I’m staring a new series here: Harty Nuggets! Every week, I’ll publish new insights and observations that caught my eye. Moved my heart. Stimulated my brain. And made my blood boil!

What am I observing exactly? That’s the fun of it! We’re talking TOTAL free-flow mode here. Rest assured, these are not off the cuff comments and opinions without some thinking behind them. Of course, you’ll be the final judge… and you can’t beat the cost, right?

Why am I doing this? Well, after 25+ years of marketing. And 50+ years of living, I’ve learned a few things along the way. (With the scars to prove it.) And by presenting these observations in list form, they’re easier for you to scan, consume, and benefit from!

In fact, these insights have yielded plenty of ROI and saved my bacon more than once. And if they can help save yours—all the better!

 My 9 Observations for the Week of January 8^th, 2012:

1. Tone setting first, goal setting second. I always feel better when I set the tone for the year first at a high level. Only then do I drill down to goals. Find out my 3-step process here.

2. Your network DOES equal your net worth. I spent years building up my network, and let it wither. No more. I’ve recently connecting with the following in my network:

• Business coach to Fortune 500 Companies (Like Wall-Mart and Firestone)
• A top Business Strategist that wants to include me in a global PR push
• One of the biggest SEO thought leaders on the web (First book published in 2002.)

TIP: Set aside time each week and reach out. BUT, don’t get attached to the outcome. Just connect and let things flow from there.

3. Masterminds are ALL POWERFUL. But there are some caveats. I am currently in three masterminds. One has over 90+ marketing and technology minds just an IM away on Skype. ALL in one place! (Because it’s a group.)
 
I’ve also had masterminds that failed. Make sure to set expectations. And find mastermind partners that share your values. But not necessarily your skill set.
 
4. Digital PR is NOT a magic cure. I talked with two colleagues today. One has had really good Online PR success. The other? Not so much. There are many reasons why. That’s why you follow a process. There’s a lot of valuable info about my Online PR methods right here on this site. Look around. Download something. Take action.
 
5. No matter what business you’re in, you’re in the expectations business.  Work with clients? Set the expectations before you do ANYTHING else. I recently had a situation that didn’t have client/agency roles clearly defined and we’re now in a bit of a conflict.
 
6. Story TRUMPS all. Was catching up with my friend and colleague David Bullock today. And we shared a similar lament. Too many businesses let tactics drive marketing and decision-making. Instead, focus on creating a compelling story first, then roll that out into which marketing vehicles are the best fit first.

Sure, I’m being Captain Obvious here. But then why do so few businesses get their story right? You don’t need to be a billion or million dollar brand to hatch the right story. You just need to think like one. It’s hard to argue with Apple, Nike, Virgin and all the others…
 
7. Have Webinars peaked yet? They no doubt will by the time I start doing them regularly. (LOL) Here’s the thing: if you’ve on a few marketers’ lists like me, you’re getting hammered with webinar announcements. Can you name 3 webinars you attended truly impacted your business in a positive way?
 
Yes, I get that webinars are cost-effective. And a great vehicle to sell. But SO many marketers do webinars and squander trust right from the get go. So even if they have good content, you might not stick around for it.

Webinar pet peeve: lots of joking around with the speakers in the beginning. My time is valuable. Don’t try and prove how clever you are. Get to the damn point!
 
8. Email marketing is tough. And getting tougher. Deliverability is down. Spam is up. Clickthrough rates are off. And clutter is everywhere. What’s a marketer to do? Here’s what THIS marketer is doing: I’m overhauling the operations side this month, and then the content side after that.

Take NOTHING for granted. And make email marketing part of your overall marketing strategy instead of being lazy and just sending out affiliate emails for a quick buck.

Email marketing pet peeve: FTC regulations state if you are an affiliate you need to identify yourself as such. How many marketers really do? From all the marketing emails I receive I’d say it’s less than 5%.  Can you really trust these marketers’ recommendations? Especially when they’re not transparent about their compensation (as the FTC requires) them to do as an affiliate?
 
9. What would my system do? No you don’t need a bracelet to remind you. First, do you even have systems? If not, check out the systems resources from my friend and colleague Beth Schneider at Process Prodigy.

Systems aren’t just for big companies or those with employees. I have an entire system that slots over 235 tasks I have into 8 buckets. Don’t you think that’s a lot easier to manage than a task list that goes on for pages? And even worse, makes you feel guilty you’re not getting enough of them done fast enough?

That’s it for last week’s observations. This week I’ll have a whole new batch. And I have no idea what they’ll be. Stay tuned!

Please comment: which observation do you connect with most?

9 NOT So Random Marketing And Business Observations is a post from: 30 Minute PR

Planning for 2012? Listing your resolutions? Find yourself repeating the same unproductive habits and behaviors from year to year? Answered yes to any of those questions? Then keep reading! Because this will forever change how you see, plan and live the coming year and the ones that follow…

Bold words? Yes. Can I back it up? Absolutely. And it’s not mine alone. It’s something I’ve evolved over the years and now it’s here for you now…

You see, I’ve always put a premium on personal evolution. In essence, uncovering new tools and tactics, methods and mindsets to make the most of our precious time on this earth. And to do so in accelerated fashion.

So today is a special treat for me…I can finally reveal this unique approach that I have yet to see documented or practiced anywhere else.  

 Ready to get started? Lets do it…

Follow These 3 Steps And Make Every Year Worth Living

Do you have to complete all 3 steps? No. Will you success increase by doing all three? He## Yes!

Step #1: Look back to 2011 and List Your Accomplishments

Do you beat yourself up with not getting more done? Me too. Here’s the rub. We don’t acknowledge what we DID COMPLETE. As soon as we get something done, it’s on to the next thing on our list.

So look back on what you did accomplish. I list my accomplishments in three categories:

• Personal accomplishments
• Professional accomplishments
• Spiritual accomplishments

If you have other or more detailed categories, that’s fine too.

When you do this exercise, you’ll be surprised at how much you really did. If you need a cheat sheet or thought starter to jog your memory, read this great article by Jack Canfield. He lists over 24 different questions to ask yourself.

Now that you’ve had a look back, let’s look ahead shall we?

Step #2: Brainstorm Goals Following The S.M.A.R.T Criteria

Years ago I learned about creating S.M.A.R.T. goals. And yes it’s an acronym that I will reveal in just a moment. Why smart goals? Because too many times with too many people their goals are fuzzy. Or too pie in the sky.

Here’s a good goal rule of thumb I learned from a business coach: if you reach all your goals, you’re not setting them high enough. If you reach less than 50% of your goals, you are overly ambitious. A good goal completion rate to shoot for is 75%.

Major takeaway alert: there’s more at stake than just goals to complete here! Simply put, it’s about the person you will become in the process in completing those goals. Because the habits and practices you follow in goal completion will serve you far after they’re done.

Your S.M.A.R.T. Goal Checklist

 Here is how this goal criteria is defined:

 S = Simple

 M = Measureable

 A = As If Now

 R = Realistic

 T = Timed

I know what you’re thinking…what does “As if Now” mean? When you list your goals, use words and language as if you’ve already accomplished the goal. For example, instead of saying “I Will generate $20K revenue per month in June 2012 rephrase that to say “Generating $20K revenue per month in June 2012.”

You know why this is so important? Because the first approach is tentative. It may happen. It might not. Conversely, the second (and S.M.A.R.T way) is written as if it has actually happened. This approach is more empowering and serves notice to your unconscious mind that goal is indeed a reality.

The other characteristics of S.M.A.R.T goals are pretty obvious. By creating your goals following the S.M.A.R.T criteria you’re far more likely to have success. Try it and see for yourself. And let me know your results!

Step #3: Theme Your Year

This is my favorite! And it makes perfect sense. So often we get caught up with the micro, we forget the macro.

By having a simple theme you want the year to be about helps align ALL your activities towards one grand purpose.I’ll cover the theming process here at a high level. For more insights and details on this approach, reference this article on how to theme your year. 

Here’s how to theme your year for optimal results:

• The theme should be broad enough to cover ALL areas of your life, not just business (think business, personal and spiritual)

• Make the theme short and sweet: 1-2 words MAX

• The theme should be consistent with your values, mission and purpose

 Now how about some examples? Last year this was my theme…

 “2011: The Year of Abundance.” A look at this article will show you details for that theme.

And for the new year? “2012: The Year of Performance.” By performance, I refer to improving results by bettering my performance across all areas of my life.

I plan to manifest this theme in the follow ways:

• Optimize my web sites to perform better (more traffic, more sales)
• Perform better in my new role as a husband (I’ve been married for less than a year)
• Perform better physically: build my endurance in swimming laps
• Perform better spiritually: devote more time for meditation and attending church

See where I’m going with this? So have at it!

Please SHARE and comment: what’s your theme for 2012? And how will you manifest it?

3 Proven and Powerful Steps To A Better 2012 is a post from: 30 Minute PR

Editor’s note: this is the first in a series of best practices on building  highly effective swipe files. A swipe file typically contains someone else’s intellectual property you purchased. As such a swipe should be for your own use or for that of your marketing team.

Can you guess why I chose a vault image? Because my master swipe file is one of my most valuable resources. It’s my secret weapon. And one that always gives me instant leverage over the competition. Want to know why? Keep reading…

First, a question: do you have a swipe file? Do you even know what a swipe file is? And what’s the difference between a swipe file and a master swipe file? I’ll answer the second question first.

Before I tell you why a swipe file is so powerful, lets define it by what it is NOT. A swipe file is not a collection of marketing techniques giving you free reign to steal or plagiarize what someone else has already written or produced.

A swipe file is something you either a) buy or b) build on your own. A swipe file can be very narrow and specific. It can be digital or hard copy or both. Some example swipe files could include:

• Email subject lines
• Postcard mailings
• Video sales letters

“A swipe file is an easy-to-access resource of highly effective marketing techniques. These techniques are the “best of the best” and can be assembled, archived and retrieved via a variety of media and formats and methods, both online and offline.”

So what’s the difference between a swipe file and a master swipe file? Well, you’ll most likely have several individual swipe files as mentioned above. A master swipe file brings much needed organization, accountability and actionable results to how you manage and use your swipe files. I’ll talk more about master swipe files in parts II and III of “Anatomy of A Master Swipe File”

Chances are, you may have been assembling swipe files already and didn’t know it! But questions often arise, don’t they?

3 Critical Questions In Building Any Swipe File

As you can imagine, a little planning goes a long way. So before you buy or build any swipe file, ask yourself the following questions. That way, you can to zero in on how this particular swipe file can most benefit you.

Question #1: Why? Think “Thin Slicing” for one…

The easiest answer is it makes the absolute best use of our most precious resource. No, no money. Time. We’re overwhelmed with information. So if we can make decisions faster, even with limited information or time, that’s a good thing, right?

Malcolm Gladwell, author of “The Tipping Point” and “Blink”, defined the technique of “thin slicing” this way…

“As human beings we are capable of making sense of situations based on the thinnest slice of experience. I have an entire chapter in “Blink” on how unbelievably powerful our thin-slicing skills are.”

The Wikipedia page on “Blink” describe thin slicing this way: “Spontaneous decisions are often as good as—or even better than—carefully planned and considered ones. Gladwell draws on examples from science, advertising, sales, medicine, and popular music to reinforce his ideas.”

Do you have time to review 10 DVDs to uncover the best practices about Facebook? Probably not. But if you can get a cheat sheet or a swipe file about do’s and don’ts, which would give you enough to take action. (And you can always review those DVDS later and make enhancements on what you’ve already produced!)

It’s all about getting from learning to doing as fast as possible.  As someone who creates information products, I always keep in the back of my mind making  all my products easy for people to consume. All so you can take action. Because it does no good if you learn something but don’t apply it.

Another reason why we use swipe files? Reinforcement. Sure, we may have consumed the most important elements of a press release headline, but it’s good to refresh ourselves when we’re in crunch time and on a deadline.

Question #2: How will it be used?

I’ve already mentioned that It’s mandatory we use swipe files ethically. We don’t pilfer. We produce anew. By that I mean that the right way to use a swipe file is to “train your brain.”

When I review my swipe file of headlines you know what my takeaways are? Here are a few:

• The right structure (like “how to…”)
• Make a HUGE promise
• Use facts not claims
• If possible, profile someone who overcame a real problem
• Get the audience to keep read what’s next!

In essence, I’m getting in an ultra productive mindset of creating powerful headlines. I’m not relying solely on my experience. I’m referencing other successful headlines and those swipe files, both bought and built that further distill the success traits of a winning headline.

Question #3: What format allows the easiest access?

The answer depends on a few variables. First, what type of content and media are you swiping? If it’s “teaser videos” than obviously the format will be in digital form.

However, if your headline swipe file contains writing elements, it’s often better to print it out. You know why? Scrolling! You lose time because you’re scrolling back and forth, looking at swipe contents.

For example, I have a swipe file on “bullet copy.” Bullets are often the most powerful components of any copy, whether it’s a salesletter, an article, blog post or special report.

But not all bullets are alike. There are different categories and approaches. Different styles and structures. For me, it’s far more effective to have printouts of the bullet text spread across my desk. That way I can scan quickly and highlight the specific bullet approach that makes the most sense at that time.

Coming Next in “Anatomy of A Swipe File”…

Can you believe I’m at 1000+ words already? So I’ll wrap things up here and give you a preview of what’s coming next.

Because the term “swipe file” is somewhat common, it’s critical we all be on the first page. So Part I was all about the what and the why of swipe files as well as how to use them ethically and with high integrity.

Now that we’ve got a foundation to build on, here’s what you’ll discover next:

• THE 5 most important swipe files to have no matter what your business
• Manual vs. automated swiping
• My secret checklist on what to look for in buying swipe files
• Time-saving tips on assembling online swipe files
• How to share your swipe files with your team–ethically
• The power of “hidden” swipe files
• The “swipe file on the fly” method of taking notes
• And more!

I want your feedback? What questions or tips do you have on swipe files? Share them now!

Anatomy Of A Master Swipe File: Part I is a post from: 30 Minute PR

Welcome to a new year and a new decade! Now, get to work…

Well,  how about a way to make this year the best ever? Before you answer, know that what I suggest is more fun than resolutions. And more big picture than goal setting.

You see, rather than focus on the micro (resolutions) lets FIRST focus on the macro (your theme for the year.) Put another way, it’s about focusing on the high level strategy before drilling down to granular items like projects, tasks and goals.

What do I mean by a theme? Well, you’ve heard of the Chinese calendar, right? 2011 is the year of the Rabbit. 2010 was the year of the Tiger.

I look at a yearly theme in a similar way in this context: one word that covers your theme for the year. At a high level, it’s what the year will be about and  stand for. Your theme MUST be short. One or two words MAX. Why? It forces you to focus and prioritize, both good and necessary to live a successful theme.

I’ve been theming my years for a while. It’s a fun exercise that helps me focus on at a high level. Theming your year is also an ideal way to get out of overwhelm as well.

Your Theme = More Focus, More Fun, More Honoring Your Principles

How are those New Year’s resolutions working out? You may be beating yourself up right about now. And it’s natural to see why.

First, we dive head first into all sorts of bright, shiny productivity tools. This gives us a false sense of “I’ve got it covered“ syndrome. Next, we overload ourselves with unrealistic and overly ambitious plans. And before long, we’re blaming ourselves over unmet goals, unfinished to do’s, unrealized outcomes and more.

That’s not failure. That’s reality. A sage business coach gave me this advice and I’ll share it with you: if you meet all your goals, you’re not setting them high enough. If you meet less than 50%, you’re being too ambitious. So keep that in mind moving forward.

What’s a Theme Exactly?

No, not talking about WordPress. A theme essentially brands your year with a singular, overarching outcome. For example, the year I took 7 weeks off and traveled and biked From Texas to Vancouver and back was “The year of adventure.” Other past themes I have include, the year of “action”, the year of “transformation” and the year of “accountability.”

To brainstorm your 2011 theme, do this: sit back, relax, get comfortable and distraction-free, and then ask yourself these questions: “What do I want this year to really be about, exactly? How will I know the year is a true success?” How can I sum up my success in 2011 with a single word and have it speak to all areas of my life?

Next, see what comes up for you. Jot down what surfaces. There are no right or wrong answers. There are some tips to help you birth a theme that speaks to you. (Or if you are visual, a theme that’s the big picture. And for the kinesthetic folk out there, a theme you can really grab a hold of.)

Introducing My 2011 Theme:  “The Year Of Abundance”

Want an important success trait of a winning theme? The theme should cover ALL areas of your life: business, personal and spiritual. And that’s really the dynamic that makes for an effective theme – make it is broad enough to cover all areas of your life, not just business.

So what does this look like in more detail? Here are a few outcomes from me living my theme of abundance in 2011:

• Business abundance:
  • Launch a new product each month
  • Have my pick of speaking engagements: locally, regionally, nationally and globally
  • Generate an abundance of income via revenue streams from services, products, affiliate marketing, speaking and more
  • Grow my business network from attending more conferences and being more involved in my local community

• Personal abundance
  • Alter my diet and exercise regimen to have more energy
  • Get married this year!
  • Continue to grow my circle of acquaintances and friendships

• Spiritual expansion:
  • Start new mediation practices
  • Continue and expand new worship practices

See where I’m going here? Good. Now lets dig deeper into the rationale for theming your year.

Why Theme Your Year? Four Reasons…

There are a lot of reasons yet these four bubble up to the top…

Reason #1: helps eliminate distraction. A theme is a great filter to eliminate distraction as well as activity that does not serve you or support your theme. It gives you the power, the conviction and satisfaction of saying NO when the situation demands it without feeling guilty.

Reason #2: a wellspring of inspiration.  A theme helps you focus your energy and keep your motivation going all year long. So even if you get off track at some point, you have your compass to regain direction, which is your theme.

Reason #3: stand for something. As time goes by, we easily lose track of the day-to-day. In contrast, a theme is all-enduring. You’ll remember if for years, and with it, the accomplishments and victories that supported that theme.

Reason #4: accountability. A theme helps you be accountable to YOURSELF and to others, always a challenge for the entrepreneur.

3 Tips for a 2011 Theme That ROCKS

I’ve themed my years for some time and gained valuable insights along the way. So, here are some tips to successfully theme 2011 (and subsequent years)

1. Make the theme short and punchy: no sentences, one to three words MAX
2. The theme should be broad enough to encapsulate personal, professional and spiritual practices
3. The theme should be consistent with your values, mission and purpose

To get you started, here are a few themes from years past. Notice how each theme was representative of a major thrust for that particular year. (Indicated in parentheses.)

• The year of “Transformation” (career change)
• The year of “Growth” (Adding professional speaking to my repertoire)
• The year of “Adventure” (traveled for 7 weeks that year)

One more thing…

A theme for your year is one piece of the puzzle. You still want to set goals, and look at doing things differently and better as a way of evolving your effectiveness. I’ve talked about theming your year at length because the concept is new to many. And if you’re like me, once you do it, you’ll be hooked—for life!

So get after it people! Share your theme with me in the comments. I look forward to your inspired actions and can’t wait to see some mind-blowing themes.

Please comment: what’s your theme for 2010? And how will you manifest it?

And Your Theme for 2011 Is…? is a post from: 30 Minute PR

It’s so easy to get caught up with the micro that we forget the macro. In this case, did our work payoff? What results did we get? Can we track those results and connect the dots to the bottom line?

One way to answer those questions is to step back , gain perspective and then take a look and ask yourself one more question…

What were my “wins” for the week?

Now let’s define what I mean by a “win.” Here are a few examples:

• Successful completion of a project
• New client
• Launch a new product/service/website
• New speaking engagement
• Enthusiastic feedback on a presentation you gave recently
• Reaching your revenue targets
• Exceeding your revenue targets
• Blowing the doors off your revenue targets
• Getting a story published
• Media exposure: print, broadcast, online

The list above is by no means a complete one. Just enough to let you see where I’m going with this.

Do you know what all the above have in common? They’re specific. They’re outcome-driven.

So often we are in the middle of something that we forget to celebrate when we actually achieved something of distinction.

It’s important to take time to honor your successes. Because that’s the motivation that will keep all cylinders firing towards your next success.

So as a way of getting us started here are my wins for the week, publicity-wise:

• Radio Interview with 938LIVE: (largest English speaking news/talk radio station in Singapore
• PRWeb Webinar: “The Inside Scoop: PR and Marketing Strategy” This is great visibility and positions me as an Online PR expert. The announcement of this webinar went out to a mailing list of over 750,000 with an expected registrations of 6,000+!

Now it’s your turn. Do share. Because your successes will help inspire others. What are your wins for the week, publicity or otherwise?

Please share your successes with me in the comments below.

What are YOUR Wins for the Week? is a post from: 30 Minute PR

As I write this on New Year’s Eve, I’ve seen any number of articles and blog posts on resolutions, both positive and negative.

So I make the following promise: keep reading and you’ll learn a new way to plan and focus the coming year—and it’s not work, it’s really fun!

You see, rather than focus on the micro (resolutions) I focus on the macro (theme for the year.) In my thinking, big picture = strategy. And to me, nothing says big picture than my “theme” for the year.

What do I mean by a theme? Well, you’ve heard of the Chinese calendar, right?

2010 is the year of the Tiger. 2009 was the year of the Cow.

I take a somewhat similar approach with a theme. At a high level, it’s what I want the year to represent or stand for.

For example, when I took eight weeks off one year, which was “the year of adventure.” I lived that theme fully, having driven and cycled from Texas to the US west coast, up the coast to Canada and Vancouver, and then back through Montana, Colorado and back down to Texas.

Now once I have my theme, I focus not on resolutions, but what I call “shifts.” More about how I implement shifts in my next post.

I’ve been theming my years for some time now. It’s a fun exercise that helps me focus on what the year should represent at a high level. Theming your year is an ideal way to get out of overwhelm too.

How a theme helps you set the tone for the year ahead

Let’s face it: we arm ourselves with the latest in productivity tools, and before you know it we’re beating ourselves up over unmet goals, unfinished to do’s, unrealized outcomes and more. However, by focusing on the big picture first, often the micro-related items fall naturally into place.

Simply sit back, relax, get comfortable and distraction free, and then ask yourself this question: “What do I want this year to really be about, exactly? How will I know the year is a true success?”

Next, see what comes up for you. Jot down what surfaces. There are no right or wrong answers. There are some tips to help you birth a theme that speaks to you. (Or if you are visual, a theme that’s the big picture. And for the kinesthetic folk out there, a theme you can really grab a hold of.)

Presenting my theme for 2010, drum roll please:

“2010: The Year Of Expansion”

This theme resonates on multiple levels: business, personal and spiritual. And that’s really the dynamic that makes for an effective theme – it is broad enough so it covers all areas of your life, not just business.

So what does this look like in more detail? Here are a few examples:

• Business expansion: I’m launching new products and services outside of the PR and publicity market
• Personal expansion: new experiences await including Comedy Improv training, traveling to Singapore and Malaysia and new workouts including swim training
• Spiritual expansion: new mediation practices, new worship practices and more

3 benefits to theming your year

Why theme?

Reason #1: The theme is a constant source of inspiration. It’s a great way to focus your energy and keep the momentum going all year long. So even if you get off track at some point, you have your compass to regain direction, which is your theme.

Reason #2: it helps your year stand for something. We may lose track of day-to-day to do’s, but a theme is all-enduring. You’ll remember if for years, and with it, the accomplishments that supported that theme.

Reason #3: Third, and perhaps most important, it helps you be accountable to YOURSELF and to others, always a challenge for the entrepreneur.

3 Tips for a successful and inspiring 2010 theme

I’ve themed my years for the last 8 years and I’ve learned some valuable insights along the way. So, here are some tips to help successfully theme your 2010 (and subsequent years)

1. Make the theme short and punchy: no sentences, one to three words MAX.
2. The theme should be broad enough to encapsulate personal, professional and spiritual practices.
3. The theme should be consistent with your values as well as your mission and purpose.

To get you started, let me share a few themes from years past. Notice how each theme was representative of a major thrust for that particular year. (Indicated in parentheses.)

• The year of “Transformation” (career change)
• The year of “Growth” (Adding professional speaking to my repertoire)
• The year of “Adventure” (traveled for 7 weeks that year)

So get after it people, let’s see what kind of theme you can come up with. Share your theme with me in the comments below. I look forward to your inspired actions and can’t wait to see some mind-blowing themes.

Please comment: what do you think of theming and what’s your theme for 2010?

Story highlights and action steps:

• Time to review: 12 minutes
  • Focus on the big picture, create a theme for the year
  • Theme should cover business, personal and spiritual areas of your life
  • Your theme should be short and follow the Chinese New Year Formula
  • Example: “2010: the year of completion”
• Action Steps:
  • Brainstorm your theme
  • Share your theme with others, get feedback and pick one
  • Once you have your theme, list some goals that are supportive of that theme

Big Picture-Wise, What’s Your Theme for 2010? is a post from: 30 Minute PR