*Note: I’m gonna be honest here. I don’t know what to do when I’m blogging in two places and I know the subscribers don’t completely overlap. I’ll figure it out soon, I promise. Until then, I guess I’ll double post. Punch me in the face, @reply me, or e-mail me if it’s a problem. 

KISS – The usability mantra, the creed of the web designer, the secret of marketing…we’ve already heard it all before.

It’s one of those messages that gets drilled home so much to the point that it becomes noise and we forget about it; …not so fast.

These tools available on the social web…have you remembered to K-I-S-S?  Have you gotten lost in the buzz and forgotten the simple things? I know I have.

We do get lost in the “coolness” of it all dont’ we? Looking around at what others have accomplished, what we think is possible, and though we don’t admit it…we really do care more about the numbers when we lead on.

When’s the last time we heard somebody say something like, “Oh, the web is great for amplifying a message via word of mouth.” Probably last year because that’s when there were a bunch of buzzwords floating around. Now that message has been stripped down to, “Oh, the web is great for amplifying a message.”

On the most basic level, we love the social web because it helps us connect with other humans (people behind brands/universities/etc. included). That human connection helps us build relationships, along with buzz, and connects us in a community. It doesn’t exist solely to help amplify your message, just to make your brand more popular, or anything along those lines. Having a Facebook Fan Page, does not give you the “license to spam” as Joe puts it.

When we remember our roots, remember what enchanted us so much about communicating on the web, we have the greatest success. People miss the simple things. So here’s your friendly reminder…

Keep it simple, stupid.

Original Post for comments: http://bluefuego.com/index.php/2010/02/keep-it-simple-stupid-no-not-you/

*Note: I’m gonna be honest here. I don’t know what to do when I’m blogging in two places and I know the subscribers don’t completely overlap. I’ll figure it out soon, I promise. Until then, I guess I’ll double post. Punch me in the face, @reply me, or e-mail me if it’s a problem.

“Well, in 2014 we’re adding a new science building with the newest in digital innovation.”

“There are plans right now of adding a student union to campus soon.”

“I think there may be a chance of adding a collection of 1st Edition Dr. Seuss books to our library in the future.”

In higher ed we encounter this kind of language all the time. For some reason there seems to be an overemphasis on what’s happening in the future and what we’re hoping or planning to get instead of appreciating and embracing what we have. I’m not saying that looking to the future or looking forward to the next step is bad, but do think that you could be missing out on appreciating some of you hidden strengths.

Your students also notice these future oriented statements. It makes your institution seem inadequate. Imagine meeting a new person you were trying to judge. Let’s call him Guy. Guy says to you statements like, “In 2011, I’m totally going to have a kickin’ bod!” or “I’m hoping to have own and tend a perfect lawn someday.” What Guy says about his future is interesting in the sense that you get a feel for what he’s striving for, but you’re also left thinking…and? What about now? An overemphasis on future plans leaves a perception that what your currently have isn’t enough. If you don’t think it is, do you think the prospective students will?

An innumerable amount of other institutions students are looking at have similar future goals  and have things like “small class sizes where you’re not another number.” Still, given those facts, no two universities are exactly alike are they? Those are your “hidden strengths.”

Last fall I visited Winthrop University and I saw a student with a shirt that said, “Winthrop Football…still undefeated.” The joke? They don’t have a football team. Students have actually come to embrace the fact they don’t have football. There are passionate students like Eagle Man who cheer on the Eagles with pride. It speaks to the culture of their university. Will Winthrop embrace football if they get it? Probably, but the students don’t seem to mind not having it.

These hidden strengths often may be hinted at or mentioned in passing during preview days, but I think they’re often glazed over as nothing more than ancillary details, when really those small details are what some potential students fall in love with. I can name several students that immediately knew UIS was the right fit for them when they learned that our library architect designed it with no right angles so that students could think differently and creatively.

I think it’s time to shift “in the future we’ll have…” thinking to “this what we have and this is why we rock.” The small things, that when you consider it really help contribute to your institution’s identity.

Own it, be proud of it, and spread the word. Your future students will notice.

Original Post: http://bluefuego.com/index.php/2010/01/your-hidden-strengths/

Last fall I joined BlueFuego, moved to Indianapolis, and so far, it’s been a blast. We’re a growing digital marketing agency specializing in Higher Education. My role? I’m the Ignition Officer. I do a little bit of everything. Consult, help with research, build strategies, come up with crazy ideas, and more. I’ll also be hitting the conference trail to speak as well.

The official announcement was made on our blog here:

http://bluefuego.com/index.php/2010/01/bluefuego-is-growing/

Feel free to click through and check out my introduction and learn more about BlueFuego (I’ll put it again at the bottom in-case you forget). Thank you to everyone who’s given me a warm welcome so far.

There’s also going to be a few changes here. First, they’ll be some design changes; new landing page and a few minor tweaks, nothing too major. Second, I’ll be blogging more frequently here and on the BlueFuego Blog. I’ll be doing so thanks to all the people I’ve met at conferences, online, friends, co-workers, etc. who have encouraged me to share my thoughts and reminded me I have good stuff to share! (Also, Brad has been twisting my arm about getting my ideas out there .)

Thanks so much for being a part of my life and reading. Hope your 2010 has been great so far!

BlueFuego Introduction Post: http://bluefuego.com/index.php/2010/01/bluefuego-is-growing/

1. Interruption no longer works (the 6% who remembered your ad before are less likely to even see your ad now)
2. Buyers have more power and choice than ever before and focused on their needs
3. The barrier of entry for entry is seemingly non-existent when it comes to the internet

So what’s key here? Marketers have been adjusting and pushing out great strategies; highly targeted content, engagement, listening, etc. The common theme with the organizations who are winning and crushing it? They’re reaching out.

I remember listening to a speaker when I was younger who stood in front of the audience and asked, “Who wants $20?” Hands everywhere shot up. People shouted, hollered, jumped, and stood on their chairs, but one kid in front ran up to the stage and asked for it. He got the $20.But what happens when the same kid has ten people standing in front of him with $20 bills and he can only choose one? That’s where we’re at today.

“The Web is the biggest haystack in the history of mankind, and you’re just a tiny little needle. You might be sharp and you might be shiny, but without help, no one will ever see your Web page, listen to your podcast, or watch your video.” – Seth Godin

It’s more than simply getting involved in the new web tools and sitting around. Reach out and give people a reason to talk about you and with you. Take the time to find them. Seek the people out that don’t know you exist, but are dying to interact with you. Build relationships and convert people into Trust Agents. It’s a buyer’s market and consumers have tons of power, but with a human push and word of mouth, so do you.

There’s been a huge growth in Twitter over the past couple of months and with that there’s been an influx of social media marketers, gurus, and consultants touting Twitter as a panacea for customer service issues, an easy way to boost traffic, and a simple pathway into possessing a strong web-presence. While I agree that Twitter is great, I don’t think it cuts it.

Symsomos & Hubspot just put out some Twitter data and here are some statistics that really stood out to me:

• 55.50% of users aren’t following anyone
• 54.88% have never tweets
• 5% of users account for 75% of activity
• 93.6% of users have less than 100 followers, while 92.4% follow less than 100 people

These numbers show that this grand marketing solution experts have been focusing on still only reaches a small population. I’m not saying this population isn’t important or can’t have an impact (the Twitter community is comprised of many thought leaders and influencers whom I respect), but nonetheless the numbers show that for most brands a central focus on Twitter is an extremely myopic approach.

Just for fun and out of my own curiosity I walked around downtown Portland the other day and did an extremely non-scientific survey to catch the pulse of the general public. I stopped 25 people and asked them a few questions about Twitter. Here’s what I came up with:

• 4/25 (16%) currently had a Twitter account
• 3/25 (12%) had some kind of interest in Twitter
• 7/25 (28%) responded in some sort of disgust (“Oh God, not Twitter again.”)
• 11/25 (44%) didn’t really care

I think this may be representative of many different areas as well. I’m not saying that Twitter isn’t great for engagement, virality, and a lot of other things, but I’m trying to show that Twitter simply doesn’t cut it. I have no doubt that if I did a similar survey regarding Facebook, 85% or more would’ve had a Facebook account or heard of it.

The principles of customer service haven’t changed. It’s always been about adding value and meeting customer needs. There’s no short-cutting that. The kicker is that through the evolution of word of mouth and social media great customer service is now great marketing too. The best marketing has always been about building relationships, connecting with people, and drawing them in. There’s no short-cutting that!

My advice? Have a presence on Twitter, it’s wonderful, but don’t stop there. My friend and mentor Brad J Ward has some great advice when it comes to choosing which technologies to focus on when crafting a strategy. “Think AND not OR.” There are people out there in a multitude of other outlets wanting to engage that may not know you’re there or know you’re listening. Reach out to them and make it easier. Continue to listen. Don’t respond to @replies in 10 seconds and let e-mails linger for days. Find out where the people you’re targeting are congregating and meet them there. Your community will thank you for it.