I’ve got this really bad habit of gushing about things I love: Wordpress, Twitter, kittens… well I have a new and brilliant tool I want to share with you. The problem with many browser plugin/apps/downloads is that they clutter and aren’t very user friendly anyhow. But not Shareaholic! Observe:

Before Shareaholic.

After Shareaholic.

But what does this wonderful and non-space hogging button on my browser do?? you may be wondering quietly to yourself. It might as well be a portal to the end of the universe as far as I’m concerned, its just that spectacular. No really, it lets you share stuff… everywhere! You know how it goes. You’re on a site, or reading an article and you are like “Wow, this is brilliant. Everyone should see it.” Then you have to copy the url, open an email or Twitter or Facebook, paste it and hit send. And you have to do that for every place you want to share it to. No longer! Just click the Shareaholic button and a drop down menu appears, select where you want to share your info and bang, done. All that’s left is customizing and waiting for all the feedback. (Random Tip: you don’t have to just share publicly, Shareaholic will let you link to your email or to private Facebook messages as well.)

I know what you’re thinking: “Okay, I’m sold, how do I get this amazing button of awesomeness?” Easy. Just go to Shareaholic.com and pick your browser. (It even works for those shameful people who don’t have Firefox.) Then download, and the happy little green icon will appear on your browser. Note: downloading this will not hurt your computer, not spyware or anything like that, your hard drive is safe!

Not convinced yet? Shareaholic works with about 50 services already and there’s even a video I found on their lovely blog:

Let’s say, for sake of example, that you are a baker. You spend hours slaving over the most fantastic chocolate cake known to man. You gently place it in your display window. Sooner or later a customer comes in. “Could I try that cake in the window?”

“Well, the cake costs twenty dollars.”

“But I want to taste it first,” he repeats adamantly.

There’s no way you are cutting into that cake unless someone coughs up some cash. “I can’t give you just one bite.”

“Yes, but how do I know its any good?” replies the customer earnestly. “Can you give me the recipe? Maybe I should try to make it on my own first, and then I’ll know if it’d be any good or not.”

“Well, I could give you the recipe, but unless you have all the tools that I use in my kitchen–”

I bet you know where I’m going with this story by now. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying you should pay up-front for every service and never ask for proof of results. That’s not what I mean at all. But the expectation that things should be done for free seems come up more and more often. I’m not just writing this for myself either. Before I typed this post, I did some research. These are all examples of people who get asked for free advice in their field:

• Doctors
• Lawyers
• Photographers
• Editors
• Coaches
• Business Consultants
• Accountants
• Political Campaign Managers
• Programmers

The basis of this post is why you shouldn’t expect your marketers to plan a strategy for free, but go ahead and apply it to any business you work with. Point to Remember: Everyone has rent to pay.

Each person on the list above is a professional. They have credentials, experience or both. Their ideas are valuable. Also, they have rent. Someone pays them because they are GOOD at what they do. And they will probably give you tons of great advice. Many will go above beyond their price tag to give you awesome service. That does not mean you should take advantage of them. Lots of them do give out freebies. They do a cake-tasting just for you by blogging honestly about their industry, speaking for free at events, and sharing tips with you over coffee. However, they aren’t going to hand you the entire cake and say, “Well I hope you enjoy eating it as much as I enjoyed making it!” (That’s your mom, not your lawyer.)

I think one of the reasons I’m seeing more of this give-me-free-stuff mentality is because of the economy. People are looking for things they can do cheaper and faster. I totally understand that, but let me level with you a little. THE ECONOMY SUCK FOR EVERYONE. Yet, I feel, that’s all the more reason why you should pay someone for their time. It keeps the economy going and makes sure one more person gets to have a job and feed their family.

Most of you reading are probably cheering quietly from your office, knowing you are the baker in the story. We all want to think we would never treat someone that way, but its hard not to have the “what can you do for me today?” thought in the back of your head. Really search yourself. Are you always the baker? Who are you using? Are you trying to pull extra time out of a good service? Do you expect to be catered to? I know I’ve done it in the past, when I was just getting started I met with an accountant and he gave me a ton of advice (way above and beyond) in good faith. I really did plan on using his services. But time passed and I ended up just cutting corners and doing things myself. Later, I tried to send that person 20+ referrals to make up for it but I still believe I did him wrong. Take a moment to consider when you’ve taken advantage of someone. If you do catch yourself doing it, at least don’t get angry when someone draws a line in the sand and says “No, you have to pay for that.”

So let me conclude with this. There are lots of ways to get free advice. One of the absolute best ways is through a Meetup. Seriously. Get on Meetup.com and just search for whatever you want for free and go learn it. People are more than happy to share. If you have the time to do everything yourself, that’s a great way to do it. Maybe you get lucky and land someone willing to work for crumbs at those events. I’ve seen it happen. But don’t expect me to draw up a five year marketing plan for your business and teach you all the basics of Wordpress in an hour and then not even pay for my coffee. Buy the whole damn cake.

If you’re willing to share, who have you not bought a cake from and how do you plan to make up for it?

*** Update ****

Sent to me from a friend in reference to this post. Just had to share. Possibly, the most awesome and true video I’ve ever seen.

Today I want to hurt the feelings of a tiny tool that every salesman I’ve met keeps on his desk; the rolodex. I hate the rolodex. I hate its infernal little tabs and its mindless organizing system and today I’m going spend an entire post tell you why it sucks. But not to worry, your contacts deserve better and I have a solution.

Your Rolodex and Its Many Short-Comings

• Organization: So a rolodex may look more organized that my original method for keeping business cards (a shoe box) but instead of empowering you, it restricts you. You can only search one way: alphabetically. And you can only alphabetize by one method (first name, last name, company name - pick one). You can’t search through it by category or need.
• Infuriation: Not everyone’s cards fit in the box. Some people like to be special (ever seen those cards that try to be cute and are shaped like a square? They just want to mess up your system!). Or better yet you have to write the information onto a card, wasting your precious time.
• Transportation: Its not exactly portable either, is it? You can’t go to a lunch with it in your pocket.
• Inspiration: So what happens if you want to give some a referral on the spot? You can’t unless you happen to have them in your cell phone! You have to make a note and hope you remember. The moment of opportunity is gone.

So what can you do?

Get Rid of the Rolodex. Forget all that paper work. Call it going “Green“! (Or whatever helps you sleep at night.)

Now, let me tell you what I do.

1. I go to a meeting and come home with a handful of cards.
2. I log on to Linked-In during the next week and type in their name.
3. If they’re on, I connect with them, adding a note about where we met. If not, I send an invite.
4. Then I upload the contacts to my outlook through the Linked-In Toolbar.
5. (Extra step for my Blackberry/smart phone users: I synchronize my Outlook with my phone.)
6. Then I THROW THE CARDS AWAY. That’s right, I toss them.

I know what you’re thinking: What if they don’t connect with you and you could have used their service? Too bad. I figure I would have stuck them in my rolodex and forgotten about them anyhow. But now since they are in my phone and their information is updated through, I can connect them to other people or get in touch with them any time. It may sound crazy but it works. I stay better connected, I don’t have as much paperwork all over my desk and I have their information with me all the time.

So I suggest getting all your cards together this 4th of July weekend and roasting some marshmallows on them.

What do you do to simplify your business with technology? Are you really using Linked-In to its great potential or are you just there?

I don’t know about you, but my life exists at the speed of the keyboard. So when we decided it was time to hire a new sales team (new meaning we tried this before, unsatisfactorily), I knew we wanted to do something a little outside the box.

Don’t be this Guy

I’ve heard lots of success stories about people finding jobs or hires just through social media. Since so much of what we do at Veribatim is related directly to sites like Twitter, I thought this might be worht a try. Plus, no one likes reading resumes. They rarely show people’s real strengths, anyhow. Recommendations (like those on Linked-In) are way more accurate. A resume shows you on a perfect day, a recommendation is what you’re like in the trenches, and its the trenches that matter.

So here’s our plan. We put out info on Linked-In, Twitter and Facebook. We don’t want resumes or phone calls. Email us recommendations, email us why you think we rock (flattery gets you everywhere) we want to connect with YOU and the people who know you. Then, we just want to talk! We’re less interested in where you worked and more in what other people think about you, because, let’s face it, often times its who you know in sales! If we feel like you’d be an asset to the team we’ll do a personal interview.

If you are interested in this position or know someone who might be, we posted a few details on our Facebook page. Check it out and connect with us. We’re looking for passionate, focused people who love social media. Find details here. Also feel free to ask us questions on Twitter.

We’ll keep you updated on how this goes!

Everyday I meet people who ask me about social media. Each of these people have unique thoughts and experiences with online networking. Some of them are whole-heartedly involved, some don’t even want to consider it as viable marketing. But I’ve noticed a sort of pattern emerging. Much like grief, there seem to be five major stages of social media, they pass quickly or last years, but everyone seems to experience them.

1. Avoidance - People at this stage pretend social media doesn’t exist. If you ask them about it they’ll respond, “Oh, yeah, my daughter uses that site.” This stage usually involves lots of sticking fingers in your ears and yelling “lalalalala” at the top of your lungs.
2. Fear -Or “the excuses” phase. During this phase, you know social media is out there and that you should probably get involved, but you’re just too scared to try it. Some of the excuses I hear most often: “I’ll jump in when I know what I’m doing” or “It just confuses me” or “I don’t see how this service can help my business”. Hint: Just like crocodile wrestling, you can watch it on tv, study it, even take classes, but its never going to be the same as jumping on the back of a real crocodile and just doing it!
3. Paranoia - Okay, so you finally decided to take the plunge. You create an account. Now what? As with all new things, a little bit of fear continues to nag in the back of your mind. “Am I doing this right?” “What if I piss off all my personal friends by talking business (or vice versa)?” “I don’t know any of the terminology!” This fear of screwing up can be paralyzing. This is why some people never get past the -checking this out for the first time!- post.
4. Obsession - If you can get past the Paranoia stage social media suddenly becomes fun. Once people start connecting with you and commenting on your posts, the rush can be come addictive. This stage can be positive, the surge of activity can really put you on the map. You also may need to find a help hotline for your Social Morphine habit.
5. Comfort -Once the adrenaline rush fades, a regular pattern emerges of when and how you use social media. Perfect balance is next to impossible, but comfort comes very close. This doesn’t mean that you won’t slip back into one of the previous stages. In other words, once the social media cycle claims you, THERE IS NO ESCAPE.

I will add, however, that there is a stage outside of the five that some social media users fall into. The unfortunate post-stage:

6. Apathy - Apathy can creep into any relationship. You loose the spark and have to work to regain the love. It happens for lots of reasons: not enough time, not fun anymore, negative experiences… Unfortunately this reminds us that not every social media experience is positive, and it does take work. However, like any marketing strategy it should bee taken seriously. Besides, the reward tastes better after you wrestled a crocodile to get it.

What stage are you at?

We at Veribatim are very excited to announce our partnership with Microsoft. After speaking at the StartSpark event, I’m able to back this program whole-heartedly. Don’t know about BizSpark yet? Read on!

Microsoft® has an exciting new program specifically designed to provide early stage Startups, like the ones we work, with software, support, and visibility to help ignite your success. The program, called BizSpark™, provides access to:

• Software. Join BizSpark and you’re just clicks away from having access to current, full-featured development tools, including Visual Studio Team System, plus production licensing to develop and bring your solution to market.
• Support. BizSpark provides you with professional technical support from Microsoft and connects you to a global community of business experts who can help guide you through the hurdles of growing your business.
• Visibility. Through BizSpark, you’ll have the opportunity to achieve global visibility to an audience of potential investors, clients and partners.

Eligibility requirements are minimal: If you’re a privately held company building a software-based product or service (even using open source code), in business for fewer than three years, and with less than USD$1M in annual revenue, you’re in!

To join BizSpark, you must be sponsored by a BizSpark Network Partner, such as us! (Note: Look up Veribatim when registering). You’ll find more program details here. When you’re ready to sign up, contact us about sponsorship and get your enrollment code.

Once you have your enrollment code, joining BizSpark is fast and easy. No payment or credit card information is required, and there are no upfront costs. (Microsoft will assess a USD$100 program offering fee at the end of participation in the program, or the end of three years, whichever comes first.)

Get your Startup fired up! Visit the Microsoft Startup Zone to learn more!

While we’re on the subject; are you subscribed? If you’re not getting regular updates of the Veribatim Word of Net blog, why don’t you take a second to connect to our RSS as we continue to offer new and greater benefits.

Like a cockroach, MySpace continues to crawl forward even after its head has been chopped off. Yes,  Facebook has overtaken Myspace eMarketer shows us. TechCrunch predicted the fall of MySpace’s empire back in May, and like vultures, we’ve all been watching. (Also, of note, MySpace today cut 30% of its U. S. staff, says Caroline McCarthy at CNET).

Sure, there’s still thousands of people using MySpace, but its just not the giant it once was. Nowadays, MySpace exists mainly for celebrities and bands. At one point, businesses tried to make MySpace their space, but Facebook offered a much sleeker deal and so began the downward cycle.

Here are some of my thoughts on why MySpace is dying:

• Poor Design - You’ve seen it. Clutter. Just pick a random page and its busy enough to cause early eye-strain. The navigation tools aren’t user friendly and the interface just screams 90s. MySpace assumed that its connectivity out-weighed simple design.
• Advertising - They could probably change the name from MySpace to AdSpace. Modern audiences want their ads to unobtrusive. MySpace made “LOOK-AT-ME!” obnoxious video ads famous.
• Bathroom Wall - I once heard MySpace called the bathroom wall of society. Of course every chat room, forum or social website has people without decency. MySpace just made the news more often with them.
• Younger Audience - Based on a presentation by Bob Hazlett of One Half Amazing the average user age on MySpace is significantly lower than other social media sites. This audience has less money, more time and less… restraint. Many migrate to other places, like Facebook, after they “grow out of” MySpace.
• Fluidity - Most social media sites rely on ease of use. The fact that each profile is so customizable often causes more confusion that personalization.

As MySpace takes its nose dive, I have very little remorse. The site will probably continue to limp along, and markets may even continue to seek a target audience there (musicians and teenagers) but most of us will move on to greener pastures.

What are your thoughts on MySpace? Sad to see it go? Hardcore supporter? Don’t care either way? Why do you think its declining?

I realized after attending the Microsoft SparkStart event that I often repeat the same advice over and over again, just with a new angle. So instead of doing that today, I’m going to point you to posts I wrote over the last year that still make sense right now! Believe it or not, the social media game hasn’t changed that much in a year. In fact, marketing as a whole hasn’t changed that much, we just use a different medium.

So here are some posts that might be relevant for you today:

Why Social Media is important:

• Social Media: Personal Touch in a Virtual World
• The Business of Social Media

The Facts:

• Facebook: Making the Rest of Us Look Bad
• Tools for your Belt: Demographics & Surveys

The Etiquette:

• Top 5 Ineffective Social Media Accounts
• Social Media Compared to Offline Networking

A lot of the truths of marketing still exist in the digital age. Are there any principles you use over and over again in your own marketing (online or off)?

Last week I had the opportunity to speak on a panel for Microsoft BizSpark’s first event: SparkStart. I sat on the Marketing Panel with two fantastic names you may know: Giovanni and Sean Jackson. I had a great time and every person I talked to said that they got even more out of the day than they expected.

However, though social media was spotlighted by the marketing panel we did discuss other ways to market. I want to share some quick thoughts that I thought should be repeated:

• Consider your sales funnel: There is a gap between the intent to purchase and actual purchase, do everything you can to help people get through it.
• Don’t scatter shot: Focus your social media efforts, but make sure you grab your real estate with something like NameCheck
• Social Media Tip: Have the heart of a servant
• Twitter: To quote Giovanni “its the shiniest thing out there right now” but know your target market, they might not use Twitter; go where your clients are.
• Branding, branding, branding: Do this FIRST! Don’t get on Facebook til your brand is completely ironed out.
• Email: has not gone out of style and is still a cornerstone of any online campaign.

If you missed SparkStart, I heard that due to the overwhelming positive feedback, there will be more of them! Feel free to contact them at their website or their twitter profile: @Sparkstart

Did you attend? What did you take away with you?

min·i·mal·ism: [Art] that emphasizes
extreme simplification of form, as by the use of basic shapes and
monochromatic palettes of primary colors, objectivity, and anonymity of
style. (American Heritage Dictionary)

Minimalism is an art form that has only been around the last 50 years or so. However its been embraced by web design artists across the world. As we continue to discuss design, I want to touch on minimalism as a direction to take the art on your site. I’m going to give you the quick pros and cons of minimalism as well as why I recommend it.

Pros:

• Not distracting: Your message is simplified and more powerful.
• Tailored to text: Minimalistic design will amplify any text on the page.
• Let the words shine through: Even though design can make or break your site; it should always compliment your text. The content of your site is what the customers are really there for. Minimalism makes sure your words take center stage.
• The Zen of simplicty: The last post I wrote goes right in-line with why minimalism can keep your clients happy.

Cons:

• Too bland: Too much minimalism can make a site seem boring.
• Minimizing the wrong aspects: Like any art, minimalism is subjective; but downplaying the important features can hurt your overall goal.
• Art is art: Hey, not every kind of art style will make your clients happy. Its art. Everyone likes something different. Minimalism is “modern” and therefore might turn some people off.
• Trying too hard: Going over-the-top with any design can make it look like you’re just trying to be fashionable instead of really matching your design and message.

Why I suggest it:

Not only do I think minimalism is beautiful for its own sake, but it makes a statement. In the end, we want our website to make an impression. The art and text should be complimentary and leave your readers with a sense of knowing—knowing you and your company better. Minimalism is all about the final impact.

Here are some more examples of Minimalism. What do you think? Do you like it?

Image by Delcio G. P. Filho