I admit it is very hard to train yourself not to do a quick glance at your cell phone every now and then, to see what you might be “missing” – but I struggle to find any bit of news or information that would be important enough to endanger someone’s life.  Which brings me to today’s doubleheader of incredibly ”crumb-y” news items [NOTE: these are ratings I give various ideas: Smart Cookie (good), Half-Baked (so-so), Crumb (bad), etc]

First up is the idiotic new hands-free technology called AppLink from Ford, that allows you to listen to Tweets while you drive – although you are not allowed to respond. Well hallelujah for that small detail! While I love Twitter more than most (you know I do!), I can’t imagine needing to know what’s going on sooooo badly that I have to hear a verbal rundown of the current Twitter stream. And what if I did hear something so compelling that I just had to grab my phone and tweet back? Dumb, dumb and dumber.

I know many of you, me included, think we can multi-task – so I suppose this technology was born with the intention to let us do even more in even less time. But numerous studies have shown the multi-tasking concept to be a fraud. “The human brain has a crippling inability to do two tasks at once,” said neuroscientist René Marois, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, in an interview on Oprah.com. And a British study has found that texting while driving slows reaction time more than being drunk or high. So why do we insist on tempting fate?

And today’s second example is not only crumby, it’s just plain sad. Earlier this week, celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan was killed in a car accident, reportedly caused because he was texting or tweeting while driving.  According to CBS News, Ryan died while driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu when his Jeep Wrangler went off a cliff, landing on its rooftop. Only moments before, Ryan was sending pictures and updates to his Twitter page.

So while I’m all for new technologies, and taking advantage of every social media tool out there, I hope we can all agree that tweeting while driving is just senseless.  There is nothing you can tweet that is so fascinating that it’s worth risking a human life, period.  But tell me what you think…just be sure to pull over before you start typing!

I recently ventured back for my fourth visit to this fab event and found it my most rewarding time yet – and felt compelled to share with you the top 10 things I learned at Foodportunity this go-round:

[meteor_slideshow]

1. Social media relationships come to life when you actually get to meet IRL (in real life!). There were a handful of Twitter followers I had only interacted with online, albeit frequently! But Foodportunity delivered them in living color, right before my very eyes!  I finally was able to chat IRL with fab photographer Jackie Baisa (@JackieBaisa), food writer Julien Perry (@tastebud1), Seattle Times writer Marc Ramirez (@typewriterninja) and Taste director/chef Danielle Custer (@dcbites).
2. Many of my Twitter friends had new jobs - and I had missed the memo!  But finally getting in the same room caught me up to speed quickly – one has left social media freelancing for a full-time Yahoo gig, another is switching newspapers (and cities!), and yet another has moved from her solo PR gig to helping a local cooking store with marketing and events. But remain connected through this funny little thing called Twitter.
3. A la Mode Pies (@alamodepies) is the bomb! This amazing little company had slipped under my radar, even though I was following them on Twitter – but I am now their #1 raving fan!  Imagine fresh baked pies DELIVERED to your door (free in Seattle and Bellevue)…amazing flavor combinations…and the best, PIE ON A STICK!  Yes, the LolliPie is sure to be a new wedding/party favorite and destined to kick cupcakes to the curb. Okay, maybe not that last one, but this Pie on a Stick concept has some serious potential.  Stay tuned…
4. You can send a beer to a friend – even if they live hundreds of miles away.  Huh??  For real – check out Beer2Buds and check out this cool and frosty concept.  There are almost 40 bars/restos in Washington signed up now - who knew?!
5. I have a groupie (LOL!) and she is a very nice person.  Yes, it’s true – the lovely Jenn Davis (@AmateurGourmand) had told the world recently that I was her “Twitter Idol”, much to my surprise.  I was a little taken aback, yet flattered, and very curious…and when I finally met her at Foodportunity, she couldn’t have been any nicer.  And someone I am proud to boast as my groupie – and it isn’t creepy at all.
6. Many people are afraid to approach chefs and/or authors one-on-one, even when the event is set up for that format. I talked with several repeat attendees who longed for the “old days” of Foodportunity, when the 4-5 featured speakers were on a panel and took Q&A from the entire group for 20-30 minutes.  The current set up had featured guests in a separate room and you had to be bold/brave/dumb enough to walk up and talk with them directly. I think most would prefer hearing all the questions and responses in a public way, to gather the most of the awesome knowledge/talent in the room. We aren’t all as bold as you think. Me included.
7. Some of my “old” friends made via Twitter, that I hadn’t seen in awhile, are alive and doing well!  (as I expected…) That would be you @jeffreykingman, @taylor_tweets, @carissaang, and @yasharwinemongr, to name a few.
8. Many foodies and restaurants are still not sure how to make the most of their efforts on Twitter – and several might be inclined to use my consulting services in the near future. I am ready and waiting for your call…you know who you are.
9. The most popular bites of the night were the Beef Tongue Crostini from Luc/The Chef in the Hat and the Pork Belly Banh Mi from Matt’s in the Market. Hands down, no questions asked - nearly every attendee commented and tweeted about these tasty treats.
10. Keren is taking her Foodportunity show on the road, debuting in Portland on Sept. 13 (@foodportunityOR).  I’m thinking an Amtrak kind of weekend might be in store…

So, if you were at Foodportunity, I’d love to hear what YOU learned…the forum is open below!

Why is the Groupon mascot a cat? Discuss amongst yourselves...

Some of you may remember me questioning Groupon in the past for their obvious consumer appeal, yet lack of significant benefit for business owners.  We’ll I’m here today to take some of that opinion back, thanks to a brilliant announcement by the company (still “one smart cookie” in my book!)

Groupon is launching “Personalized Deals” today in six cities (yay for Seattle!), with a strategy to target customers with additional daily deals tailored for their location and interests.  As you probably know, the model now is to promote one deal per day to each city, via social media, email and web promotion.  But often the deal of the day isn’t quite your cup of tea, leaving you sad and with money burning a hole in your pocket (okay, maybe not).

With the Personalized Deals, Groupon is looking to make a wider-ranging attempt to get you to purchase a deal – whether it’s the featured one for the area or one targeted for your demographics (sex, age, zip code). Again, this is great for the consumer. But my guess is that these more personalized deals should finally be more profitable to the business offering the deal, since it should deliver a more “targeted” buyer who has potential to be a repeat customer.  And THAT is the key to making a Groupon successful for businesses.

Businesses have a hard time profiting from the one-time, grab-a-good-deal Groupon purchasers, since the profit margin is so low for them. But if the business can upsell you or turn you into a repeat customer at full price, then Groupon will have been a smart marketing tool for them.

So, as Groupon instructs now: ” Login to Groupon and click “My Profile” to enter your preferences so we know enough to send you deals that match your tastes, and grant ourselves power of attorney…”  Okay, so maybe you don’t buy into that last suggestion, but this is a feature you should jump on now. Go!

I’d also love to hear what you think about this new approach – good, bad, indifferent?? Let’s hear it in the comments below…

And so, a new recipe for my blog has been simmering and is now finally ready to be served (you love food analogies, remember?!).

As I continue to educate, inform, entertain and enlighten you about all things social media, I am going to frequently categorize my posts in a way that make it very clear how I feel about the subject du jour.  Here are some of the ingredients I’m toying with:

One Smart Cookie – highlighting individuals or companies that really “get it” in terms of their social media activities.  For example, I’ve written about the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, and my most 2009 most influential Tweeters list!  And then there’s my good friend Leslie Irish Evans, who has unlocked a key to attracting quality “likers” to her Facebook fan page (1500 in less than a month).

Half-Baked – these are ideas or promotions or people that had “sort of” a good idea, but managed to leave a key ingredient out of the recipe, or perhaps took the project out of the oven a few minutes too early.  Kind of like restaurants that aren’t using Twitter or promoting a “Groupon” special without adequate followup.  Or maybe choosing to Tweet during surgery?!?

Crumbs – unfortunately there are too many of these types of examples, using social media as a way to blast info to all of us but have no clue how to use the tools to create conversations, relationships and profitable visibility.  Or they appear randomly and infrequently on their social media sites and have left us to wonder if they are past their expiration date. It would be easy to cite many of these “crumb-y” people, but I’ll try to keep it to a minimum!

On the back burner, several more categories are stewing, such as:

• One Tough Cookie –  for those that have made a bold move or overcome some obstacle to create success in social media
• That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles – for those those attempts or campaigns that just go bad for whatever reason and there’s nothing you can do about it (but might deserve an “A” for effort!)
• Cookie Cutter –  for those that show an utter lack of originality or *gasp* have been shown to have copied another’s recipe!
• Fortune Cookie – for those with a creative, forward-thinking idea that will change the way things are done – even if it’s a bit in the future (having a house for sale “tweet” about itself to attract new owners)

So there you have it – the recipe for the One Smart Cookie blog!  And like any good friend that always seems to end up hovering in the kitchen (no matter how small the house is!), you are probably wondering how you can help.  So put on your apron, pick up your whisk and send me ideas and examples – it’s a big ponderosa out there and even as hard as I try, I can’t read about everything! 

I look forward to your contributions below – ready, set, bake!

NOTE: Divine inspiration for this concept must be credited to Warren and Betsy Talbot, Betsy Moore and Katy Woodworth – ALL very Smart Cookies!

A must-read before you engage in social media, design a logo, create collateral - or anything!

I must admit I’ve often been confused about the difference between branding, marketing and advertising.  And with nearly 15 years of public relations experience and my current profession of social media advisor, that’s a bit embarrassing.

But thanks to branding whiz Maria Ross’ new book “Branding Basics for Small Business-How To Create an Irresistible Brand on Any Budget”, I finally get it!  The owner of Red Slice, a branding and marketing consultancy, Ross has done a convincing job of explaining why having a “brand strategy” is important, attainable and affordable for a small business.

My tendency is to write a too-long blog post, telling you all the fantastic things Ross teaches in the book, but instead, I am going to limit myself to 4 key reasons to run out and buy her book, pronto!

1. There is a fantastic 10-question process to help you build your  brand strategy.  While it will take some time and brain power to formulate your answers, isn’t your business worth it?  I wish I had taken the time to work through these key points when starting up my business, instead of just figuring it out as I went.  Can you say “flying by the seat of your pants?”  Giving significant thought to answer the queries about pricing, target audience, benefits, competition, metrics, etc. as you begin to build your empire is a much more fruitful process, trust me!
2. The “brand at work” examples of real-life companies that are scattered throughout the book.  Ross does an amazing job of bringing her principles to life by telling us success stories from companies that have implemented these concepts.  They are inspiring and show us what can be accomplished by having a strategy – and actually following it!   My favorite “Brand at Work” example was Bestfriends General Store, an online dog toyland that communicates from the dogs’ point of view!  This brand approach, with the “humans” playing second fiddle, is unique and incredibly effective for distinguishing Bestfriends from their multitude of competition in the pet services world.
3. The section on “Who and where is your audience? How can you find them?” is worth the price of the book. In my work with BNI (Business Network International), I work with many entrepreneurs and small businesses that are scared to death to narrow down what they do, or to establish a target audience.  They typically prefer to “help anyone with anything” which unfortunately often means no one hires them at all. Ross claims this ability to define your ideal client is the single most important aspect to a brand strategy – and I wholeheartedly agree.  Knowing your ideal client/target audience intimately helps you focus on a specific strategy that brings you the clients you want to work with, that are the most fun and the most profitable.  I dare you to try it!
4. And last but not least, I love that the book is logical and builds from one process to the next!  It is written in just three parts and each flows perfectly into the next, giving you a complete solution by the end.  Part 1 on “What is Brand and Why Does it Matter” deals with the question of why brand matters and how your customer actually dictates what your brand is.  Part 2 deals with the 10-questions I mentioned above and really gets to the heart of what you have to offer.  And Part 3 gives you a road map to apply the brand strategy you’ve just created, with specific steps to accomplish your goals.

This book has helped me truly appreciate the important work of branding, and created a new appreciation of its role in company strategy and communications.  When people approach me now for help with their social media strategy, I will spend much more time asking about their brand strategy before we decide what tactics to take on.  And if they don’t have a strategy, they will be sent directly to Maria Ross at Red Slice - do not pass GO, do not collect $200!

NOTE: Ross is hosting a book launch party Tuesday, June 15 at Little Red Bistro in Fremont (WA) from 6:00-8:30 pm.

An iPad in your restaurant is worth many customers at your tables

One of the common complaints I often hear from my restaurant clients – or potential clients – is that they lack the time, personnel and/or web access to successfully use Twitter to promote their business.  My suggestion – have your host/hostess use a smartphone or netbook computer at the check-in point of the restaurant – was usually dismissed for many reasons (which I’ll leave for another post!)

So I was thrilled, and inspired, when I read “5 Good Reasons to Buy an iPad for Your Business” on American Express’ Open Forum this week.  I wish I’d thought of it earlier – restaurants can easily use an iPad, as opposed to a smartphone or netbook!  It’s cool, it’s fun and it’s definitely a conversation-starter – all things restaurants want to be known for!

With that in mind, here are my 5 reasons to buy an iPad for your restaurant:

1. Your host/hostess can use the iPad at their front station to monitor Twitter (or Facebook) in slower times, to listen to what people are saying about you – asking questions, looking for specials, making positive comments, etc.  And they can actually respond in real-time, or close to it, making you look responsive and attentive to them. And training your host to use the iPad as an integrated part of their job eliminates the need to hire yet another staffer (except a one-time consultant like me to train you to use it – ha!)
2. The iPad would be a fantastic way to advertise current promotions/specials and to draw people into the restaurant that wouldn’t otherwise be headed there.  For example, on a rainy Monday evening when the resto is slow and you have tables to fill, you can Tweet out a special such as “next 5 people who come by and say ‘twitter’ get a free appetizer.  Or, you can promote a special entree that is only available that night or has limited availability
3. You can set up a open search on Twitter to see who is looking for something particular but might not know about you yet. For example, if you have a search for “happy hour Belltown”, you’ll find tweets from people trolling Twitter to see what’s going on – and then you can reply “come see us, we have the best cocktails in town, tonight it’s the XYZ” or “you want the best burger in town? we have ABC and it’s 1/2 price tonight!”
4. You can use the iPad to monitor reservations and other other details from Open Table, UrbanSpoon or Foursquare without having to run to the back office and log on to your big clunky computer.  In fact, UrbanSpoon has launched RezBook, an iPad app and online reservations platform that will allow restaurants to manage their tables and reservation books.  Need we say more??
5. Last but not least, the cool factor.  It will definitely set you apart from your competitors to be seen using an iPad at your front station – we’re trendy, current with technology, connected to our customers, just plain cool.  And it will open the door to better conversations with your customers, who will be intrigued and fascinated with your ability to do so much all at the front desk!

So there you have it – five quick and easy reasons to buy an iPad for your restaurant.  There’s an amazing return on investment (for the $499+ cost) with a little time and effort. I’m sure there are many more benefit to restaurants using this new tool and I’d love to hear what you think too!

The Fairmont Empress is "twitter-ific" to us

I love it when companies have fun with their social media promotions.  It’s easy to toss out a special price or discount code, but it takes some creativity and imagination to create a themed approach to reward your fans and followers.

And did I find a good one this week, from the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria B.C. Many of you might be familiar with the beloved luxury hotel for its daily ”High Tea” service or as one of the featured hotels for those taking a quick trip up via the Victoria Clipper.  But they are quickly becoming known for their fun in social media land!

To celebrate their recent accomplishment of 2,000 followers on Twitter, the hotel created some ” Twitter-riffic specials” to share with their fans – big deal, right? But what was notable was the wisdom in understanding their clientele well enough to offer a variety of rewards AND to give them fun names – that’s good marketing!

Here are the Empress’s Twitter-rific specials:

•$200 for a Fairmont Room. Limited to 2,000 rooms at this price ~ Ask for the Twitter-rific Rate!
•$200 for Afternoon Tea for Four. Pinkies up ~ Ask for the Twitter Tea!
•$200 for Willow Stream Signature Pedicure for two guests, each with a complimentary bottle OPI polish to take home. 60 minutes of pure bliss ~ Ask for the Twitter Toes!
•$200 for Farm to Fork Table d’Hote menu and wine pairings for two plus our Royal Table service in The Empress Room. Exquisite food, impeccable service – you are worth it ~ Ask for the Twitter Table!

Not one special deal – but four to choose from! You’d expect the common room-rate special, but have you ever seen a company offer a Twitter Tea, Twitter Toes and/or Twitter Table special?!  I didn’t think so!

I just had to check in with the hotel’s Director of Sales & Marketing, Angela Rafuse-Tahir, to find out how they came up with such fun out-of-the-box specials.  And it was her attentive knowledge of their clientele that led to the catchy – and already popular – promotion.

“This is our third Twitter special but the first with spa, and food and beverage offerings,” she explained. “Since the hotel and I have created a big local following, the room rate offer would not necessarily attract them, so I had the idea to add these components. Already, the message has gone viral and I’m delighted at the outcome!”

Not only does Angela have a great property to promote, but she’s become a social media activist in her own right. She attends the Social Media Club in Victoria and participated in Victoria’s first Twestival.  She frequents many local Tweetups and is considering hosting her own version at the hotel on June 30, in celebration of Mashable’s declared “Social Media Day.” And last but not least, she created a special “Poutine-off” (a celebrated French-Canadian dish) competition last month with a rival hotel, and used Twitter to promote the one-of-a-kind event. She’s my new hero!

I’ve always felt that social media works extremely well with a couple of my favorite interests, food and travel, so I asked Angela “what’s in it” for a hotel on Twitter and Facebook.  She noted four major ways that social media helps the Fairmont Empress:

• Changes people’s paradigm of our hotel
• Offers us a venue to showcase our unique product and services
• Allows us to create partnerships and friendships
• Creates a viral avenue to demographics we may not have been able to reach or know how to reach

I’d say she accomplished all that – and a plate of Poutine!  What cool, creative, catchy promotions have you seen used on Twitter?  Share them with us below!

For more info on the Fairmont Empress Twitter-ific specials, click here

The Biggest Loser is proof - less is more! NBC Photo

I say yes.  And less is more.

After reading an appropriately short blog post by Laura Petrolino at Flying Pig Communications this week, I was inspired to think through how someone could communicate what they do in 10 words or less.  Sounds impossible at first blush, right?  But I think it’s brilliant.

Some people can say more in 10 words than others can say in 60 seconds. I’m sure most of you are familiar with those typical “elevator speech” introductions people practice to death before networking events.  In my Director role at BNI, we more accurately call them “sales manager moments”, since you are educating your sales force (other BNI members) about how to bring you referrals.  And sometimes those 60 seconds can seem like 60 minutes with all the thoughts some cram into their message trying to cover ALL that they do.

But using just 10 words is so perfect.  It forces you to really think about what benefits you provide, rather than WHAT you do.  It requires you get incredibly clear on the exact words to use, since you only have 10 of them.  Imagine if someone said to you right now - you have one minute to grab only 10 personal  items before your whole house burns down.  Yikes, so what are you going to take?!  You take what is most meaningful and significant to you – and that’s exactly what your message should be.   Only that which is meaningful and significant. 

I believe it doesn’t really matter to others WHAT we do, because their top priority is WHY they should care.  Remember that old adage - WIIFM?  What’s In It For Me!

You might wonder what I replied to the blog post in question – and my response was “I help Smart Cookies share their brilliance via social media.”  And even as I type that, I realize I could be more specific about why that matters to someone.  My intent was to “compliment” them being a Smart Cookie and being brilliant, and pair that with my knowledge of social media to help them.  But I bet I can do better.

My favorite response on the blog came from a good friend, and she replied “I show adults how to run away from home.”  Now that, my friend Betsy Talbot, is a brilliant answer that tells me exactly what I can get from you and makes me want to drop everything and find out more.  And that’s a lot of power for 10 little words.

So readers, please tell us what your 10 word description is – I can’t wait for the conversation to begin!

No doubt, Groupon is great for the consumer. The “daily deals” are typically in the 50 percent off range, with some even at a 75-80% discount off restaurants, services, etc .- who wouldn’t love that? These deals obviously are great for the consumer, but as a marketing consultant who helps businesses increase visibility and sales online, I’m a little worried about what’s in it for the business.

In a recent article on Open Forum, John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing posed the question “Could Groupon Save Your Business?”.  He highlighted the major benefits of the service – mostly for consumers! – but also noted how businesses could use the high traffic and visibility that results from these offers to create a stream of new customers. He noted “…I’m not sure there is a more effective play out there right now for the small business looking for ROI on marketing dollars invested.”

And yet, I disagree. Is it a good business decision to take a deep discount for a sale - especially if you never see the customer again? For example, when a restaurant offers a $50 value  Groupon for $25, the restaurant only reaps about $12.50 of that – yes, Groupon typically takes 50% of the sale ( although they do note their cut varies based on the market, merchant and number of deals sold.)  That’s a steep price to pay. And is the visibility and word-of-mouth value from this one-time offer  really worth a 75% (or more) discount off a business’s already tight margin?  Is that good ROI??

Actually, it might be — IF the business also does one (or more) of the following:

1. Capture the customer’s complete contact info when they redeem the Groupon- I’ve talked with dozens of friends who have happily purchased and redeemed Groupons in the past few months and virtually NONE of them were ever asked for their contact info so the business could follow up. Retention and repeat business are a MUST if you offer a Groupon.
2. Sell a follow-up/repeat service to the same customer when they redeem the Groupon- As a business, you have an interested customer right in front of you, happy with the deal they have purchased.  Why not sell them a SECOND 50% off deal right then (before they leave, possibly never to return)? And guess what? You get all of that money ($25 on the $50 value), rather than giving $12.50 of it to Groupon!
3. Limit the Groupon to new customers only – depending on the business, it might be a little harder to determine and track who is “new”, but the value of such a loss-leader deal is in introducing new customers to your products/services, rather than offering a cut rate to your current, loyal clients that are going to buy from you anyway.

So there you have it – my take on the Groupon phenomenon and its value to a business.  I know there’s going to be some feedback on this one, so let your opinions fly in the comments below!  I especially would love to hear from businesses who have used Groupon, and how their subsequent sales have been affected.

My pet peeve – or at least, strong dislike – are those social media users who post messages on Twitter via Facebook BUT never come to Twitter engage in follow up conversation. 

I hope you read the whole sentence before you dash off a nasty note to me – I’m not saying you shouldn’t post from Twitter to Facebook.  I understand the efficiency of creating your message once and “pushing” it to the various social media platforms.  BUT, what I don’t understand are those Facebook users who do push info to Twitter AND don’t come to Twitter for the follow-up conversations and relationship building.

Here’s what I see happening – and I’ll use a restaurant as an example.  If Restaurant-A-Rama (RAR) only posts messages on its Facebook fan page with distribution to Twitter et al, they are creating a monologue relationship.  They have “spoken” to us on Twitter, but aren’t there (on Twitter) for the Q&A or to monitor the feedback.  I may see a tweet that RAR has 1/2 price ribs tonight, but if I want to ask what type of sauce they use, or if they can accomodate my birthday party of 12 or if I just want to tell them they are my favorite restaurant in the city, it probably falls on deaf ears.  I want a dialogue – is that too much to ask?

You cannot monitor the Twitter conversations that come from your message while you are on Facebook. You have to come play with us in the Twitter sandbox, spend a little time, build a little sandcastle and let us get to know you – where WE are.  If I reply to RAR on Twitter and they don’t reply to my inquiry, thank me for my retweet or share additional information, they have missed the opportunity to build a relationship with me – and isn’t that the point of social media? If I feel ignored, I’m probably not buying from you, no matter how creative the message was.

Anyone can buy ads, post them all over town, on the radio/TV, and take whatever business comes from that.  Expensive, often not effective, and not very personal. But if you want to build customer/client relationships and be a good member of the community, you cannot force feed us one-way messaging on social media and then not participate in whatever ensues.  That’s an infomercial, and most of us will go running and screaming from you, far and fast.

So what to do? Go ahead and post your message once, using one of the many tools that offer this service.  It will go to Facebook, Twitter, et al.  But then allocate 10-15 minutes per day (or many times daily) to come see what has transpired on each of the platforms – and talk to us.  We assume you got into social media to be social, so we appreciate your feedback, your insights, your offerings.  Dialogue is king.