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You are entitled to NOTHING — and you’ll like it
2009-06-16 13:21:00
I was reminded at least a couple times the past week or so of what I like to call the “big Internet ruse” — namely that, if it’s on the ‘net, it’s free. You’re entitled to it. For disclosure, a month or so ago, Mike Brice and I got into a Twitter back and forth* when I ranted that I wished professional and other photographers would not restrict rights on their photographs — I’m not going to pay for a photo for my blog. For other professional services, yes. My blog, no. Mike had a good argument that quality photographers should be paid for their expertise — and I agree. However, I can also see value to those photographers for getting additional exposure through blogs, etc., as long as full and proper credit is given. That’s a marketing decision on their part. I don’t think I’m entitled to free images; I just see more value for the photographers in allowing free use in certain circumstances — given tha...

We would appreciate help in winning a Merillat ‘Good Life’ kitc
2009-06-15 04:23:00
If you’re any where near a regular reader of my blog, you know I hardly ever use this platform for personal reasons. (Though, in reality, aren’t all blog posts some how personal?) Anyway….My wife and I (mostly my wife, Amy) entered the Merillat Good Life $30,000 kitchen contest, and we are among the 10 finalists. We’ve passed the internal selection process, and now our fate is up to the general public. We would very much appreciate your vote for Amy Driehorst on the Merillat contest Facebook page. You don’t need a Facebook account to vote, and you can vote once a day throughout the run of the public voting process — which ends July 7, at 11:59 p.m. You are not allowed to vote more than once a day. In otherwords, YOU CAN VOTE ONCE A DAY, EVERYDAY. To see all of the 10 finalists (including ours), go here. To just see our entry on my YouTube page, go here. For video credits, most of the credit goes to Amy. The focus of the video, script, etc., is ...
More About: Winning

To reach social network members, don’t advertise; engage
2009-06-08 14:47:00
In the local Sunday paper, there was a Bloomberg News Service story about Facebook’s recent influx of cash from Russia-based Digital Sky Technologies, and what that means to Facebook’s total valuation. (I couldn’t find the exact story on line, but here’s a similar one with the below tidbit.) In that story, there’s this tidbit: “Facebook and MySpace may have a combined $820 million in combined sales this year, a fraction of the $45.7 billion online advertising market, according to New York research firm eMarketer Inc.” In that same story, there’s this forecast: “Facebook generates sales through advertising. The company expects revenue to climb 70 percent this year.” While that sounds positive for Facebook and I would think advertising on social networks in general, I can’t see where advertising on social networks is the best bang for the marketing buck. CTRs stink on Facebook. And, overall, social network ads get littl...
More About: Social , Network , Reach , Social Network , Advertise

What makes for a good marketing message?
2009-06-04 05:53:00
A worthwhile ad, slogan, headline, etc., has three key ingredients: It has to be memorable. It has to easily convey its message — no lag time in understanding it. Its message has to have some type of selling aspect to it — influences your purchase decision. A lot of the Bud Light TV commercials are great — but they’re little more than entertainment. If that’s what Bud Light is trying to achieve — make you think well of its beer — fine. If that’s not Bud Light’s intend, it’s lost on me. If it is, funny beer commercials don’t make me want to buy beer. If an ad, tagline, etc., easily conveys its message but it does not have a lasting impression, you have to keep seeing it to keep it top-of-mind when you are ready to purchase (assuming the message registers positively with you). But, like many things, repetition causes us to gloss over things. Go numb to the purpose. Many years ago, a former employer worked with the Tol...
More About: Marketing , Message , Good

A sign of the times? I hope not
2009-05-23 04:43:00
I don’t have a lot of experience in signs. I know some of the basic guidelines, like for billboards (simple message, under five words) and a few others. What I am pretty comfortable with is the English language — especially in writing (okay, typing). If you are into signs or any type of similar public display, let me offer a little PSA with a couple “don’ts” for you. The first one (right) is a simple improper use of apostrophe. Use apostrophe s — ’s — only to show that something possesses something else. Don’t use an apostrophe because you don’t like the way an s looks at the end of a word. Unfortunately, there are plenty other examples of apostrophe abuse. The other one (below) also is pretty basic mistake. Even my 2nd grade son knows that when you write or read, you do so left to right, or up to down. Not, bottom to top. (If you happen to recognize this one, please know that it was done by a volunteer parent, not the scho...
More About: Hope , Sign , Times , The Times , Sign of the Times

Social media marketing: The ultimate in non self-promotional marketing
2009-04-21 07:48:00
(And, when I say non self-promotional, I mean for yourself, your company and/or your client.) Think about it: In traditional, one-way marketing communications, companies showcase the features and benefits they offer. Tell you how great they are — or have others to do it via paid or unpaid testimonials. News releases are one-way showcasing company news, a new application or a new product. No matter how subtly it’s done, traditional advertising, direct mail, media relations, and other marketing communications is chest-beating. But in social media marketing (using social media as part of an organization’s marketing efforts), it’s not about you or your company or you client. Look at the negative out-cry over Matt Bacak’s self-promotional news release in December 2008. In fact, “expert” is a dirty, four-letter word. A few weeks ago, Damian Rintelmann seemed a bit uncomfortable when he thought I called him an expert on Twitter. (I wasn’t cle...
More About: Marketing , Social , Media , Ultimate , Promotional

Domino’s delivers…to mixed reviews
2009-04-17 05:32:00
We know about the now infamous “Disgusting Domino s People” video. Finally, Domino’s responded publically about mid week. After reading some of the stories on the timing of and what Dominos did in response, I’d give the company a C. And, hopefully, as with my previous post, it’ll learn from its mistakes and do better next time — because there will be a next time. Let’s look at what Domino’s did right, according to a New York Times article and from what I’ve found: The company took immediate action and fired the employees Tuesday after first learning about it Monday evening and finding the location of the store Tuesday morning. The company had one of the culprits send a company-wide email to apologize Tuesday morning. (I assume the email was “encouraged” by the company; not of her own doing.) It contacted the local health and other officials in the store’s community. It created and posted a video response on YouT...
More About: Reviews , Mixed

Learning from our mistakes (hopefully)
2009-04-15 15:56:00
When my kids try something new, I tell them ahead of time that you rarely do it right or perfectly the first time. But, do keep trying; it’ll be worth it. It seems like there have been a lot of very public mistakes of late involving social media. And, that’s okay — as long as people learn from their mistakes. Take Jeremy Epstein/NSM for example (hat tip to Lara Kretler). He even blogged about it, and included what he learned: What the social media era is about is not pretending to be perfect and impersonal. It’s about being real and authentic. It’s about recognizing that, although people are trying to do their bests, sometimes they make mistakes. But, if they apologize, understand, and learn from those mistakes, then, as humans, it is our responsibility to just move on…and go ahead and make new ones. While Jeremy clearly learned from his goof, I hope a few other people will as well. For example, please do not betray others’ trust nor thei...
More About: Learning

Quotable Quotes: Connecting
2009-04-09 17:27:00
“If you provide the resources, then people will see value, and will want to support that. That’s a whole different aspect than just sell, sell, sell.” -Connie Bensen SMB-Twin Cities Event March 18 (About 32:58 mark) While each marketing communications medium, strategy and tactic has their own strength, I see social media (yes, social media marketing) as a great way to keep a “top-of-mind” awareness and connection with your audience. Connie’s quote perfectly exemplifies that social media isn’t necessarily about “asking for the sale.” It’s about developing some level of connection, value and just awareness that makes people more open to buying from you, than from your competitor. There many products and services that we do not buy on a regular basis or often. Therefore, when consumers are ready to buy, your chances of being bought are better if you are fresh in their minds. And, social media is a great way to do that. -Mike
More About: Quotes , Connecting

If it’s online, it’s in the public eye
2009-04-05 04:07:00
NOTE: The below is a cross-post of my March 2009 TalentZoo.com Very Public Relations column. From January 2008 through January 2009, I wrote a regular MarketingMoxie column, and shifted over to Very Public Relations starting in March. The only changes in the below are links to me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. By coincidence, my first Very Public Relations column is about a very public incident that happened recently in Toledo, Ohio (where I live). Maybe you heard the flap recently in Toledo about some “private” blog comments from the mayor’s spokesperson. The gist of the story is that, on a MySpace blog set to private (meaning only his friends could view it), the mayor’s spokesperson wrote some unflattering commentary about his boss – and those comments got out. The operator of a Toledo discussion board posted them, and the story took on a life of its own as several local traditional media outlets covered the story. While the spokesperson is still performing his dut...
More About: Online

Social Media Breakfast-Toledo: Follow in-person & online
2009-04-02 19:27:00
It looks like we’ll have about 100 people at the inaugural Social Media Breakfast -Toledo Friday — that’s TOMORROW — April 3, 7:30 - about 9:30 a.m., at the Elks Lodge #53, 3520 Holland-Sylvania Road, Toledo. If you’re going: To get directions, click here. To get a run down on the four local professionals — Victoria Kamm, Allen Mireles, Damian Rintelmann and Dave Rigotti — who’ll be offering their social media insights during the discussion, click here. Moderator Michael Temple also will be taking audience and even online questions (that’s the plan, at least). If you haven’t paid yet, you can do so at the door. Just $10 for a breakfast buffet, with a mix of hot and cold stuff, plus coffee and etc. The Elks Lodge does have WiFi, and it is a secured network. You’ll get the password there. Please be sure to fill out the brief, one-page survey prepared. We want to know what you think about social media in the area. If y...
More About: Online , Person

The value I’ve found in Twitter
2009-03-20 05:10:00
Some, actually only some one may say I Twitter or tweet too much. And, though I do belong to Twitters Anonymous, I say to each his own. While Twitter can be a time suck, there is a lot of personal and professional justification and value I’ve found in Twitter. I would hazard to guess that new users to Twitter naturally are caught up in the phrase the service is known for, “What are you doing?” If you look at most people’s early tweets on Twitter, they are really answering that question. While that is fine and it’s part of the process of “finding their voice” on Twitter, if that’s all they are doing on Twitter, they won’t have much of a following and won’t find much value (unless they are a celebrity who uses Twitter to broadcast, not converse). So,  below is the value I’ve found in Twitter. While some is self-focused, a lot is not. I would appreciate your feedback and what value you’ve found in Twitter (and be ...

The three Cs of successful social media marketing
2009-03-12 05:52:00
We all like lists, mnemonics, and other easy ways to categorize and think of things. As I’ve been involved in social media, varying themes, processes and truisms repeatedly surface. While there’s always room for discussion and revision (eh?), successful social media marketing is about the three Cs: Connecting, Contributing and Communities. Connecting: Companies naturally want to seek out customers, prospects and other key influencers in their social media marketing. They want mass, numbers, heads, hits, targets — people. Businesses and organizations need to seek out and find common ground with their marketplace. They need to find out how THEY CAN HELP THEM. Unlike other forms of marketing communication, social media involvement cannot be one-way communication. Business and organizations need to find a way to connect with their audience. Contributing: Connecting ultimately means businesses are contributing value to their audience members’ lives — persona...
More About: Marketing , Social , Media

Quotable Quotes: Client Service
2009-03-08 06:00:00
“Ideally, I should always be waiting on clients.” -Mike Driehorst If you work on the “agency side” of PR and related communications, you of course know that service is important. One way to measure service is how responsive you are: waiting on clients for feedback on a news release or something written or designed, a proposal, to schedule a meeting, etc. If I’m more waiting on clients than clients are waiting on me, then I’m being proactive and being responsive to clients’ needs. To me, that’s a key part of client service.
More About: Service , Quotes , Client

Coming in April: Social Media Breakfast-Toledo
2009-03-03 06:13:00
While it may not be etched in stone (yet), it’s definitely in pen: Toledo is joining the ranks of Boston, San Francisco, Cincinnati and others with its own Social Media Breakfast series. Well, at least the first — of many more — is scheduled: Friday, April 3, 2009,  7:30 — 9:30 a.m. Elks Lodge #53, 3520 Holland-Sylvania Road, Toledo (Yes, it has Wi-Fi.) A four-member panel of local professionals to discuss social media with the audience A quality breakfast at a low, low cost Michael Temple, owner of Temple Development Company, will serve as the emcee/moderator with the panel members consisting of: Damian Rintelmann, director of interactive business development at Hart Inc. (and formerly director of Web Operations at MS&L in Ann Arbor) Dave Rigotti, a U of Toledo senior who is an award-winning online marketer, with emphasis in social media/WOM Allen Mireles, owner of Allen Mireles Marketing PR Victoria Kamm, owner of BizTube 24/7 and partner in Identit...

Getting back to the basics — but what are the basics?
2009-03-01 07:23:00
Whether you are a manager or a coach, in a business, association or sports team, you need to know the basics to be successful. What are the basics? The basics are those things that you should do to be successful — and do them well. The no-brainers. The duhs. The things you really don’t have to think about. You should know them and they should be automatic. One basic — a fundamental, must-have-no-matter-what basic — in public relations is high-quality writing skills. That is, if you want to be successful. But, what about tactics? A post by Lee Odden at TopRankBlog.com got me to thinking about basics, and what they are. He asked readers, “What 3 digital marketing channels & tactics will you emphasize in 2009?” I posted my three — social media monitoring & outreach, blogger relations, and online contests, giveaways — because I thought at least the first two were among the basics any company should do in its public relations effort...
More About: Back , Basics , The Basics

Toledo is getting social!
2009-02-13 16:43:00
When it comes to social media marketing and Toledo communications professionals, my perception based on experience and talking with many in the community is that most are interested, some are talking and fewer are actually doing. While Toledo has a great community of social media — from ToledoTalk.com and Toledo-focused blogs like Lisa Renee’s Glass City Jungle to sports blogs like Matt Sussman’s Futon Report — I’ve heard of few communications professionals involved. But now, likely within a period of a couple or few weeks, Toledo will have its inaugural Tweetup and Social Media Breakfast! More details on Toledo Tweetup are on Facebook, but the basics are Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6-9 p.m. at The Blarney, 601 Monroe St. The background is that Damian Rintelmann and Kelly Hancock had talked about it a bit, it came up during some Twittering the other night involving Charlie Curve, Damian and myself, and Damian booked it. As of this post, eight are committed to a...

It’s connecting that really matters
2009-02-10 04:54:00
In social media, “conversation” is a big buzz word. People at their keyboards “chatting” away on blogs, networks, Twitter, and etc. While social media offers opportunity for these so-called conversations, I think another “C word” is much more important and at the core of anything social. That word is connecting. Whether you just want to make friends, suggest a story idea or blog post, or want them to think positively of you (and use or buy your products/services), you generally need to connect with them. Find something or someone in common. Know something about them. Be relatable. People are much more comfortable working with other people they know or have some connection to. It goes to the heart of our innate desire to belong. You don’t need to be soul brothers or sisters with a person, but you do have to have some level of connection. Let’s look at an example in traditional media relations. To have any chance of successfully pitching...
More About: Matters , Connecting

Quotoable Quotes: Perseverance
2009-01-22 13:54:00
When you’re shaking a lot of trees, sometimes it takes awhile for the fruit to start falling. But, keep shaking. – Mike Driehorst That’s an improved version of what I tweeted yesterday. Whether you’re looking for a job, seeking business or other activity where “nos don’t matter,” keep trying. Sooner or later, the fruit will start falling.You just have to have faith.
More About: Quotes , Perseverance

Get to the point: Get the fluff out of news releases
2009-01-11 05:47:00
Drew Kerr had a worthwhile column this week at Ragan.com about “three words every PR pro should ban.” If you want to make a professional New Year’s resolution, start by  banning “excited,” “thrilled” and “honored” in all press releases It  is the duty of every public relations professional who is called upon  to conjure quotes for executives to remove these three words from their  vocabulary immediately. While I don’t know if I agree that excited, thrilled and honored should completely be banned from all news releases, his point is well made: Let’s elevate the art of creating quotes so that instead of being a lot of self-congratulatory and kiss-blowing jumble, they actually make executives appear to have depth, personality and insight. News releases are supposed to be about news, features, and related editorial-type subjects. But, regardless of the topic, the primary end goal is to get it picked up and used by a m...
More About: Point

Socializing your Website
2008-12-31 04:57:00
If you have a Website , you can do social media marketing. A big part of any PR — or any type of marketing for that matter — is making it easier for your audience to do their job, use your stuff, buy your products and services, etc. Below are buttons, tools, widgets, gadgets and other neat items you can incorporate into your Website to make it sociable. You don’t have to redesign your site. It takes simple programming and a little effort to incorporate any of the below.For the specific programs and companies listed, I’m sure there are alternatives. I’m not necessarily playing favorites, just listing what I’m familiar with or found via a search. ShareThis: A cool tool you can add to make it easy for users to bookmark, email and post your content. (I saw a great overview during a recent Social Media Breakfast-Cincinnati event.) Pictures: You must have some images — products, your plant or office, people, etc. — why not load them to a Fli...

Using Social Media: Local, non-profit charities
2008-12-27 05:46:00
Of all the types of organizations, member-driven associations and charitable organizations can benefit the most from social media. Social media offers great vehicles for communicating with members and potential members; those you seek to serve and potential donors. While associations and charities provide value in representing members or seeking to serve certain populations as unified voices, they also must communicate with those it serves and, in many cases, contributors. As I did in November for B2B manufacturing, I’m offering some brainstorming ideas of how locally-focused, non-profit charitable organizations can use and benefit from social media. And, of course, any feedback and definitely other ideas are welcomed and appreciated. Blog: A charitable organization’s main audiences are the people it serves/helps and those who contribute in-kind or financially for the association’s cause. So, the charity should only blog if either audience is significantly online. ...
More About: Media , Profit , Local , Non-Profit

My Tuesday — by the numbers
2008-12-18 07:04:00
Like many people who blog, I try not to focus (too much) on me. I try to provide information, pointers and opinion that might be of some value. But, because my Tuesday of this week was so extraordinary, I thought I’d take the liberty of using my blog to blog about my day. Don’t worry, I plan to go  back to regular programming soon. On Tuesday, I attended my first Social Media Breakfast — this one in Cincinnati — and saw a very good presentation from ShareThis‘ Tim Shigel. So, while you can learn about the event in many other places, let me tell you how my day went — by the numbers: 1 Social Media Breakfast-Cincinnati, sponsored by GameDay Communications, and hosted by the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame 2 states I traveled in (my own of Michigan and Ohio) 5 people I talked with after Shigel’s presentation: Kevin Dugan, Mike Boehmer, Dan Lally, Kendra Ramirez and Tim from Profitability (from I think a company called Data Storage. We didn&rsquo...
More About: Numbers

Repost of TalentZoo Column: Job Search & Marketing Lessons Similar
2008-12-11 05:55:00
In almost everything I do, I want to make a positive impact on someone, something, etc. More often than not, I think in context of my writing, my professional work. When that impact is seemingly on a personal nature, it’s such a humbling experience. I’ve been writing for TalentZoo since January. While some of my early Marketing Moxie columns have been rated, overall I’ve not seen a lot of feedback, either in ratings or comments. But, with my latest one, I’ve received a few emails and there are currently three comments. I appreciate any time someone takes the time to respond in some way about something I’ve written. And, from the three comments left, it’s good evidence that there are plenty of solid professionals also seeking jobs. Below is a re-posting of that TalentZoo column. To read the comments, click here and scroll down. Of course, any and all feedback is appreciated. Job Search and Marketing, What’s the Difference? It’s been a bit ...
More About: Column , Lessons

Quotable Quotes: Communication
2008-11-26 15:36:00
“Typing is done in black and white. Communication is not.” -Mike Driehorst Of late and often enough, I’ve been involved in and have seen situations where misunderstanding has come from email communication. Assumptions are made. Motives are read into what is typed. Much of it can be avoided with a simple telephone call — either at first or in reply. Remember, typed communication is not always a substitute for verbal communication.
More About: Quotes

Plenty to be thankful for at Thanksgiving
2008-11-24 04:48:00
For most people, this is a short week, but also a bit hectic. Have to finish up projects, meet early deadlines and possibly sneak out early Wednesday or even just take Wednesday off and enjoy five days away from the office — wherever and whatever your office is. While I still am pursuing freelance opportunities (hint!) and full-time employment (hint! hint! ), there’s plenty to be thankful for this week — and every day of the year. Let me list five things and see if I can start a meme (or, duplicate one if it’s already been started): For starters, let me combine #1 and #2 into my family. While my wife and I have a lot in common (which can cause, um, issues), we also complement each other in many ways (which also can cause issues — but more often than not, results in family balance).  I am very thankful for her support, love and the fantastic mother she is. She is a major reason why I am who I am, and who I will become. I’m also thankful for &mda...
More About: Thanksgiving , Plenty

Media relations is media relations … right?
2008-11-21 05:46:00
I’m fascinated by human nature, how and why people interact, and the processes of how successful results come to be. If you’ve done any social media outreach — and been successful — then I assume you’ve also been involved in traditional, offline media relations — and been successful. While there are many similarities, I’ve found that there are enough differences in the process of suggesting stories to media contacts — whether offline or online. The similarities should go without saying, like: Know the media outlet and person(s) you want to contact. Know what topics are covered, who the audience is, how the people like to receive story suggestions/ideas, etc. Know that — no matter if you’re talking to your client or employer about “hits” or “getting placements” — you are still dealing with people. While you have some level of influence — you do not have anywhere near the final say as to i...
More About: Media , Relations

In case you missed it….
2008-11-10 06:09:00
Like I’m sure most, if not all PR and other professional communicators, I read a lot. I receive a lot of email newsletters, and when gainfully employed, get a lot of client and industry print magazines and newspapers. Maybe it’s just the info-geek in me or something that all journalists — past and current — have in common. Whatever the reason, I have a need to feed the information beast within. While I’m not fully caught up with my inbox reading and great pointers from those I follow in Twitter, I have read several informative articles that — in case you missed it — I’m passing along below. MarketingVox: TV, Daily Papers Most Trusted Info Sources (Nov. 3) MarketingCharts.com: Blogs Influence Consumer Purchases More than Social Networks (Oct. 31) MarketingVox: Most B2B Tech Companies Don’t Use RSS Feeds (Oct. 19). From what I see, you can say most B2B companies in general do not take advantage of RSS feeds. They’re missing ...
More About: Case

Using social media: B2B manufacturer
2008-11-07 06:06:00
One of the most enjoyably-challenging parts of our jobs is brainstorming. Getting those creative juices flowing. Trying to solve a challenge for your employer or a client. No idea is too stupid (more or less). So, as a way to develop ideas for my blog, keep my creative juices flowing and a few other benefits, I thought I start a periodic series of how different kinds of businesses and other organizations can benefit from social media. Granted, there are other, more traditional marketing means companies should explore, but they are likely already doing them. So, let’s have some fun and brainstorm ways that different types of organizations can take advantage of this new marketing vehicle commonly called social media. Please have a look at the below and offer your own feedback on my ideas, and offer your own on how this hypothetical company can take advantage of social media. Company Profile: Medium-size manufacturer. Let’s say it’s a machine manufacturer that sells t...
More About: Social , Media , Manufacturer

In everything, give thanks*
2008-11-06 05:30:00
Since being laid off in August, I’ve been repeatedly humbled and grateful for the range of support and assistance I have received. From the simple, yet thoughtful words of support and job search leads, to those who have opened doors with introductions to people and firms. While this experience is not anything I would ever wish on anyone, the past two-plus months has been a fantastic learning experience in many ways. One way, as noted at the start, is how fortunate I am to have at least some level of connection — whether reading their blogs, IMs and emails, past working relationships, mutual friends, great friends or whatever –with a whole lot of thoughtful, caring and flat-out nice people. Your efforts have reminded me that I must not forget to be outward focused — even though it’d be easy to become focused on my needs. So, I’m taking advantage of my blog to say thank you to all of you, including good friends like the Siegs and Walkers, along with...
More About: Give