NFL teams are not exactly small businesses.  In fact, according toForbesthe 2015 NFL franchise value for the Denver Broncos is $1.94B making them the 11 most valuable team.  The Carolina Panthers at $1.56B are ranked 19.  When you compare their Twitter follow-to-follower ratios the Broncos are above average while the Panthers are below average.  The average for the entire league is less than one half of one percent (0.32%) which means that bar is not set very high.

 

I grew up in Iowa which is generally considered a pretty low key state.  However, this February Iowa will be the keynote when the first step in the United States Presidential nomination process for both the Democrats and the Republicans begin with the Iowa Caucuses.  The Iowa caucus is generally defined as a “gathering of neighbors,” as many Iowans will be meeting in local schools, churches and public libraries to publicly stand up for their presidential preference.

 

Neighbors gathering to discuss who should be in, as well as who should be out.

 

If you’ve spent any time in personal sales you know that Willy’s philosophy that anything is possible as long as a person is “well liked” is not going to close every deal. To influence someone about an important idea, you need to be more than just liked. A successful, persuasive personality that projects a positive selling image focuses on building rapport, reducing risk and has the substance that comes with having credibility.

Their Twitter profile looked legitimate. It had a professional looking picture, a well written bio and a customized banner.

So you followed them back. It always feels good when a professional finds your page and follows you first. It kind of feels like your social media content is catapulting your personal brand forward at great speed. And then blunt force trauma. An automated tweet or automated direct message from that professional looking profile smashes into your communication stream. You are jolted by the fact that this person is immediately requesting that you should “Like” their Facebook page, check their website, and schedule 30 minutes for a “quick chat.

 

Are you looking down right now? There is a good chance you are if you are reading this post on your cell phone. What type of content makes you look down?

·         A funny video?

·         A pithy blog post?

“Back in the day” is a phrase that is often used to refer to a blissful time in the past when life was simpler. For example, back in the day, you could get away with a LinkedIn message as follows:

 

Wait a minute Alan; I’m still using that approach today! Well, first of all, if that approach is getting meetings for you, keep using it.

For your entertainment; a short knock-off skit based on the Drew Carey TV series “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

 

The Host:Welcome to “Whose Content Is It Anyway?” Where the quota is made up and the revenue doesn’t matter. Our first skit is called, “Your marketing content sucks.” Mr. Sales VP, you’re very nervous; you’ve just examined your sales pipeline and discovered your team will not meet its sales objectives.

Ms. Marketing Rep, you are a super confident business development person from a marketing technology company ready to save the day.

 

I’m sure you recognized the reference to Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” It’s fitting because you can often see a duality when you compare the way organizations use social media channels. Many use social communication the same way they use traditional media.

"Go West, young man" is aphrase often creditedto the American author Horace Greeley concerning America's expansion westward, related to the then-popular concept of Manifest Destiny. My great grandfather traveled west to homestead on the Great Plains. That’s where my grandfather was born - in a sod cabin. I’m not old as dirt, but I am a trailing edge baby boomer with both pre-digital and digital world footprint. That makes me a “digital immigrant,” while my children, all born after 1980, are considered “digital natives.

What does “transparency” in business actually mean? A lot of material has been written on that topic over the last few years in relation to social media marketing.  Most of articles deal with transparency at the corporate branding level although some authors provide commentary around personal branding.  I’ll admit that a few of my own blog posts touch on transparency; yes, in many cases authenticity, relevance and trust are also mentioned.  One business dictionary defines transparency