Jaffe Blend

Using LinkedIn Effectively

LinkedIn has been a very valuable and useful tool for me. When I give sales training, I always advise sales people to research who they are meeting with in order to customise their messaging appropriately. You'd be surprised how many sales people don't do this and are so much more unprepared for meetings.  

It has also been a great way to connect with old colleagues and clients as well as get feedback. I've never been someone who 'blows my own horn' or done a lot of personal PR. Mostly because I just prefer to get on with the work at hand since it pays the rent a lot better. ;-) I do acknowledge the need for some personal PR (I get told this often) so the recommendations are my way of assuring those who are considering hiring me of what they can expect. I also appreciate the feedback so much from clients, since as a consultant, you don't really have a formal evaluation process.

The groups in LinkedIn are also really taking off, and participating in groups is a way of building new connections around similar business interests and passions. From one of these groups, I recommend reading Paul Castain's Sales Playbook post on LinkedIn if you're interested in getting the most out of this valuable social networking tool.

Finally, if we're not connected on LinkedIn ... WHY NOT??? :-) Feel free to drop me a mail (sharon@jaffeblend.com) or an invite please!

JaffeJuice #126 & Bob Garfield

Listening to JaffeJuice interview Bob Garfield right now, and while I'm only half way through the podcast, I wanted to recommend this interview while it's fresh in my mind. Since many international (non Ad-Age) readers are not familiar with Bob, his views are refreshing and a good wake-up call for all marketers and folks in the advertising and media industries.

I love the reference to the old yin and yang if marketing and media, where content was provided for free in exchange for advertising however this relied on content being limited in supply - which is NO LONGER the case. Furthermore, while our generation accepts the interruption model to receive free content, the younger generation simply finds it annoying and unacceptable.

While many have held this point of view, I have also preached it in my keynotes and recent "Future of Digital" project for Microsoft, it's comforting to hear industry thought leaders like Bob and Joseph give greater insight on the "revolution" and sum it up so succintly. It's one thing to provide answers, but it's another to do it in a way that makes people listen.

Thanks Bob and Joe for shaking things up!

p.s. I obviously feel passionate about this topic, as I typed this post with one finger on my iPhone and now have a finger cramp...

Digital Motherhood

On February 27^th, I become a mom to a baby girl – Ava Rachel. With the demands of pregnancy and motherhood, my blogging has taken a back-seat alas. Due to the new world opening up to me, I decided to write a post sharing how digital media has helped me in during this exciting adventure.

For starters, a post on this topic has to mention J&J Babycenter. One of the most successful communities in existence, J&J have empowered pregnant women and moms with information for each stage of their baby's development. The e-mail newsletter provides you on a weekly basis with relevant information to the extent that you look forward to receiving it. Every Saturday I would excitedly read out loud to my husband their snippet about "Your Baby This Week". It's personal and relevant. The community aspect allows you to connect with others and share fears, tips and advice. I joined the February 2009 birth club and received daily updates from the forum with loads of good tips and a platform for venting (er... anonymously). For some reason, women feel better when they know others are experiencing the same things. A great deal of product information is also shared – I wonder if the relevant companies are browsing what people are saying about their products? There's also a great deal of sharing of web-only discount codes – some e-retailers are probably surprised by the surge in their web traffic!

In terms of shopping, there isn't a thing you can't get online. The wealth of information borders on overload, and we used a service with an online component, called Baby Concierge, to prepare for the big arrival. Their advice is impartial and they act as "buying consultants", assisting with navigating the murky waters of products for everything from bathing to feeding. Their prices are competitive with the high street and their personal advice is essential when you need to know which pram or sling is best. We could compile and edit our "Baby List" online and it operated much like a Wedding List. It's good to see that there's still room for personal service and expertise in the information age.

When I hit 28 weeks of pregnancy, I went for a 3D scan of our little baby. The experience was projected on a flat screen and we got a DVD of the experience to take home. The challenge was that the format could not be imported into my Mac or PC for editing, so I enlisted the help of the experts in the Apple store by booking a 1-to-1 private session. They helped download software to convert the file which I could then edit transforming a 30 minute video to a 3 minute clip using iMovie. I could add text and a soundtrack and share via YouTube (although I did get a nasty e-mail about copyright infringement for using a Robin Thicke track). Oh c'mon! I could then send this to my iPhone and share with friends and family over a cup of coffee! A great one for impressing the others at ante-natal classes. ;-)

As the birth was approaching, the focus turned to labour and birth and I was impressed with a range of iPhone apps focussing on helping in this department. There is Labor Mate (which helps you time the contractions) although due to the nature of the birth I confess I didn't use this. Below is a list of other baby-related apps which I've discovered and can recommend:

• White Noise and Baby Soothe – from vacuum cleaner to washing machine, 2 great apps with a range of sounds to soothe an unsettled baby
• Baby Log – a timer application so you can track the time between feeds, changes and sleep
• Baby Cam – a handy application that plays captivating sounds to grab a baby's attention and enable a better photo
• Voxie – a voice-recorder which let's you capture (and email!) the first sounds to share (the coo-ing of a newborn baby is priceless!)
• Diapers and Nursing – 2 apps to track diaper changes and breast feeds

My iPhone has proven to be invaluable – from taking and emailing photos immediately in the hospital, to checking my Facebook wall comments as the good wishes streamed in. Many hours have been spent feeding in which my phone is my companion. From the basics, like checking e-mail and sms's, to reading news and Twittering. I also have created playlists of lullabies and white noise to soothe baby Ava on the ipod part of the phone. Invaluable when you're on the road and your baby starts revving up for a cry that could break the sound barrier. I could also listen to podcasts or audiobooks, but I prefer sitting in the quiet watching her sleep and feed. Perhaps in a few months I'll be ready for some audio stimulation.

Speaking of Twitter, there is a special group called Twitter Moms which I've discovered but haven't had the time to explore enough. Through following @mommyinstincts amongst others, I get useful information and connect to others via Twitter. I confess though that I've been twittering less since I don't want to bombard my digital marketing followers with only "mommy talk".

My love for Apple has been amplified with the easy creation of an iPhoto album which I transferred to my iPhone. I also easily created an iBook – what better gift for a new grandparent? Before the book was delivered, we connected the Mac to our flat screen and were able to show a beautiful slideshow to visitors. The ability to share photos between different devices is just so seamless with Apple. They have really nailed easy usability to a level where a sleep-deprived mom can achieve wonders!

Finally, for those parents who consider repetitive renditions of Rock-a-bye-baby tortuous, I recommend Rockabyebaby.com where you can buy a CD (or download from iTunes) lullaby versions of U2 and Coldplay, amongst others. The lullaby version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is guaranteed to melt your heart.

Off to go and feed now. I hope this post has been useful. Please feel free to share your opinions on these and other "digital" motherhood enhancements.

 

 

Starting Out On Your Own?

If so, here are some of the tips I can give based on my personal experience from the last 15 months as an entrepreneur. I decided to write this blog post as I was recently interviewed on the topic here, and more people were asking me for tips and guidance. I don't proclaim to be an expert but hopefully my tips can help those faced with credit crunch redundancies or simply wanting to get out of a rut and pursue a more independent career.

I personally have always wanted to be a consultant however at the time of graduating, I found myself more enthused by digital marketing and less willing to live in hotel rooms for months on end (as many of my friends did who landed up worked for the big consultancies). After 13 years in digital media and marketing, it's truly a dream for me now to be consulting and educating others in this area (and being able to work from home more – yay!).

Enough about me and more about my tips:

1. Feel the fear and do it anyway. This is a great book by Susan Jeffers, and it's my main point, since 96% of people don't start a new busineness because of the fear of failure.  Don't expect to be fearless, but don't be paralysed by your fears. Help and seek help, especially where you need it – be it logistics, network, introductions etc.

2.  "Do unto others..."- The Ethic of Reciprocity. Don't underestimate your own value and your ability to help others. Realise that others want to see you succeed and need your help too, so jump in the "informal economy" of networking, connecting, giving and asking for help. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for key people who gave me their time and guidance. In turn, I always make time for others since you never know when the favour will be returned. ;-)

3. Network isn't everything, it's the only thing! It's what you know AND who you know. The people who've worked with you and know what and how you do it are the key people to hire you, help you and recommend you on. Almost all my business has come from my own network where I have spent many years building a reputation and building my personal brand.

4.Be resilient! Be prepared to bark up a lot of wrong trees. When there's nothing up the trees, pick yourself up and move on to the next one. Set-backs and disappointment are par for the course. Protect your self-esteem and be positive. Matt Crabtree, from Positive Momentum, was instrumental in helping me with most of these tips as well as recognising the power of the right attitude and positivity.

5. Be your own guiding light. Trust your internal instincts when making decisions and be true to yourself. If you're asked to do something which doesn't feel right or by someone who doesn't feel right, it generally isn't right. Don't accept work which you don't feel good about i.e. is not the type of work you want to be doing (you'll be hating every minute of it). At the same time, be open-minded. I was asked to do training and figured, "why not?". It has since turned out to be my main source of business second to consulting.

6. Quality is key! Maintain your own professional quality standards. Invest in your brand and pay attention to everything from the way you dress to showing up on time. Now more than ever it's important to realise that you are your own business card.

7. Have a clear vision. Always hold clear the vision of where you see yourself in 1 or x year's time. Let that motivate you! Make sure you create some goals and milestones, be it a revenue target, or your first press interview. Remember to also reward yourself and congratulate yourself on your achievements along the way with rewards.

8. Think big but start small. Don't be arrogant or overconfident in what you charge. Be willing to do stuff for free to build experience, reputation and a solid track record. Trust me, the rest will follow.

9. Watch your costs. Don't splurge unnecessarily but don't skimp on the important things like a good laptop and a business card. It's not necessary to have a glamorous website to get started – one year on I still don't advertise what I do on the web and yet I've been fully booked.

10. Manage your work-life balance. It's easy to start working evenings and weekends and it's hard to give yourself a break. I think this is a key driver of entrepreneurs and a danger in the general unwillingness or inability to take time off. I think I'm still learning this one, which is why I put it last.

I hope these tips are helpful! If you're a self-starter, let me know what you think of them and if you have any personal experiences. Feel free to add your own ones. Good luck!

 

Social Media Update

With a mountain of workload, paperwork, never-ending to do lists, social events, an injured ankle and a nasty cold (which 70% of London seems to have), I have neglected my blogging.

Shame on me. But really, there are only 24 hours in each day. Respect to those who keep blogging amidst other pressures. Thanks though to some of my loyal followers who pulled me out of my blogging hiatus with email and Twitter S.O.S calls.

Luckily I haven't neglected my passion for digital marketing and I've tried to keep up abreast of developments. On that note, this post is a compilation of some of the interesting things that have crossed my path recently. I find myself continually fascinated with social media, specifically with Twitter, trying to get my head around it as a Twitterer and a marketer.

Social Media is Growing

..but revenue lags behind. Consumers are embracing social media but the rules for marketers and brands have yet to be written. There is loads of experimentation going on e.g. on Twitter @Zappos, @Comcastcares, @Delloutlet and even @BarackObama have successfully harnessed it as a channel for connecting and broadcasting with audiences.

I personally have been contacted by @Norton and @MarketingProfs as a result of my tweets about both companies.

The next stage is a clear monetisation model, and unfortunately just as 30-second spots are to TV as banners are to websites, there is no "quick" revenue fix yet for social media. When we still rely on display advertising for revenue, lower click rates on social media sites like MySpace, Facebook and Bebo do not paint a rosy picture. Read more on this topic here on MediaPost.

Social media can help sales significantly. Richard Shepherd predicts it could be a big earner in 2009 as the recession keeps people indoors. For ROI and success his tips are to use social media to Raise awareness, Listen, Engage, Respond and Control. The full article can be found here.

Steve Semelsberger, SVP of Global Sales and Business Development, Pluck, believes that Social Media will be the second largest area of spend increase by advertisers and piblishers, next to Search. Read an interesting interview with him here.

Social Media for Publishers

I was privileged to attend a webinar by Chris Brogan on Social Media for Publishers. With my online background, I immediately thought it would be attended by bloggers and online media publishers, however I was pleasantly surprised to discover loads of traditional publishers in attendance and the topic of books in discussion. In the spirit of social media, the Webex LiveMeeting had constant chatter and it was fascinating to partake in a virtual webinar and still be connecting with so many people! It was exhilarating listening in to great content while I hovered over my laptop from my kitchen as I cooked dinner (we females pride ourselves in our multitasking abilities). The value was heightened by the combined ability to fire away questions (and get an immediate response from Chris) while getting some new Twitter folks to follow and followers e.g. John Byrne, Editor-in-Chief, Businessweek.com. You can view it here.

2009 Social Media Predictions

Thanks to Rohit Bargava, who highlighted this document on his blog about the 2009 social media predictions from BeingPeterKim.com, with key view points from top thought leaders and bloggers. An interesting, easy read.

Social Media Research & Measurement

Traditional market research and online research gets a new twist with social media. Duncan Southgate outlines YouBuild and YouTrawl as 2 new techniques. Essentially, YouBuild is the research version of "crowd-sourcing" and YouTrawl involves doing secondary research or "trawling" social media for insights and valuable conversations about brands or products. You can read the full article here.

Everyone seems to want to talk about measurement, but before diving into tools and metrics, we are reminded by Laura Patterson, on MarketingProfs, to look to outputs (e.g. number of positive reviews relative to the campaign cost), outcomes (e.g. behavioural changes like increase/decrease in number of reviews) and business results (e.g. how a specific business objective in achieved). The whole article can be found here.

Twitter

Aaaah Twitter. I could write an entirely new post on this, but in the interest of keeping it short, I have consumed by trying out 100 of the best Twitter tools from the ComMetrics blog. The Sharon Jaffe jury is still not out on Tweetdeck – I love the extra functionality but just struggle to scan and read tweets as comfortably as say in Outtwit or simply on Twitter.com.

Some Cool Stuff

• 12Seconds.TV: I discovered this video microblogging service thanks to Neville Hobson. It can best be described as YouTube meets Twitter with a nifty iPhone app. I would have tried it out if I didn't get such a shock seeing my face on my PC's webcam before applying any make-up first thing in the morning.
• Masher.com: This is a nifty mashing site with clips and apps essentially allowing you to do the same as Apple iMovie, but online and with a community element. The term "mash ups" seems to refer to both 1) the combination of content consisting of music and/or pictures and/or text or 2) the integration of applications e.g. Twitter with Google Earth like in Twittervision. This site represents the former.

   

So that's the end of my social media update for 2008. As the year draws to a close, I hope this post gives you some food for thought on Social Media, an exciting area for growth and experimentation in the near future (and my favourite part of digital marketing at the moment)!

I [Heart] Sony

While some of you have encountered my wrath for certain brands (I'll give you a hint, it's also a citrus fruit), this post is about my adoration for a brand and it's great marketing. Sony.

My Sony Experiences

I have done a previous post about the great Bravia advertising and HDTV(Jan 16, 2008). In the past, I was also impressed at the cross device seamless integration. When I lived in The Netherlands several years ago, I had a Sony TV and video machine, and I really loved how I could operate the two from the same remote control. Simple yet what a difference one less remote control can make in your life! How smart to offer real value and a compelling reason for consumers to stick to one brand by building a product with the user in mind.

Years later, 2 Bravia TV's and a laptop richer, I have just purchased another VAIO laptop. Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I asked for some laptop advice recently. There were mixed feelings on Dell (great laptop but awful customer service), some Mac fans (I actually have a MAC but am not comfortable using it for business purposes yet – it's my video, music and photography device) and Lenovo. The reasons for the new laptop relate to the need to more power and performance (for which I'm now willing to sacrifice some portability). The old one will find its way to Ebay soon (username: sharonja28).

After some site searching (Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, HP), I found that Sony offered the product closest to my needs (the best combination of speed, memory, battery life and portability) HOWEVER for a greater price. This premium price is commanded due to:

1. Specifications of this commodity (super fast, great memory, built in 3G – no dongle required and free trial to T-mobile)
2. 'Coolness' of the design (sorry Lenovo, but a lady wants a lovely laptop and not a black brick)
3. Brand (they aren't Apple, but close enough for me to want to always visit the Sony Store in NYC)
4. Value (the deal breaker!)

 

It's All About Value

As if points 1-3 were not enough to convince me, the real deal breaker for me is the fact that I have already experienced superior customer support with my last VAIO laptop. While computers are great when they work … when they don't work they have the ability to plunge you into a state of deep despair, allowing the darkest aspects of your personality to surface, whilst plunging you into a level of frustration that just isn't healthy for you, the laptop or anyone within 200m.

Going back to the true definition of Marketing (by the American Marketing Association) and referred to by Joe Marchese (Online Spin, 7 Oct 2008), "Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."

The Sony Customer Support line has been tremendously supportive to date: always answering the phone promptly, with agents speaking proper English, who are well versed in the products. Of course, if your wireless print server is not compatible with Vista, the poor bloke on the other end will try to help you but let's be honest, that's not Sony's problem. In fixing the Bluetooth problem on my old laptop (before I sell it), they offered to extend my warranty a few more months (recognizing that I am a valuable customer and giving me the bandwidth to transfer my data without losing a day in productivity). This can only be due to the training and empowerment of their call centre staff who do not respond with a robotic answer like "I'm sorry ma'am but your warranty expired on September 31^st".

It's this Customer Support that makes the difference for my productivity, efficiency, state of mind and loved ones. It's this factor that makes it an even easier decision spend the extra cash and to buy another VAIO. I don't understand why more companies still haven't grasped the basics of marketing.

Show You the Money

The icing on the cake for me is the telephone ordering experience. Alas, the site was not viewable to "basket" stage due to my IE8 Beta trial (no comment) but the telephone ordering line experience was superb. I was offered 5% discount off the insurance (great up-selling) and 10% off the accessories (so I stocked up on an extra charger). Smart, smart, smart. The cherry on top was free express delivery to have in my home within 2 working days. Yay!

Credit Crunch Premium

In a time when purse strings are tightening, economies are crashing and banks are failing, Sony are successfully achieving sales and commanding a product price premium because they're smart and understand these important elements which fuel sales and justify a price premium:

1. Offer superior products
2. Package with great design
3. Keep investing in the brand
4. Deliver with a great seamless sales experience over delivering on expectations
5. Cross-sell and up-sell with promotions in a relevant way
6. Offer and delivery quality in after-sales support

I [heart] you Sony. I think you [heart] me too. *blush*

Happy Anniversary to JaffeBlend! Hip-Hip, Hooray!

Oct 2nd is exactly 1 year since my first post on JaffeBlend. I can't believe the time has flown by so fast and that a year later I have almost 50 posts!

It's been an interesting journey for me, following the advice of JaffeJuice to "find my own blogging voice". I've used the blog as a platform to share my thoughts, insights and opinions with others and I've found the process and response to be incredibly rewarding. Each comment I get lights up my day!

A year ago today, I left Microsoft after 5 years and started out as a Digital Marketing and Media Consultant. 9 clients and 22 projects later, I find myself reflecting back and being really fulfilled and proud about where I am today versus a year ago. I specialise in training around digital marketing (developing a 2-day Digital Marketing Crash Course) and running sales training sessions. I've also done a fair share of consultancy helping publishers with challenges around media sales, from sales strategy to developing custom solutions. This has helped me develop even further and I'm truly blessed with some great clients who are a pleasure to work with.

It will be interesting to see where I'll be a year from today and I hope you will stay with me on my journey.

Sharon

The Great Schlep

I really want to share this clip with you. It's an ad funded by the Jewish Council for Education & Research with Sarah Silverman. Before you watch it, just know that if Sarah Silverman is involved, it will be offensive, rude, smart and funny (depending what your humour and ethnic origin is).

I can't believe something like this ever got approved by a Jewish Council but I really love it! Furthermore, I'm sure it gets the message across to the right audience, so all in all, I give it a 10/10.

Watch it here.

Useful Sites for Media Insights

I recently needed to compile some industry figures and stats, so I grabbed my board and went surfing. My first wave is always to visit the blogs, however for data like ad spend and agency structures, I needed to catch another wave.

Below is a list of the sites I scoured, some reaching dead-end due a massive price tag for reports and some revealing great in-depth data.

• iMedia Connection: http://www.imediaconnection.com/index.asp - US site with great articles on digital and sectors and a UK section, very informative and interesting!
  • http://www.imediaconnection.com/uk/ - see this one on the growth in online ad spend in the UK http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/17021.asp
• Adage: http://www.adage.com - go to data (but will you need a subscriber login eventually
  • This is where you'll also find digital family trees
• M&M: http://www.mandmglobal.com/ - great insights and reports  for international perspective with some UK-centric content
  • http://www.mandmglobal.com/company-profiles/agency-networks - excellent agency profiles with key execs and contact details
  • Check out their global agency map
• Campaign: http://www.Brandrepublic.com – UK equivalent of Adage, login required (although this is free)
• Emarketer: http://www.emarketer.com/ - great stats and trends, US centric but international info is there (some info is free and some needs to be purchased)
• IAB: http://www.Iabuk.net - membership required
• NMA: http://nma.co.uk – subscriber login required
  • Great report on top media agencies: http://www.nmatop100.co.uk/Top100/top_media.aspx
• Adbrands: http://www.Adbrands.net - great overview of companies and their brands (free)
• Brad Insight: http://www.bradinsight.com/
  • Access to ALF (the monthly printed advertiser and media contact book etc. (Note: reports need to be purchased)
• Hitwise: http://www.hitwise.com/datacenter/ Reports, stats etc e.g. on search, web 2.0 and trends
• Forrester: http://www.forrester.com - Reports etc, most to be purchased but lots available if you register for free
  • Interactive marketing section: http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/0,7211,40242,00.html   
• Jupiter Research: http://www.jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/home/  - apply for free guest access to Sample Reports and Analyst reports

I hope you've found this to be useful. Please feel free to add to this list by emailing me or leaving a comment below. Happy surfing!

Social Networks Across Geographies

It's interesting to see that while many don't know what social networking is, we're all doing it! In a post by Scott Monty, 58% of 18-65 year olds interviewed across 17 markets did not know what Social Networking was. These are the results from a recent Synovate study also reported on by Emarketer.

Am I surprised? Not really. I don't think my mother or any of my non new-media friends know the term while we're all using social networks.

Even more interesting is the penetration of the different networks across the globe:

From a personal perspective, I have family, friends and associates spread across the world and many on different networks. In The Netherlands, I continually get Hyves requess (I lived there for 10 years), however being active on LinkedIn and Facebook doesn't leave me with much bandwidth for yet another social networks. Lately, I've also been meeting folks from Switzerland, Gemany and Austria. Am I on Xing? No. Will I subscribe to Xing? Not likely.

The foundation of social networking is not the presence but the participation. This participation requires actively logging in to read/post/forward/watch/write etc. I can barely keep up with Facebook! How many times has someone told me something about their personal life to which I've reacted with great surprise ... only to have them respond nonchalantly "well, I did announce it on Facebook!". Who finds the time to login daily or check out the photo albums of their 300 friends?

The implication for advertisers and commercial opportunities in this space is clear. For multinational campaigns, you need to include a variety of social networks in your strategy. It's not a once-size-fits-all solution alas. Forget partnering with MySpace for your global campaign! You'll only reach Bulgarians ... and Americans, of course.

It will be interesting to see in the next 5-10 years which of these networks are still around or if people will defect to other networks. If Facebook keep changing their interface, it may just happen even sooner.