Desire and a baseball bat… maybe a leather glove…  That would make me a major leaguer, wouldn’t it?  No? Okay, well, then give me some spiffy pin-striped pants and a jersey with the number “2” on it…  Now I’m just like Derek Jeter, right?

STOP IT!

Just because you have access to the “tools” of the professionals, doesn’t mean you have the knowledge, skill or fortitude to use them correctly or successfully. 
A baseball bat in the wrong hands is simply a deadly weapon.

Even a superstar like Jeter knows that picking up a bat does nothing for your game than make you dangerous - to yourself and those around you.  That’s why he depends on people like Kevin Long, the Yankees batting coach, to guide him through the process of discovering his perfect swing.

Just like Derek Jeter, SUCCESSFUL social media marketers have been working at their trade, honing their skills and creating a knowledge base.  They share ideas, tools and solutions with the other social media savvy that will help them score big, come game day.

If you’re looking to get into the social media marketing game, there are professionals out there that can coach you through the process of discovering your perfect social media swing.  Instead of strutting up to the plate ready to “swing for the fences” think about these five simple steps:

1. Get a Coach - Probably the most important tip. I’m sure Jeter intrinsically knows how to connect with a baseball, but do you think he has the time to look at his swing for small, virtually untraceable links to hitting better, farther, and more consistently?  A social media marketing coach will do much of the same thing - build on your brand’s strengths and tweak your weaknesses until you have an accurate, effective swing.

2. BE “In” The Game - Nary does a batter walk up to the plate looking for a home run every time (okay, maybe Manny Rameierez, but that’s another post altogether).  Maybe your team needs a ground-out sacrifice to advance your fastest runner to second base, and scoring position.  Your instincts as a marketer should tell you when to hit for the infield gap versus smacking it into center just to be caught.  Your Social media marketing coach will feed you the signals for the team’s best success.

3. Read The Scouting Reports - When Jeter walks into the locker room, he has at his hands the reports of the opposing pitcher’s games clear back to the stone age.  With that, he and his coach can evaluate their obstacles and the advantages they have in this game and plan accordingly for success.  A savvy social media marketing coach should have similar scouting information for your “at-bat.”  Is your market friendly to social media promotions?  Does your market want more consumer brand input? Research is key!

4. Treat Each At-Bat Uniquely - Sure, Jeter strikes out from time-to-time.  Does that mean the next time he walks up to the plate he’s obsessed about that last empty cut?  Yes, and no…   He thinks about what went wrong and he and Long make the necessary adjustments for the next inning.  Just as with baseball, each marketing tactic is set up to learn and progress to the next opportunity. If one event, or post, or tweet fails to garner the results you expect, look at it carefully and make the adjustments necessary for future success.

5. Remember, The Season Is Long - Jeter and Long know, from experience, that it takes 162 games (regular season only) per season to get to the World Series.  If they walked into opening season expecting to hit .750 and started sizing their thumb (’cause every other finger is covered) for another World Series ring, they’d be laughed out of the league.  Just the same, if you expect to become a social media marketing home-run hitter tomorrow…  well, can you hear the laughter? Work on the knowledge, technique, targeting, content, branding, focus, fortitude, execution…  get it?

Now Go PLAY BALL!

Keep Cooking (ideas that score)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Disclaimer:  I am in no way associated with the New York Yankees nor have I been compensated for this post.  As a matter of fact, I write this post in complete frustration after watching the Yankees sweep my Boston Red Sox in 3.  But from a branding and statistical success standpoint, Derek Jeter and Kevin Long make superb examples.

Now that you have a Twitter account, what do you do to make it work for you?

Jump In and Start Tweeting:
Social media is not exactly social in the beginning.  It’s a lot of people, alone, standing at the edge of the chasm yelling trivial facts about themselves and their industry.  And that’s why statistics say that up to 60% of Twitter users quit after a short time.

A conversation starts with “Hello.” It’s a simple concept, but even communication-savvy professionals seem to forget this fact when they first sign into their Twitter account.

Take a strategic approach to positioning your brand.  Start talking about what you do.  Start referencing your skills, your accomplishments and your vision for a better personal or professional brand dialogue.

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Find Some Friends:
Nothing is more gut-wrenching than the idea going to a party alone.  Twitter has MILLIONS of people at the party, so there has to be someone to talk to, ya’ think?  But how do you find them and how do they find you?

Here are some tactics I’ve used to find like individuals and thought leaders in my industry:

The first and easiest step is to follow those who your friends follow.  Find a person with similar interests to yours and look at who they are following.  Often times, if you work in the same industry, you’ll find people that you know (or want to know).  Engage them.

Another good way to start building your network is to start with a basic Twitter search at “http://search.twitter.com“.  Search terms related to your personal and professional interests (e.g. -  marketing, cooking, photography, Des Moines, Iowa, etc.)

NOTE: For those that think keeping the security setting ON their Twitter account is a good idea.  It’s not. Twitter is the pinnacle of social media dialogue, so why lock people out of the conversation?  As soon as you set up your account, unprotect your tweets, go to Account and deselect “Protect my tweets” now!

If you’re looking to use Twitter as a micro-social venue (corporate connection hub), you may find it limiting at 140 characters per post. Also, anyone you “friend” will most certainly be a little confused when they arrive to your party and the front door is locked.

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Schedule It and Tweet It:
I’ll be the first to admit that social media, especially Twitter, can be a HUGE time investment.  To keep from sitting, watching… waiting, and wondering when to jump into the conversation is to simply schedule it and tweet it.

Set aside some time, every day, to get into your twitter stream.  Schedule ideas to talk about based on your current projects or post questions about conversations you see in your stream.  I like to schedule one hour a day to be 100% active on Social Media (that may vary based on the number of accounts you have to manage).

In that hour, start out monitoring conversations within your stream.  The best way to have an engaging brand is to be a resource of knowledge for others.  If you see a question or comment that you can add value to, then jump in and start tweeting.

If you’re not seeing active conversations that you can (or want to) join, have a back-up subject to start a discussion.  Post a question or a comment and try to tag someone to get their attention and join the conversation.  (e.g. - “@TheBrandChef — what did you think of MadMen last night?”). If that person is on line and monitoring their stream, they should reply.  Often times, others monitoring specific terms “Mad Men” will find you and jump into the conversation as well.  There are a lot of ways to start a conversation, but simply saying “Hello…” is always the best.

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Now that you’re in the conversation, let’s look at some more other important solutions to make Twitter a TRUE brand extension for you.

Make Your Brand Unique:
Yep…  the BIG “U” of TRUE Branding.  If someone lands on your Twitter page and it looks like the base template (blue sky/clouds background and the dreaded “o_O” avatar), there’s nothing within that critical first second to entice them into engaging with you or your brand (Engaging is the BIG “E” of TRUE Branding, by-the-way).

Immediately after unlocking your tweets, go to Settings/Picture and upload an image that uniquely defines you/your brand.  Your avatar is your online identity, so make sure you chose wisely.  The photo of you and your boyfriend slamming tequila poppers at Jake’s party may not be indicative of your brand or your mission on Twitter.

If you’re tweeting as an individual, I encourage you to have a portrait taken to give your friends a little eye contact.  If your tweeting on behalf of a company or a group/association, have a professional graphic designer create a fitting icon to use as the avatar that reflects the appropriate brand standards.

Although Twitter does offer you a nice collection of background themes to chose from, customizing one to your own design would help to extend your brand image to a much more unique (and professional) level. Try matching your Web site design.  With that, it  would be wise to have a professional designer work up a good background design for you.  And then, simply by going to Settings/Design, you can customize the theme to your brand standards as well as customize the color pallet to match.

Here are some samples of migrating your visual brand to the Twitter platform: Boesen The Florist and The Meyvn Group.

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That’s Just The Appetizer Course:
Before all of those social media experts get their aviators all fogged up, I do want to admit that we’re still only scratching the surface.  There’s tracking, feeds, third-party applications and even mobile discussions we can have to get you even further on Twitter.  But I think I gave you enough to chew on for now.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Keep Cooking (unique, engaging conversations)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

“How in the heck can 140 characters make any impact on my customers?”
Just a one of the response I’ve received from Nay-Sayers when I talk about using Twitter as a marketing tool.

“Mindless babble…”
“Fanboy frivolity…”

I usually sit and listen (patiently) while they list out the need for a drawn out conversation with their customers to explain the intricate mechanics of their products and the magnitude of value that their employees’ commitment provides to the bottom line – NOT TO MENTION their commitment to quality and the….

SNORE….

“Cult obsessions…”
“Waste-of-time…”

“INSANE”

Before you use that particular word, consider a recent example:

How hard do you think it would it be to produce and then promote a musical about a woman with bipolar disorder? Imagine the media.  Imagine the freakishly insensitive commercials and awkward attempts to make bipolar disorder “entertaining” (let alone make it a MUSICAL)!

The Broadway hit “Next to Normal,” did just that.
(Please click through to read about the musical.  It’s moving - Wikipedia-Synopsis, Show Site)

The producers and marketers of this compelling (and painful) story about a woman with bipolar disorder and her troubled relationship with her family, used Twitter to build audiences. According to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, the play’s marketing team tweeted the entire show at 140 characters per installment, over five weeks through May and June.  At the time of this post, their Twitter account (@N2Nbroadway) had more than 730,000 followers and had sold more than 90 percent of their available seats!  Talk about ROI!

As added flair, due to their unique approach to using the tool, Twitter selected “Next to Normal” as a featured tweet. Saying so makes them an automated opt-in for new users of the service.  To be featured by Twitter is one thing, having almost three quarters of a million followers in just a few months (auto opt-in or not) makes quite a statement for this little bit of insanity.

There’s plenty of coverage about the massive success “Next to Normal” has had using Twitter to market (just to a Google search for “Next to Normal” and Twitter)

Think it’s so “insane” now?

How could Twitter fit into your marketing strategy like it did for “Next to Normal?” What could you or your company do to harness the power of Twitter’s network – or any social media marketing network for that matter?

Food for thought…

Keep Cooking (remarkable ways to connect to your audience)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Straight jacket image from: http://theshockdocshow.com/

Hey Boomers…  what would you do if you spent the last 35 (or more) years of your life working to secure your family, your finances, your future, and the economy tanked?

Suddenly you find yourself out of a job due to corporate “out-placement” or “downsizing.” Suddenly, the job that you depended on for the well-being of… well, everything is gone. Suddenly you, along with thousands of others, stand on the unfamiliar streets of a bustling city, resume in hand, wondering what your next step should be.

I can only imagine what’s going through your mind…

• It’s easily been 15 years since you even looked for a job.
• You’ve worked within the same systematic corporate structure for years.
• The skill-set that got you your last job has been replaced by two keystrokes and an open source back end managed by a 26 year-old.
• The last version of your resume was typed on a 1973 Smith Corona.
• The “kid” in the coffee shop down the street has more energy than you could ever dream of having - caffeine induced or not.
• A job search at 50 … Might as well be a trek up Mount Everest in Birkenstocks and bikini.

To compete in this frightening job market, you need to find and edge.  You need to find out what makes you unique to potential employers?  you need to find out what relevance you have to potential employers.

Marva Goldsmith has a plan for you… It’s called Personal Branding.

In her new book Branding Yourself After Age 50, Marva applies commercial branding techniques to those competing for new jobs and hoping to gain higher visibility and value. On September 15, Marva will be kicking off her interactive webinar series based on the book to help participants develop their own personal branding strategies.

“I started the book as self-imposed therapy on the eve of my 50th birthday. It took a different direction as I found many of my peers and colleagues facing unexpected and unplanned ‘career outages’,” says Marva. “The webinars are a natural outgrowth of the book and give people a chance to roll up their sleeves with me and come out with a practical, high-impact plan for moving forward.”

So, Boomers… Push aside those AARP solicitations and step up to the plate.  Remember, it was your motivation and cries for change moved the world to look at equality through clearer eyes. YOU taught us the value of a hard day’s work.  And now it’s time for you to make another change - for yourself.

Personal branding and positioning are key to differentiating your value to potential employers.  Marva Goldsmith has seen it, first hand.  And she wants you to see it too.

Check out her Web site, the book and her webinars at http://www.branding50.com/

Keep Cooking (productive personal brand triumph)!
Andrew B. Clark
- The Brand Chef

T.G.I. Fridays …  what can you say but “ubiquitous?” They’re everywhere. From every other street corner of any slightly metropolitan city to parodies in cult films, they’ve become the Walgreens of the “casual dining” industry. If there’s a cross section of people and commerce, they’ll be there, with silly stripes, suspenders, and buttons-a-blinking to welcome you. And as expected, T.G.I. Fridays is now on Facebook. But they’ve taken a little different approach to their Facebook efforts than others I’ve seen.

Have you met “Woody?” No? Well until earlier this month, no one else had either.

Woody is an “average guy” looking to pick up 500,000 fans before the end of September, and if he’s successful, those fans will receive a free Jack Daniels burger!

Now who doesn’t want a free burger?

To round out the social media-focused campaign, Woody has a few television spots running regionally, as well as posted in the Videos tab on the Fan page. So far, the page has a over 100,000 Fans, and is expected to reach their half million goal by the end of the month.

Now, McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut have all hit the 1 Million mark simply extending their current campaigns to the social media platform.  And from a social media marketing standpoint, this isn’t a groundbreaking approach.  But the fact that T.G.I. Fridays has created a character and campaign solely for Facebook is quite unique.

But that’s where my compliments take a turn to skepticism…

If you look at the entry form on the Woody fan page, they’re requesting email  addresses to send the free burger coupons to when the 500,000 has been reached.  Can anyone say marketing database? Sure, I’m okay with that… But then, there’s the next click.

When you submit your email address, the application asks for access to your Facebook profile information, photos, as well as all of your friends’ information!

For a free burger? No thank you.

Marketing database gathering? Phishing?  I don’t know, but that last step seemed to cross the line for me

Social media is about building community. Social media MARKETING is about building a community around your brand and it’s offerings.

I ask T.G.I. Fridays how will offering up all of my Facebook information help me feel closer to your brand? Sure, I get a free burger out of the deal (maybe), then what? (Enter your own spammy nightmare scenario here.)

Social media has made how people share personal information pretty liberal, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere. If companies want to use social media marketing to have me join in the conversation, they need to show authenticity, engagement and trustworthiness, not just dangle a free burger in my face…book.

Keep Cooking - TRUE Branding communities!
Andrew B. Clark
- The Brand Chef