Moving Beyond Social Media Theory

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!