GirlsTalkingTech

Private Sample Sale and a Wait List

by Kristie Conner

Here and there I have seen blog posts about Justin Timberlake or Ashton Kutcher mingling and in some cases investing in tech start-ups.  Just do a quick search on Tech Crunch and there are plenty of search results.  Justin Timberlake is the lead investor in Particle and as Tech Crunch points out he is not new to Silicon Valley.  Ashton Kutcher among other things hosted an event with Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, at Sundance called “24hoursatsundance”.  While not as timely, meaning we are no longer in the eighties MC Hammer attends many Silicon Valley events and I am quite certain the list goes on.

The point, I was not surprised by the ‘wait list’ when I decided to check out the online, private sample sale that Leena Lao of Tech Crunch, wrote about in her blog “Rebirth of the Sample Sale“.  I mean I was, but then I wasn’t.  Tech is getting FANCY PANTS.  In the description it pointedly says “private”.  I think HuateLook was easy.  They have some great sales and they have some great sun glasses, but that sale is going to end in 2 plus hours. The UNISEX Ta Da normally $395 are 70% of.  This super cute jacket is 81% off.  So far I really like the savings this site offers.  It is easy and well they let me in right away.  To get an invite and throw $10.00 towards my shopping click here.

Next on my list Gilt Groupe,. The Gilt Groupe provides invitation-only access to high-end fashion and luxury brands at highly discounted prices.  Unless, I assume, you get an invitation you need to sign-up for an invitation.  It is worth the effort.  For an invite from me (and I get $25.00 if you buy something click here!)

So, I have to say, sadly, I have not yet received an invite from Rue La La …they must be real f-a-n-c-y.

Not only was I impressed with the sales and quality I am quite frankly impressed with their viral, social media marketing efforts.  You can tweet, FB or put a link in your blog.  If your friends accept the invitation and purchase something you get $10 or $25 dollars for shopping the Sample Sale!

According to Roa, “Online sample sites are drawing massive audiences, and monetizing them in a meaningful way. Of course, it’s a competitive space with every site duking it out for supply (the designer inventory) and demand (the buyers). And yet, even in recessionary times, the sample sales market seems large enough to sustain a market of start-ups, and keeps me looking like TechCrunch pays me a decent salary (joke!)”.

To read the full blog post, which is quite good and includes a lot more information on the sample sale visit “Rebirth of Sample Sale“.

Oh, and you might wonder what is up with the pictures … I am trying to personalize my posts!

Social Media for the Small Business Owner

by Kristie Conner

Sunday I wrote a blog post about Pete Cashmore’s CNN column.  Today, I thought I’d explore ‘how’ the attention economy impacts small businesses and personal brands.  Having spent the last 24 months working with small businesses owners helping with their marketing and online programs I have some initial thoughts.  One of the first things that I noticed as I started working with small business owners is the issue of time.  There is not enough time in the day.  So, how many brain waves can they spend thinking about social networking services and best leveraging these opportunities?

Start Slow, but start!

I personally feel that social networking services can help small businesses compete in a larger playing field. It should be much easier for a small brand or business to be personal and authentic and to quickly take advantage of the Attention Economy.  With over 200 social networks where does a small business start?  If we go back to the issue of time — the idea of 200 social networks all with different user interfaces seems more than daunting.  Pick a few.  My suggestion is start with a blog and then create a Facebook Fan Page.  A blog is a great way to connect with customers, tell your story and drive search engine optimization.  A Facebook Fan Page adds a level of connectivity and communication. Then, consider Twitter and some vertical or industry specific  networks.

How to start? I’d recommend hiring a consultant.  Social networking takes time.  It is not rocket science, but there is a flow to it and by hiring a professional you will save yourself time.

If you don’t start what will happen? These are my predictions.

1. Your customer #’s will slowing dwindle. Why, because they are going to migrate to those who offer the best experience online and offline. Facebook and Twitter offer another level of customer service.  For those customers who enjoy the face to face interaction there is a population that prefers the online experience.  They like information on demand and customers service on-demand.  They might prefer writing an email, sending a note via Facebook or tweeting.  If you don’t have these channels available there will be a slow migration.

2. It will be harder to acquire new customers. It use to be a website was cutting edge, now a website is part of the price to do business.  Soon, it will be the same of social networks.  Why? Because a customer can research you through real customer reviews.  If you don’t have an online, social networked presence you become marginalized.

3. Social Networking Services are changing the dynamics of business.  Not only is customer service changing, think of product development.  Receive customer feedback easily and frequently.  This provides the oppotunity to offer better products to meet the needs of you customers.

4. I know what my industry experts look like!  I like this and I think the rest of the population does as well.  It goes back to personalization. The blog posts and tweets I read have photo’s!

Some examples of how Social Networks have helped small businesses …

Client/Customer Testimonials

A few months ago, my client Healthy Spaces, launched their Facebook Fan page.  They are up to 59 fans. Within the store we ran a promotion that if you wrote a review you’d receive a gift. Via this promotion Healthy Spaces received several testimonials.  These are personal stories told by the Fan.  Nothing beats an unbiased story. It is every marketers dream.

Daily Promotions — Drive Business on slow days

Beyond the brilliant testimonial is the promotion.  Facebook offers an interactive platform for updating clients/customers easily.  One of my clients, Blush Salon and Spa in Albany, Oregon, has mastered this.  They will post daily specials if openings arise through cancellation or if there are opening in the schedule.  Cusotmers love it.  In fact, my parents, have booked appointments based on checking Blush’s Facebook Fan Page and seeing the specials of the day. So, if you ‘think’ your customers won’t get it or use it, you might want to think again.  Secondly, these channels, can change the dynamics of your customer base.  I have seen the population of Healthy Spaces change over the last few months and that equates to new customers!

Share Knowledge & Information

Through your Fan Page you can share relevant industry information.  This is a great service for your clients/customers.  Whether you are sharing tips on Fall Hair Color (Blush) or your latest blog post Facebook is a great way to share information.  As the owner of a Facebook Fan page you need to mix it up.  People, including your clients/customers get bored.

Important as you take on the social media challenge …

Tone

For some small businesses it is a challenge to adopt the lighter more fluid tone that is social media.  Twitter is a 140-characters, so you have to be brief.  It is the same on Facebook.  It is a communication tool, a way to connect like you are having a live conversation with a friend.  Formality does not work, but I am not saying it never works.  I actually make a point of not saying ‘never’.

Authentic

Always be authentic!

Social Media for the Small Business Owner

I am working on a package for small businesses!  You don’t really have the time to manage social networking, keep up to date on the latest trends (because they change daily) so I am working on something that will give you, the small business owner, social networking, brand ambassadorship and being up on all the trends for a price that makes sense.

For more information email me at girlstalkingtech@gmail.com

The End of Privacy and the Rise of the Attention Economy

by Kristie Conner

Welcome to Media 2.0 and The End of Control. Scary, you bet, especially for all of us control freaks, this statement might just be uncomfortable.  It sounds like the title of a Science Fiction novel and it is scary in more than a few ways and  just as exciting.  If you don’t like change you might want to turn ‘off’ all connections which is okay, but don’t be surprised if you slip into obscurity.  Well, that is what Pete Cashmore predicts and in his CNN column.  For those of you who do not know Pete Cashmore, he is the founder and CEO of Mashable, a popular blog about social media.

The End of Privacy

He starts the article off by talking about a U.K. firm that is launching a camera (SenseCam)to capture every moment in a person’s life.  Imagine capturing e-v-e-r-y moment in your life.  I’ll let you think on that for a second.  At first thought and second it sounds like a horrible idea.  Sure, if you are Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, why not.  If we have not learned anything from the era of Super-Celebrities, it is that the consumer (us) likes everything the dirt especially when it comes to celebrities.  Who picks up a magazine with the headline “Brad and Angie Bake Cookies and Play Scrabble on Friday”.  In fact, this love affair has extended to reality shows and ‘airing’ dirty laundry.  It has become an American past-time.  Now, we have Facebook and Twitter so we can peek into the lives of our network, the more common folk.  So, as he says in his column, “you may reel at the privacy implications, I’d wager that the high price of not capturing and sharing every moment of our lives will soon dwarf the cost of our privacy.”

I Agree …

… with Mr. Cashmore.  It became very apparent to me that I was ‘not’ going to make the ranks of the elite bloggers and such when I read Tara Hunt’s book and realized I am just not that open, I valued my privacy a bit too much.  About six months ago when I was reading her book and read that she took pictures of her hair while at the Salon and sent it around to her network, my reaction was horror.  My hair in 100 foils, looking less than human are more like a Media 2.0 character had me uncomfortable.  I knew at that point I was lacking.  However, fast-forward a few months and I can totally stomach the idea.  I started my blog and named it Girls Talking Tech and when I tweet I rarely share personal information.  But, what I have learned is that when I do share personal information, I attract more followers.  The lesson here is that people can get information.  Information is not hard to find, but where they chose to find it will be defined by the ‘who’ and how they feel about the ‘who’.

Unknown and Unemployed

One example, Mr. Cashomore used really got me thinking.  You might be brilliant, but if nobody knows, you are likely not cashing in on your talent “Without industry connections or a valuable audience for your work, you aren’t even on the radar.“  How true.  He used the example of journalists.  It made me think of CNN and how each Rick Sanchez has increased his popularity using social media.  As one of the first to adopt and integrate social media into his show, he is now more than just a CNN contributor, he now has his own following and is more of an asset.

In the attention economy, privacy is obscurity … wow!  In the digital age, Information was the economy.  Now information is readily available to those who have connections (computers, Internet, mobile devices) now it is about who you want to listen to.  In his article Pete Cashmore states “those who insert themselves into as many channels as possible look to set to capture the most value.”

I found his column really thought-provoking.  Over the next few weeks I am going to spend more time writing about this topic and the ramifications of the Attention Economy.  Look for new posts on what this means to small businesses.

The economy is still depressed or is that just me?

by Kristie Conner

I’m wondering why the wise and experimental pharmaceutical companies have not invented a drug for the economy.  Or, is that what the H1N1 pandemic is? A way to pump up the pharma revenues because who can possibly afford designer drugs?  Well, these are questions I will not answer with this blog post, but I have found a great site for finding some discounts – www.offers.com.

Tooling about Offers.com I found some good and average deals.  I like the 24-Hour Fitness coupons.  There is no better time than the present to get in shape.  Namely, a healthy body fights back disease, infection and depression a lot easier.  Number two, it is a place to go (after the membership is paid for) that doesn’t cost a lot.  I call that ‘free’ (sort of) entertainment.

Now, for those of you are starting your Christmas shopping early and do a lot of shipping.  This site is for you.  There are tons and tons of ‘free shipping’ offers.  I’m really not into Free Shipping as I don’t ship things.  I keep them until the holiday/birthday is way past due and then I have ‘items’ lying around.  Some I can use and others not so much.  With that said ‘free shipping’ might just be my thing.

Check out www.offers.com.  Who knows what you might find.