Marshall Ramsey

It you came up and poked me in the tit right this moment, I’d crumple to the ground. I’m sore. Very sore. As I like to tell people, I am doing acid — lactic acid. Doing a bootcamp at 5 a.m. will do that to you. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I like to look for meaning in strange places. I usually get some pretty hefty life lessons out of my morning workouts. Our coach, Paul Lacoste, likes to say “it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.” Or as Paul Thorn says, “Everyone looks good at the starting line.” For me, this morning was about the importance of putting in the effort. To make the most out of my time on the field.

I’ve done the PLS bootcamp 10 times. When I push myself hard, I see amazing results. When I cut corners, not so much.

See the metaphor? It’s not just a workout routine where effort matters. It’s your job. Your marriage. Your health. Your kids. Your friends. Your life.

You get out of life what you put in it.

Whatever you do, throw your heart into it. And you will be amazed at what you receive in return.

I got to run. Not as in “to run.” I need to go teach a class. I had this same conversation with my son this morning. I’ll have it with my students, too.

You get out of life what you put in it.

Just don’t poke me in the tit.

Did the NFL diss Tom Brady on Social Media?  from USA Today

“Innocent oversight or direct shot? You be the judge.

On Sunday night, the NFL’s official Twitter account posted a photo about possible quarterbacks who could carry their team to Super Bowl 50 this season.”

Guess who was left off.

WWE star Kevin Owens is destroying John Cena fans on Twitter  Owens doesn’t just run smack in the ring. He also does it using Social Media.

How Social Media is changing elections.

How Social Media is ruining politics.  From Politico 

If traditional print and broadcast media required candidates to be nouns—stable, coherent figures—social media pushes them to be verbs, engines of activity.
“Twice before in the last hundred years a new medium has transformed elections. In the 1920s, radio disembodied candidates, reducing them to voices. It also made national campaigns far more intimate. Politicians, used to bellowing at fairgrounds and train depots, found themselves talking to families in their homes. The blustery rhetoric that stirred big, partisan crowds came off as shrill and off-putting when piped into a living room or a kitchen. Gathered around their wireless sets, the public wanted an avuncular statesman, not a firebrand. With Franklin Roosevelt, master of the soothing fireside chat, the new medium found its ideal messenger.

In the 1960s, television gave candidates their bodies back, at least in two dimensions. With its jumpy cuts and pitiless close-ups, TV placed a stress on sound bites, good teeth and an easy manner. Image became everything, as the line between politician and celebrity blurred. John Kennedy was the first successful candidate of the TV era, but it was Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton who perfected the form. Born actors, they could project a down-home demeanor while also seeming bigger than life.

Today, with the public looking to smartphones for news and entertainment, we seem to be at the start of the third big technological makeover of modern electioneering. The presidential campaign is becoming just another social-media stream, its swift and shallow current intertwining with all the other streams that flow through people’s devices. This shift is changing the way politicians communicate with voters, altering the tone and content of political speech. But it’s doing more than that. It’s changing what the country wants and expects from its would-be leaders.

What’s important now is not so much image as personality. But, as the Trump phenomenon reveals, it’s only a particular kind of personality that works—one that’s big enough to grab the attention of the perpetually distracted but small enough to fit neatly into a thousand tiny media containers. It might best be described as a Snapchat personality. It bursts into focus at regular intervals without ever demanding steady concentration.”

Social media favors the bitty over the meaty, the cutting over the considered. It also prizes emotionalism over reason. The more visceral the message, the more quickly it circulates and the longer it holds the darting public eye. In something of a return to the pre-radio days, the fiery populist now seems more desirable, more worthy of attention, than the cool wonk.

Social Media ready to cash in on the 2016 Election 

President Obama revolutionized the use of Social Media in 2008. In fact, it is credited with his overwhelming election and reelection — his ability to reach out to grassroots groups and fundraise on the micro and macro level.  Television is the king of election advertising. But Social Media is quickly rising because of the ability to focus the message to tailored groups.

“While billions will be spent on political advertising over the next year, television remains the prime mover and budgets for digital ads trail traditional media.

But even by one recent estimate from Borrell Associates, 9.5 percent of political media budgets could go towards digital media — a total of $1 billion.”

“Observers predict platforms like Facebook will remain dominant in 2016 with a user base that makes up nearly three quarters of online adults in the United States. And search advertising will remain key.

Insurgent companies like Snapchat though are catching advertising buzz with offerings geared specifically to young people.”

FACEBOOK

One factor makes Facebook distinctive in the race for political ad dollars: its massive audience. The company says it can offer campaigns the ability to reach a broad swath of the American public — around 190 million people in the country use the platform every month — and hone in on particular groups of voters.

Operatives can target ads to potential voters who are interested in certain issues, like gun control or the economy, or based on demographic characteristics.

Facebook has a robust set of data about its users. Users tell the platform about their likes and dislikes and are controversially required by the social network to keep the name they “use in real life.”

GOOGLE

Google has an election team of 10 to 12 who are pushing presidential campaigns to adopt the advertising tools that made the search engine a multi-billion dollar powerhouse.

Those include the three traditional drivers of its advertising revenue — sponsored links in Google searches, YouTube video advertising and so-called programmatic advertising, where the tech company provides ads to millions of online publishers like The New York Times or HGTV that can be targeted for specific content.

TWITTER

Twitter has positioned itself as the destination for campaigns looking to engage in real time — a reputation bolstered by the numerous political operatives and reporters who use the platform obsessively.

The primary vehicle for advertising on Twitter is through promoted tweets, or messages that a campaign or company pays to place in the feeds of certain users. Campaigns can also pay to promote hashtags.

SNAPCHAT

“Snapchat is still in its advertising infancy compared to more established social media companies and 2016 will be the first election cycle to test out political ads on the platform.

Snapchat is pitching its video ads — no longer than 10 seconds — as more analogous to traditional TV and targeted at young voters who have cut the cord.

The company says its ads are geared towards persuading voters to align with a candidate. One criticism is that its videos, unlike some digital ads, do now allow people to click through to reach a candidate’s website where they would be encouraged to donate or volunteer.

Besides video ads, candidates can also purchase filters touting their campaign, which users can add to their photos and videos. The company recently hired Rob Saliterman to lead political ad sales. He previously helped lead the politics team at Google and served in the George W. Bush administration.

Snapchat touts nearly 100 million people using the platform daily, a sizable number, but one dwarfed by Facebook’s 1 billion daily users.

And campaigns are limited in who they can target on the platform. Snapchat is almost exclusively used by people under the age of 34, and more than a quarter of users are younger than 18 and ineligible to vote.”

A few Politicians to follow on Twitter:

The Democrats: @TheDemocrats 409K followers

The Republicans: @GOP 386K followers

Mississippi Democrats: @msdemocrats 2,980 followers

 Mississippi Republicans: @MSGOP 5,965 followers

Donald Trump: @realDonaldTrump  4.08M followers There is nothing tradition (or at times rational) about how Donald Trump runs his Twitter feed or his campaign. It’s full of insults and boasts — a constant stream of self promotion. But it works in the sense that it gets attention for Donald Trump. And that’s what he wants most of all.

Dr. Ben Carson @RealBenCarson 559K followers. Dr. Ben Carson is a neurosurgeon who speaks softly but is carrying a big stick in the polls. His Twitter Feed is a more traditional mix of RT’s, news about the candidate and other Ben Carson policy statements.

Hillary Clinton @HillaryClinton 4.18M followers. Tweets she actually writes are followed with a “-H.”

Bernie Sanders @SenSanders 641K followers. Tweets he writes end with “-B.” Otherwise it is staffer driven.

President Barack Obama @POTUS 3.96M followers.  This is the account that President Obama actually writes on. He has taken to Social Media recently to promote his global warming initiative and his trip to Alaska. He actually took the pictures that he posted on Instagram.

Jeb Bush @JebBush 228K followers

Governor Phil Bryant @PhilBryantMS 22.8K followers.

Sen. Chris McDaniel @senatormcdaniel  6,229 followers.

Rep. Bennie Thompson @BennieGThompson 4,839 followers.

Many of you who knew me growing up know my dad, Dave Ramsey. Yes, he’s who the one on the radio is named for (Radio Dave is my first cousin). Dad owned a car garage for many years and gave a lot to our Sprayberry High School community. He was funny, grumpy and well, much like me. I won’t say he was perfect — only one human has been — but he was a perfect dad for me. Because even with his faults, I knew he loved me.

As many of you know, Dad has dementia. I remember when he didn’t know me last November (thankfully the Aricept cleared that up for now) But that was a punch in the stomach.

I know the time is coming. I know I’ll see him and he won’t know me.

The one given I’ve had in my life is that I know my dad loves me. He loves his kids.

I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like because we live seven hours apart. And I pray he does know me when I walk in the door the next time. But even he doesn’t, I will take his love for me and pay it forward to my boys. Because learning to love your children is the greatest gift he gave me. And loving my family will be my thank you note to him.

Today’s lecture will be based on an excellent post by Tony Robbins. I’ve posted pieces of it here but please read the whole post by clicking here: How to #Win at Social Media  My comments are in bold.

“A social profile doesn’t equal a powerful public presence. Creating and building steady engagement across social media channels with your company or brand is no longer a should — it’s a MUST — for businesses of every size. “

I will also add that it is a must for a for every person who is building a personal brand.  The key word is ENGAGEMENT. Let me repeat that again: The key word is ENGAGEMENT. 

“The oceans of potential fans and customers can seem daunting, filled with predators poised to pounce on any unwitting brand or company for making the slightest social faux pas.” 

The bottom line: Every bridge has a few trolls hanging under it. 

“Your company or brand’s Facebook page and Twitter handle is now the first point of contact for all interactions, positive or negative, as Entrepreneur explains.”

It’s your official voice! 

“People are motivated to share great experiences, as well as complaints, suggestions, questions or even cordial jokes — and more often than not, expect a reply or acknowledgment.”

Your Tribe (see Seth Godin’s book by the same name) wants a piece of you. 

“A recent study by Goldman Sachs revealed that businesses who use social media well are 34% more likely to be trusted by young, working-aged people.”

This makes sense. You’re going to be where they are.  

Best sentence in the piece and one that I will drill into your head time and time again.

“Stop thinking of your social channels as a campaign and start appreciating the power of the constant conversation — harness and build authentic, lasting influence. “

Let me repeat this:

Stop thinking of your social channels as a campaign and start appreciating the power of the constant conversation — harness and build authentic, lasting influence. 

Got it? Good.

“If you’ve ever received a public reply to one of your Tweets or Facebook messages on an official brand or company profile, you remember the “warm fuzzy” feeling of being publicly acknowledged. Handled effectively, social recognition rewards are not only free of cost, they can help convert casual customers into vocal brand advocates who contribute (positively) to a company’s cultural impact. 

Users who post positive messages love the illusion of interacting with the brand-as-friend.”

I got a reply to a question I asked one of my favorite rock performers on his Tumblr site. Do you think I’m a bigger fan now? Oh heck yes. What if he had been a jerk? See?  The Internet is like Mississippi. Your reputation can be ruined before you can count to three-Mississippi. 

“For more and more consumers, an official Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram handle has become the go-to point of contact for any and all customer-service experiences.”

I took a picture of a ruined package I received at Christmas.  I sent a message that read “Thanks UPS.” They replied within five minutes and helped me get the merchandise replaced. THAT’S CUSTOMER SERVICE! 

“Social media is no longer “the new big thing” — it’s a set of tools to help you move toward your desired goals in sales, marketing, PR and brand awareness. Decide which growth-point is most vital for your business now and adjust your strategy accordingly; increasing sales, growing awareness, reaching new audiences and minimizing negative experiences are important, but separate, goals.”

Bottom line? It’s how we all get our information. So if you aren’t there, you’re out of luck. So you need to decide how you will use the available platforms. 

“When a follower posts a relevant response to one of your messages, you need to respond in a timely manner and with equally relevant content. Even short “thanks!” can go a long way.”

I had a blog and had lots of traffic. People eventually migrated to Social Media (Facebook) so I went that way. I still use the blog, but more for a place to post original content.  People want to be where you are. So if you don’t respond, they will move on and not come back. Most folks are voyeuristic. They want that contact with you. 

“The strongest relationships developed via social media begin through interaction based on shared interests, values or experiences. Without the same give-and-take you’d engage in face-to-face it’s nearly impossible to create and maintain lasting rapport.”

Once again: Brilliance. It’s just human nature to look for things we have in common.  And what’s true in Mississippi is also true in Social Media. If people don’t feel like they know you, they’ll ignore you.

Don’t beg: “It may seem counter-intuitive, but asking for “Likes,” followers, favorites and shares across any social media channel is an immediate turn off, as explained by Mashable. Not only as an obvious sign of desperation, begging reduces any amount of social proof you’ve built solidly through reputation.”

Seriously. When I was a teenager, I wanted a girlfriend really badly. But desperate people look, well, desperate. Build your audience through quality content and engagement. 

THIS IS THE HARDEST THING FOR PEOPLE TO GET! —–>

“The 80/20 rule outlined by Entrepreneur can keep your business or brand’s reputation free from the crass, commercial-minded misstep of just shilling for a quick buck. Social media is an arena best used for generating and expanding awareness, adding broader value through conversation and building relationships with like-minded people who will become clients, customers or advocates. Pushing a product or service as a value-add within a conversation, or in the context of news, helps avoid being labeled a spammer — or worse, being mocked.”

Don’t just promote the special of the day. Social media is the way for people to feel like they know you. 

What happens when the Tweet hits the fan?

“Recently, major brands like Denny’s, Ragu and Toshiba have stumbled in the social media playground, not only shamed by users for co-opting slang and cultural memes, but elevated to the international level by blogs like Gawker Media, who delight in magnifying public brand embarrassment into world-wide exposure. ” 

Oops. Remember – -it just takes one poorly worded post to tear down everything you’ve built. (The Ashton Krutcher debacle)

This is directly from the post: The best way to manage a social media crisis on each platform

“HOW TO MANAGE A CRISIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK

WHAT’S BEST: Announcements, invitations, photo galleries, videos, and longer-form storytelling work very well on Facebook. Any content immediately interesting and conversation-worthy will keep people coming back.

IN A CRISIS: Learn to distinguish unhappy customers from trolls. If a customer or client shares a negative story or comment, don’t engage immediately. If you can’t respond privately, express empathy for their experience and offer to open a calm dialogue, over direct message, to resolve the issue. Reaching out privately is always best as it reduces the opportunity for the exchange to become magnified as a public performance.

DON’T EVER: Don’t respond to trolls, ever — use blocking features or report them. Give yourself a waiting period when responding to negative comments, to reduce the potential blowback from posting in anger.

LINKEDIN

WHAT’S BEST: LinkedIn is a must for any business, brand or working professional — it’s most powerfully used as continual networking, recruiting and value sharing.

IN A CRISIS: Users are less likely to post reviews of businesses, though personal recommendations are incredibly common and encouraged through the platform’s interface. However, comments of any kind can be posted in response to individual posts, which typically run for a short lifecycle in user feeds.

DON’T EVER: Avoid using LinkedIn for content that is excessively personal, or not relevant to a business networking audience. Joining LinkedIn groups to post offers, obvious ads or low-value posts is considered spam, at best. Purchasers of LinkedIn InMail plans allow users to send messages to users they aren’t connected with, but observe common-sense rules and don’t spam.

TWITTER

WHAT’S BEST: In the realm of business, Twitter has replaced customer service as a first point-of-contact for both negative and positive experiences. Observe basic rules for addressing complaints, criticisms and troll messages in this, most volatile, of all public spheres and transition disputes to private, direct messages whenever possible. Twitter is key for expanding awareness, special incentive offers and linking to longer-form content that add value. Just be careful while co-opting popular memes, current slang and trending hashtags without forethought, or risk stirring up ridicule. 

IN A CRISIS: More so than any other channel, Twitter makes mass-conversation as easily spread and impossible to control as a wildfire. For good or groan. If you’re not actively provoking controversy, your small or medium-sized business likely won’t ever inflame a negative PR storm. 

DON’T EVER: Block trolls rather than responding directly, but don’t ignore legitimate complaints — users can easily launch smear campaigns against brands and businesses they feel have slighted them. And don’t ever feel discouraged by the possibility of negative feedback — unless your business has a problem or conflict with multiple people simultaneously, the likelihood of bad PR surrounding an SMB is slim-to-none.

YELP

WHAT’S BEST: Unless your company is online-only, listing on Yelp is becoming perhaps more vital than LinkedIn for any business involved in customer service, retail or brick & mortar. Once listed, add rich descriptions and all relevant information, as well as photo galleries to ensure your first-glance impression is a first-class lure to potential customers and clients. Be careful of asking or aggressively incentivizing users to post positive ratings in exchange for discounts or freebies — feel free to reward great reviews, privately. The use of discretion will help create that “warm-fuzzy” illusion, making a lasting positive impression.

IN A CRISIS: Yelp is becoming notorious for angry, negative and even satirical business reviews. The rules of engagement listed earlier are perhaps even more vital to adhere to, as your collective, user-submitted star-rating on the site can either massively boost or bury a small business struggling to get noticed. Be careful with public replies; even an innocuous positive message to a happy customer can create a distancing effect with every other person you didn’t personally thank or acknowledge.

DON’T EVER: Take a lesson from Amy’s Baking Company’s failure and don’t ever post angry, vitriolic or argumentative replies to negative reviews. Always offer to discuss and mediate the situation over a direct message to maintain contextual control. Even if the negative review remains, users will have the opportunity to view your level-headed response and offer to rectify the situation.

SIX THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO ON SOCIAL MEDIA.  from MAY 14, 2013 , Forbes Magazine by Kelly Clay.

This is based on a restaurant in Arizona that was featured on Chef Gordon Ramsay’s show Kitchen Nightmares, Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro. They had an “epic” meltdown on Facebook.

“Customers aren’t exactly fond of Amy’s either; reviews on Yelp YELP +4.17% call the restaurant “horrible” and accuse the owners of stealing waitresses’ tips. To make matters even worse, the Bouzaglos are notorious for their outrageous responses to these reviews on Yelp.”

Chapter Three: Platform Michael Hyatt

Exceed audience expectations. Create content to meet your audience’s expectations and needs. Uses the example of Spiderman:Turn off the Dark — a show on Broadway.

1. What is the product or experience you want to created or transform into a wow?
2. How will the customer feel about the experience?
3. What specific expeditions does the typical customer bring to this experience?
4. What does failing to meet those expectations look like?
5. What does meeting them look like?

Uses the lobby example.

My alarm was set for 3:59. My eyes opened at 3:45. My feet hit the floor seconds later. I walked onto the football field at 4:40 and by 5:00, I was stretching. My rotator cuff hurts — hell, my whole body hurts.

I have nothing to complain about.

A person I admire is fighting for his life in a local hospital. Another friend is facing a tough breast cancer battle.

I have no problems.

I pushed through my workout. Sure, there were times when I needed coaching. And there were times when I felt completely exhausted.

My mind floated back to my friends. To the fragility of life. To the unfairness of it all. We are not guaranteed a damn thing, yet we treat our lives like we are. We procrastinate and we whine. We complain about the trivial. We hate when we should love. We make bad choices and then blame others for the consequences.

Sweat poured off my nose and I ran my drills. I lifted weights and pushed myself through my pain.

I have no problems.

I have nothing to complain about.

Today we discussed the role of Social media in an emergency and the first two chapters of Michael Hyatt’s book, Platform.

Notes from Platform but Michael Hyatt.

Chapter One: Create a Compelling Product (Content).

1. There are two critical parts to the success equation: A compelling product (the what) and a significant platform (the who). We will study the different platforms later. But right now, let’s focus on content – your product. Without compelling content, you won’t have an audience, a tribe or a platform.
2. If you don’t have a compelling product, it doesn’t matter how good you are at Social Media.
3. David Ogilvy (a marketing and advertising guru) “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.”
4. “It’s the product stupid.” Product is the key.
5. Create Products you Would Personally Use. Write about something you are passionate about and provide social media content that you would find interesting. Produce content that makes a difference in people’s lives.
6. Create Products that solve problems in unexpected ways.

You are Not So Smart — A blog by David McRaney From Hattiesburg. Describes ways your brain is deluding you. http://youarenotsosmart.com

Think “what would make this really cool?”

7. Create products that exceed your customer’s expectations. We have become content with mediocrity. We aim low and execute even lower. If you want to create a social media platform, you have to have passion.

Chapter Two: Bake in the Wow.

1. Blake Mycoskie: Created TOMS Shoes after a trip to Argentina (and saw kids without shoes.) For every pair of shoes sold, TOMS matches it – one for one –with a pair of new shoes given to a kid sin need. By Sept. 10, TOMS and given away one million pairs of shoes.  Find a need and fill it. Be original. Be special. But be yourself.
2. Must be able recognize what “Wow” is. Birth of a kid. First kiss. Flying for the first time.
3. Each wow experience has some combination of the following ten elements: 1. Surprise. 2. Anticipation. (almost as good was the experience itself) 3. Resonance (touches the heart) 4. Transcendence (Connects you to something transcendent – you experience purpose, meaning or even God.) 5. Clarity. Helps see things clearer. 6. Presence – You are in the moment. 7. Universality. Nearly universal in their amazingness. Like the Grand Canyon, 8. Evangelism. Makes people become unpaid evangilists. (Facebook Likes or shares, for example. Twitter RT’s 9. Longevity. The experience never fades. 10. Privilege. You feel honored to share it.

Popular Content

This week’s news reinforced something: Don’t be a victim.

The shooter in Virginia, a narcissist if there ever was one, blamed everyone for every problem he had — yet in the end, he was his own downfall. (Unfortunately, he took two souls with him and wounded a third)

The Katrina recovery also reminded me that being a victim only slows down getting back on your feet. I talked to so many people who mourned and then got busy cleaning, rebuilding and recovering. That’s so important to remember. Work cures a lot of ills.

Bad things happen. And when they do, you deal with them how you can. But you learn your lesson and then get to work. I think of all the problems I’ve had — and most of them are my own fault. I didn’t take care of what I had control of. Sure, the bad things still would have happened — but I would have been in a better position when they did.

The people on the Coast truly were victims. But so many people chose not to stay one.

That’s something that sticks with me. It’s the first step to recovery no matter what the disaster is in your life.