Wanted to do a quick blog post. Last week I was a panelist at the Dallas SEO/SEM Meetup along with Damian Skinner & Erick Osia. We discussed a number of topics from social media to viral video to Blackhat SEO. I posted a recording of this event on the Meetup's Upload section here.

Feel free to go listen to it. I know some of the questions are hard to hear but the answers are great. (If anyone knows how to edit audio, feel free to fix it!) Some examples of questions answered:

• How do I use social media to make money for my business?
• What should I use for my business on Facebook: a profile or a fan page?
• Does Wordpress index its pages?
• What does "Black-hat" mean?
• Should I use forums as part of my social media outreach?

Also wanted to give a shout-out to all the Twitters there!

Panelists:

@erickosia - Erick Osia

@damianstweet - Damian Skinner

@Veribatim - Kat Rice

Our Awesome Guests

@blueprintrealty - Bill Nicholson

@mktgmaster724 - Scott Saldinger

@smartacusguys - Rudy Lopez

@gushin - Dennis Guten

@natefalconer - Nate Falconer

@Andiqa - Andrea Duncan

We had more guests, so if you attended and would like to share your twitter, please leave it in the comments below! Be sure to check out the Dallas SEO/SEM group. Its a fantastic group. And I'm not just saying that because I'm an organizer. Check them out, and consider attending once a month with us.

So... what do you call something that's dead but still continues to move around and as though it was living? Zombies! Is that what news and print marketing has become? I mean, we constantly hear about how traditional news is "dead" and we're moving on to a digital age. But if newspapers are dead, why do I still hear about articles in the Dallas Morning News and I see at least one person with a newspaper in this coffee shop right now. The living dead are among us (on tables, no less)!

What's really going on is that more "traditional" form isn't going away; its evolving. Sites like the NYTimes.com are just changing to meet with public consumption of information. This blog is not about predicting the death print or anything like that but to point out a small flaw in many online marketers' logic.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

This post is based on #5 from How to Tell if Your Webmaster is Cheating on You: “Your website or social media or email or whatever is the only marketing your company needs.” I especially hear this about social media, but really anyone who seems to specialize in one form of marketing be it print, design, web or otherwise will spend a lot of time telling you how they are the best. The fact of the matter is, rarely will one form of media reach your entire audience. In online marketing, I constantly have to make sure that what I do for a client's online presence works with and not against any other form of marketing they may choose to use.

Marketing is a Gem of Many Facets

I base a lot of my articles on knowing your target market. When deciding on a medium to use, this is key. Now, you may have more than one audience to reach, or that audience may vary greatly in how they find your product. There's lots of ways to get out your message and measure its effectiveness but like my partner Edward says, "Roughly fifty percent of all marketing works, its knowing which half that's the problem."

So let's say you target audience is small business owners in their forties in the Dallas area. A great many of these people still read the Dallas Morning News, on or offline. A lot of them commute, or are mobile regularly, so signage might also be a good way to reach them. This is also one of the fastest growing demographics on Twitter and Facebook (not to mention mobile browsing). All of these might be a great marketing avenue for you, and probably work best as a whole strategy and not separate pieces.

To clarify a little, I wanted to share a case example by Jeff Hasen about how he used traditional and new media to market a company. Its worth a read.

The Zombies Live Among Us

Now that we know that zombies still walk among us, we might as well embrace them. Trying new strategies that integrate with old ones can only increase your visibility (and hopefully your client base). I don't mean don't target, just be smart about where you spend your money. But don't write off a traditional media form for being dead. I mean, if Shaun of the Dead can coexist with the living dead, than so can you!

Do you have an example of someone who used social media and traditional zombies together in a marketing campaign? We'd love to hear about them!

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?

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

No one is arguing anymore about the power of Twitter. After Ashton Kutcher's showdown with CNN and the appearance of Oprah, Twitter has pretty much hit mainstream. However, its not often that a company gets to feel part of something even bigger.

We've done some consulting and design work for the Dallas County Young Republicans, and run their Twitter account. The DCYR took a keen interest in supporting the much-blogged Tax Day Tea Parties. Here's what WFAA has to say:

I got some time during the filming (which took way longer than I realized it would) to chat with David Schechter about what he thought of Twitter, personally. He told me the potential for having twitter and traditional news work together was incredible and he was excited to be a part of it. We're excited to be a part of it too.

If you are interested in using social media to further your business or movement, Veribatim is offering a number of classes right now in the Dallas area and we'd be happy to send you more information: contact@veribatim.com

Ever since Facebook's little privacy policy backlash, more and more people have approached me with concerns about privacy. Who can see what you put online? How safe is your personal information? Anytime you put information on the internet, you take a risk. However, you can take steps to protect yourself and your secrets.

CNET wrote an article about a company called Rapleaf in 2007. I went and investigated this company.

Rapleaf makes its money by conducting research for companies interested in social media demographics. But what's more important, is that they offer a free service: showing you what information about you exists on the internet. We're going to walk through how RapLeaf works by showing you how to set up an account.

• Go to the Rapleaf personal page and register.

• Make sure to verify your email.
• Discover all the information about you that is open to the public.

• Choose what information you want to share with RapLeaf.

• Make sure to read the privacy policy, just because you've hidden your information from Rapleaf, doesn't mean that information can't be found.

• If you want to delete something, you'll have to go back to the original site to change it.

If you sign up for RapLeaf, let me know what you think of them!

My good friend Steve wrote an article I'd like to showcase today. He and I know each other through the Dallas SEO Meetup (where I will be speaking about Twitter next week). Please take some time to read his article. He is a relatively new Twitter user and another one of my "success" stories.

The best advice I ever received regarding Twitter was “Do not try and sell on Twitter”. Now what does that statement really mean? Well the point of the statement is use Twitter to introduce yourself or your company to the Web and share knowledge. Exchanging helpful links to sites of mutual interest or giving out free advice to relevant topics is the key. The end result hopefully being gaining beneficial contacts and possible sales. - Click for More

The Plot: I had my car worked on this past month. Took it to Midas for a tune-up and they did a wonderful job, I was impressed (no small matter!). I even registered for my appointment online which earned them extra points. I left pleased with my experience and ready to recommend them. But then.... it happened! (dun, dun, duuuuun)

The Villian: A week later I'm sitting in the middle of dinner,  6:30pm on a Thursday night and my cell phone rings. I'm expecting a call from a client so I excuse myself and answer. The man on the other line works for Midas and wants to know if I will take a survey.

The Dilemma: I wanted to give Midas a nice review but my family was waiting for me and this didn't seem like a good enough reason to be rude. So I politely asked, "Is there some way you can email me a survey? I'd love to give you feedback but I'm in the middle of dinner."

"It will only take 5 minutes!" he promises.

Grudgingly I agree and spend ten minutes on the phone.

The Conclusion: My immediate reaction was one of resentment. How dare they call my personal number in the middle of the evening! And why bother me on the phone when they have a perfectly good email address which I'm more likely to respond to? I made my appointment online so obviously I'm open to interacting with them that way. It seemed like case in point to me.

The Other Side of the Coin: After stewing on this for about a week I decided I could see their point of view. Its easy to ignore an email. Its much harder to ignore someone on the phone. And it has a "personal" (if you can call it that) touch.

The Other, Other Side of the Coin: However, more and more people don't answer numbers they don't recognize. Quite a bit of resentment still exists towards telemarketers, and even friendly phone calls can get lumped into that category. So maybe they need to offer an incentive so people will take the survey online... it still probably costs less than having someone call and then correlate the data. You only have to write one email and direct everyone to the same survey.

The Conclusion: Over all, I still think email would have been the best way to contact me. And Midas lost an awesome review because it. I can see their side, but I think more people lean towards email nowadays or even text messages!

The Question: What do you think? If your business uses surveys how do you distribute them?

Recently, at a networking event, the subject of Twitter and its usefulness came up. Being a huge proponent of social media as a whole, I immediately listened. I overheard one person say, "Why should I bother using Twitter? 16 year old girls aren't interested in my business."

Of course my initial reaction was laughter. Twitter has its fair share of teenage girls but this assumption was completely incorrect. I noticed it first on an impromptu survey done by TheBusyBrain (Mike Johnson) on his blog. It was a simple survey, just asking his Twitter followers to answer their age based on ten year segments. Mike's survey shows people in their 30's as the largest age group on Twitter, followed by 20s, 40s, 50s and teens taking fifth place.

Of course this survey only had 1500 or so people vote. So after this discussion I did some hunting for more statistically accurate numbers. Check out this post from Hitwise. It says 63% of Tweople are male and 25% of users are between 35 and 44.

I have to admit the accuracy of the smaller survey surprised me, though I'm pleased that Twitter isn't overrun with pubescent girls. The point here is that the people I network with in real life were basing their ideas of social media off of assumptions. Research is your friend. Know your demographic and aim for it. Do your own surveys with your clients, ask them what they use the web for, why they would read your blog, etc.

My Challenge: Survey 30 clients or possible clients of yours, ask them what social media they use. Let me know what kind of results you get!

Image by Smith