Personal | Agile' Marketing Services

More Famous In Death Than In Life

January 25, 2024 by amsadmin

Five years ago, a small family-run diner opened near my house, half an hour north of Syracuse, NY. I already had a couple clients in the plaza, so I visited it fairly often anyway. I ate at the new diner, and found it was pretty good. The owners, a husband and wife team, asked me to help with their social media.

In addition to making regular posts on Facebook and (at that time) Twitter, I also contacted a few media outlets on their behalf. Although none of the local papers or blog sites deigned to write about them, they developed a steady stream of regulars. Closing during the pandemic actually helped their numbers. They often had people standing outside their door, waiting for a table to become available.

Bill was a retired truck driver. He and his wife Fran opened the diner as a place to earn more income for themselves, and a place to employ their daughters and grand daughters. When they found that many of their regulars were veterans, they put together a display of photos and name plaques on one long wall of their restaurant, honoring the regulars and other visitors who supplied pictures and info about their service.

This Wall Of Honor is the only thing that inspired a story by the media. Even then, they relied on pictures I took, and made a phone call to interview Fran and Bill – from Iowa. Amazingly, the journalist sold the story to a news outlet in a small city close to us.

Just as the restaurant was recovering from the after effects of COVID, Bill began having coughing fits. He went to his doctor for a checkup, and was diagnosed with lung cancer. Since the diner was run by family, it was often understaffed, or even closed, while Fran and her children took care of Bill.

The disease progressed rapidly, and within eight months, Bill passed away, and the diner was closed for over a week. Shortly after they re-opened, their daughter-in-law announced she was pregnant and would soon be leaving to stay home with the baby.

With all the time being closed, regulars began to slip away. The diner closed first on Tuesdays, going from being open seven days a week, to only six. Last fall, they began to close on what had been their busiest day – Sundays.

Still, my efforts to entice the media to visit were being ignored. Even a regional “food review show” that charged restaurants for promotional visits told me they weren’t interested.

Just after the first of January, Fran took me aside and told me she’d made the difficult decision to close the diner. She would be shutting the doors after business on Saturday, January 27th. I offered to help her find buyers for the diner’s equipment. I made a single phone call, which hasn’t yet been returned.

This week, there have already been three stories on the diner closing it’s doors – one in a local paper, and two stories on local media websites. Amazingly, they focused on two things: the fact that the closing was a hard decision, and the hours the diner was open.

People have been crawling out of the woodwork to like the (about to be terminated) Facebook page, and to message Fran about how the diner will be missed.

As a popular meme says, “Don’t bother to cry at my funeral if you couldn’t be bothered to visit while I was alive.” I find it jaw-dropping that the diner, on the eve of it’s impending demise, is suddenly popular with people who couldn’t be bothered to visit, or write about it’s impact on the local population. And why would you want to make sure you posted the hours of operation for a restaurant about to shut it’s doors?

So, what am I trying to say with this article? A couple things, I suppose.

First, if there’s a local place you like doing business – or have thought about visiting – then by all means, go. Take a friend. Tell your family about them. If you like the place, buy gift certificates to pass out to people in your circle. These places are run by people just like you, who need to cover housing and utility bills. They’re folks following their passion, trying to live their best lives.

Second, that the media – and people in general – are more interested in celebrating a death than they are celebrating a life. And I think that’s pretty damned sad.

Launch It! finals judge – 2023

November 7, 2023 by amsadmin

I was honored to be a judge for the finals of the Launch It! entrepreneurial competition at SUNY Oswego this year. Here are a couple pix from the Friday afternoon finals. One with all the students (including one telepresenting from Yonkers!), educators, and judges (except for me). 2nd pic is the winning team, Anonymous Athlete, plus School of Business assistant dean Dr Irene Scruton and Dean Prabakar Kothandaraman.

Relatives vs Family

September 9, 2023April 20, 2023 by amsadmin

RELATIVES are the people to whom nature ties you by blood and birth, marriage and DNA.

FAMILY are the people to whom you tie yourself with laughter, tears, experiences and love.

“Collaborate” Doesn’t Mean “Screw Me Over”

September 11, 2020 by amsadmin

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines collaborate as: to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor. Personally, I’d modify that a bit. I’d add something like: working towards a common goal, with a shared reward.

LinkedIn Connections

Over the years, I’ve had a number of people wanting to connect on LinkedIn who use the word “collaborate.” As in: “I want to collaborate with you on X – let’s connect.” Now, I’ve messaged most of these people back, asking exactly what they meant by using that word.

Here’s my first complaint – I never heard back from most of those folks. Frankly, I never hear from most of the folks to whom I’m connected. Let’s be honest – most people who reach out to “connect” on LinkedIn are collectors; they simply want to be connected to an ever-increasing list of people. That is to say, they’re more interested in the list than the people on it. Those who are interested in the people they’re connected to, want to sell to their connections.

And that’s exactly what the people who get back to me say. When they use the word “collaborate,” they simply mean “sell to (me).” They’re not interested in whatever goals I may have, and they don’t actually want to work on something together. They simply want to sell their service or product to me, have me pay, and promptly disappear.

Most of the folks who have replied to my questions have no idea of what Agile’ does, or what I might need. This is EXACTLY like walking up to a stranger and asking them to marry you.

When I see the word “collaborate” in a connection request, I read it as “screw you over.” Because, in my experience with connecting requests, that’s what it means on my end. “Hi! Let’s connect – I want to screw you over.”

Photogs & Models

I have a friend who is a professional model. No, not a supermodel – just a regular Jane Doe who has a decent body and some makeup skills, and is happy to spend her days playing dress-up. For cash. I’m unhappy when I see the phrase, “I’d like to collaborate with you” – but not as unhappy as she is.

Basically, when a photog says that to her, it means something similar as it does to me, but much more dastardly. When they say “collaborate,” they mean they want to waste her time and talents, make her travel across the country on her own dime, treat her like dirt, and then not pay her anything. In the end, they get all the images, and she gets. . . [wait for it!]. . . the experience. Wow, you know what they say – after 15 years of working in my field, the one thing I need is unpaid experience!

Let’s Collaborate

So here’s what “collaborate” means when I use it: if Agile’ collaborates on a project with a client (or any other company, for that matter), we work together on a shared project, towards a shared goal. We share the risks and expenses – perhaps not equally, but equitably. After the results of the project are in, we share the fruits of our labor. For instance, we often get clients who are looking to increase their marketing list, increase the number of sales a customer makes or their average purchase amount, or even increase their profit margin. We often collaborate with clients on those jobs. If our efforts don’t move the needle, they don’t pay. If our efforts meet the goals we mutually set, then they pay a certain fee. That fee is usually based on ROI – the larger the return, the more they pay.

Agile’ offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and I prefer it if everyone we work with does the same thing. You’re happy, or you don’t pay.

If you have questions, reach out. Comments? Post ’em below!

How To Save $485

August 20, 2020 by amsadmin

I use an Epson WorkForce printer in my office. I bought it a number of years ago, when it was first released. It’s very handy, because it can print on paper up to 13 x 19 inches. That means I can make mini-posters for clients right here, instead of having them printed elsewhere.

Lately, I’ve been having trouble with the printing. Specifically, the black print head has been leaving blank streaks, and what is printed is faint. I’ve replaced the ink cart twice, and it still wasn’t any better. I went online to look for a new printer.

I don’t need a scanner or a fax machine, so the closest thing I could find is a refurbed version of the next model up. Cost? $500 – and that was for the “cheap” one.

While I was looking, I came across something I hadn’t really considered – a cleaning kit, consisting of an oral medicine syringe and some “special cleaning solution.” That and the instructions would only set me back $15. Oh – and a week’s wait for shipping.

Now, I’d wanted to reach under the head and wipe off the nozzle, but for some reason, I’d never considered washing it from the inside. And now that I knew about it, I didn’t want to wait, either.

Somewhere, we have an oral syringe we got for giving medicine to our cats. Couldn’t find it. So I looked online again. Most places had them for about $8 – plus a week’s wait for shipping. Damn!

Just for the heck of it, I looked on the Walmart site. Found a kid’s syringe at my local store for only $3. After a 20 minute trip, I was back. I went under my sink and grabbed a pre-mixed spray bottle of Simple Green. I poured that in a juice glass, and used it to give my black print head three squirts of cleaning goodness.

Today, my printer’s churning out some great-looking black pages. That means I can now send back a wheel that doesn’t fit my new car – that I waited a week for.

Yeah, I think we have a problem with shipping, at this point. But I digress. . .

Anyway, between gas, the syringe, and my purchase of a huge jug of Simple Green at some point in the past, I figure I spent at least the same on all the supplies, as if I had ordered the cleaning kit. So by spending $15, I didn’t have to spend $500 for a refurbed printer. Total savings: $485.

Getting Me To Take A Chance On You

January 7, 2020 by amsadmin

Here’s what really ticks me off about LinkedIn –

I routinely get emails from my connections, offering to “help” me. Usually it’s web site design and/or SEO.

First, they have no idea what Agile’ does – who it’s target markets are, or what kinds of services it provides for clients. These folks routinely refer to Agile’ as a “digital marketing company.” For your info, a digital agency specializes in things revolving around the Internet, like search engine optimization, web site design, and so forth. We’re not that – just ask our clients for whom we design and install banners, roadsigns, posters for their windows, and for whom we set up and man live events. (But we do all that other Internet-specific stuff, too.)

Today’s Offer

Today’s winner contacted me, offering to “work together on projects.” I asked for a clarification. “You know,” he said, “I can develop apps, or perform SEO for your clients, and if I know someone who could use your services, I could maybe refer you.”

Not specific, not decisive. But I literally – 2 minutes before – had given a young man the opportunity to quote me on SEO for a client site and my own. I told this new guy the same thing I’d told the original kid:

Give me your email, and I’ll set up a low-level account for you on each site
You make a proposal for each site – max 250 words in each proposal
Tell me what you want to do, how long it’s going to take, and how much you plan on charging me
Tell me the success criteria, how we’re going to measure it, and when we’ll measure

Crickets. Total silence. This person couldn’t wait to make a sales pitch, and now that I give him my conditions, he disappears.

Use Your Chance

Do some research on your prospect – get to know what my business does, and for whom
How many other people do you think are approaching me with their hand out? Offer me something of value, at no charge to me. Demonstrate your worth before asking me to pay you.
What does your prospect want to achieve with your product or service? Offer to prove that your service or product will provide them with measurable results. Back it up with a money back guarantee.
Have a plan in place for how to proceed immediately if the prospect responds to your advances, and put that plan into action

My Offer to You

I’m offering you a free copy of my book, Profile Your Target Market, in digital form. You can grab a copy for your Kindle, Nook, or even a PDF copy for your computer.

No catch – I won’t even save your email address for my mailing list. I just ask that if you find it helpful, come back here and leave a note. Let your friends and business connections know about the book – if you think it would be good for them, please give them your personal recommendation.

Here’s the link:

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/xhqbhusj3a

Facebook Page Posts 02 – Scheduling

December 16, 2019 by amsadmin

In the last article, I mentioned the three main types of posts for a Facebook business page: Tells, Asks and Sells. At their most basic, they do exactly what the name says. In this article, we’re going to talk about a way to connect with your followers that has nothing to do with the content of your messages.

I have a childhood friend that owns a multi-million dollar bug extermination business in Phoenix, AZ. I love her dearly, but her posts to her FB page suck. Not the content – they’re actually very informative Tells. No, it’s the lack of a schedule.

See, her FB page will go for months without a post or an update. Then suddenly, three new posts will appear in the space of a couple hours. And then her page goes dead again for weeks or months.

One of the best things you can do to help develop a relationship with your target audience is to be consistent. In this case, you should make your posts come out at regular intervals. It might be once a day, a couple times a week, once every two or three weeks, or even longer. How do you know the most effective interval?

Ask!

Let me be the first to acknowledge that you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet. (Well, maybe I’m not the first person. . .) And you can’t entirely believe what people tell you when you ask them a direct question. But if you’re posting messages every day, and people tell you they want to see you post just once a week, it’s something to consider. You’ll get the answer “Every day!” from people who visit your page every day. “Once per month” is an answer someone might be able to leave, if they saw your question when it was posted, instead of the one day a month they visited your page.

It’s not the frequency of your posts that are important. It’s the regularity – the fact that people can count on seeing your posts every certain number of days, and at the same time. Posts about “How to manage your day better” should probably come early in the morning for your audience. “Hump day hints” are probably expected on Wednesdays. While having a post come out every day, or every Tuesday evening, or whenever is a fine idea, real life often gets in the way of sitting down and cranking out a post.

And that’s where the Publishing Tools on Facebook pages come in. You can actually schedule posts weeks, or even months in advance. For this, you have to be the administrator (admin) for your page, or an editor or moderator (mod). You should schedule the upcoming steps.

Set aside at least an hour – I generally allow half a day for this work – and get a piece of paper, or your computer, and start jotting down ideas for the posts you want to create for the next six months or so. I’d also have a calendar or datebook on hand, so that you can look up major holidays – I schedule those for my clients and myself first.

For the holidays you want to hit, create what I call “social lubricant” posts: “Wishing you the warmth of the season this Christmas,” “We appreciate all those who have served” for Veteran’s Day, “Happy 4th of July,” and so forth. When I count total posts, I disregard Social Lubricant posts.

If you’re planning sales based around any holiday, put those Sell posts together next. (“President’s Day mattress sale – come in before the 22nd to get the best prices of the season!”) I keep Sell posts to around 20% of all posts made.

As for Tell and Ask posts, I try to keep each category to about 40% of the total posts (besides Social Lubricant posts), so that with Sell posts, you come up to 100% of all posts made. Since you’ll probably want to trying to get new people to Like your Facebook page, don’t be afraid of repeating Tell posts every once in a while. “Don’t forget – click this link to join our email list, and get 20% off your next order,” or “We’re closed on Mondays, but open the other 6 days a week.”

Obviously, the next step is to log into your FB page and, using the Publishing Tools, start creating and scheduling the posts you’ve been working on. I recommend attaching pictures or video to about 90% of your posts. I’ll be covering Media in an upcoming article, so stay tuned! Make sure your posts follow a schedule. It could be once a week, twice a month – it doesn’t matter. Your readers’ minds will grab onto the pattern repetition.

Because life – and business – is all about change, leave plenty of room in your schedule to write posts on the fly. If a Tell or an Ask comes to you, go ahead and write it and post it immediately. Just don’t forget to check your schedule first, to make sure you’re not duplicating a post.

For years, my wife bought me Franklin Planners for Christmas, and I never used them. I have a very good memory, and can keep a great deal of info stored in my noggin. However, since I started creating posts for up to fifteen clients at any given time, I’ve embraced planners whole-heartedly! As I write this, it’s early December and I already have four different planners sitting on my desk. One is completely filled for next year already with posts I have to make for my own company. One planner has the schedule for my non-profit clients, and another has the schedule of posts just for my restaurant clients. You can probably get away with just having one planner or calendar.

Start planning – and scheduling – those posts!