If you thought keeping track of your social-media footprint was daunting, try researching social-media aggregators (the tools that help you track your online social activity).
Luckily, we have Dan Taylor over at Fabric of Folly. Dan provides thoughtful analysis and reviews (complete with screenshots) of 15 key social-media aggregators. Check it out.
The April 24, 2008 issue of AMA‘s Marketing Matters newsletter introduced a new book: “Online Marketing Heroes: Interviews with 25 Successful Online Marketing Gurus.” The book features advice and insight from 25 online marketing heavyweights. I can’t wait to dig in, especially after reading the reviews.
From both major parties and its candidates, I am hearing the same modifiers over and over again – describing people…voters like you and me…
Everyday people…Common people…Ordinary people…
Everyday = Routine, ordinary, not unique
Common = Lacking special status or distinction; Unexceptional
Ordinary = No exceptional degree of ability or quality
I could think of many ways to describe the people of America. And “ordinary” is not one of them.
If you want to truly communicate and connect with your audience, I recommend:
1. Learning as much as you can about your audience
2. Elevating, rather than denigrating, your audience
I am not sure why the politicians need any such modifiers to describe the majority of the people. In the end, it only creates an uncomfortable division between the speaker and the audience. In the case of the primaries (for both major parties), it feels more like the “Great Divide.”
FOR YOUR REFERENCING PLEASURE: My favorite dictionary – The American Heritage Dictionary of The English Language – is worth its weight in gold. That’s saying a lot these days!
Here’s a great article – Love the Customers Who Hate You – from the March 2008 issue of BusinessWeek.
I just returned from a fabulous vacation in South America. My perfect adventure ended on a curious customer-service note, however.
During my check out from the Hotel Kennedy on the last day of our tour, I was charged 4X the hotel’s list price for the bottled water from my room.
When I explained to the perpetually unhappy front-desk employee that her suggested price was different than the price listed in the room, she said: “Water is expensive in Santiago.” Then she refused to adjust the final hotel bill (even knowing that my travel mates were charged the regular – versus inflated – price for bottled water).
The reason this is curious is because a 4-star hotel chose the value of a few thousand extra Chilean pesos (about 20 USD) over the value of referrals, credibility, and trust – the stuff of fine reputations and healthy bottom lines.
In the end, the Hotel Kennedy did leave a lasting impression. Too bad it was a negative one.
MORAL OF THE STORY: How you say goodbye is just as important as how you say hello. Whether you are leaving a company, ending a relationship, or closing business with a customer, remember that your final words and actions will have an impact that will last long after you part ways.
Recommended Reading: “Leverage Your Unsubscribes,” an article from Media Post‘s Email Insider, calls out the inherent value in your customers’ unsubscribe emails and points to the importance of positive communication when you say goodbye.