10 Life Lessons Vinyl Record Collecting has taught me

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Being a child of the 70s, 80s (and quite possibly a large chunk of the 90s), has provided me first-hand insight into changing … mediums. Analogue to digital and the creation many other digital channels. I can’t attempt to explain if any of these were good or bad ideas, but I will say, it continues to be a hell of a ride! ‘Cyclical’ is a word you may have heard thrown around. A lot. Seriously, it just keeps coming around …

What’s old is new – and by this I mean #vinyl. During my childhood, my medium of choice was an AM Radio and my parents’ Record Collection. I really enjoyed listening to music – nothing unique in that. I did take free piano lessons at Primary School, but after I’d mastered “Chopsticks” my enthusiasm had faded. So, back to radio and records. I listened to my parents’ records on an old wooden encased turntable/speaker set-up on our pool room (as in Pool Table). The first records I remember playing were The Doobie Brothers “The Captain and Me” and the Godspell Soundtrack, but I didn’t treat them well. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had no idea how to handle vinyl and I was pretty callous with those records. My parents weren’t impressed.

Lesson #1: Respect property – especially that of others. (Well, I was just 6-7yrs old)

Years later, once I had begun my vinyl journey (nobody called them vinyl back then, they were just records or albums) I began to realize I was a “collector” of sorts. More of an enthusiast, as I bought what I liked, when I could afford it. My first #Album was Queen – Greatest Hits (which later became known as Greatest Hits Vol.1) which was suggested by my step-brother, Darryl. He was a big fan.

Lesson #2: Listen to other opinions and be prepared to trust their advice.

I also remember buying my first 7” Single. As I began to listen critically to other types of music, I was intrigued by a song I kept hearing on the radio … other than the “oldies” tracks my parents had always seemed to listen to. I dropped my pocketful of collected change on the counter and proudly took home, Heaven 17 – “Temptation” … which was received with mixed reviews from friends/family.

Lesson #3: Research … and do what you like.

By now my collection was growing. Over the next few years I was introduced to; Punk, Post Punk, New Wave (well, more synth music), Alternative, Rock, Classic Rock and still more commercial “Hit Music”.

Lesson #4: Diversify.

I transitioned from volunteering on a local Campus (“alternative”) Radio Station to working at a local (“commercial”) Radio Station. I was faced with the dilemma of leaving the “cool” arena of alternative music I had discovered and playing the music I had previously sworn to hate! But it was my job… I found myself justifying this (because I loved listening to commercial radio as a child) by recognizing radio-friendly music served a purpose and had a happily engaged, listening market. Plus, I began to like it again.

Lesson #5: Embrace change and keep an open mind.

My first flatmate was a huge classic rock fan and a ‘Record Collector’. This was back in the days when you sent away a letter for a distributor’s catalogue, waited for it to arrive, read it cover to cover, made your selections, then mailed your order/bank draft back (often to another country) and happily waited several months for your records to arrive. He converted me into a classic rock fan and taught me a huge amount about the origins of “rock”.

Lesson #6: Always be ready to learn something new.

I even bought some Led Zeppelin II … on Compact Disc.

Lesson #7: Don’t be afraid of change.

But I still loved/bought vinyl.

Lesson #8: Stay true to yourself.

Eventually, with my growing experience and expansive record collection, I landed a gig DJing at a local nightclub. I needed to play a lot of “Dance Music”.

Lesson #9: Be prepared to Specialize.

In this role, I was expected to play requests, to a varied (and more often than not) intoxicated audience. Everyone wanted their favourite song played – or if they had just arrived and missed it, wanted it played again. Now!

Lesson #10: Diplomacy can be a huge advantage.

Eventually, I realized leaving a career in radio was not the smartest career move, so I was thankfully able to return to my previous role at the Commercial Radio Station.

Lesson #11: Don’t burn your bridges.

** Ok, those last two lessons weren’t directly related to vinyl, but they were learnt in the presence of vinyl. **

 

  —– —– —– —– —– —– —– I LIED. THERE’S ACTUALLY 18 LESSONS —– —– —– —– —– —– —–

 

Once I realized I had a true love of vinyl, that would continue (since I’d shipped my collection of approx. 1,200 records to Canada), my on-going collection skills needed to be honed. I need to learn the current norms of “Grading” the physical condition of used vinyl, as provided on Discogs. (NM – Near Mint to P – Poor)

Lesson #13: Keep up with current industry developments/techniques.

All very good! Buying vinyl again is fun, until after another visit to a local Music/Record Fair, you realise you’ve inadvertently purchased the same vinyl. Yes, I had a Excel Spreadsheet at home on my computer, but whilst “Create Digging” I had no way to double check my inventory. A fellow collector was happy to suggest a mobile option, which I now use almost every time I revisit a record store or music fair. This has saved me many double-ups/wasted money – plus, it’s great for insurance purposes!

Lesson #14: Invest in technology that will save you time & money.

So I was officially a vinyl collector, again! Buying vinyl records on-line has become vastly easier/safer in recent years, especially with the aid of sites like Discogs. As a result, I’ve made purchases from several international sellers (USA and Europe) and to reduce shipping costs per record, I often find myself buying additional vinyl … that’s more of an impulse.

Lesson #15: Set budgets and stick to them.

Also, walking into music fairs that are Cash Only, with only your budgeted amount in your wallet helps. Another problem I’ve discovered is at a later date, whilst physically digging through bins at local stores, I’ve then located the vinyl (previously purchased on-line) for a much cheaper price. Ouch.

Lesson #16: When possible research/buy local.

But I’ve also discovered the locally sourced vinyl or record sleeve, was of a lower quality than the record I had previously purchased/imported.

Lesson #17: Learn from your mistakes … but don’t beat yourself up.

Shortly before Discogs began to drain my bank account, I discovered a Canadian seller via Kijiji.ca who had many great albums/singles for sale. I contacted the seller, who emailed me the full catalogue in a spreadsheet. I spent many hours reading through the catalogue, creating a shortlist, before making a final selection for purchase. Once submitted, I was sent a price for my purchases & shipping – which required a Canada Post Money Order. This was a little unusual, being the age of Emoney transfers, PayPal etc. so although I felt somewhat weary I moved forward with my purchase. I Googled the postal address, checked the physical location, and reached out to some local collectors who were aware of this seller – who confirmed it was legitimate, their only concern was the grading could be a little “generous”. So, I mailed my order off  … which eventually arrived, well packed and as described.

Lesson #18: Be wary, but trust your “gut”.

There you have it. My “10 Life Lessons Vinyl Record Collecting has taught me” – these may not be ground-breaking, but I hope they were informative and perhaps even slightly amusing.

Happy Collecting! 

Recordland $1 SALE July 2017

Vinyl from the 2017 ‘Recordland’ $1 SALE … (LPs and EPs)

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I last caught a Recordland $1 Sale in late September 2016. Not a bad haul of just 32 records. This year I had a time limit of 2 hrs and managed to score 36* vinyl treasures. I could have grabbed a couple more – but on quick inspection, the vinyl was in pretty bad shape – ironic as some I did acquire are in almost pristine condition – I don’t think they were ever played!

Recordland is a little out of the way for me, I have to drive through downtown Calgary, then into Inglewood.  Also, second-hand records (vinyl and covers) at Recordland are generally in “fair” to “good” condition. I’ve since discovered several LPs and EP’s (packed into Rrecordland shelves) that I’ve previously bought online (via Discogs) that I could have saved some money on, but it’s VERY doubtful these would have been in such good condition. Some diehard collectors swear that the search is half the enjoyment and makes the discovery all that sweeter. Investing the time in a secondhand store to “perhaps” find a great record vs. quickly locating a record online, in great condition, but with additional shipping is very efficient and difficult to fault. Whenever I buy vinyl online from Discogs, vinyl/covers are always rated at “Very Good +” or “Near Mint or even “Mint” (if the price/shipping price is right) and they’ve always been in great condition.

Seems that’s always been the trade-off. Still, I’ve found some hard to find gems at Recordland, not in the best condition, but I really should try to make more regular visits. (*Actually, after a quick count, it would seem I have 37 records – I owe Recordland a dollar when I return for my next dig.)

Two 12 inch singles this time:

“Mirror Man” – The Human League, what can I say a fan since High School. To be honest, I had high school crushes on Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall, but I liked the music too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Madam Butterfly” – Malcolm McLaren, introduced to this album in the 80s by a girlfriend, I always felt I had to despise Malcolm since the Sex Pistols imploded. I have since bought the album on vinyl, but hey – this EP just jumped out at me. Love this song.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


“Abandoned Luncheonette” – Hall & Oates, to be honest, I only bought these albums because we’re going to the concert this week, and I had to google the single of this debut album (“She’s Gone”).

 

 

 

 

 

 


“ooh yeah!” – Hall & Oates, … again – but at least I recognised the hit “Everything Your Heart Desires” …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


“Crime of the Century” – Supertramp, caught myself singing “Give a Little Bit” the other day, which reminded me to buy more Supertramp (I only have “Breakfast in America” on vinyl) so when I saw these I grabbed them. Seems “Even In the Quietest Moments…” is the album I wanted, but still enjoying “Bloody Well Right” and “Dreamer” on this album …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Famous Last Words” – Supertramp, … and “It’s Raining Again” on this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


“The Raw And The Cooked” – Fine Young Cannibals, was released while I worked in radio and I noticed I only had an EP of “Good Thing” in my record collection. Had to grab this. Tracks include; “Ever Fallen In Love” (cover of the the Buzzcocks song) and the big hit “She Drives Me Crazy”.

 

 

 

 

 

 


“Fine Young Cannibals” – Fine Young Cannibals, and the debut featuring tracks; “Johnny Come Home”, “Suspicious Minds” (Elvis Cover) and ‘”Blue”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t have any Blondie, so … “Automerican” – featuring; “The Tide Is High”

Blondie – “Eat To The Beat” – featuring: “Dreaming” and “Atomic”

Blondie –  “Parallel Lines” – featuring: “One Way Or Another” and “Heart Of Glass”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the remainder I’ve dropped here. Various “Oh, I should grab this” (which I’m glad I did) and one complete “I should buy this, I’m sure I’ve heard this band” (which turns out I didn’t) plus several guilty pleasures and a couple that I knew my wife would like. 😀 The Flock of Seagulls was an intentional double-up because the other copy I previously purchased has a beat-up cover.

Not sure if any of these Albums bring back your memories from the 70s/80s but most have a connection with my musical history, even if it was listening to “War Of The Worlds” soundtrack in class. I was kind of surprised to realise the YELLO album “One Second” was released 1987 – Boris Blank and Dieter Meier always seemed so ahead of their time.

Thanks again to Recordland – can’t wait to come back from another vinyl dig!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A recent vinyl addition – Stone Temple Pilots (MTV Unplugged 1993)

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I really was convinced that I had all the Stone Temple Pilots (STP) I needed until I discovered this vinyl was available on Discogs. I’d like to think I have quite an expansive STP collection – first on CD, but more recently on vinyl. However, a few months back I set myself the challenge on retrograding (not sure if this is a real word, I use it a lot) all my STP to vinyl, BUT – just to make things interesting, in coloured vinyl or picture disk format. With Discogs and a few moments of internal conflict over “…did I really want to get a numbered, transparent Music On Vinyl re-release?” I just bit the bullet and begin the ordering process.

At this point, I thought I had all the STP vinyl I needed. Having seen STP in concert twice and enjoyed their acoustic sets I was “aware” of the MTV acoustic release, but had never really pursued this – mainly because I thought this was only available in CD format. I have to say my main concern with this vinyl was that it was unofficial. I’m still not 100% sure if this means Bootleg, but after investing in a (The) Cult bootleg LP a few years ago (and regretting it) I just expected the quality to be poor and to be disappointed. This was obviously prior to the internet and Discogs reviewers.

This was “released” by VINYLOGY a Russian website/company. The reviews said great sound quality, but many had a problem with the “gaps” between tracks … I’m guessing because this was dubbed directly from the CD? So as a borderline diehard STP fan, I took the calculated risk and ordered. It arrived, and apart from the slight split in the cover (caused by the motion of the record inside the cover) was in great condition. Note: I often request Discog’s Sellers remove the vinyl from the sleeve/cover prior to shipping to avoid this. Since this was a sealed LP and didn’t seem like the right thing to do. I have no idea why I think that.

There are a couple of differences from the CD release. “No Memory/Sin” is missing, but it does include “Vasoline” which includes the note “(BONUS 1994)”. I’m cool with that. A big fan of the song Vasoline, as ‘Core‘ remains my favourite STP album.

To conclude, another solid STP purchase! Again, I’m not sure if this is an illegal bootleg of the original MTV release, but I really enjoy hearing it on vinyl and I’m very glad I (finally) purchased it.

If you’d like to know more about this album, have a quick read of this Wikipedia page, which you may have to translate from Italian, but thankfully the Chrome browser will do this for you.

 

 

 

How to: Acknowledge your (musical) guilty pleasures

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During my teen years, transitioning from being a casual volunteer on Student Radio, to taking my first full-time job at a Commercial Radio Station was cause for some (brief) reflection of my musical moral high-ground.

Alternative/Independent = Good.
Commercial/Mainstream = Bad.

Still, some of my favourite “alternative’ bands had record deals and they were still an “underground” commercial success, plus I had fond memories of music enjoyed while listening to the radio and purchased on ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation LPs from my childhood. So what was the big deal? What would my peers think? Was I cool? But in reality – who gives a f*ck? Once you get past that internal dialogue and just enjoy the music you like for whatever justification you (think) you require – music is fun again!

Fast forward (or should that be rewind?) to the early/mid-90s. DJing at a nightclub and working at a Student Radio, before heading off on a “Working Holiday” to the U.K. for just under 2 years. The Brits (Scottish, Irish & English) love and celebrate their music. The Brit Awards are always good. Many an early evening were spent at a friends’ flat, sitting around, drinking/eating and enjoying the current musical releases that were popular during that time. Probably a few underground artists – but mainly mainstream pop (as it’s called in the U.K.) and that was fine. It was perfect. Playing these tracks (and others) was a shared early evening tradition that became the soundtrack to our pre-party evenings. One of our friends actually made a mix-tape of all the CD tracks we enjoyed so much and gave it to us as an audio souvenir, just before we left Edinburgh. I did go on to discover a “harder” format of dance music, often referred to as; hiNRG, Rave, Hardcore, Gabber, Trance, etc. … but that’s another story.

So, music from the good times in Edinburgh and a few from the days prior to arriving in the U.K. I recently re-discovered these while perusing a Discogs account located in London, U.K. and just said “What the hell!” jumped in and went a little crazy. Here they are. They may be “uncool” but that’s OK.

Lesson: Embrace the music you love and enjoy it!

 Living Joy – “Don’t Stop Moving” Pure Pop fun – the hooks in this track still give me goosebumps.

 Happy Clappers – “I Believe” This could almost be added to the “Rave/House” category.

  Everything But The Girl (ebtg) – “Missing”  To be honest I really liked the Todd Terry remix, but bought the Chris & James mixes because it was there – and helped reduce the shipping cost/EP. This was released in ’94 so not sure where I was when I first heard it. A classic.

 Utah Saints – “Something Good” Full disclosure: first introduced to this song by my mate, Pat while DJ’ing in New Zealand during 1992-93. Obviously a Kate Bush sample and trancey as hell!

   Felix – “Don’t You Want Me” & U.S.U.R.A. – “Open Your Mind” First heard both of these tracks on a compilation CD “A Year In The Life”- de:construction (label) while working at Student Radio. Played these while DJing too. Solid dance tracks!

 London Beat – “A Better Love”  Probably not a classic dance song, but I bought the LP “In The Blood” (back in 1990) and this was a stand-out track for me. Saw the EP on Discogs and had to nab it!

Londonbeat – A Better Love

 Living Joy – “Dreamer” Classic U.K. dance. This was a staple prior to heading out on the town in Edinburgh. 

 Sunscream – “Pressure” Again, a track I was introduced to at Student Radio. Soon started playing this while DJing – always a floor filler and it just kicks ass! Bought an EP a few years back, but not the mix I’d previously enjoyed – had to grab this 12″ version even with a Generic Cover (ugh).

Sunscreem – Pressure (Official Video)

 Soul II Soul – “Joy”  Played this working nights at a commercial radio station in Taupo, New Zealand. One of those jobs you take, tell yourself you’re enjoying it and it’s good experience, but finally, realise you hate it and it’s killing you. But, had some great times, made a life-long friend, and this track was a highlight to play during my shift. Had to have it on 12″ vinyl!

 Mo Money – “Motion Picture Soundtrack” To be honest, the movie was just O.K. Really got into this soundtrack, however. Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson, Caron Wheeler, Public Enemy, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Johnny Gill, Jam and Lewis. Played the CD to death. Bought the vinyl on Discogs, but as with a few re-releases, it’s a 2 album set, which means only a few tracks per side and lots of flipping records. Makes the transition from CD back to vinyl a little more painful than I anticipated.

Are Record Sales really up ?

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VMP_Delivery

Vinyl Me Please – November Subscription …

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VinylMePlease November

VinylMePlease November Subscription delivery

My happy little bundle arrived today. Vinyl Me Please is a vinyl subscription service I researched a while back, although there are several different vinyl subscription options out there, this seemed the most cost-effective, nice bonuses and (for me) just the easiest to use – or even cancel. Finally, I took the leap and joined.

The thing that drew me to such a service wasn’t convenience or price – it was “control”, or rather “giving up control”. The thing that struck me about this subscription service was that I would really have little to no control over the music selections chosen for me. Obviously, there is an option to change your assigned LP, these are called SWAPS, but I liked the idea of not engaging that internal filter, the one that tells you “Yeh, that may be a good album, but I want to stick with something I would be more likely to enjoy…”

My first subscription offer for October was Beck – “Odelay“ (the second official studio album and fifth overall by American alternative rock artist Beck, originally released on June 18, 1996). But this was coloured vinyl. Bourbon coloured vinyl. With black marbling. Back in ’94 I was living in Vancouver, BC when I was first exposed to Beck’s “Loser” while watching Much Music in a damp basement apartment. I was living in the UK when “Odelay” was released, and although I heard “Devils Haircut” on BBC Radio 2 and I knew I’d like to hear more Beck … I never did. Anyway, I have it now on vinyl and I love it. Quirky and cool, but I’d certainly like to think that I appreciate it more now, with a wider musical appreciation gained over the years. But, who am I kidding –  I probably would’ve enjoyed it in my 20s too.

I discovered another bonus of membership to Vinyl Me Please, access to member-exclusive inventory in the VMP online store. To be honest, they had me at “member-exclusive inventory”.

Which leads to this months subscription: The featured album is The Books – “The Lemon Of Pink“ (first released in 2003) which judging from the description had me kinda freaked out. That internal filter was kicking in… But, I read the reviews and the album seemed pretty intriguing and certainly would reinforce the reason I joined – to expand my musical horizons! Nick Zammuto, cellist Paul de Jong, and vocalist Anne Doerner have made (from what’s described in the Vinyl Me Please, ‘Liner Notes’) an album containing “… the appearance of freak folk, musique concrète, electro-acoustic neo-classical, and cafe indie. But the songs shift in and out of form as if each measure of music was a replica made out of a million grains of sand.”

Hmm. I wouldn’t know yet.

Because I’ve already opened the 2 additional purchases I made at the VMP Exclusives Store (the “bonus” that I eluded to earlier).

Danny Brown – “Atrocity Exhibition” and The Chills – “Kaleidoscope World“.

First, Danny Brown. This is the (short) review that first propelled me to purchase this LP “Named after the second song on Joy Division’s Closer, Danny Brown’s 4th full-length project is the best post-punk album out this year. Danny has always rapped over the weirdest, best beats, and on this album, it sounds like he’s going off over a Pop Group compilation from 1981. It’s one of the year’s best rap albums, so don’t sleep.” … there’s a reference to Nine Inch Nails at some point too (well, the first track is titled “Downward Spiral”) so I was sold. I like what I’ve heard so far – even if I would categorise myself as more of an ‘old school’ Hip Hop fan, it’s difficult to not be entertained by the album. Cypress Hill-esque. Well, Danny Brown even features B-Real on the track (you guessed it) “Get High”.

Second, The Chills. I volunteered at the local University Student Radio station in my last year of High School, and these guys are a Dunedin band (deep in the South Island of New Zealand) that were obviously well supported by student radio and local music fans. I really loved “Pink Frost” – it’s been a favourite for years, but “Kaleidoscope World” was also popular and they even had some commercial success in New Zealand with “I Love My Leather Jacket”. Now, this compilation was released in 1986, when I probably should have bought it … but never did. Recently I saw this release advertised on the Flying Nun website, but the added shipping to Canada made this purchase seem rather exorbitant, so when I saw this featured on the VMP site, I took it as a sign. Anyway, this new release is packed with bonus material: “… the best of the magical early period recordings of The Chills and simply oozes excitement and possibility. Now re-issued on a deluxe 2xLP and 2xCD set, it will feature six bonus, b-sides, demos and live tracks plus an expanded gatefold cover with photos, and posters.”

To be honest, since these only arrived this afternoon, I’ve only had a few minutes to open the package, carefully review the LPs and have a quick listen to a few tracks. As mentioned, I haven’t even opened the seal on The Books album, yet. Perhaps tomorrow. But that’s what loving and collecting vinyl is all about, enjoying the discovery and making time to appreciate and connect with the vinyl.
Small investment from the Calgary Music Collectors Show

Calgary Music Collectors Show

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Small investment from the Calgary Music Collectors Show

My small investment from the Oct. 2016 Calgary Music Collectors Show

Some recent additions to my growing vinyl record collection, obtained at the most recent Calgary Music Collectors Show … I have to say I was very restrained, for no other reason than I wanted to get vinyl that I was actually looking to add to my collection – not an album or EP that I randomly discovered and thought, “Oh yeah, I should have that” – which is generally what happens (which can actually be quite exciting).  I was surprised didn’t really find any LPs that were on my ‘Want List’. But, I also resisted the urge to buy ’cause it was there in the bin in front of me. Well, almost.

Tears for Fears “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” was an impulse. I seem to already have a large selection of their EPs – and this was a 10 inch single. C’mon! The seller was keen to move her collection, so they were all on sale (half the marked price) so, I bought this and 2 Cold Chisel albums; “East” and “Circus Animals”.  The other 4 purchases were from another private dealer. The great thing about private dealers is they ask a reasonable price and have pretty cool collections without many fillers (generally). I would assume they don’t have the overheads most stores/professional collectors have and they seem to price based on their initial purchase price and what they think the vinyl is actually worth to a fellow collector. As a comparison, I looked through several “commercial” collections, found something I was looking for (ie: Killing Joke’s first self-titled album) only to discover it was priced at $69.00! Again, I’m assuming they looked on Discogs to see what the international market was willing to pay. These aren’t the deals I was looking for!
So, anyway – this private seller was a friendly guy to chat with, had several LPs (that I already own) for sale, and in general had a great collection. Suddenly – there it was – the EP of “Genius Of Love” – Tom Tom Club! Then, Bob Mould’s recent release “Beauty & Ruin” – coloured vinyl, still sealed and just $15.00. These were good finds! I kept flipping and went back through a pile to grab a copy of The Housemartins album “London 0 – Hull 4” which I had on CD back in the day and still had some sentimental value to me.

However, then I made a rookie error – I bought Devo “Freedom Of Choice’ … AGAIN! (I should thank my mate Pat in New Zealand, for pointing that out). I’m pretty sure I thought I was buying “Are We Not Men?” or the “Oh no, it’s Devo” LP. If I had been thinking, I would have checked my App ‘Music Collector‘ which is my go-to double-check music memory, on my iPhone. So I have another double-up. It’s been on my mind of how to off-load these double-up LPs. I could try using Kijiji – or perhaps even open my own Discogs store? Something to look into. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the small selection I found and although I wish there had been more from my “Want List” it was still a good 2hrs digging and chatting with other vinyl collectors!

 

Book Review: “Ctrl Alt Delete” (Advance Proof) – Mitch Joel

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Ctrl Alt Delete

Mitch Joel – “Ctrl Alt Delete” due for publication April 21st, 2013

As I began to read ‘Ctrl Alt Delete‘ I didn’t realise how significant the title really was – I’m a Mac guy after-all. Obviously after seeing Mitch Joel speak during a recent marketing presentation, I expected some paradigm challenging concepts, insightful observations, and a relaxed thoughtful delivery.

During both the first few pages and on completion of the book, I was struck with a sense of urgency – reminding me of how I felt when I first saw “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006. To me, Mitch’s basic pitch was “Marketing via direct relationships (social media) is already happening now people – and it’s not going away!”. Ctrl Alt Delete is an easy to read Marketing “How to” book, embracing modern digital marketing and a personal motivator, reminding readers that they must continue to be entrepreneurs of their own careers. Some great take aways that stuck in my mind included; keeping a “digital first” mindset, that my “squiggly” career path was not a negative thing, and to embrace a new way of thinking/functioning in your work space. A compelling read that must affect the way you think and function in your current (or future) work space. It’s not too late!

“We’re still learning” is not a Social Media Strategy.

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As you may have already noticed, Social Media is quickly becoming a Customer Service-centric medium. While this may not have been the primary intention for bringing a business into Social Media, it has almost become the default for customers to provide feedback for a great product/service from a business.

However, with the good there must also be … the bad.

It appears the popularity and the hyper-aware environment of Social Media, has also created a public arena where grievances can be voiced, shared, re-shared and possibly even parodied/blogged.

This is obviously subject to some use and abuse. I will admit, I have unintentionally benefited from voicing my displeasure with product/services from national companies.

Let me reiterate – it was never my intention to “work the system” and publicly demand immediate service, or wrangle free parts. While I’ll admit the first (a bank) was out of sheer desperation and palatable frustration, the second (a faucet company) was simply a general inquiry to locate spare parts.

So, great Social Media Customer Service is abundant on-line and all is well with the universe! In fact, you would expect that with this caliber of customer appreciation from banks, to faucet companies that a Restaurant would be hyper-aware of the need for exemplary Social Media monitoring, reaction and … well, basic tact.

And yet … I had to watch in horror on Twitter, as I witnessed the equivalent of a shouting match in the middle of a restaurant (but on-line) between a customer & and restaurant owner. After the fact, I was also directed to a similar attempt at Social Media “engagement” between a restaurant and a customer – on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

To me, the obvious response is to acknowledge the issue (or at least clarify it first), if this issue cannot be immediately resolved, to ask for a phone number – better still, provide yours – and talk directly with the customer, out of a public digital domain.

In the Twitter example I have, this finally occurred about 6 interactions into the twitter face-off. That’s far too late! In the Facebook interaction below, the business seemed more intent on publicly disproving (almost bullying) the customer into submission with their “positive” concept of what they expected Social Media would be used for.

You cannot own Social Media. That’s the point – you use it to engage with your current/future customers.

While I can appreciate that in both both examples the representative of the restaurant is defending the “brand” – however, after hearing how they dealt with the comments, I was honestly left with a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). Now my image of both the “brands” has been tarnished – by their own actions – with an obvious lack of Customer Service or even a basic understanding of Social Media.

I have a nagging suspicion that at the completion of their respective on-line conversations, both restaurants are under the impression that they where successful with their Social Media engagement. I completely disagree. In my opinion they failed. Badly. Then left a train wreck in public view.

I felt compelled to send (well, Tweet) both restaurant twitter accounts this link: “4 Reasons Why Customers Turn to Social Media for Service & Support” http://t.co/itmrXMbj – however the reply back from one (and only one) was:

“thanks Darrin. Great read 🙂 we are still learning”

That’s nice. But if your company creates a Social Media presence – you first need to create a Social Media Strategy. What are you there for? What will your “voice” be? Who manages the accounts? What are your goals? Is there any ROI beyond branding and Customer Service? How will you create/manage promotions?

“We’re still learning” is not a Social Media Strategy.

Here are both the Social Media ‘interactions’ in their entirety, because (obviously) they are both still in a public domain. Out of respect names have been redacted.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Facebook Fail

Facebook Fail

Twitter Fail

Twitter Fail

“ … so your nephew got you on the Facebook, now what?”

/0 Comments/in /by

with added “Twitter, more than feeding your cat”

Let me start by assuming you have registered a Facebook (Fan) Page for your business/have created a business Twitter account, … now comes the question: How can I effectively operate and maintain this Social Media presence?

Social media has become an integral part of how customers interact with companies and brands, notably Facebook & Twitter – making these mediums an increasingly important communications channel. Most enterprises use social media for customer acquisition, retention and loyalty.

Primarily, any use of social media should be to promote your product/service, with the goal being to complete a current or future sale (conversion).

Added benefits of Social Media include being able to;

  • keep your “brand” visible
  • providing customers with product/service updates
  • promote pre-notification of sales/promotions
  • notify of any unexpected operational changes
  • provide exclusive content/offers
  • publish general brand Public Relations (PR)
  • answering of Customers Service enquiries.

Facebook allows you to post updates directly to your Fan’s timeline (pages of people who “liked” you) so you really have an obligation to provide details/content that they can appreciate or better still “like” or “share”.
Therefore your goal on Facebook should be provide “sharable” content, or what are commonally known as “Social Objects”. Simply put, you want people to share/like/re-tweet your posts/updates. Remember, it doesn’t always have to be “sales” releated or on topic…

There’s a reason it’s called Social Media, not Sales Media.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but: people don’t want to be friends with brands. For the privilege of including your updates in your fans Facebook/Twitter timeline, you are given access to their data.

Apart from their email address, there’s also a huge amount of general user data provided in your Facebook Insights tab. As long as your updates remain relevant to your followers they will continue to provide the added benefit of “Liking” you on Facebook or “Following” you on Twitter.

When you become irrelevant or uninteresting, they may un-friend/un-follow/un-like. This is nothing personal, it’s just Social Media. It may be a business transaction, but remember any salesmen asks questions and starts a conversation – first. Then the “engaging” conversation should continue. If it doesn’t, then someone has to end it, right?

Edutainment.

What’s the trick? Often you will hear the 80/20 rule being used. The premise being for every 80% sales pitch you make, you should include 20% off-brand conversation. I would suggest you switch that to 20/80 rule. 20% of your updates to include product/service information, the rest to provide information (links, re-tweets, re-posts) to content that is related to your brand – or even completely unrelated (think pictures of animals or cool gadgets). Similar to radio, tease what’s coming up, entertain your ‘listeners, provide sharable objects (fun facts, trivia, etc) and give stuff away (physical or intellectual).

Eg:
May 4, as you may or may not know, is National Star Wars Day.
This year (2010) the occasion was also marked by the folks at BlackBerry, who updated their corporate Twitter account to read: “May the 4th Be With You.”
What does BlackBerry have to do with Star Wars? Not much, other than selling an app that turns your Torch or Tour into a faux light sabre. But that didn’t stop the tweet from being one of the company’s most effective – a phenomenon Brian Wallace, VP-global digital at BlackBerry parent Research In Motion, had to try to explain to colleagues.”I remember getting emails from my peers asking me why we would post such a thing and was this why we created our Twitter channel,” he wrote in an email interview:

“My response was that this post reached over 150,000 people, 98% of the posts were positive, most tweets made a positive association with our brand, and it drove a 15% increase in our followers. Now what’s the value of all that to our company? For the cost of $0.00 we have increased positive brand sentiment, generated a measurable earned-media value and now have 20,000+ more people who I can share product-related information to. Not a bad ROI.”

Mathew Creamer, Advertising Age, Nov. 29, 2010

What should you post to your Facebook/Twitter feeds?

Social Objects (Things people talk about/share), Your products/services, related industry news, Customer Service replies, positive comments about your brand, specials, and even … competitions.

Here’s some examples of possible Tweets, if you own/manage a clothes shop.

“See The Grammy’s last night? What about Charlize Theron’s dress? We have a very similar style in-stock! Come in to have a look, today.”

“RT: @Instyle See @JessicaBiel and Colin Farrell at the Los Angeles premiere of @TotalRecall ow.ly/cGYEe”

“We had a huge shipment arrive today … but what’s inside these boxes? pic.twitter.com/HsfJum2j”

“Hi @customer, we’d be more than happy to help with your purchase, drop-in – we’re open until 9pm tonight.”

“Thanks for sharing! RT: @customer Bought some awesome Summer pants today @yourbusiness!”

WHO should create posts to your Facebook/Twitter feeds?

Preferably a person of some maturity, who jhas a stake in your business. Although this is a social medium, it is a representation of a business – your business. You want this to be as professional as any document used to represent your company. This needs to be the “voice” of your company – think Readers Digest. Coversational, yet always professional.

What are your Social Media Goals?

Our High School motto was: ”nihil boni sine labore” (nothing achieved without hard work) … and so begins the road with Social Media.

What may begin as a simple extension of your brand marketing, may soon develop into a Public Relations channel, or a Customer Service medium, all the time engaging in an on-going interaction (or conversation) with your potential market. SM connections may well become loyal customers, current customers may become brand advocates, and (hopefully) people who have yet to engage with you, will interact – leading to multiple conversions (purchases) and an on-going customer relationship. What’s your strategy?

– Set achievable goal(s)
– Regularly measure your progress
– Review & adapt as necessary

Eg:

  • You may set a goal of increasing Fans (likes) to extend your brand awareness on-line.
  • Facebook has a built-in analytics monitor (Insights) which monitors your followers, and measures “Likes”,
  • “Reach”, “Talking About This”, and even “Check In” statistics.
  • Regular monitoring will allow you an insight into how your (on-line) market reacts to your updates/offers and
  • how you can best taylor your web-based promotions to generate engagement; shares, likes, & purchases.

If you’d like to know more about building your SM presence, and how integration with your print campaigns and E-mail Marketing can provide measurable benefits for your sales, you should connect with … a Social Media Expert?