7 Tips for Seeking Out and Seducing the Best Influencers to Love Your Brand

The influencer marketing gold rush is underway, and recent surveys confirm that budgets are continuing to grow in this area. Unfortunately, when a lot of money is headed in one direction so quickly, some of it gets thrown out the window. To avoid wasting your budget, it's more important than ever to form relationships with the right industry influencers.

Through mistakes and many lessons, I've learned that remembering these seven things can help you seek out and attract the best influencers to become long-term advocates for your brand:

1. The best influencers aren't always well-known.

Sometimes, higher-profile influencers are in the business for themselves. They've had people cater to them for years and expect you to bend over backward for them, too. For example, one of my more well-known relationships emailed me on a holiday weekend just days after my daughter's birth to ask me to do something for him. That's not a healthy relationship. But lesser-known influencers usually aren't sidetracked by self-promotion or fame, which makes them more likely to become true brand advocates for you.

2. The one thing influencers love more than money is more influence.

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Influencers are naturally attracted to influence, so do everything you can to build your own influence before seeking partnerships with them. In your own content strategy, do what you can to include these influencers in your work. Source their content, quote them in an article on your blog, mention them in your speeches, etc. My approach is to draw attention to those outside influencers who deserve more influence--those who are leaders and experts in their industries. As a result, I've formed solid relationships with many of these people.

3. Seek out influencers who are helpful people.

In one conversation with someone, I'm able to determine whether he or she is a helpful person. Helpful people listen to you and lend a hand because it's the right thing to do. They value the relationship and want you to succeed--and that makes them great influencers to work with. But if ego is involved or they clearly have an agenda, they probably won't help you unless there's something in it for them.

4. Earn the relationship before you pay.

Think about this: If you pay somebody $10,000 to be your best friend for six months and then ask him to stay your best friend even if you can't pay him again, do you think he'll be there for you? No. You should do all you can to naturally earn an influencer relationship before spending thousands of dollars to buy it. (Note: Sometimes, you have to pay up if there's no option, but at least attempt to earn it first.)

5. Make sure they actually have influence.

One of my friends who consistently shares my content on Twitter has about 250,000 followers. Fortunately, there are tools to help me track engagement, and I can see that almost no one interacts with our brand or my content when this person shares my content. However, I have another friend with about 5,000 followers on Twitter, and some kind of opportunity always comes when this person shares my content. Don't be fooled by the perception of influence.

6. Care about people beyond what they can do for your business.

One of our clients, John Ruhlin, is one of the leading appreciation specialists in the U.S. He and I had lunch recently, and I told him that my wife was having a birthday party. From the same conversation, he remembered a certain type of gift he once gave us that I told him my wife really enjoyed. On the day of her party, that gift arrived at my doorstep with a handwritten note to say happy birthday and that he appreciated our friendship. John Ruhlin is cemented in my mind as someone who cares about me beyond what I can do for his business and vice versa. And in return, I'll probably always be an advocate for him.

7. Remember the small things.

Just like any relationship, the small things matter most. The other day, I noticed that Jay Baer received his speaker's certification. Jay's received a lot of recognition in different ways as an influencer, but this time, he was being recognized for all the hours he's spent on planes and speaking to people and the positive reviews he's received for putting the time in. Right away, I sent him a personal note to congratulate him. I like to do small things like this for people because when someone does something small for me, it always sticks out.

Influencer marketing will only continue to grow, and it's up to you to make sure your budget is spent on building the best relationships with the right influencers. Whether it's mentioning an influencer on your blog or sending a small message about an accomplishment, it's important for you to build trust and stay top of mind in the right way to seduce influencers into becoming your long-term brand advocates.

Source : http://on.inc.com/2b0QZSC

5 Ways Tech Startups Can Save Money

For a tech startup, one of the biggest challenges you face is, well, starting up. Getting out of the gates and developing your first product or selling your first service takes money – something most young entrepreneurs don’t have a lot of floating around. The good news is that you don’t need unlimited resources. With a little strategic ingenuity and common sense, you can reduce your upfront costs, save money, and better position your startup for long-term success. Here are a handful of methods:

1. Run a Virtual Office

If you’re really serious about saving money, you’ll learn to do without a traditional office with a hefty rent. There’s no reason a fresh startup needs a physical location. Depending on where you’re located, even a small office could run you anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars each month. By running a virtual office – or setting up workspaces in your own home – you can get just as much work done without the added expenses. Don’t forget, office space also calls for insurance, taxes, utilities, and other overhead expenses.

From a marketing and advertising perspective, you probably don’t need physical space. A domain name, website, and really good hosting should do the trick. If you run a virtual office for a few months and discover that you absolutely have to have a physical office, then you can start your search. “Should you need to expand your business to accommodate for staff and expansion, there will always be locations for rent and purchase,” says Zac Johnson on Credibly.com.

2. Hire Freelancers and Independent Contractors

Wouldn’t it be great to have a company full of motivated employees getting paid full salaries and benefits? Certainly! However, that’s not the best strategy for a startup – even if it fits into your budget. In today’s economy, there are ample opportunities to hire freelancers and independent contractors. And while these job titles may have come with negative connotations in decades past, many of today’s most talented professionals label themselves as freelancers or independent contractors.

The great thing about contractors is that you pay them for their output. If you don’t need them for a month, you don’t have to pay them for that month. They scale as you scale, and you’re not responsible for benefits or taxes. It’s extremely advantageous and allows you to develop business relationships outside of your business.

3. Rethink Automated Subscriptions

How many subscription services do you have? We’re talking about industry periodicals, software programs, online programs, website memberships, etc. The problem with these services is that they automatically rebill each month and you don’t even think twice about paying them, when the truth is many aren’t necessary.

Just ask serial entrepreneur Matt Mickiewicz about his experiences with recurring subscription services. “In the past we’ve uncovered a mobile phone account that no one had used for six months, a website optimization service that was overbilling us, and a CRM that we had switched away from months prior,” he said.

Set a goal – let’s say $100 – and see if you can eliminate unnecessary subscriptions adding up to this amount. While $100 a month may not seem like a lot, it adds up to more than $1,000 over the course of a year. What could your business do with an extra $1,000 laying around?

4. Buy Used

As a startup, you should never think about buying anything brand new. You don’t need expensive furniture, top of the line equipment, and shiny accessories. Instead, buy quality used items that work well and hold their value.

Think of it like a car. While there is a faction of people that buy new vehicles, the large majority prefer used cars. That’s because a new vehicle loses roughly 11 percent of its value as soon as it’s driven off the lot. Why pay that premium when you can find a gently used version at a much lower price point? The same is true for office equipment, machinery, furniture, etc. Buy used and stash away the savings.

5. Trade Services with Other Companies

Many successful startups make a habit out of bartering with other startups. For example, a restaurant startup may offer free food to a new accounting firm down the street that’s willing to meet with them for one hour each week. It’s a win-win for both businesses. Are there startups, or even established businesses in your area that would be willing to barter? It’s worth a try.

Operate Within Your Means

You’ll often hear people say it’s smart to “live within your means.” Well, it’s also smart for a business to operate within its means. This looks like spending smartly and saving money whenever possible. With these five tips, it’s easy to see that saving money isn’t as challenging as it may initially seem.

Source : http://bit.ly/1NPTjM7

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5 Secrets to Monetizing Your LinkedIn Experience

Follow five simple rules using this reliable platform to share your expertise in the marketplace. Here they are:

1. Know Your Brand

No one is going to buy from you if you don't have a brand. You've got to ask yourself, "What do I want to be known for?" If you do 10 different things, no one is going to know what you do best. You have to let people know what you're really good at if you want them to buy from you. 

Here's what I do: I write, speak, and coach. That's all I do. If someone wants something else from me, I just recommend them to someone else who can use the business. This is what makes my brand reliable. That is why I get one thousand profile views every week. This is why I get leads every day. 

2. Develop Your Story

If you have a story, why not share it on your LinkedIn profile? Most people don't enjoy running through bullet points as you enumerate your experience in a resume-like format. You've got to keep it interesting. Look at my profile. Does it tell you who I am? It should.

Your story must be captivating. People should be asking, "I wonder what this guy/gal is all about?" If people aren't wondering about who you are and what you do, your profile needs a story. You also need a great headline and professional head shot. I have several recommendations for profile makeovers if you need one. Just reach out to me. 

3. Use the Phone

If you're a salesperson, you better be using your phone. Iregularly use the phone to call  LinkedIn connections. 

Your phone can help you earn millions. If you're sending messages back and forth, you're wasting your time. You won't get that many opportunities that way. You've got to reach out and transact business. If people say that they're just "trying to get to know you" or "want to have coffee," don't even bother with them.

4. Write Articles

For every 100 views that you get, you must making a sale. That means that if  articles are reaching 1,000 people per week, you have 10 sales. Readers reach out to you regularly and you're able to have meaningful conversations with them. Because people love your articles, they find value in paying for your services. 

If you don't know how to write, go ahead and share other peoples' articles. Comment and like as many good articles as possible. When people view your profiles, follow up with them. If you aren't doing this, you aren't serious about conducting business and creating opportunities for yourself and others.

5. Contribute Daily

You have to connect with people by making a contribution. Send out endorsements and recommendations. Get serious about following up with people. Be as resourceful as possible. Add value like you never did before. Join groups and share information.

You should be investing one hour per day on LinkedIn. People want to deal with people. When you meet people in person, tell them to add you on LinkedIn. Reach out as much as possible and ask for help. Don't just view other's profiles, say something nice and do something. People need you. Get activated!

Bonus Tip: Use Email Marketing: If you're familiar with email marketing, you can import your contacts from LinkedIn and send out newsletters to reach potential clients.

The people who you are looking for you are the same people who are looking for you. LinkedIn gives us the ability to leverage ourselves by meeting new people every day from all over the world. If you want to monetize your LinkedIn experience, find a way to give people value in the most reliable way and you'll gain more influence than ever before.

Source : http://entm.ag/1Hcw4K3

8 Skills Your Child Needs to Be the Next Great Entrepreneur

Is your child learning the crucial skills he or she needs to become the next great entrepreneur?

You want the best for your kids.

Imagine it. Your kid turning an idea into a multi-million dollar business and loving every minute of it.

Do you remember young Evan, whose YouTube Channel, EvanTube, has amassed more than a million subscribers, a billion views, and more than $1.3 million in annual revenue?

 Evan is just 9-years-old. And he's just one example.

So many of the world's most famous entrepreneurs became millionaires before they were 20.

Could your child be a budding entrepreneur?

While it may seem like some people seem born to be entrepreneurs, as parents it's important to teach your kids some important lessons early so they can learn to become the next Steve Jobs or Elizabeth Holmes.

Even if your child doesn't become a rich and successful entrepreneur or change the world, they will benefit from these valuable skills, whatever path their life takes.

So what are these eight skills? 

according to an infographic produced by Pumpic, creator of a parental tracking application for smartphones, here are those vital traits, and how to inspire your children to become a great leader:

• Resilience: Allow kids to express emotions and don't minimize their feelings.
• Innovation and creativity: Let them play - it's when kids play that they engage all of their creative energies.
• Industriousness: Build independence by giving kids chores to do and responsibility for getting things done. Lead by example and reduce your own time-wasting habits.
• Curiosity: Encourage your kids to start new hobbies and pursue their interests - no matter how esoteric. Try having tech-free outings with your kids to museums and activity centers.
• Self-confidence: Encourage their opinions and give them opportunities to make decisions. Even if it isn't what you'd do, let them make choices and learn from experience.
• Empathy: Respect your children's individuality and their opinions, encouraging them to be open with their emotions.
• Optimism: Share positive stories and inspirational talks with your kids to cultivate gratitude and encourage positive thinking.
• Giving back: Encourage kids to help out around the neighborhood.

After learning these entrepreneurial skills, maybe your child could find success in a "dying" industry; become a pop icon and business mogul; or simply reinvent a product, make it better, and make millions.

Source : http://bit.ly/1X1jLr2

9 Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Creativity

Creativity is like a muscle. It must be stretched, challenged, and occasionally pushed past its comfort zone.

In a previous column, I shared nine ways you can become more creative in just 10 minutes. I've also shared four must-watch TED talks on creativity in business.

Now it's time to stretch your creative muscles again.

Here are nine ways you can dramatically improve your creativity.

1. Learn Through Collaboration

Curiosity will lead you to creativity.

Andrew Ng, formerly of Google and now of Baidu, is one who doesn't believe innovation is due to unpredictable flashes of genius. Rather, he said you can become more creative and innovative systematically.

"In my own life, I found that whenever I wasn't sure what to do next, I would go and learn a lot, read a lot, talk to experts. I don't know how the human brain works but it's almost magical: when you read enough or talk to enough experts, when you have enough inputs, new ideas start appearing."

Indeed, collaborating with and learning from others may be just what you need to give your creativity a boost.

2. Do Something You Love

Stuck for ideas? Not sure what to do? Your life needs some balance to ensure your creativity doesn't suffer.

In a letter to his son, Albert Einstein provided a great bit of fatherly insight when addressing his son's interest in playing the piano that is applicable to losing yourself in the creative process: do something that pleases you.

"That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don't notice that the time passes," Einstein wrote. "I am sometimes so wrapped up in my work that I forget about the noon meal."

Love and creativity are intertwined. A hobby, such as playing an instrument, running, or collecting memorabilia, can help you relax and fight stress while giving your creativity a boost.

3. Find Inspiration From Other Industries

Your next idea won't come from copying what a competitor has already done. So look for innovation in different industries and niches.

Research what businesses are dominating. Why

What businesses are you most loyal to? Why? 

How can you transfer what worked for businesses outside your industry to your own market? Maybe you can improve on these ideas.

Taking inspiration from other industries is a great way to boost your own creativity.

4. Unplug (Or Just Do Nothing)

As Alan Cohen once wrote, "There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither."

Sometimes your best ideas will come when you're not wracking your brain trying to come up with the next great idea.

It could be while you're sleeping. A good night of rest will help you be more productive and creative.

It could be while your mind wanders in the shower that you get a great idea.

Maybe your next innovative idea will come while you're driving, exercising, hiking, shopping, sitting on an airplane, or watching the sunset.

If your creativity is lacking, unplug. Relax. And let your brain do its magic.

5. Walk

The average person sits between 7 and 15 hours every day.

Crazy, right

That's terrible for your health and your mood, which means it can be terrible for your creativity.

Stanford research has indicated that walking improves creative thinking. In a follow-up study, HBR found that people who take part in walking meetings are more creative and engaged.

Priceline Group CEO Darren Huston, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Western Union Co. CEO Hikmet Ersek, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, and scores of other business leaders and entrepreneurs regularly have walking meetings.

While walking during work won't solve our national sitting crisis, it's a step in the right direction.

6. Set the Right Mood

A lack of ideas or being unable to solve a problem can be extremely frustrating.

Unless you value complete silence, music can be the thing to give your mood, and your creativity, a boost.

Steve Jobs used music to change his moods and keep himself creative.

It could work for you, too.

7. Use the Six Thinking Hats Technique

Sometimes you just need to start over. Forget everything and begin anew with a blank slate - break it down using six different colored "thinking hats".

Using this process could help you look at things in a different way. It gives you the option to look at things in a "just the facts" manner (white hat); where things could go wrong (black hat); and possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas (green hat), for example.

By looking at a problem from several unique perspectives may be just what you need to find a solution.

8. Ask For Advice or Feedback

Sometimes you're too close to a problem to figure out a creative solution all by yourself.

Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. Ask for help and advice from friends, peers, and people from your personal network that you trust and respect. Every person has a unique skill set, experience, and knowledge.

A fresh outside perspective, or three, or five, may be just what you need.

Even if you don't use their advice, it may spark some new, creative thinking that will get you where you need to go.

9. Pick a Terrible Idea

Step away from whatever idea you're stuck on for a few minutes.

What's the most useless idea you can imagine? Make a list of the worst ideas you can think up. Now the real challenge to stretch your creativity: what are the best features of these terrible idea Perhaps looking at these terrible ideas will spark something creative that you can transfer over to your excellent idea.

Source : http://bit.ly/1kATm1q

5 groups on social media that you shouldn’t ignore

Brand managers stand to gain a lot when they work with the right people online. Here are a few audiences not to overlook.

There’s too much data, too little time.

It’s an excuse we hear far too often, but it will no longer pass in today’s marketing world.

Salesforce’s 2015 State of Marketing report shows that 89 percent of marketers find social media listening effective, but only 37 percent are actively practicing it. Plus, recent technologies have made it easier than ever to sort through data, pinpoint information that matters and develop targeted strategies to help your organization thrive.

So, why haven’t more marketers opted in?

Don’t think of social listening as an obstacle. Instead, use it as an opportunity to push past competitors, connect with your audience, improve your brand’s reputation and generate leads.

To get started, here are five audiences brand managers shouldn’t ignore:

1. Prospective consumers and clients. Social media makes it easy to identify potential clients. That’s no secret. Simply track mentions of your company’s name and see what people are saying, but don’t stop there.

Keep an eye out for people who use social media to find solutions to their problems—especially the ones that you can solve. Track keywords and topics related to specific issues that are catered to by your products or services.

2. Customers. When customers have a poor experience with your organization, very few of them take the time to write or send a complaint your way. They often take to social media to share their complaints with their followers, and though you may be tempted to ignore those and focus solely on the positive, those complaints offer a big opportunity for your brand.

Take note of what your customers are complaining about. It may be an area where you can improve.

3. Competitors. If you want to make a name for yourself, you must understand your industry—starting with your competitors.

Find out everything you can about what they’re doing well and where there’s room for improvement. Don’t just copy what the competition is doing though; instead, find ways to innovate and set yourself apart, creating a niche all to yourself.

4. “Influencers.” Especially if you’re a brand manager for a new organization, or one entering a new market, gaining your audience’s trust can be a challenge. That’s where influential bloggers and social media heavyweights can help.

They give you the chance to connect to your audience in a direct way, and can extend your reach more than you could ever do on your own. Find out whom your audience already trusts and align your brand with theirs. Also find influential social media users who are already fans of your organization, and reward them for their loyalty. They will be even more vocal about your brand.

5. Employees. With social media, every employee is a potential spokesperson. This presents a valuable opportunity for brand managers who choose to capitalize on it.

Employees give your organization a face and allow customers to connect with your brand on a human level. When those employees do something good, their connection to your brand will help to build and strengthen your brand’s reputation, too.

Marketing pros who seize the opportunity to better understand their prospects, customers, competitors, “influencers” and employees will flourish. Those who ignore it will eventually fold. 

Source : http://bit.ly/1P92Wpk

Don’t Say This to a Designer!

I have worked with numerous designers, developers, managers and other team members of all shapes and sizes. With some I’ve developed lasting friendships, with a few I have developed lasting white hairs. But we were all trying to do only one thing: make the product better. Unfortunately, good intentions don’t always translate to helpful comments. Here’s some things you’re better off not saying to your designer and what you can do instead.

“Can you make that bold?”

“Like designers, if you give a programmer a problem with parameters, they’ll apply every bit of genius they have to solve it in the best possible way. If you tell them how to do it, you’ll suffer the wrath of an angry God.” — Derek Powazek

But unlike programming, design is a collaborative process that benefits from constructive feedback.

So do tell your designer what you honestly feel. Raise questions about the interactions, talk about scenarios they may not have thought of, point out inconsistencies they might have compromised on, comment on the feel and the style if it doesn’t feel right. Your feedback can bring in a new perspective and help a lot. What doesn’t help however, is when somebody tries to micro-manage instead of explaining the problem.

Example time:

You are looking at a new design and it looks great but it is painfully obvious to you that that heading will look better if it is bold. So you tell your designer to “make that bold”.

What you don’t know is the context. Are the headings like this on all other screens and will making it bold here break the consistency? Are there complex visual hierarchies the designer has maintained? Will the clarity of some other element be sacrificed if she makes it bold? Did she already try it in bold and decided regular was the best balance? Is she already aware of the problem you are trying to solve but made a conscious trade-off for some reason?

Now, in most cases she will ask you why you think it should be bold and if the problem is legit, suggest a solution that fits best. But if you do this too many times (especially if you’re in a managerial position), she will start picking her battles and give you the smaller changes. This sucks for everyone because it sucks for the product.

So what should you do? Just frame the feedback better, that’s really all. Instead of telling her to “make that bold”, tell her that you don’t think the title has enough emphasis, or that the headings don’t stand out enough and then let her decide what to do about the problem. Also be ready to support all your feedback with arguments and examples.

“There were some problems with the design; don’t worry I fixed them.”

Never ever make design changes in the final product without consulting the designer. This is the worst thing you can do and you’ll instantly earn your designer’s absolute distrust. It is as if a designer took your production-ready code and made some changes because things didn’t feel right. The small changes you make on the fly might seem small but they will accumulate. If you’re not satisfied with a design, talk to the designer. Give them honest, constructive feedback and trust them to do their job well.

Side note for managers:

If you’re in a managerial position and find yourself making changes at the final stage without consulting the designer, that’s a symptom of a larger problem. If you have been giving your designer constructive feedback but still aren’t satisfied with the final designs, you need to either have an honest conversation with them or find a designer you can trust. You are paying them to do a job and if you have to do it instead, there’s no point keeping them around. If you don’t have the time to provide feedback and go through the iterations, you are about to lose even more time fixing the haphazard fixes later (these can accumulate really quickly, trust me), plus you will end up iterating in product cycles instead of at the design level
.

“Will moving that button 5 px to the left really make a difference?”

It’s our job to sweat the details. Mis-aligned UI elements is the stuff of our nightmares. But that’s not why you should care about those 5 pixels; you should care because every one of those 5 pixels strewn around the product accumulates and reflects on the final feel. Can you tell the difference between the millions of shitty-looking apps in the stores and the few high-quality, well-designed ones? Well, each of those painfully 5-pixel-aligned buttons contributes to making those high-quality apps look that way.

“Nope, can’t be done.”

Say that it will take too much time, more than the deadline permits. Say that it will lead to compromises in the code. Say that it’s not a priority. Say that you don’t think it’s worth the time to figure out how to do it. All of which can lead to a conversation rather than shut it down.

There’s nothing more frustrating than repeatedly hearing “That’s not possible” every time you want to try something new. We all want to enthusiastically build the best product. That involves going to 100% polished not just 70% functional. I realise that too much AfterEffects and Photoshop can sometimes keep designers out of touch with real-life constraints. If that is the case, please remind us of the limitations of the platform or framework. As designers we can dream up wonderful things, but we rely on your brilliance to help make these dreams a reality.

Source : http://bit.ly/1GHFInE