Happiness is…birthdays and social media

September 1st, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

I love what social media has done to the traditional birthday.  As I celebrate mine today — hey, age is not a number, it’s a dance track, baby! — I’m greeted by not just phone calls, emails and text messages (as if that wasn’t enough to make a girl feel special), but the warm wishes of all the fun, interesting, smart, cool, crazy, talented, lovable, cranky, accomplished, about-to-break-through, thoughtful, passionate, hard-working, courageous, creative, delicious, hustling, inspiring, multi-tasking, muscial, artful, soulful… people who make up my social networks.

Which word describes you? Doesn’t matter, I love you for what you bring to my life…and for the gifts of knowing you, sharing with you each day.  For those that share back, you are the cherry on top of this birthday girl’s social web sundae. IMO, social media is at its best on a day like today, bringing the gift of sweet messages from people who comprise the fabric of my life: whether you knew me in grade school, high school or college, or we connected from my professional world, my mom world or my “let’s be friends” world…today is a day that reminds me of the laughter, the tears, the dreams, the memories, the work, the wonderful connections that bind us in this new social media world.

Tonight, I will continue the celebration with exactly what I wished for:  a quiet, electronic-free, dinner at home (cooked by my favorite chef/caterer Michael Batt of Food Design), birthday cake (chocolate layer, with vanilla buttercream icing from Buttercup Bake Shop in NYC, another obsession), and the warm love of my husband and kids, who already started this day off in the most thoughtful and caring ways. Yep, life is good.

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Women Who Wow Me: A Series on Being Passionate, Real and Smart.

August 11th, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

If you follow my blog, you may have noticed that one of my big themes is choice.  The choice is yours to lead whatever life you want, to be the person you want to be, and go for whatever YOU define as success (not someone else’s definition).  Next to the “How do you do it all?” question, people often want to know who inspires me.

So, I wanted to share a few of my choices for inspiring women that I find smart, interesting and just plain fun to follow. That doesn’t mean they haven’t hit roadblocks or made compromises, either.  But as far as I can tell, that hasn’t stopped them from living life on their terms, and I get a charge out of that.

Wow Woman #1: Kristi Colvin.

Let’s start with her @KrisColvin Twitter bio: Chief Mischief Maker, Fresh ID. Creator of Intefy (Twitterface.) Opinionated user/brand experience designer & customer advocate. See, she already speaks my lingo.  You can learn more by checking out her blog, or going to her VisualCV which goes in depth about her extensive expertise in brand, user and customer experience.  In a sentence: Kris is one cool, capable chick with what seems like endless energy and drive. But what’s really terrific is that she is deeply engaged, she’s funny, and cares. That shines through in all the ways she interacts, and that’s what caught my attention. So, I chatted with Kris to find out what makes her tick, what she gets excited about, and probed for her secrets to packing so much into a day.

Me:  What are you currently working on that has you excited about what you do?

Kris: A couple of things, actually. We do a lot of design and development projects, and those phases of creativity and execution are always fun… but we have two unique things going on right now that are very exciting. The first is our own product, Intefy, which is a live event platform that began life as a Twitter client and has morphed into an aggregator of real-time media that we are using to let people virtually attend real events. We are making some product improvements and as a user experience girl at heart, I’m always excited about product design, but what really fascinates me are these live events that you can attend virtually. It is so fun and educational, to be able to attend conferences and see people who are my online friends, though I may be in my jammies at home or working in my office. I really enjoy attending as much as helping to manage the events for the people tuning in.

The second thing that’s a bit different for us, is a new client, WineChannelTV.com. They have hired us to do social media marketing and help with their star Jess Altieri’s branding, and it is so much fun working with Jess and the team. We’ve done a fair amount of social media work, but Jess has opportunities with television, retail sponsorship, vineyards and with a younger demographic.  That is going to stretch us beyond what we know today. I love anything that forces me to learn new information and challenges me to go to that next level, and she is the kind of client that does that.

Me:  How has your industry changed in the past 5 years and what do you see as the big opportunities?

Kris: My industry feels totally different! As a print designer since 1993 and self-taught web designer since 1995, I am used to a lot of technology changes and improvements.  The phenomenon of “social media” has completely changed my business. Word of mouth referrals still come, but often from people I’ve never met in person, which wasn’t the case five years ago. The sheer amount of intelligence and access to smart people I consume on a daily basis can’t be measured – if I have a problem, I go to Twitter, and 99% of the time it’s solved that day or within the hour. On top of every waking hour taking into account Twitter, Facebook, etc., our clients and prospects have such a need for social communications “stuff” that virtually every proposal and 9 out of 10 jobs we do now involves social tools, a social strategy, site socialization or a social marketing campaign. Our web strategies encompass much more than they used to.

Me: What’s a typical day like for you?

Kris: That depends. Much of the week I’m in the city, but I live in the country an hour and a half away from my downtown Kansas City office on the weekend. Mondays and Fridays I drive back and forth. So now that we’ve narrowed a typical day down to Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday… I get up between 6-7:00 am, try to get myself to run on the trail a mile or two, head home to bathe, change and put on office clothes, then hit Starbucks on the way to downtown. I catch up with emails, check the calendar and attempt to get some design or writing done but it’s very hard when in the office – especially if everyone is in, as there are numerous things to discuss, plot and plan. So the daytime is mostly about phone calls, taking meetings and communicating or researching online.  We eat lunch at our desks – I have to stop by the store at some point during the week and get groceries for everyone. I go to outdoor boot camp at 5:00 pm Monday-Thursday and it takes an hour to get there in traffic. I do boot camp until 7:00 pm, tweet about it, then grab a healthy dinner at a restaurant or grocery deli and go back to my city house or sometimes the office to work for a few hours.  I end up doing any serious writing, design or software product work on the weekends in the country, when alone and not needed by clients or staff. If I need focused time away from all the activity, I usually don’t go to the city/office or work from home a day or two, to get caught up. I love long holiday weekends because I get a lot of design work done. I also have to fit in all my high-maintenance personal chores in somewhere each week… often on Fridays on the way home. We always eat out Friday nights, but I try to cook healthy meals during the weekend and work out a few times. Sometimes it’s kind of exhausting. People get kind of frustrated I don’t do more socially in Kansas City, but it’s hard to add that in at this time.

Question:  How do you tweet so much yet accomplish so much in a single day?

Kris: I have trained clients, prospects, staff and contractors to reach me on Twitter. I actually make everyone who works for us tweet, during work. It’s what we do – it’s important to me. Actually, because of what I just described, short bursts of communication are easy for me during the day, when I am mostly juggling projects, people and things to do. I like to read (fast) and am constantly thinking about work – there is just so much more I would like to do than I can get done. A lot of friends have seen me on Facebook more lately and were excited because they think I might start liking it more. What they don’t realize is that I am usually there because a portion of my work involves Twitter and Facebook, as applications, so it’s hard not to be on them. I do need a bit more time to design and to write, but have to be alone to do that well – I need more time to think than I sometimes have in a day, whereas sending a quick message or retweeting something interesting requires less focus.  We’re in a very fortunate position of having plenty to do, but need some more help to get things done faster and more efficiently.

Me: There seems to be no end to your creative energy and fresh ideas, so it’s fun to follow you. Who do you admire? Who inspires you?

Kris: Well, I appreciate that. I do have a lot of ideas of things I want to do or that I want my company to do – more than we can execute on. I am not sure where that comes from, but I’ve been in the creative industry a long time now, so it may partially be a habit. I get inspired from various sources, that change all the time. The other day I went on an online shopping spree and found several sites that are cheaper than Anthropologie, my favorite store, but have similar things. I got in the zone and spent several hours doing this, and was making a mental list of how I think we need to improve e-commerce sites, and writing blog posts in my head! Another day, I might get embroiled in some fascinating social media or neuromarketing-oriented conversation that sparks my synapses, and then just as quickly go on a healthy cooking tangent and seek and respond to people talking about that. I am inspired by lots of people, living or dead (from books) in a moment in time. That’s why I follow so many people on Twitter.

Me:  It’s a great time to be a woman — the media reports, we’re role models in many ways — whether to our children or our colleagues.  What do you think the challenges are for today’s working woman?

Kris: Sitting here tired and working at 8:00 pm, with only a precious Labrador for a child, I cannot imagine how mothers of multiple children cope. I wanted children badly but it hasn’t worked out. I think for both parents and non-parents, time to think and do our best work is desperately needed. So childcare considerations, more money for what we do, more time to do our work and take care of ourselves and our families are pretty big concerns right now. I don’t see a lot of areas where women can’t go. If you have drive and ambition and are willing to get up and do some hard work and take some hard knocks, you can break down the door where you want to. It may not be the exact company you want, or in the exact town, but if you are passionate about what you’re doing, you’ll command attention and be able to find challenging, rewarding work to do. We should never be resigned or think we have to endure “our lot in life” as I know some people feel. We can always improve things, even if only in small increments over time. I am having to do that now with my health and fitness, after being too lax since I moved to Kansas, away from my familiar lifestyle, food sources and gyms. I just look at it like every day we can make smart choices or not-so-smart ones, and I choose what’s smart and right for me. But it takes deliberate focus, which can be hard to maintain when faced with battling priorities.

Me:  What’s your smartest piece of advice you ever got?

Kris: Actually, I saw something recently, written by a friend of mine to another friend who wants to lose weight. Olivier Blanchard said:

You can do it.
You can DO it.
YOU can do it.

I don’t think I will forget that – it can be applied to so many things I have insecurities about, or self-doubt, or when I am just feeling lame, as a person. I’ve taken that advice for myself – never be afraid to steal great advice meant for others!

Me:  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Kris: I have NO idea. Five years ago I could never have predicted I’d be living in Kansas, married to an ex-motorcyle racing oilman with a house in a town of only 3500 people (I like the city life!) What I hope is that our business will do well, I’ll be able to travel more eventually and go to Greece, England and France regularly so I can experience the people, places and things that call to me, and that I’ll make a spot of difference for the people and companies that I influence. That would be enough. :-)

With a daily dose of inspiration from Kris, I feel like I can do anything!

Know inspiring, awesome women like Kristi Colvin? Join the conversation! I’d love to hear from you. And watch this space for more Wow Women we can all learn from.

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I’ve got the twitters.

August 3rd, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

The month of July…where did it go? On the one hand, it was an exciting mixed bag of activity for me.  On the other, I was juggling a packed schedule with lots of cool work stuff and the complication of a scheduled vacation that I had to stick to despite some very positive and big developments going on in my business.  Typically, “vacations” — which are always the working kind for me — don’t occur in the summer and tend to be moving targets on my calendar, but not this one.  It couldn’t be changed for a variety of reasons, but the biggest one being it was a trip that included extended family; my parents booked a place for us several months ago when July and the summer seemed like a year away. But the moment was here, and the kids were looking forward to spending a week at the beach with their grandparents. Couldn’t disappoint the kids or my parents!

As a result, I took a little break from blogging, and got some extra time on the margin to well, think and observe the social media noise from a different perspective.  This also gave me an opportunity to just be generally amused by what happens when you jump off the social media train for a few stops.  So here are a few observations (ramblings, perhaps?) from a PR girl who took a brief blogging hiatus, while taking stock of her digital footprint:

Observation #1. Social media is making everyone c r a z y.   First reaction: why are so many so-called “experts” and just random folk telling everyone else what to do and what not to do when it comes to social media?  Is it REALLY that hard or that scary to figure out? Second, the word “broadcast” is a term that has all these experts up in arms, as they try to call people out for “broadcasting” — a big social media no-no, apparently. Gives me the twitters.

The amusing part of this for me is you don’t find this type of dialogue from traditional media folks.  Anyone know of magazine people putting information out there like “This is a magazine. Here are 5 Ways to Get More Readers and Use It Effectively for Your Business.”  Or, how about “Top Tips for Using TV for Your Next Marketing Campaign” — see any of that kind of info being shared anywhere? Yet, Twitter is especially filled with all sorts of “Get Popular Fast” and “How To” messaging, and lots of dialogue from people taking themselves WAY too seriously with their forecasts and predictions that the only media that will matter or be around in the future is social media…digital media…the online experience will reign supreme. There’s even talk of the complete opposite: that the web is dying/dead.

IMO, I believe all that is false.  People of all ages and backgrounds will continue to share information and consume information in many ways via multiple channels.  Business models will have to change and adapt, but magazines, TV, web and radio aren’t going to die.  Content is going to continue to reign supreme, for sure, and distribution will continue to be segmented and targeted in a variety of ways.  Marketers need to understand this now, and stop listening to the “print (or insert any media channel here) is dying” naysayers for starters. If you are in marketing, do the homework, religiously and continuously, to learn and understand where your customers are and how to engage with them in all the channels they use whether for information consumption, or product consumption.

Last time I checked, social media was pretty easy to use.  Just sign up and use it. Part of the fun is to explore how it works, and what works for you.  If you trip up, just keep going.  No one has an attention anymore beyond 140 characters. So, don’t fret.

Observation #2. Tone.  Refreshingly, the general tone of people, especially on Twitter, is to be genuinely helpful and supportive.  And there are many people sharing remarkably interesting things. But the irony is if you come across someone that you feel is “broadcasting” or “selling” instead of sharing…guess what? Unfollow or unfriend them. You can even block annoying people from following you. You have the power.  Carry on. I for one don’t want my timeline clogged up with people who make me feel like they are the self-appointed arbiters of what should be shared and what shouldn’t…so I also did a little pruning this month. It felt great.

Observation #3. The social web offers great content for any interest or topic.  Whatever business you are in, or hobby or lifestyle you pursue, you will find a like-minded group and wonderful, relevant information on everything from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. So explore, be curious, and don’t be afraid to tinker. Isn’t that the best way to learn: to be curious, make discoveries and figure out what works for you?

Best idle amusement of all during my little blogging hiatus? It happened when I was searching for a YouTube video.  It’s a line that we all take for granted but it’s always been there right next to the YouTube logo: Broadcast Yourself.

The rest is history. And let me be the first to say it, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just keep it interesting.

How about you? Could you use the last days of summer to evaluate who you follow or friend, and why? If your timelines or news feeds are filled with people who bore you, or you either aren’t learning from in meaningful ways, or they haven’t really engaged with you, might it be time to prune and refine your information superhighway? Go ahead, take the wheel…and drive.

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Why You Aren’t Successful

July 7th, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

In life and in business, my core philosophy focuses on keeping things simple. I’m also relentless about being accountable, doing what I say I will, and working hard everyday to accomplish goals – whether that means raising my kids to be decent people, building my business and helping our clients succeed, or living a balanced, fulfilling life. Pick any one of those categories and I have no shortage of responsibility — to others and to myself. But here’s the key to why I love my life, do what I do, and wouldn’t trade positions with anyone: I drive the outcomes, and I take ownership of what I need to do to be successful.  It’s a personal statement and commitment.  If I didn’t feed my passions, or fulfill myself creatively, than I wouldn’t be so much fun to be around.  Being true to myself means that I don’t get caught up in someone else’s insecurities, bad choices, or nonsense.  It means I’m constantly working with my own criteria (family/work/life) and staying true to my path. So whether you run a brand, or run your household, how do you define and measure your successes? And more importantly, do you really know what success drivers are? This is where people trip up.

It’s amazing how many people I meet who can’t get out of their own way, and look to others to make sense of their own life for them.  Know people like this? That is why I wanted to share this short TED talk with you.  It’s so simple and powerful…and true.

Maybe you already possess some of these key attributes to what it takes to be successful, and just need a little push. But if you are the person who thinks there is some magic bullet to success or, worse, you are looking to others to tell you what you should be doing and how to do it, than you may want to re-think your approach.  The same is true of having money and the so-called lifestyle that comes along with success.  On this topic, my client Ramit Sethi is very straightforward and more eloquent than me.  He makes a lot of sense in this post about how to earn more money. It’s detailed, common-sense information like this that makes Ramit not only a well-regarded and successful personal finance blogger, but also a New York Times best-selling author.  And he helps thousands of people each and every day understand that you can read all the material you want on managing your money better, but if you don’t change your behavior, you will be stuck in the same spot.  I love this:

Who wants to wait 40 years to live life? Not me. When you see people taking trips, or maxing out their Roth IRA, or spending consciously however they want…I don’t think to myself, “Waa…I can’t afford that.” I ask myself, “How could I afford that?” That simple shift in the form of the question has a profound effect on your ability to take action.

Chances are, if someone is successful, they are working hard, day in and day out, being persistent, challenging themselves, going out of their comfort zone, being curious, taking action, problem solving and networking their way through life each day.  These are the traits that lead to marketing success, or personal success in your own life. I didn’t see whining mentioned in the video…did you?

As an owner of a prominent PR agency with a high profile clientele, I meet people from every industry,  from CEOs to production assistants and every position in between. It’s one of the things I love the most about what I do! I’m always struck by those who communicate simply, effectively and powerfully.  Typically, these are the people, regardless of how much they earn or where they are in the food chain, that understand the real secrets to success.  It’s not sexy, but it sure is admirable.

I hope the TED talk inspired you to take ownership of your own success, be grateful for anyone in your life that has helped you on that path, and understand that even the most successful people in the world tend to follow patterns or systems of behavior that drive the outcome they want. Successful people who do that, PLUS have a high regard for others around them, are the ones that I feel lucky to know and work with. We’ve become a nation of whiners.  This is where the power of simplicity comes in: stop whining, it’s annoying, and you just stay in one spot.  No one likes a whiner.  No one feels inclined to help a whiner.  I personally just remove myself from being anywhere near a whiner.  Instead, try to focus on three, no more than five, things you can do in the next week to take action and create your own success.  Chances are, if you make this shift, you will be in a better position to actually accomplish something…and that will feel good, because you are on your way to being a success.  And you might even have fun while you’re at it.

So, ask yourself: are you a workaholic, or a work-a-frolic?

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Who are you calling stupid?

June 30th, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

Last week, I was shooting a video for a client on Fifth Avenue, a stone’s throw from my office.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day and I was happy to be working outside, but it was also a chance to see one of the world’s most famous shopping streets in full swing. In between shot set-ups, I found myself in front of the Diesel store…and this arresting storefront visual display.  I couldn’t resist whipping out my iPhone and taking photos for my blog. If for nothing else, I thought, it will be a great way to test if my reaction is off-base.

For me, it was visceral: what the hell is Diesel thinking? In this day and age, and even for a fashion brand, I find the tone and message going in the wrong direction. I’m all for guilt-free shopping in what we all now know is the NEW NORMAL.  But for a brand to associate stupidity as being ballsy, or “in vogue,” I have to say, it left me a little bewildered. Are people looking for permission to be stupid? I must have missed something.

I think today’s young adults – the very demographic that Diesel is wooing — want to make smart choices.  And I think the brands that help them do that, or recognize them for that behavior, have better chances for winning their hearts, minds, and wallets.  Now and throughout their life stages. But, hey, that could just be me.  What do you think? Is this a brand hit or miss?

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Posted in Branding: Hit or Miss?

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Finally! PR Pros Own The Social Media Function

June 17th, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

When you are in the business of brand building, as I am, social media is a no-brainer.  But, it’s taken some convincing to the rest of the world as to why. Until now.

I have always known based on my own experience as a PR professional that social media, and the related tasks of developing strategic content, messaging, building audience and connections for companies who engage the platform and utilize the tools available, is an organic extension from what we already do. It’s been slower or harder for some industries to not only embrace social media, but then try to figure out who should “own” social media within an organization.  Not surprisingly to people like me, the latest research shows that social media will peak in 2012, but if you have been a slow poke, you might want to consider stepping up your game.

If you follow my blog, one of my first posts this year was intentionally designed to help motivate you to embrace social media. If you took my advice, bravo! This post will help see you made a great decision and took important steps to help anchor the success of your brand.

But, if you’re still dragging your feet, you have some catching up to do. Chances are, you might be like many marketers trying to gain a better understanding of who the best person is to handle your social media function, and that alone could be a big factor in holding you, or your business, back. One of the goals of my blog is to help marketers reach their business objectives by providing useful insights and information that drives their brand forward.  In particular, I’m interested in helping to de-mystify what is going on in the communications space so that brands can develop a strong voice, make greater impact, and deeper connections with their audience.  All evidence seems to point to PR being the best discipline to handle the social media for brands. I love being deeply entrenched in this process.

Having so-called “social media experts” can be limiting, as they really may not understand your business at all.  That’s risky.  As a PR professional, I make it my business to know every aspect of each client’s business and the industry within they each operate. By doing a deep dive at the beginning of our relationship, I have a fundamental understanding from which to build a solid marketing communications platform.  This can be as simple as a traditional PR campaign or as broad as a total brand makeover complete with new identity, website, advertising/PR, social media program, and sales collateral. Clients benefit greatly by our getting to the core brand drivers of their business because we are then fully-equipped to help take them wherever they want to go.  As a result, social media is a natural progression of everything we do. And happily, we are very adept at developing social media programs that are not only complementary to a client’s overall marketing efforts, but help turbo-charge them in many ways.

Need some more convincing on why PR is well-equipped to run the social media function, this post from Nancy Bistritz highlights this data:

What the Strategic Communication & Public Relations Center out of the University of Southern California found was:

  • Approximately 25 percent of companies put between 81-100 percent of budgetary control over social media in PR’s hands, compared to marketing, with only 12.6 percent getting the same level of control; and
  • Twenty-four percent of participants reported that PR/communications departments have 81-100 percent of strategic control of social media.

These findings were particularly interesting to me — especially when I look at all of the departments that have their hand in social media. So, what gives? According to the study, there are four factors contributing to PR now running the social media show:

1. PR tactics tend to be informational, rather than sales focused;

2. PR tactics tend to emphasize a dialogue versus a monologue;

3. PR tactics tend to embrace longer forms of communication; and

4. PR tactics are typically associated with lower costs.

It’s nice to see PR getting the recognition it deserves.  One of the upsides of the downturn in the economy was that as companies cut and contained costs, many in the C-Suite realized that PR delivered high value at a cost efficient price to help sustain the viability of the brand’s bottom line.  In some cases, the PR function remained as a company’s lifeline to the customer-facing world.  Regardless, it’s also exciting to see that the path to communications success feels more accessible for many brands.

What about you? Where do you stand on the social media learning curve? What’s working and what’s holding you back? Is it reassuring to know that a PR pro can easily and effectively help you define and execute a social media strategy for your business? I’d love to hear from you, or if you found this post useful, please share it!

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Posted in Great marketing, The Latest Buzz

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How I Increased Traffic to My Website and Blog by 198% in 6 months

June 7th, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

Data is a very validating thing.  My husband, Dan McCarthy, who writes an established and well-regarded blog titled, ViralHousingFix.com, and is Chairman & CEO of Network Communications, Inc. the world’s leading provider of content and information on the housing market, recently walked me through how my website and blog were performing based on the content I was generating, and the social media marketing strategy I was implementing for my agency.  He was generous to also write a case study on what we learned, and convincing enough to get me to let him publish it.

You too, can take these steps to build your digital footprint and only then will you see and experience the tangible results — increased traffic, new business leads, engaging dialogue with those in your own community of interest — the social web has to offer.  Everything can be tracked and analyzed, so you will always know what’s working and what isn’t.

So, here’s the post.

If this post and case study are helpful to you, please feel free to share.

And here are the two key take-aways that got my attention:

Results:

Tami McCarthy’s BuzzCloud was launched in November 2009. Results for the subdomain buzzcloud.tmgpr.com were tracked separately from the results for the www.tmg-media.com domain so that the impact of the new content strategy could be accurately measured.

That impact was immediate.

In the six months following the launch of the blog, TMG increased web traffic to its TMGpr.com agency site and to its new blog, Buzzcloud, by 198%.

Hidden within this gain are a couple of data points that demonstrate the impact of a well-executed content marketing and social networking program.

  • Visits to TMGpr.com, the agency site, increased 32% in the six-month period following the blog launch;
  • Search engines drove 61% more traffic to the agency site in the six-month period;
  • The number of keywords that drove traffic to TMG’s agency site gained from 425 to 1,178 in the six-month period.

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    Posted in Great marketing, Social How-To's, The BuzzCloud, The Latest Buzz

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    #1 Way To Jumpstart Your Social Media Dialogue

    May 26th, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

    So much talk about how to leverage social media tools and having a content strategy can be daunting for anyone just starting out on the powerful digital platform we’ve all come to love (or loathe) – the social web – that I thought it would be helpful to those of you who are ready to engage, but do not yet know where to begin, to have a way to just jump in.  Taking that first step – which could be writing your first 140 character tweet, blog post, posting an update on your company’s Facebook page, or perhaps you want to shoot that first Flip video for your YouTube channel – whatever it is, that first message about who you are and what you stand for, for many, can cause palms to sweat and heads to pound.  Take a deep breath.  Here’s a simple way to get started and get talking, without much risk. Ready? Say “Thank you.”

    Who doesn’t like to feel appreciated?

    Whether you want to reach to your current customers or clients, or connect with old, new or prospective ones…spreading a little heartfelt gratitude is a great way to leverage social media and get the conversation around your brand flowing. Using social media as a universal Thank You card is a win-win.  As you’ve probably read elsewhere, there are some methods that work for building your following base, and you need to find out which of your target audience already uses Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.  Start following them and when they follow or friend back, that’s a perfect time to say “Thanks.”  Take it one step further, and as you build your following (remember it’s not about numbers, it’s about an engaged audience of people that are relevant to your business), start an appreciation campaign that spreads messages of gratitude.  Steer clear of sounding like a Hallmark card.  Keep it simple. If you use social media to be a talking billboard all the time, that’s a fast way to crash on the interwebs.  You’re going to have to be more interesting, more authentic and more open…but that will come later.  First, focus on saying thank you and being helpful.

    In my business, whenever a reporter writes about one of my clients, or interviews them on TV or the radio because of a pitch I did, I follow up with a “Thank You.”  This is something that I’ve religiously practiced for over 15 years. These days my notes can be hand-written or sent via direct message on Twitter, or a simple email.  It’s amazing to me that even to this day, journalists are not just appreciative of receiving it, but surprised by this.  And the best part? They remember it, and they remember me.  I love getting a Thank You note whenever I interview a job candidate, or have a meeting with a new colleague for the first time.  I’m so impressed by those who follow up and send one.  Those that don’t often just become part of the crowd to me, they don’t really stand out.  So, they leave the burden on me to keep them on my radar.  I’m busy, so that’s pretty risky.

    You’d love to stay on the radar of those important to your business, right? Of course you do!

    Forget about the social media revolution (not really), but we all know the mega-numbers by now: pretty much everyone in every demographic uses social media for information in some facet of their life, and that is only going to continue for years to come. Let’s start a new social media etiquette revolution together.  Of course, we’ll all keep sharing important links to articles and research and all sorts of data that makes the social web the useful place that it is.  But taking a moment to say “Thank You” to those who have helped you grow your business will go a long way in creating a two-way dialogue that builds a relationship of trust and respect.  And if you are just getting started, and feeling a little behind the eight ball, this is a great way to get started.  Conversations around gratitude lead to sparking new ideas for working together in other ways, or just staying top of mind, which as any marketer knows, ultimately helps shape behavior (be heard, be remembered!).

    Think about it: when is the last time you reached out and said “thanks” to those that are important to your brand? What are you waiting for? When you communicate appreciation or the reinforce idea that you are there to help, people will connect with you. If you need help with some thought starters, shoot me an email, or comment here. Thank you!

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    Posted in Social How-To's, The Latest Buzz

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    Brand Alert! Getting personal can be a benefit to your business.

    May 10th, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

    In marketing, the science of branding and the complexity of managing multiple communications channels can sometimes obscure the power of a simple story and a personal touch.

    I was reminded of this at a recent client event: Alpine Capital Bank’s 10th Anniversary, featuring Arianna Huffington as the featured guest speaker.

    Alpine Capital Bank, with David Aboodi at the helm as President, believes that their biggest asset is their customers and, this corporate value comes through in their personal touch and genuine connection with people. On a Thursday night at the Oak Bar at the Plaza Hotel, hundreds of Alpine customers gathered to celebrate the bank’s 10 year milestone, the mood was festive and convivial.

    We don’t think of personal touch and festive gatherings when we think about a private bank. Alpine’s leadership has set a tone that encourages everyone in the bank to reach out to customers, stay relevant and connected, and show appreciation. I saw in person on Thursday night just how well that approach works. It doesn’t have to be fancy, in fact, the beauty of it was its simplicity and how understated it was. Like any business, it all comes down to relationships.

    BEING PERSONAL TURNS CHANCE ENCOUNTERS INTO LASTING IMPRESSIONS.

    I had an opportunity to witness how being gracious and personable can elevate a brand…and I got to experience a real personal highlight…when I met Arianna Huffington and Vera Wang at the Alpine event.

    Vera Wang was of course, thin and elegant, exactly as I expected. Her style and elegance are built on the foundation of a warm personality and easy sense of humor. She had a great voice too. Don’t ask why I was struck by that, but she’s so petite, I think I expected her to squeak.

    I like a woman who is smart, successful, and looks good, but if she can laugh and be present in the room then, to me, she is remarkable. That was my impression of Vera Wang: remarkable, and it was a fun encounter. Thank goodness Vera Wang is an accomplished woman who sparkles inside out. What a treat!

    Meeting Arianna Huffington could have been an intimidating and disorienting experience.

    First, I’m an avid fan of The Huffington Post. (The Internet Newspaper. Pure Genius.) And her charming Greek accent makes everything sound better when you hear her speak. (Unlike the Baltimore accent of my youth that still creeps up on me!)

    And her list of accomplishments is positively super-human. Here are some highlights:

    In addition to serving as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, Arianna is a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of twelve books. She is also co-host of “Left, Right & Center,” public radio’s popular political roundtable program. In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, she was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people. And a personal stat: she is a mom, too.

    As I waited for her arrival to help make her entrance into the packed Oak Room, I kept focusing on practicalities to quiet my nerves: “OK, Tami,  not too far to the Left, Right or Center. Just be yourself.”

    Then I spotted her, walking solo, down the long hallway, toward me.

    She was friendly and accessible, and within moments, there I was standing in the hallway of the Plaza, with my role model holding her hair up over her ears, asking if I would be so kind as to put her delicate necklace back in place. Like Vera Wang, Arianna was personable, fun, down to earth, smart and genuine.

    We traded stories and circulated the room together on the way to the podium. She wowed the crowd, posed for pictures, told jokes and answered any question that anyone wanted to ask her. In a word, she was, and is, simply…..fabulous. But I was most struck by how generous she was and completely unaffected by being “Arianna Huffington.” So comfortable in her skin, and relaxed. Refreshing!

    Meeting these two accomplished women, who operate very different businesses provided me with not just a marketing lesson, but a lesson in how to approach life.  Arianna talked about the importance of sleep and balance in our lives, for example, and Vera, while perfectly put together, had a cocktail and chatted with guests comfortably and invitingly. Personal touches. Lasting impressions.

    The other big thrill of the night for me — as if this wasn’t enough — was the convergence of high tech and high touch. By that I mean, the room was full of grown-ups, talking, celebrating and being social. But the moment our influential online media maven started her speech, reporters and techies in the room started tweeting and people were posting pics to their Facebook profiles, including yours truly.

    In the digital age, experiences are shared instantly, and no one is offended. It’s the new normal.

    Key take-away: Relationships are defined and maintained in new ways today, but nothing beats a warm handshake and a shared laugh, eye-to-eye, face-to-face. So, consider this a gentle reminder that face time in business is important, and it goes a long way to building sustainable relationships.  Don’t shy away from the personal touch. It’s my goal to do more of that in 2010!

    Who wants to do lunch?

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    Posted in Cool Client Happenings

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    Women, Women Everywhere.

    April 28th, 2010 by Tami View Comments »

    This is one of the posts that will most likely just ramble in lots of different directions.  That’s because my schedule has been jam-packed and we have a lot to catch up on, dear readers, but in a good and “I’m so happy, I feel like dancing” kind of way. I am running full speed, working on exciting projects, deeply engaged in my business and my life, and meeting incredible and talented people who are looking to take their business to the next level.  It’s so energizing, and wildly refreshing, to be around people who know who they are, what they are passionate about, and where they want to go.  Four months in to 2010, and I am a happy camper indeed. I’m thrilled, too, to be smack in the middle of the women’s leadership movement.  Much of my month of April in fact has revolved around this theme.  My husband even wrote a wonderful post on interesting stats that are truly marking the start of a new generation of women in leadership, and I continue to be intrigued by the developments around these issues.  As Marie Wilson, Founder/President of the White House Project says “Add women, change everything.”  And she’s right.  I’m inspired by remarkable women — and men — doing great work in a variety of areas every day, and feel fortunate to have a thriving business that helps other businesses of all shapes and sizes develop to their full potential.

    In fact, I’d like to take the opportunity to welcome some terrific new clients to the TMG family:  Alpine Capital Bank, New York Times best-selling author and blogger Ramit Sethi, interior designer Mar Silver and leading developer/entrepreneur Deborah Colitti to name just a few of the emerging brands that we are excited to be working with. These are definitely companies or people that should be on your “Ones to Watch” radar.

    As I look around, I am motivated by the signs of economic recovery, and the idea that the worst is behind us.  As I look to the future, I am energized by all those I’ve recently come in contact with who are innovating, leading, designing, and just plain working their tails off doing all the things they are passionate about.

    Now is a great time to take stock, review your own game plan, and take actionable steps to achieve your personal best.  When that happens, it’s a fun and rewarding journey for all involved. Cherish the journey!

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    Posted in The Latest Buzz

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