Recommended Reading - The Whuffie Factor

Want to increase your Whuffie? Of course you do, we all do.

The Whuffie Factor - written by Tara 'missrogue' Hunt is all about "tapping into online communities" to grow your customer base, and creating "social capital" which she feels (and I do agree!) is an actual currency of the digital world.

Tara says to focus on the following to increase your Whuffie (social capital):

• Turn around the blowhorn, stop talking and start listening
• Become part of the community you serve
• Provide amazing customer service
• Embrace the chaos out there – people are not predicable
• Find your higher purpose - What can you give to the community and still be profitable?

Watch a video of Tara explaining the above points:
http://www.thewhuffiefactor.com/2009/04/explaining-the-whuffie-factor-on-video/
http://www.thewhuffiefactor.com/
The book on Amazon (not an affiliate link): http://bit.ly/doOtIc
Follow Tara on Twitter @missrogue

by Shannon (aka: SBK)
Twitter: @sbkelsick

contact me: sbk@MondayMarketingTools.com

picture from Flickr Creative Commons:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superde1uxe/ / CC BY 2.0

The Art of Marketing Event in Calgary

The Art of Marketing Event in Calgary
Presented by Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Full Day Marketing / Social Media Class

Okay Calgary, we have been asking for it....more Marketing and Social Media conferences. The Art of Marketing is coming to Calgary! A line up of influential marketers will be in Cowtown on June 14th, 2010.

It is a one day conference that features six different speakers. Tickets are $399 or $499 for preferred seating.

I was sold on the event when I saw that Gary Vaynerchuk and Mitch Joel will be speaking. If you haven't read Mitch's Marketing blog check it out, it's one of the best: http://www.twistimage.com/blog/, and his book: Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone. (affiliate link)
And check this video out on You Tube of Gary Vaynerchuk: http://bit.ly/9uHPsk , and Gary's book: Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion
(affiliate link) I prefer the Audio Version, his voice, and he talks a bit more than just what is in the book.

Here's the full line up of speakers:

• Mitch Joel - Digital Marketing & Social Media http://www.twistimage.com/blog/
• Sally Hogshead - Persuasion & Influence http://sallyhogshead.com/
• Chip Heath - Strategy & Communications http://heathbrothers.com/
• Gary Vaynerchuk - Personal Branding in the New Media Landscape http://garyvaynerchuk.com/
• Max Lenderman - Branding & Experiential Marketing http://www.experiencethemessage.com/
• Sir Ken Robinson - Innovation & Creativity http://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/

I hope the conference is as good as I am expecting it to be... see you there.

Follow @TheArtOfEvents on Twitter
www.theartofmarketing.ca
Twitter hashtag: #taom

by Shannon (aka: SBK) Twitter: @sbkelsick
contact me: sbk@MondayMarketingTools.com

photo from Flickr Creative Commons

http://creativecommons.org/ns#" about="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben-zvan-photography/468487548/"> rel="cc:attributionURL" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben-zvan-photography/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben-zvan-photography/ / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0

Networking at Events - The Host Mentality

Get the most out of event networking, act as the host!

Hosts benefit greatly at events:

• they meet the most people
• they are remembered by the crowd
• and it is generally MUCH for fun to be the host than to the be the person that walks into a room of strangers that is expected to ‘network’

It’s human nature to prefer that other people approach you rather than you approaching them. The hosts of events usually get an enormous amount of people that approach them for different reasons, and the results are that the host often connects with the more people at the event than anyone else, therefore building their "tribe".

There are two options we have - host events or act like a host at events.

You can ‘become the host’ a number of ways if you are not the actual host (assuming this would be well received by the actual hosts), here are some ideas:

• offer assistance to the organizers - Do more chairs need to brought out? Do they need help getting the presentation running? more chairs etc. Need to be brought out?
• introduce people to other people with an introduction line like “Susan spoke at the last event on Search Engine Optimization...”
• offer to take pictures and to send them out to the audience – many people blog now and would appreciate a real photo to add to their post
• offer to pass out a page that everyone can write their contact info down and email it out to the willing participants after the event
• approach the organizers at the end of the event and and offer your help with the next event. Be specific, “I can help with name tags” or “I can bring pens and paper” instead of “let me know how I can help”.

Taking on the host mentality will increase the number of people that you engage with at an event - give it a try.

Do you have any suggestions on how to maximize event networking?

SBK (aka Shannon) contact me: sbk@mondaymarketingtools.com

Photo from Flickr - by emdot http://bit.ly/bfITMi

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The Rise of the Geeks

Is it me or have Geeks become the new new cool?

Geeks are making their mark in the marketing arena. Since marketing has gone online in the form of websites and social media the need for geek inclusion in marketing implementation plans and even creation of marketing plans has sky rocketed.

Highly skilled techy geeks are now advising businesses on how to increase website visits, how to install social media plugins like Sociable (www.push.cx/sociable) on your website and advising peeps on what the best blogging software is.

The more time I spend online the more I see geeks flaunting their geekiness. There are 47,922 Twitter profiles with the work "geek" in them.

One definition of a geek is "An expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers."

Online presence and maintenance can be challenging - so if you know a geek that gets the stuff you don't - treat them well, they are the new cool.

Cheers to all the geeks out there - this is your time.

SBK (Shannon) contact me: sbk@mondaymarketingtools.com

Photo By Scott Prince www.inthepitchblack.com