by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Apr 29, 2014 | Communication, Content Marketing, Guest Blogger
Let’s Rebel Against Boring
“I fell asleep reading a dull book and dreamed I kept on reading, so I awoke from sheer boredom.”
I’d like to start this post by sharing one of my greatest fears in my role as a video producer and content developer. Are you ready?
To have my content be boring…
You Know…
Dull, uninteresting, flat, humdrum, dull, stale, uninspiring, or just plain…
BLAH!!!!!
I’m hoping that’s not you.
However, the fact is that the web is full of an ample supply of boring crap interrupting our lives on a daily basis.
Plenty of it comes from businesses in the form of advertising or other repetitious marketing humdrum.
I hope you agree that it’s time to write a new script when it comes to business communications. Our customers want more. They expect it.
Therefore…
The single most daunting challenge of every content creator, be it a video producer, web developer, blog author, newsletter designer, social media manager or for that matter any business, is to be memorable, to create a memorable event.
…So memorable in fact that your content actually makes a difference to another person. You help solve a problem, fill a need, or inspire change.
You rock someone’s world!
Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore, authors of the best selling book, The Experience Economy, call memorable events that ENGAGE people in an inherently personal way, EXPERIENCES.
In this article I’ll share some thinking on how to use some principles of experiences and experience design to create more engaging digital communications.
Let’s begin.
Recently I was attracted to a communications effort that was the opposite of boring- one that I would define as engaging and memorable.
Here are some background details.
I began pursuing this new business-learning program a couple of months ago. The media in the program includes 8 podcast (audio recording) and a corresponding transcript.
The business series is about transforming a business into a media company as a component of a new type of marketing strategy. The theme is ‘Media not Marketing.’
How engaging is this new content?
I look forward to new weekly episodes and at times have even been excited when announcements arrived in my Inbox. OK … You might be thinking…Bill needs to get a life. After all, podcast and webinars are a dime a dozen. Snooooze City… Right?
But really… when’s the last time you were looking forward to an e-mail announcing another episode of business content, that seemed to talk directly to you and your needs.
There’s a lesson here. Let’s explore in greater detail.
But first, it might be helpful if I put this experience thing into some context for you.
Another words, why the heck is a video producer writing a blog post connecting experiences to business communication.
My Big Find
My journey into the world of experiences began 10 years ago after re-defining the work I do as a video storyteller, as creating experiences.
My interest in the concept peaked after discovering and reading a book called ‘The Experience Economy-Work is Theatre & Every Business a Stage’, and a trip into the Mountains of Colorado for the annual 3-day gathering (conference) of ‘Experience Economy’ practitioners and evangelist.
The journey has been on going since that first book and conference ten years ago. I’ve practically lived and breathed experiences and business experience design.
My big find is the discovery that EXPERIENCES have become the center of the new business landscape and the critical component needed for business differentiation.
Applying an experience perspective to the development of your digital content can be a game changer for your communications initiatives. It will energize the creation process and help create memorable digital experiences, not more boring and meaningless noise.
Let’s get back to that engaging new program that has me captivated.
Drum roll please…
The name of the program is “New Rainmaker” from Copyblogger Media, LLC.
I’ll apply a few experience design principles to it, that hopefully will help you start re-thinking the process content creation.
Concept One: Language is Important-An Experience vs. Content
The language you use in defining goals and their specific business outcomes can have a dramatic impact on a project’s success. My mind goes to a very different place when I think about designing a compelling experience versus writing a newsletter, producing a video or writing a blog post.
The word experience suggests, for me anyway, something more significant, memorable and worth sharing. It moves the bar in terms of imagining what’s possible.
New Rainmaker is an engaging experience because the program’s producers Brian Clark (The show’s star) and Robert Bruce (co-star) explore new ways, and challenge each other, to be different. In one their ‘behind the scenes’ episodes, they openly discuss a strategy of using storytelling, theatre, and drama to make their show distinct.
Have you ever thought of your work as theatre or drama – your business as a stage?
Concept Two: Great Experiences are Intentionally Designed
Robert and Bruce revealed in their episodes that they devoted 6 months planning the design and release of New Rainmaker. One of their activities during the planning phase included research on current business models and mediums being used by others in the same space. (Competition)
Concept Three: Distinctive Experiences Include Elements from 4 Experiential Realms
The most engaging experiences draw from these four realms.
1. Educational – to learn
2. Entertainiment – to have fun…. to enjoy
3. Escapist – to do…to draw in further… to transport guest emotionally
4. Esthetic- to be… to make your guest want to come in and just hang out…an inviting environment
New Rainmaker emphasizes the educational realm but is more engaging because of the entertainment value that is delivered by the production value designed into the learning experience. Each episode is scripted and background music edited into the production evoking an emotion of suspense to each learning episode. Productions are sprinkled with humor, which helps make the learning more enjoyable.
The overall experience is enhanced as it draws from the Escapist Realm.
Brian Clark accomplishes this through the effective use of storytelling. Most notably, he shares some personal stories that help build trust with his audience.
Often during the 8 episodes, you lose the sense and feeling that you’re listening to a business presentation in front of a computer, to a feeling that you’re in the front row of a theatre. Great storytelling transports people emotionally.
Finally, there is a touch of the Esthetic Realm mixed into New Rainmaker. Clark and Bruce deliver a radio like performance in a conversational and personal manner. Their down to earth style and transparency is inviting and makes you want to hang out and listen awhile longer.
Let me leave you with a final thought and question.
Maybe, business super thinker Tom Peters sums up the importance of business experiences best, in one of his ‘Essentials Book Series called Design.
“We must understand that experience is a very big word, with far reaching implications, but it is nothing short of the basis for a totally re-imagined organizational life form.”
Are your digital communications defined, fresh, immersive, accessible, significant and transformative?
Let’s rebel against boring communications !
Guest Author:
William Gibeault of Story Mavericks
Rock your customers- Grow your business
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by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Feb 12, 2014 | Guest Blogger, Social Media
The way a brand manages its online presence on Social Media is critical. If the brand is managed poorly, they experience no growth and a decline in business. In comparison, if a brand is managed successfully, success follows with their audience going global about how great and unique the brand is. Resulting in increased sales and likeability. Below, are 8 tips for Social Media Success.
- Create a personal and memorable experience. Interact with your audience daily to ensure they know you acknowledge them. Surprise with a simple, “Thank You” and “How is your day going?” Respond to all negative and positive feedback publicly, well and quickly. Show them you care and value them when they reach out to you.
- Be ready with an answer to a question and solution to a problem. Do this by coming up with possible questions that may be asked or possible problems that may arise.
- Let your audience know they are your brand by asking what they want to see and their opinion. Then listen, respond and deliver. After all, a brand with no audience results in no brand and no growth.
- Work together as a team internally. Collaborate, hear all ideas and assign each person a task accordingly. Always have a back up person trained to handle online management in Social Media in case others are sick or an emergency arises.
- Make your online presence FUN. Let your audience know you are relaxed and inviting. Tweet and post humor, offer contests. Great aspect to have to show that you are friendly and ready to take the brand to relationship building.
- Plan ahead for the week. Have a backup strategy in place. Do this by creating a weekly agenda to help the brand stay on task and moving forward. It is important to always think ahead and be ready.
- Create content that educates and defines the brand as a valuable resource and engages. Create tips, share how to articles and ask questions to get your community involved. Keep it relevant, to the point, make it fun and never confuse!
- Being consistent on social media is the key to building loyalty and relationships. The more you show up, engage and create value on a daily basis the more others look forward to engaging with and trusting you. Being consistent also includes having a consistent brand message and voice across all social profiles which represents who you are, what you do and how you’re portrayed to the world.
Social Media success has many aspects and how well you adapt to each one will determine how your business performs. Time invested acknowledging, working together internally, educating and being consistent is a sure way to build relationships and see Social Media Success.
Guest Post by:
Jason Houck::Jason manages small businesses on social media and teaches engagement. He blogs at WeighYourMind.com and is a partner at Micro Media Marketing.
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by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 22, 2013 | Guest Blogger, Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants | Your Small Business Secret to Success
This morning I woke up and started the day knowing that the tasks I find tedious, and other tasks, are done thanks to my team of “virtual assistants.” Lourdes Wellhaven.
I didn’t start my career as a self-employed person with a team. Instead, I took the hard route. I went the typical I’ll-make-it-happen-somehow-bravado route. I slept very little and sacrificed a lot to get my business off the ground. In a few short months it became clear that I needed help and fast. I thought that the logical next step was to hire my first employee. I chose well, I thought to have hired a dear friend who needed a part-time job.
Sure I had heard that it’s not good idea to hire a friend or family member. But that warning was for “other people.” I soon found out that I was not immune to the same issues that every start-up has when they hire people they care about. Unfortunately that business relationship ended badly and the friendship ended with it. That employer/employee relationship was followed by a series of additional similar situations, some working really well, but most, not so much.
I hired an HR Coach to tell me what I was doing wrong. In a few short hours he came up with a recommendation that was very surprising. He advised me to hire Virtual Assistants for everything. Yes, a VA for every single possible job function my firm needed or would ever need in the future, no exceptions.
I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept. My concerns were endless. But he described to me in detail how he himself works exclusively with VA’s. I took his advice, albeit with baby steps in the beginning, but have not looked back since.
Here’s what I’ve learned in the process
- Labor costs have dramatically decreased: It may appear at first glance that I’m paying more for an “assistant” per hour than I did before but that’s not true and here’s why: There are many other costs besides the hourly wage rate associated with a traditional employee including paid-time-off, fringe benefits, insurance, worker’s comp, retirement etc. If you are truly using the services of an independent contractor (check IRS regulations) then there are no other additional hourly expenses.
- Production has increased: I was more than a little shocked to realize that what my traditional employee was taking 40 hours to complete was quickly and efficiently done by my VA in 10 hours.
- Team spirit has been enhanced: Virtual team members have a very different mindset primarily because the business relationship is different. I’m not their boss, I’m their client. Astoundingly my VA’s act as if they have a bigger vested interest in my success.
- Internal Control has increased: Internal control in an accounting term whereby a company puts policies and procedures in place to ensure the accuracy of financial data and the safeguarding of resources. I thought that having remote employees would compromise internal control, but instead, I’ve found that with the help of technology, it has been enhanced.
- My company benefits from the experience a VA has with other clients. My VA’s each serve lots of different clients. This means they get really good at doing that “one thing” and have specialized in certain tasks. Further, because they serve so many different clients daily with those specialized skills, they have a much deeper understanding than any traditional employee could ever hope to.
- I can easily scale up or down as my workload warrants. Projects start and complete and I can enlist help on an as-needed basis instead of being stressed about providing enough work for my employees on an ongoing basis. It’s a huge responsibility to hire someone. That’s a pressure I simply do not have to deal with any longer.
Sure I miss the water-cooler talk from time to time and the camaraderie of having others in-house. There is always a give and take with everything in life. For me, though, I’d rather sacrifice the social aspects of having an in-office staff for the happiness that I get from knowing that I’m working smarter for myself and my clients.
Guest Author Lourdes Wellhaven:
by Lourdes Welhaven – Lourdes is the host of the Networker for Business Women effort and podcast which is owned and run by Welhaven and Associates for the benefit of women in business everywhere. Lourdes is also the Founder and Publisher of Little Pampered Dog “The Lifestyle Magazine for Little Pampered Dogs and the People Who Love Them.” You can download your free copy of the app and a free issue for your iPad, iPhone or iPod here: www.littlepampereddog.com/download
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 15, 2013 | Guest Blogger, Small Business
Focus on sales to reach calculated, repeatable success. Why? Mediocrity is, well, ‘boring’!
If you’re reading this the chances are that you are working with Ace Concierge (or thinking about how a Virtual Assistant can help your business) and enjoying the gift of time.
Kudos!
For most businesses (of any shape, size and look) outsourcing areas of business is a must. You know you have special skills. You know you have passions. You know your strengths can’t possibly lie in all the areas required to run a business.
So what now?
Does outsourcing mean you can spend more time on the beach sipping fruity cocktails out of a coconut shell?
Possibly.
The likelihood is that you are looking to leverage the new found time, peace of mind and rejuvenated focus working ON your business.
Where do you start? Well, that depends entirely on you, your business and the priorities that you feel deserve the attention you can afford them.
Where will you need to focus your attention? Sales.
(Save the jeers and tomato throwing!)
Yes, at some point to reach a point of predictable success your business will need to focus on sales and processes.
Marketing is vital. Especially if you think about marketing as the act of raising awareness of your business to your target market(s).
Sales is essential.
In essence, as small business owners our goal is to spend as much time as possible service those we are meant to serve. Our ideal clients.
In order to this we need to have a proportionate amount of sales conversations with prospects to encourage them to make the step up from prospect to highly valued client.
This much, we know.
Getting to the point of having these sales conversations is subject largely to the processes that we have in place to enable this to happen.
There 5 processes to implement on the road to successful growth.
5 Commercial Processes To Address In Your Business
- The Lead Generation Process – The act of encouraging prospects to have a sales conversation
- The Sales Process – the process of taking a prospect from potential target, through qualified prospect to valued paying client
- The Follow Up Process – The act of ensuring all leads are informed through the process
- The Lead Nurturing Process – A process dedicated to those that have illustrated an interest in your offer but have declined to purchase at this time
- The Data/CRM Process – The strategy behind contact management and analyzing your progress
Without knowing you I would like to say that I believe you to be compelling, genuine and passionate when speaking with prospective clients. Most small business owners and solopreneurs are and this is because of the belief you have in yours and your businesses ability.
Complacency can creep in bit by bit. As such, generate and implement process to ensure continued success and longevity.
This will make the fruity cocktails taste oh so much sweeter.
If you’re interested in learning more about this, sales processes and more, download a free copy of my report and short e-book here.
Guest Post by Michael Trow
Michael Trow is the owner of Michael Trow Enterprises LLC where he helps small to medium sized businesses grow by working with them to improve the effectiveness of their sales and marketing. Michael is a facilitator at the Workforce Development Program locally and has been sitting on the board for the Tallahassee chapter of The ASTD.
Michael has lived and worked in four continents, done business all over the world through a 12 year sales and marketing career. During this time he has helped launch new business units, lead and train sales teams and been responsible for growing businesses through front line sales and marketing. He is a self-proclaimed dog lover, wine appreciator and out of practice musician!
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by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 18, 2013 | Guest Blogger
The question came up on Twitter the other day. How does one find great content?
AllTop – The Alltop website has been around for years (since 2008) and what I like best about this site is you can search for your topics alphabetically. It is easy and quick to find topics of interest to you. It is an awesome way to find great content for your niche.
New Feeds – Since the Google Reader is now dead, there are several new feeds that folks are using to keep on top of their favorite websites blogs and updates. Most of them are free to use. There is Feedly, NewsBlur – With a $24 charge per year for this one. The Old Reader, Digg Reader, Newsvibe. Pulse, AOL Reader and Fever RSS – This one is not free but it is self-hosted. You can read more on Tim Bonners Blog on this RSS feeder. There are a few other options too out there.
Google News – They have added more topics since dropping the reader and it’s another great way to find the latest news. They offer 4 ways for you to view news: Modern, Headlines, Compact or Classic. They offer many editions via country. They also offer editors picks from top news sites.
Bing News – Bing is a great option and they offer news in text like Google but they also offer it via images. Bing is always a step ahead on the visuals I believe over Google. You can check in-depth coverage and images with Bing News. Sign in with Bing and get rewards too.
Triberr – Triberr is awesome to follow your favorite blogs once you build up a tribe and are a member of many tribes. I really love Triberr. I usually share many posts a day of bloggers I know and trust and some I will check out their post before sharing. But then later I can go back and read through the sent posts so I can further share and comment on. It’s becoming my own Feed!
So don’t sweat it looking for great content on the net, check out these 5 great ways to find that content for your next share, information, read, or ideas.
How do you find great content on the web now? Have you used any or all 5 of the above?
Guest Author: Lisa Buben
Lisa loves helping others to thrive online through Social Media, Blogging and SEO. What good is knowledge if you cannot share it with others? She has 20+ years experience in marketing/advertising with 3 years experience blogging, social media and SEO.
InspireToThrive
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by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | May 16, 2013 | Goals, Guest Blogger
I am now the proud parent of a college graduate and in listening to the variety of speakers, many of the words deeply resonated with me as they represented all of the life lessons we try to instill in our children as they grow up, mature and enter the world. In several heart to hearts with my daughter after graduation and a few replies of “I know mom,” it wasn’t just advice for her, but also for everyone in life and in business.
We can’t wait for opportunity to knock as sitting on the sidelines does not create success. You need to go out and make life happen for yourself. Create the opportunities within your network, peers, colleagues and even the coffee shop. Without the dialog, daily efforts, diligence and hard work, life will keep whirring by you as you just continue to sit and wait for your golden opportunity to fall in your lap. It doesn’t happen. You must plant the seeds from your aspirations, your plan for success.
The doors are there but sitting on the bench watching, hoping and waiting only ensures time passes. If you truly want something extraordinary, then set the wheels in motion. Spin it like a web.
“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.” Bruce Lee
- Target your opportunity for success.
- Never give up.
- Have faith in yourself and your abilities.
- Make it happen and fulfill your dreams.
- Network.
- Create a plan and work it.
- Make a vision board
- Manifest your dreams
- Work it!!
- Work it!!
