Boomer Web Marketing Blog

Back in my Granny’s day the girls all wanted their dance cards full.  It was a popularity contest.  So when I got on Twitter I very quickly realized that all the cool kids had the equivalent of full dance cards — thousands of followers.  The cooler, the more thousands.  But not me. I was the plain girl in the corner of Twitter.  I felt left out that I only had a few measly hundred followers, and all the other kids were piling up ridiculous numbers of dance partners (who could dance with thousands of people anyway?).

Of course as I was getting into my own little pity party I was also working my behind off with a booming business. And I was spending maybe 5 minutes once a week on Twitter.  Duh.  Kinda like going to the dance and hanging out alone in the bathroom.  So I did a little experiment.  I followed the “rules” and started following people whenever I had a few minutes.  Sure enough, my follower numbers shot up quickly.  Now “shot up” is relative.  I still only spent a few minutes a day, but I was following anyone who wasn’t an axe murderer.   I quickly learned to follow people who had a very close ratio of followers to following.  I didn’t really care about the quality of their content — I wanted them to follow me.  I wanted in on the popularity contest.  Oh,  I wasn’t a complete Twitter s!@ — I tried to follow people that were tweeting about things that are relevant to me.

As business got crazier I again neglected Twitter, and the flood of followers slowed to a trickle.  Then this morning I stumbled upon a Mashable post that was on this very subject.  http://bit.ly/azjOT

I realized pretty quickly that if I was serious about using Social Media to enhance my business, as well as my life, that I was going to forget being the Twitterholic, and instead focus on sharing good content and following relevant people.  It’s amazing what you can learn in just a few minutes on Twitter.  If you’re paying attention to content instead of numbers.  Is Twitter working for you?  Or are you a slave to Twitter?

P.S.  I completely get that it’s easy for the unpopular kid to hide behind “Fine, I don’t want to be your friend anyway!”  So go ahead and snicker. I figured out what works for me.  Fake popularity be damned!

Back in…  wow, was it only February?  I said I was going to get in gear and get the new instructional pieces going.  Then we got busier and busier and who could complain?  So I’m determined to eek a few minutes out of the day and bring you some of the simple steps documents that I keep talking about.

Let’s start with Twitter.  I was solidly in the camp of  “I have better things to do” until I really understood what was going on.  People want to be in touch with other people.  They’re fed up with high pressure sales techniques (finally!) and unethical business practices (double finally!). They want to get to know and trust the people that they’re doing business with.  So let’s get started by introducing you to why you really do want to be part of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.  This video from Lee LeFever will help you understand:

http://www.commoncraft.com/Twitter

I’ll post more info here over the next couple of weeks. Be sure to subscribe by email if you’re interested in understanding Social Media in simple terms and simple steps.

Have fun — and be persistent. We’ll work thru this together!

MJ’s kickin’ us in the backside and herding us toward getting new things going.  I guess I’ll go first.  eek.

For nearly a year now MJ and I have been mulling over what things we should do to build in some instructional pieces, since that’s what I really love, and I can be a real pain when I don’t get my way.  Clients keep asking about search engine optimization, social media, and, in general, how to market their businesses more effectively.  It’s a little hard to point to all the marketing elements we know and believe in, when we’re so busy that we don’t have time to implement them ourselves.  So MJ’s not too happy with me. I’ve been all talk and no action.

Instead of waiting til the content is all ready and we have all our ducks in a row, it’s time to just shoot. We’ll worry about getting ready and aiming later.  Otherwise it’ll be another year and we’ll just be talking about it.  So we’ll get on the road and invite others to come along for the ride.  It won’t be perfect, it won’t be highly organized. But we WILL start sharing the things that we learn as we go.

We know that there are eight gazillion places that you can learn general web business strategies.  But if you’re like us, you really don’t have time to read through page after page of general strategies. You want facts, and you want them fast.  Who has time to sit and watch a 30 minute video that supposedly teaches you how to use Twitter,  only to learn that there is not one shred of instruction for HOW to setup a Twitter account and WHICH buttons to push to use it?

Next post will get you started.  As we develop our own strategy, we’ll show you how to create yours, and what STEPS you can use to get going.  It may be a bit rocky from time to time as we sort our way through this, but we figure we can be of more use to you by letting you see the warts as well as the  airbrushed final product.

Time for some online adventures.  Here we go!

I know, I know, it’s been a really long time since I posted anything.  You know, it’s hard for us un-experts to keep up with all this stuff.  Search Engine Optimization, social networking, and what the heck is a Twitter? Well, the more I find out the more I realize all the things I don’t know. So I figure rather than making you wait while I become an expert, we’ll just put on the waders and head for the deep water.  I’ll give you a little hint about where we’re headed: it has to do with my Granddad’s favorite coffee shop.

First things first, though. I gotta go find out what happened to my FeedBlitz button so you can keep up.  I’ll be back when I find it.

When I tell people that I work from Spain a few months a year, the typical reaction is “Yeah, RIGHT!”  People think that I come here just to play.  I wish!

My Spanish friends get a little irritated with me when, during the week, I almost always (politely) turn down  invitations.  I’ve learned that even the strictest promise to get me back to my work promptly is calculated in Spanish time.  But this trip I’ve learned the value — both personal and professional — of being flexible.

 First, my Spanish “daughter” Irene introduced me to a a fashion photographer named José Manuel Sáiz (website is under construction — his work appears in several major European fashion magazines).  I was lucky enough to be invited to two fashion shoots with  José Manuel, and since he knew that I do a lot of my own photography for my work, he shared several professional photography tips, and made it clear that I could consider him a valuable business contact.

Then, over (a very long) lunch I learned that José Manuel shares my interest in wine.  And as luck would have it, he is close friends with a local wine maker. All I had to do was show a little bit of interest and the next thing I knew I was scheduled for a private tour at one of the country’s oldest and best respected wineries. 

So far this story is still sounding a lot like a vacation, right?  Jiminy Cricket kept reminding me of that as we drove an hour and a half to the winery on a Tuesday afternoon.  “You should be working!”  I shushed him up and reminded him that we were 8 hours ahead of the US and that the day hadn’t even begun there — so I would still have time to work later. 

When we arrived at the Salvador Poveda Bodega I was startled to see an ultra-modern, huge winery in the middle of miles of grape vines;  I had imagined a quaint little Spanish farm house.  We were welcomed into the winery after normal business hours and our host, Rafael Poveda Bernabé, greeted us with a big warm smile and the customary double kisses. I knew right away that this was going to be a treat – but I still couldn’t get my conscience to shut up — “You should be WORKING!”

Rafael took us through every nook and cranny in the beautiful new winery, explaining the extensive history of the family-owned winery, which boasts 5 generations of wine makers. Rafael went into great detail about the unique, traditional method that they use to make their wine.  He beamed as he showed us a special collection of wine barrels, each with their own nickname, that have been in the family for over 200 years.  He also told us about his search for more earth-friendly ways of bottling and labeling his products, and the techniques that he is pioneering to reduce waste. 

When it was finally time to say goodbye and tear myself away, Rafael asked me if I would be willing to assist him in negotating distribution contracts in Colorado.  I tried not to leap around the room, screaming “Yessssssssssssss!!!!!!” But somehow I think he got the idea.

We arrived back in Dénia late that night – too tired and too late to complete the work that I had slated for that day.  But instead of feeling guilty about it, I set my alarm clock earlier and went to bed with the knowledge that I had made two very valuable business contacts — and both in areas that coincide with the things that I love in my personal life. 

And the moral of the story is…. all work and no play is bad business.   

On a recent jaunt to Chicago with the family (about an hour from home) we ended our visit with a surprise trip to Hershey’s Chicago.

The kids were ecstatic and Mom and Dad were pretty excited too.

Imagine 3,600 square feet of floor to ceiling Hershey’s products! There was a kids’ birthday party going on while we were there and it was fun to watch each child get a turn at a large contraption that would pour random assortments of candies down a chute as the child turned the crank.

Each member of our family was able to leave with a cache of their favorite Hershey’s chocolates and a great memory (request to the Hershey company — more Special Dark options for we dark chocolate fans!!!)

As we exited the Hershey store my husband and I saw that the Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop was right across the street (the kids didn’t notice, thank goodness!) We hesitated — looked at each other — and shook our heads “no.” That adventure will have to wait until next time…

Ahhh… passive revenue. What a concept. Passive = without effort. Revenue = $$$. What’s not to love about this? Entrepreneurs and business owners around the globe love the idea of making money while they’re catching some z’s. You can imagine how rewarding it would be to open your email inbox, first morning coffee in hand, and listen to the pings of message after message coming in - each filled with sales from around the world.

Creating products has the potential to bring you to this point, but as Lou Bertone points out on the Guerilla Marketing Blog, building a passive income is not your key to earning huge money without any effort. It takes hard work, skill and ’stick-with-it-ness.’ That’s the only way to make sure you hear the ping of success in your morning inbox.

Ok people, I’m a little cranky, so brace yourselves.

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to one of the Boomer Babes and I was telling her I thought maybe a blog post about who-controls-what might be in order. She agreed. Then I forgot.

But today I’m back on the topic with a vengeance. Amazing how an annoying experience suddenly gives you the urge to spout your mouth off.

Deep breaths.

OK, the original topic was this: “Major Tom to Ground Control: You may be driving this spaceship — but I OWN IT!” And don’t you forget it! When some slick web developer comes along and tells you “I’ll take care of your domain registrations and hosting,” the first thing YOU say is this: “OK, but set up everything in MY name, and send me all the account and login information immediately.” If you’re in a good mood you might throw in a “please.” But insist. And if your web developer doesn’t follow your instructions — ditch ‘em. Fast!

It amazes me how many people hand the keys to the kingdom to a web person that they barely know. Then 6 months down the road when they can’t get Wonder Webbie to update their website, they come to me.

Me: “Ok, I’ll be happy to change those three words on your website. Please send me your hosting account information.”

Client: “Hosting account information?”

And here we go. The client and I both dig through what little documentation they have (or not) and then we call the host provider (IF the client even knows who it is!). And the 10 minute web update becomes a half day chore. If we’re lucky. We just hope that the previous web person doesn’t get ticked off and go and do something nasty to the website.

But if you think that’s bad, pull up a chair, honey. Today I went through this scenario with a flustered client. But it got way worse. After phone calls to the previous web person and the hosting company, the client was informed that her hosting account was set up in the name of the WEB PERSON and SHE (the client who paid all the bills) had no right to access or change her OWN ACCOUNT!!!

Get a grip on your own business, people! Don’t let some slick talkin’ webbie convince you that they know better than you. That website may be a one page brochure, or it may be the life blood of your business, but YOU need to have the ownership and login information at all times. And that goes for domain names, too!

I need chocolate.

In my view, the saddest thing about marketing is that many small business owners think it’s all about advertising and promotional efforts. Now, I’m not saying that there’s no place for advertising and promotion in marketing – that would be wrong, yet some of the most successful businesses with the highest profit levels, spend very little on traditional marketing methods. It is more than possible, in fact often preferable, to use a more values-driven methodology with your marketing efforts. By marketing your business based on your company mission, corporate values and authentic beliefs, you can easily multiply profits, gain a bigger chunk of market share and at the same time feel fulfilled and rewarded by merely running your own business in a way that feels good to you.

Sound too good to be true? It’s well within your grasp. Frankly, truly great marketing only occurs when it’s an authentic expression of your company values and when it brings your company’s brand to life by showing the world who you (and your company) really are. Clearly, the core of any company is the value system that it stands for. What does your company stand for? What sets it apart from all the other businesses looking for attention?

How can your company show its “true self” to the world? For starters, try introducing the following practices into your business today:

• Stand for something. If you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing. And let the world know.
• Run all daily operations and the communication strategies of your organization by the values you’ve set and believe in.
• Create your central offerings in the form of a tool for social change.
• Find your company’s unique way to embody social responsibility and change the world.
• Empower your business and its people to help clients make a positive impact on their communities.
• Let social responsibility be the core of your company values. Select employees, partners and vendors who live by the same values you’ve built within your own business. Be the change you want to see.
• Connect your company (genuinely and without a separate agenda) to a charitable organization that you believe in. Use your business and your own business skills to shine a light on a worthy cause.

Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive or traditional to bring powerful results. You can simply take the opportunity to make a difference. Understanding how to responsibly use the power and reach of your company brand, your internal and external relationships, your presence within a greater community and your similarly-minded strategic alliances can bring you everything you need for profitable and sustained business success.

MJ says she is not going to do all the work on this blog. She says I have to start posting too. Who does she think SET UP this blog — me, that’s who! That’s MJ for you, always thinks she’s the only one working hard.

I’m Grace and I’m the “techie” here at Boomer Babe. MJ likes to call me her technical wizard, but that just embarrasses me. I prefer something more along the lines of web developer.

All of us here at Boomer Babe like to work hard, but also enjoy ourselves. Since this is the holiday season, I thought I’d share my favorite recipe for chocolate fondue. If your household is anything like ours you’ll need to double the recipe!

Chocolate Fondue

serves 6 (ha!)

1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the cream in an electric fondue pot or a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until hot (3 or 4 minutes). When hot, add the chocolate and stir until it is melted and smooth. Add vanilla and stir. If you used a saucepan, at this point you can transfer it to a warm ceramic fondue pot (or not!)

The dippers can be anything that strikes your fancy. Favorites in our house include:

• strawberries
• pound cake
• banana chunks
• marshmallows
• mini-brownies (a big favorite of the kids…)

Mmmm… I’m getting hungry just writing about it. Hope you enjoy!