Category: gen y

Taking A Bite Out Of SEO

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Rachel-Howe

Rachel Howe is someone I know through the social media platform Brazen. Back then it was a virtual place to meet other Young Professionals. Recently I had a client who asked me for a SEO recommendation so I scoured through LinkedIn and contacted Rachel to gauge her interest. Long story short, my client hired Rachel and everyone is happy. Since SEO can be an intimidating subject, I’ve asked Rachel to share her thoughts in the following interview:

1) Tell us a little bit about how you got started in SEO.

Well, what can I say? I don’t think anyone can say that they grew up wanting to be a search engine optimizer when they were a kid. Especially since the internet is less than half a century old! I did what I think most people who entered the profession ended up doing, I kind of fell into it. When I was a kid I used to want to be an artist or a veterinarian. I quickly realized that I was no good at science and biology. And, while I enjoy art and have taken a few college art classes, I knew that it wasn’t something I was passionate enough about to do day in and day out (not to mention when you’re putting yourself through college, being a starving artist just won’t cut it.). So, I studied marketing. I could see myself as a businesswoman and marketing combined my interest in using my creativity and business interest. I had no idea what I wanted to do though. When I graduated, I ended up working in the corporate setting for a couple of years. I knew that I couldn’t keep that up. It was just too draining. So I did things I liked like writing and marketing. I set up my own blog and started blogging about internet marketing. Soon after I got my first agency job at a small agency here in Milwaukee. And the rest is history ☺

2) What are some misconceptions about SEO that you’d like to clear up?

I think the SEO industry is interesting because there are people out there that give it a bad rap. There are “black hat” SEOs that try to game the system and make a quick buck, which are the biggest culprits. But there are also people that just think that you slap a few title tags on a site, stuff some keywords on the page and voila! The site is SEOed. While that would be great, it also does the profession a disservice. It is a profession for a reason. People make their livelihoods out of it and a lot of work goes into doing great SEO. It’s a large combination of things including understanding algorithms, code, marketing principles, PR and having good business sense. There’s a lot of work that goes into it, so my hope is that by bringing transparency in combination with education, we’ll shed more light into this up and coming, complex industry.

3) On your site, you talk about creating meaningful connections vs. solely driving sales and leads – why is that important?

A lot of people will tell you they can make you a ton of money with SEO and get you to the top of Google for “xyz” terms. The chances of them delivering on that is low. Yes, it is definitely possible, but there really are no guarantees with search engines. Things change all the time and you can only really estimate and put your best foot forward. Even if they could get you to the top and let’s say they convert here and there. Are they repeat purchasers, or just a bunch of one-timer purchasers or visitors? Because if all you get is one time purchasers or visits, you’d really be missing out on a valuable segment of your market, which is repeat purchasers. And going after that is a better use of your marketing dollars and time.

If you think about how search engines like Google evaluate websites, it’s really almost like evaluating a business as if it were the brick and mortar itself. You have to be a good, credible business in the real world and that translates on the internet. Which is largely due to the relationships you build and how you run your shop. So, it’s really important to think about the broader perspective when you get into marketing your business online, or anywhere for that matter.

4) If you had to sum up what you do in one word, what would it be? Why?

Marketing. At the end of the day, great SEO is more than just getting higher rankings. It’s helping people market their products and services.

5) Describe to my readers what it’s like working with you & why they should hire you!

I like to think that I’m easy to get along with and at the end of the day, I want to help people with marketing and growing their business. I think big picture, but I’m also practical. I don’t tell people what they want to hear, I tell them what they need to hear so we can focus on getting results. If you want to work with someone who’s honest, hard-working and cares about getting you results over a paycheck, then here I am! (of course, I want a paycheck, but you get the point 😉

3 Reasons Why Millennials Love Snapchat

Scott Asai1 Comment

how-to-market-on-snapchat

When it comes to social media, it boils down to personal preference. I gave Snapchat a try, but quickly deleted my account because I didn’t care for the user interface.

I’ve witnessed multiple brands that market to Millennials jump on the Snapchat bandwagon and recently did some research about why. Here’s 3 things I learned:

1) Visual Storytelling – All ages love stories, but Millennials love to be visually entertained. It started with You Tube and movies, but got more personal with Snapchat. Look how celebrities use it to connect with fans. Gary Vaynerchuk recently launched VaynerSports, a full-service athlete representation agency that guide players through their professional career. His advice to his client, All-Star Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, is to post more on Snapchat. He suggested filming everyday tasks because people want to see your everyday life. There’s a human element to this app which makes it high-touch.

2) Transparency – “Snaps” are a peek into your life. Although you can doctor it up, the amateur feel of Snapchat makes it feel authentic. Millennials can smell a fake miles away. Brands competing for the attention of Millennials must be careful not to script a message or forever be deemed as phony. Most videos/photos aren’t spectacular, but its much easier to see who you are visually versus written or auditory. The simplicity makes it attractive.

3) Communication – Sharing is the new communication for Millennials. Although brands and celebrities use it, most of the time snaps are sent to/from friends. Think of it as texting, but with video/images. You can just as easily send messages via iPhone, but Snapchat’s reputation amongst Millennials is the go-to source for frequent communication. What Facebook was to Millennials 5-10 years ago has been replaced by Snapchat. Whether a public or private story, Snapchat is the platform to stay in touch without saying a word.

After reading this don’t go and download it if you’re not already using it. If it’s for you, you’d probably already be on it. But if you want know how to effectively communicate with Millennials remember why they love Snapchat and use that to your advantage.

Corporate Survival Guide For Your Twenties

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kayla-buell

Kayla is someone I first encountered through a LinkedIn Group I manage and her posts were very insightful. I’ve witnessed her blossom from a blogger into an author and thought her advice would be helpful to my readers. I haven’t had the pleasure to meet her in person yet (because we live on opposite coasts), but we do follow each other on Twitter and Instagram. Here’s my interview with her:

1) Tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming an author

I’ve always wanted to write a book. It’s always been on my bucket list, but if I’m being honest, I never thought it’d actually happen. A couple years ago I got inspired one day and I wrote down a whole bunch of thoughts and ideas for this book I wanted to write. I wrote it down on colored construction paper and threw it into my computer bag, the place where all my scribbles and post-it notes go to die. But one day last summer, I received an e-mail from a publishing company and I took the time to read it. They had found my blog, and they asked me if I was interested in putting together a book proposal. The first thing I did was Google the heck out of them to make sure they were a legit company, and after I verified that yes, they were very real, I retrieved that page of colored construction paper and I started working on my proposal. A year later, here I am, officially an author. How cool is that?!

2) In the past year you got married, bought a house and published a book: how did you manage it all?

Oh, you mean, you don’t want to hear the stories about me in the fetal position having full-blown panic attacks? LOL!  Manage it all? Somehow I did it, although I was an absolute crazy person this past year. I really learned to use my time wisely, so I would spend my lunch breaks writing little sections of my book and I would continue writing when I got home from work. I would write on the weekends and pretty much any free time I had would be spent with my computer on my lap. Thankfully I have a super-supportive husband who dealt with me ignoring him from to time so I could get my writing done. But the turnaround time for my book was insane! I was offered my book deal in August and my draft was due in November. Hence the panic attacks. I was literally writing my book until the day before my wedding. I got married on a Saturday, and Friday, Joe was greeting our out of town guests while I was up in our room writing. Definitely intense, but so worth it.

3) As someone who graduated from college early and jumped into the corporate world immediately, what do you wish you knew then that would have helped you?

That’s a good question. I wish I had known that it was totally okay for me to explore other career options. I feel like I got into a career as a young professional and I thought, “this has to be it…this is what I studied,” even though I wasn’t passionate about it. I wish I had been a little less harsh on myself, allowing myself to explore more of my passions and interests, even if that meant job hopping a bit more during the first few years out of college.   

4) You refer to Millennials as being more “lost” than any other generation before, can you elaborate more on that?

Millennials are for the most part overachievers. I think a lot of us have big goals and dreams for ourselves and we want to make an impact. But when it comes to figuring out HOW to do that, I think that’s where we struggle sometimes. We have multiple passions and interests and with technology making so many things accessible to us, I think we often struggle to figure out which direction we want to go in. But I think that’s just what happens when we’re young and trying to figure out who we are and what we want to do, so I think the key to success here is to embrace that feeling of being lost and not thinking of it as such a bad thing. 

5) Give us a preview of your book and how it can help 20 somethings navigate the business world!

Corporate Survival Guide for Your Twenties is a down-to-earth, no BS guide to navigating those first few years at work. I mean, it’s not going to matter that we got our dream jobs if we don’t know how to behave in the workplace and get fired in three days, right? So the book’s designed to give readers some advice regarding things like starting off on the right foot, getting people to like you, earning your boss’ respect, and dealing with people you want to punch in the face. It’s got humor to it, because the last thing I wanted to do was write a book that was like a textbook or some lame HR manual, so it’s a fun read with practical advice and it’s something that I think even more seasoned employees would benefit from.

If You Don’t Know, Now You Know…

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Millennials-info

Back in the 80’s one of the most popular cartoons was G.I. Joe.

It wasn’t a show I watched much, but there was a line I still remember hearing over and over again: “And knowing is half the battle…”

When it comes to Millennials ignorance is not bliss. As a manager/executive you may not agree with Millennials’ personal/professional habits, but the reality is they are the working majority.

That doesn’t mean you lay down and grant every request they complain about. Be proactive by understand their motivations/wants/values and create programs to maximize their talents.

Maybe you’re frustrated or at your wit’s end, if so come join this workshop series where you’ll network with other managers in a similar boat. If you can’t make it let me know and I’ll customize a program based on your company’s needs.

Anyone can complain, but leaders do something about it.

Retaining Millennials Is Expensive

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millennials_leaving

How much? 150% – 250% of someone annual salary.

That means the ROI in providing workshops, training & coaching completely outweighs firing someone.

Sounds good, but you don’t have the time, energy (or desire) to deal with it?

Get some ideas here or bring this program to your company!

Millennials: The Argument For Separate Training

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millennials

There’s been talk in HR circles that one of the most overrated and unnecessary training a company can do is for Millennials.

I understand the stance that people are people and what Millennials want: meaningful work, perks and work-life balance is what other generations want, but that misses the point.  Here’s why:

If current training programs are “doing the job,” why are Millennials leaving companies at a record pace?

Contrary to popular belief, Millennial training programs are not a threat to HR departments. Instead they are specialized bonus.

Think about it. From a Millennial worker’s perspective, the relationship with HR is one of cautious skepticism. Yes, HR is there for the employee’s benefit/rights, but it’s also HR’s primary function to protect the company it represents.

Knowing that, Millennial workers may take advice from HR with a grain of salt.

The definition of loyalty has changed. Millennials are loyal to people, not companies. That means if an outside trainer/consultant comes in and relates to younger workers better than current supervisors, both sides win. Most managers spend 50% of their time dealing with interpersonal conflict. Imagine how much time and money is saved when delegating leadership development.

Ultimately the goal is retention. It’s much more expensive to recruit, interview, hire, train, then fire an employee opposed to maintaining a strong career development program. Investing in Millennials produces better results and happier workers. The greatest lasting reward you can offer your younger employees is feeling: valued/appreciated. You can’t put a price tag on that.

Lastly, training Millennials is like marketing to them. You first have to understand what they want in order to reach them. The same dynamic happens in professional sports. Coaches who don’t relate to players can never get the desired results. Who the information is coming from is as important as what is being said. Millennials are unfiltered, which can be perceived as unprofessional, but truthful feedback is received well once genuine trust and care has been established.

Training Millennials is an art. This doesn’t mean HR can’t do it, but it’s time consuming and challenging. As much as Millennials love to collaborate, they prefer to do it amongst themselves. Clump them with the rest of the group and they’ll tune you out.

Scott Asai is a speaker/coach that has been developing leaders for 20+ years – athletes, companies and individuals. His focus is helping people develop leadership skills to advance in their careers. Scott tends to attract a large audience of Millennials and Introverts to his programs/events. His professional background consists of: B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Organizational Leadership, Certified Professional Coach and Certified Strengths Coach.

Why Goals Are Overrated

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goals-are-overrated

Coaching is much more like personal training than therapy, yet goals shouldn’t be the focus.

Let’s take your next career move as an example. If you’re looking for a new job, you’re normal. But the question is once you achieve that goal, will you be happy?

Research says short-term yes, but long-term no. The average tenure in a position is under 2 years for Millennials and rapidly shrinking. It has a bit to do with short-attention span, but mostly because of lack of purpose and challenge.

A job can fulfill that, but ultimately a combination of lifestyle and utilizing strengths is what matters. Let me explain.

People don’t work just to make money anymore. They want a job to provide their desired lifestyle. I’ve worked with plenty of clients who hate their job, but won’t leave because it supports the lifestyle they want to live. There’s also many people who stay at a low paying job because it allows them to pursue their passions on the side or make an impact at work.

Now moving on to strengths. If passion + strengths + experience = purpose, then strengths is the most important aspect. Passion and experience combined is the American Idol candidate who can’t sing. You have God-given talent, but it’s others who validate your strengths. The prime example are professional athletes. Paid extremely well to do one thing.

You might be saying, “But what if I’m not a professional athlete?” Well neither am I and here’s my answer: You may not get paid to play sports, but there’s 1 – 2 things you do really well. Find those things and do them over and over.

According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become successful at one thing (approximately 10 years if you’re wondering). That means there are no overnight success stories. Here’s my overall point:

Goals are like checking off a to-do list. Habits create the lifestyle you want. If you want to have a successful career you better figure out what tasks you should be doing on a daily basis, regardless of your job. I tell my clients after the initial session, finding your next career move will be easy…but understanding your strengths, knowing where you best “fit” and building confidence is what I really want to see flourish.

So stop worrying about setting and accomplishing goals. Instead identify the successful habits that will fulfill your desired lifestyle and do that, daily.

Why College Has Lost Its Mojo

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lost-mojo

Someone recently asked me, “If you could go back and give yourself advice what would it be?”

My response: drop out of college

With a perplexed reaction to my comment, I began to explain:

A college degree isn’t worth much anymore…just ask your next employer. Experience matters, where you got your degree from doesn’t. The sad reality is most college grads take a job outside of their major and spend the next 5 or so years working just to pay off student loans.

Also college doesn’t teach “real world” skills. I spoke to USC freshmen and sophomores in a career workshop before and said the 3 most important skills to learn in college are: networking, gaining experience (usually through an internship) and learning how to sell (product, services and yourself). Ironically, those tasks aren’t taught in college unless you take advantage of resources as a student.

Lastly, flexibility is the new definition of success. Money isn’t as valuable as controlling your time. Millennials are the most entrepreneurial generation because they want to make an impact and be happy doing it. Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Kevin Rose prove college isn’t for everyone.

Trade schools and incubators are on the rise because if you have an idea that can potentially make a lot of money, why put it towards an education that doesn’t translate to much? As a Bachelor’s & Master’s degree holder, I may sound like a hypocrite, but if I could do it all over again I’d pass college and jump directly into entrepreneurship.

Social Media: All About Generational Preference

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science-and-social-media-platforms

Today technology represents communication. Simply put, social media platforms come down to style and preference. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but to quote George Clooney in the movie Up In The Air, for brevity purposes we’ll stereotype here, it’s faster.

Facebook: All (news source), Baby Boomers are fastest growing population

Pinterest: Moms (who are into fashion/crafts)

LinkedIn/Twitter/YouTube/Yelp: Millennials/Gen X

Instagram/Snapchat/Periscope/Vine: Millennials/Gen Z (all about selfies)

Google+/Tumblr: N/A

For marketing purposes, it doesn’t matter which platform you like best, it’s choosing the one(s) your customers use most frequently.

For example, I use Twitter the most because it’s “real time” breaking news. As a die-hard Lakers fan, I communicate with my peers daily on rumors, discussions and recent stories. I use it as a conversational piece and it’s done well to spread my sports blog posts to a larger audience of people I would have never of met otherwise. On the other hand, I enjoy looking at Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope because they are visual and engaging. I don’t post as much as the people I follow, but it keeps me up to date on what’s current. Professionally LinkedIn is my favorite. It’s one of the most focused social networks where there’s a reason to connect with people while acting as a “live resume” especially to recruiters.

What’s cool and popular isn’t as important as which one(s) you need to spend time on. I’ve cut down my Facebook visits because I found myself wasting a lot of time on there looking at useless updates. So even though Facebook continues to dominate the social media space, I’ve decreased my participation based on needs. Most of my customers find me on LinkedIn and Yelp, so I make sure to stay active on those. And since I engage with Millennials more than any other generation Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope reveal what’s trendy.

The best advice I’ve heard is stop trying to be active on all platforms. There’s no crime having an account on each stage, but focus on one at a time and learn how to master it. Social media is about communicating. The question is: who are you talking to and why?  

Scott Asai is a speaker/coach that has been developing leaders for 20+ years – athletes, companies and individuals. His focus is helping people develop leadership skills to advance in their careers. Scott tends to attract a large audience of Millennials and Introverts to his programs/events. His professional background consists of: B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Organizational Leadership, Certified Professional Coach and Certified Strengths Coach.