The Engine is On and Back Up and Running

Right I am stepping into action again - at least that is my intention. I have not blogged for too long a time now and need to restart and keep it going. I have a load of excuses and some of them are almost acceptable but I need to do as I preach to others. Blogs shouldn't be onerous or painful. They shouldn't take long to write if it is a subject you know well or are passionate about. Goodness knows I have a lot I am passionate about.

I am slightly changing the focus of my blogging now - only a bit. I've learned a lot over the years, actually still learning, and want to write down these tidbits and pass on including what I am up to currently. There will be varying topics so the flow may not be as fluid as it could be but all these topics will be things I am personally interested in.

With that change comes a blog title update. One of my favourite expressions apparently (although I never realised I was saying it as often as I do until someone pointed it out) is that I am no 'Spring Chicken'. I think people take me wrong when I say that but I am actually being self-deprecating rather than feeling sorry for myself. I also mean I've 'been there, done that' and definitely have lots of t-shirts. So you are now reading my blog 'No Spring Chicken Pearls of Wisdom' and I hope to be providing what it says on the tin. Of course, I do have the perogative of changing this title again if so inspired - it's my party. 

I should think the topics will vary including Social Media tips and tricks (and annoyances), my life in London and my lovely area of Chiswick, the current state of the world and the nightmare currently going on in my beloved USA and my newest venture into the scary but exhilarating world of property investing.  Please feel free to join into the conversation if anything I've said inspires you to feedback or add your own experiences. No placing bets though on whether I can keep this up. Surely once a week is easily achievable - yes?

It’s the Content, Stupid

10 February 2015

Remember that famous slogan from Bill Clinton’s Presidential campaign? Allegedly it was “It’s the economy, stupid”.  The gist being he could talk about all the issues you can imagine but in the end, people would decide who to vote for based on what he would do for their wallets.

It got me thinking that it’s similar with Social Media. You can be good at all the tips & tricks of the Social Media channels but in the end of the day, it’s simply what you are talking about that cuts through. When I do a Social Media strategy for a client, I definitely focus on content and keywords but probably not enough. I intend on doing more.

It may sound logical but I’ve come across so many people who struggle with what to say in their tweets and posts. While lots rely on pictures to do the talking, which do make for engaging posts, I believe it is what you say with those images and how you say it that really counts.

I’ve noticed in recent months on Facebook that my personal posts, with short and ‘nice’ or funny stories, get the most reaction. I don’t post with an image and I often think at the time they are too long but I am amazed at the reaction. Seems I’ve either tugged at someone’s heart strings or I’ve told a funny anecdote that others can relate to and that’s what gets a response.

As with email marketing, a headline can make or break you. Funny, ironic, sarcastic or a little bit rude (just a bit) works a treat in getting people’s attention. If you don’t require a title, then a short intro sentence using those sorts of tones should work too. Just think about how you might react if you are in the receiving line.  How many emails do you ignore every day and which ones get your attention.

In thinking about content, I tell clients who are stuck for ideas, start with a calendar. Use an A3 sheet of paper and split by the twelve months and plot the usual big holidays first e.g. Christmas, Easter, bank holidays etc. Then do a bit of research to find out some unusual holidays (e.g. ‘National Cheese Day’ ‘Dogs go to work with owners Day’ and similar) and stick those in the calendar. Then consider key dates specific to your industry. If you’re in travel and tourism, think about the high travel season or type of holiday relevant to the time of the year e.g. beach, skiing, day’s out. Or research all the main industry shows and events. FAQs make great content. Keep filling in your calendar and suddenly you have twelve months of content, without much effort, planned.

Do think laterally too in terms of content. Don’t just talk about your own industry or business – figure out how you can take advantage of a totally unrelated topic and turn it into something relevant for you and your business. The Chelsea Flower Show may not seem an obvious connection to an Osteopath but if you just think about all those gardeners bending down and making their displays, well sure you can imagine there might be some very sore backs. Suddenly, you’ve got an interesting story with a link. And you can be sure the Chelsea Flower Show will be trending all over social media (don’t forget to use those Hashtags!).

Finishing off, I remember another famous saying ‘Content is King’. I certainly think so – in fact it’s true royalty!

It Was Staring me in the Eyes – that ‘Special Relationship’

20 January 2015

As anyone who has read any of the previous articles in this blog will know, change is on my mind. Having had a lot of time over the holidays to think, opportunities and ideas became clearer. Sometimes you just have to take time to get away from it all including the laptops, iPads and mobiles and even people. Once you get that space you get clarity that you couldn’t find before. It’s a bit like distinguishing those trees in the woods.

So a year of change is it. And over the last week, while I’ve still had a bit of space, I’ve come to realise a few more things. One thing that dawned on me, which was staring me in the face, is that I haven’t made enough of the fact that I am an American who has lived in London for over 27 years. I very much understand what the British want and what it takes to make it here. So why aren’t I promoting that to North American businesses who want to get into the market here?

What I have found very interesting is that looking at the stats of this blog, the majority of readers are coming from the US (double the UK).  I’ve been distributing the blogs through various Social Media channels including Google +, LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter (with Twitter & LinkedIn bringing in the most views). So dissecting that further, seems I have either more connections and followers from the US or more from the US have a propensity to be interested in what I am writing about. In any case, there seems to be more of an appeal from across the pond.

Next step is to fine-tune the message and then figure out how to get it across. The message is simple ‘Americans - let me be your go-to person on the ground here in the UK if you want business from & in the UK’. That isn’t very eloquent but it is the gist of the opportunity. How I tell them will mean first tweaking my Social Media profiles starting with LinkedIn and then getting a new website spelling out just what I can do. So giving myself more work to do but it will be worth it in the end.

My goodness – give yourself a little headspace and the ideas and opportunities just flow. Try it. You never know what you may come up with!

Starting Over Again – I Can Try

15 January 2015

I’m getting back on to the original topic of this blog which is to chronicle my year of change ahead. Big clue is in the title ’56 years to change’ (yes I’m admitting my age – brave no?) Can’t avoid getting older but do I have to act that way?

Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what really makes you happy. In my case, it has taken a very long while. Life over the last years has gotten in the way of clear thinking about me – things such as family illnesses, some very bad business decisions and perhaps just going down a wrong path which at the time seemed to make sense. Over the holidays with lots of time to think, it suddenly dawned on me what I didn’t want to do and then with a bit more time started to figure out what I did want to do.

Change for lots of people can be a very scary thing.  But change when you’re older adds an extra layer of fear. The reality of changing your work or business at my age is the odds are stacked against me.  It is a young world out there and keeping up with all the latest trends, digital channels and, frankly, the time-commitment makes it a tough task. If you take the example of a job opening, say Manager of a Retail Shop, and there was one 30 year old with 5 years’ experience and one 55 year old with 30 years’ experience, I would bet good money the 30 year old would get it 90% of the time. Even taking into account all that experience and the potentially better work ethic and loyal attitude on the side of the older candidate, the younger-aged person wins it more times than not.

So I’m going to try my best to buck the standard on this one. Had a great meeting today to discuss moving forward with a number of new ventures and ideas. From my new Antiques Days Trips and new product line for Wilson Picks to getting into property and joint ventures with new business partners, I feel truly optimistic. There will be ups and downs and some of life’s issues haven’t gone away but I really feel like I can make the change and make a difference in 2015, my 57^th year.

One last thought. It was pointed out to me today that I use the expression ‘no spring chicken’ a lot. I apparently said it today and wasn’t even conscious of it. So one more resolution to add to the pile. Stop saying that Jeannie!

Its So Easy to Tweet When You’re Mad

12 January 2015

Made it back to London from New York this morning. I am amazed at how smoothly the flight went last night. It may astound a few but after 25 years in the travel industry, I will admit that I have a fear of flying (not news to my friends and family). Between the furiously fast tail winds from the various storms, the many nuts now terrorizing our freedom and just being scared, well, I am really pleased how easy it all went. The flight was empty and I had 3 seats to myself. There was absolutely no turbulence and that tail wind made our flight time very short at only 5 and a ½ hours. Wish each trip across the Atlantic could go like that.

Once I settled, I got back into work mode. Tweeting was the first port of call. I want to be more creative and engaging this year for both my own businesses and my clients and that takes time to research and write up. As I was looking around at interesting articles and information, I came across a very good blog about how to handle negative feedback onTwitter. Twitter makes it very easy to complain about and to businesses and organisations so, at some point, most of us will come across negative comments.  There is a reality and that is people will more quickly tell you what is wrong than what is right about what you do – it is the nature of the beast to moan. And being able to do so very publicly makes it feel all the more worthwhile. Admittedly I have done my fair share of telling off businesses but, to be fair, I also do compliment where one is due.

As I have knowledge of both sides (told off as well as received), I have good experience at what works in a reply and what doesn’t. That blog pretty much nails it. Ignoring a negative comment is probably the worst thing you can do for your business. Don’t reply that you will respond only as a DM. The conversation may go that way but let it happen and let the public know you care enough to reply publicly. You need to be real and respond in a natural and polite way. The number of times I have been given scripted replies on twitter (you can so tell) is ridiculous.

Each complaint is individual so treat the person that way. A major pet peeve is when the responder doesn’t tell you their name (first name). It is a clear sign there is a junior answering and working off pre-written standard tweet replies. Thank the tweeter for bringing up the issue and assure you want to deal with it fairly and quickly.

None of these points are rocket science. Twitter is all about a natural engagement. The public have now gotten off the phone and on to social media when it comes to complaining. You can’t stop that so use it to your advantage. I have had very good outcomes after tweeting complaints with businesses such as British Gas, Tescos and Santander to name a few. Their replies to start off with were pretty poor but the point is they took notice and quickly. Twitter complaining works but those companies need to get their twitter customer service working better too. The reality should be any publicity is good publicity but it is how it is handled that will determine the good guys from the poor performers. Get it wrong and you could easily have a catastrophe on your hands.

Twitter is still as powerful as ever. Big businesses are putting more money into servicing via twitter. It is though down to the quality of the reply that will ultimately count.  

They need to try just a bit harder.  

Ciao NY – A bit of Reflection

10 January 2015

A number of things to reflect on today as I prepare to travel back to the UK this weekend. My style, if you haven’t already figured it out, is rather to the point (okay – blunt) so it may include a bit of sarcasm here and there but it is my take here, personally, professionally and generally.

This week has been dominated by the tragic events in France. I so feel for the victims’ families as well as the country as a whole. I will admit that Paris has never been a city I liked but when atrocities such as the ones which happened this week I want to weep for what is such a formidable city. I find the Parisian French so different from the rest of their countrymen but I am sure their hearts are completely broken as is the rest of France. The World has certainly rallied around France and seeing #JeSuisCharlie and #JeSuisAhmed (apparently now tweeted over 5m times) hopefully makes them know we are all with at this time. What a world we live in. Doesn’t seem like anywhere is safe anymore.

The weather in NY while I have been here and been especially kind. Very cold (very) but very little snow and even on the bitter days, the sun has been shining a lot. I normally expect to be snowed in for a few days at this time of the year so thankful for the relatively mild weather. I am worried what I will be leaving behind and sure there will be a few storms. Will make sure there are provisions here for my mom just in case.

Professionally, I have learned quite a bit about myself. I have realised I haven’t been happy for awhile with my business life. I have done things to survive enough to take care of my elderly parents so from that perspective business has served me well. I want more though now and it will be interesting to see if a mature woman (think that is a fair enough statement) can start all over again. I think it should be possible but it will take determination as well as the drive and hard work to get there. We will see what the future holds upon my return to London.

Social Media has been great company while I was here. Facebook for me personally is great fun keeping in touch with friends and family. I have invested time in getting my Facebook Business Page up and running and I’m challenging myself to keep that going. I have also started to do more on LinkedIn again and will make more changes to my profile and postings. It is pleasing to see I have raised myself up 10 places in LinkedIn in the list of influencers in Marketing UK. Now number 17 in the list of the top 100 which makes me happy. With a little effort will try and boost that further but shows what a bit of effort will do. And I subscribe to the theory that LinkedIn is a great professional tool and good for new opportunities.

Oh and of course I now blog. I am impressed with my persistence but the challenge will remain to keep it going. I am finding it quite therapeutic for now - let's see if that continues. I can see by the stats that quite a few are reading my blog. Thank you so much if you are. Will be interesting to see if I can garner some comments at some point. More work is needed on the blog for sure. 

On a personal level, I am really thankful for all the home help I have gotten recently in regards to my mom’s health & well-being. She is getting visiting nurses, a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, social worker and even a doctor’s visit or two. They’ve been great support and will be missed once they sign off. Medicare has covered all that for a limited time. Grateful for whatever we can get and my mom is responding well but alas it will end. Just hope the home aides can keep it all going. 

Been a tough time admittedly and I hate to say goodbye to my mom again (always the hardest part of every trip and just gets harder). Sad to see our loved ones deteriorate. The change in my mom has been profound over the last 5-7 years but that’s what Parkinsons, Dementia & now Congestive Heart Failure can do. The mental side is almost more difficult than the physical side. She is a trooper though and let’s hope she gets a bit better and is happier soon. Not sure about that one but we can surely hope.

I normally rant about some of the habits of New Yorkers but this time I haven’t had a chance to find out what annoys me which is a rare treat. I love New York and New Yorkers and it is only done out of love but this time they’ve pretty much come up trumps.

Will sign off now and get myself organised (another way to say ‘laundry and packing’). Got to run some more errands then spend quality time with my mom. Don’t forget to spend quality time with your loved ones. Never leave things for tomorrow. As this week has shown, you just never know what may happen.

To Facebook or Not To Facebook, That is the Question

08 January 2015

Anyone over on the side of the pond (US) will know that it was bone-chilling cold today. 5 degrees Fahrenheit out there but at least the sun was shining. Still I managed to get out to get some very fresh air and do a bunch of chores in anticipation of flying back to London on Sunday. Let the weather be calm across the Atlantic and my flight as calm as possible.

Now my brain is ticking in overtime getting ready to get serious about business from Monday onwards. I have been serious all through the holidays thinking about things but now we need to get it all into practice. Scary but also exciting.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Social Media for Professionals Services today. Everything from focusing on my own Facebook Business Page to Twitter for some law clients. Law is difficult for Social Media. I certainly think there are some great channels for law firms but just what possible business you can get out of it remains a big question.

Sticking with law as an example, twitter is a good platform for discussion with other law professionals. But I personally don’t think you will easily ever engage potential customers in conversations. Well I suppose this varies by the law discipline so if you want to get engagement for family or criminal law, I doubt many publicly would be interacting with you if they had an issue. They may follow a firm and what is being said so that could ultimately lead to an opportunity but it will be a direct message or email rather than a public conversation. Business, contract or conveyancing law is different and potential clients might publicly engage or ask a question.  

Facebook for Law Firms is a bit easier in terms of engagement. But I think that firms need to be broadcasting posts of public interest and not those that mostly the law world care about. It is a balance though I admit. Having the respect of other lawyers is still valuable. But there needs to be a soft-sell approach if the remit is to get new clients.  I think LinkedIn and blogging are vitally important for Law Firms. Will focus on those another time.

I mentioned getting my own Facebook Business page in order. I have not until now focused on my own Think Jeannie Facebook page as I thought it wasn’t a platform that would bring in business which is, in the end, why you do a business page. But if I am ‘in the industry’, then I need to do as I say. After working on this for a week, my opinion hasn’t changed. It won’t bring in business but it is a showcase and one I have to persevere with. And if even only to test out campaigns and theories, it will be worth it. But the main point to make is I am doing my own Facebook page.

I very much subscribe to the theory (as previously mentioned) that those within the business are best placed to make the most of Facebook. Happy to do it for any customer and maybe doing myself out of that work but there is nothing like taking control of your own messages. Oh I can hear many of you out there saying ‘but I just don’t have the time’. Fair enough and better to be doing something than nothing but take an interest and get involved. You’ll be amazed at what you learn.

A LinkedIn Kinda Day

06 January 2015

Today was a good day not to leave the house. It was snowing out there and I prefer to see it from the window then to be out in it. Luckily it isn’t too heavy so won’t slow down life too much but I am using it as a good excuse to get admin things done both for business and for my mom. I am already anticipating my flight back to London on Sunday evening and feels like I’ve had no time at all here in New York. In reality I have been almost 3 weeks but so consumed with getting my mom better and out of hospital that I have had little time to concentrate on anything else.

I just have to be a little patient in terms of new ventures and getting work done. Today though I did get through work bits and pieces. I listened to a LinkedIn webinar earlier (well I need to be honest and say I got through half – sometimes find webinars a bit mind-numbing. They need to get to the salient points more quickly rather than fluff it out). LinkedIn is such a powerful business tool and I think more than ever I will need it this year with so much to do. This Webinar gave tips on how in only 18 minutes a day you can get over 1500 qualified prospects a year. Some very interesting points and some very fundamental.

I have always thought LinkedIn was a great tool and can actually say I’ve had business from it. If for no other reason it keeps you in both former and current colleagues’ minds. I do though despair on how poor some profiles are on LinkedIn and I really think many fail to see that LinkedIn is not like other Social Media Channels where you can get away with being a bit blasé and sloppy. It is Professional Networking and if you can’t take the time to write a good profile and keep it updated, then you shouldn’t be on it – it is that simple.

A few easy tips for LinkedIn that will make a difference:

-          - Complete your profile and update it regularly.

-          - Use a professional photo for your profile image. No image there? You just don’t care enough.

-       -    Join groups but not just for the sake of it. Take part or don’t bother.

-        -  Share regular status updates if even only a great article you’ve just read

-         -  Check out who has viewed your profile. Very interesting and an insight as to who is interested in you.

-         -  And one of my biggest bugbears – don’t send me an invitation to connect without telling me why or how you know me. Send me an invitation personalised to me telling me why you would like to connect.

That last point is really one that is vitally important. I hate getting ‘I’d like to connect with you’ messages from someone I don’t know without any explanation. I can assure you it is likely I won’t accept. Sometimes you may intrigue me with the request once I’ve viewed your profile but I will still send you a message asking why. A lot of wasted time for busy professionals.

I recently took another LinkedIn course and found it fascinating. Searching for people whether it is looking for a long-lost colleague or that highly-prized contact in the company you are trying to sell to, there are some really great tips and short-cuts.  It isn’t all about recruitment companies although admittedly they are rampant and annoying too.

So it was a LinkedIn kind of day today. Not wasted time at all. It will serve me well when I launch my various new ventures.

Still Here and Still Determined

02 January 2015

So now I am out there. Just sorted out my new blog site http://56yearstochange.blogspot.com/ (which of course if you are here then you know). Decided to go with Blogspot after going through the possibilities. Blogspot is Google so thought why not try and leverage the power. Reminds me I must get to grips with Google+.

Now that I’ve set my resolutions I need to start getting my rear in gear. The UK Driver’s License I will sort  once I get back to the UK. Will maybe book a long weekend away in Wales or Cornwall where you can drive pretty much non-stop and then take your test. The blog resolution day 2 is happening as I type. Good girl – don’t give up yet.

On to business now. How to move forward. Well I started the process last year. First thing was selling my flat and putting the money aside for safe keeping to contemplate what I wanted to do. Then I found Kevin Whelan & Gill Alton who are my ‘money eyes & ears’. With experience in more than just pensions and the stock market, I hope to get the money working wisely in investments in property & business too. I have a meeting in the diary on the 15^th of January with Kevin & Gill when the real work starts with that – very exciting.

I also have some interesting plans for Wilson Picks, my ‘vintage china’ business. After a year of working very hard selling our gorgeous wares, Lesley & I realised it just wasn’t a good enough business. We love it but it is hard to make money and the back-breaking work travelling from fair to fair is exhausting. But we aren’t giving up Wilson Picks – love our brand too much. We are going to spin it out in a number of ways.

Firstly, we’re going to take some cabinets in Antique shops including the fabulous The Swan in Tetsworth Oxfordshire to sell our stock. Then we’re going to investigate a new product to sell including developing something ourselves (got something in mind but won’t divulge just yet). Finally and most exciting is the launch of our new Antique Day Trips. That’s coming in April and hope to launch the website in the next 2 weeks (a few weeks later than hoped but still fairly quick). If you love Bargain Hunt, Cash in the Attic, Antique Road Show and all those fun television shows, then you’ll love these tours. We’ve got some of the best tv experts working with us on these trips (with much thanks to the fabulous Tom Keane). Been fun developing – now the hard part to get the word out there.

Still I have lovely customers for my marketing consultancy and look forward to doing more with them this year. I want to be clear about what I offer any new Marketing clients so that it works for both of us. I know my experience is valuable but providing the best for my clients and enjoying what I do is key.  That is definitely a big work in progress.

So I guess I am off to a pretty good start with much potential (some I haven’t even gone into). Much work to do and still much to think about. But I think it is fair to say I’m on my way.