Reviewed by Lois Geller

Reading this book reminded me of something and it tugged at the back of memory until it burst through.
Keats!

195 years ago, John Keats wrote a sonnet called On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer. Chapman was George Chapman and his translations of Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad struck Keats as rather splendid:

“… I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;”

That’s how I feel about Tamar Weinberg’s new book about Marketing on the Social Web and if I could write like Keats I’d compose a sonnet to her on the spot, perhaps borrowing those lines :

“… I heard Chapman Weinberg speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his her ken;”

It’s that kind of book, an eye opener, a gentle slap to the back of the head.

Just as Keats had read other translations of Homer, I’d read other books about the Social Web and I am on Twitter, Plaxo, Ecademy, Facebook and LinkedIn and I thought I was doing pretty well with them.

Then that new planet swam into my ken and I realized I’d been a village blacksmith tinkering with a jet engine.

This book is so comprehensive, that I learned about StumbleUpon (still not sure how that works), and delicious.com and RSS feeds, bookmarking and whole new worlds I’d only heard about. The 346 page volume is packed with all kinds of new opportunities, for people like me who love marketing.

Tamar (I don’t know her but I hope to be on a first name basis some day) starts from the start assuming her readers know nothing about the Social Web, and, compared to her, that’s a good bet no matter what readers think they know.

She holds your hand and in tight, readable prose walks you through this Wonderland. She tells you that it is really conversation marketing. She tells you how to do it (or get it done), how to get photos and video on social sites, what language to use (and not use), how to build your reputation and your following, and, most of all and dear to the heart of this direct marketer, how to use social sites to sell.

She tells you who’s already miles ahead of you (and why) and not to worry because you can catch up in no time – if you pay attention to Tamar, my new BFF.

Get this book, read it, read it again, keep it by your side and grow rich in your pajamas, working online at home, having fun and making friends even if you’re the marketing head of a Fortune 500 company.

P.S. I went to a local Barnes & Noble to buy a copy for my client, and they were sold out. That’s another good sign.

Many of our friends told us they loved the chicken, and named him Chicken Karma…(send out good things, and good things come back to you).

Then one of our creative people found an egg. He said the egg (when submerged in a glass of water) will crack, and then a chicken will emerge and grow bigger and bigger. When it is out of the water, it will then shrink down to a smaller size, and be hard as a rock.   

I was doubtful about  all of this, but we bought the eggs, and then watched in amazement as they hatched. The large one  in this photo, is after he’s  been in the water for about two days, and the little one is after he’s been out of  the water for a while.

He/She is not a sponge, but made of some hard substance, and I have no idea how this works. I just know  that it is a great little chicken, and a symbol to stay positive as this New Year begins to unfold…and great new things will begin to happen.

Let me know about the good things happening in your world, and we might send you one of these magic chickens!

In the meantime, we are launching our brand new Idea Incubator for companies who want to lift response to their email programs, websites and direct mail.

Email: loisgeller@loisgellermarketinggroup.com for more information.

My topic for my three hour seminar: How to Build Relationships With Your Customer Using Your Brand …Virtually! While I was preparing my session, I was wondering: why would a customer want a relationship with their dry cleaner? It is about trust, and delivering great service, and caring.

But, then the night before I was flying out, I tried on my own suit. I couldn’t even squeeze into it. My dry cleaner had somehow shrunk it and I had just worn it to Toronto only two weeks ago. So, I either bulked up two sizes or it was ruined.

I mentioned this to Nora Nealis, the President of the NCA, and Ann Hargrove, who works with her (pictured above),  They said it was probably “wet cleaned”, and had shrunk (thank heavens it wasn’t that I’d bulked up 15  pounds), and she said to mail her the suit when I came back to Florida. I sent it out to her today.

They have a lab on West 29th Street, and they analyze these things, so they can send out information and help dry cleaners not to do this to their customers. I’m one of those  people who just  silently defects. So, I’m searching for a new cleaner.

The dry cleaners that attended this brainstorming event are always the best and the brightest. I told them how to give their websites and their businesses a “brand personality”, and invite people to interact with them online. They can build loyalty, by having some fun with their customers, and starting contests, selling ancillary products. Some had never discovered the magic of search engines, or even tried offering Pick Up and Delivery as an online option.

One website we created at Lois Geller Marketing Group is Apthorp Cleaners (http://www.apthorpcleaners.com), and the owner, Debra Kravet was there. The website features a lady in red walking her dog, and Debra Kravet has expanded that brand to appear as posters on her windows, and in direct mail invitations, and a host of other programs she’s working on now. Soon her New York City trucks will have her “lady in red” doing many pickups and deliveries… which is really a moving billboard for her business.

Please visit her website: www.apthorpcleaners.com

One gentleman there has a dry cleaners in Belize. It is the only one in that country, and he built it from scratch… never having been in the business. He showed us his commercials, and we were all impressed. Here’s someone who has used his great ingenuity to build something wonderful and employ many people. He does quality work too.

So, all in all…it is a joy to teach dry cleaners how websites, and blogs and social media can all help them build their community outreach, and relationships with their customers and prospects.

About a month ago, I started wondering what would make an interesting Happy Holidays card to send clients and friends.

We’ve come up with some pretty funny cards in previous years but this year’s not looking all that funny – so I was stumped.

Then I remembered Donald, the artist.

I called and asked him if he could paint us an image to represent new beginnings – fresh starts for the coming year. I didn’t want Christmas trees, Santa Claus or palm trees with lights on them.

He said, “How about a baby chicken?”

Hmmm. Let’s take a look.

A few days later, I drove over to Donald’s and he showed me an acrylic painting of a small yellow chick emerging from the whitest of cracked eggs on a green and red background.

I loved it.

We created a card using it with a straightforward headline: We asked our friend Donald to paint a holiday card. He painted this chicken.

On the inside, the copy reads: He said the holidays for him mean “new beginnings” like this baby chicken. We wish you a new beginning, new hope and fresh starts this year. All the best, Lois Geller Marketing Group. We’re a new chicken too (after 14 years as Mason and Geller Direct).

Then, by a total fluke, I came across a place that sells realistic fake eggs. Put one in a bowl of water for a few days and a yellow chick emerges. It comes out bigger than the egg. It’s fun to watch. I bought a bunch of them and sent each out with a card.

So, if you’re not yet on my Christmas card list, here’s to all of our new beginnings this 2009. It’ll be a good year to help a friend, do random acts of kindness and create good karma in bad times – may they be oh so short.

UPDATE

I posted this on Linkedin and got a great response… here’s a few:

Doug King
Sales Strategy Team at United States Postal Service
I love it! It is different and fresh, ties in the holiday season with your message, and is therefore relevant. All of this means it will be remembered pleasantly, and your organization will be reflected well from that memory. Can’t ask for more than that from a greeting!

Ted Polmar
Co-Owner/Vice President at Marketshare Communications, Inc.

What comes to mind is a simple statement “you know life is too short” to grapple such stuff. In light of the economic crisis, the wars in the
Mid East, the mortgage issues, the automobile industry bailout… Isn’t it refreshing to see a little chick bringing life into the coming year.
Not everything needs to be filtered the the overly sophisticated opinions of every so called intellectual to just get the point….

Happy New Year… and we’re thinking about you… all the other blah blah blah is just useless banter.

Bill Murphy
Marketing Strategist, Owner of PurpleCrayon Direct

Lois,

I’m all about the human touch, for a number of reasons:

1. I think business people take themselves too seriously. They could use a little “down home” cheer to help burst their self-important bubbles.

2. Relationship marketing requires the human touch. After all, what is a relationship but one human being (in this case, figuratively speaking) touching another?

3. If most people stick with the “corporate or sophisticated” approach, which approach do you think will stand out from the rest — your Chicken Karma holiday card? Or a more traditional corporate card?

4. I always prefer to work with/for people with a sense of humor, folks who aren’t afraid to bend the rules, to show a little personality, to have — gasp! — fun on the job. So I’ve always appreciated the non-traditional approaches. People who aren’t afraid to color outside the lines are always the ones I want as clients, employers, or co-workers.

I think you’ll find people will remember Lois K. Geller and her agency long after they’ve forgotten other agencies/vendors/business contacts that chose to send traditional holiday cards this year. So no matter how you slice it, I think what you did was both smart and fun.

And isn’t that what direct marketing is all about?

Cheers (and a heapin’ helping of Chicken Karma),

Bill

Per Lofving
Senior Director at McGraw-Hill Construction

I am a little discouraged this year by all of the email cards – few offer any humor or passion – and most claim to be “green” simply because the sender did not send anything on paper. On top of that, because the ecards are so easy and cheep to send, I’m getting them from many people and businesses that I don’t really know. One exception is a card that also includes a contribution to a tree planting project – that at least means that the sender has invested more than just hitting the send button.

Donald Condit wrote:

Hi Lois — I love the chick.  I almost always steer clients away from a corporate voice.

The trick for many — like my regional bank and others — is to persuade customers that they are getting a more personal relationship with this client without having to sacrifice anything that our clients’ big-city competitors can offer.

Everyone responds to a personal approach, but they will put up with impersonal treatment (despite intense resentment) if they think it’s necessary to get what they need — especially in such categories as banking or other high-end or services or services related to personal risk.

This came through loud and clear in lots of groups we ran for this bank.

Now, as for the bleak outlook for the year…   We often send clients a basket of interesting treats revolving around a relevant theme.  For our friends up the road from you, in Stuart, we just sent a basket full of reminders (products) of terrific companies, products and ideas that were born during the Great Depression or subsequent recessions.  It’s an impressive lineup.  We celebrated creativity and courage — and, I hope, inspired this client to persevere despite market pressures.

Besides all of that, I have to comment on your blog.  I love to read your writing.  What a pleasure it is!

Enjoy the holiday, my friend. Don

Kerry Colligan wrote:

Lois, I agree with your expectations for a “down” year, but I don’t immediately connect the “spring chicken” with new business beginnings. I’m not immediately seeing the strategy here. Is your overall brand message “we’re a new chicken, too”? I’d guess that’s an access point to a larger conversation about how MG uses DM in a contracting economy to help clients start to do business again.

If you’re going for “different” in the holiday communication channel, I think you’re there. I’m not sure it’s memorable.

Ruth P. Stevens
eMarketing Strategy

Lois, I just loved your card this year.  Thank you!  The new beginnings chicken is so sweet.  And let’s just hope the economy improves in ‘09! Yipes! My new beginnings involve getting back on my feet, which should be in another 4-6 weeks.  I am actually enjoying the time at home, since it’s allowed me to get caught up on many things.  Clearing out files, finishing projects, even balancing my checkbook!

Best wishes to you,
Ruth

If you’d like to win the original 9” X 12” New Beginnings Chick painting by Donald Sexauer, just share your new beginnings story below… The best story wins.