Should I use Facebook as my website?

The gist of the discussion is whether someone/a company should use Facebook as their website.. ie: direct traffic from [theirdomain.com] to their Facebook page or simply not have a website and use Facebook as the single source for content publishing and engagement.

NEVER!

There, I said it… I used the “N” word.. Never.

Unless you are Facebook, then it is okay – so Never with a single exception. If you are Facebook.com, then you should use Facebook.com as your primary business website.

If you are serious about online presence, you need to understand some things.

• “Likes” often are not. We call them “click likes”. Which is to say, someone saw a post of yours, never looked at it, but generally, like that you are “doing something.” And so they “Like” that your post – although they’ve never read or listened to what you posted.
• “Loves” are better than likes.
  Website/blog comments, visits, and comment engagement are “LOVES”.
• Newsletter sign-ups are the consummation of that love. The marriage.
  They are saying, not only do I LOVE YOU – but I’ll even let you interrupt my day to communicate with me. You are that important.

One blog entry posted the pros and cons of using Facebook as your website. In the end, however, the writer readily admits that you should have your own website… for the same reasons I mention.

Part of the reason the discussion is like comparing apples to a spray bottle, is just that.. they aren’t the same thing. Facebook isn’t YOUR website. So.. you can never use it as “your website.” You can only use it as online presence – but at best – you are sub-letting office space.. and while sub-letting office space, you are letting your landlord have all your customers. You are also extending your landlord’s brand.

I hope you like your landlord.

Just so that you are clear.. there is no debate. NEVER use Facebook as your website.

For some reason, there is a rather insidious and tenacious rumor that circulates through social media circles that mailing list are passé; no longer necessary for connecting with and staying in contact with fans or customers.

They are wrong! If you are considering a jump into social media and online presence, DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM!

I had a conversation with a potential client recently. Couple challenges.. he’s way to smart for his own good. He wants to reap the rewards of Social Media – Facebook and Twitter. That’s cool.. there are some rewards there depending upon your content, offers, and campaigns.

But when I asked him about his mailing list and content on his website, his answer was, “no one uses mailing list anymore.” He went onto explain that Facebook and Twitter are better for staying in touch because everyone is using them.

He’s been beguiled by theory over practice.

It is true that many people are on Facebook and Twitter for much of the day. The challenge is that very few of them are listening and the medium is noisy and competitive.

The pragmatics are that both mediums are not owned by you and your brand. With twitter, just counting messages today, 17 out of 20 are marketing messages.. outgoing pseudo-conversations; mostly by people who sell twitter or other social media services.. think: fox guarding the henhouse

On Facebook, the noise is slightly different and as I like to tell clients, “You are not as cute as a kitten.” You see, Facebook has a business branding element, but your messages are not directed and you have very little control over who is really seeing them. You cannot send anything directly to those who have engaged with your page.

The time driven format of Twitter, Facebook, and similar platforms, means that your message is not only diluted when it appears to people – but it is often simply not seen. Yes.. people can follow hash tags and search twitter.. but most of the people who do that are the people selling you Twitter as a marketing platform.

I’m not saying “don’t engage on those tools..” Facebook is an effective platform to share compelling content…

And there is the key! Content is still king.

A rational online presence strategy

Here is a simple overview of what I help clients understand and why the mailing list is critical.

• Social media is a burst platform with the ultimate goal of getting people to your website;
• A blog is still the best platform for publishing your content for its search engine benefits and engaging reader or listeners with your message… fully developed, non-sound bite message.
• Enough great content and a great offer or two; you earn their trust and they will sign up for your newsletter.
• An engaging newsletter with great content and you will keep their attention, engagement, and the opportunity to share your product or service without the noise and interruption found on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets.

Get it in place and use it

I use Mailchimp.com. It is Free for up to 2,000 subscribers and has all the technical features you might need. There are others – Constant Contact, aweber, mynewsletterbuilder, etc.

Which one is right?

It probably doesn’t matter. The biggest challenge people have with their mailing list is not a lack of features but a lack of content and a regular schedule.

What do you think?

P.S. You can sign up for the Kreative Knowledge Newsletter here.

Google docs collections provide a great way to share information among your team and with key external clients. Using this process master/table of contents system, you can quickly turn over key processes and tasks to employees or other team members.

How do you use Google documents or does this help you see ways to incorporate Google documents into your business?

Please comment here, on YouTube, or send me an email.

A trip down memory lane

Several years ago I made a sales call on a company that was in the same building as a current client.

Hint: This is a good idea of you are a consultant. If you have one client in a building, might as well pick up a couple more in the same place.

As I spoke to one of the principals, he said, “We already have a computer guy.”

Note: another hint: I never want to be the “computer guy” because that is usually all they are good for.

I asked, “and everything runs as smoothly as you would like?”

To which he replied, “Well.. mostly.. I mean, he’s a genius.. but.”

And that but looms large. For me, it means both opportunity and sadly a common refrain.

He continued, “but.. we can’t ever get a hold of him and he keeps weird hours so he can’t ever get here before 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning.”

So I asked the next logical question..

“How did you determine he is a genius?”

“Well.. I don’t understand what he is talking about.”

And there  it is!!!

A genius but is often hard to get a hold of and even more difficult to understand.

I won this business as a client.. I did not become their “computer guy” but more of a CIO. I spoke to their “Genius But” computer guy and after determining he was both arrogant and mostly technically inept, I found them a new “computer guy” who was happy to document what he did and was routinely there before anyone else when he was needed.

Genius But Strikes Again

This past month, I’ve had clients whose “computer genius” has withheld information, failed to provide basic documentation, kidnapped data and domain names, etc.

In all cases as I spoke to the client, there was a variation of “They are a genius but…” In all cases, as I unraveled the situation, I concluded that they were not only NOT geniuses – but were in fact, withholding information or confusing the client in order to protect their lack of knowledge.

I was having this discussion with one of my new clients – and we spoke about the term, “Genius But”. They said to me, “You actually are brilliant and you can communicate with me.”

To which I replied, “Brilliant and, not brilliant but.”

And is the value-add.

The “And” represents the functional piece of brilliant or genius. As a cartoon I saw in a writing book once said, “You have to be a genius at something, Arnold.”

Be known as a genius and, not a genius but.

Diets, exercise, schedule, business, family life, spirituality, etc.

And advertisers/marketers know this as well. It is during this time that you start hearing claims that x system versus y system is the greatest system for (fill in the blank).

Because I like to exercise and remain somewhat healthy, I am asked about “best exercise” all the time. My response is typically the same.. “What do you like to do?”

If they say, “walking.” – I tell them that “walking” is the best exercise you can do. If they say hiking or swimming or cycling.. then that is the best exercise they can do.

Our Problem is NOT “Optimal” it is “AT ALL.”

Most people don’t struggle with their weight or their schedule or life balance because they cannot find the optimal system. It is that they do not employ a system at all. It isn’t a challenge with “The System” but with “a system” and their actions – or lack thereof.

I use Google Calendar for maintaining my schedule. I LOVE IT! I think it is a great system because it integrates with my phone, is available all the time from any computer, and it sends me text message notifications.

My wife uses her Droid and even uses Google Calendar from time to time.. but she loves her written agenda and her list.

I might say that she is not using the “optimal” system.. but if you know here, she’s pretty freakin’ efficient when it comes to getting her stuff done. In fact, more efficient and diligent than I am.

Not because of her agenda and not because of a problem with Google Calendar. Nope.. very simple.. She works her system fanatically.. I don’t do that with mine.

But you should have A SYSTEM

I teach people systems. I coach them on content creation and a content calendar. I help them with productivity and scheduling. I help them put systems in place.

Systems are critical and it is good to evaluate your systems from time to time and make them better if you can. Having no system is efficiency suicide. It is foolish! In fact, it is irresponsible. Irresponsible to those who count on you and irresponsible to your dreams/goals (desired outcomes).

Make your systems intentional

If you believe you have “no system” for a given thing – ie: calendar and schedule – you are probably wrong. A system is just how we manage certain things. You have a way you keep your schedule – even if you do so less than effectively.

In order to make your system – whatever that system is – effective, you must add intention to it. This may require that you do a little research on what is available. But beware.. everyone is going to teach you that “their system” is the best. And while I may agree that certain systems have advantages over others, remember, if you LOVE walking, it is the BEST exercise you can do.

What systems do you want to make more intentional?

Let me know.

What are Google Collections?

Basic folders where you can organize your Google Documents. If your question is “What are Google Documents?” – they are… documents. It is like a Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation, application that is online (in the cloud) and accessible by multiple people at one time.

While collections are like folders, they are not precisely physical folders. The are more like categories that can be nested. So a single document or file can be shared inside multiple collections.

The other power behind collections is that you can share a collection with one or more people and any document or file you put in that collection is now shared with whoever you shared the collection with.

Here – let’s make it simpler. Watch this video:

If you have any questions on “Collections” or Google Docs.. comment here or email me.

Discounting our own genius

I’ve talked about this topic a lot and next week, I’ll provide an update on how you overcome it. Hint: the word “NO!” takes a front seat.

The basic concept is this… your knowledge lives in your brain. You know what you know. Because of this, it is not extraordinary knowledge.. it is common… at least to you.

I have a conversation with a smart woman yesterday. But she allows her time and talent to be discounted – mostly by herself. She is asked for advice and gives it … freely – too freely – as in, she cannot afford to.

Think about it.. you probably have some extraordinary knowledge that you discount because it is common to you.

Around the web

My client and my coach Steven Memel pointed me at this service. I think it is pretty hip. ShoeBoxed.com allows you to both upload and send physical papers to them. They scan, OCR, and organize them for you. Very reasonable. You could do this on your own.. but why?

Marc Wolfsfeld pointed me a Trello.com for project management. The interface is very simple and I’ve started using it as a test. I may do a video overview of this in the near future.

Are you an author? Do you want to be? Read, “How to Write, Sell, and Publish Your Book” by Chris Guillebeau.

Have a great weekend!

A rational approach to online presence

The graphic above – shown again below – demonstrates a very basic overview of what I consider to be a rational and effective content strategy.

Blog and Mailing List is Key

Yeah yeah.. everyone is saying email is dead and the social stream is how people connect. Yes and no. The social stream is a reality but it is a noisy and often disengaged space. You need to be there for sure.. because “everyone” else is.

But, if you want to really get the best bang for your social media buck, your content should be driven from your blog and traffic back to your blog.

Social Engagement to True Engagement

Social media activities should engage people enough so that you are worth listening to. You must create high-value content that is ultimately housed and categorized on your blog. That is what gets people off the Facebook wall or twitter feed and to your site where you are no longer competing with cute kittens, political rants, and renewed high-school crushes.

The Ethical Bribe Still Lives

Just as with HubSpot’s EBooks, give-aways that provide a reason for site visitors to join your mailing list is the ultimate true engagement. You know have someone who has demonstrated their interest in your information.. enough that they will “put up with” you’re ongoing messages and perhaps even help advance your cause.

Increase the value and engagement

After that, make sure you do not forget about those who have engaged while pursuing new engagements. Continue creating high-value (educational) content. Provide better ways for them to connect and engage. Get your fans/list involved with who you are and what you do.

Tools I Use to Help Generate Content

Google Reader

I’ll be providing a tutorial on this soon. Google reader allows you to subscribe to blogs, news, twitter feeds, and other web information so that you are notified about when they are updated. It is great for consolidating information and is an excellent source for ideas.

Google Docs

Are you tired of hearing me extol the virtues of Google Docs? I have a content planning Workbook with a few sheets in it.  Ie: Google docs has an Excel style spreadsheet…

Content Ideas Sheet: I store things I can blog about and links to very interesting pieces of content.

Content Calendar Sheet: When I am ready to blog about something, I move it to this sheet and put a date on it.

Links to Check: This sheet is for links I want to check. They are not yet on the content ideas sheet but might be something I look at later. I track the date I put it in the sheet and where I saw it. I’ll also add a short note to the link.

Content Publishing Process

I’ll cover this in much greater detail later this week. But in short, it looks like this…

1. Publish on blog/website.
2. Publish link back to blog on social sites
3. Capture email addresses on blog/website.
4. Compile blog content for periodic (2-week) newsletter
5. Republish link on social sites (content reuse)

Simple.. right?

Note: This advice only matters if you want to be taken seriously.  If you are happy to be a caricature, don’t change anything.

Interesting is as interesting does

Facebook is very interesting. It’s interesting because there are people there.. and people are interesting.

Hint: Interesting is a great term. I use it all the time. Sometimes it means

Interesting: intellectually stimulating due to perspective and life experience or knowledge.

But other times it is a euphemism for “bizarre”, or “mean”, or “foolish”, any number of other less flattering ideas.

If I refer to you, something, or someone as “interesting”, you will have to decipher what I mean.

I don’t apologize

When I give my presentation, “Don’t Waste Your Time: The Ugly Truth About Social Media”, I cover this topic. I used to start the section with, “I apologize if I offend anyone with this.”

But that was a lie. I don’t apologize so I’ve removed that qualifier from this section.

4 People You Cannot Be Online

Facebook for me is a business/social medium. Really, in that order.  My advice is geared towards those in a similar position.

If you want to be taken seriously, there are 4 people you cannot be online. They are shown here:

The political ranter/conspiracist

The political ranter posts stories and opinions from any “alternative” news source to show that the “other side” is clearly racist, communist, evil, stupid, out to destroy the nation, hates the rich/poor, etc.

Or they post about Obama’s missing birth certificate, how George Bush and his administration are behind 9-11, etc.

I support your right to be as crazy as you want to be. My advice, however, is to keep it within the walls of your Tuesday night meeting of the “Crazy Conspiracy of the Month” club.

We are all a little crazy and you are allowed to be so. My advice is only for those of you who also wish to be taken seriously.

The angry individual/life ranter

“I’m so mad at my husband. He is such at $%^ and sometimes I wonder why I married him.” Or “My son/daughter did x, y, or z stupid thing today. What is wrong with kids?”

Listen, I understand that we all have challenges. But is Facebook and your 500 “close friends” the right place to air this stuff? You have real friends. Call someone up.. rant, complain, etc. – maybe you’ll  feel better. But I promise you, I’m probably not the person to help you with this. Plus, most of us believe in the “there are 2 sides to every story” and you are probably just pandering to the worst side of your friends list.

Instead, having a challenging day with someone, if you must post something, post a “Challenging day. Working through some things. Time to call a friend.”

The used car salesman

I see this a lot. Someone post daily a link to their website and a “I do this.” Message. Guess what.. so do many others. Instead, add some value. For instance, write a blog entry or a note that gives me some suggestions on how I can do what you do for myself.

Some people struggle with this concept. Feel as though they are giving away the farm. And yes, you are and you should. Why? Because most people cannot or will not do it for themselves any way. But for those who will, you gain social standing and become a go-to source for that information.

It isn’t about you and your services – it is about adding value to the network.

The social media slut.. er.. loose individual

I wrote a blog entry, “Keep Your Tongue Out of my Mouth”. I’ll republish it soon but here is the gist.

Scenario: When I connect with someone I try to put the relationship in context. I write them a note – particularly if I do not know them. I introduce what I do and how I use social media. I ask them to write me back with the same information and then ask them how I can help them.

I had done this with an individual a few months ago. They had not accepted my friend request for a week or so but when they did, they suddenly “invited me” to like more than 15 pages in about 2 minutes. None of the pages were particularly interesting to me.

They never responded to my personal message. They skipped dinner and drinks and stuck their tongue right into my mouth. It was gross!

I don’t “Like” pages unless I “Like them”. I don’t trade likes – because those aren’t really “likes”.  Read, “I like you and other Facebook lies”.

It isn’t a matter of “Am I allowed?” but “Should I?”

Don’t get me wrong. You can be any of those individuals above. I know several of them. I like them. I interact with them occasionally.. but I don’t take them seriously.

Be interesting but don’t be “interesting.”

If you are a musician, information marketer, or wish to have some other product or promo item to giveaway via CD, consider Kunaki.com.

I can’t remember how I found this company but holy cow!!

They provide low-cost CD duplication, digital press, print-on-demand services.

You can order as few as 1 CD at a production cost of $1. Of course, the shipping cost ordering 1 CD doesn’t really scale. But as a for instance, 40 CD’s results in a cost per CD of under $2.00.

The come in a jewel case with a 2 panel, 4 color, insert and the CD is also printed 4 color.

Everything they do is automated and tightly controlled. This means you don’t get a lot of options but from my perspective – at the cost and flexibility of very low-runs, that’s fine.

You don’t even use a web form to order. You download their software, create an account (through their software) and prepare and submit your CD or DVD artwork and files… through their software! It is very basic, very sparse, and very cool.

Elsewhere around the web

Intellectual Predator: This happens a lot in the technology and social media space. I used to get called almost daily… friends asking for advice or assistance on fixing their computer, what software to buy, how to perform x or y function. But my brain is my commodity. If a car salesman ask for my advice on social media, it isn’t the same as him advising me on a car.. it is more akin to him giving me a car.

I write a lot about Google. You should be using their many tools. Mashable discusses Google Analytics. Analytics allow you to see who comes to your website, where they come from, and the search terms used to get there.

One of the tools I’ve used for year – thanks to my friend Mike Martinez, is FileZilla – a FREE FTP (file transfer protocol) client and server.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2011/03/28/no-you-cant-pick-my-brain-it-costs-too-much/

And finally, after some reluctance and some prodding, Lori Bonn has jumped into the blogging game. Learning by doing and doing a great job. Lori reflects on life and God and the relationship between the two.

You can check the calendar here.

All time are Pacific Standard (California):
Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2PM – Content & Blogging for engagement and SEO

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 4PM – Solution Selling:A Case-study Approach

Friday, Jan. 6, 9AM – Consultant Kickstarter: 5 Keys to starting your consulting business

Friday, Jan. 6, 12noon – Google-ize Your Business: Beyond The Search Engine

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 9AM – Don’t Waste Your Time: The Ugly Truth About Social Media

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 11AM – Solution Selling:A Case-study Approach