An important note from Squidoo

If you're not familiar with Squidoo, it's essentially a user-generated website where users can create pages (called lenses) for subjects that interest them. These pages can then be used to sell products for profit or charitable donation. Topics run the gamut including food, books, travel, arts and many others. And, oh yeah, it was started by that dude named Seth Godin.

I visited the site in hopes of finally participating in the dialogue when a very interesting notification window popped up. Being a content guy myself, I was quite impressed by the notice, as it provided some guidelines on how content should be created on the Squidoo site. Creating engaging, digestible content isn't about trying to game the system; rather, it should be about real, authentic and personal content.

I repeat, it should be about real, authentic and personal content.

So kudos to you, Squidoo for taking this approach with your community. Many other content creators (myself included) should take heed and follow your mantra!

I've copied and pasted the word-for-word text from the pop-up notice below... 

An important note from Squidoo to all of our members!

We have a challenge and we need your help...

Thanks to you and the millions of Squids who have embraced The Scroll of Originality, Squidoo has reached records amount of traffic, charitable donations and user revenue. We stand (we always have) for passionate, original content. Squidoo is about storytelling, first hand reviews and recommendations.

Our site is only as good as the pages our users build, and lately, too many people are taking a short-term view and building pages that don't work, pages the search engines don't like, and pages that are cookie-cutter instead of personal.

We need all of our users to reconfirm that they're committed to our approach to content. The important rules are still the same: share your passions, tell stories and be personal.

Starting in March, 2013, we'll be running scans on all of our featured lenses to more aggressively detect spun content, junk and keyword stuffing. If your lens gets flagged it will get locked (and eventually deleted without notice) but you have the opportunity to fix these lenses and make them better. And you can start right now.

Check out this lens which explains how you can fix some of the widespread problems we're seeing before you get flagged. It's entirely possible that your lenses need no improvement at all, but if you've actively swapped ratings, added countless affiliate links and focused on the short-term, we need you to take action now.

It's simple: go through your lenses, make them personal, delete extraneous affiliate links and ugly buttons. Make them the sort of thing you'd like to see, not the product of gaming the system and industrialized linkbaiting.

98.4% of Squidoo is amazing. If we work together, we take all of our pages where they need to go.

Part Two: Everything's negotiable. How much do you want to make a bet?

A few months ago I posted a piece entitled, Everything's negotiable. How much do you want to make a bet? I think the title was fairly self-explanatory. The eBay case study below further supports the claim in my post.

I won't apologize to eBay (okay, maybe just a tad bit) for constantly using them as a test ground, but what can I say? I'm a marketer and testing is in my DNA. But I love eBay and they're still making money from me. Thanks, eBay for enabling me to find unique stuff, sprinkled with the added excitement of negotiating.  

Below is a real-life communication thread between me (buyer) and the seller. The item I negotiated for was a brand-new pair of J.Crew Union Shorts.Consequently, when I originally saw these shorts at the retail store they were selling (as I recall) for $68.00. At that price, I should get the entire pant.

A few things to note...

• The seller is from the U.S. and originally listed the shorts with a buy-it-now price of $29.99, plus $6.99 shipping. 
• My negotiation with the seller transpired over a 24-hour period.
• I left the communication as it was and didn't edit for spelling, punctuation, grammar, case, etc.  

eBay: A Case Study On Negotiating

Me: Will you take $25 with shipping to California already included?

Seller: Can u do the buy it now and ill do free shipping for 29.99?

Me: $25 is my budget :) Let me know if you change your mind.

Seller: Ok deal.

Me: cool...can you go ahead and update your listing and I will purchase? thanks!

Seller: offer 25 and ill accept and ill change shipping on the invoice.

Me: actually I found another pair of shorts that's a bit less. is $25 your absolute best price?

Seller: Yes. They in excellent condition and a steal at this price I think

Me: okay. I realize you say $25, but I'm going to throw an offer of $22 out there anyway. there's another pair of shorts I'm looking at. if you change your mind, let me know by noon tomorrow (Monday) pacific time; otherwise, I'll purchase the other ones although I'd prefer to pick up the one you have. thanks again!

Seller: We sort of agreed to 25. I would say honestly the 3 dollars wouldn't make a difference to me so ill agree to it but I truly won't go lower than that. Offer 22 and I will accept. If you decide u don't want the shorts no problem. 22 is my last agreement. Thanks!

Me: okay I appreciate that. so that's $22 with shipping to california already included, correct?

Seller: Yes!

There you have it. I closed the transaction at 59.49% off and saved $14.98. Do you have a "negotiation" story you'd like to share?

Successful selling is a result of constant drips

In Julien Smith's blog post, Waterfall he writes that the majesty and sense of wonder in our natural environment is made by erosion; one drop at a time over a long period, instead of one big waterfall. The same really holds true of anything, including sales. The more time and effort you put into it, the greater your successes.

Over the last few months, I've been talking to a client (a marketing agency) about some potential freelance work. The project would entail helping them with their social media strategy.

As a side note, if you've worked for an advertising/marketing agency like me, you'll likely be able to attest to this. They really do a great job at marketing their clients, but an absolutely horrible job at marketing themselves (of course, there are exceptions to the rule).

During some conversations with my client, they mentioned wanting to create one piece of content that can be used as their showcase piece; but as Mr. Smith's post suggests, a "constant drip" is a more sound strategy, instead of one big waterfall. Successful social selling requires a longer-term perspective. I think creating occasional pieces of content here and there is rather short-sighted and will miss the mark (and this has been corroborated by experts many times over).

Instead of focusing so much energy on one "be all, end all" piece of content, for this client to be perceived as a key player, content needs to proliferate. Not that they want to be ubiquitous, but they'll want to be more involved in the process. For example, joining the social conversation around various key areas of focus for them (like Big Data, since they're also a data company) can help with their search strategy (link building). Also, creating relevant, digestible content for their blog can help drive traffic organically to their site. Successful social selling is not a do-one-thing and that's it exercise. It needs to be more fluid and companies need to go along for the whole ride, as this is how it will pay dividends.

I really believe my client has a pretty compelling story to tell. Their suite of services is a solid value proposition for both existing clients and prospects. It will also help to build brand clarity and remove the stigma that they're just a "marketing" company. And unfortunately, the longer they wait, the further behind they'll get.
 
I've noticed that there are more content-specific roles out in the job marketplace. This has been confirmed by some discussions I've had with folks from various companies across different verticals. 

I'm curious to know if anybody else can shed some light around this. Are you hearing the same thing in your dealings with contacts, colleagues or clients? Please do share.

When brand advocates turn into haters and naysayers

As soon as the public caught wind that Ben Affleck had been cast as the next Batman in the Warner Bros. Man of Steel sequel, loyal fans were quick to cry foul and turned into crowds of haters and naysayers. Some petitions have even popped up requesting that Mr. Affleck be barred from portraying one of DC's most popular superheroes.

The way I see it, what's really at stake here (for Batman brand advocates) is the possible deterioration of the brand. Fans simply won't stand for it. After having seen Christian Bale play the quintessential Caped Crusader in likely the best superhero trilogy in movie history, can you really blame 'em? Moreover, it's taken years for the Batman franchise to build its brand to what it is today, only to see it take a turn for the worse.

There likely will never be another Bruce Wayne like Christian Bale, and anyone you stack up against him will pale (likely) in comparison. But Mr. Bale already passed on the role of Batman, so let's not go there. Like it or not, it appears that Ben Affleck will be the next Batman.

You can be certain that Mr. Affleck is well aware of the shoes (and big they will be) he'll need to fill. His last lackluster portrayal of a superhero (Daredevil) in red tights is all in the past (thank goodness). Mr. Affleck has since directed and co-starred in some fairly solid movies, Gone Baby Gone and The Town. He's even become an Oscar-winning director with Argo.

Suffice it to say, Ben Affleck has grown up and even sharpened his acting skills. I read that he's now hitting the gym two hours a day so he can transform his physique. As my wife says, Mr. Affleck will make up in physique what he lacks in mojo.

I say let's cut the dude some slack. Who knows? He may just pull off the role. 

What's your take in all of this hullabaloo? Who's your Batman of choice and why?

Never mind yesterday. Start "crushing it" today!

In Gary Vaynerchuk's book, Crush It!  he writes about how to use the power of the web to turn your passions and interests into viable businesses. Gary spent many years transforming his family's wine business from a local mom-and-pop shop into a national industry leader. And he did this by leveraging a number of social media tools. I've seen a few of his YouTube videos and it's classic Gary Vaynerchuk every time...no holds barred, energetic, passionate and authentic.

When I set out to "blog," I opened my Blogger account back in February 2009. It literally took me four years to publish my first post! I vividly recall catastrophizing as I sat (flabbergasted and in disbelief) in front of my laptop, figuring out what to write about. That's four years of lost time...four years of my life I can never have back...I despise the number four!

Thankfully, I'm a glass-half-full guy. So I stepped back, took a few deep breaths and shook it off.

You obviously can't change what was, but you have absolute control and can impact what will be.

I suppose since writing keeps me up at night (as I try to sleep, come up with new topics to write about or sit there in the wee hours of the morning typing away), that it's a passion of mine. Despite life's many twists, turns and distractions, I crave and need to do it.

In retrospect, I am making a living out of my passion. My ultimate goal as a marketer is to deliver more relevant, meaningful experiences that engage and inspire people to take action. And that usually involves lots of writing and developing content, which I've done (now I just need to figure out a way to make millions).

Gary writes that the time is now (certainly not the first time anybody's said this) to cash in on your passion. Never mind yesterday. If you have a passion, don't dwell on what you haven't done thus far. Instead, march ahead toward the future. Start "crushing it" today.

What's your passion? If there are any writers out there, have you figured out a way to make millions from writing? Do tell.

How Amazon pegged me as a Popchips popper

I occasionally get customer emails from Amazon. Today's Deal of the Day for 35% off Popchips caught my attention. For starters, I love Popchips! More important, how did Amazon profile me as somebody who'd be interested in Popchips? I've never purchased 'em, nor anything remotely close to a crunchy snack, for that matter. The only grocery item I've purchased from Amazon is chicken bouillon (don't laugh...I ordered it for my wife). Go figure. But I do like my Popchips (barbecue flavor). I'm curious to know how Amazon slices and dices data--their sources, how they append and overlay; how they make sense of all that data!

Coincidentally, I was at Target a few days ago and noticed two Google Shopping Express (GSE) employees perusing aisles--with carts on hand--filling them with stuff. On my way out at the parking lot, I noticed one of the Google guys loading up his GSE company car (a Toyota Prius) with his loot. I've seen the GSE cars driving around town and one can argue the name "Google Shopping Express" is suggestive; but I figured I'd engage the guy in a bit of conversation to satiate my curiosity about the GSE service.

It appears that GSE is being piloted in the San Francisco Bay Area. Essentially, the service caters to those who don't have a lot of time to trek around town to buy their own stuff. They use the service to save time and get their stuff delivered to them--the same day in most cases. Not a revolutionary idea (think Webvan, now a part of the Amazon family), but if there's one thing we know, Google is super smart and will do their darndest to do the GSE service right.

Sidebar: Google will pay you 38 cents per mile to drive your own car, but the guy I was talking to preferred to use the company car. He didn't seem too excited about driving a Prius (no cool factor, I suppose?), but he was proud of the car's sound system. I wonder if he's allowed to listen to his own music or if the car comes equipped with company-issued tunes (which makes me wonder about the type(s) of genre Google-issued music would be comprised of).

But, I digress.

Getting back to Amazon...

I'm still wondering about how I was pegged as a Popchips popper. And doesn't Amazon have a leg up on Google with this Webvan-ish service? AmazonFresh has been piloted in Seattle for several years, and now it's made its way to Los Angeles.

Have you used AmazonFresh and/or Google Shopping Express? What's your verdict and why? Please feel free to comment below.

Product form and function in the comfort of your hand

Products come in various shapes and sizes. A product that exemplifies the perfect marriage of form and function is the perennial writing instrument, the pen.

I suppose I'm a bit of a pen aficionado (a rollerballer, to be exact). If you do enough writing and note-taking as I do, you'll know what it's like to have the perfect pen fall beautifully into your hand; the smooth flow of the ink as it hits the paper, never skipping a beat, as if you're magically guided through every stroke. When you have the perfect pen, you'll swear as if you can write for eternity!

Another key aspect is the pen's design. Let's take the German brand Lamy, for example. It's evident that Lamy approaches their designs with a great deal of consideration. Just take a look at some of their product designers and creations. Like architecture, it is through Lamy's product features that they tangibly convey the competence of their brand. Though a smaller scale, a great deal of thought and effort goes into designing pens.

Let's not forget the other features and attributes of a pen. There's the type and quality of materials used--aluminum, acrylic, wood, plastic, resin, perhaps a combination thereof? Disposable or refillable? If you're into fountain pens, you'll have nib sizes to contend with. The list goes on.

What's your pen of choice? Do you have a favorite brand?