Big Hit Bits

Make Your First Run a Double Black Diamond!

By Chuck Sink

I used to think the way to begin a day on the slopes was with a nice intermediate cruising run to warm up and graduate into the more challenging terrain. As an expert (bordering on extreme) skier, I would wonder why I would get out of rhythm when I hit the steep bump (mogul) runs and be disappointed with my performance. It wasn't until my second or third expert run before I regained full confidence in my ability and really enjoyed the steeps, bumps and tree skiing.

Sometime last ski season, without really thinking, I found myself on a "double black diamond" first run of the morning. For you non-skiers and snowboarders, "double black diamond" is the designation for hazardous: experts-only in trail difficulty. At first I was intimidated and thought: I'm not warmed up enough for this! Then I just went for it and skied with flawless rhythm. I had some of the most fun of my life skiing that run and all subsequent runs that day. Even the easy cruisers were more enjoyable and relaxing.

On my next several outings, I tried this new approach to starting the ski day. Now I always make my first run a double black diamond and I'm a better skier and a better businessman as a result.  (Yes, it's me in the photo.)

Please note well: I'm not suggesting that beginner or intermediate skiers ever endanger themselves on an experts-only ski trail. This advice is for more advanced skiers and likewise, experienced businesspeople. I would never suggest that an entry-level office administrator set the strategy agenda and lead a corporate board meeting.

So, why do I make this connection with business? Because doing what is hardest first sets a tone for excellence and emboldens further successful action. In skiing when the legs are fresh and the performance expectation is high, there is no preconceived notion of ease nor fear of difficulty. You attack the trail with vigor, strength and confidence. How does that sound for setting the right tone for business?

Tackle the most difficult task on your plate first thing. Then prioritize subsequent tasks accordingly and you'll have a more productive, fulfilling day as a result. You will accomplish much more than you would by staying in your "comfort zone."

Try this approach with your to-do list and I'll see you on top of the mountain.

A Special Farewell Note

By Scot Villeneuve

If there is one consistent business lesson I have to learn (and relearn) it is that change is inevitable!  When Big Hit Media first began in 2004, we were strictly a digital studio focused on design and animation.  Since then we've grown significantly - like a child going from infancy to 6-years old, sometimes I can hardly believe the growth and change!

This certainly has not been the journey of just one person, but a team of dedicated and talented professionals.  Not the least of whom is Chuck Sink, Executive Vice President of the firm.  Chuck has been pivotal in the rise of Big Hit Media from a small, specialty website design company, to a full-service communications firm.  Chucks salesmanship and marketing expertise have helped to shape the Big Hit Media brand.

In keeping with the unpredictable nature of business, and life, we must say "farewell" to Chuck.  My dear friend and talented colleague will be leaving Big Hit Media as of Friday February 12th.  This split cannot be construed as negative for either party.  Big Hit Media continues to be a vibrant and healthy company, while Chuck pursues his dreams and new goals elsewhere.

I personally have nothing but the highest regard for Chuck - he will always be part of the Big Hit Media family and my family.  I know continued success awaits Chuck in all his future endeavors.

The Executive Summary of Social Media for Business

By Chuck Sink

Time and Money

Businesses that are considering an investment in social media programs need to consider the cost of time as much as, if not more than, money spent on developing them. In business, time is money. For a social media program to be effective it must have a committed individual or team behind it.

 

Familiarity

The reason social media works for business development is because people prefer to do business with people they know and like.After all, who goes to complete strangers first when in need of something?

 

Efficiency

Social media participation can exponentially expand one's business connections. Connecting with new friends online is easy and fast. If you are a player in the community or your business category, others in your immediate circle will be happy to help you connect with potential customers or professional associates.

Trust

Chances are, if you have a friend who knows someone you want to know, that someone will trust your approach because of your common friend. When you reach out with value and relevancy, people will follow you willingly and you'll build your networks.

Referrals

Ask any Facebook or Twitter user if they've ever asked for advice on a large purchase, given such advice to a friend, or recommended a professional service to someone. It goes on all the time! Business deals are happening online before actual meetings take place because of the efficiency of communication and the mutual trust that is engendered in social networking circles.

Recruiting

More and more professional jobs are being found on Linked in as recruiters are discovering the power and scope of this network. The same goes for Facebook.

Questions to help form a Social Media Strategy

• What first? Blog, Facebook, Linked in, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Website...?
• Who is our target audience and how are they currently using social media?
• What are we doing that's remarkable, newsworthy or valuable to our audience?
• Would someone want to forward our information to their friends and colleagues?
• Are we ready to listen and learn from valid criticism as well as receive praise?
• How can we improve our business by responding to patterns of feedback?

First Steps

1. Key individuals in the organization should have completed profiles on Linked in and work to grow their connection network. Active personal Facebook accounts are also recommended. Facebook bridges social and business connections effectively.
2. A business Facebook page should be established and populated with relevant images, photos, videos, articles and links. "Fans" of the business can be invited through employee Facebook accounts as well as email invitations, blog posts and other marketing channels.
3. Consider a Twitter account. The search tools are excellent for finding trending discussions and thought leaders in your category. Microblogging on a consistent basis can organically grow your following nationally and worldwide.
4. Make the commitment to research and learn the available applications and dedicate the time to post valuable, relevant material for your audience. Look for opportunities to answer questions posted by people in your networks.
5. Be true to your personal and corporate brand in your messages. Work for online strategic awareness: being known for the reasons you want to be known!

Conclusion

The explosion of social media use in just the past two years is astounding. The amount of available information written about it for business use can be overwhelming. Common sense and a mind toward value-driven information will help shape an effective social media program. Think attraction more than promotion. Stated another way, instead of the David Ogilvy approach, use the Dale Carnegie approach.

Remember to Save the date - March 2, 2010

The New Media are Changing the (Business) World

More than you may know...

By Chuck Sink

Beyond basic survival, the greatest need of all human beings is to be appreciated by others. We all crave the recognition and praise of our peers. This trait of humanity is what Dale Carnegie leveraged to create a vaunted worldwide training organization.

 

Social Media, like business networking, is more effective the more you participate and add value to the discussions. It can vastly extend your reach by connecting you to people with whom you would otherwise have no access or direct contact.

If you have a large and active Facebook-Twitter-Linked in network, you may have become familiar with some people's personalities without ever having met them. You begin to notice trends and patterns in what topics tend to resonate toward further discussions. You can immediately see how people need to express themselves, be noticed and even try to out-do one another.

Like the schoolyard playground, the social playground of online networking would be a great environment to conduct a study on human nature and societal dynamics. I would assume that's being done somewhere. The point I'm about to make is one that I believe should be a wake up call to business owners and their advertising/marketing people. The Social Media marketplace is at the very least "required reading" and, more realistically, the most important potential audience your brand has ever had!

If someone posts a shiny object and a lot of people comment, someone else is bound to post an even shiner one and many in the discussion thread may say "Wow!" and re-post, re-tweet or forward it to others! The viral marketing power of this phenomenon is tremendous! It gives ordinary people extraordinary abilities to reach a wide and willing audience with their ideas. What's new here is the stunning number now actively participating in Social Media - hundreds and hundreds of millions! Facebook alone has already surpassed 350 million users and the growth pace hasn't waned.

Those who are nodding their heads, you know what I'm talking about! Those who still think social media is a fad or are chagrined by it's sudden emergence, does this add some perspective?

There still exist out-dated corporate policies that arbitrarily block social media use by employees. What a missed opportunity!

"Examples mount up daily of new business opportunities found and deals closed online before any competition had a chance to make a pitch."

Only One Man's Experience:

• Just last week I spotted a Facebook wall post seeking recommendations for good Web 2.0 developers. I responded immediately and made an appointment to discuss a substantial piece of business. The project is an excellent fit for us and it would be completely invisible to me were it not for Facebook! I would never have known this deal existed.
• I noticed a new job announcement from a former colleague and didn't know the company until I saw other people ask where she landed. Her answer was a firm I've previously called on. Turns out she's replacing the retiring marketing director. We connected on Facebook and will likely meet soon over possible allocations of a marketing budget.
• I now have unsolicited business prospects following me on Twitter. (That tells me to post things valuable to them!)

Social media has been a factor in other business I've gained. These are just my own concrete results in a B2B environment.

The consumer driven conversations about brands and products go on like wildfire out there. Retail and consumer product organizations need to be in the middle of this. Their managers and salespeople should be flanking units in the marketing battles for consumers' attention. It would be wise for any company to use their employees to fortify their social media strategies. Consistency of mission and message needs to be set and adhered to but also adaptable to patterns of feedback.

The true power of social media to liberate individuals, the self-employed and small businesses is awesome. As little as 5 years ago an organization needed to raise capital prior to launching an effective marketing campaign. Now one needs only a vision, a computer, internet connection and some time.

This is not the article to go into the myriad free applications available on Linked in, Twitter, Facebook and numerous blogging sites but their business networking and publishing capabilities may impress you as you dig into them.

Returning to my first premise about what what motivates people - recognition and praise - today's marketers and salespeople need to think carefully about how to position their offerings in the new media. Ask yourselves these questions:

• How can my product or service be seen as remarkable enough to talk about?
• How might it help my social media contacts be recognized for their resourcefulness?
• Why would someone want to forward (re-tweet) my information to friends and colleagues?
• Need we make improvements to our product/service to win the attention and praise of our social media audience?
• Are we willing to be thick-skinned and open-hearted concerning criticism and diversity of opinions?

Your answers to these questions will guide you toward successful social media marketing and relevancy in the new media marketplace.

In closing, I'd like to thank you for your interest in this article. I would also like to congratulate you for your inquisitive mind and excellent judgment in choosing what blogs to read! ;-)