It is a very one-sided mindset. And in my opinion, quite dangerous and short-sighted. You might as well just tie me to a chair, force me to watch your ad, and wrestle my wallet out of my hand. Is that how to create a happy and loyal customer?

For a moment, flip the equation around. Rather than “target” someone else, what if you became the target? And what would it take to make yourself a highly valued target or someone that was sought after?

If your product or service or expertise isn’t worth talking about, why is that? Perhaps you haven’t yet figured out what makes you special. Or worse, you don’t even care.

So take a moment and look at Convert and change the focus. Change your strategy to teach your happy loyal customers (a.k.a. the converts) to be your marketing megaphone. Step back and wonder, “why would they want to refer me business?”

I believe that marketing is no longer just outward bound. In fact, it has always been bi-directional. The Internet just gave people the simple tools to extend “word of mouth” to tap into the “wisdom of the crowds.” Most companies are just starting to understand or grasp this, which is why social media in business is booming.

So the answer is simple: marketing is about conversation. If your product, service or expertise isn’t worth talking about and you aren’t talking, you are invisible.

Be visible and start talking. (Post your comments below.)

Download the full Interview with Lisa Dilg

Tips from Lisa Dilg, PerkettPR

@pprlisa – http://twitter.com/pprlisa

1. Find people that you respect and see who they follow. Click on those profile pages, see if anyone is interesting and engaging in conversations, and follow. Make sure to introduce yourself.
2. Watch for a while to see what people are talking about, and then jump in.
3. Monitor your brand using Twitter Search and address any issues publicly so people can see you fixing problems in public.
4. Answer every @ reply and engage in conversations.
5. There are so many reporters that are asking for information for the media, so use Twitter Search to find relevant conversations.
6. Share ideas and ask for advice with other professionals in your industry.
7. For companies, make sure that you are not just talking about your news. Don’t talk at people, talk with people. Participate in the conversation.
8. Remember that everything that you post on Twitter can be searched forever.

Special thank you to Lisa for sharing her knowledge and her time. Make sure to post your comments below or send me a reply on Twitter @hyermish.

There are several workshops throughout the day at the expo, featuring my friends Sandy Spadaro and Christine Bizarro. My workshop, Using Social Networks to Promote Your Business, will be at 3pm. The workshop is free to anyone who attends the expo.

You can get free tickets in advance of the show by registering online.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Marketing Your Website: A 12-Step Program

Is your website simply languishing in the corner, failing to deliver on the promise of the Internet? Change your online strategy and learn the tactics that actually deliver results:

• Identify the REAL target audience of your site
• Optimize so Google knows who your are
• Leverage the power of social networks
• Get site visitors to raise their hands

What: Guest Speaker, Dinner & Networking
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Time: 5:30-8pm
Location: Pyramid Club, 1735 Market Street, 52nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2921
Cost: Cost: $30 for PC members; $35 non-PC members/advance registry (includes tax and gratuity) + cash bar; $40 at the door.

You can register at the Women of Wit and Wisdom site or check out the event page at the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Hope to see you at the event!

Marketing Your Website: A 12-Step Program

Is your website simply languishing in the corner, failing to deliver on the promise of the Internet? Change your online strategy and learn the tactics that actually deliver results:

• Identify the REAL target audience of your site
• Optimize so Google knows who your are
• Leverage the power of social networks
• Get site visitors to raise their hands

What: Guest Speaker, Dinner & Networking
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Time: 5:30-8pm
Location: Pyramid Club, 1735 Market Street, 52nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2921
Cost: Cost: $30 for PC members; $35 non-PC members/advance registry (includes tax and gratuity) + cash bar; $40 at the door.

You can register at the Women of Wit and Wisdom site or check out the event page at the Philadelphia Business Journal. As a side note, you don’t have to be female to attend!

Most people have a negative view towards sales people. And no one likes to be “sold.”

But everyone likes loves to buy.

So would you go out of your way to actually help out someone in sales?

Would you help the nice family that owns the wonderful Italian restaurant by recommending it to a friend?

Would you help your niece or nephew that just graduated college by passing along their resume to a colleague?

Would you help your co-worker by speaking on their behalf to your boss?

No one feels dirty helping out someone they like and trust. So maybe the job of marketing is to create an environment of trust and friendship.

• The 3 Cs of Lead Generation

He talks about blending advertising, public relations and referrals to create a balance between cost, credibility and control.

My 2 cents was about making sure that advertising, PR and referrals worked together to create a continuum. Most businesses isolate these activities rather than designing a strategy so that one amplifies the other.

1. Make sure that your email messages are very generic.
2. Send them out too frequently.
3. Add people to your list that haven’t asked.
4. Include everyone in the “To:” or “CC:” fields.
5. Write really long email messages.

Since I’m “in the biz,” I frequently stay subscribed just to see what businesses are doing, so I am much more tolerant.

Here are a few basic tips to keep your email marketing campaigns actually working for you.

1. Ask for permission before adding people to your email list.
2. Customize the messages to each person, if even just a little bit.
3. Adjust the frequency of your messages so that you don’t bug people.
4. When writing the message, give shorter snippets of the story and link to your blog or your website for further reading. Do not include the entire story in the email message.

And on another topic entirely, make sure that your “news” is in an RSS feed.

Embracing free is a long-term strategy. Unlike sending a post card or making hundreds of cold-calls, you don’t get the business right away. But by finding ways to be a good human and be generous with your time and abilities, when it is time for the business to come, it will arrive in buckets.