First Party Data Is All That Matters Now ~via @Katadhin

As data goes, nothing beats the first party kind. Good, old-fashioned direct relationship data. Sure, second and third party data SOUND attractive especially combined with all manner of smart technology to optimize and perfect the marketing dream of delivering the right message to the right shopper at just the right time. (Here’s a helpful guide from retargeter.com (lol) if you’re not super sure about the difference) It’s the holy grail of communications that has been drilled into every marketer’s head since their first comms 100 class. Plus, first party data is hard. It requires diligent work, analysis and empathy for the folks that make up brand loyalists. Properly cared for, these folks will do amazing marketing for a brand. Think Harley, Apple, Disney, REI and any brand that people avidly share about. Secondary data sounds like an amazing path to growth. Identify those most likely to be brand supporters and add them into that first party group.

Great Brands Have A First Person Relationship, Not Outsourced Data.

While this sounds great in theory, secondary data has devolved into a simplistic selling tool for many brands. Look no further than your inbox or the endless litany of retargeting ads that stalk you around the internet often for things you already bought or had simply searched or even just touched in some tertiary digital way. ‘Smart’ media, ‘Deep-learning algorithms and the over-hyped AI bandwagon have become painful for shoppers. These systems all have basically the same data... loads of second and third party information that when compiled, becomes much the same. The approach sounds so promising, however, because almost all brands are using that same pools in one way or another, the volume of craptastic messaging being shoveled daily is burying and annoying shoppers in a desperate attempt to get them to buy something. This is all made worse because of lack of creating a single customer vision across multiple vendor-supplied systems. The good news is (lol), the systems are so smart that at a minimum, 1/3 of all digital advertising is fraudulent, never seen by an actual human. Unfortunately for brands, robots don’t eat too many cheeseburgers.

Every Communication Is Not A Sale!!

Look at brands that are thriving today and you’ll see a pattern. Great modern brands have direct relationships. Think Dollar Shave Club and Harrys that combined have captured almost 20% of the razor market. Nespresso which has created a complete coffee customer loop from farm to recycling. Amazon which has become the default for shopping by mapping its customer’s behaviors and removing shopping friction... "Simplicity is the new EDLP." All have a single common denominator, a clear view of who is buying their products along with the 'when and why’ of purchasing. Using these rich and original data pools, first person brands are building moats to protect and extend their brands while their competitors resort to deeper discounting, deals and promotions... the hallmarks of old-marketing. If you sell me a good product, create a great experience, and consistently deliver, there is no need to give me a discount to get me to buy.

Meanwhile, many brands have upped the ante on push-based media in order to continue delivering the conversions. Predictably, response levels continue to fall as the laws-of-physics for attention don’t change. We’ve been to this movie before. Email, banners, pop-ups etc, etc, etc. all decline to infinitesimal levels of response and engagement in a mind-numbing explosion of messaging overload, most aimed at immediate conversion. Cue the one night stand comparisons. Most of this behavior is driven by the fact that for many brands, there is no other choice. The view of the customer is limited to an unhygienic email list, and maybe a text number, but primarily relies on secondary data. Despite what any provider says about their data or tech stack, it’s all the same in the end. Brands are warring over the same shoppers with little to no advantage so the default response becomes volume. Plus, all the hands in the cookie jar have a monstrous impact on the amount of brand spending that actually results in reaching any live humans. Working media, isn't working.

Shoppers are in an on-demand, and as needed mode, and marketing must begin to reflect this better. First Party Data closes the loop and serves me an ad for something I’ve already purchased. It closes the loop to not send me an email daily. It closes the loop to accurately predict shopper behavior based on actual shopper behavior, not smart intuition. First Party Data helps build relationships though decision support content and after sale, service, and support. First Party Data is surprise and delight on a birthday or anniversary. Third party data is an ad. The reliance became obvious as everyone had a collective freakout about GDPR regulations and dusted off their old email lists as access to spammy data dipped. Suddenly I received emails from brands I hadn’t heard from in years. To add insult to injury, most were seeking to, you guessed it, sell me something.

How about we date a bit first?

Originally posted at John Andrew's LinkedIn

Intimacy Is Humans' Natural State ~via @BryanKramer

As humans, we’re at our best when we get close and form relationships or connections. And building genuine connections can be difficult – especially when you’re a business owner or launching your career and it’s easy for other priorities to take over.

Our world is so complex and there’ so much digital architecture being created that we end up building barriers between ourselves and achieving intimacy and connections. We’re being encouraged to believe that everyone wants to be interacted with at arm’s length, through a screen and not face to face or in real-time.

Excellent interpersonal connections can enhance the way that you do business and your career prospects. Building intimacy needs a foundation of authenticity, which means embracing our own individuality and being confident when we communicate it to others.

Connections help to Solve Problems

It seems logical, but how can we think that we’ll be able to solve problems adequately when we don’t know the unique ways that team members like to work and operate? There is so much running before walking when it comes to problem-solving, but the right conditions need to be created before we can successfully solve problems.

Taking the time to get to know team members and connect can lead to a better problem-solving process in the long-term. Misunderstandings can be rife when we don’t fully comprehend how others think, their perspectives and their motivations.

Understanding others helps to create key allies and we can do this by aligning the way we approach and interact with the person we want to connect with.

Harnessing humility and making effort to connect authentically means that ideas will start to flow freely, team members will feel valued and solutions will occur. It’s about unlocking people’s human qualities and responding in the best way.

Good Energy and Good Empathy

Good relationships are based on care and a desire to truly get to know a person. This is why empathy is a key trait to possess in a professional environment.

Emotional intelligence is only going to become an even more important quality for leaders and professionals to practice. It’s possible to foster positive energy in working environments by making a concerted effort to understand peers and connect with them in an appropriate way.

Authentic empathy doesn’t come naturally to some people, but if it’s a trait you possess then embracing it is paramount. High-quality connections are created when people feel valued and engaged and conducting yourself with empathy is a big part of this.

How can you start to practice empathy? Self-awareness and the ability to reflect are a massive part of this process and if you can learn to be constructively critical of your own actions and ideas and how they affect others around you, you’re on your way there.

Relationships Create Business

Connecting with clients and customers should be an integral part of your lead generation strategy. When you can, building intangible forms of connecting should be encouraged.

If you can create ways to demo products and services physically to customers and clients, try to pitch your business face-to-face and chat with customers at events etc then you’re using intimacy to sell.

Once you decide to use intimacy and authentic connections to bond with your clients and customers, you’re creating a myriad of new reasons that they can buy from you, instead of just looking at a product on a screen.

The human element you’re bringing into the equation means that there are more variables when customers and clients are deciding to take action – if you’re enhancing and growing positive relationships then they’ll be more inclined to work with you.

More Opportunities and Possibilities

When you start to use your personality and unique qualities to connect, you’ll create the conditions for new opportunities. Finding balance in your business relationships means that you can feel more confident when seeking out mutually-beneficial arrangements.

When you’re cultivating authentic relationships, people will be more inclined to work with you in different capacities and present you with opportunities they think you’ll be interested in.

You’ll also have more reason and self-assurance to ask for favors or business help when you have been growing relationships in a truthful way. Your connections will be stronger if you look at this the other way around too and consistently think about how you can help and improve the people around you that you’re connecting with – how can you help them achieve the next level in their own development?

It’s natural for us to seek out close and authentic relationships with others and we shouldn’t neglect this in a professional capacity, because technology is creating more distance.

By trying to connect with others again and using emotional intelligence, empathy, and humility to build relationships, you’ll find that people around you respond in a better way and you can solve problems together with mutual understanding.

Originally posted at BryanKramer.com

9 Things Parents Should Know About Fortnite ~via @MacaroniKid's Mason Cohen

Has your kid caught the Fortnite bug? Probably, since recent reports suggest that 25% of kids ages 5-15 have played at least once, and tens of millions play daily.

Here are nine things you should know as a parent if your kids have been playing Fortnite.

1. It has guns (but it’s not as bad as you might think)
   The game’s surface-level premise is a fight to the death between 100 players on an island using randomly-found supplies, materials, and yes, guns. It’s in the same vein as the Hunger Games series, which was popularized a few years ago, but with a new twist, which is...
2. Cartoons and fun
   While the Hunger Games were dark and dreary, Fortnite is fun, cartoonish, and doesn’t take itself very seriously. There’s no blood, and the in-game violence is more akin to Tom hitting Jerry over the head with a spatula than it is to The Hunger Games or the iconic shooting game Call of Duty.
3. It’s free and accessible
   Fortnite costs no money upfront and is available on phones, computers, PlayStation, Xbox, and more. This means it’s pretty easy for your kid to get right into it, which is one of the many contributors to its wild success.
4. Be warned, it can charge money
   Though it’s free to start playing, there are many things in the game which one can only unlock with real money. These include “skins,” which make your kid’s character look different, or silly dances that can be performed. Make sure your child understands that they’re spending real money, and be careful before handing over your credit card.
5. Your kid is playing it for a reason: it’s fun
   The biggest reason so many kids are playing Fortnite so often is that they think it’s just plain fun. There’s no pied piper pulling the strings; kids are just playing a silly, competitive game with their friends where they can make their character skydive out of a flying school bus and dab.
6. It’s collaborative: they get to play with their friends
   Players can either queue into matches of 100 by themselves or join with 2-3 friends in a mode known as “squads.” Squad play can promote teamwork and communication skills similar to sports or other coordinated events.
7. Random people can join squads with your kids
   Long gone are the days of scary internet chat rooms and it is now commonplace for strangers to be on your team in many video games. 99.9% of the time these people pose no threat, but make sure your child knows never to share any personal information.
8. Your kid is probably watching it too
   There’s a huge number of content creators making videos or streaming gameplay of Fortnite. Usually these creators are kid-friendly and your child may find watching them more entertaining than even playing the game itself. Ask your kid about what they’re watching and check it out for yourself to make sure you’re alright with the content - each one is different.
9. Experts have weighed in
   The ESRB, Entertainment Software Rating Board, has given Fortnite a “T” rating. "T" stands for "teen" and thus, Fortnite is recommended for kids ages 13 and up. Their guidance is trustworthy, but it's important to make your own judgment call based on whether you think Fortnite is suitable for your child. 

Originally posted at macaronikid.com

Independence Day… MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Independence Day brings to the forefront the current frightening political environment, world environmental, economic, and most importantly and relevant today that represents freedom… the challenges immigrants, and those seeking asylum, have been experiencing more than ever for the past couple of years. Many of us go through our lives, day to day, thinking that our only recourse is to put our heads down, one foot in front of the other, and persevere… simply accept (or ignore) what is happening and make the best of it. It is easy to fall into this rut and believe it is the proper course, the only way to go, and all we have to hope for in the future.

I say NO… “Action is the active ingredient that transforms goals into reality!” Let us never forget that in this great country, The United States of America, we can still (let’s be sure to fight for and keep this right) always improve the situation in which we live, make a better life for ourselves and the ones we love, and effect/fight for change even when the odds are against such change. Being courageous enough to act on your goals/desires/needs to make a better life, better business, better community and/or better country and world, is the first and most crucial step in making your goals a reality. And now more than ever before everyone can have a voice… Welcome to the ‘Age of Influence,’ where anyone can build an audience and effect change, advocate for causes, rally like-minded people, build relationships, and MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

I experience this reality each and every day… . I am 60 years old, have had wins and losses in my personal life, and in business, am living with trepidation through our current political nightmare seeing rights we have fought hard for over so many years being stripped away (fearful for my girls futures)… and know that the game is far from over. There is huge opportunity presenting itself today with this new social media, and connectivity, empowered world… I have been fortunate enough to benefit from this, make it work for me, enable that desperately needed win, and create something to personally hold onto, and work for, going forward. YOU CAN DO THE SAME.

Create a mindset that keeps you determined to not let it pass you by, and allows you to take advantage of the daily opportunity to be more, see more, be involved in more, create more, help and support more, and connect with anyone and everyone. 

I have faced serious challenges in my personal life that many would walk away from, as I have been told over and over by those who would, and many who have seen those who do; but I am determined to have a positive effect on the lives of my daughters, and participate any way I can (even if only vicariously from afar… and/or doing my part making the world a better place) and continue to face those challenges head-on each and every day, even if/when they get worse, instead of better. Although this is exhausting mentally and physically, I do not bow in the face of the onslaught and odds that have been against me from the start. I have changed my attitude and expectations, always do whatever I can to stay present, never lose my cool, am ALWAYS there and available, and let them know every day (with my words and actions) I will always love them and will never give up… NO MATTER WHAT #ThisDadWontQuit (and do my best to apply this outlook to the rest of my life).

Therefore in the face of all these political, social, and personal challenges we all face… I declare MY PERSONAL “Independence” and you need to do the same! #NoLetUp! 

#FollowThePath

Originally posted at TedRubin.com

What A Time To Be Alive: Today ~via @VictoriaTaylUK

The T-Shirt below right there, says it all. This was at a summer pool party in Ibiza during the summer of 2017, where in true Vikki style, myself and the group of ladies I was with, pushed our way through the crowds, multiple Malibu Pineapple drinks in our hands to the very front of the stage where Craig David would be performing. We took our position front row and we were not disappointed. He was phenomenal.

The T-Shirt he wore really stood out to me, ‘What A Time To Be Alive’ it said and it really is .

Right NOW,  I believe is one of the most exciting times to be alive and the vivid memory of that summer concert will stay with me forever, however long that forever is.

What though, if forever was limited (because it is)? What if forever ended tomorrow?

TODAY is the only time to be alive, because today is what you have.

Yesterday I heard some very sad news that someone within my friendship circle, a wonderful human being who had a real zest for life, a warm heart and so much passion inside them had passed away suddenly, without any warning. Suddenly, in a few moments, everything changed for that person and the family that they leave behind.

This kind of devastating news hit’s you like a brick. It takes your breath away and it makes you question everything.

I wanted to write this, to encourage anyone reading this to think about this; Are you doing today what you would be happy to take to your deathbed tomorrow?

I know this sounds incredibly morbid, but I really believe it is one of the most simple and fundamental ways of thinking in order to live a life that you absolutely ADORE; Every. Single. Day.

As human beings, we can really complicate the process of life.

We can make it very difficult and pressured, when in fact, it really can be one of the most simple things, if only you allow your mind to think this way.

Ok, so my sensitivity to the things I saw yesterday was heightened and I saw multiple messages that aligned with the thoughts I was having.

I saw an Instagram Post from a lovely lady, a university friend of mine. A lady called Lianne. Following the news I had received yesterday, I was more sensitised to her post. I wanted to share it here:

It makes you think doesn’t it.

To repeat the last line;

‘And now, I am dying …. and suddenly I realise I forgot to live’. Remember those words, because I believe remembering those very words could change the way you live your life.

I am very fortunate in the career I have created for myself, that I get to meet so many people who are creatives too. So many people who are exceptionally happy with what they do with their lives, every day. I also meet SO many who are not.

So many people …..

Waiting for a weekend,

Waiting for a holiday,

Waiting for a birthday,

Waiting for Christmas,

Waiting for a pay rise,

Waiting for tomorrow,

Waiting for retirement.

STOP WAITING. Please.

I see too many people who are unhappy with where they are. I see too many people with an ‘I wish’ rather than ‘I will’ mindset.

YOU get to write the story of your life today and that is such a beautiful and sacred thing. You have been given today, so make sure that whatever it is that you do today, that it is something that set’s your soul on fire.

OK, so for any negative folk reading this (and I promise I am not being rude when I write this) please take a minute to stop, think and hold that negative thought right where it is. There are many, too many people in the world who would read something like this and say, that’s alright for her or him or whoever, BUT my situation is X, Y or Z.

That BUT word is a killer you know. You cannot compare your today to anyone else’s today, so STOP trying. If you can’t find the joy in your own today, then for goodness sake don’t be negative and take the joy out of someone else’s.

The truth is, everyone has a cross to bear, things they would like to change and the world isn’t always ideal or kind. For example, you may be in a job that you hate and you may not be able to change that today, but, if you can find joy in a tiny moment today, DO IT. Do it for you, for those you love, to make a difference in this world and leave it a little bit brighter than it was before you woke up this morning. Because, the reality is, it may be all you have. So, if you can’t love the heck out of today, then at least take a moment, smile, be grateful and find some magic, a moment of magic in it’s simplest pleasures.

TODAY, really is the best time to be alive.

Living in the present moment, really living in it, is the only way to really enjoy it.

And if you are not enjoying it and living it like it really f*cking matters then CHANGE IT.

Because it really does f*cking matter. A LOT.

Only you get to choose what you live. So choose life. Choose the one you want to live, TODAY.

Originally posted at victoria.live

Putting the Experience in Experiential Marketing ~via @Katadhin

Walt Disney World Astounds Its Visitors With Experiential Product Marketing

I began my business career as a Dominos Pizza manager in Maine. One of our marketing efforts at the local level was calling around 10 customers a night to see how their pizza was. Beyond learning more about our product quality and service, we also showed our customer's quite simply that we cared. How many companies today call you to see how they did? Many will send you a survey, but few, if any, make the effort of human outreach to make a connection. A Harvard Business Journal article found the most correlated factor for business success is Net Promoter Score (NPS). Simply, how many of your customers will recommend you to a friend or family member. In an age obsessed with data, this is a simple number to determine. My favorite travel partner, Delta Airlines, asks a simple automated question after every customer service call, "If you owned a company, would you hire the last person you spoke to for your customer service team?" It's just that easy to understand how you're doing as a brand.

This week our family traveled to Florida to visit our in-laws in Winter Park. My wife grew up here and it's always an enjoyable place to visit for many reasons including food, family, and tons of great things to do. Ever since our daughter was old enough to appreciate it, we started spending a couple days at Disney during our visits to Winter Park. It's nice to be able to drop in, visit a park or two, and return back to our family's home. We experience a bit of each park, a little at a time, without trying to pack ALL of the parks in in a single stay. We always stay on property to get the full effect, and experience different resorts, and also to take advantage of the multitude of Disney Transportation options. Since I was a child and rode the famed monorail for the first time, I've marveled at the fun and entertainment component of just getting around at Disney. Even now as an adult, the efficiency of the bus system is a positive addition to the overall experience for vacations, conventions, and conferences I've attended at Walt Disney World. As the marketing world increasingly focuses on experiences as a differentiator, Disney sets the bar for other's to follow.A few years ago we received our first Magic Bands and Shannon left them open on our kitchen counter a couple weeks before our trip which created a sense of excitement of what was to come. They were brightly colored and each had our name printed on the custom box the bands arrived in. The smallest detail, which could have been easily and less expensively delivered in a plain padded envelope, was turned into a brand touchpoint. So often these simple pieces of the brand journey are overlooked. The bags, receipts, signage and other soft contact points are not considered in tone, voice, and opportunity to surprise and delight. These opportunities have exploded over the past couple of decades with the evolution of digital and all of the potential places a brand can come into contact with a shopper. Alas, many simple points are missed creating both a disconnect in brand relevance and an opportunity for brand abandonment. To remain relevant, more brands need to be like Disney, constantly exploring, refining, and improving every single place it touches a guest/customer.

This trip took the experience to a new level for our family thanks to my business partner Ted Rubin. Ted practices his mantra of Return on Relationship by turning his thousands of marketing relationships into mutually beneficial opportunities for creating real-world experiential content. Throughout his extensive travels for his speaking and brand evangelical work, he seeks to help the brand marketers he knows via storytelling about his journey and his experiences along the way. He decided to come join our visit to Typhoon Lagoon, a first visit for our family, and reached out to his contacts at Disney. They suggested he might also want to try out the Disney VIP Tour Service at the parks, and he asked us if we would be interested in extending our time at the parks by a day... of course he was inspired by our daughter Catherine, who calls him Uncle Ted, and had reached out with the idea of an additional day to visit The Magic Kingdom as a Father's Day surprise. Our plans were flexible and we were thrilled to say the least. We added a night to our rooms at Port Orleans and were set for a day at Magic Kingdom, or so we thought. There are some great reviews about the Disney VIP Program that we read in anticipation of what to expect, I really enjoyed this one by Tamara Gruber of We3Travel.

The Disney VIP Tour Service is a personalized guided visit to its parks. The tour guide helps make recommendations for the most efficient way to see the attractions that are most important to the group they are helping. We had planned to just visit the Magic Kingdom but our guide let us know it would be possible to visit multiple parks easily with the private transportation that's included in the program. Our guide Ray Patterson (the BEST ever) asked each of us what we would like to do most, questioned us each individually to make sure all 5 of us were included, and made a plan for us to all get to see and do the things we wanted over the course of the day. We made a plan, set a course, and were off for a day we wouldn't forget. The service took Disney's already superior experience to a new level and provided the basis for some great marketing conversations among our group of marketing junkies. Our good friend Lee Esmond is a leader for Mosaic that spends ALL of its time thinking about shopper experiences and her thinking is constantly helping us think more deeply about the role of experience in marketing. She immediately noticed our social media updates and wanted a full report. Great experiences are derived from deep experiential exploration.

The experience started me thinking about the whole craft of experiential marketing, specifically where it's headed thanks to digital technology. Ted and I have endless conversations about brand experience both good and bad as part of our development of Retail Relevancy, our forthcoming book. Over the past few months we've both shared our views on how even with all the talk about experiential marketing, many brands run headlong into brand equity destruction through incessant programatic and digital spamming. The rise of retargeting and digital yield techniques is killing brands, and brand equity, and while we don't believe this is intentional, it's obvious that brands aren't following Disney's lead by constantly refining the brand experience. It makes me wonder how many brand managers sign up for their own email distribution lists, or shop their brands from an anonymous browser, to experience what their customers are being subjected to. Despite becoming numb to the onslaught of messaging, I suspect that the overall perception of these brand's that are engaging in such digital behavior, is declining... and this is a central tenant of brand relevancy.

Disney's commitment of brand experience is complete and it begins with training. Ray shared his training regimen to become a VIP Tour Guide with us and it was intense with specific skills that had to be mastered before moving on to further training. I saw this first had as I returned to my room after breakfast at the Hotel to find a housekeeping training in-progress. Ray shared with us that he had begun his Disney career in Housekeeping and the mantra was 'everything everyday,' a total commitment to completely refurbishing the guest rooms each day. It sounds basic but great experiences start with great processes. The consistency of experience is what separates great brands from also-rans. Serious training was evident everywhere, even from a Disney Transportation bus that was emblazoned with 'earning my ears' on its electronic destination signage.

The real value of the VIP experience is efficiency. The tour guides have vehicles staged behind the scenes to easily move within and between parks, and use the Cast entrances to shorten the distance between attractions. Thanks to the ease of movement, we were able to experience 15 attractions across three parks. The pinnacle attraction IMHO was the Flight of Passage at the world of Avatar in Disney's Animal Kingdom. If you want to see the future of experience, simply visit this attraction. Disney does a masterful job of building anticipation and expectation, a fundamental part of an amazing experience. The Flight of Passage has multiple digitally integrated touchpoints that add to the overall intrigue and enjoyment of the experience. All of the parts contribute to the whole, the foundation of experiential marketing. Here's a great POV video from Inside The Magic that covers the entirety of the Flight of Passage attraction.

Everything we experienced on this trip has me thinking about experiences as a whole. Disney is actively using digital to enhance experiences and remove friction versus simply adding more messaging. The Magic Band makes everything at its parks and resorts better and enables a wealth of personalization opportunities. At Typhoon Lagoon, where you are in and out of the water, there is no need for money or I.D. as the bands can be used for all purchases. This is also helpful for visiting all the parks... there is no need for anything to navigate except the band. Behind the scenes, Disney uses the data to lower wait times, manage inventories, and align staffing with crowd movements and behaviors. Disney also uses band data to personalize experiences including photography, digital signage and even its interactive video. Customer preferences can easily be added like turning off receipt printing or managing room details. You can imagine a time when Magic Bands become an extension of the parks and integrate with Disney's ever growing media empire.  The next Star Wars movie might be enhanced with the bands perhaps at my local theater perhaps, further extending the Disney experience beyond the park and pulling us back to the Star Wars World and resort coming next year.  Again, all of this is predicated by first person relationships, not inferred data from third parties fighting for relevancy.

When creating, maintaining, and evolving a brand experience, keep Disney top of mind. Always remember... A "Brand" is what a business does; a "Reputation" is what people remember and share. #RetailRelevancy

Originally posted at John Andrew's LinkedIn

Retail Relevancy: Building Customer Loyalty Through Social "Listening" ~via @avalanchemike

When I started working with local food trucks (zydecobistro.com) ;) back 2010 it was like a reboot for me as a marketer. The goal was to add as many local "foodie" followers as possible and convert them into customers. Getting them to show up was actually pretty easy, but watching them interact with the chef and supporting staff really opened my eyes on how disconnected traditional advertising/marketing had become. These social platforms allowed food trucks to scale the 1-to-1 relationship (digital word of mouth). –Fast forward to 2018 and we all know how loyal "foodies" are to their favorite restaurants, food trucks and craft breweries. As we hear all the failures of retailers going out of business it seems to be all traced back to this social media shift. Yeah... yeah, I know Amazon is the usual suspect in this  "retail apocalypse", but they filled a HUGE void that customers crave just like their favorite street food off the truck. Simplicity of transaction and engaged customer service. Retailers that establish this type of customer connection along with great products or services are the ones remaining at the top.

I'd like to share my latest retail customer experience renting a car. Lately when I travel, I've been using Lyft or Uber, but our latest trip to Hawaii required a car for the week. We booked the airfare and cashed in some credit card points that matched us with Enterprise Car Rental. So far, so good... Picked the car, staff seemed friendly (in an average way) but the office seemed more like a take-a-number driving bureau, even offering a lonely row of kiosks to avoid interacting with their staff I guess. The issue wasn't the check-in, it was when I dropped the car back off. My mind was thinking about the gas tank being full... If I'm in the right line... Are we good on time to make the shuttle to the airport, etc. When I jumped out of the car you get hit with multiple questions as I'm grabbing suitcases and bags. To make a long story short... I forgot my favorite iPhone car charger... You see it's not like any other iPhone car charger, it's the Road Rockstar™ by Belkin. I've had it on all my road trips with associates and family... It has those additional 4-ports for additional charging. I really liked that charger, haha. For me, Belkin is one my favorite brands when it comes to my digital lifestyle. As I watched this younger worker drive off with my rental I had this feeling that I forgot something. It wasn't until we took off that I realized what I forgot.

My Loss is really Enterprise's Loss

My first attempt at recovery was to forward my email contract over to their office with a note about my charger. I figured after the 9 hour flight, I would have gotten a response. We landed, drove home then called the location later that evening due to the 6 hour time difference. I spoke with lost & found employee and she abruptly said it's not here. It kind of caught me off guard, so I asked are you sure? "It looks a little different than your normal phone car charger." She put me on hold for a little longer came back and said it's not there. Okay, I understood (and probably expected it not getting turned in) -So is there a way to see who cleaned my car? Or if it's currently being rented out and possibly reaching out to the new customer? She put me on hold again and this time it was for 12 minutes and then it hung up. As a customer, my mind shifted from "it's my fault" to who took/stole my iphone car charger? I tried calling back and got voicemail. I tried a few more times and no luck, very frustrating. I mean, it's not like they could call me back right? So the next step for me was to go social. I posted a negative review on Google Maps, along with a flurry of tweets and shares on Facebook to share my customer experience. All I got was generic replies saying upper management will be in touch (never did), and/or if we find we will be in touch. I don't consider this real engagement, now if they called me back and explained the process of where the car goes after check-in and that they really exhausted all options looking I would have felt better, and realizing that it was my fault for leaving it. As I'm typing this post... I'm thinking how sad is it that items left behind aren't returned usually or expected to be? It makes me not want to rent from them again unfortunately. This whole process reminds me of a book intro that was just shared from John Andrews and Ted Rubin called of all things... Retail Relevancy. Their upcoming book explores how brands and retailers can thrive in the future by being relevant in consumers minds which is now more important than ever. I think I'll ship one to Enterprise when it's out :-).

Okay enough doom and gloom, because I went social with my issues... the Belkincares Teamstarted reaching out to me. First, I received a mention on Twitter, (which included Enterprise) then a DM saying send me your address. THE NEXT DAY I had a new Road Rockstar Car Charger!!Also, they threw in some additional DuraTek™ Lightning to USB Cables. The level of trust and loyalty I have using Belkin's products has never been higher because of their customer service and when it's time to make another digital accessory purchase I won't even shop around because of this connection I feel with this brand.

If retailers would actually roll their sleeves up and start taking social media seriously they have chance to evolve and survive the "retail apocalypse" and truly become retail relevant. Incorporate a team that truly listens to real conversations and requires a marketing strategy that rates SOV(share of voice) over Page Oneclicks from Google is a must. Just like food trucks, big corporations can scale 1-to-1 customer relationships like never before by using apps like Photofy, for in-the-moment content creation and Hootsuite for monitoring, listening, curating & posting. With a little extra effort Enterprise Car Rental could have built a relationship instead of wasting one.

#retailrelevancy #belkin #photofy 

Originally posted at Mike's LinkedIn

How to Differentiate Content for Various Social Channels ~via @bygraceandrews & @PhotofyApp

Posting content via social media channels is one of the best ways to communicate with consumers in today’s world. While there are many technology platforms that allow us to share content across all outlets, different channels may be better for different posts. For any brand, establishing a voice, building your identity, and staying consistent are crucial. However, it is also often valuable to alter each post even just a little depending on the channel and your audience. Photofy is beneficial for creating original and organic content that can easily be tailored to the platform you decide to post on, one or all. The multiple graphic elements are great for creating infographics and visuals, while tools such as the ratio feature allow you to create content in specific dimensions to fit the channel you are posting to. Below are some tips and tricks when it comes to posting on these various channels to gain the best reach and engagement.

Facebook:

Videos and curated content are the best to post on Facebook. Compared to all kinds of posts, these generate the highest average reach, engagement and likes. Facebook is also an ideal outlet for sharing blog posts. Ideal status updates don’t include much text, which leaves more room for great visuals. Generically speaking, people don’t come to Facebook to read long form content.

From a business perspective, consumers love engaging with companies they choose to do business with. So commenting and sharing posts from customers makes them feel respected and appreciated. In addition to the type of post, it is important to understand the demographic. The majority of adults online are utilizing Facebook. Unlike millennial-centric networks, like Snapchat, Facebook’s target audience reaches a higher age demographic.

A quick “expert” tip for Facebook with regard to your blog posts… very often, if it is a short post and you really want people to read it rather than your goal being clicks to your blog/website, post the full content of the post instead of the link, along with the image from the post. You will find this is a great way to create engagement and comments that most often will not happen on the blog post itself.

Instagram:

While you can post photos on virtually any social outlet, Instagram has become a place where people post only the best photos. Aesthetic quality is very important to instagram users. But every photo should also provide some context. Captions should be kept short and sweet. Even more so than Facebook, people do not come here to read long content. In addition, while Instagram will allow you to enter up to 30 hashtags, unless you apply them in the comment section below, it is not recommended.

Brands seeking to engage teens and young adults will offer an organic experience by aiming for quality, too. Things to post are product photos, behind-the-scenes, and user generated content. Quotes are also a type of popular content to post for motivational and inspirational reasons. While it is important to be consistent, Instagram’s Story feature allows flexibility in that as these stories will disappear after 24 hours.

Be sure to keep in mind that very often Instagram users do not even read the text that is not a pat of the photos, so remember your images are the key to the engagement.

Twitter:

Twitter is great for staying in the know! Tune into Twitter to be alerted and find out information on breaking news. Here, you can also voice your opinion or update your followers on what you are doing. Other reasons to get on Twitter are to follow sports, live events chat, famous people, share news, network, and follow trending topics. Twitter is also a great place for immediate feedback and to test new ideas and thoughts before posting them to more static social platforms.

Like Facebook, Twitter is a great outlet for sharing blog posts and curate quality content. With a blog post, you can share a link, photo or infographic, video of GIF. Tweets are limited to 280 characters, not including images and video. You can expect more engagement by including images with your links.

Hashtags are effective when including text on Twitter and often summarize your point or message. These hashtags are also are a great way to search for particular topics, and to be found by those searching. However, there is such thing as too many hashtags. Twitter is all about capturing attention as quickly as possible, which means you have to be strategic with your tweets in that they need to be clear and specific in order to engage with an audience. You can expect more engagement by including images with your links. And be sure to reply and respond to those who engage with or share your tweets to get the most relationship building value.

LinkedIn:

All business insights, thought leadership, job listings, and career information are the most appropriate content to post on LinkedIn given its a professional networking and community platform. Great things to post about include just about anything to do with business other than a straight sales pitch including marketing, operational insights, leadership, technology, events, company culture, employee’s experiences, employee’s achievements, and open job positions.

While many of the other popular social media channels are purposefully meant to be concise, LinkedIn is a place where you can feel free to post the full text and images. Of course, always remember to link it back to the original post to drive more engaging traffic.

Pinterest:

Pinterest is also a very visual social platform. Images are best to post and are formatted vertically on their channel. Pinterest is one of the best ways to get new people to your blog since it doubles as social media and a search engine.

Most popular topics and posts you will find on Pinterest include DIY, craft, décor, food and drinks, and design. Some of these vertical images include step-by-step photo instructions on how to do something. Pinterest users mostly utilize this source for inspiration. Because of this, pictures posted here should focus on what should be achieved when using the product of topic.

Originally posted at photofy.com

Psst. I'm a Human, Not Some Demographic Profile... ~via @DavidBrier

Hello, I’m a human.

A small (but vitally important) detail too many brands forget about.

As people, we’ve been put into one box or another, all based on some theory that supposedly makes it easier to connect to.

“I’m a Human” is one of those simple-to-miss elephants in the room that gets overlooked only to be replaced by some “persona” bullshit, or worse, the dreaded B2B/B2C marketing myth.

None of us has ever had a dialog with a “profile”—we’ve only spoken with another human: someone with actual likes, dislikes, loves and hates.

So, how about we start getting real?

This is the topic of this week’s One Minute Wednesday.

HEY, I’M A HUMAN, NOT SOME “TARGET MARKET”

My buddy Ted Rubin said it best: “If you are only focused on the Money… You risk completely overlooking the People.”

I cover this in my book, Brand Intervention, talking about the difference between transactional relationships versus ones built on shared dreams, aspirations, and purposes.

B2B IS WHERE SOMEONE SPENDS THEIR TIME, NOT WHAT DEFINES THEM AS A HUMAN BEING

Never lose sight of people as individuals. It’s people that make work-related decisions, not some “vague corporate entity.”

Just as women are people, not merely “housewives” or “moms.”

The same applies to young adults, kids, people who are in the mature stages of their lives, and those who enjoy certain activities.

Yes, we each have those roles, but don’t let those roles overshadow their humanity.

Not if we ever wish to truly connect our brands with the lives of those we serve with our products and services.

Originally posted at risingabovethenoise.com

The Job of Looking for a Job ~via @gcann

In my eyes, not much better than someone facing a challenge still stepping up at the same time to help others. Well done Greg Cannon! That’s... #RonR... #NoLetUp!

---

or those who are struggling to find something, even if you already have a job, I know it can be frustrating, even demoralizing. Given all the connectivity and big companies failing, there are a lot more talented people in the pool looking for good roles. Just keep swimming and leverage your contacts!

For those out of work, there will be bad days. Some of the best advice I’ve heard is to “focus on small wins” - Watch this Navy Seal Admiral Shares Reasons to Make Bed Every day. Stay current (tips here - "My" Daily Marketing Shortlist), consider some pro-bono work (I like Taproot)... And I know how crazy it sounds when you’re out of work but try volunteering for a cause, Make-A-Wish® America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, etc. It may open doors, it will certainly open eyes - PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING!

Much of below may not be as relevant for more senior level folks but I did this for a close family friend who was just laid off after 30 years. Apparently, it’s been making its way around so if it can help anyone, I’m happy. Reach out to me directly if I can be of any help (greg@gcann.com).

My “Top 5” Tips:

1. Update Your Resume - You want something "ATS Friendly" (Applicant Tracking Systems), which means it will get through all those filtering tools like Taleo, ADP, etc.

• Here are some free templates to start from - https://uptowork.com/blog/google-docs-resume-templates
• These guys are great at optimizing resumes and validating “ATS ready” - https://resumes-experts.com/
• A good resource for your job hunt will be TheMuse, and here are some good articles from Mashable
• And a great executive coach I can recommend, Steven Yorra - steven@theilluminationgroup.com

2. Update your LinkedIn Profile - Reference mine - it’s pretty well optimized.

3. Setup Alerts - Indeed.com, ZipRecruiter, and LinkedIn (I also recommend upgrading to LinkedIn Premium so you can reach out to people/recruiters directly and “they say” it offers more visibility).

4. Connect with Contacts - Let them know you are on the market. DON’T BE SHY! Given how large the applicant pool is today, odds are, your next role will come through a friend in some way. Have lunch/coffee/drinks with people that are well connected in the space you are interested in. Join online professional groups (engage, post comments, etc.) and attend networking events. Also, try joining some activities, yoga, dance, cooking, acting, try Toastmasters, and/or join a gym (getting fit will also be a big help).

5. Do Some Work:

• Research Companies - I always suggest those earlier in their careers to identify the companies they are interested or agencies that do the work for them (that’s a good way to get exposure or find a way in). Tips for identifying: look at the communications/messages the company puts out, e.g., press releases, content, ads, etc. Really research the culture. Look at the companies/brands they associate themselves with and who they are compared to. Look into the leaders (from top to middle mgmt.) I’ll go as far as to hang out at the nearby bars to observe/meet some of the team.
• Write Articles - About your experiences and/or best practices in your space (short is fine, 3-5 paragraphs). Don’t worry about not having many people comment/like your articles. That’s not as important as you’d think. It’s important that you are getting visibility by showing up in contacts feeds - keeping you top of mind. Pro Tip: Having articles will also be very helpful to reference in introduction emails and/or interview follow-ups.
• Pitch Something - This is a bit riskier and laborious investment but can pay off big and seems to be more and more expected with the growing saturation of candidates. It doesn’t have to be exactly right - conceptual is fine - the hiring exec understands you are on the outside looking in (it can even have segments referencing something you did somewhere else) but if you can offer a good logical/creative idea that presents your approach, that can really set you apart.

And lastly, the provocative topic: “Recruiters”. You’ll hear different things from different people - and like every other profession, there is a heavy proportion of mediocre to great (but I have met a few that were amazing). My experience has been that recruiters are focused on filling positions they have been retained for vs. playing the role of “agents” for job seekers. To be clear, I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t reach out to recruiters, you never know, there might just have a role that you are perfect for on their board. At the least, you want to be on their radar. I’m just suggesting that you shouldn’t expect them to stay closely connected like your real estate agent might ;)

Oh, and don't do this!

Stop Spamming Consumers: How to Use AI for 1-to-1 Marketing ~via @emarsys

Artificial intelligence may not be as “smart” as we want yet, but it will be; use algorithms to guide smarter content-driven personalization

For all the promise of big data and artificial intelligence, the current reality is that most smart technologies are just simple, logic-based systems guided, directed, and controlled by humans. In other words, they don’t produce many actionable, significant insights beyond pattern recognition.

The problem, now, is threefold:

       ► Hype has eclipsed reality. Machines aren’t yet advanced enough to own every aspect of your digital marketing operation — but they can augment/enhance many areas.

       ► False expectations. Many digital marketers erroneously believe there is some magic data set that will unlock the flood gates and unleash tons of online shoppers leading to massive sales — the clouds will part, and marketing manna will drop from data heaven.

       ► The promise of marketing — personalized interactions for each customer — is still going unfulfilled. It’s been (and still is) impossible to scale 1:1 communications across your database — that is, until artificial intelligence marketing came to fruition

AI technologies are becoming more and more widespread among marketers today (Source: Building Trust And Confidence: AI Marketing Readiness In Retail And eCommerce, Emarsys and Forrester, 2017)

Is AI Hype — Or Are We Just Marketing Badly?

▬▬▬▬

Most marketing systems/platforms are glorified prediction systems that run on large amounts of existing customer behavioral data. Good stuff, but not actually that predictive now is it?

I’m certainly not an AI expert, but have been actively learning about the space as it relates to marketing for the past year. I’m learning by active experimentation and observation — the same approach I took a decade ago to understand influencer marketing, which allowed me to create the Walmart ElevenMoms program.

The biggest barrier I see for AI marketing is the hype surrounding its application and how it’s being used today.

Related Content: 4 Myths About AI Marketing & How to Combat Each

Most marketing application of the technology is limited to conversion tactics and results in relentless amounts of digital spam filling every part of a “target customer’s” digital path. We need to change that up.

“Most #marketing application of #AI is limited to conversion tactics resulting in too much digital spam” says @Katadhin CLICK TO TWEET

Too much spam, not enough personalization

Just because your predictive algorithm knows I’m in a certain location and matches the profile of other people who’ve bought a certain product, doesn’t mean that because you intelligently place an ad for me to trip over that I’m necessarily going to buy anything.

If this were true, you’d see engagement and conversion rates across the industry going up, not down.

The sad fact is most digital media today relies on an ever-increased amount of reach — not true personalization — to deliver results. The real result: more spam in the form of every digital interruption imaginable… and a poor experience for users.

Facebook now puts ads in the middle of videos, which many people simply skip, along with the rest of the video. I ask marketers all the time how they’d like this in their feeds; and, of course, they don’t — yet continue to foist it upon their customers. This isn’t 1:1 marketing, and certainly leaves the promise of marketing (true personalization) left unfulfilled with consumers just resenting us marketers.

Digital disruption is spam, period. There’s got to be a better way.

Use AI Marketing to Enhance Customer Communications

▬▬▬▬

By using customer data to understand WHO each customer  really is, we can start building better targeting, or rather as my business partner Ted Rubin prefers to refer to it as “match-making,” models to connect with customers. However, we need to also pair this approach with better content and place it where people are actually receptive.

Digital media consumption isn’t passive, it’s active. People DO want to consume certain types of media, and they pick and choose when, where, and how. The sweet spot is meeting them there with relevance. But too many marketers ignore this idea, and treat their digital marketing like TV, spewing forth messaging they care about but that their audience doesn’t.

“Digital media consumption isn’t passive, it’s active…. too many marketers ignore this idea & treat their #digital media like TV, spewing fwd messages they care about but that their audience doesn’t” says @Katadhin CLICK TO TWEET

Missing opportunities to leverage AI correctly

Take social media for instance. Any AI-driven social media tool has a simple job: to keep you tuned in. It does this primarily by understanding what content accomplishes that task. Content that doesn’t make the grade gets punished by never showing up in anyone’s feed (unless it’s paid). Even when paid, it automatically increases in costs as people avoid, block, and just reject it as crappy content — especially in this archaic, interruptive ad model.

The most tragic part is that marketing reporting, analytics, and insights have never been stronger. Every piece of digital content you’re using is perfectly measurable. You can literally see whether individual ads are relevant to consumers by looking at what your data is telling you. Unfortunately, though, brand equity is being destroyed like never before.

But, the opportunities to create 1-to-1 brand relationships exists in a way never dreamed of before, thanks to the abundance of data being generated paired with artificial intelligence marketing.

AI will help usher in a marketing renaissance

As mentioned, AI’s most common and useful application today is pattern recognition. Big data certainly helps fuel and improve this use; but marketing teams shouldn’t worry about AI taking their jobs any time soon.

Instead, look to AI as an augmenting technology — one that will, in time, bring about a new era of marketing.

But in the near term, marketing teams will find themselves most commonly using AI to relieve themselves of painstaking, repetitive tasks like segmentation and data mining. Instead returning to tasks they signed up for like creating content that resonates with consumers and helping train the machine to understand how to deliver content that matters.

Use Case: Fake News

Interestingly, this approach is already used commercially as evidenced by the fake news phenomenon.

Quite simply, anchor content in the form of videos, blog posts, and the like, that is created by various parties, syndicated by bots, and “authenticated” by real people — creating a trust layer that sparked the algorithms to share with like-minded people.

This is actually a rudimentary approach to AI execution but it worked rather flawlessly and effectively. Marketers can take note, as this model is relatively easy to replicate.

Final Thoughts

▬▬▬▬

The simplicity of the current state of AI is that it seeks to simulate dominant human pathways. By combining the customer data you have collected, the content you’re creating for narrowly-defined segments, and the logic of your AI-enabled marketing platform, AI can help you not only achieve hyper-efficiency (with your team and your input/output), but also move you away from a “spray-and-pray” reach model that spams everyone in sight, including customers.

Carefully evaluating the organic path to purchase will produce a variety of predictable AI-driven outcomes from web and e-commerce traffic, to longer-term loyalty and brand preference. ◾

This article originally ran in the whitepaper “AI & Marketing” by Access AI, and has been slightly reworked for the Emarsys blog.

Handpicked Related Content:

• What You Need to Know About the Fourth Industrial Revolution: AI
• Marketing and Digital Transformation Leaders on AI, the Future… and the Unknown
• Introducing the AI-Driven Marketer: Here’s How Marketing is Evolving in 2018 and Beyond

John Andrews is a serial entrepreneur and a career marketer in the consumer packaged goods industry. John was a senior manager of emerging media at Walmart, where he created the ElevenMoms program in 2009. He was also the founder and CEO (2009-2013) of Collective Bias, which drove business development with top 50 consumer brands and was named one of Forbes ‘Most Promising Companies’ three years in a row.

John currently works as CEO  of Collaborative Content App Photofy and operates The Katadhin Company, a marketing consultancy, and Prevailing Path, a shopper platform designed to identify the most efficient path to purchase across digital channels, which he co-founded with Ted Rubin.

Connect with John: LinkedIn • @

“A Night with Friends” fundraiser with The Friendship Initiative ~via @LisaFerrara

PLEASE READ and PARTICIPATE in any way you can... 

On February 14th a gunman opened fire on innocent children at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland Florida, killing 17 children and teachers and devastating an entire community.

The Friendship Initiative, an organization built on the core values of compassion, outreach and friendship, lost two of our dedicated teenage volunteers, Jaime Guttenberg and Gina Montalto in the massacre.

Jaime and Gina took their volunteer roles with the Friendship Initiative very seriously. They loved their friends with all of their heart and their loss is felt deeply by our entire community.

On June 2nd, The Friendship Initiative will hold its first annual gala event “An Evening with Friends” to honor the lives of Jaime and Gina and celebrate the love and friendship that brings children with special needs and neuro-typical children together.

All money raised at the event will fund scholarships in their names to award The Friendship Initiative student volunteers who display the compassion, kindness, and commitment that Jaime and Gina modeled every day. 

Please join us by donating an item for our silent and/or live auction. All donations are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged in our event program.

Please contact Lisa Ferrara at lisa.ferrara1@gmail.com or 917.370.6383 for further information or to donate an item or service.

On behalf of the Guttenberg and Montalto families and all of us at The Friendship Initiative we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

The Friendship Initiative
www.friendshipinitiative.org

The Friendship Initiative is a 501c3 charitable organization, started in 2011 and committed to uniting individuals of all abilities through friendship, thus redefining the concept of community. We provide programs to foster relationships between the special needs and neuro-typical populations, creating a world that is home to all and influencing generations to come.

Originally posted at http://thefriendshipinitiative.org/

Thank you for supporting and bringing to my attention Lisa and Michael Ferrara. #RonR... #NoLetUp!

The Power Of Connections ~via @ursularingham

Let’s face it. I’m a confirmed extrovert. For those of you who know me, that was a “duh” statement. I can’t help myself. Last weekend, my husband and I flew to Portland, Oregon. Before we boarded the airplane, I looked at our seat assignments. Once again, I was in the middle row. And my husband had the window. My husband is 5 inches taller so I couldn’t really suggest he take my seat.

I joked, “Middle seat, really?”

His response? “But you love to talk to people.”

Of course I do. I have a natural curiosity to understand a person’s story. I love to listen, engage and understand their purpose in life. With all my travels, I meet quite a few people on airplanes. And sometimes, we end up friends — I’m talking to you MaryAnne. This time, my seat mate was a burley red bearded man named Jason. He seemed kind of surprised when I turned to him, smiled and said, “How are you doing?” That was all it took. Hook. Line. Sinker.

My husband and I ended up talking with Jason the entire flight. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. I learned about the commercial greenhouse industry. And the plastic resin he sells (that DuPont abandoned 30 years ago) for these structures. The four years he lived in Sun Valley, Idaho. The 18 years of coaching he's had with baseball, soccer, and football. And his 12 & 14 year-old boys. Baseball is everything with his family. He even timed his flight to make it home in time for his 14 year-old’s game.

So, why am I telling you this story?

Today, I start a new position at SAP as the Head of Global Influencer Marketing. My job is to build relationships with a community of thought leaders who can tell an integrated SAP story in meaningful ways. We'll create innovative content to align with solution campaigns and use social media to get the word out. And at the root of it all is good storytelling. Understanding someone's story and building trust. Trust is the currency all brands must have when marketing to an audience. And if you can find trusted advisors to share authentic experiences about the purpose of your brand, you’ll make an impact on the world. And that's my new job. I could not have gotten here today without all of you.

I encourage all of you to take the time to make a real life connection. Listen to someone’s story. Understand where they came from. And what makes them who they are today. You never know where that new relationship will take you. Maybe you end up life-long friends. Perhaps it’s just a nice conversation that brightens your day. When it comes down to it, we all have a story to tell and we all want to be heard. And that is the power of connections.

Originally posted at Ursula Ringham's LinkedIn

Pro Tip: Want to be better? Trust Your Inner DJ (and Listen Better). ~via @gcann

Time is our most valuable asset and the world is noisier than ever. As such, we devote less time to really listen which leads to compromised results. Whether that's bringing home the wrong flavor of ice cream (“I asked for strawberry!”), an inaccurate product/feature deliverable, or simply a less compelling response to a question (which can cost you a job or promotion).

Listening -- really hearing, builds/strengthens relationships and solves problems. Personally and professionally.

Here are my “Top 5” tips:

Tip #1. Stop Anticipating and Trust Your Inner DJ

We tend to instinctually think that anticipating the next comment or question will better prepare us to give a better response. As such, while your conscious mind is listing to what’s being said, it’s also “digging through the crates” for what great answer/example/story you can give - the problem is, that means you’re not paying as much attention, potentially compromising your response.

You don’t need to prep, you’re sharp. Just listen to the question/comment with full attention and “trust your inner DJ” (your subconscious) to pull the right album.. ahem, answer. You’ll nail it.

Tip #2. Be Focused

Listen with genuine interest and intent to learn. Listen not just for words but also for tone, pace, mood, etc. Observe expression through the eyes, mouth, and shoulders. Don't get distracted by your feelings on the statement. Screen out distractions like background activity and/or the speaker's gestures, accent, speech impediments, etc. Focus, focus, "squirrel!" -- refocus.

Tip #3. Listen with Your Face

Needless to say, don’t be looking at your phone/screen but looking down can be just as bad. Face the speaker, look them in the eye (even if they don't look back), smile, nod (but not too much!), look surprised, etc. Be confident, comfortable (but sit up!), and most of all.. interested. Visual disinterest, shyness, and/or uncertainty = #fail

Step 4: Validate and Ask Questions

Don’t interrupt or try to finish the speaker’s sentences! Confirm you are listening, that you understand and that you care by expressing (as mentioned above) through a smile, nod, “yeah”, “exactly”, “nooo”, “really?!”. Then, once the statement is completely made, ask questions. Not for the sake of asking but with genuine curiosity. Sometimes the questions alone can lead to an interesting place. 

Timing is everything, though. Make sure the question is relevant or it will send a message of disinterest or derail and lead things in an awkward direction. Make sure to think through what and how you ask. It’s fine to pause and take time to think it through. I like to use facial expressions to show a question is being composed.

Step 5: Don't be a Hero -- Don’t Try to Solve Everything

The quicker a thinker you are, the harder this will be but let the speaker express their thought completely and feel heard. Let them feel you empathize (feel me?). Then, and only after the topic/story is completely expressed, it’s not inappropriate to share a story or idea of a technique/product that it would be valuable - but do it tactfully -AND ONLY if you feel it would be appreciated. Read the room.

Originally posted on LinkedIn

Using Collaborative Content for a Cause ~via @PhotofyApp

Collaboration is at the heart of effective cause-based marketing. 'Good' Organizations work tirelessly to leverage the passions and motivations of individuals and connected groups to support worthy causes and effect change. Often these efforts are funded by corporations, foundations, magnanimous donors and perhaps, most importantly, from the cause community itself. Social media has created a significant boost to cause organizations of all types by making it infinitely more accessible for like-minded supporters to connect, share and advocate for causes they care about. On the other hand, social media has also increased competition for attention, activation and ultimately funding, for those that cannot keep up with the pace. 

As with commercial marketing, the most influential resources are family and friends. There is nothing more powerful than a genuinely passionate individual that shares a direct connection or story to a cause. And through social media, the impact of that share can be scaled exponentially. One of my favorite examples of grass-roots good is the work that Joey Hilburn and his friends are doing at The Grown Ups Benefit. Joey has created an organization to help those in need directly within his community and uses a variety of social media channels to support events and fund-raising challenges. Joey's community self-reinforces through its social channels as its members create and share content about its initiatives. Along with financial support, media produced in this way helps spread awareness, build engagement and ultimately do more good.

I have worked directly with several Good Marketing organizations for the past five years and the common theme I find is that while fundraising is often an ongoing challenge for many, the ability to reach and engage supporters is as hard, if not more so. Social media can make this easier, but also more difficult as the competition for attention drowns out messaging. At GoodXChange, we approached this problem by first measuring cause-related brand warmth - that is, the way people feel about your brand in response to your cause-marketing initiatives - and then focusing our efforts on people, partners and programs that connected to the measurable drivers of brand warmth. By connecting with people similar to those already engaging (which can be observed through existing content), creating relevant content for those people and scaling reach by engaging the networks of all partners, overall interaction grows thanks to activating the personal influence of participants. This approach consistently delivers higher levels of engagement for causes like Walgreens Red Nose Day, which GoodXChange helped to amplify in May 2017.

At Photofy, we are seeking to now amplify the effect of personal influence through our collaborative content creation platform. We've been helping businesses active their associates and partners networks with beautiful, on-brand content to build personal engagement for years and we are now creating platforms specifically for Good Organizations and their supporters, friends, partners and even related causes. Our first effort is seeking to bring together GoodXChange's partnership with the cause art company, Sevenly, that inspires people to wear what they care through seven-day art giving campaigns that support various causes. Right now, they are partnering with a new participation oriented organization, called “solver:”. Its mission is simple — to get people to take action in real life. Passionate people come together to get others in their community to tack action, just as Joey and his friends are doing with The Grown Ups Benefit. Content becomes a central connection point as people share their experiences bring even more people together around a cause they care about. The Photofy platform helps people easily participate through content creation and sharing with their personal networks.

For Earth Day, solver: is supporting the Wolf Conversation Center and its efforts to protect wolf populations through education. Sevenly has created product designs that coincide with these efforts and solver: is bringing people together to promote local conversations about the Center's efforts. Supporters are encouraged to host an Earth Day Conversation in their area and in doing so will unlock $10 for the Wolf Conservation Center from Sevenly for every picture post via Photofy, truly a good exchange. While providing direct support for the cause, these efforts serve to raise awareness and gather more people into direct action. By enabling more participation through content, we are helping to unlock the value of collaboration through inspiring content.

Want to get involved? Jump in here!

Using the Photofy App, simply search #EarthDay to connect with content related to this campaign.

HOST AN EARTH DAY CONVERSATION! On April 22nd, host a gathering of 10 or more people to discuss three questions about the conservation challenge, and post a picture of you and your group using one of Photofy’s Earth Day filters. Each Photofy upload will unlock $10 toward conservation of national wildlife (UN Sustainable Development Goal 15, supporting Life on Land) through a grant, in your name, from Sevenly to the Wolf Conservation Center - up to $5,000. The first 50 hosts of an Earth Day Gathering with 10+ people will be outfitted with one item (up to a $30 value) from the Sevenly Outfitters Collection, featuring artisan apparel and accessories created for and benefiting the @wolfconservationcenter! #wearyourstory #becausepeoplematter #Earth Day #WeSolveIRL

From Healthy To Cancer In Three Days ~via @jenhoverstad

There are few I admire as much as Jen Hoverstad...

“I wish none of this had happened.” ~Frodo

”So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.” ~Gandalf ”

Go get it Jen, we are here to support you any way we can... #NoLetUp!

---

Exactly two weeks ago, Sunday, March 25, 2018, I zenned out in an amazing hot yoga class with my sister and a few of our friends then I headed home to prep for a busy week, as I did nearly every Sunday.

Like most Sundays, I'd have dinner with my husband and our daughters, review the weekly calendar for the family, and catch up on some email before going to bed. 

I'm sure I probably did those things, but I've forgotten most of that day.

FINDING IT

When I got out of the shower, I noticed some skin discoloration on my left breast (newsflash: that's not normal), which led to a self exam, which led to a sizable, distinguishable mass.

Three days later, I found out that mass has a name - invasive ductal carcinoma that's HER2+ (hormone negative), and it had spread into at least one lymph node.

In those three days, I met with my OB, who immediately referred me to a specialist at UNC Rex Healthcare, who had me in for a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy on Tuesday. By the end of the day, the specialist, who is now my surgeon for this newly formed team I've gathered around me, told me to expect cancer.

I'm glad she prepared me for it. 

CONFIRMING THE DIAGNOSIS

Over the next week, I'd meet with an oncologist and have additional full body scanning tests to look for cancer in other organs, bones, and lymph nodes. 

On Tuesday, April 3, the oncologist let me know that I had a mass on my liver. It's 4cm, but concerning, given the fact I had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

The liver tumor, and whether or not it was cancerous, was the difference between Stage 3 and Stage 4 cancer. 

On Friday morning, April 6, I went in for an MRI that would only look at the liver. It was a 45 minute test that instructed me to inhale and exhale more than any yoga class I've ever taught or taken.

Fun fact: you have to hold your breath to get pictures of your liver - it moves around when you breathe.

I painstakingly waited for the remainder of Friday afternoon to hear back. Finally, at 4:59 p.m. as I was leaving work, the doctor called to tell me it was a benign focal nodular hyperplasia.

WHAT A RELIEF AND ANSWER TO MANY, MANY PRAYERS!

So now, here we are. Stage 3 breast cancer. 

HOW I'M DOING

When I was waiting on my diagnosis, a survivor friend said that the waiting would be the worse part.

It was terrible.

I was weepy, confused, and questioning everything. 

Oddly enough, finding out I had Stage 3 cancer (as opposed to Stage 4) has been one of the best pieces of news I ever received. We know exactly what we're dealing with.

I have an amazing team of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff just down the road from my house.

I have a detailed treatment plan that begins with chemo this week.

I have an unbreakable support system that has emerged in the form of family, family friends, high school friends, college friends, former co-workers, current co-workers - the list seems to go on forever! I'm completely overwhelmed by the love that has been shown to me, Carl, and the girls in such a brief period of time.

I have an incredible husband. Neither of us ever saw this coming, but his presence and support is reassuring and calming.

Most importantly, I have faith in a God that answers prayers, and I've had the front row privilege to see His hand at work over the past two weeks.

To get an additional overview of my diagnosis, see Jen > Cancer.

Originally posted at http://www.jenhoverstad.com/ 

Top Dad Bloggers Of 2018 ~via @thebabyspotca

Dad Bloggers are taking over the internet! In our humble opinion, Dads have just come so far in the blogging world. They are a force! From humor blogs to everyday life stories, if you are not reading Dad blogs, you are missing out.

We have compiled a list of the top Dad bloggers that we have found across the globe. Yes, this is the only global dad bloggers list so you get a perspective of writing from all over the world. These bloggers are listed in no particular order and we will be adding to this list as time goes on throughout the year. Great bloggers are always born and we want to make sure you are getting the best around the globe.

HERE ARE OUR TOP DAD BLOGGERS OF 2018:

One Hull of A Dad Rich is our Blogger of the year! You will love his inquisitive and honest posts as much as we do! Dad Blogger (parenting & lifestyle) from Hull | Co-founder of @Hashtagdadsquad | PR friendly | Enquiries email onehullofadad@gmail.com

The Honest Father One of our favorites! If you thrive on honesty and great posts from a Dad you can relate to, this is your blogger. Blogger, vlogger, viewpoint donator. All views are unapologetically mine. Mark@thehonestfather.com

Inside Martyn’s Thoughts  Dad and Home Educator. Parenting, Lifestyle, Food & Education blog. Award Finalist #MADBlogAwards 2016 & #KentDigitalAwards 2017 martynkitney39@gmail.com

Modern Dad Pages Brand Ambassador -PR friendly – Social Influencer – Community/SM manager

Blog of Dad Australian working dad, parenting and lifestyle write

At Home Dad Matters (Dada) Mike Heenan is a Stay-At-Home-Dad (SAHD) of two young daughters in Northern California. He is a devoted husband, author, avid reviewer, and  Huffington Post blogger. He has been featured on the Today Show, FOX News, FOX and Friends, KGORadio and is a featured blogger for the National At Home Dad Network. He is a contributor to Dads Behaving Dadly, a book of fathering stories that hopes to dispel the antiquated notion of dad as the inept dolt or emotionally unavailable paycheck proxy. He is available for chit-chat, appearances, assignments, guest posts, and all sorts of artistic collaborations.

Life of Dad Show The Social Network for Dads. Life of Dad features thousands of fatherhood blogs, videos, podcasts, photos, celebrity interviews, and more.

Poppin’ Bottles Dad Cast This is what happens when two Dads with a sense of humor talk about parenting and more! @brownie_22 @BKMullen_

Gay NYC Dad Entertainment, Travel & Parenting Blogger! I talk about my kid, adoption and parenting, and do product reviews. HuffPo Disney Blogger.

Tshakaarmstrong Husband, #dad, nerd, #edtech/ #digitalliteracy evangelist. Rotten Tomatoes columnist, Outreach/Community@ ideaa.io & http://foxla.com ‘s #TechNinja

adriankulp Writer, Author, blogger at ‘Dad or Alive’, HuffPo and TODAY Parents. Full-time Stay-at-home dad for 3 kids under 5. TWITTER/INSTAGRAM: dad_or_alive

TedRubin‘Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass… it’s about learning to dance in the rain.This blogger is a leading Social Marketing Strategist, Keynote Speaker, Brand Evangelist and Acting CMO of Brand Innovators and in March 2009 started publicly using and evangelizing the term ROR: Return on Relationship™. He also so many other hats. A must read!

whithonea Author of The Parents’ Phrase Book. Co-founder @Dads4Change. Social guy @Dad2Summit. Hides insecurities with food & humor. I write for that site you like.

DaddyisBest Using Humor as a Survival Tool Speaker, Published author, Blogger, Superhero in Training and Daddy and hubbie. RT for Daddies and men Tell me a joke.

Jax Menez Atwell– Investigator, adventurer, actor, History Channel’s Missing in Alaska, Dad, star of Journey with Jax and Dad Blogger. His articles are about fatherhood, investigating and lifestyle.

Omg It’s A Girl  Blogger, talker of rubbish and eater of too much cake. Dad, Stepdad and boyfriend. Raising my daughter to kick Ass! Breaker of phones.

CanadianDadBlog Dad. Husband. Rock Star, turned blogger. I dig music. Snapchat: mrcanadiandad

Answer The Tully Phone Do you have a product, event, location or service that touches a family’s life in any way? Let’s collaborate! answerthetullyphone@gmail.com

The Dad Effect #Dad of 2 (soon to be 3) sharing my #fatherhood #adventures through my #blog

Being Daddy UK An in-the-making blog from a married father of five young children.

FathershipcoukWinging Fatherhood. Great blog.

FatherFoodFun Celebrating & sharing stories of fatherhood, great food to enjoy with family and friends, and plenty of fun with the little ones!

Playground Dad– Spending Better time through sports.

dadarocksI became a Parent & then started a blog – about being a dad / father & fatherhood and somethings I love Photography Toys TechGear TV & Movies!

acjlist Teacher by day. Blogger by night. Funny by choice. Part time Superhero/ Full-time Dad. @LifeofDadShow contributor.

designer daddy 40ish gay dad blogger w/6yo son. Utility belt contents: Starbucks, Advil, Just for Men. @SuperLunchNotes on Instagram. http://favstar.fm/users/DesignerDaddy …

The Good Bad Dad Dad, Husband, Blogger, Author

gettingmydadonThe ups, downs, and roundabouts that come with being a dad

The Stented Papa Tales of a Stay-At-Home-Dad, @stented_missus, our 2 beautiful girls, a dog & oh yeah..my 4 stents. You can also find me @Ross_Good #PRFriendly & @bookywookyltd

Dad Geek DadGeek is a movie geek, game geek, tech geek and proud autism dad. PR friendly. Enquiries to info@dadgeek.co.uk

Too Many Redheads #Dadblogger writing about #parenting, #family life, and being the best dad I can be. http://facebook.com/toomanyredheads  http://pinterest.com/toomanyredheads

dadworldorder Dad Blogger | Married to @BlogSenorita | Love checking out all the fun family things life has to offer | Life, reviews & more! secret identity @writing_rambler

Kids Dog Caravan Dad of Wee Girl and Wee Man. Co founder of #dadsquad

Scantily Dad The best parenting blog on the planet. A place for parents to learn about infertility, IVF, Preemies, Parenting, Twins & Product Reviews. Searching for writers

daddyintheraw”The Real Life of a Work At Home Dad” with @DrBenFung. #DadBlog#WorkAtHomeDad#Entrepreneur《Chief Content Officer @UpDocMedia》

robainbinder Online Marketer, Dad, Husband, Author, Columnist @goodmenproject & #DadBlogger. Love Family, Tech, @patriots, home improvement. Founder of http://whypeopleclick.com

dadvworld Taking on the world as a Dad | Dad | Husband | Blogger | Vlogger | http://dadvworld.com  | http://youtube.com/dadvworld  | Vlogger for @thedadnetworkuk

imnotgrandpaBad Ass Fifty-Something Marathon-Running Stay at Home Dad, and #DADBlogger at http://ImNotGrandpa.com Columnist @GoodMenProject

youthedaddyDad-to-be blogger & reviewer, giving the guy’s perspective on pregnancy, babies and parenthood – also photo #blogging on Instagram: http://Instagram.com/youthedaddy

thedadnetworkuk  Al is the founder & CEO of The Dad Network; one of the UK’s fastest growing network of dads and most influential dad blog. The Dad Network is an online parenting platform connecting dads to resources, entertainment and each other across the globe. The Dad Network hosts over 30 local meet-ups around the UK and a handful overseas as well as the UK’s largest annual dad convention; DadCon. The Dad Network has a number of social platforms, including its own YouTube channel, reaching hundreds of thousands of parents each week.

Slouching Towards Thatcham Dad of 3 • #3 Tots100 dad blog • Podcaster @ParentsPodcast • The best parent blogger you’re not currently reading (said absolutely no one)

A Life Just Ordinary The life & times of Joshua’s dad! Reading FC, Reading FC Women, dance music, friends, family and a very lively toddler – what else is there?!

More Top Dad Bloggers:

Best Dad I Can Be Winner of UK’s Funniest Dad Blogger award. Writer, speaker, red wine drinker http://amzn.to/VnPVaT  New book soon – Father, Son and the Pennine Way

DIY Daddy    One of our personal favorites! Dad to five inc twins. #2 UK Dadblogger 2017 @vuelio #8 UK Pblogger 2017@vuelio #3 Uk Dad Blogger @tots100 blogosphere s/list pblogger of 2017

Life of A Busy Dad I’m a father of four children with the oldest being 13 years old. I live in the Midwest in the beautiful state of Iowa. I also blog at http://lifeofabusydad.com

Dad’s Diary English toddler tamer, writer and parenting humourist, Dad’s Diary.harrylikesmusic on Snapchat www.dadsdiary.co.uk

Neu Dad Mike Oldham is an Event Manger new to the world of parenthood.

They Macauled Me Dad On a quest to be the greatest Dad blogger ever. Join him!

That Dadgum Blog Dad, nerd, writer, aspiring author, fantasy geek, devourer of chaos, trying to be the best dadgum dad I can be #fatherhood#dadblogger#writer

Ask Your Dad Blog I write a blog about being a dad. I try to be funny on purpose. Usually it’s on accident. Find me here: https://www.facebook.com/AskYourDadBlog

Dad Up North–UK Dad blog – Googling my way through parenthood

I Wrote Those Coffee-guzzler. Cake-devourer. Moody Writer. Recovering ice cream addict. Dad to a 4y ninja. Goes into survival mode if tickled. In search of sleep & the Shire

@A_Dads_Tale Married to the woman of my dreams and dad to 3 amazing kids. Every day is a new adventure and so much fun! Check out my blog and join in the fun. #IAmDad

Dad Mode: On Full-time Dad, part-time photographer, lifetime lucky husband.

It’s Adam Again MD of design, print & digital agency @farnbeyond & @reallygoodbrand. This Dad Blog is  reviewing toddler days out https://www.itsadamagain.co.uk #daddaysout

A Father’s Instruction Husband. Father. Passion to help dads raise their children while following a biblical worldview. Master Lego builder and tea party host.

Chronicles of A New Dad I’m a new dad who tries not to screw up. I started a blog to record my thoughts on being a parent. Recently featured on ABC.

funnydadinc   Jokes, blogs and videos on the funny business of parenting from corporate comedian and Chicago Tribune humor columnist Greg Schwem.

DadsApp Dadsapp is here to support & encourage dads through conversation & linking into support. I suffer from anxiety & panic attacks.

Daddy Poppins Blog Daddy Poppins quit his job to look after his kids.

Stories About Autism Dad of 2 boys with autism. Sharing everyday stories about our lives to promote acceptance and show others they are not alone

Ask Dad Blog I write a blog about being a dad. I try to be funny on purpose. Usually it’s on accident.

Lad Baby The transition from Lad-to-Dad…one beer at a time! No1 UK Dad Blogger as voted for by me

Dandy Dad Blog Parenting, with style. Contributor to GQ, The Guardian, and The Huffington Post.

Dad on The Run Sometimes humorous, sometime serious, Dad on the Run shines light on the pressures and anxieties of being a new dad, especially with twins and offers advice, whether training for a marathon, home-brewing beer, or applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to try to get more sleep.

Dad’s Diary One day, toddlers will inherit the earth, and zombies don’t stand a chance.

Dad Blog UK Married stay at home dad with 2 children. Parenting & lifestyle blogger, writer, vlogger & commentator. Winner: Best UK Dad Blog, 2016 Vuelio Blog Awards.

More of our favorite Top Dad Bloggers:

Stories of a Dad I’m Adam | Dad of 1 | UK Dad Blogger | Writer | Parenting | Humour | Lifestyle | Sport | The world from a Dad’s eye view.

The Yorkshire Dad Full-time ProjectManager, occasional daddy blogger, owner of two boys & a fiancé. I love golf, horror, DIY, darts, poker & WWE. Writing on @HuffPostUK @MetroUK

One Dad One Blog Dad to H(4) and D(2), Husband, Blogger, Lego and boxset lover. Gadget/ Tech obsessive and all round big kid. Love Days Out with the Family.

Hux Web From an existence of excess and debauchery to pastures new with a tiny human.

Get Connect Dad Do you want to #GetConnectDad as a family? 250+ parents writing on #52Traits4Kids.

Casey Palmer I’ll write you a blog you cannot refuse. Dad. Artsy

Dad Camp Dad to @Zacharie and @CharlieChooch. Passionate about fatherhood and parenting, terrible at camping. AKA @buzzbishop

Dad sense Blog Dad•sense (n): 1)The tingling sensation when someone leaves a light on or adjusts the thermostat. 2) Parenting decisions that just make sense. Canadian content

Modern Dad Pages Brand Ambassador -PR friendly – Social Influencer – Community/SM manager

Single Dads Are Cool Author of the blog http://SingleDadsareCool.com . Lover of vlogs, roller coasters, and anyone who loves me enough to feed me good food.

Dad Goes Round Smart ass, pro-choice Canadian Dad of 3 living in Ottawa. Hewer of wood at http://www.thomaswoodcrafts.com . Opinions are my own & sometimes stolen. How can I help you?

Dad in Charge  SAHD, Dad Blogger, Photographer. Parenting enthusiast. Hates playdates. Loves kids and creativity

Dads Can Blog Too Just a Dad out to prove we have things to write about too.

Daddy Days A 3yr old and his Daddy trying to stay out of trouble while Mummy is at work… Blogging our experiences and Vlogging our adventures.
#pblogger #pvlogger #daddy

Daddilife So much has changed about being a dad, and daddilife is a site for that modern day dad where they curate a range of different stories, advice, and community to help in the ever changing roles of dad.

Dad Mode On – This first time Canadian Dad is a self-proclaimed certified goofball. You will love this blog!

Mad Dad Skillz– this Dad is a Helicopter Dad by day and a Dad blogger by night! Must read blog.

Defeat the Dad Bod Love and still getting dad fit PR Friendly Fitness and lifestyle blog. A dad bod is not an inevitability of fatherhood. info@gettingdadfit.com

The Gad Dad This is one of our new favorites! Husband dad & mental health campaigner. Sufferer of depression & GAD. Creator of The Well-Being Notebook.

Daddy Files He talks parenting, sports and politics here. Lately, more of the last one. Bylines found in TIME, HuffPost Parents, Parents Magazine, American Baby, and more.

Tom Turner Founder of @strengthrestord. I tweet about business, leadership, child development psychology and parenting. I also contribute to @getconnectdad

This Dad Can Jon’s the father of two and married for seven years. He’s passionate about health & sport, community action, and personal development. These passions have integrally influenced his character into the man he is today.
He’s the Founder of This Dad Can. This Dad Can is an online resource for new, existing and expecting fathers. It resources men to be the Dads they want to be. Saving them valuable time and money by avoiding the common parenting mistakes.

We have found our top Dad bloggers of 2018. Do you have any suggestions? Put your favorite choice below…

Bloggers will be added periodically through out the year. Bloggers must be blogging for at least six months and must be writing regularly to be considered.

Be sure to check out our Top Mom Bloggers of 2018

Originally posted at http://thebabyspot.ca/

Why We Won't Shop At Stores In 2028 ~via @Katadhin

I have been doing a ton of retail history research for my and Ted Rubin's upcoming book, Retail Relevancy and THE consistent theme is change driven by simplicity. Local stores made it easy for early settlers to get the things they needed to build their lives without long journeys to major towns and cities. Traveling salespeople and mail order made it more accessible still. Chain stores brought consistency and a more comprehensive product selection which discounters enhanced with lower prices. Most recently, ecommerce and a host of logistics technology are changing shopping altogether, far more than at any time in the past. Quite simply, there is no need longer a need for a 'place' in the shopping ecosystem, only the need or desire for a product, which now seamlessly comes to the shopper.

This seems somewhat obvious and yet the majority of the retail industry is still operating like it is in the big box era as if the current plight of physical retail is not happening. The lethargy at which incumbent retail has adapted to changing shopper behavior has contributed in large part to the current leadership position for new retail entrants, notably Amazon, but soon to be international players including Alibaba and JD that are taking global leadership roles and will likely be competing vigorously in the US as well. The problem on the surface appears to be the proverbial (myth?) frog in a boiling pot of water; change is to slow to react to clear and present danger. Whole analysts cottage industries have sprung up refuting the concept of the 'Retail apocalypse,' but the evidence is relatively clear. Store visits in the US have been slowing for a decade, emerging retail markets have much higher rates of ecommerce penetration and perhaps most impactful is simplicity. Once shoppers migrate to pick up, delivery, replenishment, voice shopping and eventually AI driven automated fulfillment, they aren't likely to return to stores, especially for routine purchases.

Is it really that fun to shop for paper towels?

For many, this may seem far-fetched but the reality is that is it already happening. Our family has transitioned to automated replenishment for most consumable products already. These items simply show up on a regular cadence with no interaction at all from us. Artifical Intelligence will make this process even easier as products themselves communicate with the platforms and auto-replenish without any human interaction. All the infrastructure is already available to make this happen. You can easily envision this extending to meals, clothing and other goods as well. Marketing will undergo a huge change as well. The beautiful dish I'm viewing on Pinterest will be fulfilled as a meal kit for tonight's dinner.

Analogous to self-driving cars, the technology to make storeless shopping a reality is much closer than perceived. From Big Macs to groceries to apparel, shopping is undertaken when, where and how the shopper wants instead of being place-based. Many retailers are scrambling to catch up to Amazon's lead. Walmart and Kroger are aggressively rolling out grocery pick-up and delivery as shoppers now have a multitude of competitive and third-party options. When you consider the amount of time spent on this straightforward shopping task, it is rational that given an option to save time, effort and even money, many will choose delivery and automated fulfillment, especially if the result, pantries and refrigerators stocked with quality groceries, is mostly the same. However, for the current industry, this will bring radical change as brand relevance driven by location dissolves. The utility will be found in quality, service level and simplicity creating both an opportunity and threat for current channels.

Obviously, we will utilize stores for SOME shopping in 2028, but we also still sell SOME vinyl records in 2018. Like the music industry, a huge shakeout is coming for anything between the producer and the shopper that doesn't add value. Alexa, please get me a beer, this is going to be interesting to watch.

Originally posted at John Andrew's LinkedIn

Being a “passive” marketer in the days of aggressive marketing ~via @confluentforms

Can a business survive and prosper in today’s marketing environment without being active with their email marketing campaigns, social media platforms, blogs, SEO, and remarketing ad campaigns?

Conventional wisdom from most marketers today says “Sure, you can shun all of those things, but you won’t survive. You won’t grow. Because this is how people are finding and engaging now”

“ conventional — what is generally done or believed”

Contrary to conventional wisdom, it is quite possible that you don’t need to be doing these things. You don’t need to be spending hours a week being an active marketer… and instead, what if you took that same time and effort and invested it in your existing customers and clients?

An example: a pilates studio in western Massachusetts

A positive space for people to get/stay healthy

There’s this boutique pilates studio in an old mill building in a small town. There are other pilates studios in the area, as well as gyms that offer pilates, yoga studios, etc. But this studio, now in their 7th year, has been profitable since year one, growing constantly at their own pace, and continually has a wait list.

They didn’t write blog articles such as “23 reasons why you should be doing pilates!” (common content marketing tactic). They didn’t focus on posting 5–10 times a day to their Facebook page to grow their Facebook following (only 300 followers, but a common social media marketing tactic). Their newsletter only goes to existing students, they don’t push people to sign up let alone through popup windows (common inbound marketer tactic). And they didn’t engage in keyword stuffing, directory backlinks or paid links.

So how do they grow and market their business?

They accomplish this by doing two things very, very well. They love their students, and their students love them in return. And they translate that love into community and “influencer marketing” which drives referrals, high search rankings, and new student conversions, while keeping their existing students happy and returning.

Your time and your money is fixed; we only have so much time in the day to dedicate to our work and only so much budget to accomplish what we need done. How are you going to spend your time and your money, where is it best invested? Every hour and every dollar that you spend on getting new customers is an hour or dollar that you’re not spending on your existing clients and customers.

The best situation is the one where investing in your existing clientele is what generates new business.

Happy customers (and their experiences) do the talking

Happy customers leave detailed and glowing reviews. Happy customers vote for you in “best of” polls. Happy customers enable your business to grow in an organic way, not based on illusory sales and gimmicks, but on a rewarding value proposition. Happy customers keep coming back.

A customer for life. And one that will spread the word.

Modern SEO increasingly factors these relationships and context into search algorithms. Google utilizes personalization to give you tailored search results that draw on your existing Contacts (did my best friend leave a 5-star review?). Google also indexes the reviews that people have left, discussing things that might not even be mentioned on your website, and shows them in the result set (help with chronic back pain? see this review of a pilates studio near you).

Modern social media marketing is increasingly over-saturated with marketing messages, leading many to become tone deaf to them, block them, or disconnect from social entirely. Facebook marketers are constantly lamenting the death of “organic reach”, having to instead resort to paid boosts of their content. But you know where the best leads are generated? From Groups where people ask for recommendations, from notifications in your feed when a friend likes a business or leaves a review, and other personalized interactions.

Modern content marketing has gradually transitioned from “best of” or “listicle” articles to included increased value content with personalization and utility, but it’s necessary to evaluate the Cost of this content creation. It’s not cheap. Then it’s necessary to factor in how much it costs to promote that content in order to reach the desired audiences. Again, lots of time, effort and cost… is it worth it for your business? Not always. But some of the best content is often the easiest to write: it’s case studies and success stories. And those stories originate from Happy Customers.

Come back to focusing on creating Happy Customers

Marketing consultants are going to sell/promote small businesses on these digital marketing solutions, and in many cases they’re going to cost more than they’ll ever generate in new business. And when you factor in the “The Jones’s” behavior of “if my competitors are doing it I probably need to be doing it”, suddenly everyone is wasting resources because of a mistaken belief.

But when someone posts: “hey, does anyone have any suggestions for a fitness studio?” or “hi guys, I’ve been suffering from back pain and my PT is done with me, what should I try now?”, guess what’s going to happen? Your happy customers/students are going to immediately chime into this conversation and recommend you. Your Influencers, because that’s what they are, will do your marketing for you in a way that goes beyond anything you could pay to do.

They are your Army of Advocates, and they’re your best marketing investment.

Originally posted at Medium.com

From Coming Out to Pride Within: Reframing My ‘Story’ ~via @megagahubert

On the eve of Pride NYC, I’m overwhelmed while reflecting on my ‘story.’ But what really is a story? A story is objectively defined as ‘an account of past events in someone’s life.’ We tend to process stories in a fixed, permanent format with a clear beginning, middle and end. Yet the way we understand, process, analyze and tell our story is more nimble and flexible than we think.

I tell my story constantly (and my friends can attest to that) but I’ll explain why. With every delivery of my story, I notice how my growing pride has completely transformed the narrative I tell. Five years ago, when I began my coming out process, the tone of my story was drenched in shame, fear, insecurity, apprehension, pain, anxiety and every other dramatic word you can think of. I went 6 months dating a girl without telling a single individual (after 18 years of failing at heterosexuality.) I lived in isolation of my intolerable fear of rejection. The first five people I came out to literally assumed I had a terminal illness. Each friend truly sighed of relief once I concluded ugly crying for 45 minutes of build up prior to the gay punchline.

In my first lesbian relationship, I was never comfortable enough to be fully out. I was constantly concerned with making others feel comfortable. I sacrificed showing affection in public, to make others comfortable. When family members would ask about my love life at holidays, I would panic and avoid the question altogether. I was constantly lying to everyone around me about the most transformative thing I’ve ever experienced, because I was worried about everyone else’s comfort level.

Coming out to family is probably one of the most challenging things any queer person will ever face. The main reason parents struggle with their child coming out, is because they have all these dreams for their kids: fitting in, safety, health, success, marriage, kids, happiness. Parents spend their entire life offering their children the tools, guidance and support so their child lives a life free of complications, pain and rejection. When a child comes out as gay, all of a sudden, parents realize that their kid is at a disadvantage, and that their life is inevitably going to be more complicated and difficult. But what most parents don’t realize is that these complications, difficulties, struggles; these setbacks are what make us stronger, more empathetic, more unique and most importantly; resilient.

The fears that once haunted me, now ignite me. I recently visited my alma matter, Ramapo High School, to attend their PRIDE group meeting. I have never in my life, been so uplifted by the LGBTQ+ community. As the veteran and ~adult, I anticipated to share my story, and offer advice, comfort and support in any way possible. In many ways, I gained more comfort, advice, and support from the students, than I provided for them. These students, some only 14 years old, exhibited such strength, passion and bravery — attributes that I just recently developed after years of struggling with my pride. I still struggle sometimes with my sexuality; in those moments, I remind myself of these students. Invest your energy in the youth; as cliche as it sounds, they are our hope for a future where love is celebrated in all forms.

I am now in a relationship with an amazing woman who has sparked my commitment to live as authentically as possible — to speak my truth unapologetically and to share my story in the hopes that it empowers others to live with pride, who share the same fears that I did when I began this journey. My proudest version of my identity is my queer self. I’m the most sympathetic, caring, thoughtful, generous and compassionate. Out of fear and shame, I hid this version of myself for far too long. As I slowly peeled back my layers of shame and insecurity, I started giving more and more people access to this version of myself. For the first time since coming out (and I widely attribute this to my girlfriend who is too humble to take credit), I feel completely comfortable being me, in all settings; online, offline, in public, in private, with friends, with family, with strangers, with coworkers, with myself.

With every bit of growth we experience — with every bit of resilience, we see our story in a new light; reframed in a context that reflects our growth. Every single time I tell my ‘story’, my pride beams brighter…louder…stronger.

If you are LGBTQ+ and are struggling in the early days of your coming out journey, remind yourself that your story is nimble, pain is fleeting and that every obstacle is paired with opportunity for growth. Embracing what makes you different, will set you free. I promise you, one day, you will reflect on how far you’ve come, and you too, will reframe your story in a way that fiercely embodies resilience, confidence, and so so, SO much pride.

What’s your story? I’d LOVE to hear. Reach out: @megagahubert

Originally posted on Medium