This is part of a new series of 101 short videos with entrepreneurs trying something new.

Something social.

Something interactive.

Something cool.

Something experimental.

Often times it will be something simple. Why? Because simplicity wins.

101 Marketing Strategies: The Twitter Roll

First one up is “The Twitter Roll” from Miso Lounge in beautiful (!) St. Louis, Missouri.

Disclosure: Miso Lounge and Araka Restaurant are sponsors of The Rise To The Top and we hold numerous events there. And it doesn’t make this story any less awesome-ly interesting.

Here is the deal. On Miso’s Twitter account Twitter.com/misolounge they are starting to chat up the “The Twitter Roll” (which by the way I ate last night and I’m not telling you what is in it. But it is good. REAL good). Follow them and you will hear about it.

And there is already buzz flying around town about it.

Why?

Because they are trying something different. And they are offering something cool for following them on Twitter (it isn’t free, but unique sort of like the secret codes at In & Out Burger).

Now as an entrepreneur think about this for a second:

-The only cost is creativity. No zillion dollar, boring ad campaigns. Yuck. That would ruin it.

-There is a spreadable factor. A conversation piece.

-It is interactive. Meaning it is fun to tell a friend about it.

-It takes folks from behind the computer into a restaurant.

-And while everything in social media doesn’t have to be measurable (you don’t measure ROI on your fax machine, do you?), this one certainly is.

The Lesson:

Time will of course tell how successful it is. But either way there are lessons here that apply to your business. How can you create something simple? Something valuable? Something worth talking about (and in this case eating?)

How do you reach college students?

They are glued to Facebook.

They click on stuff (what are they clicking on?)

Do they trust their friends?

Do they read the newspaper (haha)?

Can they all be pigeonholed or is every student really different?

Even though I’m only a few years removed from college, the world is changing so fast that I barely recognize today’s college students.

However, Mark Sawyier founder of Off Campus Media does recognize them. He studies them (non creepily). He talks with them. And he has real data (who would have thought?!). They also have a nice blog just building up some steam.

Enjoy the talk by Mark.

St. Louis RISE Lunch: Round Two Is March 31st – Tickets On Sale NOW

This talk took place during February’s St. Louis RISE Lunch. Sort of like the St. Louis version of TED…but really different. The event features passionate entrepreneurs, forward-thinkers, business folks in St. Louis and more coming together for a couple hours of networking, lunch, short action-packed presentations and more.

Tickets for the March 31st RISE Lunch are going fast and you can nab yours right here. There are only 50 slots and the event sold out over one week ahead last month.

Daniel Pink Know What Motivates Us

His accomplishments are vast to say the least. It seems every book Daniel Pink writes becomes an instant best seller on literally every list. And I was lucky enough to nab him for all of us to pick his brain on motivation, entrepreneurship and more.

Must Read Books For Every Entrepreneur From Daniel Pink

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (Amazon Link)

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future (Amazon Link)

Connect With Daniel:

On his blog

Via Twitter

What really motivates you?

Is it money?

Freedom?

Something else?

Why are you an entrepreneur?

Is what motivates you different than your business partner? Employee(s)? Friends?

And Always A Big Thanks To Our Local Presenting Sponsor Making RISE Possible: Johnny Londoff Chevrolet

Just for being a RISE viewer, you get haggle-free, supplier pricing whether you are from St. Louis or anywhere else at Johnny Londoff Chevrolet. A great guy really getting into online marketing and relationship building. Plus, make sure to check out my interview with Johnny (who is quite the character) and has some great advice for building your business.

It Is Referral Week:

There is a really cool thing going on this week called “Make A Referral Week” where folks are doing just that…making a referral or two. Thank you John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing for letting me know about it.

Which, I’m sure is something we could all do more of.

In the spirit of the week, here are my big referrals to websites/blogs/video shows that help you build your business.

Through marketing.

Through technology.

Through big ideas.

Through relationships.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but some of my favorites that I spend the most time online and encourage you to as well.

The Top 20 Entrepreneur-Friendly Forward-Thinking Blogs You Must Subscribe To

In no particular order…

Duct Tape Marketing Small Business Marketing Blog

Why? Practical tips, advice, technology for the little guy with big aspirations. Also, feel free to check out my interview with John Jantsch on his beginnings and building his brand.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Why? In-your-face inspiration. I know Gary is a busy guy but would LOVE to see more videos from him. Here is my interview with Gary Vaynerchuk at the famous Wine Library in New Jersey.

Blog Maverick

Why? Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban isn’t shy. And he mixes tech with the real world. Where else can you interact with a billionaire for free?

Geek Brief

Why? One of the original geeks, Cali Lewis, offers bite-sized technology tips and reviews daily. Well worth just a few minutes to keep up-to-date.

Chris Brogan

Why? Chris Brogan understands human relationships and how it relates social media more than anyone else I know. Plus his comments section is equally great with fantastic ideas from a passionate community. Chris and I sat down this past year for over 40 minutes discussing blogging, social media and more.

Hello, My Name Is Blog

Why? Scott Ginsberg is a master of writing, motivation and making you think. Enough said. And he is a repeat offender on The Rise To The Top.

Steve Rubel Lifestream

Why? Advertising meets technology. Steve offers great insights as to “what is really going on” out there plus where we are headed.

Quicksprout

Why? Entrepreneur Neil Patel doesn’t only walk the walk. He talks the talk. And his advice comes from real world experiences. He also stopped in last season on The Rise To The Top on ABC.

Hubspot’s Inbound Internet Marketing Blog

Why? How to bring in new business online. Hot topic. Hubspot has you covered with practical ways to utilize Internet Marketing and the data to back it up. Co-founder Brian Halligan sat down with me to discuss a couple of weeks ago.

Daniel Pink

Why? A brilliant author and thinker. He can literally take anything. I mean anything and make you think creatively about it.

Personal Branding Blog

Why? Dan Schawbel is a personal branding master and we all know having a face behind your company is critical. Dan’s blog leads the way (He also has a few personal branding tips for you right here).

Web Ink Now

Why? David Meerman Scott paints a big picture especially with the shifts in marketing and PR. Pay attention to him. Seriously. Some RISE viewers wrote pages of notes when he was on the show.

Keith Ferrazzi

Why? The master of relationships. Keith gives quick tips on his blog for humanizing your business and forming better relationships. Plus he has a really cool house.

Scobleizer

Why? Emerging technologies? You better bet they are freaking important. And Robert Scoble will break them down for you. It is then up to you whether you want to use them in your business.

Biz Sugar

Why? Biz Sugar is like your personal business DJ. They take the best small business/entrepreneurial topics and curate them onto one site where viewers vote on what they like. Neat.

Mashable

Why? This was called by Jason Keeth (SoFresh) as the TMZ of Social Media. Funny. Bottom line is Mashable usually breaks the social media and Web 2.0 news first.

Brian Solis

Why? Is PR still important in 2010? You better freakin’ believe it. But the game is changed. Brian helps you navigate the new PR world.

A Smart Bear

Why? Jason Cohen is A Smart Bear. He knows blogs. He knows start-ups. He knows marketing. And he is great with product placement tee shirts.

Seth’s Blog

Why? I couldn’t dare make this list without Seth Godin. Why? Because he makes you think. He doesn’t give you the road map, he sparks you. And he definitely knows the difference between an entrepreneur and freelancer when he was on the show.

Small Biz Trends

Why? Anita Campbell is a rock star. And her resource full of tips, news and more is a must-read for every entrepreneur. Plus she gave away some of her juiciest secrets on the show.

Thank you to our sponsor Johnny Londoff Chevrolet where you can get supplier pricing (no haggling BS) just by mentioning The Rise To The Top.

Word Of Mouth Marketing

To say word of mouth marketing is powerful would be an understatement.

Especially in the era of the social web.

Good news travels fast. Bad news travels faster (yikes).

One of the best ways to spark referrals, buzz and generate excitement around your business is to offer what Johnny Londoff calls a “Wow customer experience” at Johnny Londoff Chevrolet. Londoff, even after the big car crash (pun intended?) has consistently been one of the top Chevrolet dealerships in the country.

And the reason for that? Pure and simple: Customer service and innovation.

Johnny understands the world is changing and I think that is powerful lesson for every business owner and entrepreneur.

But that being said, word of mouth marketing is nothing new. The amplification of word of mouth is huge (thank you social media for your blazing speed).

(On that note, a random shout out. A friend of RISE Terrie Rowles just opened a new firm by the same name: “Wow Customer Experience Group” which is a consulting/training agency to help businesses with creating a wow experience. Terrie was a veteran with HP and has now branched out on her own.)

Because happy customers talk. They come back. They do the marketing work for you. They tell their friends.

The Internet And Social Media Has Changed Word Of Mouth Marketing

Now one person can tell more people than ever before. And faster. Instantaneous.

Johnny is just getting started on Facebook and Twitter and already forming great relationships from both (in fact, they sold two cars last week to folks who came in and mentioned they heard about him from Facebook).

Also In The Interview

It isn’t all customer service. We talk about the challenges of being in the family business, answering your own phone and local businesses have suddenly become global.

I hope that this interview with Johnny Londoff sparks you.

Whether to take care of your customers a bit better.

Or realize your brand is now worldwide whether you like it or not.

And that the world of marketing has changed forever.

Your Thoughts?

Do you have examples of great customer service that led to word of mouth marketing? Other thoughts? Of course we all want to hear ‘em.

Consumer Expectations

In 2010 (and beyond), consumer expectations for your website are changing.

What do they expect to see? What is becoming the norm or at least the minimum standard?

This episode was sparked by Gary Vaynerchuk who discussed in a great video about consumer expectations now with social media (which is of course very important).

Consumers are now EXPECTING companies to be interactive and social (at the very least responsive).

But, what about your website?

Are you forgetting about your home base?

Not only has web design evolved, consumer expectations of what they want to see on your website has also evolved.

The One Way Website Is Dying:

Here are a few ways to catch up:

1. Social - Even the most boring brands in the world are becoming social. Can your social accounts be found simply? (No reason to be scared that people will “leave your site”. Instead realize consumers might want to interact on their turf which could be Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

2. Interactive – A 2-way street. Creating or curating content. A blog. Comments. Feedback. Contests. Flipping that darn bullhorn around.

3. Video - Online video is becoming expected. Especially since it gives your brand a face and a unique personality (mentioned below). It doesn’t have to be Spielberg-quality as long as expectations are set (For example: “Hey everyone, here are some underground videos.” That one line will let people know not to expect a $1,000,000 production)

4. Personality – Corporate speak is so 1997. Liven it up a little bit. Whether you make people laugh and/or think, spice up your website with a little personality. Take off the tuxedo.

What do you expect?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and your website below. As usual, we can all value from the discussion.

And Always A Big Thanks To Our Local Presenting Sponsor Making RISE Possible: Johnny Londoff Chevrolet

Just for being a RISE viewer, you get haggle-free, supplier pricing whether you are from St. Louis or anywhere else at Johnny Londoff Chevrolet. A great guy really getting into online marketing and relationship building. Plus, make sure to check out my interview with Johnny (who is quite the character) and has some great advice for building your business.

(Note: sorry for the odd audio in the intro. Waiting for my new mic to come in. Don’t be scared.)

The New Rules Of Marketing & PR

This isn’t a catch phrase, it is a revolution.

The marketing game has changed forever and there is no better person to talk about it and what is means for your business than David Meerman Scott.

His book aptly titled “The New Rules Of Marketing & PR” (Amazon Link and one of our must read books for entrepreneurs) has created a revolution on how you view promoting your business and he has a few tips, tricks and big ideas for you in this interview including answers to:

-Is the press release dead?

-Generating buzz for your business.

-Why speed matters.

-How do you measure ROI of pretty much…anything (and how the meaning of “ROI” is often misconstrued)

-Why video is a great idea for your business.

…and much more.

Connect With David Meerman Scott

His blog Web Ink Now is fantastic.

You can also hunt him down on Twitter.

What has been working for your business in 2010?

What has been the key marketing strategy that has worked for you this year so for? What hasn’t worked?

And Always A Big Thanks To Our Local Presenting Sponsor Making RISE Possible: Johnny Londoff Chevrolet

Just for being a RISE viewer, you get haggle-free, supplier pricing whether you are from St. Louis or anywhere else at Johnny Londoff Chevrolet. A great guy really getting into online marketing and relationship building. Plus, make sure to check out my interview with Johnny (who is quite the character) and has some great advice for building your business.

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet

I get this question all the time: “How do I get more followers on Twitter?”

Fair question.

Disclaimer: Of course, Twitter isn’t all about QUANTITY of followers. It is about QUALITY. Meaning people that are actually interested in you and perhaps your products or services and the other way around.

View Twitter As A Virtual Cocktail Party

If you are a Twitter snob, which of course you aren’t, you would stand in the middle of the cocktail party and wait for people to come up to you and shake your hand. A snob doesn’t go up to others and introduce themselves.

The equivalent on Twitter is those that don’t reach out to others. I’m not saying everyone with a TON of followers and very few they are following are wrong (and who am I to judge…I’m not the Twitter police), but usually these people:

1. Are celebrities and hang out with really important people (or something)

2. Already had big followings BEFORE Twitter (if so, I’m envious) from one way or another.

And that works for those people.

But, what about the rest of us?

The rest of us are mere mortals (which can be a great thing) so we are looking to build interest, relationships and more.

Awesome.

Here is my suggestion: Follow Interesting, Targeted People

Followers are important. If you want to form relationships with people and create a bigger following, you have to follow people that you ALREADY KNOW have an interest in your niche. All you are doing is extending your hand. Nice to meet you. Some will love you. Some will hate you. Some will forget you. Just like at a cocktail party, you might meet 50 people, follow up with 5 and have coffee with 2.

But, where are these targeted people?

Great question. Here is how you find them.

1 First, write down your niche and keywords that describe it. For example: Entrepreneurship, new media, for us. Or if I was a company that sells trucks I would write down key terms associated with trucks.

2. Go to Twitter Search (Search.Twitter.Com) or Mr. Tweet and start searching (I’m sure there are some more sites that help identify influences. If you know of any leave, ‘em below). Type in the key words. Find the influencers in your niche (and follow them of course). Go for 20 different folks and write them down.

3. Now the fun part. You know their followers are most likely interested in the same subjects you are. Here is the opportunity for the handshake. Follow the ones that look interesting (equivalent of extending your hand) and then let your charming personality take over.

What is your strategy/Favorite Twitter tools?

Jump in on the discussion and I’m sure we can ALL benefit.

And Always A Big Thanks To Our Local Presenting Sponsor Making RISE Possible: Johnny Londoff Chevrolet

Just for being a RISE viewer, you get haggle-free, supplier pricing whether you are from St. Louis or anywhere else at Johnny Londoff Chevrolet. A great guy really getting into online marketing and relationship building. Plus, make sure to check out my interview with Johnny (who is quite the character) and has some great advice for building your business.

David, how do you create your side-by-side interviews on RISE?!”

I get this question about five times a day via email, Facebook and Twitter and figured since they keep on coming I would create an episode around it (and darn it, I hope you are paying attention to the content and not just the tools, haha).

I’m a big fan of the side-by-side interviews (with many more on their way) but to date, Seth Godin, Timothy Sykes, Amy Martin, Tara Hunt, Steve Garfield, Anita Campbell, Brian Halligan, Lewis Howes, John Jantsch, TA McCann, Vanessa Van Petten, Josh Shipp, Marc Gingras and more have joined me via Skype to bring big business ideas to you.

Note: This is my first screencast ever using Screenflow. In the future, I definitely plan on getting a little fancier, zooming in, etc. Because the settings are a little hard to see, I have a photo below.

The Tools & FAQ:

1. What tools do you use to record the interviews?

A: My computer (Macbook Pro)

B: Skype (nothing fancy, just Skype with webcam)

C: Ecamm Call Recorder which seriously does the rest on the right settings. It is only $19.95 at Ecamm.com. They are good guys. I was able to work out a deal for our community (and actually it is NOT an affiliate, so I don’t get paid or anything for this offer…just trying to help out although in the future I hope I’m paid *wink*). If you purchase Call Recorder, enter the promo code “RISE” at checkout and you will receive 20% off. Sweet.

D: iGlasses: Another really cool tool from Ecamm. It allows you to adjust your webcam settings such as brightness, color balance and more. Very easy to use.

2. Does this work on Mac and PC?

It works on a Mac. There might be some other solutions for a PC, but this one is for the good ole Mac.

3. What are the best settings to use?

Great question as I’ve tried them all. Below is a photo of what I believe is the best performing settings, but goof around and see what you can come up with and what works for you?

4. Who is that awesome person with you in the video?

Special guest appearance of Ria Sharon co-founder of MyMommyManual.com (She rocks and so does her business partner Suzanne)

Ideas

The cool thing about this technology is there are endless ways you can put it to good use.

You could…

-Conduct interviews with thought leaders or folks in your industry.

-Talk with customers and clients to give you honest testimonials.

-Use it for an audio podcast to add more personality (people like “seeing”).

..and more of course. Go wild. Bottom line is not only is it a tech tool, it is like a big set of web marketing tools.

So, what are your ideas?

How are you going to use it? What other video technology do you think is awesome that we can all benefit from?

And Always A Big Thanks To Our Local Presenting Sponsor Making RISE Possible: Johnny Londoff Chevrolet

Just for being a RISE viewer, you get haggle-free, supplier pricing whether you are from St. Louis or anywhere else at Johnny Londoff Chevrolet. A great guy really getting into online marketing and relationship building. Plus, make sure to check out my interview with Johnny (who is quite the character) and has some great advice for building your business.

We Are In The Midst Of An Online Video Revolution

It is no secret that online video is a great (well…more than great) way to bring your business to life. Video adds personality, depth and much more (here are 7 ways entrepreneurs can maximize online video)

But how do you jump into video even if you don’t know the first thing about it and/or a beginner on the tech side?

Well, you are in for a treat today.

Steve Garfield is a veteran video blogger to say the least with a passion for media and video. He has worked in media in front of and behind the camera in the traditional media world and then he REALLY came to life when video tools became available online.

His first video blog was in 2004 (!). In Internet time periods that is like saying 1847.

Steve is the author of a must read book for entrepreneurs called “Get Seen” (Amazon Link) which will walk you step-by-step through the world of online video (do yourself a favor and DEFINITELY pick it up).

In this interview:

Why “I feel like I already know you!” is a phrase every business owner wants to hear more of.

Why ALL businesses need a face.

Casual video. No, it isn’t dirty. Yes, it is useful.

Tips: Find the natural fit for video in your organization.

Don’t want to be on camera? Steve has some solutions.

Converting website viewers into customers. Video can increase conversion rate up to 30% or more.

Why you should always be ready to shoot.

The key online video mistake to avoid (Hint: It has to do with your ears).

Links, Accessories and More Mentioned By Steve:

Kodak zi8 – $179 (Amazon Link) Best pocket camera on the market because it includes an audio jack. Virtually sold out everywhere right now, but here is a link to the Raspberry one in stock (which I have).

Audio Technica ATR-3550 (Amazon Link) An under $30 clip-on microphone to make your videos sound AMAZINGLY professional without the professional budget.

Screenflow – Screencasting software (shoots video of your computer screen which is great for tutorials, tips and more). Another one is Camtasia.

Animoto – Turns pictures into amazing videos.

Gorillapod – (Amazon Link) Cool Tripod that attaches to pretty much everything.

xshot camera extender – (Amazon Link) Allows you to extend your camera away from you for a really cool angle.

xshot iphone holder – Creates the ability to attach your iPhone to a tripod. Neat.

Panasonic Lumix fx37 – Awesome still camera that not only shoots HD video but that has that all important audio jack.

stevegarfield.com/getseen – Great video resources.

Facebook Exclusives:

Steve was nice enough to stick around right after our interview to give some bonus tips just for RISE Facebook fans. If you have even thought about doing some live online video, Steve has some brand new resources which literally just came out.

Like Video?

So, what do you think? Do you like the videos about videos? What would you like to see more that would be helpful to your business?

Contest: If you REALLY Like Video

We are giving away a video app dream package with our partner Widget Realm. You can find all the details here.

And Always A Big Thanks To Our Local Presenting Sponsor Making RISE Possible: Johnny Londoff Chevrolet

Just for being a RISE viewer, you get haggle-free, supplier pricing whether you are from St. Louis or anywhere else at Johnny Londoff Chevrolet. A great guy really getting into online marketing and relationship building. Plus, make sure to check out my interview with Johnny (who is quite the character) and has some great advice for building your business.