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10 Social Media Expectations That Are Full of Baloney

October 8, 2015 By Carol Stephen 12 Comments

10 Social Media Expectations That Are Full of Baloney

People have a lot of expectations around social media. They think that it’s magic, and that once they are on social media, they don’t have to do anything except answer the phone calls of people wanting to hand them millions of dollars. Here are some popular misconceptions.

One Friend Will Tell Another Friend

This is a popular one. One friend will tell another friend will tell another friend. Like a giant Multi-Level Marketing scheme, the business or startup is of course at the top of the pyramid. When was the last time you were so excited about a new business that you told someone else? It happens, but rarely.

We’re Going to Raise a Million Dollars!

You might do that, but it could take a loooong time! It’s probably not going to happen in one week.

More Followers Equals More Value

This is the kind of thinking that makes people buy followers! Here’s how you can tell who has the most fake followers, by the way. In fact, the small accounts who take the trouble of engaging with you are probably your biggest fans. The number of fans makes some difference, but not if they’re fake.

Nobody Will See Your Drunk Tweets

Not only will they see those drunk tweets, they’ll take screenshots and share them with their friends and blog about it. By then you’ll be sober. And pretty sad. And that is one case where one friend will tell another friend who will tell another friend.

Having Goals on Social Media is Pointless

Yes, there is a point. If you’d like to move beyond vanity metrics (popularity or number of followers), some good goals might be: retweeting five people a day, having a conversation with someone new on Facebook, or participating in a Twitter Chat.

People on Social Media Are Waiting for a Sales Pitch

Yes and no. If people like you, they might put up with an occasional sales pitch. But selling all the time is so 1974. You probably won’t get a follower in the first place if you’re only selling.

Social Media is Free

One word: Nope! Is your time free? Is your brain power free? Is your creativity free?

It’s Okay to Broadcast without Engagement

What is this? The first day of the Internet? Broadcast-only mode is akin to sending direct messages on Twitter when someone first follows you.

People Won’t Notice Bad Reviews

Um, yes they will. According to this Search Engine Land article, “88% Have Read Reviews To Determine The Quality Of A Local Business.” Don’t you check out businesses online before you buy from them?

My Audience Isn’t Online

You could say that in 1995, but these days everyone is online. Your grandma is looking at pictures of your kids on Facebook and watching cat videos on Youtube.

Did You Have Any Misconceptions When You Started?

I’d love to hear! Let me know in the comments. And thank you for reading.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: expectations, failure, Social Media, Startup

Ten Ways to Tap Into Your Inner Daredevil

September 3, 2015 By Carol Stephen 14 Comments

Ten Ways to Tap Into Your Inner Daredevil

Fearlessness Leads to Great Learning

Richard Branson once said “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” With that in mind, here are ways that you can tap into that most enviable of business traits: fearlessness. Failure and fearlessness are intricately linked. For more on failure, you might want to read my previous post What if Failure Didn’t Exist?

Hero Vs. Psychopath

Hero Versus Psychopath

People often think that daredevils are psychopaths. When Batman jumps off a tall building with no regard for his own life, we’re all rooting for him. (Not the Ben Affleck Batman, though. We’re not rooting for him.*) Some measure of risk is important to a solid business; fearlessness in its pure form of boldness is what people need.

*With apologies to Ben Affleck

Get Through Tough Times

Get through Tough Moments

If you were brave in the forest and no one was watching, would it count for anything? Probably not. But what about when you have to speak in front of 600 people with no script and explain your startup’s mission? Being fearless, if only for an hour or two, would be no small feat.

It’s Lonely At the Top

Being fearless might necessitate taking “the road less traveled” more often than not. Indirectly, this could lead to a lonely existence. However, this is 2015. Surely there is a closed Facebook group where daredevils of all sorts could congregate.

Lets You Be the Boss

When someone threatens to eat your chicken tenders, you’re going to have to fight back. Slap that chicken thief right across the jaw and show him who’s boss! Whose chicken is it anyhow?

Chicken or Egg?

Being a daredevil in business involves taking on more risk. But what if fear itself is what’s keeping you from taking on that risk? You could theoretically “fake it til’ you make it” and pretend to have the confidence needed, charging ahead and shoving that fear aside in a temporary show of bravado. Stepping up when the risk is great doesn’t always result in success, so your being fearless will surely be appreciated by all the chickens. (Do you “get” that one?) And you might like to read my post Six Amazing Social Media Startup Secrets, by the way.

Confidence Emerges Once Fear is Stripped Away

Tony Robbins encourages participants in his Unleash the Power Within seminars to walk on fire as a metaphor for facing and overcoming personal fears. He gets the crowd ready by having people chant, stamping out fear with positive thoughts the way Smokey the Bear would stamp out a forest fire. Robbins says “In order to get people to know that the techniques they are learning work, I like to use a physical metaphor that tests them to be able to take action in spite of fear.”

Drunken Scorpion

People talk about committing to success like it’s easy. It’s similar to my yoga instructor who bends into a crazy ball and stands on one arm. I think the pose is called “Drunken Scorpion.” The point is, once she’s halfway there, she might as well go the rest of the way.

Fearlessness is the Ultimate Joy

Thich Nhat Hanh says that fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy. We might not go so far as to make friends with a murderer on our daily walk as Thich does, but it’s something to consider, if only for the sake of overcoming our fear.

Deep Thoughts

What would you do if you had no fear? What would your business look like? Would you want to expand and outsource some of the chores that don’t interest you? Please leave a comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Business, career, confidence, daredevil, fearlessness, Richard Branson, Startup, success, Thich Nhat Hanh, yoga

Social Media Doldrums: Survival in Six Steps

August 13, 2015 By Carol Stephen 15 Comments

Whether your business is a startup or a long-standing business, you’ll sometimes suffer from the social media doldrums. The doldrums can be defined as a period of stagnation or inactivity. It might occur in the middle of the summer or during a holiday. There is nothing happening, there are no boats on the horizon, and there is no wind at all. Naturally, you’d like to escape the doldrums as quickly as possible!

Share Posts from Like-Minded Companies

Sharing might seem like a non-intuitive way to escape the doldrums, but there are others creating ideas and content who would love the boost. Meantime, you get a little time to reflect and create a long-term escape plan. Some personal favorites are:

Tess Wittler, who writes about blogging for construction companies,
Blue Steele Solutions, who write about marketing strategies and solutions,
Bridget Willard (You Too Can Be a Guru), who writes about social media, and
Robert Nissenbaum (Tactical Social Media), who covers brand awareness and recognition.

Comment on Blogs to Escape the Doldrums

Comment on Blogs

Commenting on others’ writing is a fabulous way to spark new ideas for your own social media or blog posts. A good place to start is with people who are sharing your content or commenting on your posts. Starting a conversation on a blog beyond “great post!” can help the creative juices flow again. Ask a question or say something that will move the conversation beyond the entry level. For instance, “what made you think of writing about this topic?”

Read Articles

Articles within your own niche can help to stimulate new ideas and help you create an action plan to escape. For instance, Copyblogger is a terrific one. Take note of which articles attract you. What headlines brought you there? Could you use a similar headline?

Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC

— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013

Think Back

Go back to memorable moments. These moments might be times when ads caught your attention from your childhood, events that are important to the country as a whole, or to a game that you played. It could be anything, really. For instance, do you remember Life cereal “Give it to Mikey! He hates everything!” ad? People quote that ad all the time. Or the more recent Oreo cookie tweet during the Superbowl of 2013? There are moments that people enjoy revisiting.

Go Into the Stillness

Like a stale meme, you want an easy answer. Sometimes running straight into the fire, or lack thereof, is the right thing to do. This is perhaps the most difficult cure, and also the most “zen.” Every business has its ups and downs. Sometimes a period of absolute quiet is necessary for the next period of growth. Being still and calm might drive you insane as a business owner. Unless you’re an introvert, that is. Here’s my article on Six Facts About Introverts and Social Media That Will Impress Your Friends, by the way.

Feel the Pain

Explore the Pain

If you’re having a period of the doldrums, perhaps your clients are, too. How about writing about the pain that life in the doldrums creates for you? After all, you’re not going to be reaching the top of Mount Kilimanjaro every day. And, to use the sailing metaphor, you won’t sail your boat under the Golden Gate Bridge every day, either.

Ever Been in the Doldrums?

What did you do to get out? Leave me a comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: doldrums, Social Media, Startup, survival

Blogging Buddies: Catapult Your Writing Success with One Simple Idea

July 16, 2014 By Carol Stephen 11 Comments

Blogging Buddies: Catapult Your Writing Success with One Simple Idea

Entrepreneurs often say that they’d like to blog. They put someone on the job (often the poor intern who has no idea how to motivate others, let alone get the blog going), and hope for the best. What happens, though? The blog is dormant, wakes up from time to time, goes back into a Rumpelstiltskin-like slumber, and then languishes. While a team approach works well for some, putting a single (often inexperienced) person in charge of a business blog isn’t the best idea, in my opinion. A much better idea? Put two people in charge, and let them motivate each other.

Drafting

Drafting in the sense of writing means creating a rough outline. Drafting in the aerodynamic sense, and for a business, can mean that everyone gets a break and works off each other. Take a look at this swell article from The Huffington Post: Why Birds Fly in a V-Formation. It’s aerodynamic. The lead bird does the most work when it’s out in front. Then it falls back and someone else leads. I like the idea of appointing a leader, but with a twist: have two leaders who are buddies with a similar work ethic and writing skillset.

The Buddy System

With two people in charge of blogging, neither of them bears full responsibility. And they can brainstorm with each other, pass the writing back and forth, and one can take over when the other is ill or on vacation. Blogging is critical for a startup or for anyone who wants to be found online. In my opinion, it’s a responsibility that shouldn’t be left to an intern, but given to someone on the team who is more invested in its long-term success. And when one person runs out of ideas, the other person can say “what about this? you’ve never covered this before!”

Hire a Writer or Two

Want Blogging Success? Hire a Writer!

If you want your business to succeed, hire someone whose primary job is to create content. This can mean social media posts, but more importantly it means original writing that positions your brand as a leader. Writers can not only write blog posts, but create playbooks, headlines for curated content, online materials, and slideshows. You want someone with experience as a writer, and that includes good grammatical skills. There’s nothing worse than seeing good content ruined by spelling errors and bad grammar.

The Best Movies Have Writers

The idea of having a writer for a movie might sound silly and straightforward. But often movies with fantastic special effects seem to miss one element: a writer. As a writer, this is offensive. Why couldn’t they hire one writer to make sure the script makes sense? Aside from continuity editing, the writer’s job is to create dialog that flows and sounds natural. Like a movie, your business needs a good writer, too. Preferably two or more writers!

My Blogging Buddy

My blogging buddy is Bridget Willard. You can read her work or subscribe to her blog at You, Too, Can Be a Guru. We often bounce ideas off each other, comment on each other’s crazy ideas, and keep each other sane through our ups and downs. She posts her videos on YouTube if you’d like to hear, rather than read social media tips. Here’s one about how to post the “same” content across platforms:

Feeling All Alone?

Whether you’re a solopreneur or a brand, I highly recommend the blogging buddy route. If you run your own business, find someone with similar ideas. If you’re a CEO or startup, and can hire two writers, they’ll keep each other motivated and your blog will always have enough content. Content has become more important and a blogging buddy can help your cause. Do you have a blogging buddy? Tell me about yours in the comments! Thank you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: blogger, blogging, Bridget Willard, buddies, Startup, video, writer, writing, You Too Can Be a Guru

Startups: Why Being Vulnerable Makes You a Better Entrepreneur

July 2, 2014 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Startups: Why Being Vulnerable Makes You a Better Entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard that you should be tougher, leaner, and quicker at decision-making. And while all of these traits are important, you might have never heard that being vulnerable could help you as an entrepreneur.

Recently, on Women in Business Today’s (#WIBT) hangout on air, we discussed Brene Brown’s TEDxTalk on vulnerabililty. Brown is a scientist who takes years–and a stint in therapy–to discover how to be vulnerable.

Vulnerability Gives You Courage

As an entrepreneur, you’re investing in the future of your idea or startup. And while you may believe you have the best idea in the world, there are so many things that could go wrong. People and brands think they have the answer to all the prayers of the known world, but people are emotional creatures. CEOs often forget this. We all make decisions based on emotion. Thus, a potential client may love the idea a startup has, but what if that client hates the company for the way it advertises or treats its employees? What if the idea is terrific, but the timing is off? Or what if the funding doesn’t come through for your high-tech widget?

There are so many reasons why people don’t buy. And every company takes a flying leap into the dark when it puts an idea or product out into the world. Realizing your own vulnerability and being honest about it can open doors where none were open before. By the way, Inc. has a terrific article about the Psychological Price of Entrepreneurship, and the “fake it til you make it” attitude that plagues many entrepreneurs.

Vulnerability Gives Your Employees Courage

Why do your employees decide to work with you? Your product may be no different than anyone else’s. But if you’re authentic, and tell people who work for and with you the truth, the chances are that your employees will feel more courageous, too. They’ll want to stick with you during the hard times, they’ll feel motivated when they get up in the morning. and your product or service will have its differentiator.

Vulnerability Makes You Stand Out

Startups: Why Being Vulnerable Makes You a Better Entrepreneur

When you’re vulnerable, when you treat your own employees like family, those people will travel miles to do business with you and to work with you. Once I’m a raving fan, I’ll drive past other businesses to do business with those who treated me well. Often, it’s that emotional vulnerability that is the glue that makes me stick with them. Often I’m willing to do nearly anything to buy something from the company that shows its vulnerability–its heart, if you will. And I’m not alone in this, either.

Emotional Quid Pro Quo

Every time I show my vulnerability in my writing, I’m scared. All those thoughts of “I’m not good enough” emerge from their deep closet. And yet, every time I’ve been rewarded by people saying “Me, too! That happened to me!” Or “OMG. Do you need anything?” Or a story from them, in an emotional quid pro quo. In other words, now that you’ve opened up, I feel that I can, too. And they share something with a similar emotional weight to what I’ve shared. That’s the same way it works for a bigger brand; your emotional vulnerability makes you fans both inside and outside the company.

When Has Vulnerability Helped You?

Have you ever been intentionally vulnerable? Or were you forced into a vulnerable position? Please let me know in the comments!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: being vulnerable, Brene Brown, decision-making, decisiveness, entrepreneur, lean, Startup, Startups, vulnerability

Startups and Motivation: Staying the Course

June 19, 2014 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Startups and Motivation: Staying the Course

Recently, a friend of mine, Dr. Beth Halbert, mentioned something that stuck with me. She said that she used to create long lists of to-do items every day. Her lists were three pages long, and she could never finish all the action items. Every night, she felt like a failure. Then, she changed something. She created shorter lists, with only 2-3 things that she can finish. Now she feels successful every single day. I’ve been thinking about this simple concept and how it could be applied to staying motivated while working in startups. By the way, if you’re in a startup, you might also be interested in my article on Ten Things Ways the San Francisco Giants Can Improve Your Game.

Have Reasonable Goals

Granted, some people enjoy the feeling of pressure (including the knot they get in their stomach) every day. Some people love “stretch goals,” even if those goals are completely unattainable. But many of us would rather have a reasonable goal so that we can knock it out of the ballpark every single time. A list with only 2-3 items that are achievable can help your morale more than that list with a million action items on it.

Reward Yourselves

Although I’m a great believer in the Law of Attraction, it’s not always easy to stay the course and be positive. But a reward is something that you and your team will look forward to, and look back upon with great pleasure. The reward might be a party for the team, some wine for everyone, or something more business-related such as phone chargers. One of my own favorite rewards was a pair of expensive shoes. Right now I’ve set a target whose reward will be a grafted apple tree with seven varieties of apples.

Pay People Enough

Do I need to say anything about this? If people don’t have a certain minimum salary, they’ll want to go elsewhere (here are some power tips to beef up your LinkedIn profile if you’re looking for a J.O.B., by the way). Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, that amount is certainly higher than in other parts of the country.

Give Autonomy and Get Outta the Way

People need to be self-directed, to feel that their actions matter, and to feel engaged at work. This sense of autonomy can be overlooked in startups (and larger companies too). One of my favorite videos is this one on motivation, by RSA Animate. You’d be surprised at what actually motivates people (watch the video). The assumption that people want to do cool things is one that forward-thinking startups embrace.

What Makes You Feel Motivated?

What makes you want to jump out of bed and go to work? Or if you don’t want to go to work, why not? Please tell me; I’m very interested in hearing from you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: autonomy, goals, Law of Attraction, motivation, pay, rewards, San Francisco, Startup, Work

Five Ways Moving is Like Working for a Startup

January 14, 2014 By Carol Stephen 5 Comments

5 Ways Moving is Like Working for a Startup

Recently, I moved. My boxes were carefully labeled, my days were carefully scheduled, and everything came unglued within half an hour. The movers didn’t speak English, none of my labeling meant anything to them, and there were lots of mini-emergencies and things that had to happen “right now.” So it got me to thinking about how moving is like working for a startup–chaotic and fast-paced.

The Tools Are Woefully Inadequate

For instance, making coffee that first day with nothing but a glass, a filter, and a knife. At a startup, you might have only a partial description of the app you need to build, and the tools you need to use are pre-pre-pre beta, but that’s all you’ve got, so you “get ‘er done.” Although some of the coffee grounds might slop over into the glass, you have to use the tools you have.

You’re Short on Time

The Tools Are Inadequate!

Everything in a move has to happen by a certain date and time. At a startup, you have to get your product to beta, your social media launched, and everything needs to happen whether you’re ready or not. So you make do and focus on the most critical items. Speed is of the essence.

Creativity is Essential

Although I want to punch people who say “think outside the box,” having a creative mindset is a requirement, both in moving and in working for a startup. If you don’t have the right size box when you’re moving, you have to make one. The same thinking applies at a startup. There’s lots of scurrying around at the last minute, eating a sandwich with one hand, while writing on a white board with the other, and people pointing at their watches saying to hurry up!

Getting it Done Versus Making it Perfect

When the truck pulls out of the driveway, all your stuff better be on it! And when your new website launches, you’d better have most of what you need there. And if you wait until it’s perfect, it’ll never happen!

Delegate and Let it Go

When you give your life over to movers, you have to let go of control for a few hours or days. The same is true when you delegate what you can’t do yourself. Other people might only do 80% of what you’d do yourself. You have to be comfortable with chaos. Forbes has an excellent article on delegation, by the way.

Have You or Your Startup Moved Lately?

What helped you get through it with the least amount of stress possible? And by the way, have you seen my tea kettle?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: beta, creativity, delegate, delegation, launch, moving, perfection, Startup, Time, Tools

Six Amazing Social Media Startup Secrets!

November 26, 2013 By Carol Stephen 3 Comments

Six Amazing Social Media Startup Secrets!

Now, how many times have you heard that word “amazing” lately? I’d be willing to bet you’ve heard it a bunch of times this morning, before breakfast. What I really want to talk about is how people are misusing words, both in headlines and in posts on social media. So here’s my not-so-secret rant about amazing! And secrets! Heck, I’ll even throw in a cat video so you can get everything in one place and you won’t have to read another post all day. Now THAT is amazing!

There Are No Secrets

Disclaimer: There are no secrets here. All of the things I’m about to tell you are not amazing. They’re not even awesome. They are merely adequate.

Make the Headline Match the Content

Maybe I should rethink using the adj. "amazing" when talking about chocolate milk? Maybe not? http://t.co/znzAsb4n8W

— Brian Nowak (@BrianMNowak) November 24, 2013

If you’re promising something that’s amazing, we’d better read something amazing. As the comic Louis CK says, “We go right to the top shelf with our words.” “Really? You were amazed by your chicken wings?” If your chicken wings are amazing, what are you going to do for an encore?

Startup Secrets to Awesome Social Media!

Do you really think a 300-word blogpost is going to give you all the secrets? The secret is that social media success for startups–or anyone, for that matter–is a combination of hard work, creating great content, and good timing. That’s it.

Look This Way

The Secret Is There Are No Secrets

When you hear an incredible promise for a fantabulous post, and you actually get nothing, do you not feel cheated? We all see the same 20 articles, repurposed every month. It’s like that article about Super Fast Weight Loss or the Secret to Transforming Your Health! that gets recycled in every women’s magazine every month. The internet is no different than that women’s magazine.

Good Is Hard Enough

The moral of the story is that not every blogpost is going to be amazing. Some will be just barely adequate. Like this one.

Do You Disagree?

If you do have a secret, tell me all about it. Really.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: amazing, secrets, Social Media, Startup

Blogging Tips for Startups

November 21, 2013 By Carol Stephen 9 Comments

Blogging Tips for Startups

Do you have a startup? Are you blogging yet? Why not? How about now? Are you tired of being harangued with the idea that every startup needs to blog? How do you get started? What do you write about? How long should posts be? Today I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing some of my personal tips.

Blog Every Day

Yes, it sounds overwhelming. Yes, you can write in small increments. Yes, it will help your startup. Back when I started to exercise, I gave myself an out whenever I went to the gym. If I didn’t feel better after 15 minutes, I allowed myself to leave. During many years of exercising, I’ve only left twice. So set that timer for 15 minutes and get going! You can do it! Now I post twice weekly–Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maybe you can’t do that much, but how about once a month?

Start 5 Topics

Simply put in the headlines (and you can even change those later). For instance, “5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Break Room,” “Behind the Scenes at [your company name here],” “Our 6 Favorite Business Tools.” You get the idea. Throw them in there and don’t worry too much. Having 5 topics going at once gives you no excuse to stop writing. When you’re done writing on one post, jump to another. This idea came from Syed Balkhi, by the way. I wrote about him in a post on WordCamp Orange County, too.

Don’t Be Afraid

Don’t be afraid that you’ll run out of ideas

I’ve run across this fear from talking to people in startups who don’t blog. They’re afraid they’ll run out of topics. But the reverse is true: the more you blog, the more topics you’ll think of. You’ll meet other bloggers, and they’ll give you ideas. (For instance, the idea for this post came from my bud Bridget Willard.) You’ll influence them, too! That was one of the most wonderful things that happened to me–meeting other bloggers and sharing ideas. And don’t forget to go to WordCamp if you can. You may be able to attend virtually if you can’t travel.

Toss Topics That Don’t Go Anywhere

There is a limitless number of topics, so toss the ones that just sit and sit. This helps your blog feng shui. Yes, I just made that up. Hahaha! If your startup is a team effort, you could have team members help each other with writing and editing or take turns so there’s less pressure on any one person.

Brain Dump!

Use the old-fashioned "keyhole" approach to writing

Use the “keyhole” approach to writing

Now without thinking too hard, start throwing a bunch of words in your post. Usually I use the “keyhole” concept. Think of an old-fashioned keyhole. Start general, narrow it a bit, put in a topic sentence (if you want), then 3 or 4 paragraphs about that topic, then the wrap up and generalization at the end. That’s it. 350 words gets you a post. Could you do that? Sure you could!

Be Funny

Sometimes I crack myself up. I really do! I’m not saying that to brag. But if a funny idea pops into your head, why not share it? It’s what makes you unique. I’m not a subscriber to the belief that everything has to be so professional that there’s no personality in there. Usually, when I write, the funny bits get added later. One funny bit often leads to another, and so on.

Read it Out Loud

I like my blog to be casual, so I read it out loud. You can also read it aloud to someone else. A tip that really helped me was someone telling me “if you can speak, you can write.” And it’s true. I truly believe that anyone can write. If, when you read your writing, it sounds more like you’re reading someone else’s words, rewrite the words so it sounds like you’re speaking. You’re an expert at something. Come on. You know you are!

Add Links

I like to put in four links–two to my own posts and two outgoing, to someone else’s article or blog. Try to make them a natural part of your post, though. Don’t force a topic by adding your own links until you’ve got a little content.

Add Images

Read Your Post Out Loud

Creative Commons is my favorite place to get images. Don’t forget to use the advanced search and find images that can be shared and used commercially. Recently I’ve started using my own pictures, too. I drag all images into a photo editor and add my name or the photographer’s name from Creative Commons at the bottom. I take my picture using my iPhone and sometimes a tiny lens (the 4-in-1 from OlloClip is fantastic!). Label the images within WordPress. I use a minimum of two images. Three or four for longer posts.

Let Stew

Some people are great writers and they can write perfect, full sentences. I’m not one of those. So I usually start my posts on the weekend and get the majority of the words in there. Tuesday’s post is usually, but not always, done by Sunday night. Thursday’s post is half-baked and gets finished during the week. I don’t have 10 sitting around waiting to be scheduled, but maybe in the future. Maybe.

I’m Still a Beginner

Some of my friends have written upwards of 300 posts, and some day I’ll get there. I know I have a long way to go. I’m always learning. I learn from my friends, and reading others’ blogs. CopyBlogger is a great one for bloggers.

Call to Action

Here’s the part where I ask you a question. Something like “Did I miss anything?” or “What do YOU think?” but you could put in your own call to action. Please visit us on Pinterest! Send us cupcakes! Donate to our Indiegogo! You get the idea! So my real call to action is: please leave a comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: blogging, call to action, Copyblogger, Creative Commons, Olloclip, Startup

Using Surveys to Define Audience

October 8, 2013 By Carol Stephen 4 Comments

Using Surveys to Define Audience

Your startup or company is still forming, and although you have a great product, you’re not sure who is using your product. If you haven’t read the high-level document about defining your audience, you might want to take a look. A survey is a perfect way to help figure out who your users are before you go chasing the wrong demographic. Here are a few tips.

Keep it Short

If you’ve ever answered a survey yourself, you probably appreciate the ones that are simple and to the point. Don’t make people answer 20 frillion questions! Ten questions would be about the max most people would answer before they bail on you. And keep each question as short as possible, too.

Avoid Yes or No Questions

Like a conversation around a dinner table, a yes or no question doesn’t encourage talking. So keep most of the questions open and you could get some surprising answers! Some suggest opening with a yes or no question and then following with a more open-ended one.

Eliminate Unnecessary Questions

For instance, you probably don’t need to know a person’s reading habits, where they went to school, or the kind of car they drive. So cut back on those questions so you’ll get more people to finish the survey.

Have Someone Else Rate the Survey

Have a friend take the survey and give their two cents on how successful it is or isn’t before you release it to the general public. Then go back and edit the questions. Better still, have two or three people give their opinion. If you absolutely have to edit your own work, print it and then be ruthless, as Caroline McMillan explains in her Lifehacker article, “How to Edit Your Own Writing.”

Be Willing to Hear the Truth

You may not hear things you want to hear, so be open-minded when creating your survey. If you only want to hear positive, glowing reviews of your product, don’t create a survey! So for instance, if you ask, “We’ve created the best product on the market, don’t you agree?” you’re probably not going to get feedback that will help you improve. Like Twitter and other social media platforms, a survey is a listening tool.

Give a Small Incentive to Finish

Sometimes incentives are given during a survey to encourage people to finish. If your survey is longer than average, you might consider giving a discount or a free trial of your software as an incentive. Some companies even give cash incentives (just make sure the amount is affordable!).

Do a Phone Survey

Some people respond better to hearing someone ask questions, so you might consider this option. Studies suggest that phone surveys get a higher response rate.

How Do You Like My Awesome Blog Post?

Just kidding! But is there anything you’ve found in a survey that got you riled up or that you really liked? Please leave a comment! Thank you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Conversation, feedback, questionnaire, Startup, survey, yes or no questions

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