BizCoachDeb's BizBuzz -

Posts Tagged ‘Social Media’

Today I was delighted to read a post that was a topic bouncing in my brain for some time. Karima-Catherine beat me to it , (and it’s all kind of awesome) but in essence, it relates to the plight social media professionals have when we get that email asking, “Can we grab some coffee so I pick your brain?”

How many times have you gotten that question? I believe this happens to all kinds of freelancers and other professionals. For me, it’s common, happening several times a week. For the price of a cup of coffee, the sender (maybe innocuously) thinks it would be great to sit and let me share my ideas, tools, and strategies. Suffice to say, I’ve gotten more tight-lipped and cautious about what I share, often just referring people back to the web. My insides want to jump about and share everything, but I can’t, or rather, I shouldn’t. Why? Because I have spent a small fortune in time and resources to become sharp and knowledgeable in the spheres in which I consult. As professionals, that’s our duty. If I share all I’ve learned in a free chit-chat, what would be left and what value have I placed on my work? Precious little.   The rest of the story...

In case you missed the most recent news, Mashable is reporting geo-groovy app Foursquare has raised $20 Million, taking its value up to $95 Million. I could not be happier. When companies get this kind of support and certainly this kind of buy-in, it means the market is listening and that smart people are seeing the bigger picture — and the great potential for such a clever application. Let’s hope the small businesses of the world are listening, too.  As I roll around Boulder, I’m still surprised by the lack of a good foothold it has with local merchants. I’m doing my part to change that, but it will take some time.

Oh, and one more key piece that makes me happy about this news? Foursquare owners decided to continue building, rather than selling themselves off to some larger company that could ruin them. Score one more for the little guys! That seems worthy of a special kind of Mayor badge.

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Why?

Because good copywriters in the social sphere are different than your garden-variety writers.
We listen very well.
We can research and write like mad.
We’re great at conversations.   
We believe in Strunk and White.
We’re well-connected.
We’re communications ninjas.

And while initially we might not know one iota about your business, after carefully considering your company, its offerings, its philosophy and its people, we’ll know more about your business than even some of your employees.
Why?
Because as copywriters, it’s our job.
Our job requires us to get intimately familiar with your business.

Our job requires us to become utterly consumed with what you do and how you do it.  Our job is not doing your job, but doing ours.

And our job is to paint the fabulousness that is you, one character at a time.
And it’s to say it in such a way that engages, informs and builds rapport.
And in social media, when you’re talking written conversation, what you say and how you say it means everything.   The rest of the story...

Everyone and their mom has beat a path down the social media path, and for what it’s worth, we’re still in the process of laying the groundwork. This medium’s mortar has not even dried, and new applications are being built every day to help tap into the minds, hearts and pocketbooks of people all over the world.  Cause-marketers are seeing these spaces as very useful tools for getting their message out and garnering attention for their projects.  Entry is simple and the tools are easy enough to manage, so the notion is getting funds into the piggy bank can be made easier, too.

Fight With Tools
Some companies are emerging with applications that make it easier than ever to support causes you believe and want to support monetarily. In the earlier days, it was clever enough to put a link that went to a PayPal account and have people donate, but things are getting more refined, and donors need to avoid being bamboozled. If you’re a nonprofit and interested in upping the credibility of your cause through social media channels, here are two applications you should consider:   The rest of the story...

Tomorrow I will take part in a panel with colleagues who will have varying opinions on what constitutes “distracted driving”. My friend Kyle Perkins is already weighing in on this, so it will be interesting to see what other panelists think. The panel is assembling at the CBS4 Station in Denver and we’ll get to view a segment on the subject, then share our thoughts and opinions, involving our own social networks in what could be a lively discussion.

Before the panel, I decided I would read a bit more on the subject, just to see the other side. I found a moldy article on the subject and had to shake my head, not just at the silliness of the piece, but the softening of the phrase “distracted driver”:

“Multi-tasking behind the wheel is a matter of degree and all drivers are responsible for determining when they need additional self-training activities.”   The rest of the story...