How do people who own storefront businesses get folks to come into their stores? Answer: they advertise. They actually "interrupt" your viewing or listening experience. You might say they "SPAM" you.

Question. Have you ever received an ad from Twitter in your email to join Twitter.com? I don't think so. It's always been a third-party referral has it not? With a third-party referral there is an unspoken validation or sense of credibility that is very encouraging.

A Pogen is a silly-looking little flash drive device that transfers contact information when two Pogens "High 4" each other. The information is shared in a "flash of light." It's not just your name, address, phone number, email and web address as is the case with a business card. No, it's a lot more. It actually includes all your social media connections. If you are on Twitter, Ryze, LinkedIn, have a blog, etc. all that information is transferred to the other person via his little Pogen.

Now, here's a suggestion. Put a sign up in your store window encouraging folks to get a Pogen. Use a picture of two Pogen's "High 4'ing it." Be sure to tell folks on the sign where they can get a Pogen on the Internet. Then, tell them once they get a Pogen to bring it into the store and you'll "High 4" your Pogen with them. Why go to the expense to mail out a newsletter, when you can use a Pogen to build your audience on many networks and your blog simultaneously? Why re-invent the wheel when you already have a whole slew of them? Do a third-party referral, instead. Tell folks to go out and purchase a product with their own money and then bring it into your store to reap a benefit from you - your social media information.

Every time you "High 4" a Pogen with a potential customer you are bringing that person into your circle of influence. Traditional advertising is PUSH technology. The time has come to think in reverse. You want to think like an RSS feed. You need to think in terms of "pulling" your audience to your business. This silly-looking Pogen device is actually designed to do exactly that. Your assignment is simply to help your surrounding physical community figure that out.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
707-709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Now, here's a suggestion. Put a sign up in your store window encouraging folks to get a Pogen. Use a picture of two Pogen's "High 4'ing it."

Here's another. .... Create a Humungous Twitter Logo including your ID and hang a couple inside your store and another in the window.

Now you've just created an el-cheapo mailing list which you'll be able to monetize at your whim.

Caveat ..... Your Twitter profile and posts will determine how fast your list grows and the quality of subscribers.

PULEEZE .... Don't be posting "About to start the laundry" or "I'm dying in this heat" ... These are customers and expect communications that are life enhancing "WIIFM".

Thanks to Sherry Simoes for your generous multiple ReTweets, this morning. .... Happy to have found your quality tweets to reciprocate.

Bestest.

Teddy Towncrier CPP Towncrier-Media.com Supercharging Your Visions.

Private Reply to Reg Charie

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

Not everyone is a member of the same networks. The only reason to share similar information on different networks is to reach different people. You and I happen to be members of some of the same networks. That is why you see the same ideas from me more than once. But, that is not the case for everyone on every network to which I belong. I am not spamming. I am simply trying to create interest in the same idea on numerous networks.

Now, to Reg's comment about using one's website to do the same thing which a Poken can do, I do not disagree. I simply say that since we have the ability to both walk and chew gum at the same time, why not optimize both the effectiveness of your website AND the effectiveness of your face-to-face business networking? If you can use technological innovation to optimize the face-to-face experience with minimal effort at the speed of light (a handshake between two Pokens), why not?

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
707-709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Here's another thought for those who like technological innovation and the giving of holiday gifts that are inexpensive and actually enhance people's lives. Why not give a Poken to your best customers?

For years, I worked for a major investment bank in Atlanta, GA. Every year I watched that investment bank send out a canister of Christy's cookies to its best customers. Every year, this investment bank received canisters of popcorn from its customers. In a matter of days, all the goodies were gone, eaten, consumed. There was never a lasting benefit.

However, a Poken is relatively cheap and provides lasting benefits that are in fact multifaceted by design. I think a Poken is a very good gift idea. Just because it is small and may have a funny-looking appearance, does not mean it cannot provide serious business benefits.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
707-709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901

Private Reply to Lindy Asimus

Private Reply to Lindy Asimus

Private Reply to Scott Wolpow

Scott,

I am not in a position to buy a large quantity of Pokens and give them away. But, I might raffle one off at the Harvest Party on Oct. 31st just to be able to create some buzz for it. I have already ordered two for myself so I can demonstrate how they work at the upcoming Coyote Valley Community Plaza Thursday Market.

Lindy makes a very good point that if no one has it, there is no point in making the purchase. There's no point in building a gas station where there are no cars traveling. But, if you know where highways are going to be built and you purchase available land to build a gas station, that's a wise move. It's not just the way things are right now that matters. It's the way things are moving that matters.

Teddy Towncrier shared an amazing video about social media on another Ryze network. The video ran so fast, I had to slow it down to take everything in one slide at a time. This video gives you example after example of how the social media space on the Internet is transforming the way the world works. It is truly astonishing the amount of people who are paying attention to the social media space and ignoring the traditional marketing of newspapers, radio and TV.

Here is just one stat that clearly illustrates the power of social media - In February of 2008, John McCain raised $11 million for his U.S. presidential bid. That same month, Barak Obama attended no campaign fundraisers. Instead, Obama leveraged online social media networks to raise $55 million in those 29 days.

If you find those silly little faces on the cheaper Pokens offensive, get the more-expensive Pulse. It looks more like your traditional flash drive, anyway. But understand, the way the world works is changing. And, it behooves all of us to change with it. I will concede I never thought a technological product would come along and successfully compete with the traditional business card. But, I believe the Poken is going to do just that. Even already IBM has endorsed its use at one of its conventions. Keep in mind this product, like Twitter, has not been around for years and years - not like the traditional business card. I doubt anyone is going to be throwing away their business cards to get a Poken. Instead, they will just add a Poken to their marketing mix so they won't be wasting as many business cards in the future as they have in the past. People in California tend to be very "green" conscious. If they can take proactive action to save some trees from the saw mill, they are likely to do it.

If you have yet to see the Poken video, I invite you to do just that. Simply visit my Squidoo lens and scroll down toward the bottom of the page where the video is located.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!

Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901