It’s the easiest excuse in the book.  It’s also the most popular excuse.  It all has to do with attitude and the way you look at social media.  If you look at it as just another thing to do and think about everything else you have to do in your already busy life, then you probably don’t have time.  But if you look at it as way to manage your online reputation while generating more leads and more business for your company, then it’s a little easier to find time.  Break down your daily schedule instead of being overwhelmed by thinking about everything at once – then you will find that you really do have time.

As I am talking with other people that are considering a social media strategy, it helps to have some local examples in the Indianapolis, Indiana area of business owners using social media effectively.  One of my favorite case studies of a very busy business owner that still finds time for social media is Scott Wise at Scotty’s Brewhouse.  He is all over social media and is connecting with his customers in a very special way.  The bottom line is that his hard work is paying off.  Every Scotty’s location in the Indianapolis area that I have been to over the past year (and believe me I frequent all locations regularly) is always PACKED.  It doesn’t matter if it’s lunch or dinner…day or evening.  And I know that a large portion of this success is due to Scotty’s use of social media.  I know this because I have heard him say it and seen him write it…and he wouldn’t continue to invest the time in it if it didn’t work.

Next time someone tells you they don’t have time for social media have them check out Scotty’s online efforts.  Then have them read the below quote that Scotty shared as part of the description for his upcoming Blog Indiana session on “10 Twitter Tips and Tricks.”

“I don’t have time.” “There is no value for my company.” “It is just a stream of garble and garbage.” I have 600 employees, 7 restaurants, twin 1 years olds and a 3 year old. No excuses. If I can make it work, you can too. I will show you how… with value to you and/or your company.

I also encourage everyone to check out Blog Indiana coming up in August and be sure to stop by Scotty’s presentation.  I know it’s going to be great!

Do you remember that NFL team EVERYONE seemed to be talking about.  Why did their coach throw the perfect season away?  Is Peyton Manning the best quarterback ever?  Yes, January 24th was the date the Indianapolis Colts won the AFC Championship and seemed like they were going to be a sure winner in the Super Bowl.  But we all know how that turned out.  My how quickly we forget!

It’s okay.  Right now Indianapolis is focused on the Final Four & cheering on the Butler Bulldogs.  I wonder how long it will take us to forget all about Butler should they lose?

Timing is so important; especially in Email Marketing.  And on January 24th at 6:16 PM Dick’s Sporting Goods got their timing right.  Like many others I was watching the Indianapolis Colts as they claimed the AFC Championship.  And like many others I had my computer and mobile device within an arm’s reach that evening.  Instantly I received the email below from Dick’s Sporting Goods will all of the AFC Champs apparel for the Indianapolis Colts.  Not only was their message highly targeted – it was also PERFECTLY timed!  Now I could instantly order the items the players were wearing on the field.

Check out the screen shot below and think about how you can plan ahead for your next email marketing campaign to be timed perfectly.

Drew Olanoff was diagnosed with cancer on May 20th, 2009.  Instead of giving up like many would, he has turned to social media to help increase awareness in an attempt to raise money for Livestrong.  The basic idea is that when something goes wrong just pause for a moment and take that energy to write a tweet using the hashtag #BlameDrewsCancer.  The idea is to have sponsors that will donate $1 for every participant.

To top things off, Drew has taken his effort to the next level announcing that he will be auctioning off his Twitter user name, @drew ,and donating the money to the Livestrong cause.  Who would be interesting in paying money for a Twitter username?  Drew Carey has indicated that he will pay as much as $100,000.00 for the name.

A great case study for using Twitter if you ask me.

I made a vow to blog about my the next great customer service experience.  Months have passed since then.  But today I end my custom service blogging silence.  Because today I discovered that customer service does still exist!  And believe it or not, it is in the food and dining industry. 

The diner, Best Bet,  is located in Noblesville, Indiana.  Best Bet is decked out with poker themed items such as chips, playing cards and even jail cell like bars around the register.   They serve a great breakfast and also offer lunch.    Here are the customer service points they can offer to any restaurant:

Acknowledge Your Customers - This is a small diner, but the place was packed.  There were 4-5 groups waiting at all times.  Instead of ignoring the waiting customers or acting frustrated, the owner went to each customer personally to start a brief conversation.  He shook their hand and made eye contact.  He thanked them for coming out.  He even offered complimentary drinks to some parties that had to wait more than 5 minutes.  Simply put, he embraced the situation and made the best of it.  Many times customers will leave as soon as they realize there is going to be a wait.  Because of these tactics, every single customer staid…with a smile on their face.    

Personalize the Experience - Not only did the staff introduce themselves, but they also asked for first names from the customers.  These names were written on the order and on the final bill.  A small gesture that continued the overall great experience.

An Atmosphere To Remember - Poker themed decorations were very appropriate and well thought out.  Each table was a poker table with glass over the top of it.  The diner was clean and everyone was moving to deliver food promptly.  All employees seemed happy…a nice change of pace!

The Food and Follow Up - Of course the product must deliver on the high expectations.  The food was very tasty and solidified me doing this review.  And the follow up was great as well.  The staff came back to check up on their customers to confirm they were enjoying the experience. 

Best Bet is truly a breath of fresh air in the Indianapolis, Indiana area.  This small diner is taking all of the little things that the big chains do wrong and capitalizing on their mistakes.  And even with an almost hidden location, the customers don’t stop coming through the doors!  Big restaurant chains – take notes!

Best Bet Noblesville Indiana - photo from Urbanspoon

In a recent meeting with one of our long-time clients, Jay-Crew Landscape, Inc. the owner came to me looking for a new idea to create some buzz.  He wanted something fresh and something he had never done before.  He was tired of doing the same thing and getting the same results.  My first thought was to do some type of landscaping makeover.  We covered some of the basics.  He liked the idea and gave us the chance to run with it.  Here is what we came up with:

Green for Green Sweepstakes

Overview: You get “green” cash value in the amount of $1,000.00 to apply toward a “green” landscaping service that meets your particular needs.  No purchase is necessary.   You need only provide some basic contact information to enter and live within 60 miles of Muncie, IN.  Short.  Simple.  Sweet.

I will be posting additional blogs taking a closer look at this case study combining social media marketing and email marketing, but the main point of this post is to encourage you to register for the Green for Green Sweepstakes and/or share with someone you think might be interested.  This is a great opportunity for those that have been ignoring their landscaping all summer or those that just need a few final touches.

Visit GreenForGreenSweepstakes.com or just click on the graphic below to register now!

Being a big golf fan, I recently was drawn into several headlines about Tiger Woods potentially being fined by the PGA because of his criticism of a PGA official enforcing a strict time rule during his win over Padraig Harrington at the Bridgestone Invitational.  These were very well written, enticing headlines.  But when I clicked the headline, time and time again I became disappointed with the content.  It was almost as if they were lying…well not lying, but more like stretching the truth.  I also noticed within one of the articles several comments going back and forth from people feeling the same way.  Disappointed searchers were definitely critisizing whomever could be held responsible for writing such headlines.   Headlines such as, “Me?  Fined?  Tiger blasts erroneous report” would lead you to expect Tiger saying more than just “There was no fine.  That was just an erroneous report.”  It became ridiculous how misleading a series of headlines about this incident became.  And NOTHING ended up happening to Tiger.

So the question I have is – Do the same people that write the articles also write the headlines?  If so, shouldn’t it be their job to deliver relevant, accurate content for both.  Or if different people are writing the headlines – is it their job to ONLY worry about getting the clicks?  What do you think makes an effective online news headline?  Do you get frustrated when the content behind the headline does not deliver?

• Dick’s will be giving away a $100 Gift Card on Twitter every day for 50 days in a countdown until the Fall season – follow Dicks Sporting Goods on Twitter to stay up to date
• Twitter users are required to post a tweet (or many tweets) in an @ reply to @dickssportcmo telling the twitosphere what they would do with the $100 Gift Card and why
• They will be automatically entered into the drawing by doing so and each day the previous days winner will be announced.  From that time they have 48 hours to DM Dick’s their mailing address to receive the gift card.

The idea is great.  People sharing what they like at Dick’s Sporting Goods all over Twitter.  This will result in more followers, increased brand awareness online and offline, as well as giving people ideas on things to buy at Dick’s.  Sure they are giving some money away, but the overall amount money that will be taken in through this campaign will go on for a long time after it’s through.  Don’t you agree?

The next time you are thirsty for a Coca-Cola, you may have the option to pick from 100 flavors from its new Interactive Freestyle Soda Fountain!  And in doing so, Coca-Cola is going to gather some valuable information about your taste and how they can market to you more effectively.  Not only will this ”fountain of the future” deliver a perfectly mixed drink (even letting you combine flavors) , but it is going to find out popular locations, peak times that people are thristy for Coca-Cola, and other important data about how consumers prefer their drink.  Very cool!  These machines are currently being tested in Georgia, California and Utah.  By the end of the summer an additional 60 test dispensers will be placed throughout the country.  This is something I just had to pass along because I think it will be a true marketer’s dream. You have wonder –  How will technology continue to change allowing us to gather more and more information about how consumers prefer our products? 

Check out the video below for an up-close look at this “fountain of the future.”

In a recent blog post entitled Landing Pages and Search Engine Optimization, Douglas dissects the landing page found at BloggingForSEO.com.  This post is a great 9 bullet point reference on the key elements to include in a well structured landing page.  Everything from the basic Header (H1 Tag) to the more advanced Google Voice Widget, Douglas tells all in this post.  This is yet another example on why we are very fortunate to have such knowledgeable individuals in the Indianapolis Internet Marketing arena that are so willing to educate and share. 

The below image is borrowed from his blog post, but you will have to click it to find out the 9 points of Landing Pages and Search Engine Optimization. 

Here is the scoop: An advertising agency out of North Carolina has created its Web site using a YouTube video.  That’s right Boone Oakley’s entire Web site is a YouTube Video.  This is something I have never heard of or seen before.  It is definitely creative and drawing quite a bit of  attention.  The video/Web site already has over 239,000 views.  So while this is very cool right now, I have to wonder are they missing out on other benefits of a traditional Web site?  Will it be easy to update and change?  Is it an effective long-term strategy or are they just going for a short-term campaign?  Either way this is definitely something that breaks through the traditional advertising clutter.  What are your thoughts? 

Check it out below: