We were talking a bit about why some Owners or key people might choose to shy away from these events and she had mentioned a conversation with a local business owner who mentioned that the idea of coming to a show like this was appealing, but that it may show a weakness to other potential clients or a boss, if they came.

I really hadn’t thought about it this way, and I understand the concern. Having said that, there is another way to look at this.

Conferences are nothing more than ongoing education. You will hear plenty you may already know, the goal here is to get up to date on concepts you may not understand as well. Or you might be provided some information to help you make decisions about your business future.

I proudly tell my customers about the additional conferences I attend, because they also know that with technology, every facet of business changes at the speed of light. Your boss knows this as well. Explaining to your boss that the investment of the trip to the conference will prove one of two things, you know everything you need to know, or they made a wise investment that will enable you to make them more efficient!

I have been to conferences that taught me very little, and some that I have learned a lot from. The key is to read the details about what the conference is geared to provide. What is its target market, what are the key conversation points, and is there enough there for it to be sensible for you.

What about competitors? They might be there!

Yeah? So what? You should be worried about them being there while your sitting in the office. Everyone wants a competitive edge, its only the fool who thinks they have it already. A very key issue in business, its not about what you know.. you are EXPECTED to know how to do your job, its about how you build and sustain relationships. If you’re not as good as or better than your competitor at that, no amount of knowledge will save you.

Conferences are designed to help you build and keep relationships by providing you the education you need to make them happy.

Focus on YOU, not on THEM.

I educate people and learn from them, yes, even my competitors!

Lee Odden - Top Rank Marketing

There are 3 situations in which I perform speaking or training tasks. The first is speaking at conferences like Pubcon, Search Engine Strategies, DMA or PRSA events. Blogging, social networking and speaking at events pretty much makes up the bulk of our marketing efforts. Topics at conferences tend to focus on what will draw attendees and what conferences have come to associate TopRank with: SEO and public relations, blogging, social media and online reputation management.

I also get hired to speak or do training for certain conferences or associations such as the Direct Marketing Association with the Search Engine Marketing Certification program, or the 2-day Social Media Smarts workshop.

The third type of speaking or training event I’m often involved with is when companies want to bring someone in to speak at a company event on up and coming topics and strategic focus for search, PR and social media or to do in-house training of interdepartmental teams.

You have often pointed out the necessity of having good fresh content on your blog. Have you ever had writers block? What options does a blogger have when they just can’t seem to focus?

Writers block rears its ugly head a lot more often than people think. I’ve been actively blogging for over 5 years and sometimes it’s not just writers block, but a time and resource issue. TopRankMarketing.com is a respected company and we’re pretty busy. That makes me busy and sometimes spending the kind of time I would prefer on writing and researching a post simply isn’t available.

The way to get around focus or time issues is to be proactive. I keep 10-20 draft posts in our blog at any given time. Rather than sitting down and writing a 1000 word post in one sitting, which still happens at 3 am from time to time, I add to them over time. That makes it a bit easier from a resource standpoint. We also do regular features which are easier posts to do, but also things people look forward to such as reviewing SEO blogs each week, running Reader Polls, interviews or crowd sourced posts from Twitter and LinkedIn.

We know Search Engines are always changing there dynamics and because of this Web Marketing companies always have to be on there toes. I preach that being interactive online is at least equally as important as SEO. What do you think? And what should we watch for in the SEO future?

Yes, being social online is very important as a standalone marketing activity but also because the byproduct of being social creates content. That content might get passed around, attract links and motivate bloggers and journalists to write about you.

As long as web developers keep making web sites that don’t play well with search engines, there will always be a need for SEO as its traditionally defined. What I think you’ll find after talking to other long time SEO consultants is that keyword expertise and pull marketing insight is invaluable in many other online marketing disciplines ranging from public relations to social media. Anything that can be searched on can be optimized. As long as people can search, there will be a need to SEO.

Future SEO is taking more of a well rounded approach to marketing online rather than focusing exclusively on standard search engine rankings. Everything from Universal search to personalized to social search makes what was previously a 2 or three dimensional discipline a multidimensional expertise.

If I was starting a new e-commerce site today with some SEO friendly features already built in, what software should I be considering?

The answer to that question needs some budget insight first. A 500 product store online has different needs than a store with 5 million SKUs. The fundamental features to look for are: unique and editable title tags & meta description tags, ability to include descriptive text on top level category pages, sub category pages and of course, individual product pages, dynamic population of alt text on images, intuitive URLs, flat site architecture – avoid too many levels deep, ability to export HTML and XML site map files automatically, and many, many others.

Also, no matter what, an ecommerce site can benefit via SEO with a blog. Ecommerce site blogs can present new products, tips on using products, solicit customer generated content, run promotions and offer product support information.

What do you do when you have some spare time to yourself? Any hobbies?

Spare time? What’s that? I spend as much time as I can with my 3 little musketeers plus a bit of travel, cooking, working out, watching movies, games, some sports and gadgets.

An Bui

I use tweetdeck to manage my @replies, direct messages, and grouping people. I try to help as many people as I can on Twitter – if people are looking for something or wanting to know something, I jump in if I think I can help. I want good ideas to spread and to learn new things. This ongoing learning and sharing cycle is a ride I want to stay on.

Tell us where you are from and what you do for a living?

I’m from all over – I grew up in Texas but my time on the East Coast really shaped my thinking and approach to the world. As far as what I do for a living, that’s an interesting question. I’m a consultant – I work with organizations to identify ways they can communicate value, both internally and externally. An engagement may look like connecting a company to its users and potential users by teaching them how to connect using blogging, twitter, and other relevant social media tools. Another engagement may look like helping teams within an organization communicate value to other teams within that same organization. The end result are teams that understand how their work fits in the larger context of the organization, are more collaborative, and are more efficient.

Do you know others who use Social Media tools like Twitter in your area? What would you say about the knowledge of people in your area about Social Media in general?

In Seattle, social media tools (including Twitter) are pretty popular, so you end up seeing a broad range of knowledge. There are people who are aware of social media in general, due to the start up and technology culture of Seattle. Actual deep tissue knowledge may vary, so it depends on background. People from a PR background understand social media differently than those from an entrepreneurial background whose understanding differs from those with an information design background… it really depends on the context.

What gets you really motivated and excited?

I wake up in the morning to help others discover how new technologies can improve their lives, understand how collaboration can enable them to achieve greater things, discover new ideas and how to integrate them in new ways to solve problems.

Give us one crazy fact about yourself you haven’t already shared.

Define crazy ;)

I have bus friends, grocery store friends, coffee shop friends, random sidewalk friends… I tend to make friends everywhere. One of my favorite random friends I met because we sat next to each other on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle. We had such a great time talking about our lives and the lessons we’ve learned from the experiences we’ve had, I was actually disappointed when the plane landed.

Any other tidbits you would like to offer?

One of my favorite books is Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. I read it at a time I was going through personal and professional transitions and found its message highly relevant. Since then, I’ll re-read passages when I want to remind myself how lucky I am to pursue my dreams and fortunate I am to be passionate about the work I do and the clients I work with.

Coelho wrote: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” The universe has brought me people like you, my family, great friends, (Emily, Daren, Sarah, Taki, Jared, Kirk, Chelle and Blake), amazing professional mentors (Andrew, Jim Benson and Mack Collier) who have contributed, and still contribute, greatly to my life.

I’ll leave you with this thought – “Nothing great in the world was accomplished without passion.” – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Danny Brown - Press Release PR

There are many people that use Twitter for many different reasons, getting to know others, education, sharing information. How do you get the most out of Twitter and what do you hope to accomplish?

I’d say it’s most definitely the connections, and the thought processes that you come across every day. While I don’t see every single tweet made by my connections, just catching the odd one that has an immense depth that blows me away is what makes each connection count. As far as accomplishing goals, basically continue to learn from the people around me, and improve myself because of it.

Tell us where you are from and what you do for a living?

I’m originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, but I now live in Canada just outside Toronto. I own my own boutique PR agency, which combines traditional PR and marketing with social media. This includes business consultancy as well as individual projects.

Do you know others who use Social Media tools like Twitter in your area? What would you say about the knowledge of people in your area about Social Media in general?

If by my immediate area, there are a few, although I’d probably say that Facebook is still a more popular application than Twitter. You’ve got incredibly smart guys like @davefleet and @unmarketing who are both local to me and in my field, so it’s an ideal mix. :) It’s definitely growing, though, and I think 2009 will see Twitter go much more mainstream.

What gets you really motivated and excited?

Knowing that each day is different. I’m lucky to work in an industry I love (despite the best efforts of unethical PR pros giving it a bad name) and that I am my own boss. The charity challenge I’ve put together for 2009 is really motivating me, and seeing all the support for it is always exciting. And learning from great people online every day, who want to encourage others in all that they do? That never fails to amaze me.

Give us one crazy fact about yourself you haven’t already shared.

Hmm… when I was at primary school (I’m guessing grade 6 or 7 across here), I played the Fairy Godmother in the school production of Cinderella. Definitely a crowning moment, and scary how “okay” I looked in a dress… ;-)

Any other tidbits you would like to offer?

Never take no for an answer, and no matter what people might tell you, everyone has greatness inside of them. Don’t be afraid to show yours and encourage others to be great too. :)

Shevonne Polastre at work

I use Twitter for everything, but mainly to connect with interesting Tweeters who can show me a thing or two. It’s great because I have actually found some wonderful people who have taught me about life, parenting, technology, law, fitness, and the list keeps growing. Recently, I have been networking with other business owners and companies, and have even found some freelance work. Twitter is a great tool because you can be anyone interested in anything, and you will find some kind of use for it.

Tell us where you are from and what you do for a living?

I live in Fairfax, VA, which is part of the Washington, DC area. I came here from Panama when I was seven years old with my two sisters and parents. When I was a teenager, I wanted to take a year off college and backpack through Europe. However, my parents were very strict and didn’t allow that to happen. It’s one of only regrets that I have, but I am still young, so I still have time to take that trip. The experience will be better than I imagined because this time I will take my kids with me.

For almost eights years, I have worked as a Technical/Proposal Writer. Since I was a child, I’ve been surrounded by computers. My mother was a Computer Programmer for the Department of Defense and would sometimes bring her work home with her. While my two sisters would watch television or play, I would sit with her for hours helping her debug code. When I was 17, I began working as a Help Desk Technician for Erols’ Internet (remember them? I think they became RCN). For the next seven years, I helped customers with errors, built computers, and setup networks.

After high school, I started working on my Computer Science degree. I learned different programming languages and was trying to achieve my dream of becoming a Video Game Developer. However, I got pregnant with my son and realized that I had to change my path. Programming consumed almost my entire life and with a baby, there was no way that I would be able to dedicate the same amount of time as before. I thought about what I was also passionate about. Writing. I bought a book about what I could do with an English degree and came across “Technical Writer.” As a Technical Writer, I have been able to combine my two loves: Writing and Technology. I am happy that I can honestly say that I love what I do for a living.

Do you know others who use Social Media tools like Twitter in your area? What would you say about the knowledge of people in your area about Social Media in general?

I know there have to be others in DC who are using Social Media, but I only know a few of them. DC is a very political and high tech area, so Social Media is part of their vocabulary. Why? The future of technology, mainly in the Social Media arena, has huge legal, ethical, political, and technical issues, so there are many people in the DC area who are partaking in some aspect of it. When I was in grad school, I took a graduate class that focused on Social Media and another one that discussed the legal issues concerning it. I’ve told people about taking these classes, and they say they have never heard about such classes. It shows that it’s a hot topic in DC.

What gets you really motivated and excited?

Technology. Anything new that comes out, I have to test it out, or I feel like it’s the end of the world. Everyone knows that the way to my heart is getting me the latest gadget. Technology, not diamonds, are a girl’s best friend.

Give us one crazy fact about yourself you haven’t already shared.

I have the habit of singing everywhere I go. My sister use to get embarrassed because I could be in the middle of the grocery store, and I would belt out in song. Therefore, beware if you are ever out in public with me, you might be the next victim of having people stare out you for being with a crazy girl singing off key. You have been warned.

Any other tidbits you would like to offer?

• Think before you speak
• Get familiar with readability statistics to ensure that any piece of document you are presenting to an audience (unless they are experts in the topic you are writing about) is written for someone for 6th – 7th graders, and that readability is higher than 50%.
• When writing a proposal, ensure that you mention your potential client three times more than you mention yourself. Companies have a habit of boasting how great they are instead of what they can do for the client.
• Documentation might be tedious in the short run, but will save you tons of money and time in the long run.
• Writing and Technology are wonderful, but mix the two together, and you get Art

Josh Peters - Shua Consulting

With Twitter the value is all in who you follow and interact with (not who follows you), which gets really hard to manage when you start following over 50 people. To manage that I use TweetDeck, the columns are awesome and groups are crucial to you peace of mind. I read that Twhirl now does tabs so I may have to check that out again. What I hope to accomplish is to make good connections with people online, meet new people in my area, and now that Shua Consulting has launched I’d like to start meeting clients. If I had to quantify it at the end of the day, I’d say I feel accomplished when I talk to someone new or have a great conversation with another twitterer.

Tell us where you are from and what you do for a living?

I’m from Salt Lake City, UT and I’ve “recently” decided to do freelance social media consulting, training, and new media data management for companies.

Do you know others who use Social Media tools like Twitter in your area? What would you say about the knowledge of people in your area about Social Media in general?

I do, SLC has an awesome social media club that just launched and we have our second meeting this FEB. There are a lot of great and knowledgeable people here that are very passionate about social media and what they do for a living. Most of the local businesses are on at least MySpace, and some of the more tech based brands have a presence on FaceBook and a few on Twitter. Several of our newspapers and arms of the government are on Twitter. There’s no doubt they could do more, but it’s a fantastic start and exciting to see.

What gets you really motivated and excited?

New ideas, music, and art. I’m always sharing new art I come across because it really gets my creativity juices going and i always have music on. Seeing people accomplish their own projects and bring their ideas (artistically or technologically) to life really get me motivated to work on my own ideas, dreams, and passions. Twitter is a huge source of motivation and excitement as I watch people talk about their accomplishments, ideas, trials, and triumphs.

Give us one crazy fact about yourself you haven’t already shared.

I want to be a cage fighter.

Any other tidbits you would like to offer?

Prediction: I don’t think that social media will be around within the next 3 years. It’s not going to disappear, we’re just going to call it “The Internet”. The ways we interact with each other and companies online are not going to be unique anymore they are going to be expected. Especially from those who are growing up or entering the work force with it. Education and a willingness to help those who don’t know will be the key to successful mass adoption, and I see that happening everyday from the industry leaders and big names out there so the example is being set.

Advice: Don’t be afraid to participate. The worst thing that can happen is someone telling you you’re doing it wrong. If that happens, learn how to do it “right” and then make it your own.

Tip: Fill out your profiles and put up good pictures of you. If you want people to take you serious and make a good connection they need to see your face and know more about you.

Note from Craig : If you like my interviews, I would like to invite you to read my columns as well, please check out my article on “Social Media – It’s Just People” Thanks for your visit, please post if you have a thought! It does make a difference!

Cheryl Harrison

I’ve benefited tremendously from Twitter by making my online relationships offline relationships when possible, and to more beneficial online relationships when not. I try to post entertaining and informative Tweets everyday and interact with a wide variety of people, but prominently those in Central Ohio, as we have such a vast and diverse Twitter population right here in my backyard.

I’ve already been able to build an inconceivably strong network in such a short time, both personally and professionally. I’ve made friends and business contacts with people I otherwise would never have had access to. I hope to continue to build and foster these relationships, who knows where they could take me! The connections in just the few months I’ve been Tweeting have already gotten me my current job, sent to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration on behalf of a local TV station, a couple of speaking gigs for myself, speakers and entertainment for conferences and events I’ve planned, connection with a potential business partner, my website designed for free, free tickets to Plays and Conferences, you get the picture. Tweet on, friends!

Tell us where you are from and what you do for a living?

I am from Martins Ferry, Ohio, a small Appalachian town across the Ohio River from Wheeling, West Virginia and about 45 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. I moved to Columbus, OH to attend Capital University and don’t plan on leaving for a while. Columbus is very underrated for how fabulous it is. I work for People To My Site an interactive/traditional marketing agency. I work in the marketing department so my job ranges from developing social media tactics to launching public relations capabilities! I’m also @peopletomysite on Twitter, but shhh, that’s top secret! ;-)

Do you know others who use Social Media tools like Twitter in your area? What would you say about the knowledge of people in your area about Social Media in general?

Columbus is an extremely technological region. There are about 1,500 people on Twitter in the area, to my knowledge and more everyday. One of our local television stations has almost all of their anchors and reporters on Twitter, who Tweet while on the air, and they poll Twitter everyday during broadcasts and show the Tweets on the air, which is fueling the expansion of Twitter and making the news fun and interactive. We have at least two major Tweetups a month here, with an upcoming event almost booked to capacity (80 Tweeple.)

What gets you really motivated and excited?

I love to be overly involved and stressed out, no matter how much I complain about it. If I don’t have work, school, five freelance projects, two organizational commitments, four coffee meetings, two lunches and three networking events in a given week, I get bored and lazy.

Give us one crazy fact about yourself you haven’t already shared.

I am distantly related to Presidents Benjamin and William Henry Harrison. The latter died from talking too long during his inaugural address and caught pneumonia – I’ve always assumed I’d follow in his political and long-winded footsteps.

Any other tidbits you would like to offer?

I would love to share some Twitter advice that I’ve recently realized a lot of people aren’t familiar with:

Note from Craig : If you like my interviews, I would like to invite you to read my columns as well, please check out my article on “Educating your customer – Why do it?” Thanks for your visit, please post if you have a thought! It does make a difference!

Social Media Maven - and More!

Q: It doesn’t seem like many teams in professional sports are involved in social media. How did your job with the Detroit Red Wings come along?

A: Social media is still new to most companies as well as those in professional sports. My position with the Red Wings was a rare opportunity. This was a situation where the organization created a new position and sought out somebody to help them implement social media and other aspects of digital marketing into the team’s overall business development strategy.

Q: Our Twitter guest question comes from @anwith1n who asks, “Seriously, I would like to know what @shannonpaul would be doing if she weren’t in Social Media?”

A: I’m sure I would be working in communications. I like to consider myself a communicator, connector and strategist — or at least a budding communicator, connector and strategist. I just took to the social media ethos — I always thought it was better to be as real and human as possible in communications. Social media just offered a way of engaging, practicing and testing that theory.

Q: You wrote a post called “Why communicators should get to know SEO” in which you have noted your desire to increase your knowledge about the technical portion of being in Social Media. What prompted this desire and why would others want to follow your lead?

A: Sooner or later, this new way of communication will be common sense. I think it’s great to understand how to adapt business communication strategies from a monologue to a dialogue, but digital strategy doesn’t end there. In order to be effective in communication and business, I think those that will move ahead of the pack will have a strong understanding of how information travels and how dollars are exchanged with the flow of traffic and information on the internet.

Q: One of the “7 random and weird things” about you was the fact that you sold everything you owned and moved to Denver for 2 years. How do you relate that experience of freedom with what you bring to Social Media?

A: I guess this behavior exemplifies a trait you find amongst a lot of people who are passionate about social media. In order to devote most of your free time to learn something in such a non-traditional way — reading other blogs, blogging and diving head-first into social networks, you have to be a little bit of a cowboy, or a pirate as Chris Brogan likes to say. Most of the people I’ve met through involvement in social media dove into this with little thought of personal profit, or simply with the very small hope that maybe someday all this effort to would pay off in one way or another. It’s a big gamble to spend so much time and effort on something as silly as a blog or reading other peoples’ blogs — especially when most of the people in your life don’t really understand what you’re doing! I think that quality is what separates those of us who have real passion from others who simply smell a trend.

Q: You are organizing the upcoming Startup Weekend Detroit (Mar. 27-29). Can you explain what that is, and why other cities would benefit from doing the same?

A: The Startup Weekend organization was founded by Andrew Hyde in Boulder, Colorado. There have been several Startup Weekends in cities across the country and even in Europe. Basically the event gathers together creatives and people with technical skills to launch new companies within a single weekend. Each event is different since the direction is largely determined by the people who show up. I live in Detroit and I was raised here. There are hard times across the country right now, but Detroit is under even more intense strain than most in the U.S. I really believe that the future of this city lies in the ability to bring people together to get great ideas off the ground. Nobody becomes successful in a vacuum. We need each other. Events like Startup Weekend help bring people together with a variety of skills to roll up their sleeves, work side by side and get things done. I attended Startup Weekend in Ann Arbor, Michigan last year. What struck me most about the event was the fact that so much was accomplished in a single weekend. This experience leaves people who attend with the feeling that anything really is possible if you work together. What city couldn’t benefit from a little of that?

Four years ago when I first had an idea that I wanted to start a new company, I really had a very ideological concept developing within me about giving back to others while still finding a way to make a living. In general, I really like people, don’t get me wrong, I have had some very interesting relationships with people as well, but still feel the majority of people in their core are good and decent.

I wanted to be able to serve people in a way that was meaningful and use some of my core strengths and the knowledge I have obtained over 25 years in the workforce and 28 years investing time in technology. So it only made sense that the computer and its various uses including Web development and now social media would become a big part of what this company, networktask.com and its web division BrightWeb Marketing, would do.

What I thought was this, we can fix a computer, we can help people with their network, we can create a website based around what the customer’s products and services are, but I have always felt that giving the customer some of the power back would help them understand why our services were necessary. In some cases we would be teaching these customers things we would otherwise be charging them for. But I had greater goals in mind, I wanted to earn the trust of people. If you earn the trust of others, there is nothing more rewarding you will do in your lifetime!

The philosophy was simple, don’t try to make all of your money on a few customers who have very little information about what you do. Instead educate them to become more efficient and have a better understanding of how the technology works so they can help themselves when it is possible to do so and rely on the professionals when they know things are out of their scope of knowledge. My thought was, and always has been, that I would prefer to have more customers not just a few core customers who need me.

Something I continue to preach over and over again, whether you’re talking about management, services, processes its all just about people. If you take care of the people the people always take care of you!

So how do you educate the customer?

Regardless of the type of product and services that you offer, be prepared to explain the necessity in detail and also be prepared to avoid the hard sell. I know how difficult this is, for some, closing sales is your means to an end, however the education has produced more work for me. It doesn’t always produce immediate results, but building relationships rarely ever does.

Want details? Here you go!

We currently have a small classroom in our office that holds roughly 10 to 12 people. We have started to offer some instructional courses on topics ranging from search engine marketing, social media, Microsoft office tools, how networks work… Etc. for some of the classes we charge a small fee, other classes we offer for free. Share the Knowledge!

How does the company and customer BOTH benefit from this?

Lets give the example of Search Engine Marketing classes:

In the area in which we live our target by necessity is small business, we do not have a major business needing our services in our region. Small business people know their core business better than I could ever know it. Unless I spend the time to understand a small businesses at an expense to them, I could never do them justice. However, if we educate them on how these processes work and how to do things the right way they become a guide for the services we can provide that do not match their skill set, such as web design. It becomes much more affordable for small business to pay us to make adjustments and make suggestions on their wishes than to run a campaign for them. Now we still have small business who wish to pay us to run the complete campaign, but they do so now with the knowledge of the process and why it is so detailed and costly. This gives them a solid appreciation of that expense. Nothing makes people happier than knowing they have made a choice based on information, not out of necessity and their lack of information.

End Result?

Because of this word-of-mouth has produced the results I hope for. We now have a very solid footprint of customers in our small region, including some of the biggest names in this area and the majority of this work came from customers who were happy with our approach. Not sure many of our competitors feel the same!

I’ve made it a goal in my life to find a way to help others. This does not mean I cannot make a decent living doing so, in fact our company remains healthy in its fourth year.

I hope this helps you!