IGadgets & Information Technology

Last week local search expert Matt McGee had a quick post about the state of small businesses in social media. His post cited a recent eMarketer survey that showed small businesses were not only keeping up with social mid- to large-sized companies, they were actually beating them when it came to acquiring customers. The report found that nearly half of small businesses around the world had acquired a customer via social media, as compared to 28 percent of larger businesses with larger budgets.

Surprising? Not really.

For all its hoopla and shiny, social media is about turning your organization into a small business. It means forgetting how big you may be on paper, losing the pomp, and running your business with the mentality and focus of a startup. And that’s why large corporations often have a difficult time doing well, because they don’t remember how to do business that way. They’ve forgotten how to act small.

How do you do it?

Build failure into your culture

The biggest difference between a small business owner and someone who runs a big brand is the fear associated with failure. Big brands will do whatever it takes to not fail because, to them, failure means weakness and profit loss. To a small business owner, failure means innovation and growth. They fail every day because they’re learning every day. They’ll stick their neck out and take a risk that a medium-size company will not. People do great things when they’re not afraid of the consequences that come should they fall short. They also have less of a problem admitting failure. The power to take chances, combined with the chutzpah to own up to them, is a small business owner’s biggest strength.

Be nimble

Large businesses are at a great disadvantage in social media because social media waits for no one. It’s happening right now, all around you. Small businesses owners are lean enough that they can hop in, in the moment, with both feet. They don’t have to wait for legal to clear a customer service complaint. They don’t have to get approval before they say something on Twitter or post that blog entry. And that’s a huge advantage. Something I found really neat about the recent Old Spice ad campaign was that they were given freedom to create the videos without getting individual approval Basic guidelines were set, but that was it. There was no waiting 36 hours for someone to sign off. And the result was real-time conversation, 36 million views counting, and empty grocery shelves.

Be in the business of building relationships

Social media is about relationships. Being a small business owner is about relationships. Large businesses are about profit margins. Is there really any wonder why SMB owners trump them and brands trip over their feet? I didn’t think so.

Be fearless

Throughout history, success has been found when people were brave enough to act even though everything around them told them not to. Look at Disney. Look at the companies that were formed in last year’s recession. Success comes when you’re willing to be bold, to be seen, and to try things. And that’s something small business owners are really comfortable doing. They’ll read about something in a blog or industry newsletter, and then they’ll try it and figure out how they can make it work for their business. Larger brands will spend a year in meeting pre-calculating the ROI and brand risks. Being fearless may make you more likely to make a mistake, but it also lets you capitalize on momentum.

Sweat the small stuff

Small business owners go above and beyond to provide value for their customers. They’re always available, always looking to make good, and will put the experience above all else.  They understand that it’s that experience that people come back for and what creates their brand. Large businesses believes that brands are created with money and sterilized ad campaigns. They think the small stuff doesn’t apply to them and treat their customers as if they are replaceable.   In the world of social media, where you never know who you’re speaking to or how far their net reaches, this often gets large businesses into trouble.

Be your customer

Small businesses do a better job connecting with customers because they ARE their customer. They’ve created a business around a need and spend their entire day living and breathing that need. They don’t live in the bubble, they live in the grind. The benefit of that is you stay connected. It’s easier to engage and build relationships with customers when you are them. When you understand their needs, their concerns and their life, it’s easier to target them and present customers with something they’ll really respond to. As businesses get larger, they often forget that. They stop being human and start acting like a corporation. Corporations don’t belong in social media; people do.

Use an honest voice

Social media is about establishing a voice and using that voice to connect with people. The reason large businesses do as well is because they have a hard time developing this. And the reason for that is tied into everything listed above: There’s too much red tape, they don’t understand their customers, they’ve forgotten how to be human, etc. Small business owners have always had great stories and now they’re finding a voice in which to tell them. And that is the basis of their success.

My advice to any mid- to large-sized company looking to get involved in social media is often the same – act small. Social media has put the principles of “acting small” into the spotlight and rewarded them tenfold. As a mid- to large-sized brand, that should be the question you’re asking yourself. How do you act like a small business owner? Do you remember how to sweat the small stuff?

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When I started this entrepreneur thing, I was lucky to have room to create my office. Setting side space that was “work” helped me establish important work/life boundaries. But even though I have the office, you’d been hard pressed to find me working there. I simply don’t like it. Like lots of other entrepreneurs and freelancers, I prefer working from coffee shops. Why? Because coffee shops have things that my apartment does not: Snacks, endless coffee, stable WiFi and people to watch or talk to. It’s like camp for nerds!

Over time, I’ve picked up some tricks of the trade when it comes to increasing my productivity as a remote worker. Here are some of my preferred habits. If you have any of your own, I’d love you forever if you’d share them. I’m always trying to find ways to do more.

Bring headphones

This is a no-brainer as I don’t know many people who don’t prefer to work to music. I 100 percent believe that my set list for the day determines my productivity so I choose it accordingly based on what I have to accomplish. That’s right; I just admitted that I match my playlist to my To Do list. [Please tell me you do this, too]. I also match my socks to my mood.

If you’re someone who DOESN’T like working to music, then you’ll definitely want to bring headphones to cancel out the music playing in the coffee shop. For this, I recommend using SimplyNoise. You can pick which kind of background noise you want, if you want it oscillating and set your own volume. It’s saved me on multiple occasions. The wonders of the Internet.
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Curb chatterboxes

The best part of coworking/working from coffee shops is surrounding yourself with other people. Too much time alone and you start to forget you’re part of the human race. Or to, you know, shower and put on pants. Forcing yourself out and around others relieves this. However, just because you want to be around people doesn’t meant you want to talk to people. You are working, after all. For me, dealing with coworking chatterboxes depends on who they are:

• A chatterbox you brought with you: Gently remind them that it’s “work time”. If they haven’t even taken their laptop out, remind them to do so. The good thing about chatterboxes you brought with you is that you can often tell them to shut it without someone getting too offended.
• A chatterbox that works there: If the person who won’t stop talking to you actually WORKS at the place you are inhabiting you may have to make small talk for awhile. You are, in fact, on their turf and they’re being nice enough not to kick you out for hogging tables. Chat for a few, learn a bit about them, and then kindly remind them you better get back to work. You’ll chat again during your next refill.
• A chatterbox at the next table: This is another time when those headphones come in handy. Put them in your ears and start bopping. It doesn’t matter if there’s music playing or not. Pretend there is. And that you are very, very consumed with it. Or stare at your computer and look stressed, like you’re trying to figure out a really complicated puzzle. Like, for instance, how Lindsay Lohan when from Disney to jail in record time.

Be selective about your space

I am very easily distracted. Like, horribly so. That means I have to be really picky about where I sit in a coffee shop. My rules look something like this:

• Don’t sit near the door, or face it. [temperature chances, high traffic]
• Don’t sit near the register [too noisy, high traffic]
• Avoid power outlets [They get crowded. I have two 9 hour batteries so I don’t need the outlet. You might.]
• No couches [carpal tunnel isn’t fun]
• Windows are nice
• So are corners

There’s more, but I think you get the point. Depending on how you work best (and availability), you’ll want to try and find a place that mimics your needs. My favorite place to work is on the stage area of the café two blocks from my apartment. It’s raised, away from all foot traffic, and there’s a big window to gaze out of. It’s one of my favorite places in the whole world.

Get around…but have a steady

I have a rotating list of coffee shops that I spend my time working at. Switching it up allows me to pretend I’m being social and getting out, but it also means that I’m not putting the full strain of my coworking on any one shop, which I feel is important. I know that laptoppers can sometimes be considered a burden, so I try to make it as light as I can for the places I inhabit. After all, I work there because I like them. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.

Though I rotate, there is one designated “home base” shop for me. This means people looking for me know where to find me and makes it easier to set up meetings when I have to. It gives me one public hole in the wall and others where I can hide out when I don’t want to be found.

Make friends with the owners/workers

As a coworker, you want to take time to befriend the people who work at the places you inhabit. You’re on their turf and it’s a sign of respect and good manners for you to get to know them. As horribly introverted as I am, I make a strong effort to establish a rapport with the owners of the places I visit most. Everyone benefits from friendliness and it just may help them to view you as less of a burden. It’s also means they’ll check up on you every so often to see if you need anything. Nothing’s better than a coffee refill you didn’t have to get up to ask for.

Eat & drink often

Ordering a coffee and then sitting at a table for six hours without eating or drinking anything else signals that you’re a jerk. I do my best to refill drinks or snacks every two hours, even I don’t intend to actually consume it. Arguably not the best decision for my bank account, but I want to show my support for businesses I like, frequent and raid WIFI from. It also gives me an excuse to get up and go make small talk with employees, which helps build that rapport thing again.

Also, don’t forget to tip.

Know when to go

Most coffee shops have a certain time of day when they start to get busy. For some it’s the morning, others the afternoon. Know this schedule ahead of time and avoid going during peak hours. It’s a sign of respect to not hog tables and WIFI when “real” customers are there and it also ensures you won’t punch someone in the face when they make a snide comment calling you a “squatter” or growl that you’re taking up too much room. I’m really lucky that my favorite coffee shop (where I’m currently writing this) is always empty during work hours. I get to work there as long as I want without the guilt trip, feeling like I’m helping the business bring in some extra dollars.

Don’t be “that guy”

Just a few things:

• If your coffee shop turns of WIFI during certain hours of the day to prevent coworkers from hogging tables, don’t show up with your MIFI card and think it’s going to be okay.
• Don’t hold large meetings in someone else’s space.
• Don’t use the establishment as your own personal daycare center, for your kids or your animals.
• Don’t take phone calls inside.
• Don’t have Skype conferences inside.
• Don’t take the biggest table possible and then scatter all your stuff

Your mother taught you basic etiquette and how to be a respectful person, keep it in mind.

Those are some of my rules and tips for working out of local coffee shops or other establishments. What rules do you live by?

Source: Lisa Barone

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Last week a top player, someone who had spent seven years developing his name and his skill at one company, decided to leave and take a position playing for another. To make the situation worse, he did it in public. And with his own prime-time special. As an employer, this is pretty much your biggest fear. It’s the reason you’re terrified of social media and letting employees create a personal brand on your dime to begin with. Who wants to house a brand if all they’re going to do is break up with you? On television! However, it’s something you need to face. Because while you can’t escape it, you can leverage it.

As I’ve written before, I’m a really big believer in growing branded employees. I think it makes them more invested in what they’re doing, it creates a stronger social Rolodex for the company to utilize, and it heightens the attention and buzz around the brand. These are all things companies strive to create and they’re done more easily through branded employees. But what do you do when that person leaves? Do you have to rebuild from scratch? How do you handle it so that the brand thrives and you’re not left looking like a petty 14-year old?

Here are some suggestions.

Keep your head (and the bridge)

We’re human. When people voluntarily leave our family, we take it personally. However, that’s no reason to blow up a bridge you can use in the future. When branded employees leave, they’re probably not leaving to go live a quiet life on a farm. They’re going to a competitor, a client or they’re starting a new company under their own name. That means staying on good terms with this person isn’t only good for public relations, it’s also good for business. Check your ego at the door and be as kind to the person during their exit as you were when they were bringing you links, press and buzz. People remember how they were treated when they leave and just because someone has left the brand doesn’t mean you can’t keep them brand-loyal in their new venture.

Humbly acknowledge the loss

When someone who has been important to the company leaves, publicly acknowledge the loss. It makes the employee feel appreciated, helps clients and readers feel reassured, and shows the humanness of your company. Saying nothing or posting an angry letter on your Web site only makes you look cold and gives you another brand disaster to clean up in the morning. Take the time to really acknowledge the contribution this person made to your brand. Send out some tweets wishing them well, write a blog post about their departure, whatever is appropriate to properly honor them. It goes a long way.

Re-highlight a social culture

The companies hit hardest when a branded employee leave are the ones that never created a social culture and, instead, just anointed someone a Community Manager Fairy. This makes moving on difficult because you’ve now lost what was social about your company and have to rebuild on the spot. Hopefully, you’ve already created a culture around being social, but if you haven’t , now is the time to create one and show it off to customers. Doing so will make the transition easier for people and show that you’re still there and still listening even though a part of your team has moved on. Reemphasize how committed you are to staying engaged.

Have someone waiting to step up

While we’d like to think our employees will stick with us forever, the reality says they won’t. And that wasn’t created by social media. Even before someone leaves you should have some idea as to who will take over should the time come. That means you’re anxiously plotting your bloggers departure, but, maybe give of your other employees the opportunity to ‘guest post’ or contribute as a way of trying them out. There should be other people waiting in the wings to take over, should it ever be needed. There’s no rule that says you can’t groom more than one A-lister in your organization. Why not create a team of them?

Give the new person their own space

Our tendency in business to “stick with what works” isn’t always a smart one. No one is truly irreplaceable, but that doesn’t mean they should be cloned either. When I left Bruce Clay, Inc., Virginia Nussey was tasked with taking over the blog. And one reason I think she’s found so much success (outside of simply rocking) is that she’s really made the blog her own. She didn’t pretend to be me, just like I couldn’t pretend be Virginia. We have different voices and you do your brand a great service when you respect your authenticity. Let people be who they are and don’t force the new employee to look, sound, feel like the person who came before them. That’s what people will connect with and why they’ll stick around.

Move on

When a prominent member leaves, do not spend the next six months harking back to how they used to run things and talking about them as if they were dead. They’re not dead. They’re simply a competitor now. Just because they were successful under your umbrella, doesn’t mean that the brand is dead now that they’ve left. Keep your focus on today and what’s happening, both in the industry and in your company. There’s no reason your blog has to turn into a living memorial. It makes everyone feel uncomfortable.

Invite them back when appropriate

Once you’re back in your groove and the brand is strong, it may be appropriate to invite your former employee back to the site to participate in some way. Doing so will allow you to extend goodwill, introduces your brand to their new audience, and gives people the type of nostalgia they so often yearn for. If you’re looking for guest bloggers, help with an ebook or are putting together an interview series, these may all provide good opportunities for you to still take advantage of that person’s brand. However, only use when appropriate. Too much leaning and you just look like a desperate ex-girlfriend.

That’s my rulebook for how to conduct business once a branded employee decides to abandon ship. How have you handled it or how would you?

Source: Lisa Barone

While I was getting my tan on in Key West, Dave Weigel, the snappy voice behind the Washington Post’s conservative Right Now blog, “resigned”. Dave had been brought in three months ago to mix news and opinion and offer the Post some edge. And from April through June, he did that remarkably well. Trouble came when messages were leaked from a private, supposedly off-the-record listserv that showed Dave once disparaging prominent members of the Conservative party, the same folks he was now tasked with covering. Dave immediately resigned and The Post accepted, citing that though his work was excellent, they couldn’t “have any tolerance for the perception that people are conflicted or bring a bias to their work”.’ A ‘bias’ that never revealed itself in the three months Dave blogged for the Post.

Yesterday, Octavia Nasr, CNN’s senior Middle East editor who had been with the company for twenty years, was fired after she tweeted in praise of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah. Her controversial tweet read:

Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.. One of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot. #Lebanon”

Octavia later clarified that she didn’t support him as a terrorist, but for his views on women’s right. Despite her apology, CNN fired her citing they believed “her credibility in her position as senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs has been compromised going forward.”

In each case mainstream media had a choice: Stand by the person they hired or disassociate so the mess doesn’t get on the brand. The Washington Post and CNN both chose the latter. And their decisions showed once again that Big Media is stuck straddling two worlds.

• They want the attention and excitement of a hired gun blogger…but not the backlash.
• They want readers to connect with talent….but not get too personal.
• They want to take advantage of social media… but turn on employees who fall off the edge.
• They want to share opinion… but only corporate opinion.

But you can’t have it both ways, and that’s the disconnect mainstream media is continually forced to face. The opinion revolution is great, until the exact moment it turns on you.

One thing has been evident: Mainstream media is in a scramble to add voice to its content. They’re struggling to maintain (not even grow) audience and they know in order to compete in the new world of blogs, tweets and status updates, they need that added appeal. The result has been Big Media bringing in hired guns – people specifically added to the roster to foster attention and general excitement. David Weigers was a good example of that. But what we’re seeing is that mainstream media continually shoots itself in the foot when these hired guns are fired at the very first sign of trouble.

A few things have to happen here:

Mainstream Media Needs To Get Over Itself

If you want the attention, you have to be strong enough to ride the backlash. Because as any experienced on-the-edge blogger will tell you, the lows are just as extreme as the highs. As strongly as you are promoted up the ladder for being “different” and “edgy”, you will be kicked in the face down it when you share an opinion not universally accepted. You need to be able to handle both sides.

As an employer of a hired gun how do you deal with that?

You read Tim Ferriss’ post on practical tips for dealing with haters and get over it. The seven items Tim discusses become your new corporate culture.

1. It doesn’t matter how many people don’t get it. What matter is how many people do.
2. 10 percent of people will find a way to take anything personally. Expect it.
3. “Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity” – Colin Powel
4. “If you are really effective at what you do, 95 percent of the things said about you will be negative” – Scott Boras
5. If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.
6. “Living well is the best revenge” – George Herbert
7. Keep calm and carry on

If you can’t incorporate this into your lifestyle, then you don’t get the right to share an opinion. You get to stay boring and watch your audience be stolen by those that can.

Dissent != Bias, Lack Of Credibility

Dave and Octavia were both fired (yes, even Dave) for sharing opinions their readers/employers didn’t agree with. This difference of opinion was then claimed to represent a “bias” or a “lack in credibility”. What really happened was that CNN and The Washington Post didn’t know how to embrace public criticism. And so when they were forced to, they performed a classic Big Brand play and disassociated themselves with the troublemakers. Smooth.
But you can’t have it both ways.

If you’re going to be a big boy and swim, and benefit from, these waters you have to be able to take it. The firings of Dave and Octavia proved that mainstream media isn’t yet able to take it. They’re still hiding behind their boring corporate shield and fired two extremely talented folks in hopes that some of their mess wouldn’t land on the brand. It’s well known that CNN’s ratings are dropping and its irrational fear of social media isn’t helping.

Get Comfortable Being Exposed

The risks to exposing yourself to your customers and community aren’t nearly as severe as you may think; and the rewards are huge. I’m often hired because of my ‘outspokenness’. Whether it’s in SEO or out of it, what separates my voice from other bloggers is that I’m willing to lay it all out and expose myself. That means sometimes I get kicked in the face for talking about things I’m passionate about, but it also means that people relate to me. That’s where my audience comes from and what makes me valuable. And it’s the same for any other blogger or media outlet. The more you expose yourself and your staff, the more you draw people into you, even if they don’t like what they’re reading. They’re still drawn in and engaging with the content.

The recent firings of two people skilled at their craft should be a wake up sign that mainstream media still has a long way to go. Big media won’t be ready for on-the-edge blogging until they get over their God complex, support dissent and get comfortable showing who they are. It’s okay to get called out in social media and to support the members of your team who routinely are. Putting that under a corporate umbrella doesn’t dilute the brand. In the end, it strengthens it.

One last question. Dave and Octavia will both go on to have strong careers using their voice for attention. The Washington Post and CNN have now scared current employees back into their quiet cages. Who really got the axe?

Source: Lisa Barone