Joel Comm's Blog, page 29

Top 5 Most Engaging Kinds of Facebook Posts – Episode #45

After years of posting on Facebook I have discovered which of my posts are likely to get the most likes, comments and shares. In episode #45 of The Top 5 Scope, I share my top five most engaging kinds of posts.

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The 5 Things You Learn Within 3 Minutes of Meeting Someone New

We meet new people all the time: at conferences, networking events, on plane journeys, at gatherings and at parties. Some of those people we’ll never see again and some of them will become friends, partners or colleagues for years and even a lifetime. But however long you end up knowing someone new, the first three minutes you spend with them will tell you more than you’ll learn about them over the following decades. Here are five vital things you learn within three minutes of meeting someone for the first time. 1. You Learn What They Do… And Whether They Like What They Do The first question we ask when we meet a stranger is usually: “So what do you do?” It’s a great question and I’ve heard some fascinating answers. I even assembled a bunch of those answers into a couple of books filled with replies from entrepreneurs and philanthropists and all sorts of amazing, regular folk. Everyone has a story to tell and that question starts it. The answer to that question always tells us the person’s job, but we learn something else too. The enthusiasm with which they answer also tells us whether they like what they do. We can see whether they’re content, whether they’re looking to move on and whether they’re hungry for a change if the right opportunity comes along. The first question we ask a stranger tells us whether they’re now in a strong enough position to help us or whether they’re looking for us to help them first. 2. You Learn How You Can Help Each Other We all have the ability to help each other. The help you receive might not come immediately. You’ll often have to build the relationship first, develop trust and give before you receive. But that first conversation about your new friend’s work will start to give you ideas about how you might be working together in the future. It happens all the time. They’ll say something and you’ll immediately think of someone who could help them or someone who could benefit from their help. It’s a short step from there to benefiting from the return of the favor. 3. You Learn What Interests Them the Most A conversation with a stranger might begin with work but it soon spreads into interests outside the office. You learn whether they’re interested in sports or soap operas, their grandchildren or their boat. Wherever the conversation drifts quickly reveals what makes them tick outside work. That opens up whole new areas of potential connection. Express an interest in their interests and you’ll start to create a bond. The process from stranger to a business relationship is “like me, know me, trust me, buy from me.” Not all relationships have to develop into that final step but as the conversation moves from work to fun, you’ll have an opportunity to travel from knowledge to affinity. 4. You’ll Learn Whether You’ll Be Friends, Partners or Strangers I meet hundreds of new people every year. I meet them at the events I speak at, in the hotel lobbies where I stay and on the planes I take to reach those events. Some of the people I’ve met have become close friends. Some of those friends have also become powerful business partners. Most have remained strangers. We might have shared a conversation over orange juice in business class but at the end of the journey, we went our separate ways. You can tell within minutes of meeting someone which of those fates the new relationship will have. You can tell by the enthusiasm with which you converse, the degree to which you share an interest, the spark of an idea that you both share. You don’t have to state it. You’ll feel it right away, and every result is fine. 5. You’ll Learn What You Need to Do to Build the Relationship Relationships take work to build and support, and that work requires a first step. Within the first three minutes of meeting someone new, you’ll know whether that first step needs to be an introduction, a proposal or even just an invitation for a coffee and a further discussion. You’ll feel that too–and you’ll be on your way towards turning a first meeting into what could be a long and valuable relationship.

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The 3 Most Amazing Technologies at CES According to Robert Scoble

This was an important year for the Consumer Electronics Show. According to tech guru, Robert Scoble, we’re now at the start of a new technology cycle, with a bunch of revolutionary new applications starting to make their way out of laboratories and into the hands of consumers. CES really did reveal what the future looks like this time… and it’s awesome. I had a chat with Scoble about what he thought of CES. He identified three trends at the show that are about to change the way we live. 1. Virtual Reality Has Landed Remember the holodeck in Star Trek: The Next Generation? It looked so futuristic. It’s here. A number of new high-end headsets demoed at CES this year: the HTC Vive, Sony’s Playstation VR and of course, Mark Zuckerberg’s $2 billion Oculus Rift. Roger Scoble was lucky enough to give them a try, including taking a stroll through a virtual aquarium. He told me that he was blown away. “It’s a really amazing technology and experience,” he said. “You can really feel as though you’re walking around in a fish tank and interacting with the fish. The quality of the image is just stunning.” Prices may be starting to approach consumer level but they still have some way to go. The Oculus Rift sells for $600 but by the time you’ve added on the high-end computer, immersive headphones and tossed in a couple of games, a complete VR kit is going to approach around $3,000. At that price, says Scoble, early adoption won’t be powered by schoolteachers. While Disney is said to be using VR to design theme parks and Ford is using it to design cars, early consumer adoption will come from dedicated gamers. Hey, if it was good enough for Picard… 2. Driverless Cars Few technologies have been more discussed or more anticipated than driverless cars. Google has been sending its little buggies around California for a while now but CES this year was the first time that Roger Scoble got a ride in the new Mercedes E-Class which is packed with driverless features. The current state of the art, he explained, is the ability to follow the car in front and stay in lane on a straight freeway. A Tesla can switch lanes and does a better job of following the curve of the road. The new Mercedes goes further. It can stop at traffic lights, slow down when the speed limit changes and handle a tighter curve. “We took it through the mountains and it drove full-time without touching the steering wheel or the controls,” he said. The new Mercedes will be available in March and Scoble believes that within three years, we’ll be able to drive through traffic and down the interstate without driver interference. The car company, though, told him that a fully autonomous vehicle is a decade or even fifteen years away. “Part of that is legislation,” he explained. “You’re not allowed to use them in California or anywhere in the world yet. You have to have a driver in the car and you have to test the steering wheel every thirty seconds.” The technology isn’t entirely there either. If the road markings disappear or it starts to snow, you still need to take control. “It’s not perfect,” Robert said. But it’s certainly getting there. Nokia announced a new map for driverless cars at the show. The map contains more detail so that cars can better prepare for sharp turns. The new Mercedes also comes with two cameras that can create a real-time depth map of the road ahead. During Scoble’s 90-minute drive, the car ran over a tumbleweed. “It didn’t try to slow down,” said Scoble. “But if a child had run out into the road, it would have emergency stopped automatically. It can figure it out in real time.” 3. Augmented Reality While virtual reality displays a world of pixels, augmented reality places pixels over the world. CES displayed a number of new glasses that promised to deliver more than Google Glass managed to achieve, with higher quality and higher resolutions. In time, explained Scoble, you’ll be able to put on the glasses, look at your coffee table and conjure up a virtual chess game on the surface. Microsoft’s Hololens is already playing out some of these scenarios, he said. Today, they’re largely being used by companies to see data in new ways or show tractor mechanics the parts of an engine. But at $3,000, they’re still too expensive for consumers. The computers are too heavy and there are no consumer applications available. Prices will need to drop to under $500, says Scoble, which is probably about three to five years away. When that happens, though, the glasses will offer huge new opportunities for businesses looking for new ways to interact with the world. It might even pull us out of our virtual reality. CES this year showed the start of a new technology revolution. We’re about see the world differently, enter entirely new worlds and completely change the way we travel through the world. It’s started. The car drives. Through turns. I want this. Don't you?Thank you Mercedes! Posted by Robert Scoble on Thursday, January 7, 2016

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Top 5 Tips for Creating Engaging Periscopes – Episode #44

While at Periscope Community Summit, I had the opportunity to visit with Alex Pettitt. A top Periscoper with millions of views, Alex shared his top five tips for creating more engaging Periscope broadcasts. Listen in!

The post Top 5 Tips for Creating Engaging Periscopes – Episode #44 appeared first on Joel Comm | Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Consultant.

How Oreo Dominated Facebook and Won the Social Media Cookie Wars

When it comes to cookies, there’s only one choice — at least on Facebook. (Off Facebook, I’ll take whatever cookie I can get.) Nabisco’s Oreo brand has won Facebook. It’s creamed the opposition, dunked them until they crumble and… well, you get the picture. Pepperidge Farms’ Milano, which according to one poll is America’s second favorite store-bought cookie, had a Facebook following of just over 470,000 at the end of 2015. Oreo, the country’s number one cookie choice, had amassed a Facebook audience of nearly 42 million. That’s a tremendous difference and it’s not as though Milano isn’t trying. Pepperidge Farms typically posts between twelve and fourteen pieces of content every month in a bid to win views and boost engagement so the company’s social media team isn’t sitting in the canteen munching cookies all day. And yet their rivals at Nabisco are clearly doing better — nearly a hundred times better, in fact. So what are they doing that the Milano makers aren’t? Oreo’s success on Facebook dates back to 2012, the year the brand celebrated its centenary with a 100-day campaign it called Daily Twist. Each day of the campaign, the company posted a picture that illustrated current news and events with a cookie and a glass of milk. Every morning the brand’s marketing team would look at trending topics, choose a subject that was right for the brand and spend six to seven hours preparing the post. Images marked shark week, Elvis week and the landing of the Mars Rover. The most popular image celebrated the birth of a baby panda and won a reach of 4,409,344. Overall, the campaign was said to have accumulated 433 million Facebook views, 231 million media impressions and more than 2,600 media stories. It showed other Facebook marketers that they needed to be using creative and topical visual content, instead of just linking to their blogs. It also won a closet-full of awards and won it top cookie spot on Facebook. Look at Oreo’s Facebook page now and you’ll see a slightly different strategy. The style and palette remain the same. The brand image that worked in 2012 is still working now. But a few differences stand out. Oreo Has Moved To Video In 2012, Oreo’s images were static. They were like funny doodles, easy to share and capable of spreading a message with a quick look. Some of those images are still in use but many of the posts placed on the Facebook page now are video. That puts Oreo in line with Facebook’s own preference. The company has been rewarding pages that place native videos on the site, giving them bigger Edgerank scores and wider reach. Between 2014 and 2015 native video views on the site rose from 3 billion a day to 4 billion a day. Marketers get to show their videos to more people and also get a bunch of metrics that YouTube doesn’t provide. Oreo got images right. Now they’re getting video right. I can’t wait to see what they offer when virtual reality kicks in! From Look And Share To Click And Play Hashtags haven’t been terribly intuitive on Facebook but in February 2015 Oreo rolled out a #playwithoreo promotion that added a new level to its Facebook campaign. The promotion encouraged people to click to an app where they could upload a picture or video of their favorite way to enjoy Oreo. Plenty of companies have run photo promotions on Facebook but for Oreo the combination of creative videos, new “Wonderfilled” clips made with French electropop artist Yelle, and audience participation has been very powerful. It’s taken the Facebook page from “look and share” to “click and play.” That’s much more engaging. How Do You Say “Oreo” Abroad? One strategy that few people have noticed about Oreo’s Facebook campaign is how much it’s localized. Everyone sees the same Milano Facebook content, but on the Oreo’s page, the content changes depending on the location of the viewer. Oreo munchers in Mumbai will see images and videos that match Indian events. Fans in Israel see posts in Hebrew. We’re all marketing to an international audience on social media but Oreo understands that different markets in different places react to different messages. That gives them a huge advantage. The Quality Of The Content Is Still Tremendous But the biggest reason that Oreo has won Facebook is that its content is just so good. Pepperidge Farm’s Facebook page is happy to make do with blurry images and unclear photos, especially when it links to Web pages. You won’t find anything like that on the Oreo page. Every one of its images has been designed to raise a smile. The biggest reasons Oreo has won Facebook? It creates special content for social media, and it doesn’t compromise on quality. It does good stuff, and that’s always the best choice.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

The political season is upon us and we are way into mud-slinging between party candidates. Within both Republican and Democrat parties, the primary candidates are calling each other out for their words, actions or beliefs. And between the two parties, the accusations are flying like kites on a perfect day in May. Of course, this leads some who follow Candidate A, Candidate B or Candidate None-of-the-above to take to social media to share their thoughts. Occasionally, posts are thoughtful, respectful and honoring of others. But too often, people treat social media as their personal soapbox to call out not only other candidates, but also those who would dare to support the opposition. Some of the comments are gentle, but I’m seeing increased hostility towards those who support opposing parties or candidates. It’s not uncommon to see posts stating “I can’t understand how anyone could be stupid enough to support Candidate A” or “If you are my friend on Facebook and support Candidate B, just unfriend me now!” I fully understand the passion that comes with wanting what you believe is best for our country. I also can empathize with the urge to make your opinion known. But I have refrained from sharing my political beliefs online for a number of reasons. Doing so doesn’t make me a better person, but it does make me a happier one. Here are five things to keep in mind as we approach political season and you make choices as to how you will conduct yourself in the social space. 1) Your friends are voting different than you are. Statistically speaking, it’s likely that many of your friends that are referred to as “stupid” are voting for someone else. It’s common for those who approve of your rant to like your posts and leave comments of support. But the silence of those whom you have just insulted says far more about the harm you may be causing to your relationships. It may surprise you to discover that someone intelligent and thoughtful has a belief or opinion which differs from your own. But the truth is that many of your friends are likely to be smart, successful and reasonable people. Otherwise, why would they be your friends in the first place? A label may make you feel superior or justified, but the truth is that healthy relationships are based upon mutual understanding which takes the hard work of honest and open conversation. Not only can your very vocal opinion, and condemnation of individuals rather than the ideology they appear to support, cause mistrust in a personal relationship, but the damage can easily find its way into the business sphere. If you post something that offends large numbers of people, chances are it will affect your bottom line. 2) We all basically want the same thing, but have different ways of going about it. For the most part, all American share similar values. We all want freedom, equality and fairness. We also want to see our economy prosper. With the exception of those who have become embittered, the majority have no qualms with others’ success. It’s clear that those on both sides of the aisle believe that the other party, or even specific candidates, do not have the best interest of America at heart. It’s certainly up for debate as to whether those in power are truly concerned for their constituency or if they are just drunk with power. What’s important to remember is that most citizens want what is best. Whether on the left, right or in the center, we all basically want the same thing. We just have different ways of going about accomplishing those goals. Recognizing that the motives of those on the other side of the aisle likely come from a sincere place can help in seeking understanding and going a little easier on your fellow citizens. 3) Odds are you won’t get what you want from whoever is elected president anyway, even if your guy wins. I hate to be the cynic, but I’ve experienced several decades of Presidents during my lifetime. I can tell you it is rare that the people who have elected a President or congress end up happy with the job performance. Approval ratings are fickle things. Coming to terms with things as they are can help you focus on what’s important in your life and perhaps lower your blood pressure. 4) Real change takes place from the citizens of countries. If you really want to make a difference, do it with action. Work hard and produce quality goods and services that benefit others. Spend time with your family and make memories that leave a meaningful legacy. Donate your time, talents and resources to a cause bigger than yourself. Anyone can be a Monday morning quarterback. Get out there on the field and make a positive difference in your sphere of influence. 5) There is much more that makes us alike than that which separates us. Politicians often appeal to our most primal and base emotions, with the purpose of getting us to react in a negative way. Let’s face it. Television news is rarely accurate (regardless of your opinion of ANY of the major networks) and works best when it is selling fear. The news, bolstered by the commercials which support it, are there to sell you toilet paper and toothpaste. I have MANY friends on the opposite side of the political aisle from me. I enjoy them for the people that they are and not how they punch the ballot on election day. I’m happy to have heart-to-heart discussions with any of them on the issues that matter to me, but never in a hostile environment. I care more about the relationships I have with these people than I do stepping up on the social media soapbox and making my opinion known. I’d find it devastating to discover that many of the people I am casually labeling as “stupid” are actually bright people that I value. […]

The post How to Lose Friends and Alienate People appeared first on Joel Comm | Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Consultant.

5 Social Media Tips to Keep in Mind During Election Season

The political season is upon us and we are way into mud-slinging between party candidates. Within both Republican and Democrat parties, the primary candidates are calling each other out for their words, actions or beliefs. And between the two parties, the accusations are flying like kites on a perfect day in May. Of course, this leads some who follow Candidate A, Candidate B or Candidate None-of-the-above to take to social media to share their thoughts. Occasionally, posts are thoughtful, respectful and honoring of others. But too often, people treat social media as their personal soapbox to call out not only other candidates, but also those who would dare to support the opposition. Some of the comments are gentle, but I’m seeing increased hostility towards those who support opposing parties or candidates. It’s not uncommon to see posts stating “I can’t understand how anyone could be stupid enough to support Candidate A” or “If you are my friend on Facebook and support Candidate B, just unfriend me now!” I fully understand the passion that comes with wanting what you believe is best for our country. I also can empathize with the urge to make your opinion known. But I have refrained from sharing my political beliefs online for a number of reasons. Doing so doesn’t make me a better person, but it does make me a happier one. Here are five things to keep in mind as we approach political season and you make choices as to how you will conduct yourself in the social space. 1) Your friends are voting different than you are. Statistically speaking, it’s likely that many of your friends that are referred to as “stupid” are voting for someone else. It’s common for those who approve of your rant to like your posts and leave comments of support. But the silence of those whom you have just insulted says far more about the harm you may be causing to your relationships. It may surprise you to discover that someone intelligent and thoughtful has a belief or opinion which differs from your own. But the truth is that many of your friends are likely to be smart, successful and reasonable people. Otherwise, why would they be your friends in the first place? A label may make you feel superior or justified, but the truth is that healthy relationships are based upon mutual understanding which takes the hard work of honest and open conversation. Not only can your very vocal opinion, and condemnation of individuals rather than the ideology they appear to support, cause mistrust in a personal relationship, but the damage can easily find its way into the business sphere. If you post something that offends large numbers of people, chances are it will affect your bottom line. 2) We all basically want the same thing, but have different ways of going about it. For the most part, all American share similar values. We all want freedom, equality and fairness. We also want to see our economy prosper. With the exception of those who have become embittered, the majority have no qualms with others’ success. It’s clear that those on both sides of the aisle believe that the other party, or even specific candidates, do not have the best interest of America at heart. It’s certainly up for debate as to whether those in power are truly concerned for their constituency or if they are just drunk with power. What’s important to remember is that most citizens want what is best. Whether on the left, right or in the center, we all basically want the same thing. We just have different ways of going about accomplishing those goals. Recognizing that the motives of those on the other side of the aisle likely come from a sincere place can help in seeking understanding and going a little easier on your fellow citizens. 3) Odds are you won’t get what you want from whoever is elected president anyway, even if your guy wins. I hate to be the cynic, but I’ve experienced several decades of Presidents during my lifetime. I can tell you it is rare that the people who have elected a President or congress end up happy with the job performance. Approval ratings are fickle things. Coming to terms with things as they are can help you focus on what’s important in your life and perhaps lower your blood pressure. 4) Real change takes place from the citizens of countries. If you really want to make a difference, do it with action. Work hard and produce quality goods and services that benefit others. Spend time with your family and make memories that leave a meaningful legacy. Donate your time, talents and resources to a cause bigger than yourself. Anyone can be a Monday morning quarterback. Get out there on the field and make a positive difference in your sphere of influence. 5) There is much more that makes us alike than that which separates us. Politicians often appeal to our most primal and base emotions, with the purpose of getting us to react in a negative way. Let’s face it. Television news is rarely accurate (regardless of your opinion of ANY of the major networks) and works best when it is selling fear. The news, bolstered by the commercials which support it, are there to sell you toilet paper and toothpaste. I have MANY friends on the opposite side of the political aisle from me. I enjoy them for the people that they are and not how they punch the ballot on election day. I’m happy to have heart-to-heart discussions with any of them on the issues that matter to me, but never in a hostile environment. I care more about the relationships I have with these people than I do stepping up on the social media soapbox and making my opinion known. I’d find it devastating to discover that many of the people I am casually labeling as “stupid” are actually bright people that I value. […]

Top 5 Ways to Get a Slight Edge – Episode #42

It’s said that true change comes in small increments. In episode #42 of the Top 5 Scope, I’m joined by marketing professional Darin Kidd, who explains the top five ways that you can get that slight edge that makes all the difference in business and life.

Top 5 Reasons to Live Stream – Episode #43

I recently had the opportunity to deliver the opening keynote at Periscope Community Summit in San Francisco. During my presentation, I did one of my broadcasts. So in episode #43, I share the top five reasons to live stream video.

Top 5 Places to Sell Your Stuff Online – Episode #41

We’ve all got extra things that we don’t want or need. The Internet provides plenty of opportunities to turn your stuff into cash. In episode #41 of The Top 5 Scope, I share my top five places to sell stuff online.