I have never forgotten the last paper I wrote in order to finish my Masters in English.

I wrote about Austen’s work, Emma. After being five years in the program, I had “good” writing and grammar down pat.

In fact, I strove to hand in error-free papers. I’d type and proof, retype and proof again. It took me days to write a simple five page, double-spaced paper.

I remember my Emma paper because the professor found a mistake.

When referring to Emma and Mr. Knightly, I used an apostrophe “s” after Mr. Knightley’s name only to denote they owned something in common.

The professor wrote, “A glaring error in an otherwise perfect paper.”

I can still feel the rage that welled up in my stomach when I read that comment.

I was so angry, I looked up the grammar rule and sent my paper back with a note to show that I was right.

The professor wrote back, “I stand corrected.”

A bad experience in an otherwise wonderful time in the Masters program.

In his book, Linchpin, Seth Godin writes:

Read someone’s resume, and discover twenty years of extraordinary exploits and one typo.

Which are you going to mention first? We are hired for perfect, we measure for perfect, and we reward for perfect.

So why are we surprised that people spend their precious minutes of self-directed, focused work time trying to achieve perfect?

I am not perfect.

Especially when it comes to writing typo-free content. When you get something written from me, it might have a typo in it. Or two. Maybe even three.

This is not to say I don’t care about my work. I do care. Deeply.

Like most writers, I proofread my work. I print out reams of paper, edit and proof, edit and proof. (I print out so much paper, I’m on a first name basis with A1 Datashred.)

For years I struggled to produce copy that did not have one typo. I firmly believed these truths:

• Typos show a lack of attention to detail.
• Typos reflect poorly on you and your work.

But given the nature of my work, I find it incredibly difficult to produce typo-free copy. I write all day long. I type a million miles a minute. My eyes glaze over from staring at the computer screen.

Given that 99% percent of what I write is digital content, it’s pretty easy to fix mistakes.

But here’s the big idea (you knew I’d get there at some point): I’m not writing so much as I’m creating content that will help my customers grow their businesses.

I’ve been working on my DH Communications Facebook page and found myself writing this little description about myself:

“Dianna Huff is an all around B2B marketing expert who has been in the trenches since . . . forever. My passion is helping my clients grow their businesses through marketing. I ‘woot’ when this happens. Woot!”

I love, love, love when a client emails to say, “Dianna! Someone found my Website via search and I just got a huge order that will keep me busy for the next two months.” Woot!

These are the clients that “get” that I’m on their team. Not just rooting for them. Trying to hit singles, doubles, and triples and maybe if I’m lucky, a home run.

So a typo or two just isn’t that big of a deal.

“Here’s the problem [when we measure for perfect],” writes Godin. “Art is never defect-free.”

What it means — which is the thesis of Godin’s book — is that measuring for perfect won’t get you anywhere. If you’re a business and you want to grow, you need to start looking for the “remarkable.”

Are you a business owner or marketer who relies on local or regional business? If so, you may be frustrated that business has fallen off and that traditional marketing efforts no longer seem to work.

Added to that, your business is buried in the Google, Yahoo, and Bing search results — meaning few people are visiting your Website.

You may not know, however, that you can propel your business to the top of the search results . . . through Local Search. With the right tactics, your business can be listed — sometimes ahead of your competitors — in the coveted Google Maps listings.

I’ve been doing local search for a couple of years now — first for myself and then as a “value add” for my clients who needed it. I now make my expertise available to small and growing businesses.

With my new Local Search Pack, you get the following:

1. Complete listings in all three search engine Business Centers that adheres to your branding.

2. Submission to the major directories that Google, Yahoo and Bing use to pull in their local search results.

3. Recommendations for getting online reviews as well as tactics to help improve your local search results over time.

This is a great “baby” step for those of you whose head is swimming from trying to figure out SEO, social media marketing and everything else.

To learn more:

Web: www.dhcommunications.com/local-search-services
Phone: 603-382-8093
Email: info@dhcommunications.com

(Want to see your product or service in this space? See my Blog Sponsorship page for more details.)

Social media gurus tell you to have a strategy. “Not having a strategy” was the #1 marketing mistake people listed on the survey Mac McIntosh and I did (the upcoming e-book will list the other nine).

I’ve parroted this advice from the gurus. “You must have a strategy before you begin social media,” I say at my talks.

But here’s the deal. I’ve been wrong. Yep. Dead wrong.

Strategy, when it comes to social media, is overrated. Strategy makes it sound like the water is deep. Jump into the lake from the diving platform and you’ll need to figure out how to reach the shore. You need to know how to swim.

The social media lake is pretty shallow. Step in and you’ll get your ankles wet. Maybe. The water might only reach your pedicured toes.

In shallow water you can easily walk to the shore using what you already know – how to put one foot in front of the other.

Social media isn’t anything radical. It’s simply this: talking to other people. Some of them you know already. Some of them you don’t. That’s what makes it fun. It’s like being at a really cool cocktail party without the bother of dressing up and driving.

Social media strategy keeps you from being authentic. “We’ll cover all things relating to [insert topic here],” you think.

Strategy is important. It’s the first step in developing a new Website or a direct mail campaign or something of that nature. I’ve seen lots of marketing failures due to lack of a well-thought out strategy.

But sticking to a social media strategy is stifling. What if you have a terrific insight about something that has nothing to do with [insert your topic here]? Do you post it – or ignore it?

Ignore it and you lose authenticity.

You hear a lot about being “authentic.” Posting your location at some restaurant none of us have heard of isn’t authentic. Posting what you’re eating for dinner or that you have a headache isn’t really authentic either.

What is authenticity? It’s posting who you really are. It’s all the parts that make up who you are: your family, your interests, your pets, your likes, your dislikes.

Most of all it’s your unique insights.

Only you have your own perspective on what’s going on around you. Sure, you can read someone’s blog post and Tweet your “unique” take on it or post your Foursquare location – along with dozens of other people.

I won’t remember where you ate dinner or which blog post you read – last night, last week, last year.

Or, you can pull into your work parking lot and take a minute to enjoy the fact that a wild turkey is standing on one leg in your parking space — and tell your followers about it.

Personally, I’d rather hear about the turkey. I’ll remember the turkey and that you stopped to enjoy a gift from the universe because let’s face it – how often do you run into a wild turkey standing on one leg in your corporate parking lot?

It happened to me once. I’ve never forgotten it and always look for him now when I pull in. He hasn’t graced the parking lot since.

Being “social” on social media doesn’t require too much “strategy” or knowledge. You already know what to do.

Be nice to people.

Answer their questions.

Respond to what they have to say.

Post your own take on what is going on around you.

We’re all stuck in front of our computers pecking away all day – peck, peck, peck. It’s refreshing when one of us breaks loose.

People recognize authenticity and like moths, want to hover near the source. Maybe you won’t have 20,000 Twitter followers or be known as a “guru.”

But you’ll be true to yourself and your followers. And as Shakespeare said, you then can’t be false to anyone.

Over the weekend, my automatic garage door sprung a spring — meaning I had to pull the red emergency cord to get it to close.

Because I’m a handy-with-tools kind of woman, I could see how to fix it, but given that the pulley / cable combination had broken too, figured it better to call in the pros. (Plus, my garage door, which is solid wood, is *heavy.* As buff as I am, I couldn’t lift it to the open position.)

Going online, I searched for “garage door repair Plaistow” and was presented with the Google map pack.

Read the one review for Cass Shumsky Overhead Garage Door Corporation. The customer was very happy with her garage door repair. Bingo. Called the company on Sunday afternoon and received a call back from Cass Shumsky himself Monday morning.

I told Mr. Shumsky I had found his site through Google and he said, “They say now the yellow pages no longer work, so I’ve been working hard to make sure I show up in Google.”

Even better, to get people to leave a comment on his Website, he entices them with a $5 gas card — an enticement I read about on his Twitter feed. How cool is that? (I left my own comment.)

The entire experience of dealing with Mr. Shumsky was wonderful. Eric, his repair person, showed up at my house at 12:15 and because I had a call scheduled for 1:00, he had my door working again by 12:50. I was very impressed.

Small companies like Shumsky’s call me regularly because business has dropped off and they’re scrambling. I explain about why they need to be online, but I get resistance.

Here’s why being online — with just a simple Website that’s not even optimized — worked for Mr. Shumsky:

1. Because he has a Website and has claimed his Google Places listing, his business appears in the Google map pack.

2. He encourages people to leave testimonials, ensuring future business.

3. Simple site shows what he does — fix and install garage doors.

4. Phone number is on every single page making it easy to call.

But there’s more to it than that. Mr. Shumsky succeeded with me because he treated me with courtesy and respect (I can’t tell you how many male tradespeople have treated me like I’m an idiot), he had his repairman out when he said he would, and the repair was done quickly and cost-effectively.

Yes, the Internet has changed all the rules with regard to marketing. But some of the rules haven’t changed — as seen in my experience with Mr. Shumsky. As he said to me on the phone, “My name is on my business. That means I stand behind my word.”

Thank you, Mr. Shumsky, for reinforcing this “traditional” way of doing business, and thank you for fixing my garage door. It works better than it did before it broke. And, you’ll definitely get my order when I’m ready to order a new garage door.

A few months ago, while deep in the planning stages for my son’s bar mitzvah, I added up the costs of a typical bar mitzvah party, looked at the number for a long time and then said to my son, “Dude. I could take you to California for a week and give you a better time.”

His response, “Can we tour Google?”

“Uuuuhh, sure.”

The first thing I did, after hearing my son’s request, was to find out if Google even offered tours. In fact, they do! However, according to the Google page I read (which of course I can’t find now), the only way in is through a Google employee as employees are allowed to host two guests per month.

Pulling some strings, I snagged a tour . . . and off we went to California for eight days. Woot!

Touring the Google Campus

For those of you who haven’t seen the Google campus, it is . . . amazing. I hadn’t been to Mountain View since I left California in 1999 and was astounded to see building after building that make up the campus.

According to our tour guide Karen Wickre, Senior Manager, Global Communications and Public Affairs, Google employs over 8,000 people in Mountain View alone — which is one reason why the company has dozens of cafes / cafeterias / smoothie and frozen yogurt bars through out the buildings.

To have thousands of people descend on the local area during the noon rush hour would cause instant gridlock.

In fact, according to Karen, due to having access to so much food, new Googlers often gain 15 pounds, referred to as the “Google 15″!

“We also lose lots of man hours when people leave campus,” said Karen. “People have to get into their cars, drive somewhere, eat, and then come back. By providing on-campus cafeterias, people can eat here with other Googlers and save time.”

In the hour that Karen generously gave us, we visited three or four buildings, a couple of the cafeterias, one of the gyms, the post office, and one small work area that wasn’t off limits to the public.

We also saw the beach volleyball area, the outdoor eating areas, the Corporate Store (in beta) and the funky bicycles that Googlers use to get from building to building.

Even more astounding, however, was the bus depot. To reduce pollution and traffic, Google buses its employees to various points around the Bay Area, including San Jose and San Francisco. We’re not talking vans — we’re talking full-sized coaches equipped with wifi!

I came to the Google campus with a slight chip on my shoulder. Google is a big company, it has made some questionable moves (re: the initial roll-out of Google Buzz), and it sometimes feels like Google is trying to take over the world.

But I came away with a new-found respect. I was simply blown-away at how the company treats its employees, its respect for the environment, and its visionary thinking.

We could all use a little Google dust in our businesses.

In addition to visiting Google, my son and I made stops at the Apple campus and the Intel Museum.

Unlike Google, Apple doesn’t offer tours, so we settled for walking up and down Infinite Loop and buying a t-shirt from the Company Store (which is open to the public).

The Intel Museum, on the other hand, was way cool. Free and open to the public, the Museum features a well-laid out historical timeline of the founding of Intel and the development of the silicon chip. I learned about Intel’s “Copy Exactly” strategy and how it manufactures wafers.

The museum even includes a history of Intel’s marketing and advertising — including its audio logo.

The lesson I learned from Intel? Don’t be afraid to be different and keep things simple. Intel’s founder, Bob Noyce, for example, wrote Intel’s business plan on one sheet of paper.

Because I focus on B2B Web marketing, I sometimes forget that everything a company does is marketing — from the way it answers the phone (or doesn’t answer the phone) to how it treats people who obviously aren’t customers.

Google gets five stars for its corporate tour — it’s the best one I’ve had. And the fact that Karen, a senior level employee, took time out of her incredibly busy day to show two tourists around campus says something.

How many companies would do this? I’m thinking not many.

And Apple? Steve, honey, you could easily build a pretty cool Apple museum or visitors center for the Apple faithful. Having one would go far in generating a little more good will. I love your products and I totally admire you, but you could do more to give people a peek behind the curtain.

Are you considering marketing automation software or need help implementing a system you’ve purchased?

Maybe you have a system in place but you’re not sure how to use it most effectively.

My good friend Mac McIntosh has opened a new division, Acquire B2B, which helps maximize your leads, sales results and ROI from B2B marketing automation.

Mac is offering a timely service. B2B marketers can choose from a plethora of marketing automation services and choosing the right one for your business and your budget can be overwhelming.

He’s also building on over two decades of B2B sales lead expertise that includes relationships with some the best B2B services companies and experts in the industry.

Mac prides himself on offering unbiased recommendations — whether your a small or mid-sized business or a large enterprise, Mac can recommend the right marketing automation software to you.

In addition to helping select and implement marketing automation software, Mac and his Acquire B2B colleagues (of which I am one) can help you design and implement your B2B lead generation and lead nurturing campaigns as well as to improve your results and ROI.

To learn more:

Web: www.acquireb2b.com
Phone: 800-366-1877
Email: www.acquireb2b.com/contact-us

I like this new white paper from Silverpop, “From Cargo Pants to Cargo Containers: B2C Tactics that Boost B2B Revenue.”

In it you’ll find six email marketing tactics you can implement to help increase B2B email effectiveness — from transactional email to e-newsletters.

The nine-page report is easy to read and well laid out. It also prints well in black and white — meaning the font isn’t unreadable gray mouse type.

What I like about it the white paper is that Silverpop offers tactics any business can put to use over time. For example, a B2B company can start off with learning how to better segment messages, which according to Silverpop, will put it ahead of other B2B marketers.

According to MarketingSherpa’s “2010 Email Marketing Benchmark Report,” only a third of B2B marketers segment their lists. On the other hand, 51% of B2C marketers segment their lists.

For each tactic, Silverpop gives examples of what you can do to implement that tactic.

To receive the report, you’ll need to register for it. You can also follow Silverpop on Twitter (@Silverpop) as well as become a Fan of its Facebook Page (I know, I know, they’re not called Fan Pages anymore).

I watched the Old Spice campaign go viral and while my one Tweet sums up my initial response to it (“The Old Spice brand may now be ‘trendy’ due to social media + hottie Isaiah Mustafa, but it still smells icky to me”), technology writer Robert X. Cringely of InfoWorld’s take on it made me stop and think.

The result is my guest post, “Don’t Copycat the Old Spice YouTube Campaign!” for the BlogNotions Marketers blog.

Yes, it’s applicable to B2B marketers.

Enjoy!

My lucky duck son got an iPhone 4 for his birthday and the day it arrived, a friend of our family eagerly asked if he could “FaceTime” us. (See Apple’s YouTube channel for some pretty cool video.)

After participating in the call, all I can say is “Coooool.” Real time video calling — an activity we’ve seen in futuristic movies and George Jetson cartoons — is here.

It took only a few seconds for me to grasp the marketing implications, and what I predict is that FaceTime or applications like it will totally and irrevocably change marketing.

Right now I regularly receive calls from really dumb telemarketers who work for clueless companies. These people call me pitching products and services . . . yet they have no idea who I am (something social media is supposed to solve).

I even had one telemarketer from a major company ask me, “So what exactly do you do anyway?” after pitching some kind of business product at me.

A simple two-second Internet search would have given her links to my Website, my blog, my Google, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, and some of the articles I’ve written.

Once marketers start using video calls to reach prospects, however, things will start getting nasty.

Granted, relatively few people have an iPhone 4. However, given the rate of technological advances, video calls will be commonplace in a few years. FaceTime will migrate from iPhones to iPads and other smart mobile devices.

Say I’m reading the Wall Street Journal on my iPad over breakfast and in comes a FaceTime call from a telemarketer trying to sell me something and like most telemarketers, he has no clue who I am.

Can you imagine the amount of ill-will this company will have created with one simple call? Forget negative Tweets — let’s talk about posting actual dumb FaceTime marketing calls on YouTube, Facebook, and blogs.

As marketers, myself included, we talk about how social media will help us get to know our customers / prospects — even as they get to know us.

Although you the marketer have “joined the conversation” and work hard to not use social media to push you-focused content, lots of other companies / marketers / consultants use social media as another one-to-many broadcast medium.

Just witness the number of self-serving DMs you receive when you follow people, the self-promotional spam posts on LinkedIn Groups, and the companies that use blogs and social media to push press releases and other corporate dreck.

FaceTime and apps like it will change this scenario.

FaceTime, I predict, will force companies and organizations to really think about how they market to people and what they want to accomplish — or face extreme opposition and blowback.

This is already happening with social media as evidenced when the moderator of the Nestle Facebook page talked smack with its Fans — an event that became fodder for major online media pundents. (See Michelle Tripp’s excellent write-up about how this went down.)

What do you think? Will marketers abuse FaceTime the way they’ve abused social media, direct mail, and the telephone? Or will it force them to change their ways?