Your Social Media Presence: A Mess or Mona Lisa? (DC-MD-VA Social Media Marketing)

My apologies in advance, but I cannot help but reveal my love for TV in these blog posts. I’ve told you of my affection for “LOST” and “24” before, and recently I’ve been fascinated by the great new series “Person of Interest”, which just wrapped its first season. I like to turn my brain off with shows like this after a busy day, but inevitably, the distraction only lasts until I hear a quote that reminds me of a business or marketing analogy – then I’m back in the real world, sharing the thought with you…
It happened again during the season finale last week, when billionaire computer genius Harold Finch was talking to former CIA operative John Reese about the latest social security number that “The Machine” had identified as the next victim (or perpetrator) of an imminent crime. They immediately began to investigate the “Person of Interest” in an effort to learn all about them and determine how best to help protect (or stop) them. The first place Finch always looks is the subject’s online presence, and in an early episode, he even claimed that he invented all the social media networking sites for this very purpose – brilliant!
It reminded me that the social media marketing we do for ourselves and our clients really does matter. Your personality and your company’s brand are communicated every day through the messages compiled by search engines online. It’s like you’re painting a picture with every Facebook update, LinkedIn post, or Tweet that you send. Each mention or entry is like a stroke of the paint brush – adding to that great work of art known as your online presence.
How is your masterpiece looking these days? If we Google your name or the name of your company, will the results page be worthy of a place in a marketing museum or a preschool art class? Is your social media presence a Mona Lisa or a mess?
These ideas are not new ones. Marketers have been encouraging their clients to be deliberate about how they promote their brand across multiple platforms since the dawn of the advertising age. This article hits the nail on the head – it’s from four years ago, so the topic of social media is not even mentioned, but the principles apply now more than ever. Your online presence is communicating your personality to your clients and customers. Is the message a consistent one?
Social media marketing provides a wide-open canvas, giving us the chance to express our creativity and communicate our brand, both personal and corporate, to the world. So, if you become a “Person of Interest”, it’s nice to know that your customers (or John Reese) will be able to track you down quickly online. Because, as Harold Finch says in every episode: “You’ll never find us, but victim or perpetrator, if your number’s up…we’ll find you.”

Mike Petrusky is an Account Executive for Kayrell Solutions.  He has been offering marketing products, services and solutions to clients for over twenty years.  If he is not watching his favorite TV show, he might be working on his “masterpiece” by posting photos or comments online somewhere.  Follow him @MikePetrusky on Twitter.

Let Me Watch My Netflix…NOW! (DC-MD-VA Printing Services)

It happens way too often…and at the most inconvenient times.  I’ve been using a Sony Playstation 3 as the portal to get Netflix on our TV and when it works the way it is supposed to, it is really a great thing.  Watching old TV series without the commercials and without the need to wait a week between episodes is a truly wonderful gift.  My daughters and I watched the entire series of “LOST” (6 seasons) in the time it would normally take to watch a single season on commercial TV – really cool.

And now, I am re-watching my favorite series of all time on Netflix –“24”- featuring the amazing feats of Jack Bauer, our great American superhero!  A single episode runs about 40 minutes without the commercials, so that is the perfect time to run on the treadmill, and a great motivator. Well, sometimes, I hop on the mill and want to get my show started, but the PS3 decides that it’s time to run a software update.  This can take 10 or 15 minutes to load, and until I do that, the Playstation won’t allow me to sign in to Netflix.  Totally frustrating!

Now, I understand Sony would like to keep my system updated, and I appreciate that, but why not give me the option of doing it later, at a time of my choosing?  Instead, they bully me into loading new software by rendering my device useless until I comply with their demands.  It reminds me of those websites that require a login before showing me the content I came to see. Sure, you can ask me for my email, and if I like what you’ve got, I’ll give it to you willingly.  But, don’t try to extort it from me, before I get to see what you are offering.

How many times has a vendor made you fill out some online application or credit request before they agree to give you information, a quote or let you shop with them?  Probably just once, because when they make it that difficult, it’s likely that you’ll avoid that supplier in the future. There are far too many options available for customers today, so it is critical that we remove any obstacles before them that might derail the potential business relationship before it has a chance to begin. Sony may have a nice system, but there are plenty of other ways to get Netflix on my TV, and I’m considering those options now.

When engaging customers, our first priority is to make working with us as simple as possible.  Please tell me if it’s not.  We would never deliberately do anything to keep you from getting what you need at the exact time you want it. We strive to make it incredibly easy for you to plan and execute your project, so you can sit back, relax, and “enjoy the show”…as Jack Bauer would say… “NOW!”

Mike Petrusky is an Account Executive for Kayrell Solutions.  He has been offering marketing products, services and solutions to clients for over twenty years.  While he might not “save the world” like Jack Bauer, he tries hard each day to make work a little easier for his customers.

Donkey Kong: A Metaphor for Life (DC-MD-VA Marketing Services)

I am a child of the 80’s.  My early years were spent in boardwalk arcades at the Jersey Shore, pouring quarters into the original Donkey Kong machine.  I got pretty good at it, and eventually, I could cruise past the jumping barrels stage, drop DK from the rivet structure, beat the elevators and even conquer the pie factory with ease.  But, while others basked in the sun and played in the sand, I tried again and again and could never get past the fourth level elevator screen.  Those fast bouncing springs would not allow it.  I would watch others do it, but was way too shy to ask them how it was done.   Eventually, I just gave up.  I knew I was a decent player and just getting to that point in the game was an achievement.   Most friends and family members were impressed, so it was good enough for me.

Life is like a game of Donkey Kong.  Getting through high school, college, and then the start of our careers  –  each step can be a bit more difficult than the last.  Most of us do quite well jumping a few barrels and avoiding the occasional fireball early in life.  With practice, we learn the patterns needed to navigate the challenges that our jobs and families throw our way.  Much like the construction site level of DK, we knock out our “rivets” (goals in life) one by one, and when we succeed, the “monkey on our back” gets knocked down, and a happy song plays.  We are excited by our victories, at least for a while.

But it is only temporary – because in life, like Donkey Kong, things are always changing and that big ape grabs the princess and takes her away again and again.  There is always another level to conquer, and the barrels come quicker, and the fireballs dart more erratically, and yes, the bouncing springs get faster!  Sometimes I feel like I am at the fourth level elevator screen of my life.  The business marketplace is changing rapidly, so learning new professional strategies will be required to move forward in my career.  My teenage daughters will soon be headed off to college, forcing my wife and I to adjust to a new stage of our family life.   You might be able to relate.  Many unexpected obstacles certainly lie ahead for all of us.  We’ve done fairly well to get to this level – so maybe this is good enough.  Should we just take our quarters and go home?

I don’t think so!  Don’t be shy.  It’s time to ask some “expert players” for advice, consult the “strategy guide” for our careers,  and learn how to break through to the next level of life.  Push to climb past the latest obstacles, whatever they may be in your job or family.  You’ll figure it out, drop that ape on his head and then you can celebrate again.  Sure, soon after the music stops, another new level will begin and Donkey Kong may grab the princess and take her away, but you’ll be chasing close behind!

 

Mike Petrusky is an Account Executive for Kayrell Solutions.  He has been offering marketing products, services and solutions to clients for over twenty years.  The business landscape is constantly evolving as new technologies and market strategies develop.  While he works hard each day to be a resource for organizations, helping meet these challenges, he has still not yet gotten past the fourth level elevators of Donkey Kong.

Branding, SEO, and Tiger Woods (DC-MD-VA Social Media & Search Engine Optimization)

Tiger Woods just won his first PGA Tour event in about two and a half years.  Some thought it might never happen.  After shattering his marriage and reputation with his off the course behavior in 2009, he struggled with injuries and unprescedented mental meltdowns in his golf game.  It was one of the greatest falls from grace in sports history, and fascinating to watch as the top golfer dropped rapidly in the world rankings while many of his sponsors jumped ship.  Yet, I was amazed to find out that according to Forbes magazine he remains the world’s most valuable athlete brand, even while the value of his brand has dropped by millions of dollars.

Rebuilding a Brand

Now, we watch as “The Tiger Woods Brand” continues to be rebuilt – his game has come back together over the past several months, and with this first win (of what will likely be many more to come), the public perception evolves.  I asked a friend last week about this and he said that “no matter what, I still pull for Tiger to win.”  That would certainly match the fan support shown at Bay Hill as people cheered him on in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. People are quick to forgive, especially when you’re a winner.  Bummer if you’re Tiger’s former swing coach Hank Haney, releasing a new tell-all book this week about his most famous former student.  Mr. Haney was likely trying to capitalize on the fact that Tiger hadn’t won or played the same since the two parted ways.  Oops.  Talk about bad timing!

A Case Study in SEO

I’m always interested in how marketers use search engines and we can learn a lot by reviewing the online brand image of Tiger Woods over the past few years.  I remember the weeks and months immediately following his Thanksgiving weekend car crash and the revelations of infidelity that followed.   A Google search during that time would reveal page after page of results pointing to negative stories and photos of Woods’ mistresses.  Golf took a back seat to scandal and gossip links.

In early 2010, SEO expert Rhea Drysdale wrote an article for CNN giving the prescription for repairing Tiger’s online reputation.  His handlers most certainly took note, and now, just two years later, the Google search results are quite different.  The first two pages mostly feature links to images and portrayals of Woods on the course, and with this most recent win, the positive news will certainly grow.  At last check, the first direct mention of the scandal was found on page three of the Google results, and even that story was flanked by links to reports about his win on Sunday.

SEO Can Work for Your Business

So, how can you apply the lessons of this story to your business or organization?  Thankfully, you’ll most likely never have to rebuild after a dramatic shift in brand reputation like Tiger Woods has done, but the same principles discussed above can be applied to your everyday brand management.  The key to SEO success can be found in a Social Media strategy that integrates your marketing message with an online presence that builds a consistent, positive brand.   Time plus fresh content heals all wounds….just ask Tiger Woods.

Do What You Love or Just Do It? (DC-MD-VA Marketing Services)

If you’re like me, you have heard many motivational speeches over the years, and someone along the way has probably said, “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”  I know Steve Jobs said something like this to Stanford graduates a few years ago.  So, is this concept really true?  Or a better question might be, is it even possible?  I read the Jobs biography and it seems like he didn’t always love his job, in fact, while a creative genius, he was also kind of a jerk to many of those he worked with (more on this in a future blog).

Life Can Be Fun

I certainly love many things about this life – playing golf, watching movies, eating great food, drinking lots of coffee, and sleeping in on Saturdays.  Well, I am no Phil Mickelson, Roger Ebert, or Joey Chestnut…so, the first three options are out as careers by which I might pay the mortgage.  I suppose the love of coffee might be calling me to a job at Starbucks, but, I’m not sure the barista paycheck is going to cover tuition for my two daughters entering college over the next couple of years.  Now, that leaves sleeping, and if any of you can figure out how to make money at that, well, we need to talk…

Work Can Be Hard

I believe a better perspective on this is found in the classic Nike slogan: Just Do It.

It applies to working out, so why not also use it for going to work? The concept is a brilliant one – since most of us think exercise a chore, our friends at Nike help motivate us to get moving and as a result, we feel better about ourselves.  You may not feel great during the workout, but you certainly do afterwards.  Isn’t that the truth when it comes to your job?  Like exercise, the thought of starting on the office to do list may not be pleasant, and dealing with some tasks can be painful, but after a day of hard work, when you have accomplished something and get to cross it off that list, it feels pretty good, right?

It’s All How You Look At It

My guess is that “loving what you do” is more about your chosen perspective and a sense of responsibility to those you love than it is about the actual joy that comes from the daily tasks your career requires of you.  “Just Do It” and the reward comes later.  Come to think of it, there are parts of my job that I actually do enjoy – mainly opportunities for creativity and interaction with other people, colleagues and customers.  And I have been blessed to be in a position where part of my job actually includes taking clients to play golf, watch movies, eat great food, and drink coffee!   So, I suppose I really am doing what I love after all.