The Wax Blog

I got a message on LinkedIn today that pretty much shows what you should never, ever do on LinkedIn – or on any social media. Before you read it consider this:

1. I have over 500 contacts on LinkedIn -( if you want to link to me click here but let me know it’s cuz you read the blog)

2. I’m an active member of many groups on LinkedIn

2. I have never met this guy

We can learn more from these kinds of posts than any tip post I might do. Add a comment and tell me why YOU think this is bad – would you buy from this guy’s company (or him?) How much damage do you think he’s done, assuming he spammed this everywhere?

Here’s the email text…of course I’ve deleted his name and company.

Dear Bonnie:
I’m LinkedIn! Are You? I took the plunge and joined LinkedIn. I’m not certain if you already have a profile on LinkedIn, or if you are even using LinkedIn, but if you are, I’d like to take this opportunity and add you to my professional network.

If you’re not already using LinkedIn, what are you waiting for? Relationships Matter! Your professional relationships are key to your professional success. LinkedIn strengthens and extends your existing network of trusted contacts.

LinkedIn is an online network of more than 25 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.

Thanks for your consideration!

Thank You,

NOT Lance's assets

Once you start dabbling in the world of PR you hear the question “what’s the back story” quite a bit. In fiction the back story is the character’s history – it’s key to how much we identify and care about that person.

For news stories, and particularly for talk shows and feature ‘packages’ the back story is often more important than the actual product or service. Lance Armstrong is perhaps the best example of a great back story. Before he battled cancer, Lance was just another racer in a sport Americans cared little about. After winning his battle with cancer and subsequently becoming the Tour de France champion umpteen times we cared a great deal (as did the sponsors.) It’s the classic story of winning against all odds. We love it!

I had a client once that developed a beautiful card game based on the idea of teaching kids how and why to do random acts of kindness. Very nice product, but the reason behind that product was compelling.  This woman had experienced the loss of a baby and was devastated. She finally was able to overcome her depression by practicing random acts of kindness.  When she recovered she felt so strongly  she created a way for others to learn about the powerful benefits of practicing random acts of kindness. Although sad, it’s an inspirational story, one that Montel Williams picked up on right away. Although she was hesitant to use it, people totally connected with her story.

It’s so important to put forth your STORY…editors and producers get tons of pitches on products and books and services all day long. If they fit into another story they’re developing you might get lucky. If you can create your own back story you’ll have a much better chance. Here are some steps to create a great back story:

• Think about your own history. What obstacles have you overcome in your life? Illness, divorce, bankruptcy? What drove you to create your product or service in the first place? Be careful here…many people are quite humble and don’t realize how interesting they really are. Facing and overcoming a huge obstacle is always a great story.
• Re-write your bio so that it covers all the struggles you’ve faced and your accomplishments, and make sure you include your volunteer work. Many journalists look at a bio first to see if there’s anything unique. Remember, news stories and features are about PEOPLE not THINGS.
• Find research to support your story. For example, everyone knew statistically few survive Lance’s form of brain cancer. This made his story that much more dramatic. For the random act of kindness project, we found research that explained positive psychology.  Editors and producers want FACTS to back up their stories.

Now write your pitch using the back story as the general theme, with supporting facts from reputable academics or foundations. Add the product or service as a footnote, not as the main idea.  You might be surprised at what happens next!

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Sorry old school journalists, savvy advertising experts and prickly control-freak publicists but it’s time to realize something. To survive you can no longer be storytellers – you have to be information managers.  Here are some examples:

Rachel Maddow is an information manager. She takes the current news trends, analyzes them and offers up her opinion. She translates and disseminates information using a liberal, celesbian lens. We know it, we’re fine with it, we’ll watch her if we like that slant – and her numbers are through the roof.

Katie Couric is a storyteller. She takes the current news, tells the story she thinks we will find most interesting (called a HOOK or ANGLE) and puts a pretty package together hoping no one else has that same ANGLE.  Boring, yawn, her numbers are in the toilet.

Jon Stewart is also an information manager. He takes the current news, translates and gives it to us with using the funny lens. His numbers are great. Even Perez Hilton, as much as we love to hate him, is  an information manager. Perez takes the celebrity news and translates it with a snarky, ‘I used to be a geek and now I’m more powerful than you’ lens. His traffic numbers are still incredible.

Just try to ‘package’ a story or launch a brand these days with a clever message and a nice dose of spin. What happens? The public’s immediate attitude is that ‘WE WILL TAKE YOU DOWN, MOTHERF*&#ER’. (Remember Motrin Moms?) Today’s social media/citizen journalists love nothing better than to debunk a story, expose an exclusive, steal a headline from a print paper, or do whatever else it takes to prove they can get there faster and more provocatively than traditional media. And guess what? They’re winning the race.

It’s time to admit what we haven’t wanted to admit for a long time -  information is  too real-time and too accessible for us to believe the ’stories’ any more. We want to pick our chosen lens and get our information there.

Who’s your favorite information manager?

photo courtesy of vitrue.com

Wax is an integrated marketing firm – the only other “Wax” I’ve found in the U.S. Of course they’re in Miami so I imagine it’s a little different corporate culture (if I actually have one) than here in Minnesota. But since all their posts come up in MY google alerts I tend to read them. And they’re good. (Maybe someday they’ll want my URL and pay me big bucks for it. )

Take a look at a post on trends in Facebook that may help you if you’re starting to market in that particular social network. Enjoy! waxcom.com/impressions

Since I recently listed several of my favorite PR sites – I thought it would be a good idea to post some of my favorite sites on the marketing side here too. I love RSS feeds – not only is it easy to stay up to date it shows me how prolific and smart many of my colleagues are in this business. Here are some of the blogs I’m following right now – and why. If you don’t mind, take a minute and list your own favorites in the comments section.

If I was only allowed one blog to read, for sure it would be Marketing Profs Daily Although many of us on Twitter are quite familiar with the brilliant Beth Harte, there are TONS of great posts on any marketing topic from sales to social media. The archive is huge and easy to search. I don’t pay for the “premium” option but I’ve been told it’s well worth it if you have the time. I try to read anything by Stephanie Miller and Kim Stearns but the site also links good posts from other blogs as well. It’s  a great collection of articles on just about any topic I need from a broad range of experts.

Although most people bow down to the OTHER Chris, I really like Chris Garrett’s site. He’s taught me a ton about new media, and blogging in particular. I wouldn’t say his posts are for blog neophytes or those just dabbling in it, but for someone who’s really trying to become adept at blogging and using the new media toolset, ChrisG is an excellent resource. I haven’t shelled out the $397 for his Authority Blogger course – anyone out there tried it?

Everybody knows that Seth Godin is brilliant – although I think his books are MUCH better than his blogging, I still love to read his blog. (Everyone should read Tribes, by the way)  The guy can say more in a few sentences than anybody else I know.  One thing that drives me nuts is his insistence on just continuing to put several posts on one page, so you end up scrolling around alot. But that’s just a nit. Seth’s a god of marketing.

John Jantsch’s Duct Tape Marketing is not a blog that I read daily, but it is required reading for my small business clients. This blog manages to take the mystery out of marketing and really boils it down to its simplest (but most effective) elements for small business. Case in point – his post on marketing strategy points out the critical questions every small business should ask themselves when planning a marketing campaign. Really good, back to the basics blog with some fun personal musings. Again, if you own a small business this should be a daily read.

Finally, maybe it’s because I’m the daughter of a pathologist but I love Brand Autopsy. The dramatic readings are hysterical and it’s a bit pop but it’s a fast read. The author, John Moore, is a former Starbucks/Whole Foods marketer who seems to know his stuff as far as word of mouth marketing goes. And it’s fun – I particularly like his “brands I would miss” series. Again, a fun, fast read.

AdAge’s has a great list of 150 marketing and PR sites if you’re looking for a specific topic.

My point? You can’t try to control anyone without eventually pissing them off. Not at a wedding and certainly not in the media. Many people try to manipulate the information they provide a journalist or writer in order to get the result they think they need or want. Being selective with what you deliver during an interview is the easiest way to look, well, suspicious.  And that’s when you better watch out, because a good journalist will start to pick at that very place you don’t want them to go. And before you know it, there’s a great big hole in your story. Not to mention an irritated reporter who probably feels as manipulated and cranky as I did at the wedding yesterday.

Here’s how you control the media and get them on your side.  BE HONEST AND FORTHRIGHT. (Sure, there are a few pissy folks who will be nasty no matter what you do. Just stay away from them.) Recently a client of mine who has been absolutely pummeled by the press gave the most honest interview of his life. Nothing was off limits and believe me, there was quite a bit that even I might not have encouraged him to share. But guess what, the writer was bowled over by his honesty. I haven’t seen the story yet but I think it’s going to be pretty good.

Bottom line, don’t try to manipulate, control or filter your information. Sure, some news isn’t ready for release – that’s a different story and it stays off the table.  But if you’re in an interview don’t try and coerce a journalist into writing the story you think you need and want.

I got an email from an author today who said she was going to use my story in her book (it’s about reinventing yourself). When I asked her if she’d like me to post something about it in the Examiner she proceeded to ask me a bunch of questions. Now, I wasn’t asking for a free book or anything – although if you include someone in your book you should certainly offer them one. It was obvious she wanted to figure out if it was worth her time. I thought it would be fun to post her questions and tell you how she could have found out the answers without offending the gift horse.

What is the Examiner – act like you know and google it

What city?  ibid

How many readers do you have – get an Alexa toolbar

What do you write about – again, google it (or me)

The point I’m making is, don’t ask somebody kindly offering you some exposure to give you their name, rank and serial number. If you truly can’t find it online, then ask nicely.

Oh and the last thing? Remember some day you might be begging for the slightest notice, so leave your ego at the door no matter what number you are on  the NYT bestseller list.