Don't Forget to Press Flesh

John R. Stokka
CEO DomiKnow, Inc.

Welcome to the new digital age. We can share a picture with the world in seconds with Instagram or Pinterest. The era where we can share every thought, desire, action in seconds through Facebook and Twitter. Yes indeed, we can post, email, tweet, pin, check-in, update, follow, like, and share with relative ease and efficiency, but should we?

I recently "caught" two people in my office going endlessly bantering back and forth with each other about something fairly simple over internal email. Instead of getting up and walking across the room to have a 2 minute conversation, they had exchanged several emails over a couple days about the topic. Not only is it inefficient, it is an environment that can breed contempt, misunderstanding, and a myriad of other issues in an organization that is growing at the pace as quickly as ours.

There is no denying that social media is here to stay. It has changed the way we communicate and the way we do business. It's an extremely effective medium for certain types of messaging. But don't forget to press flesh. That's right, the good old-fashioned face-to-face meeting intro with a handshake. There is no substitute for looking someone in the eye and having a conversation.
The digital world is a wonderful efficient method of communication that should augment, not replace every other activity that we've developed and evolved over thousands of years of human existence.

The best thing about all of this digital communication is how much of the norm it has become. And in nearly every rule, there lies the value of the exception. If you are willing to make the phone call, if you are willing to go and have the one-on-one conversation, if you are willing to write a personal letter and drop it in the mail... Then guess what? As much as social media and digital communication have become the norm, you will stand out in a crowd of tweeters and posters as a true communicator. Those who understand this will have a leg up on everyone else in whatever they endeavor to do.

Website - http://www.domiknow.com

Facebook - http://facebook.com/domiknow

Twitter - @domiknow

LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/company/domiknow

Social Media....Fall in Love & Boost Sales

Raylee Melton
Owner - Moth Media

I believe that a hand shake and a smile will always be necessary. I also believe that social media is a powerful force today.  But how do you do business with Facebook feeds?

Social media is changing everyday! Countless books, podcasts, companies and blogs have announced self-proclaimed titles like “Social Media Guru”.  My point? No one really knows where Social Media is headed.

Here at Moth Media we offer a navigation strategy instead of an all knowing claim: We like to call it Moth Navigation.

Here are a few steps to help get started.

Step 1 Find Someone from your past

How fun is that! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie with social media, take the time to reconnect with someone. There is a strong sense of comfort knowing that they are doing well.  

Tip:  1 in 5 divorces are linked to Facebook. So, please be careful who you contact.  

Step 2 Automate your campaigns

This is so easy! Sit down once a month and plan out your posts. There are several service providers that will help you automate your page. I like Hootsuite. It provides a huge value as well as a sense of relief that your posts are consistent and manageable.  

Tip:  Be sure to mix in a few live posts from time to time to keep your stats up.

Step 3 Engage

These are your customers, so you must have something to talk about.  How can you help improve their life? What can you tell them to make things easier or better? Always direct your posts towards your ideal client. Keep a focus on that aspect and you will attract the right clients.

Tip: Quality client care is all about added value…show them you care.

Step 4 Create an editorial calendar

When you’re planning out your posts for the month, I recommend the following:
Start with your calendar events

1. Add in quotes
2. Be sure to ask questions
3. Provide “how to” information
4. Sprinkle in a few product spotlights

Tip: It’s the destination, not the plane!  Please, Do NOT spam your followers with product information. Create a conversation…be cool!

Step 5 Have Fun with it

Social Media is about having fun & being social. When you post information that is interesting and informative you’ll see your page come to life.

Before long you’ll not only boost your bottom line but just as importantly, you’ll be falling in love with Social Media and having fun!

How do you Tweet? Things I learned from 'Tweet N Eat'

So, I’m not in sales.  But I went to the West Des Moines Chamber’s ‘Tweet N Eat’ lunch and learn, because my personal Twitter account is…well, sad.

I forget about my account for weeks at a time.  When I do tweet, the entertainment level is mediocre at best.  That is, unless I’m retweeting something.  Nine times out of ten, it’s about stellar things New View is doing (Hint, hint!). 

Yesterday’s panel of professionals whom use Twitter for business were really helpful.  Not only did I learn how to tweet a bit more strategically, I learned I can branch out from my often-used hash tags.  That’s about as advanced as I’ve gotten in the year (or more) I’ve been on Twitter.

Whether for business or professional use, here’s what I learned:

1. Encourage a call to action! – This tip rang out most to me.  Twitter can’t and won’t do anything for you if you don’t motivate your followers to do something, right?  Whether you encourage followers to visit your business or simply reply back to your post with an answer to your question, you need to encourage action.  Be interactive on Twitter, not just active.

2. Give out your username or “handle” as often as you can.  – I have noticed more and more business cards are including Facebook and/or Twitter icons – but rarely do I actually see their specific username (How can I follow you, if I don’t know your username?).   Sure, I could go home or get out my phone and search for your name or company name.  But let’s face it, Millennials, we’re lazy.  We want it and we want it now. 

3.  “If you follow me—I’ll follow you. – There’s more to this.  You can simply request to “follow” someone and hope they will “follow” you back.  But no one in business will ever tell you they got somewhere because of hope.  Sorry, the truth hurts (Wanting and hoping better breed some motivation to take some action otherwise your dreams are going down like my 5^th grade “Invention Convention” attempt.  I called it “The Reminder Machine,” but it didn’t actually require anything you’d think a “machine” would.  It was basically some fabric and post-its.  But I digress…). Do everything you can to ensure those you “follow” will reciprocate.

4. When someone takes the time to give you/your business a shout out on Twitter, you should reply! – It’s polite and no matter what people say (including me), we Millennials really do enjoy and appreciate manners.

5. How you use your Twitter account needs to be based on your industry type and customer demographic. – A marketing consultant will not use Twitter for their business in quite the same way a restaurant owner will.   The marketing consultant may post links to interesting or insightful business articles that they feel their existing or potential clients would find useful.  The restaurant owner may post Saturday’s food and drink specials, in order to draw a bigger crowd that night.

The tips I learned from the panel were endless.   While I can’t possibly share them all, I do want to share a few last things:

·         No matter what type of business you use your Twitter account for, balance in your tweets, some should be links to business articles and some should be more personal.
·         Ensure some of your  tweets link to articles and business related material

·         In an increasingly tech-savvy world, it’s very important to find new ways to create connections with your patrons

Question:  Do you tweet?  If so – do you have any great tips to share?

Panelists from the ‘Tweet N Eat’ lunch and learn:

Phil James, Good Milkshake LLC -- @goodmilkshake

Katie Bradshaw, Jasper Winery --@jasperwinery

Jeff Garrison, EOS -- @jcgarrison

Jeremiah Terhark, DSM Daily -- @dsmdaily

Josh Poindexter, DSM Daily  -- @dsmdaily

Moderator:  Danny Beyer -- @DannyBeyerIA

Lindsey Mathews
New View Board Member & Outreach Committee Chair
Project Delivery Coordinator
Shive-Hattery Inc.