Being Cheryl: Social Media Marketing Tips from Columbus, Ohio

MORE 3 More Things You Didn’t Know About Cheryl

Cheryl — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:18:25 +0000

There are bajillions of things you want to know about me, the great and powerful Cheryl Harrison. You just don’t know what they are yet.

Here are three:

Did you miss the last 3 things? Or the first 3 things? Well what are you waiting for?!?

On Networking, Business Cards and the Detroit #EpicTweetup

Cheryl — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:35:50 +0000

You know, it’s funny. The day before Nate and I hit the road for Detroit to attend the #EpicTweetup, we frantically realized we were out of business cards. NO BUSINESS CARDS?! HOW THE HELL CAN WE MEET NEW PEOPLE?! So, we rush ordered card designs and printing and by 5pm each had 250 shiny new business cards, ready to hand out.

I gave out exactly 0 business cards at the Detroit Epic Tweetup. ZERO.

This isn’t to say I was antisocial, or that I had a series of random encounters with people I will never talk to again. No, I’ve got ways to contact Becky Johns and Christopher Barger, who I met on a parking garage roof shortly after arrival. I’ve got ways to contact Charlie Wollborg and his wife Elena, with whom we had dinner, thanks to Becky. I’ve got ways to contact Norm Witte, Kyle Stuef and Henry Balanon, who through exchanges on Twitter I had made plans to meet at the Tweetup. I’ve got ways to contact Andy Kraft and Mike McClure and Brandon Chesnutt, who I met serendipitously at the event.

Photo by Joe Hakim

Oh, and a bunch of other people who talked to me wherein I may me a little fuzzy on the details of our conversations ::clears throat:: or maybe DIDN’T talk to me but saw my epic karaoke performance (video here, unfortunately)… they know how to contact me, too. (Though I did talk at length to some guy named, I think, Dave, who was not on Twitter, and who I have no way to contact. Sorry, Guy-Probably-Named-Dave)

Photo by Brian Ambrozy

I didn’t need to kill a tree to give you my contact information. It’s quicker to just to input your Twitter name into my phone, anyway. Saves a step.

It’s funny, because I know better. I’ve never given anyone a business card and had a relationship come out of it. Maybe communication, maybe a transaction, but not a relationship. And relationships… those are my thing. Not CRM data collection. Not job titles listed on thick cardstock.

Before I even got to the event, I knew I was going to give out exactly zero business cards (unless someone really wanted one. They are pretty cute.) Nate and I were listening Tony Hseih’s really-awesome-so-far Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose (affiliate link) on the drive to Detroit. I wish I had a hard copy of the book to refer back to for the direct quote. The gist, however, was that business networking events suck, and getting to know people for the sake of knowing people has its own benefit, but somehow that relationship usually ends up creating a direct benefit for YOU down the road in 2-3 years.

I should know this better than anyone. Fast Friends, anyone? Ask me sometime what’s come of those relationships. It’s… a lot. And it wasn’t supposed to be! And that’s why it was.

It’s funny, because I’ve still got 250 business cards, but more than a dozen new friends.

Thanks, Detroit, for an epically good time at #EpicTweetup. Hope to be back soon.

This Is Why I’ll Never Be a Brilliant Blogger

Cheryl — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:57:50 +0000

I always come up with the bestest, most inspiring, prolific, awesomesauce blog entries seconds before I fall asleep.

The problem with this, of course, is that I don’t REMEMBER any of these ideas. I can’t even recall the epic “24″ dreams I’m usually having when my fiancee wakes me up at the crack of 8:30am to go to work.

(Kiefer Sutherland is REALLY short.)

Since I can’t remember the ideas, I have no idea if they are REALLY as brilliant as they are at the time I think them up or if they’re just a complete load of crap formed in a semi-sleep state.

A few years ago, I tried to solve this problem by putting a notepad and pen on the end table next to my bed. That way, I could write down these prolific blog post ideas, see?

One other problem I forgot to mention - I have the handwriting of a 4 year old with Parkinson’s. My sister blames this on me being one of those “awkward, backwards left-handed weirdos.” But really, I’m just too lazy for penmanship. Also, awkward and left-handed. Therefore, while my normal, awake hand-writing at best looks like THIS:

The notes I scrawl in my sleeping stupor come out like this:

I guess I’ll never be a brilliant blogger.

3 MORE Things You Didn’t Know About Cheryl That You Didn’t Know You Wanted to Know

Cheryl — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:16:06 +0000

You have so many things you want to know about me.

Even if you don’t know that you don’t know them.

Here are 3 more of those things:

(Did you miss the last 3 things?)

Is this series:
a) the best thing eva!!!11!!
b) the most annoying thing. ever.

The Importance of Clarification

Cheryl — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:33:11 +0000

Early this morning, I posted this message to Twitter:

What I didn’t say was that I am trying to order a sign for Social Business Strategies to hang on our wall. I thought “sign” was a pretty clear concept.

That is, until my friend Evan sent me a link to the Ohio School for the Deaf’s American Sign Language classes.

And then 50 other people pointed out how many different types of signs there are in the world.

In 140 characters or less, clarification is key.

3 Things You Didn’t Know About Cheryl That You Didn’t Know You Wanted to Know

Cheryl — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:42:57 +0000

You have so many things you want to know about me.

Even if you don’t know that you don’t know them.

Here are 3 such things:

What else do you want to know about me that you didn’t know you wanted to know about me?

10 Funny Comics and Image Sites I Follow to Break Up The Day

Cheryl — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:37:14 +0000

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got way too many subscriptions in your RSS reader. I like to be in the know, so I subscirbe to a LOT of blogs and news sites - mostly about technology and business, but also news, politics and pop culture. I’ve got a lot of great sources for all of the above, and sometime I may share those with you.

But there’s a specific group in my Google Reader that I wanted to share with you today, because throughout the work day, in between meetings and conference calls and TPS reports and numbers and words… we ALL need a minute to smile. Here are 10 of my favorite webcomics and image-based sites - content you can intake quickly - for a good laugh.

XKCD

Cyanide and Happiness

Note: Often NSFW

Savage Chickens

Graph Jam

Sinfest

Fail Blog

Dork Tower

Doghouse

Lolcats

The Brads

What are YOUR favorite sources for a good laugh?

Badass Bitches: Rachel Levy is Boston Marketer

Cheryl — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:11:22 +0000

[Badass Bitches is an interview series with smart, sassy, influential women on the web. They're not really bitches. Mostly.]

Rachel Levy is Boston Marketer

Cheryl: What got you into this whole social media biz-nass?

Rachel: In 2006, I was laid off from my job as the Director of Marketing at the JCCs of Greater Boston. I had been working in Marketing for the past 8 years, mostly in consumer products at companies such as Kraft Foods and Jim Beam Brands. When I lost my job, it was right before the economy crashed. I started using the traditional means of looking for a job (Monster, networking, etc), but then went to a conference on social media, and realized it would be a great way to job search. Using Twitter to meet new people, to network and find a job.

Rachel: So, that’s how it started. But, then I quickly realized that I believed social media was going to change the way we did marketing, so I immersed myself in it even more, to learn about it for marketing purposes. I read articles, met with people, read case studies, etc. And, then started picking up clients to do work on the side for, while I was looking for a job!

Cheryl: You have a pretty traditional marketing background – what makes social media so different from that type of marketing?

Rachel: Well, the biggest difference is that it’s 2-way communication. That’s how I define it actually… traditional marketing is one-way, and social media is 2-way. So, with social media, you can’t just put a message out there, and sit back hoping people will go buy your product. You have to build a relationship with potential customers.

Cheryl: Do you get tired of all these social media buzzwords?

Rachel: Ha ha, yes. I do. Especially when people call themselves ninjas or gurus.

Cheryl: You forgot mavens. And rockstars.

Rachel: Right, yes add those to the list

Cheryl: Why the heck does everyone involved with social media live in Boston? Is there something in the water that makes people need to tweet?

Rachel: I don’t know… it’s great though. We’re lucky to have to many social media “rockstars” living here

Cheryl: Yeah yeah, so you can all sit around and talk about how to maximize the customer experience, driving engagement and bringing the brand alive and stuff

Rachel:

Cheryl: So your new project - webinarlistings.com - just in case the URL isn’t obvious enough, what IS webinar listings?

Rachel: WebinarListings is a calendar of upcoming webinars in many areas of interest.

Rachel: Webinar hosts post their webinars, and people come to the site to find out about good webinars. We broadly define webinar as anything virtual and scheduled, so that includes teleseminars and radio shows too

Rachel: It’s a great way to bring together webinar hosts and people who want to watch webinars. Sort of like a matchmaking service.

Cheryl: Except I won’t get creepy sexual messages from overly-flirtatious webinars. Nifty. Free to post/find webinars?

Rachel: It’s free for webinar hosts to post on the site, and that gets them listed on the calendar, and searchable based on category or topic. But, they can upgrade for a fee, which gets them more visibility. We promote them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, our newsletter, they get priority on the calendar, and more.

Cheryl: Awesome. You just hit 1,000 webinars posted or something, right? You DM’d me about it last week but my attention span is about 8 minutes, thanks to Twitter.

Rachel: Yes, we launched in March, and just hit 1,000 webinars on Friday!

Rachel: We typically have about 250 webinars listed on the site at any given time. The topics range, but the 6 most popular areas are: Marketing, Social Media, Technology, Non-profit…

Rachel: Spacing on the 6th…

Cheryl: I glanced at that and thought it said “spaceships,” and I was really excited that there were so many spaceship webinars, lol

Rachel: Well, you’d be surprised what I see! How to raise chickens. How to do anaesthesia. There are webinars for everything! 6th area is leadership.

Cheryl: I am totally going to capitalize on the spaceship market.

Rachel: ha ha, let me know, and i’ll give you a discount

Cheryl: SWEET

Cheryl: Who is your favorite person to follow on Twitter?

Rachel: Oh boy, i don’t think i have a favorite!

Cheryl: You mean you don’t a favorite besides me, right? RIGHT?!

Rachel: Exactly the words i was searching for

Rachel: I really enjoy following @unmarketing. He always has good information to share, something funny to say, and he really tries to respond to people!

Cheryl: Speaking of Twitter, every time I see you pop up on my Twitter feed – Boston Marketer. I crave chicken.

Rachel: Hysterical. I HAVE had the confusion a couple of times. Particularly hysterical was when I tweeted a photo of some vegetable soup I had just made… I was all proud of myself.

Rachel: And next thing I know, some woman is telling me that it must have a ton of sodium in in.

Rachel: I went and checked the stewed tomatoes can, and confirmed that it didn’t. She conceded, and said, well, all of my other soups are LOADED with sodium. I had NO idea what she was talking about

Rachel: Thankfully, someone saw this conversation and stepped in to clarify that I am a marketer living in Boston, not Boston Market, the restaurant

Rachel: I really like the name. Yes, occasionally it causes confusion, but it describes what I do. And, I think it has helped get me consulting business. When people try to tihnk of who they know in marketing, my name pops up, because they see it all the time. You don’t have to click on my profile to remember what I do.

Cheryl: What are some of your favorite sites to keep up on social media and marketing trends? Don’t say Mashable.

Rachel: Search Engine Land, Social Media Examiner, ProBlogger, SmartBrief Social Media, Mashable…

Cheryl: Damnit woman, I said don’t say Mashable!

Rachel: Also Read Write Web and Hubspot (but I’d deny that)

Cheryl: Wait wait wait, why would you deny Hubspot?! I love their blog.

Rachel: It’s not that I would deny it, I guess. I just don’t tweet about it much, because it’s like Mashable – everyone reads it.

Rachel: But the one criticism I have of some (not all) of the Hubspot posts is that they’re surface level. The rais the issues, and give good things to think about, but often don’t delve deep enough.

Cheryl: True. But it’s the type of content people love to share, so they’re winning at their game.

Rachel: Yes, they are. They are great at that, and content IS king on their site. They produce content like nobody’s business

Cheryl: I have content envy, fo’ sho’. By the way, do you use Google Reader to keep up with all this stuff? Do people who DON’T use Google Reader blow your mind? I was just talking with someone about this.

Rachel: Yes, I do use Google Reader. I can’t imagine my life without it.

Rachel: I actually started using it as part of my job search back in 2006. Subscribing to sites like Monster that way instead of email allowed me to keep better track of what I’d seen and hadn’t.

Rachel: Now, it’s indispensable with blogs. But, the percent of people in the US who use it, or even know what RSS is, is dismal.

Cheryl: Some people just prefer to crowdsource for content - read the (presumably) good stuff that comes through their Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook networks. It’s interesting. I desperately need another cup of coffee. I honestly don’t believe I am capable of functioning before 11am without it.

Rachel: Haha, me neither. I did a detox in october, and gave it up for a week. That was tough. I ate veggies and 3 fruits per day for the whole week. No caffeine. Nothing else.

Cheryl: That sounds horrible.

Check out Rachel’s blog, Rachel-Levy.com and follow her on Twitter @BostonMarketer

PREVIOUS BADASS BITCHES:

Ashley Routson is The Beer Wench
Erika Napoletano is RedHeadWriting

Badass Bitches: Ashley Routson is The Beer Wench

Cheryl — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:29:36 +0000

[Badass Bitches is an interview series with smart, sassy, influential women on the web. They're not really bitches. Mostly.]

Ashley Routson is The Beer Wench

Cheryl: I recall working with you for a whole 5 days at People to My Site. I just remember that you sat on a giant bouncy ball in liue of a chair. Where’d you go?

Ashley: Whore-land-Oh, Floreeeeeduh

Cheryl: Fitting So what do you do now for cash flow?

Ashley: I am the Online Editor for Mutineer Magazine - a fine beverage publication, target towards the Millennial Generation, with a heavy focus on beer, wine and spirits

Cheryl: New publication, right? Or did I just invent that?

Ashley: 2 years old – launched nationally in March of 2009

Cheryl: This confirms that I just make up stuff when I do interviews. WTF is fact checking?

Cheryl: What started your passion for beer?

Ashley: Ahhh my passion from beer stemmed from my love for wine. After I graduated college, I had no idea what to do with my life so, like most lost souls, I found myself dabbling in the restaurant industry. I fell in love with wine instantly and began pursuing sommelier certification. I landed a job managing a swank restaurant in Columbus, OH. The owners put me in charge of all things beverage — from coffee, tea and juices to wine and beer. We only carried craft beer, which was foreign to me. But like any good student, I started studying about beer. And the rest is history. Well, sort of.

Cheryl: Not doubt a blurry history. How did you become “The Beer Wench” online?

Ashley: Being the quintessential example of the ADHD constant-stimulation-seeking Millennial Generation, I left my job at the restaurant to get experience in another industry — marketing and advertising. This is where I first started blogging, but not about beer. Ultimately, I decided that my random and slightly unfocused blog was not “doing it” for me. I needed a topic blog, something that I was really passionate about and could focus all my energy towards.

Ashley: Truth be told, I was originally going to start a wine blog. But I found wine writing to be very intimidating, so I veered towards my other passion — beer. However, I was still very new to the world of beer. Because I was working at a marketing and advertising company (with two brilliant bosses and an office full of some of the most talented and creative minds I have ever met), I understood the importance of developing a brand. So I set out with the mission to develop a beer personality that was 1. true to myself 2. unpretentious 3. very playful and witty. And one night, naturally after a couple of beers, The Beer Wench was born.

Cheryl: On your site you post a wide variety of content types – interviews, beer reviews, industry news, events, videos, etc… is there a certain type of content you find draws in more readers? What about comments?

Ashley: There are two types of posts that have done really well at driving traffic to my site (or should I say People To My Site)

Cheryl: Hyo!

Ashley: The first is extremely passion driven, highly controversial material. I am known to be a loud evangelist and advocate for both craft beer and human rights. My intensely emotional, spitfire posts have definitely gotten attention. Secondly, I have found that the support and promotion of others within the community, whether it be fellow bloggers or brewers, has had a positive effect on site traffic. I love my craft beer community and I want everyone to love and embrace them as well. It sound cheesy, but I’m not in it to “win it” or to become famous or to make money. My purpose, my mission, is to advance the craft beer (and fine beverage industry) as a whole. And the more you support them, the more they support you. It’s a beautiful circle of love.

Cheryl: Your blog and social media feeds are almost entirely related to craft beer and adult beverages. Do you think that very clear focus has helped you build such an engaged following?

Ashley: Undoubtedly, yes. My following is extremely niche. Sure, there are a handful of friends from school or from my “past life” that I engage with on Twitter. But for the most part, my social media communication is extremely fine beverage fueled. After all, it is my life. It is my work, and my play.

Cheryl: If you knew someone wanted to get started in blogging, would you tell them their focus had to be just as niche?

Ashley: It all depends on what one’s goals are for developing a blog. For me, my blog has served as a platform for connecting and developing relationships within the fine beverage, specifically the craft beer, industry. It was not created to be a means to an ends, i.e.: a career. Instead, it has served as a launching pad for developing my personality, my brand, and my presence in the industry. My goals were to 1. educate myself 2. educate and engage others and 3. advocate and promote the industry. Blogging about one subject very passionately has allowed me to focus all my energy in one direction, which has gotten me places faster than I would have if I had divided my focus.

Ashley: I decided in the very early stages of my blog that I wanted to be the “modern-day female version” of Michael Jackson — aka the most well-known beer writer to have ever lived. This goal has helped me streamline my energy and has driven me to seek out the best mentors in the craft beer industry. A combination of mentorship, passion, drive and evangelistic approach has taken my brand to where I am today.

Ashley: Oh, and I have a very very loud mouth. (And loud hair). It can be very hard not to notice me.

Cheryl: Haha. Well your well-knownness goal seems to be paying off - you’re the official Chief Blogger for the first ever Beer Bloggers conference, right?

Ashley: Yes! That was a real shocker. There are so many beer bloggers that are more talented, more experienced and more “tenured” than I, so I am extremely honored. At the moment, I am running the Twitter account and I’m in charge of promoting the event, initiating conversation, informing the blogosphere about updates, and overall rallying up the troops and pumping everyone up for the event. At the conference, I foresee myself filling more of a camp counselor role. I will be emceeing throughout and most likely help maintain the flow of the conference. (I have attended the past two Wine Blogger Conferences, which means I have a good understanding of the organization and execution of the event). I am curious to see how the beer conference differs from the wine … the wine kids actually spit, unlike the beer peeps.

Cheryl: Oh we swallow all right.

Ashley: Why are the ladies of craft beer “better” than the ladies of wine? They spit, we swallow. BOOYA!

Cheryl: I bet we could make some serious bank if we printed that on a t-shirt.

Cheryl: If you can bring yourself to make the decision - much like a parent asked which child they love most – what’s your favorite beer?

Ashley: I could easily do the easy copout “the beer in my glass” answer. But no, I couldn’t do that to you.

Ashley: I would have to say it might be the collaboration beer that Mutineer Magazine just brewed with New Holland Brewing Company. We co-designed and co-brewed a really crazy and different beer to be released exclusively during the Great American Beer Festival, with proceeds going to water relief. But that beer technically does not exist yet, though. BUT, it definitely holds a special place in my heart.

Check out Ashley’s blog, DrinkWithTheWench.com and follow her on Twitter @TheBeerWench

Badass Bitches: Erika Napoletano is RedHeadWriting

Cheryl — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:52:12 +0000

[Badass Bitches is an interview series with smart, sassy, influential women on the web. They're not really bitches. Mostly.]

Erika Napoletano is RedHeadWriting

Cheryl: So hi. You’re my first badass bitch. How does that make you feel? Proud? Concerned? Aroused? Purple?

Erika: Polka-dotted actually. And a bit twitchy.

Cheryl: I’m feeling rather plaid myself. So what do you do for workstuffs, who gives you money and for why? [Stick to the legal stuff]

Erika: Well, that narrows it down.

Erika: When people ask what I do, I tell them I’m a writer. Not only is it easier to explain than “online strategist,” it’s true. I help people tell stories. Through marketing plans, strategies, blogs and social media outlets, I help people and companies build relationships. I hate all of that “overarching” buzzword bullshit.

Cheryl: http://whatthefuckismysocialmediastrategy.com type shit?

Erika: Holy shit, yes. They’re the folks who also do http://www.thefuckingweather.com

Erika: If you ever catch me saying any of that crap, please unfriend me. Immediately.

Cheryl: Done and done

Erika: People give me money because I’m cute.

Erika: That, and they have retainer agreements with me

Cheryl: How did you come up with your online persona of “RedHeadWriting”? You know, aside from the obvious facts that you’re, uh, a redhead, who is writing?

Erika: Twitter told me I had to pick a username. I already had that domain registered and I thought it was better than telling the world I’m Erika Napoletano. Sassier. Hence, I’m RedheadWriting. My business is RedheadWriting LLC. The persona is me. The biggest compliment I receive when people meet me in real life is “you’re exactly how I thought you’d be.”Thank god - I don’t have time to be anyone else!

Cheryl: A part of my soul would die if you weren’t as sassy and offensive in real life, I think.

Erika: LMAO. I try to not be “offensive” per se. Just straightforward. No one ever has to ask how I feel about something

Cheryl: I love the name and I really love the design of your site, too. I mentioned to a friend last night that I was interviewing you and she shrieked “OMG she has the best site design ever!” Which is true. Your post categories (porn, the bitch slap, etc) are hilarious and your readers are greeted with a “subscribe here, bitches” box. It’s awesome. How’d you end up with your current blog setup?

Erika: I was using a canned theme to bridge the gap because I really didn’t know what I wanted to put out there. I contacted the designer who did the site and said I needed something bright, vibrant and in-your-face. I sent her some sample sites (The Oatmeal being one of them) and out popped my current site design. It was a labor of love, but I’m totally stoked with the look and feel. I never wanted people to wonder what they were getting when they landed on my site. It’s rough, edgy and in your face. I never want anyone to feel duped

Cheryl: I think it would be impossible for people to feel mislead.

Erika: Oh, I do hope so.

Cheryl: So what’s your favorite blog post on RedHeadWriting and why?

Erika: My favorite post ever?

Cheryl: EVA

Erika: *chews finger*

Erika: It’s probably over on my Porn tab.

Cheryl: I was very disappointed the first time I clicked your porn tab, to not find porn. I am sure I was not alone.

Erika: HAH! But I tried to make up for it with the banner in my footer

Erika: Favorite post: I think it’s a toss-up between On the Prowl: A Cougar Scratches Back at the Denver Post and Fine Print

Cheryl: What? Oh, sorry, I was still thinking about porn. Awesome. Can’t wait to read ‘em.

Cheryl: Speaking of porn, is it just me or are guys obsessed with redheads?

Erika: No - they’re obsessed. The last two tweets I’ve fielded are a FF endorsement b/c I make a dude want to do every redhead he sees and someone concurring.

Cheryl: I saw you tweet something the other day about DM flirting clogging up your inbox.

Erika: Someone didn’t know I was single, so I said, yes, I’m single. Then, my DMs blew up.

Cheryl: Did I mention I’m at the bar right now? I couldn’t think of a better place to be to talk to YOU. Pretend you’re here. What’s in your glass?

Erika: Belvedere, up, chilled with a twist.

Cheryl: How do you motivate yourself to blog often?

Erika: It’s easy: I’m my number one client. I write my post every morning before anyone else’s. I’m committed to posting 4-5 days/week right now. I share archives on the weekends.

Cheryl: What’s your best advice for people who want more blog readers or Twitter followers?

Erika: Screw the Twitter followers. Really. They’ll come if your content is good. If you consistently put out great content, the readers will come.

Erika: Being online is 80% about other people and 20% about you. When you get that, other people see it. I love a great read from someone else and love sharing.

Erika: Make me think, make me laugh…make me want to share.

Cheryl: I think the world wants to know - if you and I were to have a redheaded smirkoff, who would win and why?

Erika: What are the rules? Can I pitch lemon rinds at you?

Cheryl: You fight dirty.

Erika: Just asking! It it like a cage fight smirkoff or a more civilized affair?

Erika: [insert boxing emoticon]

Cheryl: I don’t think I can put the boxing emoticon you just sent me on Skype in the blog post.

Erika: LMAO

Cheryl: How the hell could anything that involves me and you be civilized? Cagefight it is.

Erika: W00t! I’m in!

Erika: Let’s get Sarah Palin, too. Bitch would be goin’ DOWN.

Cheryl: Sounds like win to me.

Check out Erika’s blog, RedHeadWriting.com and follow her on Twitter @RedHeadWriting.