Jay Today Podcast

I ripped on Delta a few weeks ago because I felt like they were undercutting their most loyal members (http://youtu.be/Kg4U4ykTNjs). But sometimes a brand does something to win back your heart and your trust. I was in Atlanta making a connection on my way to sunny Puerto Vallarta, and the agents thanked me for being a platinum member when they scanned my boarding pass. Pretty standard behavior as far as I've seen, but what they did next surprised me. They scanned my wife's boarding pass and said:"Mrs. Baer, I just want to thank you for allowing your husband to live on our planes. Sometimes the wives get ignored, but I just want you to know how much we appreciate you."Wow! Talk about something that really changes the way you feel about an organization and makes your day. There are two lessons here for your business:1. It's the little things that count. Find small things that don't cost anything but time and desire to do and make them happen.2. Allow your team members to work off-script. These unplanned events

When I started the Jay Today show, I didn't know whether it would catch on or if people would like it. In the moments since launching the show, however, I've realized that the show's talkable trigger is its length. The show is only 3 minutes long each day, which is different from most video and audio podcasts. This is what has triggered a word of mouth marketing effect. You may not plan your WOM feature; it's something might discover over time. But unless you have a talkable trigger for your product, service, or project, you're never going to be successful.Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Jason Keath, whose big social media event is happening right now in Orlando! Jason runs the blog at SocialFresh.com and also puts on a few intimate social media conferences. Follow Jason at https://twitter.com/jasonkeathJay Today (http://www.convinceandconvert.com/jay...) is a video podcast with 3-minute lessons and commentary on business, social media and digital marketing from New York Times best-selling author and

Did you know that Weird Al's new album, Mandatory Fun, is the number one album in the U.S. right now?Weird Al has always been, well, weird, but the masses haven't caught on to what he's doing... until now.So, what changed? Weird Al did three things right with the launch of this new album that we can all learn from:1. He leveraged the power of video by releasing an accompanying music video with each song.2. He hasn't strayed from his wild ways, which in this age of absurdity is extremely relevant.3. He atomized his content by releasing one song per day, instead of releasing them all at once.If you're a grammar nerd, you'll love this song called Word Crimes (parody of Blurred Lines): http://www.vevo.com/watch/weird-al-ya...Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Shep Hyken (http://twitter.com/hyken), who is the incoming president of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and a customer service expert. Read his blog and sign up for his newsletter here: http://www.hyken.com/blog/Jay Today (http://www.convinceand

Now that Jay's children are both officially teenagers, the future of social media is becoming more and more apparent.While marketers have been using technology to build up an audience, study their needs, and reach them all at once, teens are using social media to have a conversation with a small number of people. For them, it's not about the audience, it's about the personal communication. The future of social media is all about using a phone book, not an auditorium.Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Robert Rose (http://twitter.com/robert_rose), who is the Chief Strategist at the Content Marketing Institute and a real thought leader in the content marketing space. Jay Today (http://www.convinceandconvert.com/jay...) is a video podcast with 3-minute lessons and commentary on business, social media and digital marketing from New York Times best-selling author and venture capitalist Jay Baer. Join Jay daily for insights on trends, quick tips, observations and inspiration. The show is sponsored and produced

People often ask Jay why he does so many different things. Between the Convince & Convert blog, the Social Pros podcast, and the new Jay Today show, Jay always has a lot of irons in the fire. The reason for this is that technology is always changing, as are people's wants, needs, and desires. By wearing many hats and working on many different projects, there is a the element of research and experimentation that helps us understand which things will work best.This is how Jay approaches business as well. While we may not always have the answer for clients and prospects on what WILL work, we do know HOW to do the work to get there. Knowledge is overrated. Research is underrated. Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to C.C. Chapman (https://twitter.com/cc_chapman), author, speaker, and consultant. If you're not following C.C., definitely check out his work and his photography:http://www.cc-chapman.com/Jay Today (http://www.convinceandconvert.com/jay...) is a video podcast with 3-minute lessons and commentary on b

The TSA (transportation security administration) has announced a new crowdsourcing campaign whereby they will look to the public to come up with ideas to make the TSA lines shorter.The idea on its own isn't a terrible one, but after doing some digging, it turns out that it's not about making lines shorter, it's about getting people to sign up for the TSA Pre-Check program and pay what it takes to get there. That's not a technology issue for the masses to solve, that's an issue for a marketing person or team within the TSA to tackle. And it's extremely frustrating for someone who travels as much as Jay does.The problems that the TSA are having with line length and the time it takes to get through security transcend any sort of crowdsourcing campaign the TSA could implement.Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Jason Miller (http://twitter.com/jasonmillerCA), who is the Senior Manager of Content and Social Media at LinkedIn and is also a rock n' roll photographer in his spare time. Jason is a great guy to fol

A recent article about Nintendo showed that sometimes when a company has a smash hit with their products or services, it may actually be the beginning of the end.In today's episode, Jay explores why the NFL might be going through the same "blockbuster" issue that Nintendo is for five main reasons:1. Attending a game isn't as family-friendly or enjoyable as watching from home2. The NFL is saturating us with too many games on TV3. Their drug policy is ridiculous4. Their concussion policy is insane5. They lack a respectable discipline policy with playersTune in to hear Jay's take on the specifics of these very real issues.Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Dennis Yu (https://twitter.com/dennisyu), a fantastic thinker on digital marketing and ROI. Dennis recently sent over a vat of Haribo gummy bears after a mention of them on Jay Today. Thank you, Dennis!Jay Today (http://www.convinceandconvert.com/jay...) is a video podcast with 3-minute lessons and commentary on business, social media and digital marketin

Facebook has just launched a new app that will remove the messaging functionality from its primary app and include it instead in a stand-alone messaging app. While some users are frustrated with having to download yet another app (Facebook already has 8 apps), this is the trend we're seeing - specialized applications for specific functionalities.Facebook isn't the only one adopting this trend. Giant superstores like Walmart and Target are seeing a decline in sales, while smaller boutique shops are growing. This is the future. People no longer want portals that include everything but are great at nothing, especially when they're using their mobile device as their primary connection to the internet. They want specialized services for their specific needs. Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Andrew Davis (http://twitter.com/TPLDrew), author of Brandscaping (http://www.brandscapingbook.com/) and a fantastic speaker. If you ever have the chance to see him speak, do it!Jay Today (http://www.convinceandconvert.c

Back in the day before email and smartphones, it was common for people to stop working and leave the office at 5pm.Now, we are all constantly connected to our work and our time has become scarce. This creates a common issue that marketers struggle to overcome: My customers don't have time for me.That may be true on the surface, but if you want to break through and steal some time or borrow some attention from your potential customers and client, you need to give them something that is hyper-relevant.An example of this hyper-relevant messaging comes from a Guatemalan sneaker company, Meat Pack. By installing their mobile app, sneaker fans can get the best deals on hot new items. The app, which includes a GPS locator, has been successful in pulling customers away from competitors and generating buzz (http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/campai...). Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Jeffrey K. Rohrs, fellow Social Pros Podcast host (http://socialpros.com) and a good friend. Jeff is a wonderful speaker and used t

The problem with social media metrics is that people think it's just about likes and fans. And that these numbers stand alone.If you want to know what value social media is providing, you have to do the work. Insights always require effort, and it's important to remember that the goal is not to be good at social media, it's to be good at business as a result of social media. We have too many metrics, so it can be difficult to pull out the ones that matter. Consider using metrics like lead generation, sales, net promoter score, propensity to order, and other business metrics as opposed to new likes and retweets.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTSpeaking of social media metrics, today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Chuck Hemann, Executive Director of Analytics at GolinHarris and co-author of Digital Marketing Analytics which is a great book on social media measurement for business success (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Marketi...).OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a

Your life is never going as well as you think it is, but it's also never going as poorly as you think it is. The way to keep yourself off the roller coaster ride of emotions that make up life is to never fly too high or too low when something happens. It's easy to take a victory lap or wallow in your sorrows, but always remember that life is a series of curve balls, so you never know what is coming around the next corner.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Gini Dietrich (http://twitter.com/ginidietrich), who heads the ship at Arment Dietrich and runs the popular Spin Sucks blog (http://spinsucks.com). Follow Gini for her insights on PR, crisis communications, reputation management, and digital marketing. Also, pick up a copy of her new book by the same name as her blog - http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Sucks-Comm... OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and affordable video production company. Follow @candidio on Twitter. Sprout

Jay recently went to the PGA Tour in Valhalla. Prior to attending, he sent a tweet to the PGA asking about umbrella size and parking lot location. He has yet to hear back from them.This brings up an interesting question of consumer expectations when it comes to social media customer service. Are we reaching a tipping point where people have the same expectations of social media service as they do of phone calls? If so, companies need to be prepared with the resources and strategy to handle it. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Gary Vaynerchuk (http://twitter.com/garyvee) who, among the other amazing things he's done, has started a new series of daily videos that answer the #AskGaryVee questions that his fans often pose on Twitter. Check out Gary's channel:https://www.youtube.com/user/GaryVayn...OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and affordable video production company. Follow @candidio on Twitter. Sprout Social (http://

In working with a local university, Jay learned that the tactics they used to engage their audiences was different than many of the other companies he's worked with. Instead of saying, "Do you like this or that?" or, "Like us on Facebook!", this university simply said, "Tell us what you think."This open-ended request for opinions allows their audience to share, candidly, exactly how they feel about anything the organization is doing - both good and bad. This creates the feeling of trust and kinship, which psychologically builds a lasting bond between the customers and the business. It's also why crowdsourcing works so well.Try using the power of crowds to build your own business, and let us know how it works for you. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to David Meerman Scott (http://twitter.com/DMScott), a brilliant marketer whose new book Marketing to the Moon is not only a fascinating read, but is also visually stunning. Check it out: http:

During a recent trip to NYC, Jay visited two businesses that are thriving from innovation: Nike and Breather.Nike is the better-known of the two, and they continue to create comfortable, fashionable, and innovative products that their audience wants. Breather is a lesser-known company that is providing quiet, comfortable spaces around the world for travelers like Jay and locals alike.Both companies have one thing in common: They innovate from a point of strength, not desperation. When things are going poorly, that's the time to focus on making your current offerings better, not trying something new. When things are going well, however, that's the time to take your imagination to the next level. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Julien Smith (http://twitter.com/julien) who is the co-founder of Breather (http://breather.com). Julien also co-authored Trust Agents with Chris Brogan and is the author of The Flinch (http://www.amazon.com/The-F

Many businesses these days spend hours in meeting rooms trying to figure out what the next big thing will be and how they can harness its power.But being the first or the most original isn't as important as doing whatever you do with conviction, and doing it well.Steve Jobs wasn't the first to come up with a smartphone or a tablet, but he flawlessly executed their release into the world.We need to stop overvaluing originality and undervaluing execution. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Chris Moody (http://twitter.com/cnmoody) who works with Oracle and is a man-about-town in the Raleigh area of North Carolina. Follow Chris for marketing insights and some fun "that's what she said" references. OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and affordable video production company. Follow @candidio on Twitter. Sprout Social (http://sproutsocial.com), a social media management and analytics company that Jay uses for much of his social

If you haven't seen your friends douse themselves in ice to support ALS research yet, you're probably living under a rock. The ALS Ice Bucket challenge has raised over $13.3 million (compared to $1.7 million last year) and has over 260,000 new donors.Why is the ice bucket challenge so effective? 2 reasons:1) It plays on the power of video, which is much more visceral and experiential than text or photo could ever be.2) It happened concurrently with the new Facebook update that now allows videos to autoplay in your news feed.The other important reason this challenge has succeeded is that it wasn't ALS who asked people to dump ice on their heads, it's friends. And while we may not all have a personal connection to ALS, we do have personal connections to our colleagues and friends so we want to support the cause in their honor.This is a lesson that all businesses, not just non-profits can learn from: Social media is about people, not logos, and it's the individual connectivity that makes campaigns successful.SUB

Jay has recently started using the LinkedIn Publishing platform to repurpose popular blog posts, and even transcriptions of the Jay Today show, to reach new audiences.But a strange thing has happened since publishing - tons of new connection requests that Jay doesn't know are flooding into his inbox.LinkedIn always seemed different than other networks in that it was about connecting with people that you know IRL, whereas Twitter and Google+ are more public "follow" networks where it's about making new connections. The great thing about LinkedIn has been that there is less noise and more great content from people we know.But maybe we're using LinkedIn all wrong. What do you think?SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to DJ Waldow (http://twitter.com/djwaldow) who is starting a new email newsletter about rediscovering his passion while helping others do the same (http://socialbutterflyguy.com/).OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple

As of last week, Slideshare has announced that all of its features, including the ones that were only available on a PRO account, are now free.In addition to a customized background and the ability to embed video into your presentations, you may now set up lead capturing tools in your Slideshare presentations. This is especially useful for any business that is looking to generate more qualified leads, and you can implement the feature now absolutely free (http://Slideshare.net).SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Chris Sietsema, who works as a digital marketing strategist for Convince & Convert and also runs his own agency - Teach to Fish Digital. Chris is extremely knowledgable in all things digital marketing, but especially email. He writes a monthly newsletter called The Email Email, which is all about, you guessed it, email! Subscribe here:http://teachtofishdigital.com/emailem...OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and

JD Power & Associates surveyed 1900 American consumers, and found that only 1% of consumers used social media when shopping for a new or used vehicle.No kidding!When would you ever use social media to buy a car? You wouldn't.Social media is not a direct-response channel. It's about taking people who like you and making them love you. Remember that as you're developing your own strategy.Tune in to meet Sharpie, Jay's daughter's new hedgehog, live and in the flesh!SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Robert Rose (http://twitter.com/robert_rose), lead strategist for the Content Marketing Institute and amazing digital marketing strategist, writer, and podcaster.OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and affordable video production company. Follow @candidio on Twitter. Sprout Social (http://sproutsocial.com), a social media management and analytics company that Jay uses for much of his social media every day. Follow @sproutsocial o

Facebook has released some new information that is important for marketers to note.Now, if you post something on Facebook that people click on but then click right back to Facebook, that shows Facebook that the quality of that link or article isn't great, so Facebook will devalue it and not show it in the newsfeed. Google has been doing this for many years, and it's one of the ways they rank ads. Facebook has adopted this technology, which is great for all of us because it will help remove spam and those famous click-baiting articles.The second thing that Facebook has done is that it is putting more emphasis on showing links instead of images.What does this mean for you?1. Be sure to build landing pages and share articles that are relevant and effective to your audience.2. Make sure anything you're linking to has a good signature image and coherent description so that when you add a link to Facebook, it pulls in quality information.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTJason Falls