Jeff Mello

Evolution of Communication

2009-12-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

I am happy to report this blog has moved to my new website... http://evolutionofcommunication.com

I hope to see y'all there.

Thank you for the support.

Jeff Mello
Founder, Evolution of Communication

My 12/11/09 Twitter Follow Friday List

2009-12-11T00:24:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are not familiar with Twitter...Follow Friday is a way to give a shout out on Twitter to the people who add value to you. The following is my list for the week of 12/11/09.

The List...

@AllThingsGwen This girl is just awesome! She is a bundle of energy, positive, fun, smart, into fitness, and recently engaged. Sorry guys:)

@Nongling This gal has been a friend on twitter for a long time. She is always kind, helpful, interesting, a model, and extremely smart! She is a software developer.

@Atlantafatboy My new Yankee Fan friend. As we all know I keep them to a minimum. Met him and his lovely wife @Tarynp IRL at the #ypcity event. They both are really cool and I look forward to seeing them again.

@stephenatl Also met him IRL at the #ypcity tweetup. Really nice PR guy who I enjoyed connecting with and hopefully we can do some work together in the future.

Here are my 4 future PR All Stars I met IRL at the #ypcity event. These 4 need to work with me some day...

@PhyllisMD This girl is smart, charming, and I can tell she can make things happen.

@NatalieNajjar Another really smart girl who is trying to make things happen. She has a GREAT personality and she knows how to connect.

@mousAAckall This young guy has it! Smart, sociable, and a go getter. I am always impressed with someone who has an aggressive side and not afraid to go after what they want. He is one of them. He may be hiding in PR but I see other roles for him in the biz world. His only downfall...he is a HUGE fan of @tedrubin . OH BOY...this could be a problem...LOL!

Rounding out my Future PR All Stars... @GoKTGo
This gal was an absolute pleasure to meet. Watching her energy and passion flow out of her as she spoke about Social Media was EXCITING! This girl is smart, fun, gets it, and is a go getter. She is very impressive and has a bright future ahead! I look forward to continuing to connect with her IRL. For the record...she is also a big fan of @SydneyOwen but who isn't? :)

@thebrandbuilder If Social Media is important to you then this is a guy to pay attention to. He is smart, cool, and informative. He also ROCKS presentations!

@chrisbrogan As you all know I could care less about celebrities but smart biz people really impress me. I usually don't give a #FF to someone who has not followed me back but this guy is the Social Media man! I know I am stating the obvious but he really has a GREAT SM mind! I really enjoy absorbing his philosophies plus he is approachable unlike lots of others on Twitter.

@AndrewSansone This guy is a great entrepreneur, a fun guy to connect with, funny, and another Yankee Fan I accept:)

@IzzyMercado200m This guy is really cool and a HUGE New England Patriots Fan!!!

@janfog Really smart lady who is a Vistage CEO Group Leader and who enjoys my Blips:) <---- Once again smart...LOL! By the way...I want to jump into the lake in the pic on your profile page.

@donnaseyle A kind, smart, interesting Attorney in Cali.

@SAGEINDESIGN A real cool guy who is a lot of fun to tweet with and he is also into Design.

@kirstenwright Real kind and fun blogger out in Cali.

@JaimieField One of the best! She is always willing to help, funny, and a friend who I got to meet IRL!!!

@americannanny Always a pleasure to tweet with this lovely lady.

@TransitionalTee This gal has talent!

@TheSheaNoel is the company of one of my favorite people and amazing Interior Designers... @Shandrab ! This girl has more talent then she knows what do with. She is FUNNY, smart, and is a must follow! MUST I tell you! LOL!

@Zoeyjordan Yes she is my Twit Wife:) She always makes me laugh, is very smart, and has an AWESOME outlook on life. I am lucky to have met her and I enjoy every tweet with her:) Kinda hear a Police song coming up...haha! "Every tweet u take...every move you make..." :)

@AnneDGallaher Cool Marketing lady up in PA.

@jennifervides Always have a ton of fun tweeting with this lovely gal. She enjoys my Blips which is a plus:)

@kreativekonnect A fun girl who is an Entrepreneur and cool TV Producer.

@YLsoccermom OMG! This AWESOME woman cracks me up everyday! If you are looking for a deliciously cooked meal then don't turn to this this gal...LOL! Right Chef? :)

@DebCE CEO of Computer Explorers, intelligent, fun, and kind. Always enjoyable to connect with her.

@jademorey I get a kick out of this girl! She is funny and doesn't pull any punches which is refreshing. The future is bright for her.

@Pats4Me Yes...she is AWESOME! Funny, HUGE New England Patriots Fan, loves margaritas, and I hope to meet her IRL in March.

@matusik5 Another one of those ladies who I look forward to connecting with all the time! She is living life on her terms and that is simply AWESOME!

@HowellMarketing Very smart Marketing gal who is a must follow!

@ChicagoDiane She gave me a delicious Mocha Pecan Pie recipe for Turkey Day and she shares occasional insomnia with me:)

@rachelmello The woman who keeps me in line or at least tries:)

@gaillamarche HUGE Red Sox fan and a really nice lady who is always fun to tweet with. She is the Marketing Director at a Law Firm in Florida.

@aakomas I really enjoy this gal. She is always a joy. FUNNY too:)

@nancymyrland Social Media focused mainly on lawyers. I am so happy to have met her on twitter and she is definitely one of the sweetest woman I know.

@julibarcelona She is smart, fun, caring, always willing to help, and a friend! You can learn a lot from her.

@foiledcupcakes She is an amazing entrepreneur and now a celebrity stalker...LOL! She is AMAZING...really!

@angelica7641 Another fav of mine. She kicks butt and takes names BUT she is also an extremely talented PR/Social Media gal living it up in Chi-Town. She is always willing to help and share her knowledge. I am lucky to consider her a friend:)

@CandiceStone She just has a way of bringing a smile to my face when she pops into my stream:)

@Shawnrecruits4u If you want to work at Yahoo! then speak to this man. GREAT guy who is a lot of fun! I hope to get out to Cali one day to meet him.

@CesLSU Can you guess which College Football team he likes? :) Really intelligent guy who cares deeply for this Country. Funny too!

@GeekWearsPrada She loves the Red Sox, her family, and Prada:) She is a lot of fun and provides our daily Red Sox wave when we are in-season.

@AmberAusten She is the Queen of Spain, always good for laughs, and has a GREAT heart!

The Posse...

@justinthesouth A GREAT guy dabbling in Social Media. HUGE Red Sox fan and an all around awesome guy to know! Friend.

@julito77 He tweets so much I think his phone is directly connected to his brain and tweets on thought waves:) GREAT friend! Have met him IRL 3x and always TONS of fun! High energy, extremely smart, and Social Media savvy!

@adriandayton The designated face of our posse since he is the best looking out of the 4 of us. 2 feet taller than me...LOL, kind, intelligent, helpful, and if you are a lawyer trying to understand Social media then this is the guy you should meet.

That is it! If you are not on this list then please tweet with me so I get to know you better. I am here to connect with you.

Mello

Twitter Strategy For The Radio Industry

2009-12-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Last week I blogged about my desire to "Move Beyond Social Media Theory" and to discuss execution...

Let the FUN begin!!!

I want to start by discussing one of the verticals which is near and dear to me...The Radio Industry.

My Media background is in Radio which you can find here LinkedIn. Since I have such an extensive background in Media it made sense to have my first Social Media clients be from this Vertical.

The slide above is pulled from a presentation I did for some Radio clients (removing their names to protect the innocent) on Twitter Strategy and displays the multi-level benefits of Twitter. The slide also demonstrates the level of knowledge you need to gain about a client's business before you can truly execute an effective Twitter campaign. There are multiple channels within a business that can be affected by a Twitter Strategy and your job is to understand how you can positively affect each one of those channels.

The REAL Social Media Professionals who are out there working with clients know the real story. Understand a business completely then you can figure how to implement an effective Twitter Strategy for them.

Let's look at all the opportunities created for Radio with a Twitter Strategy:

Real Time Research
Promotional Channel
Increase Listener Engagement
Build Brand Loyalty
Content Distribution Channel
Real-Time Content Tracking
Track & Participate in Station Conversations (Brand Management)
Station Marketing
Drive Website Traffic
Drive Streaming Traffic
Build Local Audience
Build National Audience
Decrease Marketing Expenses
Increase Revenue
Competitive Analysis

When you look at the above list don't you think OMG? I do since there is so much opportunity sitting right there just by using Twitter effectively!

Can you guess the one thing a Radio Station or Media Company HAS to do in order to make any of the above 15 points really effective?

They need to engage with their followers...2-way conversations. 1-way communication is dead!

I have watched this concept blow away Program Directors because they had never thought of it before. I make them feel better by explaining most companies don't get it and now they are ahead of most:)

My next post will dive deeper into those 15 points listed above.

Mello

I can be reached at jeff.mello@buzzcal.com

Moving Beyond Social Media Theory

2009-11-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

We had a small tweetup in Boston a couple Fridays ago and I got to spend some fun time with @Ericleist @Julito77 @MeghanMBiro @Katjaib and @rachelmello. It was awesome to meet Eric, Meghan, & Kat IRL. They are great and I look forward to spending time with them again. I really enjoy sharing ideas, concepts, and approaches with smart people like them.

We got into a conversation about the so called Social Media experts and what they like to talk about. I believe most SM Experts like to espouse a lot of theoretical ideas but don't back them up with examples of how they execute them for a client. This has become a pet peeve of mine while watching some of these people tweet & blog.

I am not a Social Media Expert (No one is), hate the name, but I do have a marketing foundation of 12+ years. My experience is currently being applied to execute successful Social Media Campaigns through my company BuzzCal Communications.

Here is where I want to differ from most Social Media blogs...

I want to Move Beyond Social Media Theory and start discussing Social Media Execution. I want to share my real world client experiences with you from the theory behind my approach to the execution.

I debated back and forth about sharing my approach but by opening myself up to y'all I hope to achieve the following:

1) Give the people who read my blog ideas to help them execute Social Media Strategies for their clients.

2) Create a place where people can share ideas and help others succeed.

3) Create opportunities with potential clients who read my blog and need help.

4) Create opportunities to speak with groups about how to execute Social Media Strategies.

I was honored by @MeghanHBiro when she called me #authentic. She recognized what I hope all of you get to discover one day when we meet...I am the same guy In Real Life as the one you tweet with on Twitter...R-E-A-L!

To carry the #authentic tag one step further please re-read my points 3 & 4. I am not pretending to any of you that I am not trying to make money because I am. I wake up everyday ready to work hard building BuzzCal Communications just like all of you are working hard to achieve in your jobs.

I plan on providing information that you can use to bring value to your clients. In turn I hope my sharing creates new clients and or opportunities to speak with others about how to execute successful Social Media Strategies.

How is that for #authentic and transparent?!

One last point...

My approach to Marketing, Social Media, etc. is from my view of the world. If you put 100 different Marketers in a room they will have 100 different approaches to how you should market a business.

The foundation of my marketing approach is how cost efficiently I can grow revenue for a company.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Mello

My 11/20/09 Twitter Follow Friday List

2009-11-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are not familiar with Twitter...Follow Friday is a way to give a shout out on Twitter to the people who add value to you. The following is my list for the week of 11/20/09. You can visit some of my previous blog posts to see my past Follow Fridays.

Onto the list...

MeghanMBiro This very smart lady has it going on. She has a clear vision for her company and has really cool ideas in the works. Check her out and watch her grow:) I had the pleasure of meeting her IRL and it was a blast.

EricLeist Interns with @MeghanMBiro and is very sharp. I wish he was working with me! He gets it, has a passion for Social Media, a desire to learn, and will go far in the Pr/Media Industry. I met him while up in Boston last week and I look forward to meeting him again.

katjaib It was an absolute pleasure to meet this lovely lady last Friday. She is better IRL:) Smart, funny, helpful, and a very enjoyable person to know.

evolutionfiles Founder of a web design & graphics firm for a long time plus a real nice guy to connect with.

ergeekgoddess A real nice lady I recently started tweeting with thanks to @Julito77 . She is nice, real, and she keeps the Latin Culture going strong.

americannanny Real nice lady up in Boston who I have a virtual shake that we will meet:)

Nong_ling I have been tweeting with this kind and knowledgeable gal for a long time. She is always fun and helpful.

zoeyshea Take two of my favs @shandrab & @zoeyjordan , mash them together, and what do you get? A whole lot of AWESOMENESS!

jennifervides Really fun gal to tweet with. Will keep you laughing!

Ylsoccermom This lady is a TON of fun and always makes me laugh when we discuss her lack of cooking skills:)

ShawnPButler Cool guy kickin it in the ATL!

jademorey I constantly get a kick out of this girls tweets. She is funny!

Pats4Me This lady is another fav:) She is a rabid New England Patriots Fan, makes me laugh constantly, and is now an official member of the Boston Posse.

Kim23Supernova Very cool lady who knows how to step back and smell the roses. She knows how to enjoy life and is a GREAT photographer. She is also VERY FUNNY!

ShellyKramer Always providing a ton of valuable information.

matusik5 Another one of my favs! She simply brings joy everyday to my life:)

HowellMarketing Very smart Marketing gal who I enjoy sharing ideas, concepts, etc. She is always willing to listen, offer guidance, and help where possible. Another one of my favs!

ChicagoDiane Looking for a cool lady who is not just smart but funny too? Follow her now:)

JoeTheProducer All around nice guy who is smart, funny, and will help you whenever possible.

gaillamarche Marketing Director for a law firm in Ft. Myers, Red Sox Fan, and someone I really enjoy.

rachelmello HUGE 49ers Fan, funny, smart, shorter than me...thank GOD, and my wife:)

aakomas A MUST!

nancymyrland Social Media marketer focused mainly on Lawyers. She is kind, smart, and is always willing to help.

foiledcupcakes One of the BEST! She is such an AWESOME entrepreneur and always brings a smile to my face.

angelica7641 My partner in the Hall of Fame Twitter conversation from today:) I tweeted her saying "I hope you are still licking butt in Chicago". I obviously meant "kicking" and it made us both crack up for an hour:) She is soooo much FUN!

debdobson Working to help clients in Social Media, is sooo kind, and fun to tweet with.

CandiceStone She always pops into my stream at random times. Smart and entrepreneurial.

ShawnRecruits4u Working hard recruiting for Yahoo! Extremely nice and helpful guy who y'all should know.

kevinvandever Easiest way to describe this guy is...just one hell of a FUNNY dude! Cracks me up! OH...he loves Christopher Cross:)

CesLSU He is so smart but also sooo FUNNY! I wish I could share how hard I laugh with some of his emails. TOO MUCH! GREAT GUY here!

justinthesouth Nice, funny, HUGE Red Sox Fan, and a member of the Boston Posse!

julito77 One of my closest friends who I met through Twitter. He is doing a lot of GREAT things in Social Media and is fun to follow.

adriandayton Such a talented and amazing guy! His specialty is teaching Lawyers how to utilize Social Media. Boston Posse member and someone to watch as his stature grows in the Social Media World.

Saving the best for last...

JaimieField OMG! One of my newest favs!!! I got to meet her IRL for lunch while driving back to the ATL. This gal is a typical Jersey girl...NO BS! <----One of the qualities I love most in a person. She is very smart, funny, extremely helpful, and someone I will definitely continue to develop a relationship with.

@rachelmello and I both left our lunch with Jaimie thinking about how amazing she is and how we can't wait for the opportunity to spend more time with her."

My Follow Friday lists take hours to complete and is well worth it!!! I truly believe everyone I place on my list is someone who brings value to my life and can add value to yours.

If you are not on this list then please make sure you tweet with me. I enjoy connecting with as many people as possible and want to connect with you.

Happy Follow Friday!!!

Mello

My 11/6/09 Massive Follow Friday List

2009-11-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

JaimieField This lady proves why Twitter is so cool. We just connected earlier in the week and she has already tried to help me with BuzzCal Communications. She has GREAT taste in music too:) We did quickly learn to not talk sports...LOL!

americannanny The President of the American Nanny company and a really cool lady.

TransitionalTee This gal is young and insightful. I wish I could Blog like her. Check her out.

RealBlackWidow Cool Oakland Raider Fan and someone who is not afraid to share her view. I really enjoy outspoken people.

Nong_ling This gal is always cheerful, engaging, fun, and kind.

kinetixhr Smart, eclectic, and @Rachelmello's boss!

txm77 Real cool lady to tweet.

jod_writer Cool attorney/writer up in Chicago.

KelliThompson Kind, fun, and interesting.

jennifervides She spoils me by constantly RT'ng my Blips. Glad you like my #Mellotunes

LoisMarketing Real nice marketing lady here in the ATL. She is a HUGE Formula 1 racing fan. I guess someone has to be....hehe!

amtomei This gal is not afraid to throw out her political views. I love em:) Please excuse her Steelers background.

Ylsoccermom Just call this lady "Chef" LOL! If you want a good meal...burnt then have her cook it. All kidding aside this gal is real fun to tweet.

USNAVYSEALS Much RESPECT for his service to our Country PLUS I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE Fan of Special Forces. These guys don't play games...THANK GOD!

ShawnPButler Real cool guy here in the ATL who is into Sport's Marketing and Social Media.

madebyhippies Need a tie dyed shirt then go here. Peace!

jademorey Real smart gal in the ATL fighting for Republicans...one campus at a time.

nwchptr4me Get to meet this cool gal next Friday at a Boston tweetup in Harvard Square! Can't wait. She is funny and interesting.

Pats4Me This lady ROCKS!!! HUGE Boston Sport's Fan trapped in Texas:) A must follow if you are into having a fun time tweeting.

matusik5 Here is another must follow if you like having FUN! This lady cracks me up all the time. LOVE IT!!!

Gina_Lee_Garcia Entrepreneurial lady in GA who is bottling BBQ Sauce which will hopefully be coming to a store near you.

MurphDawgRadio A JETS Fan...LOL! What happened to Sanchez?

MktgEmpress The name says it all! She is working it in the ATL!

KennyHamilton Yankee Fan...UGH! Still a cool guy to know!

gtiadvisors When you want to feel safe call this guy. Real nice guy.

jsbsox HUGE Red Sox and FSU Fan!!!

HowellMarketing Real smart PR/Marketing lady who is real helpful. I appreciate her veiws on Marketing.

sumaya Smart and Funny! GREAT COMBO!

saradavidson PR/Marketing gal is fun to tweet.

crcpr21 A real interesting and fun follow!

SocialDivo The man, the myth, the legend. Making it happen in the ATL!

coreyanderson Someone please buy this guy's house in the ATL! LOL! Nice guy who loves all things Tampa Bay.

ChicagoDiane COOL lady who is smart, funny, kind, and just an all around great person to know.

joe_charles Another Yankee Fan. Just shoot me:)

rachelmello Beside being AWESOME she also deals with me. Trust me when I say it is not easy:) She loves the 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons. If you are a 49ers Fan please follow her so she can complain about them to you instead of me...HA!

aakomas YES she does ROCK!

krismap This fun lady is in Detroit so please give her a reason to be uplifted...Follow her:)

vcolon & AmberAusten Are my virtual running partners:)

katjaib Smart and insightful. I get to meet her next Friday!!!

shandrab Amazingly talented gal. Real Happy to call her a friend!

zoeyjordan Don't let her humor fool you. This gal is one smart Marketing gal and awesome person to know. I hope to meet her in 2010.

MeghanMBiro Life coach. HR, fun, and I get to meet her next Friday!

debdobson Real nice lady who loves her some "Levon" Blips:)

AbbieF If you need PR in Phoenix then this is the intelligent lady you need to know.

CandiceStone She randomly pops into my stream to put a smile on my face. She is smart, funny, and an entrepreneur. I am glad we met.

Dos_Equis_Guy You know why? I want to be this man when I am 60! ROCK ON! Just live your life tweeps!

PaulSegreto If you want to be in or are already in a Franchise than this is your guy!

nancymyrland One of the kindest people I have met on Twitter.

SydneyOwen This gal makes me smile.

jonesdel It is always fun to connect with this extremely talented journalist. He holds no punches which is refreshing.

martinwaxman Real nice and smart PR star in Toronto. I hope to meet him in person one day.

rockingjude She is fun, kind, and loves my Blips.

bizwhig The #FF King and Re-Blip'ng Master!

foiledcupcakes This girl is one of my favs! She is such a smart biz woman and so down to Earth. I cannot wait to hang with her again.

angelica7641 Another gal who brings a smile to my face when she pops into my stream. She is the energizer bunny with a punch!

fleurdeleigh GREAT Photographer and really nice lady.

The Boys:

CesLSU Incredibly smart, funny, strong republican, and a friend!

thescottbishop Smart Man in the world of Social Media.

ShawnRecruits4u Nice guy who recruits for Yahoo! helpful, funny, and Italian (inside joke)

tedrubin He is one of the Yankee Fans I will deal with since he is a GREAT GUY!

4thGear Extremely Smart and is always willing to help. A man y'all should get to know.

Keith_Shay An Insightful CEO who is not just really smart but is funny too! GREAT COMBO!

SoxFan24 My Brother from another mother. FUNNY FUNNY GUY!

justinthesouth One of the nicest guys you can meet. A GREAT Red Sox Fan, Social Media lover, and a friend!

adriandayton Social Media for lawyers is his specialty but he goes waaaay beyond. He is a writer, attorney (don't hold that against him), funny, intelligent, helpful, giving, World Traveller, and when I stand next to him I reach his waist:) Most of all a friend!

Saving the best for last...

julito77 This guy is like the Mayor of Twitter. He tweets more than me which is an accomplishment in itself. He is a HUGE Boston Sport's Fan, extremely intelligent, HIGH ENERGY, Entrepreneur, helped me in my Twitter beginnings, and one of my closest friends I have met on Twitter. He picks on me like the brother I never had. We will be hanging out next Friday at our Tweetup in harvard Square.

Sorry if I did not include you on this list. If we connect often on Twitter then you are guaranteed to make future lists. I love meeting new people so tweet me. I don't bite...I nibble:)

Mello

Calculated Risk

2009-10-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I chose to take the biggest calculated risk of my life...I chose to bet on myself and walk away from Corporate America.

When I look at the picture to the left it says it all. I am standing on the cliff which is the "Safe" Corporate job and I am taking a leap into the unknown ocean below.

My decision is a calculated risk for this MAJOR reason...I believe in myself and the three other Co-Founders of BuzzCal Communications!

BuzzCal Communications has already started to grow and with my 100% focus it will explode.

I have worked hard for 12 years developing ideas to help grow revenue for many National companies with AT&T, metroPCS, and Ford to name a few along with helping smaller local companies in a wide range of Industries from Automotive, Furniture, Fast Food, Retail, Packaged Goods, and even Real Estate. I can now take all this experience and help businesses through my own company instead of doing it for someone else.

I'm ready for the new path I have chosen. I really look forward to continuing to grow the network of awesome people I have met on Twitter and meeting y'all in person:) Please join me in my journey to build BuzzCal Communications. I may fail but at least I will always be able to say I gave it a shot!

My favorite quote "In every passionate pursuit the pursuit counts more than the object pursued" Bruce Lee

Let the journey begin!!!

My LinkedIn

#Follow Friday for 10/9/09

2009-10-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Some of the GREAT friends I have met on twitter.

My #Follow Friday List for 10/9/09:

@Pats4Me Top of my list! This lady makes me laugh everyday, has tremendous spunk, and her passion for the Patriots fits in nicely with the rest of the Boston Posse.

@matusik5 I consider this gal the other half of @pats4me making them the dynamic duo. I got lucky to have connected with these wonderful ladies. She is so smart and funny. She keeps me laughing constantly!

@HowellMarketing Very Smart Media Gal who is also funny and enjoys my Blips. She totally spoiled me with a #FF last week that has to be one of my best ever. THANKS!!!

@LoisMarketing This lady is really funny, I think she is French, and a huge lover of Formula 1 racing.

@USNAVYSEALS A True Patriot who served our country and was in my favorite part of the Armed Services...The Navy Seals. They don't play games! Hear that Terrorists! These are the guys who will hunt U down while u sleep.

@AmericanWomannn Very nice lady who nominated me for her #hunkalert. THX!

@shawnpbutler Cool Media guy here in Atlanta who enjoys my Blips.

@jademorey Smart young gal who is the Chairwoman of the Georgia Association of College Republicans

@nwchptr4me Very cool Boston Posse member who loves the red Sox and has a great profile pic that shows her devilish side:)

@LaraAlexandra Very funny girl who works in Radio up in New York. Hook her up.

@KatColeATL Real cool lady who is the VP of Hooters and who I need to have coffee with soon:)

@Kim23Supernova Real interesting gal who is a talented golfer and photographer. I have such a respect for her approach to life. A must follow!

@955TheBeat Plays all your favorite artists from Pitbull, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, etc. and always giving you ways to win cool prizes.

@MaverickATL He is the Afternoon DJ at @955thebeat and a real nice guy.

@Gina_Lee_Garcia If you want some yummy BBQ sauce then this is your gal.

@MurphDawgRadio One half of the @955thebeat Morning Show. This guy is a cool cat who you should get to know.

@radiojohnnyd Another GREAT On-Air DJ for @955thebeat .

@KennyHamilton @955thebeat Personality and FUNNY DUDE!

@jsbsox AWESOME Red Sox and FSU Fan! She is always fun to connect with on Twitter.

@SocialDivo Real cool guy here who makes it happen in the A-T-L!

@BobWarren The man, the myth, the legend:) The Ultimate Don Juan of Twitter. He works the ladies almost as well as the "World's Most Interesting Man" LOL

@LenKendall A nice guy I met in July. He has great persepctives I enjoy reading.

@jaybaer Really intelligent Social Media practitioner.

@SarahRobinson Another great lady I got to meet in person this past July. She is making it happen with the "Young Turk" in tow one day at a time.

@ChicagoDiane Another bright gal who is fun to tweet with.

@NancyLoo If you watch TV in Chicago then you need to know this lovely lady.

@dnvrsangel A very kind lady who is fun to connect with on Twitter.

@rachelmello The fiery red head who has to deal with me. Trust me I am not easy but this beautiful, funny, talented, and louder than me girl does it:) My wife.

@thescottbishop Very bright Marketing/Social Media Strategist. I enjoy his takes on the online world.

@JoeTheProducer Here is one of those extremely nice guys you want to know. I constantly think about how I can work with him as BuzzCal.net grows since he is a very talented video producer. Follow this guy NOW!

@aakomas This girl ROCKS IT in Chicago! AWESOME GAL!!!

@luiserpa Another highly talented and smart man here! Funny too!

@tkpleslie Helping Green Furniture retailers.

@JeanneBehr HUGE lover of my blips and I like her despite her Steeler love...HA!

@michele7962 A really nice lady who always has a kind word to say.

@vcolon My virtual running partner and AWESOME lady:) Let's go!!!

@Ace2003 Solid Red Sox Fan and I like him even though he is misguided with his football team selection:)

@SoxFan24 & @ashleyjill I put them on the same line since they are like an old married couple. I love them both and they always keep me smiling. Thanks y'all!

@julito77 One of my closest buds on Twitter. We have met in person a couple of times and he has been with me here pretty much from the beginning. He gives me a lot of crap about the my Red Sox frustrations but I know it is all in fun. Pleasure my brothah!

Soar With Your Strengths

2009-10-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

This week's Key Point: Hire the right people and let them do what they do best!

I was excited to see the positive response from my "Managing Employees in this Economy" post and for that reason, I decided to do a series of posts discussing key points.

As a young manager my mentor had me read the book "Soar With Your Strengths" by Donald Clifton and Paula Nelson. This book is AWESOME and it provided me a completely different management perspective.

"Soar With Your Strengths" was based on one simple question...What would happen if they studied what was right with people versus what's wrong with people.

New thought...

You CANNOT achieve whatever you put your mind to!

Focus on your STRENGTHS and MINIMIZE your weaknesses!

Drive, Creativity, Problem Solving, and Ability to Focus Under Intense Stress are a few examples of natural strengths that cannot be taught.

You cannot achieve whatever you put your mind to. That belief is a falsehood fed by our families, friends, etc. Every individual has an innate strength that enables them to perform a task extremely well. It is our job as a parent, teacher, manager, etc. to help an individual uncover their one true strength and allow it to flourish.

Companies are only as good as the people who work for them. The following are what companies can do to ensure peak performance...

Assess each role employees perform within your company
Identify what strength(s) leads to maximum performance in each role
Assess each employee to identify their strength(s) and to make sure they are aligned in the right role within your company to maximize their strength(s)
If you identify holes within your company that need to be filled then make sure you are looking for the strength(s) associated with that role when interviewing a potential new employee
DO NOT try and identify an employee's weakness as an area to work on! This is a waste of time and will not lead to better company performance!!!

Once you have the right employees, who possess the right strength(s) to perform at an optimal level in their role then get out of their way!

The TV Gravy Train is Done!

2009-09-29T04:24:00.000-07:00

The title is dramatic but it serves to make a point. TV works as an advertising medium BUT in this quickly shifting Media World it is a waste of money.

For decades the TV Industry and the Big Madison Avenue Agencies have had a cozy relationship with the clients getting the raw deal. During the upfront season Agencies and the TV Industry would pretend to work really hard at hammering out the best deals for their clients. The fact is...were the agencies really going to re-allocate their client's budgets to another ad medium (think New Media) outside of TV when that is where they make the most money? It is all smoke and mirrors with the clients suffering.

The agencies make the bulk of their revenue from the creation of TV commercials and buying TV time. <----Did you hear that Mr. Chief Marketing Officer?

What advertising medium do you think agencies are pitching daily to their clients? Why do you think New Media is still not getting close to the share of ad dollars that TV is getting? Where the ad dollars have been spent in the past has lots to do with agency self preservation.

The TV Gravy Train is Done

Big Madison Avenue Agencies out there who are used to every solution to a marketing problem being solved by how many :30 second TV ads they can run are in trouble. In this Economy when ROI is so important you can no longer hide.

The TV Industry has tried their best to put lipstick on a pig with articles like this one "Network Phenom: Little Broadcast Erosion" which came out on 9/25 and can be found here...bit.ly/40a9I

The article praises the Fall TV lineup and mentions how the TV Networks have experienced only a small loss of audience from the previous year. The Agencies pushing TV on their clients love these stories BUT are frightened to imagine a Chief marketing Officer or even a CEO to see this recent TIVO study from an article that came out on 9/24...bit.ly/XmTDV

The TiVo's Stop||Watch ratings service demonstrated the following...

83% of "Mad-Men" viewers fast forwarded through the commercials

Drama programming's viewers fast forwarded through the commercials 73% of the time

30 Rock viewers were LEAST prone to skip through commercials but still did it an alarmingly 64% of the time!

The above information details what we have all known and have probably experienced in our own homes...we don't watch commercials!

If you are a business who is paying TONS of money to expose your product or service to the masses then wouldn't you want the masses to see it?

The time is now for CEOs, CMOs, and Local Business Owners to wake up and realize their are a lot better marketing answers for their money than TV. Don't let ad agencies feed you the TV BS anymore!!!

When your Agency tries to push TV on you then site the above article for a reason why you want to see a detailed Marketing Plan which includes other advertising mediums. If the agency still tries to push TV on you then tell them you are willing to pay 25% of the TV ad rate since that is the average percentage of the audience who might see your ad...HA!

New Media, Social Media, and Local Radio are three VERY effective and Cost Efficient Mediums which can get the job done at a fraction of the cost for TV.

The times have changed and so should your marketing approach!

Managing Employees in this Economy

2009-09-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

My friend has the best sign in her office.

Remember...

Your most valuable resources drive away at the end of every business day, and it is your job to make sure they are eager to return the next morning.

As a manager you should commit the above message to memory. You can accomplish nothing as a manager if you don't have employees who are willing to walk through walls for you.

When I became a General Sales Manager of two Radio Stations at the age of 26 I knew I had a lot to learn. I would learn through doing but I also wanted to gain perspective fast. I hit the bookstore and luckily found what I believe to be one of the best books for managers..."First, Break All The Rules" by Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman.

The book was based on research done on over 80,000 managers to figure out what traits were shared by highly successful managers. They found that the only shared trait by successful managers is they don't follow rules...they get the job done. Oh they do share one trait and that is understanding the value of their employees.

When the Economy was humming along it was easier for sucky managers to succeed. In these tough Economic times the companies who succeed are the ones who have GREAT managers.

Now is the time for managers to start caring about their employees again or as soon as the job market turns around they will be gone. The following are some key points I believe managers must remember during these tough times to ensure productive employees:

Treat them as people
Get to know them
Discover what they want to achieve Professionally and Personally
Allow room for mistakes since that is how they grow
DO NOT MICRO-MANAGE!
Hire the right people and let them do what they do best!
Set realistic expectations
Praise GREAT work!
Provide the right resources to do the job effectively
Constantly Motivate
Say Thank you

The above list probably seems simple but how many managers are running so fast they are forgetting the basics...their people. Focus on your employees now so you don't lose them later.

REMEMBER: Employees usually leave companies because of bad managers NOT bad companies.

Mello

#followfriday for the week of 8/31/09

2009-09-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Let the #followfriday love begin...

@BuzzCal This is my corporate account where I hide when put in twitter jail:) We also tweet info about BuzzCal here.

@JohnKremer My first follower. If you want to market a book then this is your guy.

@brandyellen This gal is from NH, is one of my first followers , and is really nice. She is a GREAT mom who also likes the Red Sox!!!

@julito77 He is a friend, funny, helpful, part of my Boston Posse, Red Sox Nation member, BuzzCal rapper, & All Around GREAT Guy!!!

@gaillamarche She is a friend, very smart Legal Marketer, helpful, funny, & a HUGE Red Sox Nation member!

@adriandayton An all around GREAT GUY!!! He is a lawyer, Writer, Social Media Enthusiast, and an Entrepreneur. He turned down a good paying day job to blaze his own path. MUCH RESPECT!!! He is also part of my posse even though I haven't concluded which city I will classify him in. I can't say NY since I don't like that city...LOL!!!

@Ridgeback27 This here is a really nice guy and is also a HUGE Red Sox Fan!!!

@Hawkeye0071 A very nice lady who always is kind to me.

@janepruitt Very cool girl, funny, HUGE GA Bulldogs Fan, and my backup against @CesLSU...LOL!!!

@zoeyjordan This girl is funny, smart, has amazing musical taste, AND is the President of my Fan Club. How can I go wrong:)

@ShelliMayfield This lady is smart, funny, has great musical tastes which she displays late night Blip'ng with me, and is a HUGE Red Sox Nation Member...WHAT WHAT!!!

@ashleyjill She is my Boston Posse Member, is completely hilareous, picks on me incessantly, is kind, a great friend, Boston Red Sox Fan, and is real!

@BillTamminga Very smart Sales/Marketing Man in Denver, funny, helpful, and a friend I hope to eventually meet.

@annaanisin This girl is very nice, entrepreneurial, helpful, and is going to launch Baseball Beauties in the next couple of months!

@steelergurl This girl is a smart PR girl and also a die hard Steeler Fan. The latter part makes me sick most of the time but I like her enough to keep her around...LOL!

@fleurdeleigh This lovely lady is a GREAT photographer and is very informative.

@PaulaRobinson Very helpful to Senior Citizens and also a nice lady all around.

@SoxFan24 My brother from another mother!!! This guy is funny, Mr. Security, a HUGE New England Sports Fan, & a Friend!!!

@EthanJaynes Sports Blogger who always gives me #FF Love:)

@paulpierce34 He is the Man for the Celtics and I can say I am one of the few he follows. I kinda feel honored:)

@ginidietrich If you did a study on how CEO's should conduct themselves then this lady is the leader of the group. Incredibly intelligent, PR Expert, business acumen, funny, not a Chicago White Sox Fan, informative, and a friend:) One of the tops on my entire twitter list!

@angelica7641 This girl is rocks the party! She is a PR Diva, funny, adventerous, informative, and is a friend:)

@modishplum This girl is so nice and very informative.

@Keith_Shay Is such a GREAT guy who is an impressive CEO. He is funny, informative, and does the best job at ribbing @ginidietrich .

@4thGear Very smart and can help to develop a plan to grow your biz.

@DCdebbie This girl is so funny and is all about helping others. She has a HUGE heart and is just a very nice person.

@Alyfoley Member of my Boston Posse:) This gal is a HUGE New England Sports Fan and very funny!!!

@ChuckSwanson HUGE Red Sox Fan out in Orgeon plus a really good guy.

@foiledcupcakes This gal makes a mean cupcake that all of Chicago loves and cannot do without. She is funny, informative, and enjoys my Blips.

@AmberAusten This girl makes me laugh daily, granted me land in Spain, and is a complete open book which is not normal in this world.

@CesLSU My LSU pal:) This guy is very smart, funny, informative, and I consider a friend except for when LSU plays UGA:)

@GeekWearsPrada This girl is like clockwork with her Red Sox waves to start every morning.

@jonesdel This talented journalist is funny, informative, intelligent, and knows how to find humor in stressful times.

@BoSoxCutie19 Proudly representing Red Sox Nation from Texas.

@julibarcelona One of my favs on twitter. She has the best personality, smart, and gets Marketing!!!

@melaniegreen She likes a good Blip and a good PR conversation.

@LauraJDaley This lady will help you to develop the communication skills possible to succeed in today's business world.

@nancymyrland One of the nicest people on twitter. She is also great at marketing businesses.

@PaulSegreto If you want to learn about Franchises then this is the smart man you need to follow.

@jen004 Always there for a good laugh and rantings from the Political right.

@LindseyGallant This girl is cool since she is from Boston and is looking for her next adventure. Hopefully she will find it soon:)

@Justinthesouth This guy is a friend, smart, funny, and a HUGE Red Sox Fan!!!

@levitanl This great lady is smart, helpful, provides me with great guidance, and is a giver.

@LuvMyFeline Awesome gal in New England who is always there to provide me Red Sox updates when I am out and about.

@CandiceStone This lovely gal is smart, funny, enjoys my Blips, and is always there to help.

@AbbieF Very smart PR lady who is not afarid to share her wisdom with me. I hope we can do great things together in the future.

@debdobson Making it happen KC!!! She is funny, kind, Marketer, tennis player, enjoyer of my Blips, and fun to tweet with.

@brooksienole FSU & Red Sox FAN in the HOUSE!!!

@shawnrecruits4u GREAT guy and recruiter!!! Has been exteremely helpful!!! THX man!

@matusik5 I'm watching you...LOL!!! Very funny lady:)

@shelbilavender Very talented and funny gal up in Nashvegas!

@scott_farrell Very smart PR guy who also has a GREAT sense of humor.

@simasays Is a wealth of knowledge.

@DebCE A very smart and nice lady who is enjoyable to know.

@MeghanMBiro Need a job or career change...this lovely lady can help!

@LynniMegginson My Older sister (this is a running joke and she is really not my sister), extremely talented Designer, funny, wild, can drink tequila withthe best of them, and a friend!

@shandrab This gal is right up there on my list of favorite people I met through twitter. She is sooo talented as an Interior Designer, is Super Smart, Entrepreneurial, Full of Energy, Funny, a Friend, and a must to follow!!!

@big_teeth Very talented video producer up in Chicago. Very funny too!!

@vvarela1974 One of the few Yankee Fans I like. She is @julito 's sister so that helped plus she is really cool.

@vcolon My virtual jogging partner and very cool gal:)

@KashKowe HUGE Red Sox Fan and Money Man...MOOOOOOOO!!!

@reddsmitty A very nice lady who enjoys my Blips.

@tkpleslie All about Green Furniture and helping out Indie Furniture Stores.

@luiserpa GREAT guy who is my Portuguese bretheren:)

@aakomas Very nice gal who is Rockin it in Chicago!

and saving the best for last this week...

@rachelmello My wife who is so smart, funny, energetic, loving, caring, and short like me:)

If I missed you this week I am sorry. Make sure you tweet more with me so you make it on my future lists.

Happy #Followfriday!!!

Mello

Beware of the Social Media Snake Oil Salesman

2009-09-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

In the days of the Wild West Snake Oil Salesman would roll into a town of trusting people, sell a product that had absolutely no value, and make a fast getaway before anyone realized they were had!

Recently I've been feeling the new Wild West is Social Media and there are plenty of Snake Oil Salesman lurking around every turn. You know how to spot most of them...they like to use titles like Social Media Guru, Twitter Expert, or Facebook Master just to name a few.

I know I should not care what these Snake Oil Salesman do to turn a quick buck BUT I do because...

1) It takes money from honest business owners who are looking for guidance from trustworthy people.

2) It taints these business owners for future Individuals/Companies who can truly help them grow their business.

If you are a business owner thinking about implementing a Social Media Program please consider the following:

Just because someone uses Twitter and has 100,000 followers does not qualify them to solve your business needs! Look beyond those silly numbers and demand to know why you should work with them.

I suggest working with individuals who have a Marketing/Communication background since the good ones are trained to ask questions to better understand how your business works... how you make money, understand your customers, understand your competition, understand your competitive advantage, and the market perception of your company to name a few. The business information gathered will enable the trained individual to formulate a comprehensive strategy utilizing Social Media and any other Communication Medium which is determined to be a good fit for your individual business. Not all Communication Mediums are right for all businesses.

The Snake Oil Saleman Smell test...Can the individual develop a plan to grow your business Revenue, Customer Relationships, or Brand? If they cannot or don't understand the question then they are Snake Oil Salesman...RUN!!!

Mello

It's the Brand Silly!

2009-05-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

The rise of Search and Social Media has triggered a lot of crazy assertions about the future of Marketing...for the record I define Marketing as any outbound communication a company has with their clients or potential clients.

You hear statements like..."Can Traditional Media and Social Media co-exist?" or "Search advertising reaches the consumer closest to the purchasing decision so therefore is the best."

I believe these statements are fundamentally flawed since it is all about the Brand silly! People want to focus down to one specific medium like Social Media or Search Advertising and say they are the best! Those people are missing the bigger picture. Building a Brand takes multiple marketing mediums working in concert. The smart marketer understands the strengths of each medium and chooses the ones that can best achieve the Brand's predetermined goals.

Examples:

Traditional Media like TV and Radio help to build a Brand's image and perceived experience for the consumer.

Social Media like Twitter or Facebook allows a Brand to enter into a two-way dialogue with their key consumers.

Search Advertising allows your Brand to be in front of potential clients at the moment when they are closest to making a purchase.

The above list is only the tip of the iceberg for a Brand's marketing options but a GREAT start! By utilizing just the Marketing Mediums listed above a Brand can do the following:

1) Build an image in potential consumer's minds (Traditional Media)

2) Drive sales at an online or brick and mortar location (Combination of Traditional Media, Social Media, & Search)

3) Develop two-way communication with key consumers (Social Media)

The mediums to market a Brand have been transformed tremendously over the last couple of years due in large part to the explosive growth of the Interactive space. Even though some mediums may have changed the core marketing philosophies behind building a Brand have not. Having new mediums to market a Brand does not mean the old mediums are obsolete instead it just provides you more opportunities!

Mello

Setting The Marketing Budget

2009-05-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

You own a business and want to start inviting customers through marketing. Stop right there! Before you go any further you first need to set a marketing budget. The marketing budget is what you can afford to invest in a consistent plan to attract new customers. Marketing is not trying something for one week or one month then stopping...that is craziness. A proper marketing plan will begin to build a brand position for your company while also bringing new customers through your door.

Q: How much should I commit to market my business?

A: My recommendation for clients is to look at an initial marketing budget of up to 15% of their total sales to start.

Example: If your business does $1 Million in sales then I recommend you commit $150,000 towards Marketing.

As your business becomes more established the marketing plan should slide down to around 5-7% of total sales. The beauty here is the marketing budget will continue to grow because your sales will be growing.

Q: Why is it so important to set a marketing budget up front?

A: When you set a marketing budget up front it gives you a dollar figure to work with and helps in considering which marketing channels to consider.

Set the right marketing budget up front and it will put your business on the road to success.

Mello

Twitter's Master Plan

2009-05-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

Do you think twitter likes to remind us how much we enjoy their service? I think so and will use today as an example. There is not another company I can think of that would shut down a service for their customers during regular business hours. Twitter decided they would be doing scheduled maintenance at 2P PST/5P EST. Why not work on twitter after midnight? I am sitting here after 7P EST and still twitter is down. Over two hours of down time for a service that millions are using. Not a good business practice to keep your customers happy but maybe there is a bigger idea at work.

I know we all don't pay to use twitter currently but what if we did? I would be very upset losing access to my tweeps for an extended amount of time. I define extended as anytime over 5 minutes. Hey I like interacting with my followers...HA! What if twitter has a master plan at work here? Twitter might have chosen to shutdown during prime hours to remind users how much they would miss their service if it was to go away. I for one am sitting here writing this blog entry wishing I was with my friends on twitter. Maybe their master plan has worked and reminded me how I cannot live without the twitter service.

Does twitter have a master plan at work?

Mello

Your Mind is an Index Card

2009-04-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Your Mind is an Index card. If you don't believe me then play along with this simple exercise...

If I ask you "When I say hamburger what 3 places do you think of?"

The usual answer is McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's.

Why?

Your mind is an index card that prioritizes products or services in a list. How a product or service is listed on your mental index card is based on how important that business is to you. The companies listed on your mental index card swap in and out frequently. The three hamburger companies listed above spend a lot of money to remain on the top of your index card.

How does this relate to marketing?

Effective marketing is how you make your way onto a potential client's mental index card. As a marketer your goal is to create "Top of Mind Awareness"...TOMA. By creating TOMA you will begin to make inroads for your product or service onto a potential client's mental index card. The ultimate goal is to become #1 in your category so your business will be shopped 1st!

Get working on developing a strategy for developing TOMA for your product or service!

One last point...

You might be saying to yourself "Well I don't have an advertising budget the size of McDonald's or these other large companies." McDonald's started off as one hamburger stand in San Bernardino, California and grew from there! Every business has to start somewhere. How are you currently marketing your business to be #1?

Mello

The Dirty Secret of Big Advertising Agencies

2009-04-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

The Issue:

The ultimate goal of any Advertising Agency should be to develop a Strategic Marketing Plan that will increase brand recognition and revenue for a client. What the client does not know is the agency has a dirty secret...their goal is to have you spend all your marketing dollars on TV. Why you ask?

The reasons why agencies push for TV:

Quality TV Commercials are the most expensive to produce so agencies can charge their clients BIG bucks!
Agencies make a commission on all the media they purchase for a client. TV is the most expensive to purchase, requires the biggest budgets, and allows the agency to make the most money from you!
Does not require an intricate marketing plan to execute. In plain English...just being lazy!

The Panic:

Agencies are panicking because no matter what BS study that comes out the fact IS people are viewing less live television than ever before.
The Agency business model is based on getting their clients to buy TV. TV is the cash cow for agencies and once that goes away the large agencies will be gone.

The Solution:

Find an Agency who will do the following:

Take the time to completely understand your business and how you drive revenue BEFORE they develop a Marketing Plan!
Walk you through how the different Communication Mediums work (not just TV)
Will share with you their vision of PR, Social Media, & Interactive Media and how it can potentially play a role in your Marketing Plans
Will share with you how their customized Marketing Plan will achieve your desired Marketing Goals.
Will not ram TV down your throat
Is fully vested in your SUCCESS!

Mello

How Big Media Misses the Twitter Opportunity

2009-04-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Twitter has totally changed the flow of information. News and information is now traveling at light speed across the twitterverse. A plane is delayed and boom someone is tweeting about it. An Earthquake strikes and people know instantaneously due to a tweet. Twitter has changed communication and the way people connect. Do you think the Big media companies noticed...yes! The Bigger question is...are media companies missing out on a twitter opportunity. YES!

The media has been fanatically hyping twitter for the past couple of months. Broadcasters have raced to setup their twitter pages since it seems like the in thing to do. The problem is in the race to setup a twitter page the media companies have not thought through a proper strategy. Instead Media Companies have approached twitter the same way they approach Broadcasting...one way communication. They just keep pushing out info to viewers, followers, etc. without understanding the "Distribution Channel" or "Medium" they are using. Missed Opportunity!

When you look at any business type the ultimate goal is to gain a loyal following and to keep them. Apple has done an amazing job at fostering their fan base. Big media companies on the other hand just keep doing what they are used to...sitting on the top of the mountain shouting down information to everyone below. One way communication.

To illustrate my point on how Big Media is missing the point of twitter let's look at the Fox & Friends profile page above. I circled the important Following vs Followers info. As you can see Fox & Friends has 22,689 Followers BUT they only Follow 114 people. The translation...we want you all to follow us but we only think 114 of you are worthy of following. Look at it another way...we want to keep pushing our message out to as many people as possible but we are not really interested in what our Followers have to say. To make matters worse...If u could see the full page above you would notice over a 10 day span...Fox & Friends tweeted with followers twice! That is really sad! Once again the one way communication philosophy.

How can Big Media not miss the twitter opportunity?
Simple.

1) Follow your followers. They are following you because they are fans so don't you think they are important? Without them their is no you!

2) Engage your followers. Ask them questions, find out about their lives, why do they like watching you in the morning, evening, etc.

3) Develop a two way communication with your followers. It is built in research. They will tell you what they like or don't like about your show. What the hot topics are for that day, etc.

4) Get personal! If Gretchen, Steve, or Brian are tweeting with a follower about their life don't you think that follower will feel connected to them? Do you think they will switch the channel on THEIR friend to go see what CNN is saying? Probably not. Instead the follower will tell all their friends about how cool you are and then what happens? You develop more viewers, which drives up the ratings, which brings in more revenue, etc.

Twitter has created a great opportunity for Media companies to expand their brand loyalty like never before but only if it is used correctly. People on twitter are about two way communication not one. Miss this opportunity and your competitor who gets it will eat your lunch!

Mello

Introduction

2009-04-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

I have contemplated starting a blog for awhile now since it seems I always have something to say. I am addicted to twitter and the great friends I have already made there. The only issue I have with using twitter is to limit my thoughts to no more than 140 characters. This blog will allow me to expound on ideas that develop from my twitter conversations or through all the reading I do.

My focus will be on the Media Industry which I served in for 12+ years before becoming the Co-Founder of BuzzCal.com. I want to discuss how the Media Industry is being reshaped due to Internal & External forces, how the combination of Social Media and Technology is changing the way we as people communicate everyday, and most importantly how a Business Owner can tie all these Marketing tools together to effectively grow his business.

For over 12 years I have been helping clients to understand how to build their Company Brand and Revenue through the proper marketing techniques. You want to know what the best feeling is? When a client has put his complete trust in you and in return you create an effective Marketing plan that increases his revenue more than expected! That experience is blissful!

I look forward to sharing my views with you and I hope in return you provide feedback to me. If a post stinks then call me out. I can handle it:) If you really like a post then please tell me. I love feedback.

Let's have Fun!

Mello

Tweet with me here