Think email is dead?  Think again.

Email Marketing is an extremely powerful tool right now for businesses looking to generate a better relationship with their current and potential customers.  In fact, according to a worldwide study conducted by Lightspeed Research 60% of consumers make purchases as a direct result from email.

However, email marketing is just one way to target your audience, but with all of the SPAM, junk mail, and pure volume of email users are receiving, a number of emails go unread.  Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly where each one of your contacts was “hanging out” online?

This is where Flowtown comes into play. Flowtown can show you all the different social networks your customers are on including: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Myspace and more, and it allows you to tap into your network and connect with your audience where they spend time the most.

Pretty cool idea huh?  I thought so, and that’s why I had to hear about how powerful it actually was from Flowtown co-founder Dan Martell himself in this video interview below.

Have you been getting the most out of your email marketing list by connecting with your list on social media as well?  Are you a Flowtown user already?  If so, please share your thoughts on what it has done to maximize your email marketing efforts in the comments below and make sure to connect with Dan Martell on Twitter or on his personal website.

Discover Your Email Marketing Audience on Social Media: Dan Martell From Flowtown.com is a post from: Lewis Howes

How “Zen” is your social media marketing strategy?

If you aren’t getting the results you are looking for, you may be going about your strategy all wrong.

Sometimes, all we need is a shift in our mindset to take our results from zero to hero.  As an athlete, I realized that I would never be as big, fast, or strong as some of the others, but I knew if my mindset was in top shape then I could compete with some of the top athletes in the world.

This is true with social media marketing as well.

You don’t have to have a huge brand or a lot of resources to spend on social media marketing.  All you need is to know how to use the tools the right way, leverage what’s available to you for free online, and get your mindset in the right place.

The Zen of Social Media Marketing by Shama Kabani is a book that shares with your the tools you need to get your mind right using social media.  Check out my thoughts in the video below, and make sure to grab a copy if you want to be more Zen-like online.

Also, be sure to say hi to Shama on Twitter, as she has a lot of great things to share on a daily basis.

How Zen is Your Social Media Marketing? is a post from: Lewis Howes

I just got back from SXSW Interactive, and for those who attended I hope you were able to get some sleep because I didn’t get much.

Most people do business between the hours or 9am to 5pm.  Most people.

However, for those who attended SXSW (or who attend conferences in general) know that most of the business happens right around 2am.

Depending on the city, this is the time most of the parties are winding down, and the bars close.  And this is also the time people open up to others the most.

Here is common example of what would go down during a night at SXSW:

We all bond together and take our last drink or rush to the bar to order one last shot.  We pay for each others tab, stumble out the venue door with sore feet from the long day of walking at the conference and non-stop dancing.  We get really close when speaking to one another because our ears are ringing from the thumping techno beats, classic rock, and 80’s greatest hits.

We grab a slice of pizza from that shady street meat vender with crazy tattoos.  Then we share cab rides or walk back to the hotel lobby and tell tales of the nightlong journey to the other conference mates who missed out on “the best party of the evening”.

We rally the troupes and lounge around in smelly, sweaty clothes acting as if we have known each other our entire lives.  Then as the first person starts to fall asleep in the middle of the hotel lobby, we take our last picture of the night and post it to Twitter, and Facebook for everyone to see.

We watch as others rush to the bathroom to throw up their $113 bill of Coyote Ugly’s finest alcoholic beverages.  And after this, we realize it’s time to go to bed so we can wake up for another long day of panels, networking, and partying.

A mosh pit of high fives, hugs, and kisses take place as we say goodnight (like in the video below)

We tell each other how much fun we had, how much of a blast it was getting to know one another, and mention how we look forward to hanging out with that person in the future.

This is when business happens.

When we start having experiences with one another outside of the working mindset, and in an environment that breaks down walls and allows for a more light hearted connection.

Remember, we do business with those we know, like and trust.  One night with someone at a party gives you the best opportunity to get them to like you, know the “real” you a little better, and trust you even more.

I generate business deals all of the time at 2:00 am.  Do you?

Please share one experience where you connected with someone late at night and how it translated into a joint venture, new job, more sales, or more business opportunities.  I would love to hear your story.

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Image by Steve Hall

Business Happens at 2:00 am is a post from: Lewis Howes

LinkedIn is better than Twitter.  Isn’t it? In my mind LinkedIn is one of the most powerful business networking resources on the planet.  However, my good friend Sean Malarkey believes Twitter is more powerful.  Who is right and who is wrong?  It’s like saying which team is better in the Michigan vs. Ohio State rivalry.  Both teams have great tradition and are two of the most successful college football teams of all time.  Luckily, Sean and I both agree that Ohio State is much better, and since they won 8 our out of the last 9 meetings with “the school up north”, there isn’t much to debate about which team is better (Go Bucks!).

Seeing that we could not come to an agreement as to which site is better (Twitter and LinkedIn), I thought I would duke it out with Sean to show you that LinkedIn is more powerful for your business.  Sean, being the competitive guy that he is, accepted my challenge.  Make sure you watch this brief video below to see how YOU will decide who is the winner.

Sean and I will be giving away our best content, and sharing with you how you can maximize some of the latest tools that both Twitter and LinkedIn have recently released.  Register Here for this content packed web show, take notes, and get ready to choose your winner in the Twitter vs. LinkedIn rivalry game!

LinkedIn vs. Twitter: Which One Is Better? is a post from: Lewis Howes

I’ve recently seen several people say they would like to see the meaning of PR change from public relations to people relations. Whatever you call it, teams and athletes are better for using it in their professional arsenals.

As we take in the U.S.(tennis) Open these next two weeks, we’re reminded of the added value that “up close and personal” provides between athletes and fans. After most matches at the USTA Billy Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., you will find players stop to sign large tennis balls, programs and tickets for fans who gather near practice and in the front rows of match courts. A few years ago, the United States Tennis Association instituted a tradition that asks winners of each match in all rounds sign three new tennis balls and swat them into the stands. Fans hoot and holler at players so that they might hit balls their way. At a time when it’s tough to find big-name football, basketball and baseball players sign anything unless there’s a fee involved, professional tennis players seem to sincerely enjoy the 30 seconds it takes for them to connect with their fans in ways other sports cannot.

Golf is another sport that finds its athletes more open to fan engagement by signing tickets, caps and in at year’s PGA Championship, golf balls.

“This helps sports like tennis and golf, possibly because they are individual sports, not a team sports, which helps to connect athletes with fans personally,” said Ryan Knapp, PR Director at the National Premier Soccer League. “Anytime there is autograph signing and interaction between athletes and fans it’s a benefit, but only if it is genuine. If it’s forced, there is no benefit.”

Knapp said one exception is when tennis pros launch the post-match balls into the stands.

“I think that’s pretty cool actually, but the benefit? Someone gets a cool signed ball and tells a story,” Knapp said. “It’s unique to the Open. If every sport had its athletes sign balls and launch them in the stands, I don’t think it would be as effective.”

Among the best signers in these sports that come to mind: Andy Roddick (tennis), Serena Williams and Venus Williams (tennis), Phil Mickelson (golf), Hunter Mahan (golf). I know there are others, so please feel free to add those you know who spend their own time signing for fans.

I can also tell you that having worked with Dick Vitale for ESPN and ABC Sports broadcasts, he signs as many autographs as time allows at the dozens of venues where he provides basketball analysis. Many years ago, I also had to drag former U.S. Gymnastics Olympian, Bart Conner, from a throng of fans for whom he spent at least 20 minutes after a telecasts because he had another commitment. These are people who won fans throughout their sports careers and grew those fan bases when they switched to broadcasting just because they took extra time to interact, face-to-face. It’s “person relations” that promotes stories and often endears fans for lifetimes.

Photo Credits: Tennis Ball ; Autograph

It Takes More Than Balls To Achieve PR Success In Sports is a post from: Lewis Howes

We’ve heard the words “public relations” tossed around quite a bit this summer, particularly when an athlete or coach scrambles to save face after behaving badly. My concern as someone who’s worked in sports PR in some shape or form for most of my professional life, is that I increasingly hear consumers talk about press conferences during which the accused attempts to set the record straight, as public relations spin zones.

You know the ones I’m talking about: University of Louisville basketball coach, Rick Pitino who is being extorted for millions of dollars after an affair earlier this decade; Plaxico Burress, a New York Giants wide receiver who recently plead guilty to weapons charges after he accidentally shot himself earlier this year and of course, Michael Vick, a previously heralded quarterback who spent 18 months in prison after bankrolling a dogfighting ring.

While it’s important to look at how sports interests handle themselves in the face of adversity, it’s important to dispel the myth that public relations is only for diverting attention away from a crisis.

Public relations, in its ideal existence, helps to provide audiences with information and knowledge they would not already enjoy.  It’s about communicating messages about an organization or individual that helps to shape that group’s image. It’s how people perceive you because of the relationships you’ve developed with them personally or professionally.

Sports public relations has had its challenges in the last two or three decades. Before technological advances in everything from desktop publishing to the way we produce audio and video, sports PR people were in the business of telling stories. People such as Lee Remmel, the Green Bay Packers longtime PR pro, Nick Vista a former sports information director at Michigan State and member of the CoSIDA (there are dozens more) are known for their ability to capture a room and most importantly, the ear of a reporter who would then tell those stories to audiences.

Today, there’s great responsibility among these professionals to have statistics updated, their media guides produced in the most sophisticated formats (today, most of it in html online so that information is up-to-the-minute) and managing producers of electronic productions, that there isn’t time to cull the best stories from off the field to show athletes and organizations in a positive light.

“The loss of the story telling is part of what’s missing in people’s lives now with all of our multi-tasking, social media updates and other responsibilities,” said Nick Gandy, the director of communications at the Florida Sport Foundation and former member of Florida State University’s sports information staff. “People don’t take the time to find out these stories and tell them, and it’s sad.

Gandy, who calls himself an old-timer who embraces new media, said that short attention spans are not good for sports PR, but thinks that new pros can learn old tricks if given the time and opportunity.

“Good stories don’t generate click-throughs, sells newspapers and draw viewers so we don’t get to talk as much about the good stories and the great things that athletes do as compared to the scandalous ones,” Gandy said. “I think if given the personnel and opportunity, more of the good things would come out and people would appreciate knowing about them.”

Suffice to say, the role of a PR professional in sports is a balancing act that can only benefit from having more people power to embrace the value of having an entire organization embrace old-fashioned public relations. That includes meeting on the same pages and hopefully, act accordingly, in addition to doing more than crisis communication.

Until that time comes, audiences will have to depend on us – those who learn of the great contributions that coaches and athletes make to our communities – to tell the stories.

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Photo Credits:  Public Relations ; Book

Sports Public Relations Critical to Athlete Playbook is a post from: Lewis Howes

We all know who Bertha is.

She’s the ever-present Gatekeeper… the evil lord of the Decision-Maker’s precious  appointment book, telephone, and front door.  She eats unsuspecting sales reps for breakfast.  She’s been around the block, and knows what you’re up to.  You’re a Salesperson, and as far as she’s concerned, you’re the enemy.  She’s made up her mind; her boss’ office is the end zone, and she’s the entire Steelers front line.

When Bertha asks, “What is this regarding?”, we all know where she’s going.  She wants to get to the bottom of why you want to waste her boss’ time, and if she doesn’t get a satisfactory answer, you’re getting flushed like last night’s Taco Bell.

As a professional sales rep, it’s critical that you answer Bertha quickly and confidently. One hesitation – just one hint that leads her to believe you’re tentative, nervous, or don’t know your stuff – and you’re toast.

So Rule #1 of getting past Bertha is: Be Ready For Bertha.

Don’t count on your last-minute, off-the-cuff wit to pull you through; you must be prepared for questions like “What’s This Regarding?” and answer them with confidence.

(NOTE: Want to know my best responses to the question, “What’s This Regarding?”  Just E-mail me at bill@The800PoundGorilla.com with the words “BERTHA” in the subject line, and I’ll send ‘em right to you.)

Rule #2 is: Play Her Game.

This is her turf.  In order for you to win, she has to believe that SHE’S in control.  You won’t beat Bertha; your best bet is to win her over, which leads us to:

Rule #3: Treat Bertha Like She’s The Decision-Maker’s Best Friend.

You don’t know how much the Decision-Maker counts on Bertha to help him or her decide what to do.  Many bosses ask their assistants what they think about certain vendors or product lines.  They often ask their assistants questions like: “What’d you think of that person that just walked out the door?”  Most every Bertha has an opinion, and even though they may not take their advice, they listen to their responses, and it does influence the Decision-Makers’ thinking.

And if you can’t get past her, for whatever reason, employ

Rule #4: Figure Out When Bertha’s NOT There, and Call Then.

The best times to call are during “normal” lunch times, just before work hours begin (i.e., at 8:15 am if the day begins at 8:30), or just after normal work hours end.  Decision-Makers are often there early and stay late.

If you get Bertha’s voice mail, hit “0”, which usually transfers you up to the reception area, and ask the receptionist up front to transfer you to the Decision-Maker’s direct line, bypassing Bertha’s line.  (I use this tactic quite often.)

If none of these work, there’s also

Rule #5: Find Another Company Contact.

There may be someone else inside the company that can get you the access you need.  Call another extension, strike up a conversation with that person, and let them know that you’ve been trying to reach so-and-so, and wondered if they could help.

As I teach in every ticket sales training program I conduct with teams across the nation:  Sales is a game – play to win!

P.S.  If you’ve got a great response to “What’s This Regarding?”, send it to me at bill@The800PoundGorilla.com, and I’ll print it in a future Sports Networker column… and to learn more about my 3-day “Sales Dominance” program for sports ticket sales executives, click here.

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Photo Credits: Gatekeeper ; Phone

Getting Past Bertha: The Rules of Gatekeeper Engagement in Sales is a post from: Lewis Howes

Last week Antonio Ramirez wrote in from Mexico to ask what the best arguments were for convincing players to participate in a social program.

It’s a great question, and in Antonio’s case, for a great cause. Childhood obesity is quickly becoming an epidemic in Mexico, particularly surrounding low income areas and schools. And he’s looking to get a few futbol (soccer) players to be ambassadors for a program to inspire/lead these kids.

Certainly the kids would love if athletes would take time out of their day to visit a couple of times during the semester, but I’m certain there are people with more experience in philanthropic endeavors far more qualified to answer that question than me.
So, I’ll take a different approach and give Antonio (and all of you) my best advice on how to get athletes to participate in social media, which can still empower and inspire not only local kids, but anyone who wants to follow them. Ah, the power of social media.

Why?

It’s All About the Story

First, tell a compelling story, very similar to the one Antonio told Lewis. Athletes won’t be compelled to participate, much less to help if you don’t give them a damn good reason.

As a quick aside, here are two things I do know about philanthropic efforts:

1.) Don’t make the problem seem insurmountable. Define it such that someone knows their contribution will make a difference.

2.) Pick out one person. Find one overweight kid and highlight him. He resonates; people identify more with one person than the entire group. See above.

Now that you’ve told a compelling story, it’s important to remember that chances are these athletes are important people, at least they think they are. And you can bet your ass they’re asking what’s in it for me.

3 Reasons Athletes Should Use Social Media

Here are three arguments you can make that will work every time:

1.) At some point your professional career is going to be over. One of these days your body won’t be physically capable of doing what it could when you were 24. If you’ve saved your earnings you might live a nice, comfortable, quiet life. But having lived in the spotlight all your life is that really want you want? To ride off into the sunset? (Note – If they haven’t been in the spotlight, having a kick ass personality in social media is one way to get there.)

Being active in social media maintains your relevancy long after your sports career is over. Look at Shaquille O’Neal. His best days are behind him, but that didn’t stop over 2 million people from following him on Twitter. You think that even after he’s done playing he can’t leverage that following for more sponsorship dollars? For a goofy television show? Think again.

2.) You know how hard sending a tweet is? About as hard as writing a text message. Yeah, no excuses. Your fans want to connect with you. They love what you do on the court, but they want to know what you do off of it, what goes through your head during games, who you hang with, what team you play with in Madden ’10.

Being involved in social media a great way to increase your humanize yourself and increase your brand affinity. Oh, you didn’t think of yourself as a brand? Well there was your first mistake. Chad OchoCinco was an average wide receiver last year, but fans are still buying his jersey like crazy. Why? Because he’s got a shtick, and because fans can witness it because he provides them that opportunity via social media platforms: Twitter, video, etc.

3.) You can only sign one autograph at a time. You answer post-game questions on the spot when they’re asked. The media can see you out with a friend and tomorrow’s tabloid will say you’re cheating on your wife. Did you know that social media gives you the power to influence, facilitate, and protect your brand on your terms?

Instead of one autograph at a time you can take 15 seconds to send a tweet out to all of your fans at once thanking them for their attendance, their support, whatever. You can say what you want to say post-game on YouTube, in a blog post. You can sit down and craft the message you want to convey, not what you were forced to come up with on the spot with a microphone shoved in your face. And finally, you can clear up all the BS by setting your story straight on the platform of your choice.

If you take the time to tell a compelling story and then explain these three simple reasons, there’s no way an athlete will refuse to participate in social media; not if they ‘get it.’

And from there, the sky’s the limit. Can you imagine soccer players in Mexico writing blog posts, posting videos or tweeting about their workouts, their elaborate diets, how hard they practice? It’s not foolish to think that the youth in Mexico would follow these athletes, and start trying to prevent obesity.

It’s tough to tackle such a complex topic in 900 words, but I hope I answered your question Antonio, at least to some extent, and I hope I gave all of you some solid reasons to convince athletes to participate in social media. Unfortunately they’re not having the impact they could/should have. At least not yet!

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image by frank_z

3 Reasons Athletes Should Use Social Media is a post from: Lewis Howes

How Twitter Gives Fans Free Access to Games (& Why Ochocinco is Brilliant) is a post from: Lewis Howes

Sports Networker needs your vote!  We submitted to conduct a panel at SxSW next year to talk about how social media is changing the sports world.  We all know the sports industry is behind the times on using new media, however, it seems as though teams and companies are starting to see the value. In this panel I will address with some of the leading sports social media experts how pro athletes, teams, and fans can use social media for better interaction, and how the business of sport will change forever.  Some of the questions we will be answering will be:

1. How can teams/pro athletes better connect with fans online?

2.  How can teams find their audience and increase sponsorship dollars?

3.  What privacy issues do teams and players face by exposing their thoughts online?

4.  What are the newest online technologies that can track ROI for teams?

5.  How can sports agencies and management/marketing firms best utilize online tools to build their business?

6.  Should pro athletes be completely transparent and blog about the team?

7.  Should pro athletes be using twitter and facebook to promote their brand?

8.  What can entire leagues do to better embrace new media?

9.  Should all athletes use twitter, or is it hurting more than helping?

10. How can you use new media to get a job in the sports industry?

How can you help?  Well, over 2,000 panel topics have been submitted and there is a voting process to see which ones get picked.  We need you to go here, register, click the “thumbs up” button and leave a comment below the post.  Both your vote and  comments will be important as they play into the decision of them choosing the panel.

As a site, we have continued to be your leader in covering a variety of topics in the sports industry, and one of our main topics is social media in the sports industry.  Thanks for supporting this SportsNetworker.com and we look forward to your votes!

SXSW Panel on Sports and Social Media: Need Your Vote! is a post from: Lewis Howes