Networking Tips Going Into 2015

It is hard to believe that I have been hard core networking for almost eight years now.   From my infancy days going to the Northeastern University Alumni Networking Events to now running my own business networking group,  the landscape has changed.   Back in 2008 and into 2009, the economy was at its worst and networking events were the place to be seen and heard.    Almost all of the events were packed mostly with professionals looking for their next job or trying to start a new business venture.   From Foxboro to Providence to Framingham to Boston, every event had well over 100 hungry professionals trying to meet as many people as possible.   I fell into the same routine, and aggressively build a large network myself.

Fast forward to the past year, I noticed the networking events have become smaller, but the quality of people and relationships are much better.    It is probably because the economy is much more stable and growing now.    There are not many unemployed attendees but instead professionals with great business ideas, expansion and growth.  It is actually a shame some stopped networking when their situation got better.    I always thought when things get better, professionals should network more than ever.

So we are now about to enter the year 2015.   The networking events are smaller, more focused and the attendees are more seasoned.    Here are some of my recommended tips to survive networking in 2015:

- Stop the sales pitch now.   When you are at an event, look to make friends.  Would you go to a bar and start pitching your product or service?   Probably not.

- Know why you are attending a networking event.   Who would you like to meet?  What questions you would ask to understand if someone you meet is worth following up with?   What is your thirty second non-salesy elevator pitch?  Having structure going into an event makes it worthwhile.

- Only ask someone for a business card if there a possibility of following up with that person.   I am guilty of being a business card collector.  I have three full shoe boxes of cards to prove it.   Chances are, I have a card from every company in Massachusetts.

- Go to as many events as your schedule allows. As I mentioned earlier, even when the going is good, you should continue to go to events.   You never know when your scenario will change.  You lose your job or your business no longer exists.

- Stop thinking social media is for kids.   I still meet people that think Facebook or Twitter are for children and they wouldn't be caught dead using social media.  Social media is here and now and the #1 way to meet the right people.   The best way to use social media is for follow-up with professionals you have met at an event.

- Your goal is to become a people magnet.   I am going to end this blog with this tip.   When you are popular and a great resource, people gravitate to you.   Be a nice person and make everyone you meet to be about them and not yourself.

Happy Networking in 2015!   

-

Marketing and Information Technology Do Go Together

The IT Team has always had an identity crisis in corporate America.   Does the IT Organization at your company report up to the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Medical Officer, the COO, the CEO or even Human Resources?    Over the course of my IT career, I have been in IT Organizations that reported to all of the above.  OK, maybe not Human Resources.  

The most common report structure today is that IT reports to the Chief Financial Officer.   It is unfortunately antiquated thinking, since IT would be looked at as a cost center and the finance executive is always focusing on how to control their company's technology costs.    Computers, introverted high-priced techies and applications cost money, they think.   There is no innovation in this structure and the most common project is to cut costs by going through vendor contracts and conducting telecomm audits, to do what?  Save money.  From a people perspective, CFOs are always looking at how to reduce the cost of labor by outsourcing IT to Managed Services companies and even some outsource IT to services firms with operations overseas.

I view the COO, a lesser evil of the CFO, for the IT group to report to.  Money is still an issue, but instead process is more of a focus of the COO.  Process is a great thing.  I love process.  Technology is all about streamlining workflows and the way business is run.  I am currently at a firm that uses LEAN Management to help eliminate process "waste".   Believe me, there is a lot of waste in IT organizations today.   The mindset of the COO with process is a great thing, but again where is the innovation?  How is the IT group generating revenue for the bottom line?  Process only saves money.  Process can generate money if efficient technology is involved.

I will not discuss IT reporting to the Chief Medical Officer or Human Resources, since if there is a company that has that organization in place, they are not worth mentioning.  What does a doctor or human resources executive know about technology?

Ok, now how about the IT team reporting to the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)?   Marketing is all about how to prospect and engage potential business.    Marketing executives have to innovate and set their product or service apart from their competition.  Every firm has competition, whether it is a retailer, a hospital group, a lighting company or a high technology company.   Marketing executives focus on how to generate revenue and know they need technology to set themselves apart from their competition.  They need to have a better website, an engaging social media strategy, a more efficient CRM to maintain customer relationships.    Think about this, a website, a CRM, mobile applications.  Doesn't the IT team build and maintain them?  In this organizational structure, IT has become an innovation center instead of a cost center.    With all of the freeware, opensource and services like cloud computing, SaaS etc, the cost is not a factor anymore, if done correctly.   Marketing and IT do in fact work together like bread and butter.  

So, if you are looking at your next IT opportunity, consider how the organization structure is at the company.  It can go a long way to determine how innovative the IT organization can be.   If you are a techie, don't think about servers, instead think about services that help market a product or service.  It is where we are going into the 2015, since we are in a social marketing world.

Anything is Possible If You Network

I always talk about the year 2007 as the year things changed for me.  I was at the tail end of my career at Staples and living the life that revolved around my corporate job.   I received an email from Northeastern about an Alumni Networking Event and how it attracts a mixed group of entrepreneurs, corporate professionals and forever students.   I was like, hmm, entrepreneurs.   Entrepreneurism was something you really didn't hear about in the walls of Staples Corporate.

So I went to an event, and then went to another one.  Eventually, I was going every month to Northeastern and meeting alumni in all phases of their career.   I also noticed something.  The entrepreneurs always were positive, always smiled, and was interesting to talk to.    I started connecting to "non-corporate" professionals on Linkedin, studied their profiles and was intrigued with the their professional life.

Ironically, at one of the Northeastern networking events, I was introduced to a business opportunity in internet marketing.  It was a foreign world to me.  Residual income, leveraged time, a Plan B?  Plan B to what?  So I started my business franchise with Market America, because heck, what did I have to lose and the products were damn good.   I started making different friends and started removing myself from the negative energy of the corporate world.   There was a distinct difference in energy between an entrepreneur. avid networking and the 9-to-5 corporate professional and I was engulfing in the world of business networking.

I also started going to other networking events over the next few years, expanded my business into the world of social media marketing, and became the positive energy that influenced me.   There were days I could not wait till the end of the work day, so I can go to an event and meet another 20-25 people.  Eventually, I started my own networking group and had my own events, since it was a great way to build business relationship and expose my business opportunity.

Along the way, I met a couple of entrepreneurs that were starting an internet content platform that focused on entrepreneurs and small business ownership.   They asked me if I like to do my own radio show on social media and business networking.  Wait a minute, in 2007, I was that introverted IT guy at Staples, and now in 2014, I am a radio guy entrenched into the world of social media marketing, how is that possible?   IT guys and marketing don't mix.  Well, actually  they do.   IT is all about innovation and ideas and you need to be an extrovert and know how to market your product or service.

Looking back,it made me think anything is possible if you get out there and network.  Living the life of going to work, then going home to watch TV, doesn't cut it anymore.  Anything is Possible if you network.  An IT guy becoming a radio personality?  An IT Guy that knows marketing?   It is possible, if you network and connect with the right people.   Give it a try.

Social Media is One Big Party

When I grew up, when you went to a party, you sneaked out of your house, gather your friends in the neighborhood and go to whatever friend's house where the parents went away and play some great 80s music.    The social aspect was calling everyone on your analog phone or leaving written notes around the neighborhood about the big party happening that night.  You play some shiny new music CDs and learn about what is going on by talking to people in person.   You even find out about that surprise relationship again in person, seeing the two lovebirds getting chummy in the corner at the party.   When the party is over, everyone went home and got on the phone with their friends until the wee hours.  This was the 1980s going into the 1990s.  Ah, those days, so simple, and full of surprises.

Fast forward to 2014.  Things are getting complicated.   You got Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Google Hangouts, Facetime, Skype and any other social platform of the month.  The whole idea of a party is let's hide out in our basement, and do group texts on our iPhones, Driods, Windows phone, iPads or any other mobile device.  Your party is now online instead of at someone's house.  Everyone's idea of a hangout, is Google Hangout.   The music, let's fire up some Spotify or Pandora and share some tunes online... again not in person.  You want to meet someone, send a picture via Instagram and do some Snapchat.  How many teenagers have a special someone that they have never met in person?

But look on the bright side.  You can have an international party with people all over the globe sharing music and pictures from the comfort in your home in your jamas using social media.   You can play and video record a song using your iPad and post it on YouTube for your friends on the other side of the world to see.  Social Media has brought a new concept of the party.

So let's have a party this Saturday night and bring your mobile devices.  Let's fire up some Pandora playing some processed EDM music and text and tweet each other while in the same room about how much they like the person next to them without actually looking at them and talking to them.     If only the 1980s party concept came back.   Would social media still be as relevant?

The Good of Social Media - The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

A lot has been talked about how evil social media is, with relationships being affected or the crisis at Market Basket and in Ferguson, Missouri, but there is much more good going viral on social media platforms today.

Unless, you are hiding under a rock,  besides the new Weird Al videos for his new album, the most viral video on You Tube are people participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  I finally did my own challenge today.   It all started on July 29th and as of this writing, the donations have gone up 400% compared to the same time last year.  Amazing, simply amazing.   The good in social media is that everyone is coming together and taking on the challenge to dump ice and water on themselves, donate some money toward the cure of ALS and then challenge their social friends to do the same.  It is classic viral activity that social media is known for.   It has made people, at all levels, aware of ALS.  Even Bill Gates did the challenge today.   The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is genius, it is creative and it is fun for a serious cause.

The challenge now is to continue the momentum and think of creative ways to help fight cancer, AIDS, and other deadly diseases.  The key is donations, lots of them since medical research is time consuming and expensive.   It will be interesting what the next challenge will be, for example, cancer?  I am interested in what your thoughts are.

Networking Tips From Yours Truly - In My Own Words

Ever since I had an epiphany back in 2007 that my professional world is changing and that I will need to always keep my options open for success, I have networked with other professionals.   It started at my alma mater, Northeastern University, going to the Alumni networking events and meeting entrepreneurs for the first time along side corporate professionals.  It was a whole new world, that led me to become an entrepreneur myself and start various businesses alongside my primary career in IT.  Over time, I went to more networking events managed by various organizations in Greater Boston and then eventually I started my own group called Mass Professional Networking.     So, I have had some experience including meeting people from all walks of life and with different motives for going to networking events.

What I like to do now is share some observations and tips on how to conduct yourself and be prepared when going to a business networking event.

First, it is a business networking event, not a place to find a date.   Recently I have met younger female entrepreneurs that were really green (no business cards - I will get to that later) when it comes to networking that seem to put their guard up when a male tries to introduce themselves.  Um, you are at a business networking event, it is not a social "pick you up" event.   My tip here if you are married or in a relationship, mention your significant other in conversation and focus on questions about their profession and why they are at the event.   And guys, look at the ladies in the eyes, not "below the eyes".  Show respect and you will get their respect.

Second, a networking event is not a place to get buzzed on booze.  Yes, you may need a drink to loosen up and build confidence, but I have seen people get kicked out of an event or say inappropriate things after having a few too many.  Think, would you get drunk at work?   Going to a networking event is for work, so take it easy on the alcohol.

Third,  have a game plan before you go to a networking event.  What is the reason you are going? What are you focusing on if you have multiple businesses/ professions.   If you meet me, one of the first questions I ask is what are your goals at the event, so I will be able to add value and help that person out.   An example, if you are a realtor, you may want to meet a real estate lawyer or a mortgage broker.

Fourth, bring business cards!  I was at an event last Wednesday and met about 20 people and only 5 had business cards.   The whole goal of a networking event is to meet other business professionals and follow-up with any contact that you may want to do business with.  How can that happen if you don't have your business card with you?

Fifth, mingle.   You didn't go to a networking event to stay in a close circle talking to your friends.  You go to networking events to focus on people that you don't know and expand your network.  You never know who you will meet.   When chatting with someone else, stand in a V format so that another person can come over and join the conversation.   If you don't want to talk to anyone, then you shouldn't be at the event.

Sixth tip, don't be shy and stand by yourself.    Everyone is normally at a networking event for the same reason and want to meet you.  The best places to mingle is by the food or near the front of the event.   Walk around and observe people and I bet someone will reach out and shake your hand and start a conversation with you.

Seventh, don't be a salesman.    I have met countless people where the first ten minutes they blurt out their scripted sales pitch and why their product or service is best and I find myself looking at my watch, my phone or the food, hoping they would stop.   Only give your thirty second elevator pitch when asked.  I will say it again, when asked.    Introduce each other and ask why they are at the networking event and bring up another topic like sports or weather.  Make the conversation natural, not one-sided.

My final tip is go to an event with the intention to help others.  Whether you have a product or service to help someone or know someone that can help, chances are that something will come out of every relationship you build through an introduction at a networking event.

I hope I was able to shed some light on what to do at a business networking event.   I have been out there for a while now and have seen it all.    I now have a radio show called DeSocial Strategies where I have guests on and we chat a lot about business networking.   I learn from my guests all the time.  It is what make this time in our lives so exciting.   Happy Networking!

Thanks Amway For Ruining a Great Industry

I am investing in an amazing network marketing business to build a residual income so I can build a great retirement fund and never have to worry about money again.    I wanted to get that out of the way first.

Network marketing, what is it?  It is simply marketing and selling a product or service using a network.   Just like affiliate marketing is marketing a product or services using an affiliate company or direct mail marketing which is marketing a product or service using direct marketing.   See, network marketing is not really a dirty word.   It is another way to market and sell a product or service.

But why when I mention what I do, I hear "scam", "pyramid scheme" or that question,  "Is it Amway?"

Good ol' Amway, the company that has had legal trouble in the past but is doing better now.    However, Amway has ruined a great industry to a point that 97% of our population would not touch a network marketing company to build a residual income.   They rather work a second job, start a very expensive business or simply buy a lottery ticket every day and get psyched when they break even.   97% of our population is entrenched with the legacy way of go to school, get a job, get laid off and stay away from those "scams".   Nothing like living on the edge, huh?

Interesting enough, network marketing is a clever business model.   It is truly like an employee owned company.  There is no "salary limit" since it is a business.  You can make $2 a year or $2 million.   It depends on your ambition, the company you are affiliated with and your network.   Network marketing has turned that driven inspirational professional to top 1% income status in America.   For a small investment under $500 for all the tools you need and a great network of positive people, with the strong possibility of making more money that you can make at that job, why won't anyone jump at the opportunity.  After all, I broke even with my business in the first month and it has been all profit every since.  Why do people run away?  Because of frigging Amway!   I'll ask again, what is so illegal about a business model that is built for people to control their own destiny?   As long as the company has products or services of their own and people don't get paid on recruiting, then it is NOT illegal.   You know what is illegal?  Your job.   Ask yourself, who makes the most money in your company?  The CEO and shareholders, period.   Pyramid scheme.   Only 3% of our population get it and are successful in network marketing.

So if you are past the Amway thing and want to learn more about network marketing, there are many resources to do so.  Get the facts about any business you are looking into.  Check the Better Business Bureau to see how legit a company is.  I did the same when I looked into my business and it was the best move I have ever made.   Since I started my business six years ago, I am more outgoing, confident, successful, wealthier and most of all I have the ability to help anyone that wants to control their own destiny.   I have gone through three layoffs in my corporate career and I always thank God I have my Plan B to fall back on.   So, just like when you took a chance asking someone out that resulted in a relationship, made that extra sales call to meet your numbers or got in front of people to tackle your fear of speaking, you never know how successful you can be, unless you try.   Don't let the 97% control your own destiny.  I didn't and life is just wonderful.

Social Media in the Music Industry - Have Things Changed or What?

The days of the rock star are dead.   You know, the rock star with the long hair, earrings, spinning their guitar around their neck and having groupies following them city to city.   Back then, as a fan, you could not wait for that Van Halen, Michael Jackson or Duran Duran album.  You always wondered what where they going to look like and had to wait till that new album came out to get your answer watching MTV.  Success was measured on how many albums were sold and how many t-shirts were sold on tour.  But besides shows and celebrity appearances, how did yesterday's rock star understand if their music is making a difference?  MTV was basically one-way communication.

Fast forward to 2014, and yesterday's rock star has now become today's social media celebrity musician.

 Instead of album sales, it is how much hits on their You Tube video which determines the artist's popularity.
Speaking of You Tube, it is simply the most powerful social media platform there is for musicians today.   Musicians can post interviews, test new music, and engage with fans.  Also You Tube is the new MTV.  For a while there in the late 1990s into the early 2000s, music videos hit a lull and a lot of bands didn't think of the music video as a powerful promotional tool.   With You Tube, it is now essential to have a music video for that hit single or it will not be a successful single.

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are also powerful tools for promoting music.    Why? Simply fan engagement.   Today's successful music stars all focus on engagement.   A musician will know if a new musical direction will work by asking fans to let them know what they think before they spend money on cutting an album.  An example is if a song is posted on Facebook, a musician can review the comments and even ask for their fan's opinions on that guitar solo on one of their demo songs.  A musician can also easily post pictures of their fans at shows via their mobile devices and make the fan's day.   Pretty powerful stuff.   Finally, Twitter can be used to announce that surprise appearance or that secret song they just wrote.

I can go on with other examples, but it is obvious that social media is the new channel for music today.    Now if only today's musician not be too corporate and be more "rock star", we would be in a perfect world.   With most bands, you cannot tell if the singer fronting a band is a banker or a musician.  That said, unfortunately, the days of the rock star is dead, and the days of the social media star are now here.

My Love For Boston

There is no city in the world that means more to me than Boston.   It all started at Northeastern University back in the early 1990s.   I was only one of two people in my high school class at Cranston High School  East in Rhode Island that made the move to that big city 50 miles to the north to begin my journey into the world of college and eventually the professional world.  I remembered my first week in Boston, meeting new people, walking around my new city and attending orientation when Northeastern President Ryder mentioned "Look to Your Left, then Look to Your Right speech" where chances are, the people you are next to, may not make the vigorous life of college.   His statement held true considering that none of my roommates in my first semester graduated college with me.   However, what I remembered most, was those walks around this great city.

Boston is one of the most walkable cities in America, but for a former Rhode Islander, it is an overwhelming place with the hustle and bustle, the subway, the diversity, and the taxicabs all over the place.  Now that I have lived here for over 20 years I realize that it is a small city.  Take me anywhere in Boston, and I cannot get lost, unless it is in the maze of the financial district.    Don't get me wrong, some of the larger cities I have been to like New York, Chicago, LA and overseas in London, Paris and Munich are great cities with similar qualities of Boston, but I would not live in any of these cities since they do not have the charm or skills of its sports teams.

This past winter really tested my willingness to stay in Boston.  With my sudden career change, the brutal winter weather and a trip to sunny Florida, I was almost convinced to pack it up and head south.   I thought about it for a while and then came to my senses.   After the tragedy of the Marathon Bombing and seeing how this city came together.  After the Red Sox came from nowhere and won the World Series.  Most of all, after all the new people I have met and the great friends I have, I could never leave this city.  The weather is still a little shaky but think about it, if everyone moved to that perfect weather place, San Diego would be the biggest city in America.   Of course it is expensive to live here, but again think about it, there is a reason.  Of course, you can buy a house in Cleveland or Detroit for under $100k, but would you want to live there?

I'll take Boston any day.   Sports, history, diversity, smart people, pubs, scenery and my friends.    I am not going anywhere.

Let take me take a #SELFIE - The Social Evolution - A Historical Look

There is a popular song out now by the Chainsmokers called #SELFIE.  It pretty much sums up the social culture today where you would go into any public place and everyone has their smartphone in their hand texting about what they are doing that night or generally about nothing at all.  The texting and selfie craze is getting out of control and is destroying normal interaction between people in public places.   However, this is not a new thing.  Every decade had its own version of #SELFIE.  Let's take a look.

So I was born in 1969, so I will start with the 1970s.  In the 1970s, the popular culture was Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll.   People interaction meant going to a club, getting a little high with a little help from their friends, chainsmoking and listening to some long drawn out rock and roll songs from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Yes.   The sex part was evident with free love and the case of looking for someone to make out with at the end of the night.  This was the decade of no technology so you had to talk to people.  Some of the best stories came from the clubs.   The #SELFIES consisted of turning that old Polaroid camera around and hope that you take a straight picture after one too many vodka tonics.   The 1970s lets just say is a classic time.

Then we move onto the 1980s., my favorite decade.   After all I was a teenager and it is a time in your life to embrace the popular culture to the fullest.   This was the decade of great alternative rock and gender bending.   Guys wore makeup, had long hair and girls wore those leggins.   It was probably the best decade to take those selfies since there was a lot of color and individuality.  After all from a music perspective, it was the decade of Duran Duran, Culture Club and my favorite heavy metal, think Motley Crue, Poison and Van Halen.  People interaction, like the 1970s meant, you go to clubs.   There were still no cell phones except those mega bricks in the later half of the decade, but who wanted to carry those.  A #SELFIE was more like taking a picture of the people you were with instead of taking a picture of yourself, since everyone looked so interesting.

In 1991, someone happened that killed the great 1980s culture.  It was called grunge rock.  Thanks Nirvana.  The songs got darker, people started staying inside and if you did go to a club, it meant slam dancing into people to angry music like Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward and Korn.    It was the decade of least people interaction, why? it was when email was the main way to communicate.  You probably did not want to take a selfie since you probably had a black eye and no makeup.  This was the decade where the internet became mainstream and going online was the main way people interacted.   Yes there was email and beepers.  Yes, beepers, remember those?  It was the start of carrying about those devices in your pocket so anyone can get in touch with you anywhere you are.  Social interaction was determine on how much black clothes you can wear in one week, yes,the social angst decade.  Don't talk to me!

Going into the new decade meant the advent of cell phones and eventually smart phones.  Everything changed?  Why?  Since those little devices have cameras now.   By the latter half of the 2000s, all of a sudden those cameras tied to the internet to create what we know as the new social media interaction.   After the downward spiral of the 1990s, the 2000s and 2010s were a welcome change in the social evolution.  People got out more and interacted, but in a different way, online.  At first, it was pretty cool to post pictures on social sites and yes, taking a selfie.  But that was in 2010-2012.  Now in 2014, it is out of control especially when even the president is taking selfies and listening to EDM Music    Rock and Roll as you knew it, is dead.  Thanks Avicii and Daft Punk!

So remember back in the 1970s, chain smoking was the most popular activity and now in 2014, the most popular activity is taking that #SELFIE.    Wow, this little old group called the Chainsmokers knew something when they named their group tying the 1970s culture to today's culture.  What will be the next group name with the latest craze?  I am open to suggestions.   Now to go to Starbucks so I can join everyone for a meeting of not looking at each other and but texting each other about how I need to take a #SELFIE.

Why are Some People Afraid of the Word Free?

Have you ever come across one of those advertisements for something free?  What do you normally do, go for it?  Run the other way? or think about it until you are blue in the face and then the free offer expires right in front of you?

What amazes me is how afraid some people are of free stuff.  You know, that free sample in the supermarket, or that free report from Social Media Monthly or even that free car wash at the gas station.   The best one of all is an offer for a free account on an online shopping site where you can earn cash back.  Yes, a free account on a website where you can make money for shopping online.   Some responses where, "I am not sure I want to earn cash back for shopping online" or "what is the catch?".  Really?  Is it a trust thing or is there nothing upstairs?  This one is legitimate.

Perhaps we are in a world where some people of tentative of taking the bait of free stuff thinking there is a catch or it will lead to pressure to purchase something.  In some respects, they are right.  Am example are those Robert Kiyosaki Rich Dad Poor Dad free seminars.  Be careful of those.  I have gone to a few of them, and every time they lead to a three day training that they pressure you to purchase.  In the middle of the session, they ask the people that will be attending the training to go to the back of the room to get their prize while the "cheapskates" stay seated in the seminar room.  Ok, in this case, I can see why some people are tentative of free stuff.  

My suggestion is to do your homework and research the company that offers free stuff whether it is a class, a social media competitive analysis for your business, or that free coffee with a purchase of a donut.  Check out the company with the Better Business Bureau and note if there were any complaints specific with any free offerings.  Knowledge is power and builds trust in a company.   Always think of the value of the offering for yourself or your business and always remember, nothing in the world is free.   Maybe this is why some people are afraid of the world free.

Why it is not good to go cheap on your website for your business.

I have had my own IT, Social Media and Website business for a few years now and have met thousands of people through my extensive networking in Greater Boston.   About 75% of the people I meet either have their own main business, a side (part-time) business or are in sales and marketing.   About 50% of those people have their own website or are working on their own website.

A website is the focal point of your business.  Not the Facebook page, Pinterest page, your website is the main source of revenue, interaction with clients/customers and where people land to learn about what you do.   The first page of your website is the most important page.  It is also the page where you would want the connections to take action whether it is to sign up for a webinar, purchase a product or service or simply contact you.   Your website should be hosted on a secure platform that allows you to change the content as much as you want.   The buzz word is content and without changing it, you will never get on that first page of Google.   Your website should also be on a platform that allows you to grow your business to meet your financial and customer goals.  Finally, your website should have the capabilities to be able to reach out to potential clients in a professional manner.   Think email marketing or outbound marketing.

So why do the majority of business owners go cheap on their website?  When I meet professionals at events, the typical answer on who is building their website is that they are eithlarge company that could care less about your business.  In all respects, your business website is the most important marketing investment you are going to make, so why not spend your marketing dollars wisely and build a great website that your connections will remember you for?    In today's world is all about being online, even if your business has a brick and mortar presence.

er doing it themselves, having an intern or their cousin build it and hosting it under their desk in their living room or for heavens sake, they got sold one of those expensive SEO/Website packages from some

Finally, when you are in business, get your website up and running as quickly as possible, build it with the take action on the first page, and don't look for that free labor or make it your side project.  What will happen is that potential clients will not take your business seriously and then you may be out of business.

Content is King in the Marketing World, Really.

I have been involved with social media and marketing for about six years now in addition to my core career in Information Technology and has always heard a consistent message from marketing experts that the content on your internet platforms determines your success on the web and in business.   They say content is the fuel for your marketing engine.   So why do some company's avoid this stated fact and stick with those static web platforms.

There are three types of content.  There is high content which is paid content such as trade blogs.   There is medium level content such as a question/answer forum for a product or service a company provides.  Then there is low content which is user generated.  Medium and low content have a 60-80% direct referral rate where this type of content has the potential to generate the most leads for your business.   This is pretty impressive but it doesn't initially lead to a sale/deal.   With all of the information on the web and the intense research people do today, it can take up to ten pieces of content before a purchasing decision is made.  So, what does that mean?   By refreshing your content on your web platform, you keep your potential customers engaged, and engaged potential customers would become real customers.

So, just like the old SEO buzzword, you will continue to hear that you will need keep up your web platforms with fresh content.  A great example of a platform that is considered the content king is the UR Business Network.   Content is refreshed almost hourly on the site and the result is the site gets over 500 thousand hits a month.   Not bad for a startup company.   Content is king in the marketing world, really.

The Evil of Social Media

We are now in different times where the social media empowers people to use the First Amendment to their advantages voicing what is on their minds.   With some of the events as of late with the Donald Sterling/LA Clippers episode and now PK Subban from the Montreal Canadians, social media users basically say what they want when they want even it is causes a controversy.  

For the readers that don't know, the Boston Bruins went into double overtime last night against the rival Montreal Canadians and lost Game 1 of the Second Round series in the NHL Playoffs.  PK Subban was the star of the Montreal Canadians that scored the winning goal and he happens to be black.   Professional Hockey is the reverse of Professional Basketball where there are not many black players just like in basketball there are not as many white players.   PK Subban is inspirational just like Larry Bird was back in the 1980s showing with a little commitment, desire and talent, you can succeed no matter what your ethnic background is.   Unfortunately, since he is black, a very small select of Twitter users used the social platform to voice their displeasure of PK Subban in a disgraceful way using strong degrading language.  I can understand the passion of being a Boston Bruins fan, but at the same time, I do not understand why people needed to be so unprofessional and mean toward a talented hockey player the happens to be black.   What is also concerning is that the city of Boston has come a long way becoming a world class diverse city that is accepting of all backgrounds and this now takes Boston back.

The unfortunate aspect of social media is that once something is posted, it will always be somewhere on the internet even if they removed the tweet or even the account.   The old saying is that if you need to be negative or controversial, it is better to not use a social platform to voice your opinions.   This is actually not the first time a select few Boston based tweets were directed toward PK Subban.

The evil of social media will always be there, but hopefully we have finally learned a lesson that it is always best to not anything hateful.   Take out your hate in other ways like go to the gym and workout or turn it into positive energy.

Finally, on another note, this makes me think of the non-profit called Sneakers To Beakers, that my good friend Bob Sansone is running and how its purpose is to break down the color barriers and introduce sports and STEM for underprivileged children of all backgrounds.  If only the select evil few on social media had the same mindset as Bob and his non-profit, we would be in a better place.

Networking is All About Follow-up and Making a Friend

I have been going to networking events since 2007 and feel that I have crafted the art of networking and follow-up.   Back in the early days, I would go to an event and meet as many people as possible, tell as many people what I was up to, even if they didn't ask and tried to give out as many business cards as possible hoping for a response.    The one positive with this approach was that I was able to build up a large following on social media sites like Linkedin and Facebook.   Otherwise, I quickly realized my business was going nowhere and I was wasting time going to events.

Over the years, I started to observe the ways others networked and noticed that the seasoned networker asked a lot of questions and showed genuine interest in the person they were talking to.  Their eye contact was fixed on the person versus looking around the room for that next person to give their business card to.   I adjusted my approach and became more compassionate about helping and listening to the person's needs.  After all, I offer a lot of great services from health/wellness, social networking and a large group of connections.  I changed my mindset to simply go to an event and make some friends and not try to score my next client.  With these changes, I noticed that the follow-up process was easier and I was starting to get referrals without asking.  People were no longer avoiding me like the plague.

This brings me to the point of this blog.   Go to a networking event, make a few friends and follow-up with at least a quarter of the attendees of the event.  Meet them for coffee, learn more about them and then at the right time offer a solution to any of their needs or connect them to someone that can help them.   Continue to stay in contact with them and eventually you will have a great connection and a friend.

Happy Networking!