“I don’t know how you do it,” they always tell me.

They are referring to my finding the time to comment on their blog. I almost don’t want to tell them how simple it is. The only two things you need are a little time and a commitment to do it.

I am talking about using RSS and my Google Reader. My process is simple. I subscribe to blogs I care about through their RSS feed. When they publish new posts, my RSS reader alerts me. Then, I comment. Simple. And it’s the best marketing thing I do…

It all starts with the orange icon you see on the upper right corner of this post. Clicking this button on most web and social web sites unleashes a wave of functionality that can change how you do business. Really, it is all about aggregating information in one place. But it is not just that…it is then doing something with this collected information. And that’s where most people fall short.

Have NO idea what I mean by RSS? From the RSS Feed Wikipedia definition: Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place.

To me, RSS is the MOST important online tool we have. Cutting to the chase, here are 10 things I do personally with RSS that make me a better and more intrepid marketer:

1. Subscribe to the RSS feeds of blogs I care about (community friends, prospects, customers). In your reader, you will be notified when new material is published. You can now review the material, and if appropriate, offer up a helpful comment. Benefit to you –> Commenting on others’ blogs is the best means of driving traffic back to yours. RSS makes this process much much easier!

2. Use Twitter Search to find and monitor important keywords, and then create an RSS feed of the query results. For instance, I have a Twitter seach RSS feed for the keyword “gluten” which is important to my restaurant client FuegoMundo, who offers gluten-free food. Now, when anyone in Atlanta mentions the word gluten, I can converse with them if I choose. Benefit to you –> This helps you identify prospects talking about things you can DIRECTLY help them with!

[Go to Twitter Search, opt for Advanced search, type in your keyword(s) and other appropriate data, and then hit Search! Here is a sample query result. Note the orange RSS button upper right that says "Feed for this query" - click this to store the feed into your RSS reader. Simple!]

3. In addition to Twitter search, you can also create RSS feeds direct from the main twitter.com page, especially if you are not using a tool like TweetDeck. For instance, this is how I monitor mentions of my full name. How? On your main twitter.com page, type in your keyword in the white search box on the right sidebar, and after the results appear, scroll down the right sidebar and click on the “RSS feed for this query” link.

This is also a great way, again if you are not using something like TweetDeck, to monitor hashtags. It is very popular for people to categorize tweets around a specific topic, idea, or event – with a unique #hashtag. You can set up an RSS feed all ALL tweets mentioning this hashtag. Benefit to you –> Allows you to monitor a stream on a specific topic, and respond quickly if the situation calls for it.

4. You can now monitor the status stream from your LinkedIn network. Most agree that LinkedIn is their choice of platform to engage with business contacts. Well, now you can include an RSS feed of this stream into your reader, and keep an eye on what people you care about are saying, and who they are connecting with. For me, this will save the time of having to go direct to LinkedIn and monitor this, which I don’t do on a busy day, and I have a lot of busy days.

Clicking on the link in your RSS feed will take you direct to that person’s LinkedIn profile, enabling you to easily engage. [This new function may significantly increase my use of LinkedIn as a key tool] All you have to do is click on the RSS icon found at the top of your LinkedIn Home page. Benefit to you –> This feature is pretty new, so if you do it, you will have an immediate edge over most people!

5. You can also subscribe to an RSS feed on LinkedIn Answers to any one of dozens of discussion topics. Pick an issue you want to learn about, or know about and can help others with a meaningful answer. Benefit to you –> An easy way to find people asking questions about something that you are an expert in!

6. Monitor the news. Honestly? I don’t read newspapers or watch TV news. Ever. I no longer directly visit news websites anymore either. But I subscribe to a few news site RSS feeds and get news displayed on my RSS reader. Here, I can scan headlines and read an article if it interests me. Benefit to you –> A very simple way to aggregate all your news in one place, saving you valuable time!

7. There are a lot of different RSS readers out there. Choose the one that works best for you. Me? I use Google reader, for it is simple and easy to use. I can’t speak to any others, since, I have NEVER used any others. That said, one of the reasons I like Google’s reader is that you can help a publisher by hitting the “Share” button at the bottom of the feed display in your reader, and/or you can use “Share with note” and add commentary to someone’s post. Benefit to you –> This enables more opportunity for engagement with your community, which deepens relationships.

8. In addition, “Sharing” people’s work in your Google reader also displays it automatically on Google Buzz, if you use that application. Benefit to you –> Yet another EASY way to share the work of others in your networked community!

9. Many blogs offer you the option of subscribing to the RSS feed of the public COMMENTS to a specific blog post. I maintain that the dialog found in blog post comments is the best interaction found on the social web. Benefit to you –> Subscribing to the RSS feed is an easy way to keep and eye on that conversation and prompt you to engage and continue the dialog!

10. And I don’t have to say it, because you probably already know this, but inviting others to subscribe to your RSS feed is a great way to build a loyal following to YOUR material – and for many, the most critical call-to-action bloggers want to see happen with their blog’s audience. Benefit to you –> Grow your influence!

So here is my shameless plug: CLICK HERE to subscribe to my RSS feed! Please know that I am most grateful!

The only problem with my RSS reader? The time suck. You know how people say to NOT be a slave to the ping noise when a new email arrives –> when you drop everything, lose train of thought, and creative momentum flow – all to check one silly email? Well, I am proud to say email no longer does that to me. No, now I just scream with delight – and get all distracted – when new content pops up into my RSS reader. So, you have to exercise discipline here as well, in addition to your email inbox.

Undoubtedly, there are MANY other ways to utilize RSS to your advantage. Those listed above are how I personally use it. What additional ways are You using it? Let us know!

cartoon by @gapingvoid

OK, so reading this blog, you’ve heard me say time and again that success on the social web is all about starting the conversation. To engage. To dialog. Blah, blah, blah…

And yet many of my readers, and some of my clients, still don’t get it.

I was talking to a gentleman the other day about using twitter to initiate conversations – which could lead to new relationships – where they might end up as new prospects – or at least refer others to him – and I swear I heard crickets chirping on the other end of the phone.

So, I thought I would prepare a cheat sheet of no-brainer ideas to help you identify “tweets” that can be YOUR conversation-starting triggers.

Simple. Enjoy.

1. ORIGINAL TWEET: “Just had coffee with Julie Smith. What a smart and vibrant lady!”

YOU: Isn’t she great? She’s a wonderful person to have in your network. Do you read her blog?”

2. ORIGINAL TWEET: “Heading to Birmingham AL for business. Any good ideas for a dinner spot?”

YOU: “You are a fool NOT to check out Dreamland BBQ. I trust you like BBQ?”

3. ORIGINAL TWEET: “Heading out to buy a new video camera. Any ideas?”

YOU: “Lots of good products on the market, but I can’t live without my Flip Cam! What do you need a camera for exactly?”

4. ORIGINAL TWEET: “What is the best collaborative tool to use to work with someone in a different time zone? #smallbizchat”

YOU: “I’ve had a lot of success with Google Wave. It has been great for our team. How many people working on the project? #smallbizchat”

5. ORIGINAL TWEET: “Having a lousy day. Struggling with [insert business problem here]. Can’t wait til 5 o’clock!

YOU: “Sorry to hear that. I’ve had a lot of success with [insert potential solution here]. Have you tried that before?”

6. ORIGINAL TWEET: “RT @zen_habits: on mnmlist: empower people to create http://bit.ly/9jOetk.”

YOU: “Hey, I loved that post. Really spoke to me. Have you been reading Leo for a while?”

7. ORIGINAL TWEET: “Just sat down, and looking forward to hearing Chris Brogan speak!”

YOU: “Oh, I saw him at New Media Atlanta. You’ll learn a lot. Did you read Trust Agents?”

8. ORIGINAL TWEET: “Holy smokes, you cannot believe the line to get into this #SXSW panel…”

YOU: “Oh, let me know how that goes. What has been your favorite panel so far?”

9. ORIGINAL TWEET: “http://twitpic.com/10j5js – On a cold and rainy day, the crappiest job in marketing.”

YOU: “I hear that. But I dunno, doesn’t seeing those people make you notice the biz they’re promoting?”

10. ORIGINAL TWEET: “I’m at FuegoMundo (5590 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs) http://4sq.com.”

YOU: “Oh man, I love that place. Have you had their sangria?”

11. ORIGINAL TWEET: “You are a fool to not follow @StephanieALloyd + @Keppie_Careers if you want the best job search and job hunting advice! #followfriday”

YOU: “Wow, thanks. Got a friend looking for a job and I will put him in touch with these two! How did you get to know them?”

12. ORIGINAL TWEET: “Listening to my Metallica Pandora channel!”

YOU: “I dig those guys too. They free my mind after a long day. What’s your favorite album?”

13. ORIGINAL TWEET: “My Gosh, why do the Red Sox always give me such heartburn?”

YOU: “No kidding. These guys have haunted me for years. How long have you been a fan?”

14. ORIGINAL TWEET: “Just sitting down to watch Celebrity Apprentice!”

YOU: Oh come on, how can you stand to listen to that blowhard Trump for more than five minutes?”

KEYS TO SUCCESS:
1. You can do this with people you don’t know.
2. In fact, this is how you get to know people.
2.5. At least, I’ve read that somewhere…
3. How are you going to get to know people if you don’t ask them questions?
4. I mean seriously, do you go to face-to-face networking meetings – stand on a chair – and just broadcast details of your latest products?
5. And when these good folks respond to your questions? Answer them back. This is called a “conversation!”
6. It really works!
7. I promise!
8. It is actually easy. You just gotta decide to do it.

What do you think? Any other ideas?

[Subscribe to blog via RSS]
[Subscribe to blog via EMAIL]

I had the pleasure of co-hosting a TweetUp last night at FuegoMundo, the PunkRock Champagne Holiday TweetUp. It was a thrill to host along with Stephanie A. Lloyd and Laurie Ruettimann. I thought you would enjoy seeing a quick video of the anarchy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHMXoh0cNt4]
Let me just tell you from experience: putting on an event like this is a lot of work. But connecting people, and seeing things happen when people meet, is priceless. Make it an intrepid goal in 2010 to be a better connector of people. It will grow your business and enrich your life…

Todd + Stone

Yesterday, Stone Payton and myself had the pleasure to be guests on Dream Job Radio! The show, hosted by Stephanie A. Lloyd, explores HR issues and workplace issues. It features job candidates and business leaders…

On the show, we talk about our dream job, and how we help others build their dream job. We spent time talking about all the exciting ventures going on at the High Velocity organization. Topics included social media, blogging, building community, marathon running, among many others…

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE!

Today we filmed Round 10 of He Said, She Said. What a momentous occasion! We made it to 10. Not that we didn’t think we would…but still, kind of cool!

It was Stephanie’s turn to ask the question, and she asked, “What do you think is the the greatest advantage of promoting an event via social media?” Watch the videos below to discover our thoughts, and feel free to add to the conversation via the comments section!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l6P3T-m32M]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl26hNaftDE]

Join us for the PunkRock Champagne Holiday Social + TweetUp on December 16th! Hope to see you at FuegoMundo Wood-Fire Grill!

from Coca-Cola Art Gallery on flickr

I spent a good part of Saturday with one of my clients, FuegoMundo, assisting with their booth at a local Latin street festival. It was a lot of fun. And it was good to get out into the trenches to do some real hand-to-hand marketing.

Before the festival started, all of the exhibitors (Latin restaurant merchants) were invited to hear from Jose Espinoza, Director of Multi-Cultural Commercialization + Customer Programming for Coca-Cola North America. He did a presentation on how to strategize around the Latinization of American cuisine. It was an interesting discussion.

During his talk, he made reference to something that got me thinking. Speaking about Coke, he said that they don’t really have to work on “building” the brand we know as Coke. Being one of the most recognizable brands on the planet, people either love the brand – or they do not. But he said the most important thing they need to do is MAINTAIN the brand. They have to be sure that the experience is always good.

Coke doesn’t want you to have a flat soda at a restaurant. They don’t want a product you buy at a store to NOT be what you expect. If your experience with a Coke product is sub par – even one time – it begins to erode their brand. In addition, they have to worry that a poor Coke experience at YOUR restaurant negatively impacts your restaurant’s brand too.

Now, save for a few other companies on the planet, most of us do not have the brand affinity – or the brand awareness of Coke. But we do have brands. And that brand is EVERYTHING to us – and impacts our ability to go to market.

But just like Coke has to work to maintain it’s brand, so do we. We have to be certain our customers continue to get the experience they expect. And whether you like it or not, this is a 24/7 undertaking. Here are a few things you can do to do some marketing maintenance:

Get feedback from customers – Always be seeking feedback from your customers. Did the experience live up to their expectations? Find out direct from the source how you can improve and perfect! And then APPLY it where appropriate!

Question everything – How is this decision I am about to make going to impact my customer’s experience? Will it make it better? Don’t assume anything. Always challenge yourself and your organization! And empower everyone in the organization to question things…

Test, test, test – Test everything. And test it again. Don’t launch a new idea, a new service, a new website, etc., until you know it will deliver as intended and expected.

Demand the best – Always demand the best from the people in your organization. If people who work in your organization aren’t giving their best effort, remove them. Find someone committed to the principles your organization – and your brand – is built on.

Take pride – If you aren’t taking pride in everything you do, then you will ultimately fail. Or at best be mediocre. And this even applies to the person cleaning your shop at the end of the day. If the cleaning crew takes pride in what they do, you have a fighting chance!

So, there are a few ways to maintain your brand. What do you think? And what are other things to think about when doing maintenance marketing? Just keep in mind that all of us, not just Coke, have to maintain our brand!

Be Intrepid.

This post was picked up by The Customer Collective!

Last night, my colleague Stephanie A. Lloyd and I discussed the merits of multi-dimensional blogging. Stephanie’s question was inspired by our attendance the night before at Atlanta Bloggers…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CBp3Q5ygKo]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPjwZfWCrvU]

Round 6 was filmed live at the inaugural Atlanta Red Shoe Project TweetUp at FuegoMundo South American Wood-Fire Grill.

Here is the Round 6 post direct from the He Said She Said blog. And here is Stephanie’s version of Round 6…

Our last TweetUp at FuegoMundo...

Be An Intrepid Marketer – Recommendation No. 32

For me, it’s all about being of service. Of service to your clients, your prospects, your community, and yes, even your competition.

Helping people, serving people, giving back – is ALL good marketing.

One of the best ways to serve people is to CONNECT them. Connect people who can help each other. Connect someone to a vendor who can perform a valuable service. Connect people to expand their horizons, to expand their reach, to expand their influence.

Connecting people not only helps them, but it is also good for you. The people you are connecting will remember you were responsible. And that alone is worth it. But, it is likely they will return the favor someday…

If you become known as someone who connects people, you will go far. One of the things I do on a regular basis is host a local TweetUp, which is a live gathering of people who interact on Twitter. It’s a great way to meet people, to put faces to the names of those you have been twittering with, and engage in some valuable business and personal networking.

I am co-hosting my next TweetUp with Taryn Pisaneschi. This is our little way to help make the world a little smaller, and to help build a little community for the people we serve and care about. It is VERY rewarding to see people make a connection that benefits both of them – and to feel a little responsible for making that connection happen! To join us at this upcoming event, please REGISTER HERE!

What are YOU doing to be a better connector?

Be Intrepid.

Be An Intrepid Marketer – Recommendation No. 30

Marketing is tough business these days. It is increasingly difficult to stand out. You need to find any edge you can get. Video is just one little simple technique you can use to stand out in today’s marketplace. But fair warning – this will change – and soon video will be EVERYWHERE. Take advantage of it while you can…

Here are two sample videos for Intrepid client FuegoMundo South American Wood-Fire Grill that we will use to promote on our blog and in social media…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owqObgw_vA8]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaxhhURkqoA]

CLICK HERE to listen to my most recent webinar, The Social Media Feeding Frenzy. A nice simple intro into how social media can be an important part of your business marketing. Learn some key assumptions, some basic concepts to building and growing community, a few ideas on how to use social media to market your business, and what tools you might consider exploring for your business.

And lastly, learn the amazingly simple secret to social media success…

Enjoy!