Snapchat Pulls a Trump Card No One Realized Existed

As a follow up to my post on Why Snapchat Denied Facebook's $3 Billion Offer, Snapchat's newest partnership with Square app and the birth of Snapcash, is causing a huge stir. Even better, Snapchat is able to announce, as it announces all of its consumer updates, via Snapvideo awesomeness:

As TechCrunch reports,"by wedging itself into p2p payments through a consumer app that tens of millions of people already regularly use with their close friends, Snapcash could inject itself into the lives of people who never considered downloading a finance app." Snapchat has proved itself to be an initiator when it comes to convincing users to adopt new practices; in just a little over three years, Snapchat gained 100 million monthly active users for (basically) a photo-sharing service that any smartphone already provides. When it comes to the p2p payment competitive landscape, including Venmo and Google Wallet, it is difficult for these apps to compete with the added incentive of social interaction that Snapcash offers. I have no doubt that Snapchat and Snapcash can do the (almost) impossible, and convince millions of non-finance users to find creative ways and reasons to share both social moments, and yes, their cash.

Of course, it is also important to note that security concerns still remain an issue for Snapchat, since the January 2014 hack of 4.6 million Snapchat accounts. While Snapchat has assured users that the actions are being taken to ensure that the breach cannot happen again, Gibson Security (the self-identified hackers) still contend that Snapchat's security "is still not too hard to circumvent." (BBC News).

Has Snapchat finally laid its golden egg with Snapcash? Only time and user buy-in will tell. Considering Snapchat's history of success and its millennial users, an idea like Snapcash does seem like the perfect way for Snapchat to find a much needed path into its user's wallets.

10 Steps to Create a WordPress Website

If you are creating a WordPress site for your business, be sure to consider certain all the necessary characteristics of new your website before jumping in. Make sure you understand how the website fits in to your current marketing strategy. Are you doing email marketing? Text marketing? Social media? Content marketing? Creating a website is only one piece of the greater marketing strategy, and understanding that strategy is necessary before investing your time, effort and money in a new WordPress website. Once you have your plan in place, consider these basic steps to lead to through the process of creating your personalized WordPress website.

1. What's The "Big" Idea?

Why are you creating a website? If you have decided to start a website, or re-design an old website, there is a main reason or reasons behind your decision. Take this reason, or idea, and qualify it: what do you want from this website? How to you want your audience to react? Every website should embody an main "objective." Try this exercise: pick one or two emotions that you want your visitors to feel when they visit your site, or, adjectives you want your audience to use to describe your site. At every step of the process, go back these emotions and adjectives, and ask: what will best embody my main objective? For examples, will this color make my audience feel happy? Will this content make my visitors feel informed? Make decisions that revolve around your "big idea;" this will help your website on track, and also within budget.

2. Set Your Goals

Do NOT skip this step! Make a list of quantitative goals that you want to reach at your 90 day, 120 day, and 180 day marker. Consider these statistics to track:

• Unique visitors per month or day
• Bounce rate
• Average page visits per sessions
• Leads per month
• New clients gained per month
• Revenue gained per month
• Return on investment (R.O.I.)

Make your goals SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time specific. If you fail to meet any of your goals after launching your website, do not panic! Simply create a list of two to three action items to put your website back on track to reach that goal. For example, if you do not reach a goal of 30 qualified leads per month, consider increasing your blog posts per month, or re-thinking your monthly content's theme to be more specific to your target audience.

3. Create a Project Timeline

Come up with a realistic list of deadlines for the website, and stick to those deadlines as best you can. If multiple people are involved with the website, be sure to include all action items and deadlines with the appropriate personnel assigned. Hold everyone accountable, and schedule weekly or monthly meeting to keep your project on track.

4. Calculate a Budget

So many companies make the mistake of assuming that a do-it-yourself approach will always be cheaper; however, this is NOT always the case. Time is money, so estimate the time it will take you or your co-worker(s) to create the site, and calculate the labor cost of this time. It might surprise you what the cost of designing your website turn out to be.

While a budget will be different for everyone, make sure to include:

• Labor (Cost/ Hour)
• URL Hosting
• Graphics and Images
• WordPress Template
• Additional Software or Plug-ins
• Future Maintenance, Updates and Training

If the time and effort estimated to create your website exceeds what you want to spend, you may consider creating a request for proposal, setting your budget, and opening the proposal up to bids for experts to build your website. 

5. Design A Site Structure

In the technical world, this is known as your website's "information architecture" or IA. If you want to seem like you know more about websites, feel free to use this term, and fit it into as many sentences as possible. To form your information architecture, create with a diagram (get as fancy as you want, and time permits) that shows the page static structure of the website, as well as how each page links to each either. Do you best to follow the "golden rule" that a visitor can get from one page to any other page in less than four clicks. Some advice: keep it simple! Also, do you best to lead the visitor through your content towards the contact form. This is known as your website's "funnel."

6. Organize Your Content

Organizing content, copy, images, testimonials, white papers, and any other marketing material is a critical step to creating your website. Once you have everything organized, you can make a list of new content you will need for the website, and which materials may need to re-design or updated to fit with the feel of the website. Organize your content by page so that when it comes time to fill in your website template, all of those resources are at your fingertips.

7. Choose the Perfect Template

Templates can be great resources for small businesses. A simple WordPress template is perfectly suitable for a business looking for a very simple information architecture, and very easy site navigation. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right template, including design, format, page structure, and functionality. But the most important aspect of a template to consider is the accessibility of the creator. Not all WordPress template are created equal, and many only showcase the homepage in the "live preview." Make sure that the theme you choose is not only a perfect visual match for what you are looking for, but also make sure that you consider the theme's functionality, ability to support necessary plug-ins, and the ability to contact the theme creator if you run into any issues or have trouble with the theme (which happens more often than you would think!).

Here are some WordPress theme retailers:

• Theme Forest
• Witty Themes
• Mojo Themes
• Elegant Themes
• My Theme Shop
• Woo Themes

When selecting your theme, also understand that the more simple the theme, the more effort that will be necessary to customize the website with structured page designs for the site, potentially with custom coding. Working within a complex theme, however, can be difficult if the theme is not easily editable, or not not work nicely with the plug-ins that you need. Your theme will be the life blood of your website for the year's to come... At the risk of sounding dramatic, choose your theme in the same manner as choosing a mate for life.

8. Find The Right Plug-ins

Your next step is finding the right plug-ins for the site. Plug-ins give you the ability to create advanced web features with no actual coding. WordPress has tons of options for contact forms, image sliders, social media sharing, newsletter sign-ups as well as many options for software integration with popular software like Salesforce and Constant Contact. Take advantage of as many as you can, but do so strategically - customizing certain plug-ins, like image sliders, take a lot of time and effort to implement successfully.

9. Set-Up Tracking

Google Analytics is a simple and easy way to track the visitors to your website. It will give you information on everything from visitor demographics, location, search methods, your website's sales funnel and more. For WordPress sites, you can easily download a plug-in that allows you to embed the Google Analytics tracking code on every page without messing with any code.

Most importantly, do not forget to set up conversion tracking. From Google Analytics, you can easily set up conversation tracking in the Admin tab: go to View > Goals > + New Goals, and add the URL of the "thank you" page that your contact form(s) lead to. No matter what WordPress contact form you download, there will be an option to create a static "thank you" page. E.g. "wordpress.com/thank-you." Add this page to your goal tracking and you will gain immense insight on the path that visitors take before contacting you, as well as data on type of visitor that is most likely to contact you. This is information is worth its weight in marketing gold when it comes to understanding how potential customers find and use your website.

10. Put It All Together... And Go Live!

Once you have all the content you need organized and structured, the process of uploading your content should be quick and easy. Be sure to leave the necessary amount of time to read over and preview every aspect of your website with a fine tooth comb. If possible, bring in loyal customers and brand ambassadors to give you feedback.

Depending on your hosting structure, "going live" with your website could mean buying and hosting your website URL for a new site, or transferring your website to a new host for a re-designed site (see more details here). Either way, this is a big moment! Announce your efforts to the world and share the news!

Finally, don't forget: your new website will not automatically perform to perfection; track your goals, but give them time and do not expect to rank on the first page of Google for your target keywords overnight! (Haha...) As long as the proper website structure is in place, reaching your long term goals is achievable, but it is certainly not a "one and done" process. Updating your content with new blog posts, articles, and news, and sharing your content online, in email, with social media, and other marketing avenues is necessary to keeping your website relevant and attractive to Google's search engines.

Why MBA Graduates Think They Are Hot Sh*t (And Usually Aren't)

Let's face it, everyone that has graduated with a master degree in Business Administration (MBA) has a slight mentality that they are better (at least, at business) than everyone else. And let's be honest, some definitely need a reality check more than others. This post is for MBA graduates to really think about whether these minor skills and experiences make them "better" than other college graduates.

1. You can draw complicated business numbers on a white board.

Just because you can make a complicated graph out of something, does not make your information useful. MBA graduates LOVE wasting time and energy on fancy reports, pretty graphs, and appealing spreadsheets; however, in the real world, most companies would rather you spend time on getting things done. Nice looking reports and graphs might be nice for important meetings, but other than that, you're spending an inordinate amount of time making your work look more impressive than it really is.

2. You can use really big words (AKA "indecipherable jargon").

"The turnaround on our RFP is not going to have the projected ROI on that time frame, assuming our SMART goals are properly sourced and our profit message is intact."

No one knows what this means, and no one cares. Just because you put a lot of complicated words together in a sentence does not mean that what you said is somehow of worth. If you can't cater your language to your audience, you do not deserve to be in business (and especially in marketing). Speak the lingo of the business you are in, not the language of your MBA alma mater.

3. You dress better than anyone else.

The dress codes of many MBA programs are, to say the least, "behind the times." Many office environments today are much more casual than, oh let's say, 50 years ago. Most business schools, however, have not updated their dress code since then. Yes, you already have a professional wardrobe - but no, your fancy pencil skirts and slacks do not make you somehow more prestigious than your colleagues.

"Whoa... Is that Armani?" Answer: "Everything I own is designer."

4. You still think you have technical skills.

The world is moving at a rapid pace; if you took time to get an MBA, all of your technical expertise has most likely progressed far behind you. Going back into the workforce, recognize that your soft skills are now your main selling point: do not lecture "subordinates" on technical skills. They definitely know more than you do. Yes, you may have a BA in Communications, no, those same skills do not still apply today.

5. You hang out with other MBAs.

This one is actually a plus. MBA graduates tend to have a wider business circle than most, and it definitely becomes an advantage. MBAs like their networking, a lot. If you need to meet some business people, I would suggest finding an MBA graduate - they will be happy to refer you to every other business person they have ever met.


6. You can immediately find a stock photo for every business function.

Enough said.


7. You are always in the job market. 

MBAs are constantly networking and looking for new opportunities. Even if they aren't actively seeking a new job, well, there's always more fish in the sea...


8. You think you know more about business than anyone else.

And honestly, you probably do. Just stop acting like you are the CEO of a billion dollar company (until you are actually the CEO of a billion dollar company).


9. You say this a lot, "If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense."

Yeah, we get it. Make it rain. An MBA's primary function is to remind you that if it doesn't make money, it isn't worth doing.

And if they aren't doing this, well, they aren't hot sh*t. And they probably were not to begin with. But hey, it's always good to keep them around... sometimes.

Why You Should Think Before Buying Facebook Video Ads

If you haven't heard yet, Facebook is testing a new source for advertising: Facebook video. These videos will be on auto-play, which means that they will immediately start playing when you see them. If the user is interested in the video, they can click it for full screen and audio. 

Facebook's idea of auto-play ads isn't the WORST idea ever; however, it is guaranteed that brands that have NO reason to be buying these advertisements will, of course, be buying them in bulk. 

But first, let's go to some good reasons Facebook points out for buying video ads:
1. You want to be where people are. 
2. You want to reach all of the people who matter to you.
3. You want to be in the most engaging digital real estate, which is Facebook's new feed.

These are good points, but not specific to video, or even to buying advertising. Simply putting out good content from your Facebook page and having a dedicated and interactive fan base will help you achieve these goals. 

Facebook's Video Ad pitch also goes into the changing landscape of media in general:
1. Families are no longer watching T.V. together.
2. TV and YouTube do not have the same ability to target users by demographic, behavioristic, and psychographic information that Facebook has.
3. Digital and mobile trends are skyrocketing

What businesses forget is that no one wants to be forced to watch a video. For consumers, deciding to watch a video is a huge commitment. People love watching videos; they don't love videos being pushed in their face. Unless your video wholeheartedly represents a cultural niche that your target market can relate to, they are going to scroll past your ad without a second glance.

Let's say that you absolutely capture your audience perfectly. At the very least, Facebook video ads are going to give your brand awareness. They are not going to increase your online conversions or your advertising ROI. Which brings me to my final point:

Facebook video ads aren't going to work for every business, particular small businesses. While video ads are great for awareness, your business isn't going to see much (if any) return on its investment. These ads are great for a movie trailer and animal videos (videos that people would watch anyways) or a humorous video or meme, if your company can pull it off right.

Finally, before you drive right into Facebook ads, think about this: what is a video ad going to do for your video that simply posting the video it is NOT going to do? All the investment does is increase your reach. Before you invest in a greater reach, think about investing in better content, and the impressions for your video will come naturally without having to pay for the audience. 

9 Mandatory Rules for Job Applications

I'm not a resume writing specialist, and I prefer marketing to human resources, but I have been looking at some resumes lately (specifically for internship hires) and there are some things that I just CAN NOT believe exist on some people's resumes. I am writing this post in hopes to reach some of those people and help them on their job search (or help them realize why they are not getting any call backs). I know these may sound simple, but you might be astonished at how many people constantly make these mistakes. Remember that you need to market yourself to get the job that you want.

1. Don't make up words.

This is never going to count in your favor. It doesn't even make sense. 

2. Don't spell words wrong.

Read over your resume before you send it in. If you're not good with grammar, find someone who is to help. Even if you are applying for an accounting jobs, misspelled words are always a turn off. Even if the hiring manager does look past it, you will always have an unconscious negative stigma when that manager thinks about you as someone to move into a leadership position. 

3. If you're going to list your High School job, make it sound better.

Life guards, waitresses, valet, whatever it was, that experience is great - but listing your roles and responsibilities does not cut it for these types of jobs. Simply writing "waited tables" does not show any real skills, while it could instead highlight customer service and work ethic. Please please please never writing "making sandwiches" as a legitimate responsibility. 

4. Write something applicable to the company you are applying to.

It can be anything; just let that hiring manager that you know exactly what type of job and company you are applying to, and how you will fit into the company culture. Don't underestimate the necessity of a cover letter, or even short paragraph description on why you are applying to this specific job.

5. Explain your location.

If you are applying to a job in another state, or especially another country, explain your time frame for moving to the job and how you plan on interviewing for the job. This will stop lazy HR managers from simply throwing out your resume or having to email you about how you plan to come in for an interview.

6. Apply to the correct position.

Applying to a company for a position you think they may need but do not have a job position for, that is one thing. But using your resume with all finance experience to apply to project management job is simply not a good idea.

7. Format your resume if applying online.

No hiring manager is going to spend more than two seconds on an online resume that looks like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////--------(#(*$$&#^#^^#W^EW%E%E%%E%E%E%E%E%E
Mike Job Searcher
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////)))((((((((((((((____++++++
It's not going to happen. 

8. Do not, at any point, degrade yourself.

Don't make up for imaginary deficiencies in your resume or cover letter before you even get to the interview. Only state your strengths, and wait for the questions about weaknesses, if the company even asks. Don't EVER offer to "get coffee" or "pick up laundry"!! 

9. Don't underestimate your skills in the application process.

Just because you don't have experience in one or two of the required skills or responsibilities isn't a deal breaker for a position. Apply anyways. Just be sure to emphasize your willingness to learn new tasks and talk about skills not on the job description that you can bring to the table.

Don't Lie in Your Marketing. Just Don't.

While sitting for a nice dinner between shopping trips at the mall, my sister and I decided to try out a new place called Nando's Peri Peri. We did not know what a peri peri was, but the restaurant brand had bold, pretty colors and appealed to our young and modern sensibilities. 

As it turns out, peri peri is a specially spiced chicken. As vegetarians, my sister and I appreciated the other options on the menu. As natural readers, we skimmed the menu and read the small print on some of the details about the company's products, specifically, the chicken. "Nando's chickens are all-natural, fresh (never frozen), free from added hormones and preservatives, hatched and reared in the United States," which sounds great. "They also meet the strict assured standards of the National Chicken Association." Interesting... But as any slightly questioning, cynical human being in the 21st century with smartphone technology is likely to Google this boastful statement. Which is exactly what my sister Olivia decided to do.

In a quick Google search of "National Chicken Association," it is pretty easy to surmise that the National Chicken Association does not exist, especially one that is described by Nando's Peri Peri, with "strict, assured standards" of chicken farming.

In fact, everything related to a "chicken association" has to do with chicken breeding, consumer research, or trade associations providing industry resources. Basically, Nando's decided to make up a fake association in order to market their chickens as "natural" and domestically raised. 

The con's of doing this heavily out-weigh the pro's. First of all, any consumer who is going to care about this issue - all natural, free range, domestically hatched, ect. - is also going to care about whether your claim is legitimate. 

In marketing terms, it seems like Nando's is targeting a market of customers with a concept that is false, thereby alienated this target market. If this really is Nando's target market, i.e. consumers who care about all natural, fresh, and hormone free, they are lying to this market of consumers with false marketing and basically guaranteeing their lack of business. 

More likely for Nando's, they are not targeting the organic and animal rights activist market. Their marketing team just wanted to throw out some nice, pretty, and somewhat unregulated marketing terms to may potentially attract an ignorant consumer that happens to glance at the menu. In this case, I would pose a legal argument to the company: is it worth a potential false advertising lawsuit just to have some pretty words on your menu?

If I could give advice to all the marketing departments in the world (big dreams, I know), it would be this: Don't lie in your marketing. Just don't. 

(Share this post to help me realize my dream!)

5 Ways that Sales is Like Dating

1. You never call back right away.

Once you get a sales request, you have a million and one excuses not to call them back right away. Just like when you get a Tinder match, or a date request from a dating site, you need to dig into that person's life until you know everything about them. For sales, it is not any different. Calling back right away seems desperate - instead, you research every inch of their company and prepare you sales pitch accordingly.

2. You sometimes play hard to get.

In life and in business, you have to know that you are the sh*t. Your time is worth money; both business and life partners need to get in line for your goodies. There's nothing wrong with playing a little hard to get when you know that your "products" are worth the time and effort. You NEVER want to come off as desperate.

3. You always act more confident than you actually are.

Confidence in everything. When you know you're worth it, everyone else does too. Even if your product is still in Beta, or your reputation isn't completely spotless, a good sales person knows how to have the confidence to bring any relationship to the next level. It's the same in dating. Everyone gets nervous, but the best know not to show it.

Of course, always be careful not to overcompensate...

4. You pretend that you have plenty of options.

Are they still not completely interested? Are they too interested? Casually mentioning your other important clients or casual dates is always a convenient tactic for the sales or the relationship dance. Companies always do this, screaming LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE when you know there's a whole warehouse of options. "Testimonials" are just another way of showing off your prowess, and a good salesperson knows just how to casually slip them into the conversation.

5. You always keep your options open. 

Dating and sales are both fickle subjects... and it's always best to keep all options open. That's why airlines overbook their tickets. That's what Friday AND Saturday are for. And if it doesn't work out, there's always someone else in line that would happily jump on board.