08/09/2016
Who remembers the Pets.com once famous icon? The world of the internet is one of here today and gone tomorrow.
Since Diva Marketing (Blog) launched in 2004, social media has gone through changes that have disrupted our digital experience. Long form text posts (blogs) have been joined by short form content that includes various forms of media from photos (Pinterest, Instagram) to video (Snapchat, Pericsope).
As the popularity for a new platform or feature becomes successful there is of course competition. In response to Twitter's Vine Video which began at 6 seconds -- Instagram offered a 15 second video option. Now Twitter is testing a 140 second video option for Vine. Back to Instagram which has released its own disappearing act a la Snapchat called Instagram Stories. Facebook Live Video competes with Pericsope.
I've mentioned only four platforms: Twitter/Vine, Instagram, Facebook, Periscope and Snapchat. If you're feeling overwhelmed, welcome to the club!
Over the course of the last 7 days I've been participating in Darren Rowse's #BloggerGroove Challenge. In addition to adding content to Diva Marketing and Diva Foodies (my relatively new food blog ~ check it out!) I've had the opportunity to read some great posts on a variety of topics.
Day #7 challenge was to write a link post. I am excited to introduce you (via the following links!) to a few talented social media/marketing bloggers who will shed some light on the Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and of course blogs.
Snapchat - Even with Instagram in the game, don't expect Snapchat to exit the social media scene anytime soon. Brands have too much invest. Mel Kettle provides a Snapchat 101 in the post Snapchat for Beginners. Her how-to post takes you step-by-step in setting up your page. Mel details how to use, what is right now, the darling of social media.
Facebook - It's been around for what seems like forever and a day. The question is ~ are you using it to your best advantage as a business tactic? Sharon Luttrell's post offers four tips that will help make your experience more productive and enjoyable. She looks at how to curate your feed, connecting with groups and even how to time manage and elimnate the negative.
Instagram - Jacqueline Steenhuis, Transforming Shape, presented an innovative idea on how to use Instagram as a social media blog to generate conversation and more engagement. I liked it so much that I was inspired to write a @DivaFoodies Instagram post! @Jacqueste on Instagram.
Blogs - How could I write a blog post about social media tips without offering insights about blogging? No way. Let's jump over to Darren Rowse, ProBlogger, who has become the go-to-dude of blogging. I met Darren in the early days of the blogosphere. He is without a doubt one of the nicest and most generous people.
Darren's blog is a treasure chest of information about blogs, as well as social media. Warning! when you venture into ProBlogger be prepared to spend more than a few minutes. But you'll leave so much smarter.
Your Turn! What tips do you have on how to manage social media? 
7 Days/7Posts of #BloggingGroove ~ I did it!
Day 1: List Post - Blogging Tips Inspired From Broadway and Film Musicals
Day 2: FAQ Post: Lost In the Social Media Forest ~ Help!
Day 3: Review Post: Review - Chef Gordon Ramsay's Dash
Day 4: Story Post: The Story of Max The Social Media Dog
Day 5: How To Post: How To Create New Recipes - Tips From Chefs
Day 6: Discussion Post: Instagram - What Does Food Is Love Mean To You?
Day 7: Social Media Tips From Around The Web
My thanks to Darren and the 1,500 bloggers from #BloggingGroove for new ideas to consider, new blogs to read and renewed blogging groove!
06/20/2016
Jay Ducote came to my attention when he battled it out last year on the Food Network show Food Network Star Season 11.
For those who might not be food TV fans (a guilty pleasure of mine... take a look at Diva Foodies!) the winner of Food Network Star walks away with the biggest prize in food TV competiton ~ their own show on the Food Network.
Although Jay came in 2nd there was no doubt that he knew his way in the kitchen - indoors and outdoors, had great on-air presence and the fans loved him. Seems the Scripps Networks Interactive brass thought so too because they offered Jay an amazing opportunity to film a pilot for a sister network, Travel Channel.
What makes Jay especially relevant to the Diva Marketing community is his use of social media, aka Social TV, to promote his on-air opportunity on the Food Network and to leverage the social buzz to encourage Scripps Networks Interactive to pick up the Deep Fried America pilot.
In our Diva Marketing interview Jay generous shares his insights on Social TV, how to social media tips, some of his Food Network Star backstory and what it was like to be a dude blogger back in 2009! Enjoy Jay's Story.
About Jay Ducote According To Jay Ducote
I’m a friendly, fun loving guy from Louisiana who loves to celebrate food and beverage culture. I’m a chef, writer, speaker, entertainer and hugger. I’ve got a product line available called Jay D’s with a Louisiana Barbecue Sauce, Louisiana Molasses Mustard and Spicy & Sweet Barbecue Rub.
Diva Marketing: Before we dive into how you’re using social media to support the Travel Channel pilot for your pilot of Deep Fried America, let’s set the stage for the peeps in our community who may not now But are soon to be (!) avid food TV viewers.
Not to be snarky, but there are so many food shows what makes Deep Fried America different and a must watch... in addition to the awesome host of course?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: Deep Fried America presents a great mix of drool-worthy food, talented chefs and fun travel.
I’m going to be in the kitchen helping prepare (and eating of course) some amazing food, the caveat is that something in it has to be cooked in a deep fryer.
But we aren’t just looking for normal fried foods, we are talking to chefs who are being innovative and creating new dishes using the fryer.
Diva Marketing: The concept of Deep Fried America was taken from one of your Food Network Star show challenges. On Food Network Star you were positioned as the BBQ guy who developed his cooking chops (pun intentional) from tailgating parties at LSU. Fried foods seems like a step in another direction. Why a fried food focus? Say that fast 3 times: fried food focus/fried food focus/fried food focus!
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: The short answer is because the Network loved it and wanted it. They pushed Eddie in the BBQ direction and had me go toward the fried foods.
To be fair, while I did some grilling on Food Network Star, I never really got to do any barbecuing or even make a version of my BBQ sauce. I tried to one time, but our groceries got swapped and Eddie ended up making the BBQ sauce instead (4th of July challenge).
On the culinary improv episode of Food Network Star I fried calamari and gave a line to live audience including people from the Network that being from Louisiana, anything that flies, crawls, walks, slithers or swims, we fry it. From that point on I think the Network liked positioning me as a fried foods guy.
All that being said, I definitely have a special place in my heart and stomach for deep fried foods. Fried Chicken would be on the plate if I got to choose my last mean. A beignet in Louisiana is the perfect breakfast. At tailgate parties you can rest assured that we had an outdoor deep fryer right next to the grill!
Diva Marketing: Let’s talk blogs! I’ve been active in the blogosphere for over 12 years and have known some great food bloggers. Although most chefs are men, most food bloggers are women.
Do you think being a dude in that world gave Bite & Booze, launched in 2009, a competitive advantage? Why or why not?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: Without a doubt, 100%.
I think that being a large, bearded, masculine man with a love for barbecue and beer and whiskey and fried foods helped set me apart in the food blog world.
While I would be just another guy in the kitchen, taking the food blog route helped differentiate me. I can remember going to food blog conferen 
ces and the audience being 80-90% women and 10-20% men, and of those men, rarely was there another guys like me.
So I stood out in the world. And I was able to make a name for myself in that world. I got more and more opportunities to speak or to be on camera because of that. It definitely helped grow my blog and my brand.
Diva Marketing: Blogs are ever evolving and where you begin is not necessarily where you end up. How has the focus of Bite & Booze changed from back in the 2009 days?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: My blog, Bite & Booze, started as a personal food journal. I wrote a blog about what I had for lunch that day just so I could keep track of it. I was working an office job in downtown Baton Rouge and I wanted to something to cure me of my boredom.
I knew right away that I would want it to focus on supporting local restaurants and chefs, but I had no idea it would grow into what it has become.
I now speak of Bite & Booze not as a blog, but as a culinary media company. The website is still primarily a blog, but we also do a radio show (since 2011… in 2014 it won a Taste Award as the best food or drink based radio broadcast in the country), podcasts, video production, lots of social media stuff, events and more.
Diva Marketing: What tips on how to create compelling blog content that builds a loyal audience can you give us?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America:
1. Stay consistent. Whatever your theme or brand is, stay consistent with it.
2. Also be personal. I find that people really like to feel like they get to know the blogger or the person behind the posts.
I don’t do a whole lot of recipe blogging, but has been part of my strategy. I support and celebrate the entire local food scene wherever I am from farmers to chefs and restaurants to people making cool products.
Diva Marketing: When doing research for our interview I came across an article from The Advocate. The headlined caught my attention.
Jay Ducote's ‘Deep Fried’ pilot to air on Travel Channel June 25; future depends on viewer engagement
How important will the social buzz be to impact the Travel Channel's decision to pick up your pilot and why?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: There are a couple ways to give Travel Channel good, immediate feedback on the show.
The first is for people to actually watch and set their DVRs to record the broadcast. The people in charge will see those ratings and get that data.
Secondly, social engagement absolutely helps. If @travelchannel is bombarded with tweets during the broadcast, they’ll know that not only are people watching, but they are also engaging. That’s powerful information for them to be able to take to advertisers who would purchase air time during my show.
At the end of the day this is a business, and producing great content is only good if it can be sold to sponsors and advertisers.
So the social buzz will let Travel Channel and potential advertisers know that there will be engaged viewers if they pick the show up for multiple seasons.
Diva Marketing: Let’s look at what is called “Social TV” on a more global basis.
Although Nielsen includes Twitter and now public Facebook into its TV ratings, in your opinion, to what extent do most producers/TV food media companies bring active social media into their digital marketing/out-reach mix?
(By active social media I mean, authentically engaging with the show’s fans versus broadcasting messages about the show or network.)
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: I feel like a lot of brands/people could truly be more active, especially when a show airs.
For pretty much every episode of Food Network Star last summer my team and I were live tweeting with fans during the episode. You never really see that from the big stars or the networks themselves. But I think they should.
The ability to now engage directly with the fans while a show is airing is pretty incredible.
Doing it live can be pretty tricky for sure, but I find that it is worth it!
Diva Marketing: I totally agree Jay! Now, a very basic but important question Jay – what benefits does social, done well, bring to the table?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: 4 Social Media Benefits
1. Social media gives everyone the opportunity to grow a brand in ways that weren’t possible before.
2. It gives fans a chance to get an inside glimpse, connect with a personality or follow their journey.
3. It also gives people like me a platform beyond the mass media outlets like TV or Radio.
4. So when it is done well, it is possible to build and retain a fan base outside of the traditional media outlets.
Diva Marketing: What are your thoughts about the benefits/importance of food TV personalities, chefs and contestants, live tweeting during their own shows?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: I do it. It makes sense. It helps build and audience and grow a brand. It can be tough to make time for it, but it is so worth it.
Diva Marketing: If you were King of a food media company how would you use social media aka Social TV?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America:
I’d make it part of my social media plan to use social to support on-air content and use on-air content to push people to social.
I’d make it to where a large part of my social strategy would be live-tweeting shows and posting on other platforms about new programming that is on the air. I’d make sure I had a team of people to actively engage with social rather than just be shouting into the void.
Diva Marketing: In addition to blogs, you’re active on multiple social media channels and have been leveraging them to support Deep Fried America. How do you play to the strengths of, let’s say the Big 3: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America:
Facebook: Provide links, pictures, video content. Ask questions and get engagement in a thread.
Instagram: Photos are key. Use pictures that resonate in one way or another.
Twitter: Inform and engage. Short format messaging. Connect with the audience by engaging in conversation.
Diva Marketing: Are you looking at insights/metrics and if so (1) which are most valuable to you and (2) what tools are you using to measure?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: Probably not as much as I should. I look at some Facebook data but that’s about it. I see engagement on Twitter and Instagram but I don’t go too deep into analytics.
Diva Marketing: Although text/image driven channels like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook can include links to videos they are a “still world.” How did you build your personal brand to authentically bring Jay Ducote to digital life, so to speak?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: Instagram is great for short little videos and Facebook is awesome for videos. I haven’t really done a whole lot yet with live streaming or other video content like that.
I kind of let my other content speak for itself. Though I do think that doing a little more live stuff or short videos would be a good idea.
Diva Marketing: Let’s go back to Social TV in food media. Who do you think in terms of a TV chef gets it and is doing it right?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: I think Alton Brown does a really good job with this social media. He is active and engaging.
Diva Marketing: What are a couple of tips you can pass along to your TV food chef pals in terms of how to do social right to build their personal brand and support their TV shows?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: 4 Social Media Tips
1. Just a little effort goes a long way.
2. Think about it in advance.
3. Use services to schedule content in advance rather than wait until the show is airing to even think about it.
4. Make it a priority to have social engagement as part of our overall brand strategy.
Diva Marketing: I love how Alton Brown uses cartoons that are shown against tweets when he live tweets Cutthroat Kitchen. We’re thinking optimistically, when Deep Fried America is on-air how will you use social media to support the show? 
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: Well crap, I didn’t see this before I answered with Alton Brown earlier. Yes, I like that too.
I’m obviously going to do all the things that we’ve mentioned before. Beyond that, who knows! We’ll have to see what happens.
Diva Marketing: Guess great minds think a like, or something like that! Jay, how can we support you in ensuring Deep Fried America lives to be part of the Travel Channel’s lineup?
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: Watch it, set DVRs, ask your friends to do the same, live tweet the show and tag @travelchannel and @jayducote and #deepfriedamerica. Do the same thing on Facebook and Instagram.
Diva Marketing: As is the tradition of Diva Marketing interviews, the guest always has the last response. Wrap this anyway you’d like.
Jay Ducote, Deep Fried America: I’m certainly hoping that this turns into something much more than a pilot. It is a really exciting time and opportunity for me, but I won’t be pleased with the results unless the show gets picked up for a season. And then another. And then another.
I know I’ve got a lot of work to do ahead of me to continue to pursue my passion and chase my dreams. The TV side of everything I do is actually just a small part of my overall business model.
Bite & Booze, my culinary media company that started as a blog in 2009, and Hug Jay D, which is my product company that launched in 2014, are just the beginning.
Coming in 2017 will be my first restaurant, Gov’t Taco, a gourmet taco shop in Baton Rouge, La. And I’m sure there will be much more coming down the line as I continue to grow all of my brands and businesses.
Deep Fried America has a chance to be a huge part of that growth, so all the support and encouragement is definitely appreciated. Let’s make sure the Travel Channel knows that people out there want the show!
Connect with Jay!
Jay Ducote: Website | Twitter | Instagram
Bite and Booze: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Hug J D: Facebook
Saturday, June 25, 12:30 CT, on Travel Channel
08/04/2014
When BBF Yvonne DiVita, author/founder of Lipsticking and BlogPaws, asked me to play along on an 'old fashion' blog meme or blog hop, I immediately said yes.
Blog memes were popular before blogs were social media. So this post is not only fun but a bit nostalgia.
I've always wanted to be a "Writer." However, I never really knew I was until I started Diva Marketing. Funny because I wrote all the time. I've always had/and have a little note book with me to jot ideas, impressions, thoughts. I write in coffee shops, on planes, on trains, in parks, in a car. I write most everywhere. With my little note books I am never alone.
Why do I write .. to tell stories; you might have noticed that most of the posts on diva marketing wrap around a story.
Why do I write .. to clear my thoughts; writing is a way to capture ideas that sometimes seem allusive.
Why do I write .. to share and to teach; writing provides a tangible way to help others learn.
Why do I write .. because I have to.
Why do I write .. to play with words; so many choices to make when you write; it's fun to paint with the rainbow of words.
Why do I write .. this may sound odd but I write to read what I wrote.
Why do I write? Perhaps the next question is what do I want to write next?
Part of a meme is to tap a few friends who will take the concept and put their own spin on it. I am excited that three of my favorite bloggers will be joining the meme parade. Please meet ...
Paul Chaney - Paul and I share a special bond. You see, Paul was the first 'real blogger' I met offline. You always hold a special spot in your heart for your first. His four (yes count them 4!) books on blogs and social media are examples of his love of writing and teaching. He has a special gift of taking complex topics and making them understandable .. and fun. Oh and he's an awesome piano player! Drop by to read Paul's post on 8/25. Blog Twitter
Nettie Reynolds - Nettie once said to me that if you can't laugh with a person, question if that person should be in your life. Nettie not only makes me laugh but she makes me smile. Nettie's diverse career runs from working with authors & creatives to create digital awareness and even performing stand up comedy and she's a playwright. Drop by to read Nettie's post on 8/18 Blog Twitter
Des Walsh - I often say, blogs/social media give back more than they take. It's unlikely that my path would have cross with this wise and smart man from Australia without the benefit of the digital world and blogs. Although Des is based on the other side of my world, through Skype, G+ Hangouts and social media his coaching, LinkIn mentoring and social media business has no geographical boundaries. Drop by to read Des' post on 8/11. Blog Twitter
Toss of a pink boa or perhaps I should say, pink notebook, to Susan Foster for starting this blog hop.
08/24/2011
Once upon a time, in the days when blogs were beginning to make their way into the world of marketing, customer service and branding blog content was created by CEOs, CIOs and others within the organization who were brand and industry knowledgeable. They were (for the most part) people who had a distinct point of view and, more than not, some prestige within the enterprise.
Posts were valued as nuggests of insights and supported business goals. However, the secret of blogs went beyond providing content. The world was introduced to the real people behind the brand. These real people were using blogs as a key to open doors to building important stakeholder relationships.
Sure there were challenges .. lots. We were building a new way of communicating that ripped open the Wizard of Oz curtain. We learned to create 'gard rails' and 'house rules' that still allowed for authenticity.
From a recent Hugh MacLeod, gapingvoid post -
.. it was hard work. You had to write a lot, every day. And you had to be a good writer with something to say. Or else it would wither on the vine.
In other words, the barriers to entry were high, in terms of both talent and energy required.
Then came the social networks and the slide from fully developed ideas to posts that required only 140 characters in a tweet or 420 characters in a Facebook post. (I must tell you I <3 Twitter and social networks that provide opportunites to build community.) Something interesting began to happen in the world of social media.
Perhaps it was that writing short was perceived as a "throw away" that anyone one could do. Perhaps it was that since many students had spent their high school and college years playing on Facebook that it appeared easy to do. Perhaps it was the perception that if celebrities like Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber were tweeting than The Twitter was indeed little more than a toy and not a real business tool. How important could it really be?
Marketing managers realized that updating social media networks could be time consuming. Since The Twitter and Facebook weren't really important, why waste the time of the important people?
An ah ha moment! I-n-t-e-r-n-s, who more often than not, were here today, gone tomorrow and junior employees, who had little experience with the brand and less with strategy, were tapped.
Silly marketing managers gave control of builidng relationships in these new socal networks to people with limited brand .. their brand .. experience.
Somewhere along the way we as marketers lost our way.
We lost our way in our thinking .. short didn't require smart or brand savvy.
We lost our way in thinking .. playing with new technologies were the same as building tactics based on strategy.
We lost our way in thinking .. creating games using new technologies equated to "social media."
We lost our way in thinking .. anyone could represent our brand if the "conversation" was short.
On MSN Business On Main post, The Runaway Brand: Who's Tweeting For You, Joanna Krutz provides a series of tips. Her point of view is that with strucure and guidance interns and junior staff can create social network content. I might align with her thoughts regarding junior staff but I would be very cautious about bringing in interns to serve as the front line voice of your brand. Skip over to BOM and let me know your thoughts.
By the way, Joanna mentions the now imfamous Chrysler Twitter debacle in her post. Ed Garston, head of electronic media for Chrsler, told me the back-story in a Diva Maketing exclusive interview.
Graphic credit: Hungry Health Happy The Adventures of Mr. Riley
Diva Marketing is part of an online influencer network for Business on Main. I receive incentives to share my views on a monthly basis. All opinions are 100% mine.
07/15/2011
When I think of the world of social media and blogs what I will forever remember, and be greatful for, are the amazing people who walked through my virtual door. One of my favorites is Alex Brown.
Recently Alex wrote a book .. a beautiful book .. an inspiring book .. a book that touches the heart. I must admit it moved me to tears. (The amazing photographs and sketches make it a wonderful coffee table book.)
It is the story of Barbaro the gallant racing horse and the people who trained, nutured and cared for him.
It is also Alex's story of how he used social media to create a structure that encouraged a community to form that supported Barbaro and each other.
About Alex Brown: I am a horseman, who is also an internet marketing "geek." I have ridden horses all my life, and I have been using the internet for teaching and marketing since 1992.
Diva Marketing/Toby: Before we explore some of the social media marketing initiatives that support Greatness and Goodness Barbaro And His Legacy and alexbrownracing.com please give us a bit of understanding why you felt compelled to write this particular book about Barbaro?
Alex Brown: I had spent the better part of three years supporting an online community which had emerged as it followed Barbaro's attempted recovery at New Bolton Center, and which merged into a horse racing and horse welfare community.
I had used many social media tools to support this community. I decided to then use a more traditional medium, a book, to write about the experience in a broader story about Barbaro and his lasting legacy.
Diva Marketing/Toby: To help frame our interview, would you tell us the back-story of why you created a site for/about Barbaro? 
Alex Brown: I was already running a web-site for a racehorse trainer, and friend. We decided to use his site to update race fans of Barbaro's preparations for the Preakness Stakes after he had won the Kentucky Derby so easily, to remain undefeated.
Tragedy struck in the Preakness as we now know, but the site became useful to keep his growing fans abreast with his daily attempt at recovery. He very nearly made it too! (Photo of Barbaro)
Diva Marketing/Toby: While your friends in the equestrian world know you as a dedicated and passionate horseman, I know you as an innovative marketer who stepped into blogs long before the term social media was popularized.
So let’s turn the clock back to 2005 – 2008 when you were Sr. Associate Director of Admissions at Wharton and then marketing prof at University of Delaware. What lessons did you learn during those early days that helped you create the blog for Barbaro?
Alex Brown: I think we are always learning, so clearly all my prior experiences, which include teaching Internet Marketing at the University of Delaware, running the first blog at the Wharton School (for MBA admissions), managing a very active online discussion board for MBA applicants, and so forth, allowed me to understand how communities can work.
I also read geeky books on game theory and stuff like that. But as much as I learned, and thought I knew it all in terms of managing online communities, I have learned twice as much managing this project.
Diva Marketing/Toby: You had huge success with that blog (and subsequent message board and wiki), from hundreds of thousands of comments, to rich content and wonderful search rankings. Recently you changed domains from timwoolleyracing.com to alexbrownracing.com.
Obviously, the blog drove traffic to the Tim Woolley Racing web site. Did you have an agreement with Tim Woolley Racing that you would “own” the site and might even change the URL? How was that relationship structured?
Alex Brown: Tim Woolley and I have been close friends for a very long time. At one point the site was overwhelmed with Barbaro and horse welfare and racing content and it made sense to let Tim have his site back. At that time I was also leaving Fair Hill where Tim and I worked, and was planning to travel for a couple of years to do further research for the book.
Changing domains helped mark that occasion. Maintaining Google rankings and so forth was not really a problem, and we were able to copy all the content over to the new domain.
What I felt was super important was to leave the design of the sites the same. I am a huge believer in the value of design usability, and once your community is used to how things work, only change things if there are super critical reasons to do so.
My interest and experience with web design usability was also something I brought to the design of the book, an aspect of the book of which I am very proud. I do think the designer wanted to kill me at some points of the book project though!!
Diva Marketing/Toby: For the geeks in the audience, did moving the domain impact your search results and/or traffic to the site very much?
Alex Brown: A slight hiccup perhaps. No more than that.
Diva Marketing/Toby: Barbaro captured the hearts and imagination of people from all over the world. The site provided what Mike Jensen, Philadelphia Inquirer said was “.. real-time updates from the principles and they were able to form a community.” (p 85)
In the social media world, you had 2 critical elements: content and emotional connection. However, the big social media win goes beyond just the number of “likes” “followers” “circles” or subscribers that comprise a community but to engagement. You knocked that out of the park (oops wrong sport!). We’d love your insights on how to take community to the level of “tribe.”
Alex Brown: Yes, certainly this became a community of action. They have raised well over $1 million to rescue horses from slaughter, and done so much more too. I think it is hard to absolutely determine how that happened, but there are one or two things I have learned from this that might prove useful.
Firstly, mistakes happen, a community needs to be able to learn from those mistakes and grow from those mistakes. Making a mistake once is fine, as long as you do learn from it. Not making any mistakes really means you have not tried hard enough.
The other thing that I think is super important is how the community is led. I did not decide we should get active on the horse slaughter issue. Members of the community did, and others followed, and it all bubbled up. This is the same with other projects the community has undertaken. My job, along with other moderators, has been to observe, nudge, and keep the conversations on target.
I once told someone, when describing the most important aspects of managing the community: "When I get up in the morning I just hope I don't mess it up." There have been a few occasions, over the 5 years, that I nearly did mess it up.
Diva Marketing/Toby: Can you share some and how you recovered?
Alex Brown: The most sensitive aspect of running a large community is what actions you take if inappropriate content is posted. As the moderator you have to have a set of rules for your community, and you have to adhere to those rules.
This can create short term reactions, but you have to keep your eye on the long term welfare of the overall community. If you have to ban someone (a user ID), typically that person has his / her own network, and belongs to other communities.
On top of that, the banned user can easily connect now (especially with facebook) to "discuss" your actions with others. Honestly it can get nasty, and as we know, if two people say the same thing about you on the internet, it has to be true! You need a thick skin to manage a community like this.
To be continued .. more about how Alex is using social media to create awareness for the book, the community, horse slaughter and the disease that killed Barbaro.
(Update: Part 2)
Disclaimer: I recevied a complementary copy of Greatness and Goodness Barbaro And His Legacy.
06/13/2011
At its heart Diva Marketing is about stepping through the mirror to a different way of marketing .. participating in conversations in social forums like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Many of the posts reflect lessons I learned along the way, so you can avoid stubbing your toe or stumbling on a concept. With that in mind, here is one more.
A few weeks ago I was approached by Mr. Youth, a social media agency based in NYC. They had an interesting assignment to create awareness of a new community for small businesses .. MSN's Business on Main. Part of their strategy included reaching out to bloggers .. made sense to me .. and Diva Marketing was one of the blogs that was tapped. Made sense to me.
But wait, there was more. They asked if I would be part of an 11-month blogger relations program to share articles and videos from BOM that You might find useful and interesting. But wait, there was more. They wanted to reimburse me for the posts.
I've been offered $ for post before and have always said, "No thanks." However, this seemed different: a highly, credible site that offers well written content, a good fit for Diva, people I knew and respected were involved, Erin Finestone, my contact at Mr. Youth, was highly responsive and respectful.
Girlfriend, all that said, what also intrigued me was stepping into the other side. I've built blogger relationship programs for clients but (except for book reviews) never participated in one myself. What would it be like to step through the looking glass into Wonderland of how a large agency conducted BR?
Soo .. Diva Marketing is taking a skip into a slightly new direction. Sponsored content. 
In keeping with FTC regs and my commitment to you, each post in this series will be of course be tagged as a sponsored content. Without breaking my contract (yes that was part of the deal) I'll also share lessons learned on blogger relations.
Soo .. it seems like an ok deal with multiple wins. Oh and Max is happy too .. extra $ = a few more doggy treats!
04/12/2011
This crazy social media world opens doors that are unexpected. One for me is helping people "get" (Girlfriend, need I say it?) social media.
Sometimes you have the opportunity to speak to a group where you feel honored to be invited. Sometimes it's even a personal pleasure. A couple of weeks ago I had the honor and pleasure to be invited to participate at an innovative program .. the 18th Annual Larry Bregman, MD Educational Conference.
Sponsored by JF&CS* this conference was created to help adults with developmental disabilities, their families and their caregivers have fun while learning about topics that might not be addressed in other venues. Workshops ranged from Yoga, cooking, brain health, on the job communication and so much more.
I was asked to develop a session about social networking safety. Although I have never worked with this population, I knew one thing .. a lecture was not going to cut it. It had to be interactive from the start, fun and a little out of the box. The concept was masks. Yup masks! 
In social networks people often wear masks. Then again, in life we present different elements of our real self to different people. The big questions were: How do you know who is real? What can you give of your "real" yourself but still keep you safe?
With a touch of Diva style .. when people entered the room they were given a mask. In good spirit most of the folks put their masks right on and the fun began. What an amazing group of people! They shared their views and experiences, they challenged each other, asked smart questions .. they were the picture of engagement. We laughed and learned together.
Your Digital Footprint! Most of Diva Marketing's community is savvy when it comes to online safety but for those who are new to participating in public digital conversations, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. remember that Google has a long memory. What you say today will be found many tomorrows from today.
Many people don't have a blog or personal website, but do have a LinkedIn profile. It is highly likely that when you are Googled (and you are and will be!) LinkedIn will come up first in a search. Look carefully at the image that you are projecting. Is it the best "mask" you are presenting of yourself to not only collegues but future clients, employers and the world at-large?
I've made the Bregaman deck available. Consider reviewing it not only with your friends who are new to the social web but your children as well. Show it to your kid's teachers and ask that, if they are not alreading doing so, that a social media safety module be added. Although it was built simply, the concepts are powerful and were meant to be used as talking points.
Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help along the way.
In Social Networks You Wear Masks: How To Be Safe In A Digital World
*Bloggy disclaimer JF*CS is a client.
Sorry for the Slideshare out of the margins embed.
02/07/2011
And so began a conversation with the CEO of a large (to be anon) portal. It's the dream of many bloggers: to be acquired by a platform viewed by millions, to be compensated for their work and as just as much, to be acknowledged for their work.
Girlfriend, I must admit it is a heady experience to be singled out from all the millions of marketing blogs to swim with the big fish. Okay to be totally transparent the deal was not even a smidgen of the AOL Huffington Post deal. But I rather thought you'd assumed that one!
As I do so often, I want to share my story and learnings with y'all. I had not a clue what this road would look like or where it would lead. Perhaps when there's a knock on your virtual door you'll have an idea what to expect.
My goals for Diva Marketing were never to monetize. Notice the lack of ads or affinity links. The purpose always has been to provide a place where we can explore how marketers can use first blogs, and now social media to build stronger brands and customer relationships. By providing that type of content and doing things a little differently, my own reputation and credibility in the social media industry would be established. Diva Marketing maybe a wee blog but I'm proud to say it has street cred.
I said to The X Man - Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine. ~ oops wrong movie! I think it went more like .. Why Diva Marketing?
The X Man told me he wanted to add a blog with a marketing focus and Diva Marketing was "a good fit" to build out his growing blog network. He said nice things about my reputation and what I brought to the table.
The X Man talked about about how this acquisition would increase my visibility and present opportunities to grow my consulting company. He talked about a link on the "new Diva Marketing blog" back to my website. All good.
What really sold me was the chance to grow Diva Marketing into a larger brand. That's something I've always wanted to do. Who knows where things could go with some extra resources to invest in the brand. The X Man even talked about possible brand extension in terms of events.
So I put on my red Manolo Blahnik's and took a step onto the yellow brick road to the Emerald City of Blogs where there would be boas for everyone, treats for Maxie and his friends, conferences with special Diva Tinis. Well .. probably not but one has to dream Big. 
The X Man asked about my host (Typepad), my traffic, my revenue stream. I did my due diligence too. I talked to several people in his company and my trusted advisers.
Lessons Learned: The insights and support from advisers is invaluable. Don't go it alone if you've never been down this road before; the yellow brick road is unevenly paved and it's easy to trip over your pink boa.
In all seriousness, it was a big decision for me. Diva Marketing turns 7 in May. In the virtual pages of this site are hundreds of posts about blogging, social media, branding, strategy, interviews, research. And a few original concepts like the corner grocery store relationships and in the moment marketing.
Selling my 7 years of intellectual capital was not too difficult to justify. More of a challenge was the decision to give up a brand that been interwoven into my personal brand identity.
The bling was shiny. The opportunities were exciting. I thought it might be the right time to go in a new direction.
Continued on Part II
02/07/2011
Continuted from Part I
To sell Diva Marketing Or not to sell Diva Marketing. The bling was shiny. The opportunities were exciting. I thought it might be the right time to go in a new direction.
While the bling might have been shiny the opening offer was quite a bit lower than I'd imagined. Of course one always thinks their bebe is the most beautiful and worth the Hope Diamond or at least a closet filled with Jimmy Choos. By the way, did you know that Jimmy Choo oganized a Foursquare scavenger hunt in London last year? But I digress.
Valuating Diva Marketing was a challenge for me. How much is a blog worth? For The X Man traffic was the most important element. Unlike traditional publishers who place a premium on your network, The X Man never asked about RSS subscriptions or my network reach.
I countered his offer. He came back with some more bling. Not as much as I would have liked but more interesting. After many eMails and behind the scenes work I thought we were at the end of the yellow brick blogosphere road and the doors of the Emerald City were close to opening. 
The doors didn't open. The deal didn't go through. That's okay. When I ask why, they chose not to go forward The X Man sent this eMail.
A little confusing considering the opening, but ...
Lessons Learned: If you want to sell your blog host on your own site.
Lessons learned: For most deals,traffic counts as a prime means of valuation.
Secret Sauce For Traffic. Everyone who's been in this business for more than 30 seconds knows the secret sauce for traffic is a function of the number of times you posts. Throw in a little SEO and you've got N-U-M-B-E-R-S. If your goal is to sell your blog that may be enough. However, if your goal is to build relationships, establish credibility, service your customers, traffic may not be your silver bullet.
As for The X Man. I gave him some advice on how make his tweets more effective .. add links. Perhaps he's now counting his Twitter Followers.
As for Diva Marketing. Perhaps a partnership with a brand that wants to reach a targeted community might be a better fit. Open to possibilities. Who knows where the yellow brick road of the blogosphere will lead?
At the end of the day it sure was nice to be wanted. A toss of a pink boa to Diva Marketing!
01/27/2011
You learn more quickly under the guidance of experienced teachers. You waste a lot of time going down alleys if you have no one to lead you. W. Somerset Maugham
Just One Crowd Sourced Question
Before there were books or conferences about social media .. before there was Facebook or Twitter people tried to make sense of marketing in a digital world by tapping the experiences of those who were exploring the (then) innovative ideas of blogs and RSS.
We met in late night Skype chats exchanged emails and posted our thoughts and questions on blogs. We learned from each other. I can not think of a more generous group than those who live in the social media world.
In the spirit of Somerset Maugham, I thought it would be fun to crowd source a series of how do you do it posts. So I did what any good social media marketer might do, I tapped my social networks. 20 Marketers kindly shared their thoughts on the 2nd question in the series: Just 1 Crowd Sourced Question.
The funny thing is we continue to learn from each other within our ever expanding digital worlds. Enjoy!
- Question: How do you take the "fear factor" out of social media?
First of all, you have to uncover the fear. Is it fear of writing? Many people feel they aren't good enough writers. Is it fear of comments? Is it fear of time? Once you know what the issue is, it's easy to tackle. For writing - a quick demo of the conversational style of blogs and social media works wonders.
If it's the fear of comments - well, why do you fear comments? You can manage them but... teaching people that a complaint is a gift, takes care of that. If it's fear of time, a simple editorial calendar and the understanding that you can prepost everything - even on Twitter, helps people relax. ~ Yvonne DiVita, LipSticking @lipsticking
Start with talking about objectives first and tools depending on objectives. Emphasize results are measureable and measuremet can be matched to business goals. ~ Shashi Bellamkonda, Network Solutions @shashib
The fear factor in social media stems from not understanding how social media works. Instead of seeing social media as a conversation, it is often views as tools, technology, and broadcasting. To remove the fear factor, it is important to show people that social media is about talking with others, and building relationships through sharing conversation. When the human aspect is considered, rather than the technological aspects, the entire idea of social media becomes a natural part of life. ~ Wayne Hurlbert, Blog Business World @WayneHurlbert
We need to remind people that they have a digital footprint regardless of whether they use social media. Choosing not to participate is no guarantee of staying below the radar screen, even if you'd prefer to keep a low profile. ~Bonnie Sashin, Bonnie's On it @bsashin
Educate, inspire, and make it personal. Adding a little fear helps too, by showing what their competitors are doing and showing them what will happen if they keep sticking their heads in the sand. ~ David Berkowitz, Marketer's Studio @dberkowitz
Oh, please, just dive in! There are, for sure, opportunities to commit faux pas (and plenty of helping hands along the way for quick recovery), and far more to share, connect and become regarded as the expert you are. Fear? Not in this arena!. ~ Lya Sorano The Oliver/Sorano Group
I guess the biggest fear is saying something dumb & then knowing your great great great grandchildren will be able to read it online with all their friends. ~ Anon
I find it's less "fear factor" and more "I know I need to be doing social media, but how? I don't have time for this. Can't you just do it for me?" We're all trying to do more with less and keeping up with social media (being consistent) and learning the fast changing tools are the biggest hurdles.
Assigning dollar values to fans and followers, sharing case studies of success, and showing ROI on campaigns makes it an easy sell. ~ Angie Robar, LinkedIn
I suppose I should be more afraid. ;-)
Start slow. Listen at first. Test the waters with retweets and/or sharing cool/interesting content (videos, blog posts, news). I post things about Startups, Technology, and stuff that's very personal. I'm posting as me, not as a brand. And I'm trying to live authentically both IRL and online.
As Chief Chick of StartupChicks, I do represent a brand. A brand that I built almost entirely on Social Media. And I do occasionally think twice about what I am personally posting, and if it could possibly look impact that brand. And I have deleted a post for this very reason. But, for the most part, I don't really worry about it. My friends and followers have come to know ME through this platform, and if I don't always say the exact right thing or have a typo... they'll understand. After all, they are my "friends". ~ Jennifer Bonnett, Chief Chick, StartupChicks @startupchicks Founder, Nexpense @jen_bonnett
Find out how they feel about cocktail parties and water coolers and remind them that its really just the same thing. ~ Anon
I blogged about exactly this! ~ Joel Rubinson, Joel Rubinson
I guess the biggest fear is saying something dumb & then knowing your great great great grandchildren will be able to read it online with all their friends.
Remedy:
1. Do your best not to say anything dumb.
2. Take comfort in the fact that it's unlikely that our great great great grandchildren will know how to read anything longer than "lol".
3. Dance like nobody's watching. (They're all too busy worrying about how dumb they look.)
~ Tsufit, Author, Step Into The Spotlight! Tsufit
Use email marketing as a point of reference. Every new channel comes with the fear factor, and the best way to control / learn them is to get in the game. Use email marketing as a point of reference. Every new channel comes with the fear factor, and the best way to control / learn them is to get in the game. ~ Anon
Demystify the barriers to participation, lower the expectations, be crystal on the need for communication, directmarketingobservations.com ~ Marc Meyer, Direct Marketing Observations @marc_meyer
To take the 'fear factor' out of social media, I relate it to a person's own online habits e.g. ever read a review on Amazon? look for a how-to video? conduct a search for a local retailer? etc. Most are engaged in some form of social behavior (online) without even realizing it. ~ J Schmitt @cloudspark
To overcome this fear, start by working w/ someone experienced in social media who will (patiently) help you get familiar & comfortable with SM as a consumer - i.e., show you blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., and then help coach you to join in the conversation/community. ~ Sybil Stershic, Quality Service Marketing @sybilqsm
Being true ones purpose of being on line. Passion mission business Act from a place of love not fear. ~ Anon
Like everything, most fear is related to ignorance or a lack of understanding and education. It is about education of social media for those afraid of it. ~ Jim "Genuine" Turner, One By One Media @Genuine
Just do it. ~ Steve Woodruff, Steve Woodruff @swoodruff
First I acknowledge that the fear can be well based - bad things happen online, as they do offline. Then I provide analogies for what we do offline in fear situations, e.g. have legal advice, get accountant's advice on financial matters, don't go down dark streets in strange cities, or even into dangerous areas in our own cities or at particularly risky times, have good HR policies in place to cover behavior issues.
Then I say it's just another area for risk management for contemporary companies. Then I say there is no shortage of models, templates and expert advice available (e.g. the social media guidelines explicitly available for copying, in Brian Solis' Engage p196ff). It's a bit of an intellectual approach so it is probably not going to help the people who want to luxuriate in their fear and/or often proudly trumpeted ludditism :). ~ Des Walsh, Des Walsh @deswalsh
.. and my thoughts. Before you can conquer any dragon you must first answer two questions. 1. Why are you afraid. 2. What exactly is your dragon?
Your responses to the first question will lead you into the culture of how your organization currently conducts business. The insights you discover will lead you to a better understanding of not only your marketing/pr/sales/research strategies; as well as your internal employee culture.
To answer question number two .. well you've taken the first step by reading this post. Learning as much as you can about social media is the secret sauce. Toby Bloomberg, Diva Marketing @divatoby
How do You take the Fear Factor out of social media? Please share your insights and learnings in the comments.
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How do you put soul into a blog post?
