Well, it seems like I talk all day long about the new media, and I am not complaining…had a great time at the Greenwich, CT Chamber where I spoke for quite some time on social media (the general topic at hand was “communication”). 

I was one of three speakers.  One gentleman complained about email and the general lack of attention to detail like spelling, and the other speaker spoke on how to get noticed by your clients via email/voicmail.  They came to the conclusion that everyone/clients want to connect with someone vs. a cold hard computer screen.  I backed them up and was very happy to say that while technology today seems cold, daunting and a pain, when understood and used correctly, it can bring back that warm and fuzzy feeling back…a sense of connection that we haven’t had in a long time.  One attendee talked about how his family is spread out from the US to abroad.  A grandmother died and they were able to connect via blogs and email and they conversed in this way for 9 months.  It made them all feel warm and cozy.

So my point?  It is the connection that makes people want to buy…it is the connection that makes people return calls and emails…connect through blogging, podcasting, through embedded videos on your website, connect online (and off) and the world is your oyster!

Couldn’t bring myself to type this morning cause I sent out about a million emails announcing the Business Smart Tools conference on Social Media, www.BusinessSmartTools.com, check it out and look at those speakers!!

Anyway, I am finding a moment and some finger power to type on and so I am calling out to all of those Greenwich Chamber members or non members in Greenwich and in neighboring towns and asking them to come by Redman Hall, 17 East Elm street Greenwich on Thusday 4/27 at 11:45 to hear me and two others (David Schlakman, ARC and Lisa Diggins, Greenwich Magazine) speak on communication.  My particular subject is “communicating then and now.”  I have done some research and found out that the era of electronic communication began in 1862 with the beginnings of TV.  Radio soon followed in 1899.  The beginnings of the internet started in 1956 with hypertext coming in 1965 and then with email starting in the early 1970s.

I say in my speech that we have basically come full circle since the early 1800’s.  Our source of information began in the local salloon or knitting circle and we learned things from other people.  As TV and Radio took over, the ad giants shaped our thoughts, values and buying patterns and we became passive consumers.  As blogging, podcasting and other social media tools are taking off, we have returned to the barstool by having live conversations with other people.  While we are no longer sitting in the local saloon (OK, sometimes we are), we are communicating live again with our global community.  No more passive behavior for us.  Talking and listening has never been this exciting!!

Well hello.  I am back after an eventful trip to Boston and I am back with an official announcement:  The Business Smart Tools Conference is going full blast and we are now accepting reservations.  For more information go to the website: www.BusinessSmartTools.com

Now to give you a sneak peak, we have some amazing speakers who will not only talk about the basics of the new social media (blogging, podcasting……) but will give a birds eye view of what the future holds for the emerging technology.

David Pogue, NY Times tech writer and CBS news correspondent

Mike Dunn, VP Hearst Interactive, Hearst publications

David Parmet, Marketing Begins at Home

John Piccone, VP 24/7 media

Greg Verdino, SVP ROO

Ron Stevenson, VP Strategic Marketing, Global Media & Communications, GE

Reena Jana, Journalist BusinessWeek

How about that for a line up.  I will go into more detail in future entries but this should be enough to wet your appetite.

And don’t forget about the live demonstrations going on.  We have TVEyes, Ingenio, Remembrix, Clearlight Pictures, Dial-A-Note powered by CiviCom, ROO and more to come.

You can’t miss this…it is going to be great…Oh, and don’t forget about the networking…there will be a cocktail party to follow!!

www.BusinessSmartTools.com

 

Had a moment recently to interface with another “PR professional” both in person and via email. He said he wanted to meet to see if we could collaborate in some way, he said he was interested in this amazing social media conference that is going to take place in June (well, ok who wouldn’t right…very cool and smart speakers are coming!), he said he was doing some work for a friend of mine who is running for office….”well, ok” I said. And so after a brief calendar dance, we had the time marked in the books for today at 9:30.

Guess what? He never showed. Should I say poor me after taking the time out of my day to go and meet with him and he didn’t show up?

No, I should say what were you thinking by not reading his blog first?? Not that there was any clue there that he wouldn’t show up, but there were other hints of his personality to forwarn me starting with the title of his blog which alludes to having no purpose and no focal point (in life? for his blog?). After seeing the title of the blog, I immediately jumped to the idea that he had no purpose then with his business…he is a PR professional afterall and I would think that PR people would love to chatter away about their business and all things pertaining to it which could include about a million subjects.

Big mistake on my part for not paying attention cause if he has no purpose with his blog and he is trying to expand his business what makes me think he will hustle to see me for an appointment? If he could miss my appointment, then what about a client? If he can miss a client, then what about deadlines….this could go on and on.

Blogging=life=business opportunities=reputation. Just read an article on blogging from the Boston Globe stating that “Blogs are essential to a good career” and it goes on to say that “blogging creates a network, gets you a job, helps you move up quickly, provides opportunities and makes self employment easier to name a few benefits!” It states that “blogging is the new PR and the new homepage” (I totally agree) but the article advises to “pick your topics carefully and have a purpose.”
Use your blogging to promote yourself and your business or your passion, have a goal, have some energy, make an effort for the big and little things…it will all show through cause a blog shows effort…you can’t get around it! Blogging is a reputation builder.

Just to prove it David Parmet, www.marketingbeginsathome.com, just did his own google search on himself (PR in Stamford, CT) and he came up first before his last 3 employers who are relatively large PR firms in Stamford, CT.

Blogging works but, as in all things in life, come up with a plan and link it to your life and/or your passion and success will follow!

Today I had the opportunity to make a choice.  Because of a sequence of events, I had the opportunity to step back, look at the people involved, take note of their choices, and then make my choice to step away.  I stepped away to not only make way for the new opportunitites coming my way but I also stepped away in order to keep my highest priorities in place.

This conference that Creative Concepts is presenting in June featuring the new social media and marketing tools: blogging, podcasting, internet advertising and more will give the attendees the same opportunities as I have just encountered in my life.  We in business must always sift through our choices of what is and what has been.  We must continue to press forward by not only adding on but by taking away.  We must make way for the new opportunities while solidly maintaining our highest priorities. 

Blogging is a great example of this concept.  Blogging is a relatively new communication tool that will allow us to reach out to our customers, our investors, and our employees.  It is a tool we should make way for. 

Blogging also creates a forum that allows any business to maintain their priorities: efficient and effective customer service, solid communication with customers, investors and/or employees, marketing at its best, a test group available at all hours (bloggers love to be the testers of new products and services and not enough companies at this time ask for their help!).

Podcasting falls into the same categories as blogging in that a business should make way for this new technology which can only support the priorities of any successful business.

The Business Smart Tools Conference on June 13th will expand on these topics so that the attendee will have a good overview of what is going on with the new social media/internet marketing tools so that making way for something new only supports the strong mission and direction of any successful company.

Stay tuned for more information through the website and more blogs.  Tickets can be purchased starting next week. 

Check out this new report:

Study: Online Video Viewers Are Engaged by Ads

40% Clicked a Link or Visited Site Mentioned in Online Spots

By Kris Oser Published: April 09, 2006 NEW YORK (AdAge.com) –

Many consumers aren’t aware that video exists on the Internet, but the number of video watchers is growing, and those who do watch are very engaged with advertising according to new research.

The study results suggest that consumers are engaging the ads they encounter in online video advertisements.

The numbers of those who interact with video ads is high, said a study by the Online Publishers Association and Frank N. Magid Associates. Some 40% of video viewers have clicked on an accompanying link or visited a Web site mentioned in the video.

Among actions taken, 50% of heavy viewers visited a Web site mentioned in the video, compared with just 40% of total viewers. Up to 45% of heavy users looked for more information on an advertised product by querying a search engine; only 33% of total viewers did so.

Clicking on a link is less popular, even among heavy users of video, with only 20% doing so, vs. 17% of total viewers. Finally 20% of heavy users took no action, and 31% of total viewers did nothing.

Online video viewers are frequent consumers of multiple media. Ninety-one percent use the Internet for e-mail, IM or chat, while 84% use the Net for purposes other than communication. Some 59% read newspapers online; 48% watch videos or DVDs; 46% read magazines; and 43% play online video games.

The research, conducted in February surveyed 1,241 Internet users representative of the U.S. population, ages 12 to 64.

Did you know all of this?

Did you know that video and TV (yes you can now watch Desperate Housewives online for free for the next 2 months) is becoming a hot button on the web?

Come to the Business Smart Tools Conference, June 13th in Stamford Ct and find out more about online TV and video from Greg Verdino, SVP Roo TV.

Greg is an expert in this field and can talk about video, TV and advertising through these mediums.

We will also be speaking about blogging, podcasting, other forms of interenet advertising and more plus we will be showcasing live demos with new and very useful products and services.

For more information, email info@creative-conceptsllc.com or call 203.259.4202.

Wanted to give a thanks to David Parmet, www.parmet.net/pr, blog author and director of Marketing Begins at Home for being a quick supporter of the amazing conference coming up in June on social media: blogging, podcasting, and more.

David is going to speak on blogging at the Business Smart Tools Conference in June in Stamford.  I am sure he will touch on more than blogging…we are covering podcasting, video/tv, internet advertising and much more.  We as a group also need to look at where social media is heading and how that affects us in business and ultimately our lives.

The website will go live this week and you can purchase tickets there.  If you are really anxious to reserve your place for this amazing forum on new and social media, then send your contact information and check for $300.00 to Creative Concepts, PO Box 845, Southport, CT  06890.

Stay tuned for coverage of other speakers and events within the event!

I know of a woman who runs her own one person show of a company.  I found her online and decided to use her for a couple of design jobs because I liked how she approached new work and I quite frankly loved her designs.  I knew nothing about her…I had never met her (she lives in Scotland)..I took a chance.

She does a great job with all contact being via internet (at least with me).  She is very clear with all business transactions.  Having said all of that, I still didn’t know her…not like you would with someone you just met in person. 

As I continued to work with her, I found her blog.  It was a blog about her life, her loves (child, husband, art….) and her business.  As I read more entries, I of course discovered more about her and felt like I knew her a little better.  I made some comments about her blog in one of our business emails that were going back and forth at a rapid pace.  It was a very nice person to person moment minus eye contact. 

One of the things she mentioned was that she was always worried about clients reading her blog because business, in the past, has taught us to separate the personal life from the career.  I, on the other hand, was grateful for her blog because I realized that we had many things in common which of course made me more comfortable doing business with her.

This is the beauty of blogging.  If you do it right, you are honest and straightforward about everything you are talking about and if you blog from the mind and the heart, you can’t help but gain supporters, followers, friends, and clients.

Business today has changed.  The world has been and continues to go through so many twists and turns with people being honest or not.  We need to rely on something or someone as our way of doing business becomes more and more global and our expectations decline in judging people’s character.

Blogging is taking the place of the good ole hand shake, the drink at the local bar or the talk around the water cooler.  You can’t help but get a glimpse of who the person is behind the blog…words end up being very revealing!

There truly is beauty in blogging!

Had a situation which is a good example of what makes the successful people stand apart from the rest.

I know of some people who say they do PR, public relations.  In a perfect world, they would be proactive and search out PR opportunities (of which there are many) in the organization that they represent.  They would write the story, send it out to the appropriate press and follow up until the story is told.  Well like I said that would be a perfect world.  In an imperfect world, they would at least take what people give them, write the story and then send it out and follow up.  In a less than perfect world, they would take a well written press release and photo with ids and tell the contributor that they don’t have any contacts and they never get their stories in the papers which basically told the contributor to find someone else to send the release and photo out.

Are you kidding me?  Can people really do stuff like this and still think they are helping?

When these PR people were approached and challenged, they were of course outraged.  How could anyone say they weren’t helping?  Again, are you kidding me?  How about asking,” hey, what have I done wrong and how can I correct this situation!”

See, this is what makes the successful people stand out from the others.  Successful people and businesses never turn away from their responsiblities.  Beyond not turning away from their responsibilities, they go above and beyond to complete their job and help others so the whole organization succeeds.  There is no place for defensiveness, for the words “I can’t do it” or the word “no.”  It’s about jumping in and doing no matter how fearful you are, no matter how many times people say no…just do it. 

One day the hard working people with the service first business will succeed.  The employees with the best attitudes, the true team players who also think out of the box will be able to walk around with their heads held high and be proud that their best made a difference.

Success comes from lots of hard work and the ability to say what did I do wrong, what did I do right and how can I help whether it be a public relations job or not!!!

Well, can you believe that I am so busy trying to get my blogging/new media conference together that I actually have not had time to blog?  How funny is that?

Good news about the New Media conference in June is that David Pogue is coming on board along with David Pamet (just today…yahoo again) and many others who I will highlight in future entries.

The boo hoo news is that Shel Israel, an all around nice guy, blogging expert and co-author of Naked Conversations, will not be on board but we hope to make a connection of some business kind in the near future!!

Heard another blogging expert speak today, B.L. Ochman.  Outside of some actual technical difficulties in setting up her powerpoint presentation, she made some good points about her blogging success with the Budget account.  Love her success stories but she assummed that most of the audience knew what she was talking about to begin with.  I looked around and while I think most attendees were trying to understand, quite a few were lost and some were yawning. 

If you don’t try to capture everyone in the room (and I know you can’t get everyone) you might as well pack up your powerpoint presentation and go home!  How can anyone assume that everyone knows what blogging is…did she ask?  Did she have a profile of the typical attendee?  If she had she would know that most people in the room don’t even know the basic definition of a blog. 

That is where the Creative Concepts Conference comes in.  There will be no assumptions, just education along with excitement!  June 13 from 2-6.  Stay tuned!