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Archive for June, 2007
June 29th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
 Love him or hate him, Donald Trump has a few lessons for all of us. (For the record: He makes me laugh in ways he probably doesn’t intend.) And one of them kind of slapped me in the face upon waking the other morning.
Lani and I had fallen off The Apprentice bandwagon until about the middle of this last season, when we tuned in again. What I belatedly realized was that many (in not all) of the tasks seemed to be marketing-related. Create a sales brochure and video for Trump’s new Veags condos. A Sunday newspaper advertising insert for a mouthwash. Make money with a car wash. You get the idea.
“So why are the tasks all marketing focused?” I wondered out loud. One of the benefits of working with your spouse is, regardless of business hours, you get your questions answered. “Marketing’s the whole game,” Lani said. “Trump knows it. Everything he does is all about marketing. His show is nothing but marketing for him, his businesses, his lifestyle, and all the brands they feature on the show. And it’s GREAT marketing!”
I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the gist of it. You can build the coolest product, offer the most desperately-needed service, or run the most efficient business in the world, but if no one knows about it, you’re dead in the water.
Conversely, you can have a crappy product, and if you’re a savvy marketer, you can rake in the dough. At least, you can until the word of mouth on the crappiness kicks in. 
So if you’ve been putting off that press release, stalling on that article, or gotten stuck in planning a workshop, take today and get a marketing piece out there. And tell ‘em Trump made you do it.
For FREE articles, tips, and strategies designed to catapult your content and electrify your business, sign up for our ezine, “The Inciter,” at EpiphaniesInc.com!
Posted in Lessons Learned | 1 Comment »
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June 26th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
The world is aware that Code Crunchers, Techie Heads, and Java Jockeys share an uber-geeky way of communicating, which is as endearing as it is prime fodder for mockery.
But few people understand the depths of Geekdom into which Content Lovers, Brand Bohemians, and MarCom Mavens submerge themselves.
In a quickie email exchange initiated by Gretchen de Castellane (the Content Dev Goddess over at Mattel Brands Online, a friend, former coworker, and one of the most talented and wonderful people alive on the Earth today), Gretchen critiqued a “Welcome” message from Converse.com. Content Specialist Gary Barnum, replied with this evaluation…and made up a great term while he was at it, too:
I like it. Casual tone… to the point… Nice use of humor for standard messaging (in which I firmly believe).
I think I’d want more “brandstand” to the message though. As a first contact, this wouldn’t leave a big impression on me, and it wouldn’t excite me to get back to the site… They say they’ll get back to me soon, and maybe that’s where they’ll punch it up, but why send me TWO e-mails if they don’t want to pester me? I’d prefer a confirmation screen when I register, and then just one “Welcome” e-mail.
Brandstand - marketing speak. verb: To “grandstand” for a specific brand, hyping selling points or other positive features in order to excite consumers. noun: The element or elements of an advertising message wherein brandstanding occurs.
(I just made this term up, but it seems like one we can use…)
Thanks, Gar. I share your thoughts on the matter. Every “first touch” effort should be full of energy, brand-focused banter, and radical authenticity. Too many companies — from the small biz outfit to the billion-dollar MegaCorp — overlook the “little things,” like their signup autoresponders, thank-you page messaging, and “subscribe” confirmations. Tsk-tsk.
It’s a competitive inbox out there. Take the time to say what you mean and mean what you say, before your opt-ins become opt-outs.
Besides, it’s in the nooks and crannies of “the little things” where the magic of “A-Ha-ing Yourself” really comes to play.
For FREE articles, tips, and strategies designed to catapult your content and electrify your business, sign up for our ezine, “The Inciter,” at EpiphaniesInc.com!
Posted in All About Content, Brand Funk | No Comments »
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on Tuesday, June 26th, 2007 at 11:08 am and is filed under All About Content, Brand Funk.
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June 18th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
One of my personal “How Do You A-Ha Yourself?” examples (and heroes) is my amazing and fabulous friend (and now best-selling author!) Lisa Steadman. (Read Lisa’s “A-Ha Yourself” case study here.)
Her most recent coup is a two-segment feature on NBC’s Today Show. In less than six minutes, you’ll get to see one breakup survivor get a makeover, another one bask in the spotlight of a Movin’ On party, and of course, you’ll get to see The Relationship Journalist herself chat it up with Mr. Al Roker.
Last month I met up with Lisa in New York City for a couple of lavish nights at the famed Waldorf Astoria. Lisa and her new book, “It’s a Breakup, Not a Breakdown,” was a hit at NYC’s Book Expo (although Lisa learned the hard way that not all book signings are created equal!). She also had a radio rap session with the goddess of single girls herself, Ms. Candace Bushnell. Isn’t that a hoot!
Her forward momentum right now is positively THRILLING to behold. She’s saying yes to all the right things - from TV appearances to becoming a guest columnist on other websites to pursuing joint-venture partnerships (which can’t be named right now due to legal mumbo jumbo). Lisa Steadman knows who she is and where she wants to go.
If you’re in need of some “A-Ha Yourself” inspiration, look no further than Lisa. She’s doing everything right!
Posted in How do you "A-Ha Yourself"? | 1 Comment »
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on Monday, June 18th, 2007 at 4:06 pm and is filed under How do you "A-Ha Yourself"?.
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June 15th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
Just read an article by Rain Today contributor C.J. Hayden that puts some hard-fact numbers behind the “woo-woo” concept that it’s better to follow your bliss than boost your bank account.
Check out this excerpt from her article:
In Mark Albion’s book, Making a Life, Making a Living he describes a study of 1500 business school graduates that took place over twenty years. Based on their responses to a survey, the students were grouped into two categories.
Group A wanted to make money first, then pursue what they really wanted to do later when they had more resources. They comprised 83% of the respondents. Group B, who made up 17%, intended to pursue their true interests first, sure that money would eventually follow.
Twenty years later, there were a total of 101 millionaires in the two groups. Only one came from Group A. There were 100 millionaires out of the 255 people in Group B.
Now, we may not know the fates of those 1399 non-millionaires, nor do we know if the one lonely millionaire from Group A is a miserable drip or a jovial chap. But 17% of 1500 is 255. So of the Group B’s, nearly 40% went on to become millionaires pursuing what they were passionate about in the first place.
Hmmm. Nice odds, don’t you think?
For FREE articles, tips, and strategies designed to catapult your content and electrify your business, sign up for our ezine, “The Inciter,” at EpiphaniesInc.com!
Posted in Mood Boosters | No Comments »
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on Friday, June 15th, 2007 at 3:19 pm and is filed under Mood Boosters.
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June 13th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
Yes, I’m one of those people - one who was wicked excited about the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars last month. (Lani asked me if there was any chance she might come home unexpectedly to find me practicing with my son’s lightsaber in front of a mirror. The answer’s “No,” so I must not be that into it.)
 In the midst of all the hoopla, the thing that caught my attention most is a new initiative: Star Wars MashUps. According to Lucasfilm’s Director of Content Management Steve Sansweet, Star Wars is developing a YouTube-ish community where they’re letting fans download assets (scenes, special effects, music) for use in fan-generated videos.
Think of it … a company that’s generated more than $20 billion in revenue in the past 30 years, so they must know a thing or two about business success. To continue their growth, one of their latest strategies is to take elements of their most prized possession - their intellectual property - and put it into the hands of the fans.
If that doesn’t give you some confidence about sharing freely at least some of the basics of your knowledge and expertise, I don’t know what else could.
Posted in All About Content | 1 Comment »
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on Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 at 1:15 pm and is filed under All About Content.
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June 12th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
One of our clients is a resume writing and distribution service, and in the midst of doing some content research for them, I came across an article at Monster.com about ways to unleash the creative inside you.
It led off with this quote, which I really liked:
“Real creativity in marketing isn’t about just creating differentiation,” says Alain Thys, a representative of Management Centre Europe, an executive strategy consulting firm in Brussels. “I think it’s about really affecting the consumer with a proposition that moves him beyond the traditional role of features and benefits. In short, real creativity is about creating meaning.”
The content of the article is very much related to the concept of brainstorming and the power it holds for you - and you don’t have to be in marketing to make use of the six tips Francesca Di Meglio provides in the article.
And on a related note, Lani will be co-facilitating her fourth brainstorming event in five months on July 14th, this one on developing new products and services for existing businesses. We’ll give you all the details soon!
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz | No Comments »
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on Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz.
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June 8th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
 So the radio interview yesterday with Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman of The Blog Squad went well, I think. At least there weren’t any gaping pauses while I thought of answers, like the last radio interview I did.
I got a nice note afterward from Glenda Hyatt (that’s her at right), whose Do It Myself Blog “shares her experiences living with cerebral palsy to motivate and inspire others to think about how they perceive their own situation and their own world around them. She does all this by typing with only her left thumb!”
(Incidentally, she’s a great writer, and she’s in a competition to get paid for blogging for a year. If you like her stuff, click here to vote and support her.)
She raised the question about the difference between a Content Plan and an Editorial Calendar, and since I’m big on re-purposing content, I thought I’d share my answer here as well:
An editorial calendar focuses on topics or themes to be addressed over time. If you were to have monthly themes, for example, you might be using Thanksgiving-related themes as jumping-off points for your content in November, spring/renewal ideas inspiring your content in April…and so forth.
Esquire magazine, as another example, defined a set of monthly themes they follow.
The Content Plan doesn’t have monthly themes, so to speak. It has an overall goal and message you want to get out there and be known for, and in your unique tone, voice, and style. Basically, everything you put out to the world is built around your overall goal and message, using your unique tone, voice, and style. The “how” of it is just the way your message is delivered, via your choice of “content vehicle” (blog, podcast, book, etc.)
You’re doing a lot of this naturally already. You’ve clearly defined your message, your position, your passion, your unique promise of value. And you’re delivering it regularly and with passion in your blog and podcast.
Hope that’s of use to you as well!
For FREE articles, tips, and strategies designed to catapult your content and electrify your business, sign up for our ezine, “The Inciter,” at EpiphaniesInc.com!
Posted in All About Content | 3 Comments »
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on Friday, June 8th, 2007 at 11:14 am and is filed under All About Content.
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June 7th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
 We’ve been writing a lot about blogs recently (and talking about blogs with clients and prospects as well). So when Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman - aka “The Blog Squad” - asked us to join them on their Blogging and Beyond radio show, how could we have said “No?” (That’s Patsi and Denise at right, in case you hadn’t already guessed.)
Plus, Allen met Patsi and Denise at Adam Urbanski’s “Attract Clients Like Crazy” boot camp last month, and liked them so much, it was a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, Lani won’t be joining the conversation due to a prior Wild Quills commitment, but Allen will be chatting with Denise and Patsi about content plans and why they’re so vital for your marketing and business success. Wanna listen in? Head over to the Blogging and Beyond website, where you’ll find a big ol’ graphic link to click and listen live at 6pm EST tonight!
And if you can’t make it, don’t worry - the shows are archived, so you can listen to the recording at a later date. Could it be any easier for you to check it out?
Posted in All About Content | No Comments »
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on Thursday, June 7th, 2007 at 12:12 pm and is filed under All About Content.
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June 6th, 2007 by Lani and Allen
Time: 14 minutes, 19 seconds. Click to listen below!
Featured Expert: Steve Forkey, SEO Director, WebAction Group
Summary: What you need in place with your website to get people to take the next step with you - whatever you want that step to be!
Teaser Quip: “New Hampshire is a pretty ‘wired’ state, so we’re the exception.”
Posted in ADD Info Summits | No Comments »
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on Wednesday, June 6th, 2007 at 1:52 pm and is filed under ADD Info Summits.
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June 6th, 2007 by Lani and Allen
Time: 16 minutes, 55 seconds. Click to listen below!
Featured Experts: Lani & Allen Voivod, aka “The Content Lovers,” Epiphanies, Inc.
Summary: Three prime points, nine newsworthy topics, the general template, and five big-picture tips for using news releases as part of your overall marketing and content success strategies.
Teaser Quip: “You’re dealing with the world’s greatest BS detectors when you’re dealing with reporters or anyone in the media.”
Posted in ADD Info Summits | 1 Comment »
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on Wednesday, June 6th, 2007 at 12:56 pm and is filed under ADD Info Summits.
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