I was rejected by AdAge

Originally published at DogWalkBlog

I received an email from Charlie Moran yesterday, stating that my blog was just not good enough for them to care about at AdAge. Here is his email.

Thanks for submitting your blog to the Power 150. Unfortunately, because of high demand, we can only accept applicants who score at least 20 total objective points, that is, before a Todd Score is added into your total. Here is your point breakdown:

Yahoo InLinks (1 to 30): 1
Technorati Ranking (1 to 20): 1
Technorati Authority (1 to 20): 1
Technorati InLinks (1 to 20): 1
Alexa Points (1 to 15): 2
Bloglines Subscribers (1 to 10): 1
Google PageRank (0 to 10): 4
Collective Intellect (0 to 10): 0
TOTAL: 11

You are welcome to resubmit your blog once you’ve built up some more links and influence, although we ask that you wait at least three months before doing so. Hopefully, you’ll make it in next time, and, if not, there’s no limit to the amount of times you can reapply, as long as they’re three months apart.

If you have any questions about this policy, please check out my blog post about it and/or drop me an email, and I’ll be glad to help.

Thanks,
Charlie Moran

It is hard to argue about the in-coming links and Technorati stuff, even though I have been blogging here since 2005. See the first blog, started appropriately enough, with an end.

But, to score a 0 on Collective Intellect? Why doesn’t Mr. Moran just take a big ol’ bag of salt and just start pouring. Then, after that, he just wind up and take a big kick to my ribs.

What Mr. Moran missed when he rejected my blog was a chance to connect with a user of the marketing technology, not just a prophet of the technology whose use of the technology feeds into the validation of the prophesy. What Mr. Moran missed was that even small dogs can be big. What Mr. Moran missed was that he was just as guilty of using “big media” metrics to rank the “new media” as the new media guys rail against. Interestingly ironic.

Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. As more people are joining the social media movement, there seem to be just as many who work double-time to keep them out. Very much like a high school clique.

I’m not as popular as Seth Godin or as enamored with Web 2.0 stuff as Chris Brogan, but for the few people who read me faithfully when I share my thoughts, I like to think I am in their Top 150.

And worth every minute they spend with me, for which I am unconditionally grateful as only a puppy can be.

PS: From now on, I’m just going to focus on communities who recognize even small dogs are worth paying attention to, like Guy Kawasaki and Neenz at Alltop.com who welcomed me with open paws.

That’s so fetch!

Mean Girls theatrical poster

In the movie, Mean Girls starring Lindsay Lohan and Tina Fey, the character of Gretchen Wieners, one of the plastics, played by Lacey Chabert tries to start a new buzz word “fetch.” It was to replace the vernacular “cool,” “keen,” “awesome” or anything that was meant to be leading the edge of cool.

The running joke throughout the movie is it didn’t catch on despite Gretchen’s repeated attempts to use it glibly and leveraging her ranking in the school’s hierarchy. The irony of the joke was that her dad was reported to have invented toaster strudel, which did catch on as a breakfast food.

Today, I ran across this blog post by Eric Karjaluoto titled ‘Why your web startup will fail’ which articulated exactly why a lot of why “That’s so fetch!” will never catch on. Metaphorically, we are all in a tiny room, yelling at each other with a bullhorn, screaming, “I’m so fetch!” Unfortunately, the sound of our own voice tends to drown out the message of the other guy.

What makes one thing stick and another not? Why does “cool” or “awesome” stick and not “fetch?” I suppose “fetch” would stick if you got enough people saying it, but to do that, you would need to convince enough people that enough other people are saying it.

In other words, how do you turn up the volume of your bullhorn louder than all others in the room? The answer is you don’t; you find a quieter room, reduce your circle of friends you allow at your table or adjust your expectations. “Fetch” as a fashion trend might be a cool thing, but so is “fetch” as a secret, special word among a closed circle.

Twitter is becoming a very small room with a lot of people with loud bull horns. This is primarily — as it exists today — why it will die in about 12-18 months. The people who have something to say will become tired of shouting above the crowd and not getting heard. They will move on, leaving a bunch of posers. If you are not already established in Twitter circles, you probably won’t ever be. While you may have the next great idea, you can’t buy enough volume to power your bullhorn.

Twitter works for Guy and Scoble because they were there at the onset. They are the grandfathers of Twitter and they don’t have the struggle we little guys do. When Guy tweets out, people click! But for guys like us, unless we have something more cool than fetch to give to the Twits, we’re going to have to find our own quieter room and work up the volume.

And it will be hard and nobody but a few will listen. Hopefully, we’ll control the bullhorns long enough to get noticed.

Originally published at: gerardmclean.com

Do you welcome new volunteers into your soccer tournament?

The lifeblood of a successful soccer tournament is the army of volunteers who run the concession stand, sell the sponsorship ads, stand duty as field marshals, sell t-shirts, direct the parking and generally make sure your guest teams feel welcome and cared-for. But, how many of these volunteers are the same people, doing the same jobs year after year?

If your soccer tournament is like most, the same folks are doing the same jobs every year. On one hand, that is good because you have consistency. On the other, it is bad because there is no new talent to take over these critical jobs if the veterans were to leave.

I read Chris Brogan’s blog regularly about social media. For the most part, he is considered an expert in social media technologies such as Twitter, blogging, Facebook and the like. But I don’t think he is an expert on human behavior. Yesterday, he posted a rant about people using robots to reply to a new Twitter follow. There was (and still is) some discussion going on about his opinion on using robots, but I think Jeff Crites’s comment (#182) sums up the issue most closely aligned with soccer tournament would-be volunteers.

Most volunteers just want to help out and have some fun. Having been involved in soccer clubs for a number of year, both in the inner circles and on the outside, there are mainly two reasons people do not volunteer, regardless of the excuse they may use.

1. They are afraid that if they open their time to one or two things, the tournament will take advantage of their time and inundate them with responsibilities. So, it is easier to say no and keep the door shut.

2. They do not feel accepted by the “inner circle” of folks who already run the show. This is perhaps the most common reason.

A soccer tournament, like Twitter, is a scary place. There is a lot going on and a lot of folks who are experts at making it happen. They know all the rules — written and unwritten — and they make it all look easy. They are intimidating to new folks. And — like the Twitter community — the veterans have little patience with anyone who is new coming in and shaking things up. (If this does not describe your soccer tournament, consider yourself very, very lucky. Be honest with yourself; this is all part of that human condition we’re cursed with.)

New volunteers do threaten the status quo. They threaten the existing “power circles” the veterans have built. And that is a good thing because they also bring in new blood, new energy, and a different perspective. If there is no change, there is no growth.

Sure, the veterans will rant about these “new guys coming in and wanting to change everything,” but experienced, seasoned leaders will do it in private and as a release of their own fears of becoming irrelevant and obsolete, not as a rant against new blood who may not quite understand the rules but have good intentions. There may be a few new folks who step up to volunteer for the wrong reasons, but for the most part, they will be found out quickly and either corrected or asked to leave.

Our advice: Running a soccer tournament is more about leading people than it is about finding teams and scheduling games. Stop and think about how you felt the very first day you volunteered. Think about how scary it was being among all those people who were so sure of how to do things. Did you feel comfortable? How long did it take you to become the expert you are now? Did anyone take you aside and show you the ropes?

As a tournament director, identify those areas in your organization that have built walls to new volunteers. Actively seek to tear them down. And, if you have built a wall around yourself, start tearing that down. Pair new volunteers with those expert veterans who are open to change. Establish a new volunteer system that encourages change.

And try the new ideas suggested by new volunteers, but make them responsible for executing their own ideas. If they work, you’re ahead of a lot of soccer tournaments who are doing the same-ol’, same-ol’ every year. And, if they don’t, then they don’t. Don’t make a big fuss, don’t point fingers, but do encourage change, personal responsibility and innovation. If other volunteers see that you rant on unsuccessful ideas, they will be less apt to propose them and your tournament will not grow.

And never, ever use the phrase “We tried that once and it didn’t work.” If a new volunteer is willing to put in time and effort on an idea you tried a few years ago, perhaps times have changed and it will work this time.

Whatever you do, never publicly rant against new people who are enthusiastic and bright-eyed, even if they get stuff wrong and tick you off with their energy and excitement. It will make your soccer tournament look stodgy and you will scare off entire generations of potential volunteers. And your tournament will stagnate as your current experts get older and more resistant to change.

Make this year the year you resolve to try new things and break the status quo. In a down economy, the worst product to be selling is a commodity that anyone can get anywhere. Resolve to be different, to be special. Resolve that new people with new ideas will help you get there.

Meet us in St. Louis for the NSCAA. Jan 14-17, 2009
We’re in booth 1735 and we won’t even try to sell you anything, so you can stay and chat as long as you want. Really. And, if you want to make a podcast promoting your soccer tournament, Back of the Net will help you with that. You don’t even need to be a TourneyCentral tournament.

Originally published at: TourneyCentral.com

Another way to think about social media ROI

Alexander Graham Bell probably got impatient with business owners asking for an ROI on his telephone invention

When was the last time you asked the phone company to justify the cost of installing a telephone in your place of business? They would probably just laugh at you. It has probably been over 50 years since that question was last asked of a telephone sales rep by a shop owner.

On April 3, 1973 Motorola manager Martin Cooper placed a cellular phone call to Joel Engel, head of research at AT&T’s Bell Labs, signaling the demise of the land-line telephone. It will probably be several decades from now before the last wired telephone is deactivated, but chances are, it will happen. And sales reps for wireless phones are not probably not being asked for an ROI study prior to a company signing a cell phone contract.

So, why do companies ask for an ROI for the next wave of communication and conversation with their customers? Why do social media experts do it? When will a blog, Twitter account and a Facebook page turn the corner from an “investment” into an expense line item?

Probably at half the speed it took telephones. But, it will happen.

The next time someone asks you for an ROI study on social media, pick up the phone off their desk and ask them to give you the ROI the phone company gave them.

Originally published at: gerardmclean.com

Three things to help your Web site update process flow

Your Web site manager is a busy person and doesn’t have the time or patience to have a long back and forth with your Web site changes. Here are THREE things you can do to help the Web site update process flow smoothly.

THREE: Organize your request around the Web site you have, not the one you dream up
Quite often, we get a Word document with a note attached saying “post this to our Web site.” Aftering opening the document, we find ourselves saying things like, “where?” , “in what context does this belong?” and “has client even looked at their Web site?” We generally add a few colorful expletives as well.

Give us some indication as to where you want the content and how it flows with the rest of your site. We can’t read your mind and really do want to live up to your expectations. A URL and screenshots are always appreciated.

TWO: Involve the Web site team in the planning process early
Too often, we get a “fully formed” program, complete with sign up forms in Word, beginning with the following, “We had a meeting with the staff and have created this program…” or some like language. And, they want it up and running tomorrow as they are already selling the program.

Check with the mechanic before speeding down the track; the lugs nuts may not be tightened down! In short, your Web team is there to save you money, time and stress. A well-designed program that includes tools such as forms integrated to your back end database, cron jobs, automated emails, etc. are some of the features that a good Web team can bring to the table. If the Web team is the last one in the chain, most likely the program will have a feel of being attached to your Web site (and your organization) with duct tape and baling wire.

ONE: Write news releases that are Digg-able, Google-able and in general, shareable
Too often, we get news releases that are not written for the on-line world. Even if they are destined for a print publication, assume they will end up on line.

When writing a news release, use a title that grabs in no longer than 60 characters and then write a summary in 250 character or fewer, including the following: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Sound familiar? Those are the 5Ws that you learned in essay-writing in grade school. And they still apply. Even though the world went and got itself into a big ol’ hurry and digitized, news is still for people to read. And people want to know the 5Ws very quickly.

Why the character limits? Twitter is only 140 characters so you need a title that will fit along with a link and #hash reference. Most reposting services like Digg, Delicious, Linked In, etc have limits of 200-350 characters. And, when your news is picked up by sites like Alltop.com, you want the first paragraph to contain enough information to get the reader to read the whole release. In addition, most of adult America has some form of shortened attention span and will only spend time skimming. All the important stuff needs to be in the top paragraph.

And while you are writing, make sure to include a list of tags you want to include with your press release.

Your Web site is your front door
Your organization’s Web site is no longer something “over there.” It is the front door, the face of your organization. When prospective (or current) clients and members go looking for your services, you can bet they have already been to your Web site. If it is sloppy, unorganized, outdated, hosting too much information or has a feel that it has been “glued together,” they will notice and assume your organization is the same way. But, if it is tightened up and has a sense of purpose, direction and vision, they will turn the knob and come in.

Originally published at: GerardMcLean.com

A funeral dirge for trade shows?

Apple announced today that will no longer participate in Macworld Expo, the largest annual show for Mac enthusiasts. In a press release, Apple says:

Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.

Are trade shows becoming obsolete? Apple seems to think so.

At TourneyCentral, we’ve scaled back from a couple dozen local shows and two national shows (NSCAA and US Youth Soccer) to just one per year, the NSCAA. In short, much of the material was a repeat of the shows, the exhibitors — with the exception of the NSCAA — were treated like second-class citizens that were allowed to pay, but not participate.

Perhaps this was Apple’s experience, but most likely not because of their size and heft. But, for smaller companies who have other choices to reach their audiences, this sounds like “permission” to break away from the “must show” trade shows.

Yet there still exists that fundamental human need for touch. As trade shows become less and less attended, what will replace that? Tweetups? Webinars? Live TV shows? More likely, the answer will be some combination of all of these, initiated or complemented with Twitter, blog comments and posts.

With any luck, we’ll start meeting people again in laundromats, grocery stores, bars and dog parks. And, maybe we’ll even unplug the cell phone from our ears and turn to them and have a real conversation.

What do you think is the future of trade shows?

Originally posted at: DogWalkBlog.com

How the US Postal Service blows its brand every December

USPS Santa Letter Box at Englewood OH 45322

Every December, Santa hands the US Postal Service a shiny new opportunity to rebrand itself as a lovable, caring organization that is an integral part of all 43,000+ Zip Codes it services. Every year, the USPS blows it terribly.

I found myself in the Englewood OH 45322 Post Office last Friday about 4:00pm. Ironically enough, I had forgotten it was Christmas and there might be a line. There was. But that was a good thing because it gave me an opportunity to look around, read all the signs on the walls, thumb through the FBI wanted sheets, straighten the certified mail postcards and Priority Mail envelopes and stickers. And then, I noticed a wrapped box on top of the glass case.

It was a box so kids can drop in their letters to Santa Claus. In truth, it was a spare box somebody found in the back. Perhaps another employee went to Big Lots and bought the cheapest wrapping paper they could find with Santa faces all over it, wrapped it hastily, punched a hole in the top and wrote “Santa Letters” on a card and glued it to the top.

What it should be is an opportunity that comes once a year that every postal employee is excited to be a part of.

What it should be is a old-tyme mail box, encrusted with candy canes and icicles, covered in snow with reindeer prints leading up to it.

What it should be is a production for every kid in the Zip Code area to go to their local Post Office to drop their one and only Santa letter into the magical mail box that only comes out the Friday after Thanksgiving and goes away when the post office closes the day before Christmas Eve.

What it should be is a tradition that kids mark on their calendar like an Easter egg hunt, their birthday and Santa coming down the chimney on Christmas Eve.

The US Post Office — in Englewood, Oh anyway — has taken an opportunity to market itself for free and turned the Santa drop into an obligatory wrapped box, stuck on a glass counter, too high for most kids to reach and too nondescript for them to care about.

Don’t worry, Postmaster General John E. Potter, this little pesky holiday will be over in eleven days and all your postal workers can get back to work and quit worrying about kids coming in wanting to mail their letters to Santa Claus.

What are the little brats doing running around a post office anyways. Don’t they know there are lines to stand in, postal standards to adhere to and stupid questions about perishable or hazardous materials to answer?

Bonus Material:
This is some bonus material that was knocking around my brain, was kinda related, too much for a tweet and not enough for another blog post, so here goes.

Other unfriendly stuff I saw while waiting in line: FBI wanted sheets, sign that said: passports by appointment only! Hours: 10am-2pm, no Fridays, sign that said in all caps NO DOGS! (presumably cats are ok), a long list of crap we can’t mail, the rules of standing in line, including no cell phones… and the ever ubiquitous, but entirely unnecessary barking when it is your turn… “NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!” *sigh*

Originally posted at DogWalkBlog.com

The recession will affect soccer tournaments

Make no mistake about it; the current recession will hurt some soccer tournaments. Attendance will be down as teams will travel to fewer and fewer tournaments. And some tournaments, especially the ones that attract teams from more affluent areas where wealth is based on stocks and high home value may feel especially high pressure to limit soccer tournament travel.

The only bright light in this whole financial mess is the low cost of gasoline. Or, is it?

While teams may be cutting the number of tournaments in their schedule, it really only matters if they cut yours. If you have worked to create a must-attend tournament event, most likely you will survive the cut.

Here are some must-attend qualities:

1. You have consistently worked to make the teams feel at home while they are guests at your event.
Have you worked to make sure their questions were answered quickly via email? If they have had hotel problems, did you help to resolve them? When there were disputes about scoring, rules, etc, did you work with each party to resolve for a win-win-win? Are your volunteers cheerful and helpful? At the end of the tournament, did the most loosingest team remark in some fashion, “We lost every game, but had a blast! We’ll be back next year!”

2. Your organization is solid.
You have control of your data and everyone knows what is going on, from the host coach at a league game to the advertising coordinator to the person in charge of registering the teams. Your web site is up-to-date at all times, even to the minute during the tournament weekend. Your front page has news, maybe even hourly during the competition.

3. You have solid sponsors
This may seem like a little thing, but adidas doesn’t just sponsor anyone. And, once you get their sponsorship, you don’t get to keep it forever without working hard at it, especially in this economy. Parents and coaches are fairly savvy about what it takes to convince a corporation to spend sponsorship dollars at a youth soccer event that only takes place for 2-3 days in a limited geographic area. A display of some well-heeled sponsors get you respect.

4. Games are played on time and are well-controlled
Don’t underestimate the power of keeping a tight control of the games on the field. Many teams have been to a lot of tournaments where nobody seems to be in charge, games are played when referees stroll onto the field and all sorts of loosey-goosey standards. Don’t be one of those events! Expect everyone to show up on time, schedule enough referees to over-cover the games and make sure the volunteer field marshals know the times, locations and duties. And, if you can’t find volunteers, pay your field marshals. They are that important, for safe play and for your brand protection.

5. Advertise and market, market, market
A lot of soccer tournaments are going to be scared of this economy and pull back their advertising. DON’T LET YOUR TOURNAMENT BE ONE OF THEM! NOW is the time to go out and become visible. Now is the time to grab market share. Now is the time to be bold. Make sure your TICO Score is up-to-date, your tournament is listed correctly at your state association and your other media like podcasts and bulletin board advertising is intact. And, get some postcards/business cards for all your coaches to hand out (ask for Don Denny.)

6. Web site
I saved this for last, but it really is the most important of all. Make sure your web site is up-to-date, and uses the latest technology to bring your guest teams real-time information including scores and standings. We recommend any and all tournaments on this list. Your web site is your front door so it should be easy to find out information. (Who, What, Where, When, How Much does this cost) The application form should be readily accessible and work without any fancy log-ins, pre registration, etc. All TourneyCentral soccer tournaments have these capabilities built in from the ground up.

Our advice: Firstly, if you don’t already have a TourneyCentral web site, get one. Secondly, if you do, make sure it is turned on and ready for 2009. Thirdly, be visible everywhere. If you can, go to the NSCAA in St. Louis. Make sure your TICO Score is current. Advertise and get cards to hand out. But mostly, believe in your event and make sure your club/host coaches, teams, parents and players are your greatest champions and they know and love your tournament as much as you do.

2009 could be make or break for a lot of events. Make sure yours is on the “make” list.

Meet us in St. Louis for the NSCAA.
We’re in booth 1735 and we won’t even try to sell you anything, so you can stay and chat as long as you want. Really. And, if you want to make a podcast promoting your soccer tournament, Back of the Net will help you with that. You don’t even need to be a TourneyCentral tournament.

Originally published at: TourneyCentral.com

You suck! Your comment sucks!

You write a blog post and post it. Someone comes onto your blog and has an alternative point of view. But, instead of engaging this commenter in a logical argument, you lash out at him, belittling his point of view and then using sarcastic remarks in subsequent comments. Is that smart?

This recently happened to me. (I won’t mention the blog because that would result in more traffic.) When I first read the author’s post, I thought it was insightful, but lacking in a couple of key areas. After reading the author’s immature response to my observations, I now think the author is a bit immature, perhaps even an idiot. I won’t be back to his blog — not because I got my feeling hurt — but because there is probably not much else I can learn from someone who does not have the skills to engage in an argument without resorting to ridicule and sarcasm.

Attacking a commenter might get you some momentary traffic, but is probably unwise in the long run. A blog works best when there are contributing points of view that are different from yours. If all you want is your friends and family agreeing with you, that is probably ok on a personal journal. But, I suspect many authors want their ideas challenged by the readers who find holes in their arguments.

Any dissenting opinions? If you agree with me, please don’t post a comment. But, if you have an alternative point of view, please share it.

Originally published at: DogWalkBlog.com

The definitive metaphor for social media

There has been a rush with the social media consultant groups and evangelists about how to define this thing called “social media.” Chris Brogan defined it as cafe-shaped conversation. And many people jumped on that metaphor. Sophie Macalister defines Tiwtter “as more like hanging out in the break room than actual productive work.”

Hubspot got a bit lively when they published a video and blog post about not measuring ROI on social media. That got a lot of comments, many which attempted to define social media so it can be measured.

It seems like everyone is struggling to define this thing called Social Media and how it correctly fits into how business will be conducted. While social media may be better defined as the elephant in the room with five blind men, a perfect metaphor popped into my head this morning when I sent someone a link to MildFire and their response was, “How do you find this stuff?!?”

The real answer was I grabbed it off a Twitter stream as I was sitting and zoning between tasks. But, the answer I heard coming out of my mouth was: “It’s like this huge asteroid belt that flies by my desk all day long.. something catches my eye and I reach and grab it. Sometimes it is a shiny rock, sometimes it is a nugget of gold.”

So, the definitive metaphor — at least for Twitter — is it is an asteroid belt.

As for MildFire, I’m not sure yet if they are a nugget of gold or a shiny rock, so they go into the drawer until I have time to asses their value.

Originally published at: DogWalkBlog.com