You’ve heard it before…it takes a long time to build, but can be destroyed in seconds.

Trust.

I came across a great article at The E-Commerce Guide about seven things you can do in your online business to help build trust. Let’s face it, if you land on a site and feel the least bit “at risk”, you’re going to move on.

What’s worse, you’ve spent money, time and energy getting visitors (and potential customers) to your site. Then, if you overlook one simple thing… see ya!

So, a quick summary of the 7 things you can do to build and establish trust online are as follows:

• Tell the customer where they are and what you do in an easy to understand fashion.
• Provide testimonials and reviews.
• Tell the customer when they’re buying something and what they’re buying.
• Show the customer you care.
• State your policies for privacy up front.
• Make your return policy clear and understandable.
• Provide a way to talk to a person.

All pretty obvious points, but easy to forget with the countless other things you have filling your mind.

Check out the full article at The E-Commerce Guide.

Sorry about dropping the “F” bomb…

Actually, no… I’m not sorry.

I wanted to talk about the importance of finding, defining, and refining your voice. And, the Brooklyn blog Fucked In Park Slope does an great job at demonstrating voice! Check it out…

Take a look at Fucked’s advertising page.
Want to write for FIPS?

The point is that this blog is congruent in all ways. FIPS doesn’t just use profanity, they are profane! The way the blog is written represents the blog, it’s writers, and defines the blogs voice.

What’s your voice?

• The tone of your writing.
• The syntax of your writing.
• Your vocabulary.
• Your use of punctuation.

Voice differentiates you… Voice conveys your personality… Voice makes you interesting.

In a world filled with way too much information, readers need to be entertained. Words on a computer screen without any personality (without voice) are torture to the reader. And, who the hell in their right mind is going to submit themselves to your written torture?

So here are a few tips for writing in your voice.

• Write as you speak. Same words, same slang, same shity grammer.
• Don’t worry about incorrect punctuation.
• Avoid editing your content while you write.
• Don’t use buzz words or jargon without reason.
• Tell personal stories in your writing.

There you have it. It isn’t difficult. But, way too many bloggers feel they have to write in a professional manner.

Do yourself a favor… no, do your poor readers a favor, and write in your own voice.

One of the most useful, but underutilized, Twitter features is the ability to organize your friends into lists, or groups. Unfortunately, figuring out how to use Twitter lists is left up to you. And, Twitter doesn’t do a very good job explaining the benefits of using lists.

Why use Twitter lists?

• Easily follow thousands of friends without getting overwhelmed.
• Stay focused on topics and conversations.
• Increase your friend count… and find new friends.
• Eliminate Tweets that are spam from your Twitter stream.

So, here is a breakdown of creating, organizing and managing your Twitter friends using lists.

Think of Twitter lists as groups of friends.

You already categorize your friends into groups in your daily life. Your groups might include family, co-workers, former classmates, special interest friends (gym, clubs, organizations, charities, etc.), and social friends.

Keeping your friends separated avoids conflicts.

Just like in your real life, keeping your friends separate is usually a good idea. You probably don’t want to spend too much of your time away from work with your co-workers talking shop, and it wouldn’t be a good idea to spend your work day socializing with your buddies from the club…

Planning your Twitter lists.

Before you set up your first Twitter list, think about the people you’re friends with on Twitter and what general category they fall into in your life. If you’re new to Twitter, think about the people you would like to connect with.

I suggest setting up a few general lists at first, and then get more specific. It’s easy to change what list a person belongs to later on.

Setting up your first Twitter lists.

So, for the sake of getting started, let’s say your going to create three lists:

1. Social Friends
2. Business Friends
3. Surfing Friends

Your first step is to log into Twitter. I’m going to keep this very simple, but almost every popular Twitter client (Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, Seesmic, Tweetie, etc) allow you to create Twitter lists within their applications. But, I’m just focusing on the actual Twitter web site here.

Next, scroll down and look under the search box in the right hand column on your Twitter page for the link “New List” and click on it.

You’ll then be presented with a box that lets you enter the name of your list, a brief description of the list, and the option to make your list public or private. After you’ve filled everything in, click the “Create List” button.

Do the same for all three lists.

Adding  friends to your Twitter lists.

Now that you have your lists set up, it’s time to add people to them!

If you already have friends on Twitter, all you need to do is click on their profile and click on the “Lists” link. A drop down will show up with your lists on it. Place a check mark in the list you would like the friend to be added to.

That’s it! As you continue to find new friends on Twitter, just remember to put them into the appropriate lists.

Following other peoples lists.

Another great way to use the list feature on Twitter is to see who other people are friends with on their lists.

To do this, simply click on the profile of one of your friends and look about half way down on the navigation menu on the right hand side of their Twitter page. Lists are displayed as, @Tweetalize/techies .

You can then follow the entire list, or pick and choose people that you would like to add to lists that you have created.

Keep it simple, keep it organized.

Remember, the basis for using lists is to help organize the people you follow into manageable groups. Hare are a few tips…

• Begin with broad lists. Try family, work and one hobby. It’s easy to refine your lists later and move your friends around.
• Only put friends that you socialize with on a regular basis on your lists.
• Keep lists under 150 friends. If your list gets bigger, break it into smaller groups that are more refined.

That’s it!

Once you start using Twitter lists, you’ll wonder how you ever kept track of your friends without them!

Feedly has been my reader of choice for quite a while, and the video about will give you a tour of some of the features and a sense of what Feedly is all about.

If you’re an entrepreneur, please take this advice: NEVER GET MARRIED!

Why would an intelligent person such as yourself ever get married when you know it will surely hold you back from success and guarantee you a life filled with missed opportunity, regrets and disappointment?

Wikipedia defines marriage as, “a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship.”

Sounds harmless enough… right? Think again!

Now, I’m not talking about the marriage between two people head-over-heels in love and wanting to spend the rest of their life together. And, for the record (as well as my continued life of bliss), the best day of my life was when I married my wife of 22 years @galapagosnews.

What I am talking about are entrepreneurs that get married to things, entities, brands and companies.

This week I was exchanging ideas with a very well respected internet marketer. Of course, the conversation included some discussion about the soon to be released iPad. I happened to say something like, “just like you do on your iPhone”. To which my friend responded, “I’m not sure… I don’t have an iPhone”. Oh, I thought… she must be rocking a Droid! Nope. A Blackberry? Nah…

This very successful marketer was using an outdated, antiquated, turn-of-the-century (exaggeration) flip phone.

But, why?

It was because this otherwise very intelligent person didn’t want to change cell phone providers! She reasoned that she had been with this company for more than four years and was very happy with them.

She was married to her cell phone provider. And, what’s worse is that they are about as faithful as Tiger Woods and Jessie James!

Now, I understand not changing a provider because of crappy coverage. And, I understand that it sucks if you get whacked with an early termination fee (which wasn’t even the case here). But, come on… if you’re not using the latest technology yourself, how can you expect to influence the masses when you don’t understand their world?

Entrepreneurs simply cannot afford to be married. It will end up costing big time in the end.

As a business person, you can’t be faithful or committed to any technology, company or brand. You have to be ready to say, “NEXT…” and just move on.

You should enjoy playing the field, and look forward to experimenting, and be open to new things.

Seriously now…

I’m looking at the cover of Fast Company magazine right now on my kitchen table. The cover pictures two little children (probably five or six years old) with smart phones. The headline reads, “The Real Smart Phone Revolution, How Tech Is Making Kids Smarter Everywhere”.

That should open your eyes.

Ditch your flip phone and abandon your My Space page. Go out and get  yourself a smart phone with a Facebook and Twitter app…

I’m a firm believer in going back to the basics every once in a while. With all of the fast-paced changes in online marketing, there are a few concepts that just don’t seem to deviate much. And, how Google search works is one of them.

Don’t get me wrong, Google is always hard at work changing and modifying algorithms to keep search engine results a step ahead of the latest scam. But, for the legitimate blogger and marketer, the basic stuff to keep in mind (and the stuff that will truly make a difference in the ranking of your web site) has remained consistent.

One of the most important goals for any marketer is getting found on the Internet. As it becomes easier, and in most cases free, to get a website or blog up and running, the amount of competition out there increases exponentially! Even if it isn’t direct competition in a business sense, the competition for a persons attention is becoming extremely difficult to gain.

Check out the video above from one of the most well known Google experts… Matt Cutts.

Learn how Google searches and then write your content with that knowledge in the back of your mind.

Have fun…

“I’ve decided to follow someone at random. She likes peanut butter and gummy dinosaurs. Sarah Killen, your life is about to change.”

And, that it did…

@LovelyButton (aka Sarah Killen) went from a pretty quiet Twitter existence to almost 30,000 followers literally overnight. And it gets even better. Soon after Sarah received a new iMac, a free wedding gown, gratis wedding rings, $2,600 in donations for her cancer walk, and the chance to meet Ludacris. Sarah has also invited Conan to be a guest at her wedding…

What’s the point?

The point is not that Sarah was lucky. Nor is the point that savvy businesses quickly realized the opportunity in giving Sarah a bunch of free stuff hoping to tag along in her extensive media coverage.

The point here is that Sarah’s fifteen minutes of fame came as a result of her being in the game.

And now, if Sarah is a hustler, she will cash in on her new found fame. Because it won’t last long.

Do you see where I’m going here?

Your business MUST have a social media presence. A Twitter and Facebook account are as essential as having a website, phone, business card and sign hanging on your storefront. It’s not an option.

And, as you can see from Sarah’s story, the payoff can be astronomical.

Here’s an example I had pre-Twitter days to drive the point home.

In 2006, I set up an e-commerce site for our retail store. Our store sells thousands of SKU’s and I was working on this project by myself which limited the number of products I could realistically track. My wife (aka @galapagosnews ) suggested a certain brand to start with that was selling well in our boutique. I worked every night after work from early November until mid January getting the site going.

Finally, our site was live. It was far from perfect, but now, I was in the game… even if it was only with one brand that we sold.

Exactly 18 days after I finished the site, Oprah mentioned this particular brand on her show and our site was bombarded with orders. This was our Conan moment…

In less than 30 days, we went from $0 to over $200,000 in online sales. It was insane!

Was I lucky?

No. I was in the right place at the right time. I was in the game.

So, let this be the day you get your business in the social media game. If you don’t have a Twitter or Facebook account, get one now. It will take you just a few minutes and cost you nothing.

But, if you don’t get on board with social media marketing for your business, it will cost you. And, it could potentially cost you a lot!

Don’t risk missing your Conan or Oprah moment.

Remember, you have to be in it to win it…

Those are all part of it. But, there’s much more to it when you look at it from a marketing point of view.

As retailers, we need to pay close attention and look deep into trends as they’re taking shape. We especially need to sit up and “listen” when consumers are doing things that can have a direct impact on our business.

So, what kind of opportunity does all this Twitter hold for your business?

Look for a second at the technology. New reports forecast that Apple will sell 50 million phones in 2011, and more than 80 million in 2012, as worldwide expansion and popularity of the iPhone continues to grow. Last April, the 50 millionth Blackberry phone was sold. And, now the new kid on the block, the Droid, is shaking up the smart phone world. What do all of these phones have in common? GPS technology… your location can be pin pointed to within a half mile radius.

And, as these smart phones become less and less expensive, the majority of consumers will be trading in their old cell phone for a flashy new smart phone as their contracts come up for renewal. Google has a huge interest in making sure that all the world has a smart phone as they move into mobile ads. Do you think it would be difficult for Google to give away their Nexus One droid phones? The answer, of course, is no. Not considering the enormous revenue potential of splashing ads on your phone.

Well, back to the games.

There are a few players that have big financial backing (which tells you a lot) including FourSquare, Gowalla and Yelp.

The concept is simple. You download the app onto your phone and check into places you frequent throughout the day. As you check in, you see who else has been there. You also usually find a trivial object that you can keep, leave or swap. It’s just a virtual prize… for now.

But what about you as a retailer? How valuable is that information?

Think about this scenario. Jane Smith is within a half mile of your dress shop. And, Jane Smith has just left Sally’s Salon and is now at Rachel’s Shoe Emporium. How powerful would it be for you to be able to send a coupon to Jane for 25% off any dress purchased today as she checks into Rachel’s on Gowalla!

This is location based marketing. And, the sooner you get in on it the better. And the way you can get in on it now is by participating and playing the location game.

Every single, retailer and marketing professional must have a smart phone. NOW!

Pay the damn upgrade fee, pay the early termination fee, and pay whatever you need to get a smart phone today if you don’t already have one. You can’t afford to be in the dark on the impact that social media and location based marketing will have on your business.

Then get these applications from Gowalla, FourSquare and Yelp and use them. Understand them and think about the marketing potential.

You’ll hear much more about location based marketing and location based media in the days to come. But, the only way to truly understand what it’s about is to get in on it.

Have fun, play the location game and cash in your virtual currency a little bit later.

As is the case with virtually all of the Twitter apps available for the iPhone, you need to weigh the pros and cons and decide for your own particular use what is most important. Or, as I do… you can use different Twitter apps for different purposes.

Here are some of the features that I found to be brilliant on the HootSuite iPhone Twitter client:

• Multiple account management. I have several different Twitter accounts, for various businesses I own… and a couple of personal accounts. Having the ability to manage all of these accounts from a single app is HUGE! While HootSuite is not the only iPhone app that allows you to do this, it does make it incredibly easy and intuitive. Sending a Tweet from a single, or multiple accounts is as easy as tapping the profile pictures at the top of the screen.

• Tracking Statistics on the go. In theory, this is great. HootSuite allows you to view the stats from your Tweets containing links that you have sent. In an esthetically pleasing line chart, you can view the click thru of all of your ow.ly links that you have Tweeted. The only drawback here is that the link must be sent via HootSuite using the ow.ly link shortener. I prefer to shorten links with my URL as the root, which makes this feature not as useful to me.

• Scheduling Tweets. I’m a BIG fan of using time wisely and scheduling Tweets when appropriate. I won’t go into the power of effectively scheduling Tweets right now… that will be in another post coming soon. But, I can tell you that spreading out Tweets over peak time periods will dramatically increase your social media marketing efforts. HootSuite allows you to easily schedule Tweets, and re-Tweets, to be posted to your Twitter account at a future time.

• Twitter lists. Lists are an integral part of my time management and social media strategy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to view my Twitter lists on HootSuite for the iPhone. But, I’m confident that this will be addressed and added to the standard features.

UPDATE: I found the list feature. It’s a little buried, but HootSuite does have the ability to keep track of the lists you make on Twitter.

• Attaching pictures and link shortening. The ability to attach images and automatically shrink links is pretty much expected in every iPhone Twitter client… nothing that stands out here above and beyond the competitors.

Bottom line…

HootSuite is an excellent overall Twitter client for the iPhone. I would recommend for business use as well as personal use for Twitter management.

Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons…

Pros: Ability to managing multiple accounts, send Tweets from multiple accounts simultaneously and Tweet scheduling.

Cons: Stats are only useful when using ow.ly shortening, unable to use lists (see update above).

Price: $1.99

Twitter: @hootsuite

Well, it isn’t. And, that could be dangerous for the retailer spending valuable time (and resources) using social media in their marketing efforts. If there isn’t a clear idea of what’s trying to be accomplished, you stand the risk of actually losing business by using Twitter! The time you put into Tweeting, or paying someone to Tweet, could be spent elsewhere… with a higher ROI.

Take a second and read the following definitions to get a better understanding of the jargon that gets thrown around way too casually in the marketing world.

A simple definition of advertising is… “To announce or praise (a product, service, etc.) in some public medium of communication”.

That covers a lot. That can be Twitter, Facebook, print ads, radio, television, direct mail, or you standing in front of your business yelling at every passerby. Advertising is a verb, an action.

Branding, on the other hand, is defined as, “to impress indelibly, to mark or label”.

A good way to remember what branding means is to think of cowboys branding cattle. That’s right… the gaucho taking that red-hot iron and searing the hide of a steer. The origin of the word actually means to burn.

Finally, let’s look at what promoting is. The definition here is, “to encourage the sales, acceptance, etc., of (a product), esp. through advertising or other publicity.”

So, what are you doing with Twitter and your social marketing? Are you branding, advertising or promoting your business?

Let’s get technical for a minute here… the act of Tweeting is advertising. The message you Tweet could be branding or promoting depending on what you Tweet. Here’s where you really need to consider what the goal of your social media marketing is and craft your messages carefully.

BRANDING is great for large companies that are vying to capture market share. Think of businesses like Coke and Pepsi. Much of their advertising is geared at burning their logo, or a lifestyle image, in your mind; literally. It has less to do with getting you to physically pull the trigger and trade your hard earned money for their product.

Social media, in my opinion, is not the optimum platform for branding a product or company. But, it is a great method of promoting.

Using Twitter to PROMOTE business is where spending your time and resources will offer the best return on your investment.

Sending Tweets that “encourage an action” are a very powerful.

As the owner of two different retail businesses, sending Tweets that cause followers to take an action is always in the front of my mind… and the ultimate goal of my social media marketing. The majority of Tweets sent for social media marketing should be sent with an intention in mind of what the desired action is. Otherwise, it’s just chatting online.

Remember this when crafting the words that become your Tweets.

Think about what you want your follower to do once they’ve read your Tweet.

Do you want a link clicked? Do you want a follow? Do you want an action taken?

Are you advertising, branding or promoting your business on Twitter?