Local Small Business Using YouTube Effectively (Homeowner Finds Cave in Yard)

Who remembers the home inspector when you bought your house? I do. William Troutman with Certainty Home Inspections.

I am reminded of him every time I am in my basement because he tagged the water heater shut-off valve, the main water shut-off valve, and other important components of the basement. Each tag is also a business card. I left all of them on.

I am reminded monthly with an email. Usually I set up a rule to delete marketing emails, but his Home Tips of the Month are very informative. And I don't mind that each email prominently displays his logo, web site, email, and 800 number.

Most recently, I was reminded when YouTube pulled his name from my contacts list and alerted me that he has a YouTube page.

However, I would not be writing this if he had not provided excellent service. He was on time, thorough, and patient with my questions. And I still have three-ring binder he provided with the material pictures, inspection checklist, and action items.

This is a perfect example of a one-man shop utilizing multiple tools (business cards, web site, email, YouTube, blogging, Twitter, Facebook) to keep his brand in front of his customers.

Posted via email from Mike Campbell's posterous

Thinking about starting a blog? Go for it!

A friend of mine stumbled upon my blog recently. He told me he had been thinking about starting a blog and asked me a few questions about my experience. If you are thinking about starting a blog, go for it!

1. Read read read. If you want to be a good writer, you need to be a prolific reader. Nicholas Sparks, author of the Notebook, states it best on his web site's writer's corner, "you must read, and read a lot. Did I say A LOT?" Read blogs, magazines, and books. It will fuel ideas for content and best practice.

2. Be yourself. I could describe my first days of blogging as vulnerable. When you write, you are literally putting yourself out there. Pen and paper are more than just words; they are flesh and blood. You cannot write without revealing who you are. Some people will not like you, but a lot will. And don't spend too much time criticizing your own writing. It will get better the more you write.

3. Set goals. I know some who blog a couple times a year. And when they do, it's good. Others write daily. What are you currently doing? Do you read blogs once a week, once a month? There you go. How often you have time to read others blogs is how often others will read yours.

4. Track stats. At first, you won't have any readers. Then you will be surprised how many people are actually visiting your blog. After a while, you will want to know that people are reading to keep you motivated. I use Google analytics. It's fun to see where the traffic comes from, which blog posts are most popular, and how Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook affect your stats. But don't worry about that, yet. Blogging site, Posterous, makes it super easy to track stats. No set up needed. You see number of views right there on your blog post.

5. Comment. Connect. Promote. Comment on other bloggers blogs. Connect with people on social networks. Shamelessly promote your blog.

6. Be short. Use the 3 to 5 rule. Write 3 to 5 paragraphs with 3 to 5 sentences per paragraph. Keep each paragraph to a single thought. Each sentence should stand on it's own. Don't worry about finishing a thought. Your're readers are smart. Let them draw their own conclusions.

7. Start now. The easiest way to start is with Posterous.com. Simply write your first blog post and email it to posterous@posterous.com. You'll get an immediately reply with your new blog.

Posted via email from Mike Campbell's posterous

Undercover Boss or Extreme Makeover Corporate Edition

I was starting to get frustrated with the CBS show Undercover Boss. The storyline was starting to become all too predictable. CEO goes undercover and follows hard-working employees who are down on their luck. They've either lost a loved one, suffered property damage from a natural disaster, or struggled with caring for a disabled family member. That's not the frustrating part. I admire each of these hard-working individuals and can relate because we all are suffering, or have suffered. It's a part of being human. What was starting to frustrate me was the CEO's response: "Here's what I'm going to do for you. I'm gonna give you $5,000 to fix your house, pay for childcare, etc."

The TV show was starting to feel like Extreme Makeover Corporate Edition. It appeared that the producers purposely picked employees with these major sob stories. Then the CEOs would dish out money as a quick fix. I wondered, what do the other employees think about this? I am sure that there are hundreds of other employees that could really use the money. Why would just this one employee benefit? Why not do something for the whole company if the purpose of the show to better the company.

Last night, in the season finale, the show redeemed itself when it featured 1-800-Flowers. At the end of the show, the President and COO, Chris McCann, sat down with four or five employees and did not give away one cash handout. He initiated an incentive plan that would benefit all employees, gave a plant manager the on-going opportunity to participate setting production goals, offered to personally mentor a young store manager, and offered another store manager the opportunity to help design the Mother's Day arrangements.

The most touching moment for me was when he offered to name an arrangement after a store manager named Dee. Dee is the manager of the store that grosses the most revenue for the company. Dee had an amazing relationship with customers. They greeted Dee with a hug, shopped regularly, and their children brought Dee gifts. When the CEO revealed his true identity face-to-face, he verbally recognized her achievements. Then he promised to name a floral arrangement Dee's Paradise in her honor. She was moved to tears, had trouble controlling her emotions, and uttered something to the effect that this was the greatest thing anyone has ever done for her.

Here is the takeaway: People are NOT motivated by money! As Daniel Pink states over and over is his new book, Drive, there is a huge gap between what science knows and what business does. People are intrinsically, internally motivated by purpose. People want to be listened to, appreciated, and recognized. Most importantly, employees want the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Once people are paid a fair wage and their needs for food and shelter are met, they seek higher needs as classically illustrated by Maslow.

Posted via email from Mike Campbell's posterous