.  Do not talk with your logo.  Speak in a voice.  Be real.  Be from this planet.  Have fun and relax.

8.  It is NOT a Replacement For Eyeball to Eyeball… It is a way to enhance person to person networking.  It strengthens relationships.  It is a great way to share or talk about events.

9.  It is NOT a FREE… So even though the platforms require a very low cost. It requires a lot of human capital to run a successful social media campaign.  There is a big cost; it just doesn’t come in the way of subscription or dues. There is also a bigger cost of avoiding and putting on the backburner.

10.  It is NOT Without Work & Effort… You cannot just put up a profile and then go away.  It requires interaction and engagement. The effort can not be when you want.  It has to be frequent, consistent and sustained. 

Even though this list is not exhaustive, it is something to think about.
  
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I wrote another article last week you might also enjoy about 10 Myths of Social Media - http://bit.ly/uqcMq
What Is The Right Amount of Time to Spend On Social Media - http://bit.ly/y0M59

Pinocchio wanted to be a boy more than anything in the world, but all he could ever be was a wooden boy with strings. Marketing wants to be an art, but is it really a science? So does the Right Brain or Left Brain control the messaging?
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Here is the 10 biggest myths and things I hear on a daily basis.  So I also give my thoughts on how to overcome the obstacles.

1.  I Am Not a Technology Person … This excuse does not work anymore.  First, it is very user friendly, but there is so much free training.  You do not have to be a CIO to use Social Media.  This is an investment because this is not going away.

2.  Just sign up and think you are “on social media”…  Being on Social Media is a 2 way dialogue at a minimum.  It is about conversations and creating relationships.  Like any relationship it requires sustained effort.

3.  Doesn’t Require a Plan or Strategy…  Almost every person I speak to says they are on Social Media, but have plan or direction in which they are trying to increase their value on it.  If you do not have a map and any goals, then it will be impossible to judge if you are on the right platforms.  If you could do certain things better.  Everything in life worth doing deserves the time to plan a strategy.

4.  I Do Not Have Time…  If you want to maintain, increase and insulate your business, you better MAKE time.  This is here to stay. It is too important to keep on the back burner because I promise if you are not conversing with your clients, your competition is enjoying that engagement.

5.  I Do Not Have Anything Interesting to Say…  I hear this one.  Everyone has something of value to bring to the table.  Think about the topics that keep your clients up at night.  If you personally do not have any solutions or thoughts, then go online and find articles and topics of interest and share those.  The converse I hear daily is why do I care what food someone is eating. First, those people do not get social media.  There needs to be value.  BUT, do not dismiss a tweet as simple as what food someone is eating either.  If it is a prospect, that might be a conversation starter.   “That is great that you love Chinese food, I do too, I know the best Chinese restaurant in the city, how does your calendar look next Wed for me to take you…”

6.  It is about you, your products & company…  This is the fastest way to get shut out of Social Media.  It is the number one mistake I see.  Nobody cares about you.  I cringe when I see it because I know how much I get turned off.  If you just talk about you, then you will be even more invisible than that TV commercial that everyone just DVR’s by all the time.

7.  You will not have control… You do not and never had control anyway.  The conversation is going on with or without you.  We had this same conversation with email.  Your best bet is to engage and get involved.

8.  I am just one person and cannot compete with big companies…  As Seth Godin said, “Small is the New Big” – and with the internet you can have just as big as reach.  Your goal is to have remarkable products and raving fans that talk about you and it will spread horizontally.

9.   Why would I want to hear about bad things people are saying about me…  This may be the dumbest one.  This is the greatest opportunity you have.  This is your chance to turn sour grapes into wine.  Use this as an advantage and a chance to engage with customers.

10. This is a fad and doesn’t work…  The question we should not be asking ourselves any longer is does the medium work, because it is the medium.  Rather the question should be how to better utilize it and customize solutions that will work.

Hope these help.  If I missed any, then please add to the comments and we can discuss.

Applications Have Gone Under the Radar By Most on LinkedIn…  Hopefully after you read this you will utilize these applications to really change the look of your profile and make it robust and add massive value.

Account & Settings – This is in the upper right hand corner of the webpage – This is where you can set your profile, personal & privacy settings.  One note about your privacy settings.  I would keep it as public as you can so you can be found.  The minimum I suggest is at least showing everything to your network.  Your first degree contacts can view your contacts, your email etc.  More info because you let them in.  You still want to allow 2nd & 3rd degree contacts and those in groups to be able to view your full profile minus the viewing of connections.
Read the rest of this entry »