Category: Letters From Dan

The Savvy Blogging Summit was a journey into a parallel world. I walk away wondering how the world of niche internet marketing, its rules, guidelines, lessons and monetization are so vastly different than the world of professional bloggers. How can I spend an equal amount of time on the internet, building websites, writing content and in social media and come away with starkly different insight into what works?

And the answer lies in the similarity among the differences. . . CONTENT, COMMUNITY and COMMITMENT TO QUALITY

So I thought I’d share some of the nuggets I gained from the Savvy Bloggers themselves.

Lessons from Amy Clark

Amy Clark is the dream of a professional blogger. There are others, of course, but who wouldn’t love all the media respect and attention that is cleverly highlighted on her Twitter background image? Her ability to connect with people through the written word has landed her spots on Martha Stewart, CBS and the New York Times (among others). Unlike the millions of media dollars that have made Nicholas Sparks a success, Amy Clark’s rise has been organic and driven by intuitively written content.

So I paid attention when she spoke because success breeds success. The trail she blazes leaves clues as to what’s respected, revered and admired by those around her. Her session covered freelance writing, sponsored posts, being a brand ambassador, spokeperson roles, media kits and some lessons on how to charge for what you do.

For me the nugget wasn’t the stats, facts or numbers. It was her insight into what a company looks for in a representative before they even contact you. I believe she said “Act like a spokesperson” now if you want to ever be a spokesperson later. Companies want stellar examples when they choose people to represent them. They want someone who’s active in the social media sphere. They’ll shy away if their able to find times you’ve made your compromising moments public. I’d paraphrase and say be a squeaky clean expert who’s created a community of trust.

Amy Clark is a professional in every sense.

Nuggets from Maria Bailey of MomTalkRadio

I was amazed at how many things Maria Bailey is involved with. There are so many things that you’d be silly to wonder why companies hire her. And that itself is the lesson.

Maria made it clear that companies value what you do, what you’ve done online and off. So don’t hide it. And don’t make them guess what you’re special interests happen to be. If you’re a triathlete – you’ll do more harm to yourself not putting that out there than if you let people know. That may be the one thing that rings true with someone considering you.

While I don’t focus my content on “moms” as a specific target, I thought Maria’s insights into what motivates them to be interesting. She listed 5 motivators

• Saving Time
• Finding Value
• Family, Health and Safety
• Child Enrichment
• Balance

If you haven’t studied these for your audience, how can you expect to connect with them on the emotional level that turns into reader loyalty, community and connection?

Graphic Design Fundamentals of Joy Miller

I was excited to attend Joy’s presentation on graphic design because it’s one of the skills I’m not spectacular with. I will admit that my desire to dive right into Illustrator techniques left me disappointed within the first 5 minutes. BUT that disappointment was driven by a lack of patience and understanding of what I really to needed to know first. (Thus describes every husband who leaves the instruction manual in the box before starting to drill holes and screw things together)

Not having had a design class before, I’d say what little work I’d done was based on images I’d seen and tried to emulate. Joy Miller broke down everything I like about design into 5 easy-to-learn steps that can be applied anytime you do graphic design work. Prior to this seminar, I hadn’t considered there were design “themes” that could be identified, labeled and applied to other projects- so I’m quite happy to have learned that.

Despite Joy Miller’s teaching, I’m not confident I’ll be able to produce the kinds of beautiful works she produced as mere examples. I think I’ll be able to make much better headers, buttons, and graphic images – but I’m not positive they’ll ever look like hers. Joy Miller’s got a flair for design and creativity that I’m not sure is able to be taught.

Nevertheless, I learned what I needed to learn and am thankful that we didn’t dive directly into Illustrator. It turns out I didn’t need to learn what “this button” and “that button” do – I needed solid fundamentals that don’t come in software tutorials.  (Perhaps that’s the reason I make 86 runs to Home Depot on the weekends. . . if only I’d taken the time to learn the fundmentals first).

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P.S. The Savvy Blogging Summit was a successful event for me.  Similar to the NAMS Workshop in Atlanta, there is an aire of goodwill and knowledge here. This conference is not a pitch-fest, not cluttered with products to buy – rather it’s a weekend of collective devotion to the better good. Don’t be on the fence, register for next year’s early!

P.P.S. I’ll be detailing more of the marketing insights I gained from the Summit in my Weekly Notes below.

The Savvy Blogging Summit crew really knows how to impress. My “ideas” file from this event is already 15 pages deep and I’ve only been here two hours. Everything from the name tags to the e-mails to the registration table is top notch. And to top it off, I was surprised to hear that they even took the time to come visit this site before I arrived. Very cool.

Instead of leaving you in the dark, I’ll share with you what’s in my “cool ideas from the Savvy Blogging Summit” folder so far.  To start I made a screen shot of the page on the Savvy Blogging.com that lists all the conference attendees with their “logo” or “image”. What a cool way to start networking before you even get here.

I’m sure you know I write the NAMS Action Guide for the NAMS Workshop in Atlanta and am always on the lookout for conference ideas. Not only did they send out “how to get prepared” e-mails, but they also had entire blog posts on topics like “5 Ways to Make the Most out of a Blog Conference”.  If you’re paying attention at all, as an attendee, you’ve got to be thankful for all the great tips.

From their sponsor / partners point of view, the Savvy folks do a great job of promoting them. I got a fun e-mail about ShopAtHome.com and a meet and greet they were having. In a few minutes I’m going to one with the Escalate Network, another partner. Just a great way to highlight the sponsor / partners.

I often talk about the Ladder of Value that you have to put together for your clients. The idea of the ladder being mapping out your client’s journey from where they are today to where they want to be. To best understand this concept, look at how a college is laid out. English 101 is first, then Creative Writing, then Writing Analysis and finally Editorial Writing. Colleges move kids from knowing nothing to knowing everything they need to be graduated with that degree and ready for the work place. They are in the business of helping students achieve their goals.

From a business perspective you should think this way, too. How do I get my customers to the place they want to be? Well, here we are in Day 1 of the Savvy Blogging Summit and we’re about to get professional headshots done, courtesy of BlogFrog, ShortandHat.com and Smile Generation. Why is that important? As customers of this Summit our goal is to become better bloggers. Personal branding is part of that as well. We all have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. . .  and professional headshots give us that little extra to improve our own profiles and online image. That’s value! and is why people come back year after year to this conference. That’s a gift from Savvy that helps us on our journey up the ladder.

My hat is off to the Savvy Blogging crew!  I look forward to a great weekend.

On April 9, 2011 TEDx Nashville took place at Tennessee’s Performing Arts Center (TPAC). It was a day filled with great folks, great speeches and equally wonderful speakers. My favorite, by far, was given by Greg Stielstra. Greg authored the book PyroMarketing, which I highly recommend for anyone interested in marketing.

Greg covered a variety of topics, all building upon one another until he made the case that it only takes changing 5% of the population to change the entire population’s behavior. That could be your audience, your city, your country. Even though we’re all individuals, our choices are highly influenced by those we interact with. That sense of “group think”, “Lemming leadership” and “social proof” work together to make Social Media what it is.

Please, watch how Greg cleverly explains why the new Social Marketing Paradigm is logically replacing the mass media strategies of old. It’s not just an entertaining speech; it’s truly a wake up call to marketers. Ultimately, if you don’t understand how people behave, you won’t be able to affect their decisions.

Also on the TEDx Nashville schedule that I’d recommend watching are David Mead’s talk on Amateurism. Amateurism was a great title, but it doesn’t really describe it for the unknowing. David eloquently explains how taking on the role of an amateur in his own life and business has really made all the difference in his love of life, joy in his job and appreciation for what he really brings to the world.

And on a bit of a lighter note, Roger Cook’s song and talk about the history of Coca-Cola was pretty cool. Roger wrote the song “I’d like to teach the world to sing” which became Coke’s mantra and help propel Coke to marketing stardom. I’ll find that and will post it soon. Stay tuned!

Ever heard of Matt Cutts? I’m guessing that if you’re not in the internet search community, you probably haven’t. (Unless you know his mother or something like that). Well, Matt works at Google. He’s the guy that Google puts in front of the cameras when there’s something to be said about their Search Engine.

He’s a face, an information source and a  personality to whom we can learn from, listen to and interact with. Google, one of the biggest companies on the planet, chose to give their Search Engine a face.

Did you notice how Tom Hessey of Sprint stars in the Sprint commercials? How about the Papa John’s guy being front and center in their marketing?  Even radio disc jockeys in the last 10 years have become more than just a voice.

Why Does a Face Matter?

Because that face matters. There is so much sincerity, honesty and trust that can be built with a smile than can ever be created with a tag line. Think about this. . . when was the last time you really felt like the people at your local telephone company, the DMV or that vending machine downstairs really understood you? How about Wal*Mart?

Now, turn around and think about your business.  Now that you’re looking at doing social media – have you considered the value of the human voice for your company? Have you considered how much more personal a picture is on Twitter than your company logo?

Narrow that even further. Think about that one person who buys your product and for some reason returns it.  Did you give that person enough reason to come back? Not every product fits every customer. . . that’s just part of the deal. But with a human voice, a smiling face and some sincerity – you can limit that person’s negative or blase feelings to the product itself.

Getting to know the people behind the company can do more for conversions than a perfectly sized, red opt-in box may ever do. Isn’t it cool when you know someone who works for the company? Don’t you feel more connected? I sure do wish I knew Matt Cutts better. . . and the only reason I say that is because I’ve seen him in action on video. He seems pretty cool.

That “connected” feeling truly turns into profits in the long run. How many times have you heard someone say

• “I know a guy that works at X. . . they’ve got a great operation over there”?
• “I met the weather guy from Channel 4 – he’s pretty cool. . . “
• “Hey, when you get there ask for Trudy, she really helped me the last time”

Conversely, when there’s no face involved, you rarely hear someone say “Come by my office some day, our vending machine rocks”, or “You should use my hosting company, they never answer the phone but they have good prices.”

How Do You Introduce a Company Face?

First, determine strategically who should be this new face. There’s no sense in picking a lame duck, a summer intern or a mean-spirited person. That seems obvious I suppose – but you’d be surprised who don’t take time to think about it.

Will that person represent your brand well, inside and outside the job? Will you choose multiple people depending on their area of expertise?

Then just do it! Have them create their own Twitter Account that you tweet about from the company account. Introduce them on Facebook, BlogTalkradio, Cinchcast, YouTube and LinkedIn. In fact, look up Matt Cutts on YouTube to see what he does.

Have that person track questions they get asked and start making relevant response videos for YouTube. Use them by name and even write a press release for your local media.

Upload some photos throughout the web using the company name as the photo’s file name. That way internet searchers can find the face associated with the company name.

Consider buying Ask(Thatperson’s name).com and use it as the teleseminar or webinar registration page. Have that person answer WikiAnswers questions with the personal profile built and branded to the company.

Don’t limit yourself. People love a face.

 

Check out today’s Cinchcast. I was watching some of the pre-Royal Wedding coverage and noticed that niche marketers really did well. The proof is in the pudding – choosing a niche can get you on TV. Take a listen:

Wow! I came across this social media idea after seeing the YouTube Channel of Taigan.com.  And once I saw it the flood gates opened – this is the kind of stuff that separates the rookies from the pros.

I’ve told you time and time again, don’t ask people to “Follow you on Twitter” or “Follow you on Facebook”. Honestly, that’s just dumb and really gives no one a reason to do so.

If you can make a Favorites List on Twitter of only awesome e-mail marketing tips that you and others tweet, couldn’t you say “Follow me on Twitter and get access to the best email marketing tips on the planet”. I think so.

How about creating a contest asking your clients to load up videos to YouTube exclaiming what they love about your business? That’d be awesome for a pizza place. You could make a Testimonials Playlist and it will show up on your channel.

Honestly, the options are limitless!

Is social media appropriate for start-ups or small businesses? For that matter, is it appropriate for everyone?

I would argue that not every business can make successful use of today’s social media tools.  Some businesses just aren’t ready, others don’t have the manpower required and others have clients who prefer to remain “anonymous”.

Social media isn’t a hands-off approach to business. As the world of social interaction has become an instant feedback generator, making your social media duties a once weekly event is about as infrequent as you want to go. Even if your client community is quite active and keeps the discussion fresh and new, 7 days without a presence would be considered long.

Since Twitter and Facebook, specifically, assign dates to everything, it doesn’t take much to look stagnant. With blogs you may be able to take dates off your posts and updates, but customers who leave comments don’t need dates to know they’re still waiting for answers.

Can a new start-up use social media effectively? Probably. But it will likely take some guts to do so (and a bit of ingenuity at that).  Start-ups don’t typically have customers, cheerleaders or fans yet. That  being the case, the social media interaction will likely lack the social proof often needed to help conversions.

Often times social media is part of the sales funnel, but typically is used for the “social proof” part of the funnel. That’s where you get your customers to rave and talk about their love of the product. That kind of “testimony” is great in pre-selling prospects before they formally enter the funnel.

I don’t disagree with small businesses starting social media but I think you need clear goals for it in the beginning, and a plan for what you want that that social traffic to both do and achieve. A good understanding of the reason people buy your product (their reasons, not yours) is a good start to knowing what you want them to achieve. The hard part is coming up with the plan and steps to help them achieve that.

Doing social media just to do it may be a waste of time. However, with success events, milestones and prospect achievements built in, you can track and hone the effectiveness and thus become more efficient over time.

If not you may end up with pages that aren’t interactive and don’t have much traffic – which could be a liability later for the prospects who are looking for anecdotal evidence that your products are good.

What are your thoughts on the top reasons small businesses should or should not use social media? I’ll go into further detail in the comments below why some companies can’t do social media even if they wanted to.

 

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Comments:

There are some companies that don’t stand a chance in the social sphere. Consider the gonorrhea prescription company. . . how about an incontinence company. . . and sometimes even a maid company. Good tutors will find it difficult to even get their customers to refer them. (Why would they if that means their tutor would be busier and harder to schedule?)

Some people just don’t want others to know what they’re doing, what they like, what they buy. Even maid service companies, a relatively ordinary and necessary service, have requests that the maids park in the garage and not send invoices.

If you don’t understand that part of your clientele, you may not only offend your customers by asking them to comment on your “wall” but may even scare some away in the fear that their “secret” arrangement is now with a “Social Media” company.

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I regularly get asked about my Nashville Foursquare badges. Since there are tons of Foursquare badges available to people in NY, Miami, and Chicago, many people think there aren’t many for us to get. Well, it just so happens there are at least 70 you can get without leaving Nashville.

So here is my Nashville Foursquare badges guide.  Some of them aren’t available anymore, like the Black Friday Toys R Us badge, but had you been paying attention, you could have gotten it.

[stextbox id=”info”]If you more specific information about check-in locations in Nashville,  drop me a line on Facebook or Twitter. [/stextbox]

Take a look at what’s available in Nashville.  If you’re not too sure what Foursquare is all about, I’ve written a variety of posts on the subject. Foursquare just got more relevant this week as more businesses are starting to use it in unique ways. Check out my Foursquare and business post. I’ll post the rest at the bottom of the table.

These were all available at one time or another – in Nashville. It’s just some of them have expired already.

Badge Image	Badge Name	How to get the badge in Nashville	Still Active?
	Red Starbucks Foursquare Badge	Follow (Red) on foursquare – then check into any of their noted Stores between June 1 and June 10, 2012. (Starbucks in one)	yes
	2012 Olympics Foursquare Badge	First you have to follow the 2012 Olympics on Foursquare, then checkin to 2 sports related venues like Hershel Greer Stadium	yes
	NHL Stanley Cup Badge	First you have to follow The National Trust for Historic Preservation on Foursqure, then check into Union Station Hotel downtown Nashville.	yes
	NHL Stanley Cup Badge	Follow the NHL on Foursquare then check-in to a NHL arena and shout playoffs	yes
	College Graduation Badge	Check-in to a university graduation type place (like the Vanderbilt Alumni Center) and shout “I’m graduating”	yes
	Foursquare Runners Badge	Check-in 5 times to a running track. That’s it.	yes
	Foursquare Bikers Badge	Check-in 5 times to a bike store. That’s it.	yes
	Shoe Store Foursquare Badge	This one is tricky so far. The rule is to check-in to a shoe store 3 times and you’ll get the badge. I’ve had no luck with that.	yes
	NCAA Final Four Badge	Follow the NCAA on Foursquare and then checkin to a Nashviell Sports Bar	no
	VH1 Foursquare Badge	Another VH1 Badge, sweet. First follow VH1 on Foursquare then check in to any of Nashville’s finest music spots, like the Ryman.	yes
	Chipotle Foursquare Badge	You’ve got to first follow Chipotle on Foursquare. Then you just have to check-in to a Chipotle store 3 times and the badge is yours.	yes
	Trainspotter Foursquare Badge	Expert Badge – Check into a place categorized train – like Nashville’s Music City Star.	yes
	Leap Day Foursquare Badge	Check in on February 29th and shout Leap Day	no
	Jazz Bluenote Foursquare badge	This is a Foursquare Badge. Just check-in to any “Jazz” categorized location in Nashville (like Jazz and Jokes downtown)	yes
	AT&T College Football Badge	Follow AT&T on Foursquare then check in to a Sports Bar during the bowl game season between January 2nd and January 9th, 2011	No
	Audi Ski Badge	Follow Audi on Foursquare then check into the Centennial Sportsplex (the only place categorized Ski)	Yes
	Cheeseburger Foursquare Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue categorized ‘burger’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Vegetarian Restaurant Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue categorized ‘vegetarian restaurant’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Mexican Restaurant Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue categorized ‘mexican restaurant’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Sushi Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue categorized ‘sushi’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Spa Salon Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue categorized ‘spa’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Veterans Day Service Badge	Shout Happy Veterans Day on November 11, 2011	No
	Jazz Club Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘jazz’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Nashville Windows Phone Event	There is supposed to be a Windows Phone Event in Nashville – but it’s not showing on the Windows Phone Foursquare Badge (which you need to visit and press Follow)	yes
	2011 Radio Shack So Right Badge	not totally sure yet. Check in to a major holiday venue – then to Radio Shack? Follow Radio Shack first though.	No
	Greasy Spoon Diner Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘diner’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	2011 Halloween Swarm Badge	Check in to a place that’s swarming on Halloween.	No
	Halloween Badge	Shout Happy Halloween on Halloween when you check-in somewhere.	No
	Lufthansa Oktoberfest	Follow Lufthansa on Foursquare and check-in at a place categorized German Restaurant	No
	US Open Tennis Badge	Follow the US Open Tennis Association on Foursquare and check-in to a placed categorized Tennis Court	No
	ESPN Foam Finger Badge	First you have to follow ESPN on Foursquare.com – then check in to three sports stadiums	Yes
	MTV VMA 2011 Badge	First you have to follow MTV on Foursquare.com – then check in to a Music Venue like the Bluebird Cafe, Opryland or the Wildhorse Saloon BEFORE August 28th, 2011	No
	Man Vs. Food Tv Show Badge	Follow Man Vs. Food on Foursquare, tnen check-in to the Pancake Pantry on Hillsborough.	Yes
	Foursquare Bakery Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue categorized ‘bakery’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	It’s a girl! Foursquare Badge	Check-in to a Hospital and shout “It’s a girl!”. It’s not often we get a shout requirement, so don’t forget it.	Yes
	It’s a boy! Foursquare Badge	Check-in to a Hospital and shout “It’s a boy!”. It’s not often we get a shout requirement, so don’t forget it.	Yes
	Harry Potter Foursquare Movie Badge	Check-in to a theater while Harry Potter is still playing. Hurry!	No
	30 Minutes or Less Movie Badge	Check-in to a bank or a pizza place 🙂 The movie premeieres August 12th.	No
	Perry Ellis Foursquare Badge	After fans voted for this badge on Foursquare a few months ago, it’s finally available. Now follow Perry Ellis on Foursquare the check in to 5 venues listed on their page including Dillards, Macy’s and the Nashville airport	No
	Pepsi Cola Foursquare Badge	Not totally sure how many, but after following Pepsi on Foursquare – check in to a bunch of summer fun places like Nashville Shores.	No
	1,000 Check-ins Badge	Get yourself a Foursquare account and then check-in to 1,000 venues.	Yes
	Wine Bar Foursquare Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘wine bar’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Foursquare Record Store Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘record store’, or 3 different ones. (One is Phonoluxe on Nolesnville Road)	Yes
	Fried Chicken Restaurant Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘fried chicken’, or 3 different ones. One is Cisco’s on Haywood Lane and the other Popeye’s on Gallatin Road – in Nashville.	Yes
	Puma Midnight Munchies Badge	Follow Puma on Foursquare (as always is the first step), then check into 3 restaurants after 2 a.m. If you’re going to do this, you might as well try to get the Hangover badge, too	No
	Lufthansa Eurovision Song Contest Badge	Alright, this one’s pretty hard because there’s only one place to check-in and you have 3 days to do it. You’ve got May 12 – 15th and you have to check-in twice. If you can’t find the place, contact me! (Oh yeah, you have to be following Lufthansa on Foursquare, too.	No
	Foursquare Day 2011 Badge	4 squared is 16, right? 4 = April, 16th day = Saturday. Check-in anywhere on 4/16/2011 and you’ll get this badge	No
	Super Swarm	It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. When the U.S. Men’s Soccer team came to town over 370 checked in at LP Field. It’s available if you can get 250 people in one place, in a 3 hour time period.	Yes
	U.S. Men’s Soccer Badge	Follow U.S. Men’s Soccer on Foursquare, then check-in to LP Field, Nashville when the U.S. Men play Paraguay on March 29, 2010.	No
	Bon Appetit Badge	Follow Bon Appetit on Foursquare, then check-in to the Ryman, the Oak Bar and Fido. That’s it.	Yes
	40th Anniversary Starbucks Badge	Check-in to a Nashville (free standing) Starbucks location between March 10th and March 12th. Make sure to follow Starbucks on Foursquare first.	No
	BBC Rugby Badge	During the weeks of the 6 Nations Rugby Tournament, and on a game day, check-in to a pub or a venue that’s tagged Rugby.	No
	100 Days Century Club Badge	You get this after checking in 100 days to the same place. Oh yeah, it can’t be a home or an office, either.	Yes
	Quad Squatter	Check-in to 5 different college cafeterias (not easy). Volunteer State College in Hendersonville has one tagged correctly.	Yes
	Quad Squatter	Check-in to 10 different college venues categorized as quads or commons. Belmont, Lipscomb and Vanderbilt have one.	Yes
	Campus Explorer	Check-in to 10 different college campus locations.	Yes
	College Library	Check-in to a college library after midnight. You’ve got TSU, Belmont, Vanderbilt, Lipscomb, Metro, Fisk, etc. . .	Yes
	School Spirit	Check-in 5 times to a college sports venue (like a stadium).	Yes
	Yoga “Downward Dog” Badge	Check-in 10 times to a place whose primary category is Yoga Studio. Hot Yoga on church is one, as well as the Yoga Studio in the Hermitage YMCA	Yes
	Steelers Superbowl Badge	On Superbowl Sunday, when you go to check-in using your phone’s app, you’ll see a special Superbowl “trending” venue at the top of the page. Check-in and shout Steelers.	No
	Packers Superbowl Badge	On Superbowl Sunday, when you go to check-in using your phone’s app, you’ll see a special Superbowl “trending” venue at the top of the page. Check-in and shout Packers.	No
	Arts and Crafts Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘arts and crafts’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Fixer Upper	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘hardware store’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Groundhog Day	First you have to follow Visit PA on Foursquare, then on February 2nd and only February 2, 2011, you have to shout “Happy Groundhog Day”	No
	RuPaul’s Drag Race	First you have to follow LogoTV on Foursquare, then over the course of three days, with one check-in per day, you have to visit three of the following locations: gay bar, salon, boutique, karaoke bar, or beauty/cosmetics	Yes
	Coffee Shop Badge	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘coffee shop’, or 3 different ones. If 5 of those are Starbucks, you’ll get that badge, too.	Yes
	Jersey Shore GTL Badge	Check-in to a laundromat, a gym and a tanning salon within a 7 day period – but make sure you’re friends with MTV on Foursquare first – or you won’t get it.	Yes
	New Year’s Eve	Check-in between 8 pm and 4 am New Year’s Eve, 2010-2011.	No
	Bowling	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue categorized ‘bowling’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Bookworm	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘bookstore or library’ in Nashville, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Stapler	Check-in to 15 office/corporate venues for 15 of 30 days and get this nifty stapler badge	Yes
	(Red)	Shout #turnred on December 1st and get the (red) Foursquare Badge celebrating RED World AIDS Day	No
	Hangover	Check-in after 4 am one night, then early the next morning. If you check-in after 3 am, you’ll also get the School Night badge.	Yes
	Baggage Handler	Check-in to Nashville International Airport and shout “TSA” or “grope”. This also serves are your first check-in towards the JetSetter Badge.	Yes
	Black Friday Toys R Us Badge	Check-in to Toys R Us on Black Friday	No
	Radioshack	Check-in to a coffee shop, a gym and then Radio Shack. You get 20% off merchandise with the badge	No
	IFC Poor Decisions	Follow IFC on foursquare. Then, check in to three strip clubs or bars after midnight. Make sure they are not “sports bars”	No
	2010 Election	Include the word “I Voted” in a shout on Election Day	No
	Halloween 2010	Include the word “Halloween” in a check in sometime from Friday to Sunday on Halloween weekend.	No
	Swimmies	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘water or beach’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Great Outdoors	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘park or lake’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Zagat	Check in to zagat-rated restaurants. Good luck – they’re hard to find.	Yes
	Healthy Crane	First, you have to join HealthMonth.com Then, you play the game and stay in the Orange Bracket for a month.	Yes
	Healthy Fox	First, you have to join HealthMonth.com Then, you play the game and stay in the Purple Bracket for a month.	Yes
	Healthy Lizard	First, you have to join HealthMonth.com Then, you play the game and stay in the Yellow Bracket for a month.	Yes
	Healthy Polar Bear	First, you have to join HealthMonth.com Then, you play the game and stay in the Pink Bracket for a month.	Yes
	Bravo Restaurants	First you have to follow Bravo on foursquare. Then, check in to some of the hotspots in town. Most are in Nashville, not Franklin or Brentwood (The Acorn is one)	Yes
	TLC Summer	Follow TLC on foursquare and check in to a venue on their foursquare page, like Las Paletas on Granny White Pike. /td>	No
	#4sqDay 2010	This badge was available on April 16th, 2010. You had to shout “Happy Foursquare Day” There was a Nashville Swarm Attempt at Centennial Park for this.	No
	excELLENt fan	Follow The Ellen DeGeneres Show and check in to a venue tagged Bakery	Yes
	Team Coco Bonnaroo	For checking in to the Bonnaroo Comedy Theatre at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival during Bonnaroo 2010.	No
	16 Candles	You just have to say “happy birthday” in 5 shouts. It doesn’t matter where in Nashville you check-in for this one.	Yes
	Warhol	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘gallery’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	VH1 Fanatic	Follow VH-1 on foursquare. Then check in to 3 music venues like Bluebird Cafe, Wildhorse and Ryman.	No
	Player Please	Check in to any Nashville venue where 3 of your friends of the opposite sex are currently checked in. They’re only friends if you’re friends on Foursquare.	Yes
	2010 VMA Moonman	First, follow MTV on foursquare and then. . . I actually don’t have this one and am not sure – but there are Nashville folks with it.	Not Sure
	Warmup	First, you have to sign up for a RunKeeper.com account. Then you have to download the app to your phone. Then you have to use the phone to track yourself exercising – and then press “Save Activity”	Yes
	5K	First, you have to sign up for a RunKeeper.com account. Then you have to download the app to your phone. Then you have to use the phone to track yourself running 3.1 miles – and then press “Save Activity”	Yes
	10 Check ins	Check in to 10 different Nashville venues. No tricks. You get this badge after your 10th new check-in.	Yes
	A-List	First, follow LogoTV on Foursquare. Then, check in to two different venues with one of the following categories: gay bar, wine bar, sushi restaurant, spa, steakhouse restaurant, hotel bar, lounge, or art gallery. There are plenty on Church Street.	Yes
	American Red Cross	On your next check-in, include the words “donation” and “Red Cross” in a shout.	No
	Andy Cohen	First you have to follow Bravo on foursquare. Then you can earn the badge for your checking in to an undetermined number of Bravo rated locations, that are also tagged “Bravoandy”.	Yes
	Photogenic	Check in to 3 different venues tagged “photobooth” like Opry Mills and the Arcade downtown (to name 2).	Yes
	Pizzaiolo	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue categorized ‘pizza’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Real Housewife	This is one of those badges you’ll get if you check-in at all the places in the Whole Foods Green Hills H.G Hill Plaza.	Yes
	Road Warrior	You’ve got to get a Waze.com account, connect your Foursquare account and check-in 3 times through the Waze app on your mobile phone.	Yes
	School Night	Check in after 3:00am on a school night. Check in again early the next morning (before 10) and you’ll get the Hangover Badge	Yes
	Spooky Swarm	Check in to a venue that has at least 50 people currently checked in after 8:00 pm in your time zone from Friday to Sunday on Halloween weekend	No
	Super Duper Swarm	Check in to a venue with 500 people already checked in. Yes, if you are number 475, you will get the badge when number 500 checks in. Your best bet is a Titans game.	Yes
	Super Fan	Follow CNN on foursquare. Shout Goooooooooal! During the World Cup”	No
	Animal House	Check in to 3 different places that were tagged with both ‘frat boys’ and ‘college’. Try several of the bars by Noshville, plus the Melrose Bar.	Yes
	Monkey bars or Babysitter	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘playground’, or 3 different ones. These are places like the Dragon Park near Vandy.	Yes
	Lookin’ for Love	I’m still figuring this one out. Follow Bravo. Check-in to locations they endorse. . . Not sure what kind..	Yes
	Marathon	Register with RunKeeper. Add your Foursquare account in their settings. Run a marathon while signed into Runkeeper on your mobile phone. Make sure your phone is tracking the miles.	Yes
	MTV GYT	Follow MTV, check-in to planned parenthood.	No
	Newbie	Awarded for your first check in.	Yes
	Over Achiever	First, you have to sign up for RunKeeper. Then download the app (Android and iPhone only). Then track 5 activities using the app to get this badge.	Yes
	Overshare	Check in 10+ times in a 12 hour period.	Yes
	Banksy Fan	You could have checked-in to the Belcourt Theatre when “Exit Through the Gift Shop” was playing and shouted Bansky.	No
	Barista	For checking in to 5 different Starbucks locations. Read up on the Coffee Shop badge, as this will work you toward it.	Yes
	Bender	You get the badge after 4 consecutive evenings of check-ins.	Yes
	Bing Home Turf	When WorldCup Soccer was on TV, all you had to do was follow Bing on Foursquare then root for your team in a shout.	No
	Bon Appetit – Navigator	First, follow Bon Appétit on foursquare. Then, check in to two venues they list on their foursquare page – they have 4 or 5 Nashville venues listed.	No
	Bonnaroo Rock Star	Start by following Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on Foursquare. Then when you’re at the event, check-in to 10 different places.	No
	Bravo Newbie	First you have to follow Bravo on foursquare. Then you can earn the badge for your first check in at a Bravo rated location – like any of the shops next to Whole Foods in Green Hills.	Yes
	Celtics – Finals 2010	During the NBA Finals, check in and include “Go Celtics!” in the shout. Without the quotes, of course!	No
	CNN Healthy Eater	Follow CNN on foursquare then check in to the Nashville Farmer’s Market four times.	No
	Crunked	Check in 4 or more times in a single night.	Yes
	Cupcake Connoisseur	First, follow TLC. Then check-in to locations tagged “cupcake”. There’s a great one down in Germantown, by the Stadium.	No
	Dog’s Best Friend	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘dog run’ or ‘dog park’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Two Badges for One	Follow “Ellen DeGeneres on Foursquare. Then check-in to 3 different venues tagged as “karaoke” in a month. You’ll then receive both the Sounds so Good Badge and the “Don’t Stop Believin’ Badge (Expert Badge). (You can check in to Music stores for the Sounds so Good badge, but it won’t be a 2 for 1 then).	Yes, Yes
	Douchebag	Awarded for checking in 20 times at places tagged with “douchebag”. This one is difficult to get. There are few places tagged “douchebag” in Nashville.	No
	Elite Shopper	Pretty easy to figure this one out. Follow Lucky Magazine on foursquare and check in to every shop in the HG Hills Plaza in Green Hills. You need 5 “Lucky” places. There are 5 here.	Yes
	Epic Swarm	When 1,000 people gather and check-in to the location, if you’re one of them you get this badge. This may happen at Bonaroo.	Yes
	Explorer	You get this after you’ve checked into 25 different places. It’s like a “good job” bonus.	Yes
	Zeotrope	Expert Badge – Check in 5 times to the same venue tagged ‘theater’, or 3 different ones.	Yes
	Hotdog Cart	For checking in to 3 different locations categorized as ‘Food Truck’.	Yes

(the format of this table was inspired by thekruser.com – best Foursquare info on the net)

More about Foursquare:

• Foursquare, the future of marketing
• Can Small Businesses Use Foursquare
• Bad Social Marketing Decisions

My 7 year old, who is in the beginning stages or learning to read, seems to be able to use the computer and the internet without a problem. Whether it’s images on Google or online video games, his inability to read well hasn’t slowed him down.

Nevertheless, he knows how to sound things out and occasionally I’ll walk by when he’s doing a Google search. Sometimes his searches are amusing, but most of the time I’m amazed at what he knows how to do.

Yesterday I noticed him looking at pictures of Nerf rifles. In the search box he’d typed “Toy Nerf rifle to buy at a store”.  Later I saw he’d changed that to read “cool toys for 7 year old boys”. And sometime early last week I noticed in the search history that he’d searched for “grocery stores with toys for kids”.

He’s 7.

He doesn’t think about the toy catalog from Sears. He doesn’t watch Saturday morning cartoons so he doesn’t see those commercials. And he doesn’t get comic books or magazines by mail. Nope. He knows everything he wants to buy can be found on the internet.

Picture him 10 years down the road. . . when he has a car, a job, money and actual needs.  Where do you think he’ll turn to find things? The internet is now innate to his learning.

So if you’re a local business who is looking to compete down the road, consider what today’s 7 year olds are searching for on the internet. Since Google does a pretty good job of retrieving local results in their search listings,  you’ll have a small upper-hand over the competition.

But don’t think for a second that upper-hand will get you on page one without some strategy. If you’re a local department store, keep in mind he didn’t search for “Department Store” when he was looking for Nerf Rifles. That should get you thinking about the keywords you’re targeting.

In the future, I predict businesses with one website will be a thing of the past. If you sell multiple items, it will make much better sense to have separate websites for the different departments. If you have a “toy” section, why bury that information three layers deep on your website when you could have an entire website dedicated to your “toy department”?

Take lessons from today’s youth because tomorrow they’ll be your customers. (If they can find you, that is).

No matter how many small businesses we meet with, not everyone will use our services. Some companies really just want the DIY Internet Marketing tools. Others want to hire us but really have a hard time expending any money whether it be marketing dollars or cash register receipt tape.

It’s these companies that we’ve decided to serve better.  We’re in the process of creating content for our newest venture http://onlinemarketingedge.com. OME, as we call it, will be a do it yourself site. The goal is to provide the tools to small businesses that they’ll need to turn the internet into a revenue center.

Since some companies are really DIY oriented, our products are going to be easy for them to navigate. For instance we just created a 30 page “how to dominate Google Places” report. It goes through everything from how to find out if a page already exists for your company to -once it is set-up- how to encourage customers to leave great reviews there.

Internet marketing is a whole new world to most small business owners. In fact, marketing for some of these small businesses is getting the fax from the Yellow Pages and initialing it for them to print it. That’s it. Sometimes you’ll find a company that regularly advertises in the local youth baseball stadium Program, or ValPak kit. But most just find everything in the internet world to be foreign and a bit scary.

But that brings us to the importance of what we’re doing, which is why we’re doing it. How many people come into your store, visit your website, call your 800 number, take a free sample, call and ask a question, or any other activity that doesn’t involve them buying something or “becoming a customer”?

And how many of those people do you ever see again?

The bottom line is this . . . those people have already raised their hand and have declared they’re interested in what you do. They might not be in the buying mood – but they’re interested. Some of them want what you’re offering but it just might be too expensive for their state of mind. Does that mean you should dismiss them?

We think not. Despite wanting to serve those customers in our traditional method, we’ve decided it better to be of service period, than nothing at all. So our DIY site is that. It’s our chance to be of service to those who just weren’t ready.

To some extent we do that now with Dan’s Notes, which you can subscribe to here. That’s a collection of internet marketing tips and ideas from my weekly meetings. But it’s not exactly a “how-to” guide. OME will be the how-to. It will be the step-by-step, screen shots, 1-2-3 how-to document that will get them from nothing to nothing less than famous.

In providing this kind of information, we hope the knowledge we provide our new DIY customers will be enough to move the nickel, someday. But if it isn’t – perhaps they’ll appreciate the help. Who doesn’t need prospective future clients who are already – appreciative? But most important of all – there’s no better way to get a prospective customer to come back than to give them what they need . . . now.