How Mark Cuban’s Single Tweet Made a Big Impact–And What We Can Learn

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I’m not the biggest Mark Cuban fan (he can be a tad brash for my taste), but I think there is a ton to be learned from the man.  I’ve been reading his blog for a number of years and have enjoyed his insights on all things technology, strategy, economics and otherwise.  He’s also great on the TV show Shark Tank where he comments and haggles on the merits  (or lack thereof) of many start-ups.

Something happened on Twitter recently, though, that I think bears mentioning.  Cuban tweeted a simple promotional message about his book:  How to Win at the Sport of Business.  He asked people to buy his e-book in a simple, straight-forward fashion.  Another user replied to him and asked if any of the book sales were going to charity (see below).

 

 

 

 

It’s not an unfair question because many celebrities and politicians do this very thing.  But not Mark Cuban.  His reply to the question was classic Mark Cuban and was re-tweeted (at last count) nearly 1,000 times (see below):

 

 

 

 

In essence, he replied that the sales of the book would have absolutely no charitable purpose, but be used to have a great time.  This is not the type of politically-correct response we are used to seeing: it’s the polar opposite.  But it’s funny and it’s honest.  It’s Mark Cuban.  And because it was all of these things, it was retweeted 996 times, giving this message a reach of many millions of people.  The result?  A rush on Amazon.com for the book:

 

 

 

 

I didn’t confirm these listings on Amazon.com, but I’ll take his word for it.  It’s just one more example of the power of social media to create financial impact.  And all of us can learn from it.  Here are a few of the take-aways:

  • It takes time – Cuban has been blogging and tweeting for years; these things don’t happen overnight.
  • Be yourself – people on Twitter tend to gravitate to those who reflect their true selves–not a hologram of how they want others to perceive them.
  • Be original – Cuban could have been like “everyone else” and volunteered to donate his proceeds, but he didn’t.  He is different and he stayed different.
  • Be social – This tweet happened out a of a reply to a question from the peanut gallery.  He could have ignored it but he didn’t.  He engaged with the audience the same way we might presume he would have at a party.
  • Be funny – People like to laugh and they like to share humor with others.  If you are funny, it helps to be funny!
If nothing else, I now plan to read the book.  So Cuban made at least $5 that I know of!

 

Year-end Business Planning: A Successful 2013 Begins in 2012

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It’s that time of year again: Budgets. Strategic planning. Goal setting.

And that blank piece of paper is staring back at you. Where do you begin? What can you do to plan for more business growth in 2013?

The team at WebSolvers is facing the same situation. Our business has evolved beyond just building fabulous websites for our clients. We are poised to be your #1 agency choice for digitally dominant design, brand, marketing and communications solutions. So, how do we get there?

Well, it starts with us taking out our C.R.I.B. sheet (downloadable PDF) and creating a plan. The C.R.I.B. sheet is your planning tool to generate more:

C: Customers
R: Revenue
I: Income
B: Business

WebSolvers-2013-CRIB-Sheet

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We thought it would be helpful to share our C.R.I.B. sheet with you. This handy tool is a terrific thought-starter. It’s one part brainstorming guide, one part strategic thinking tool, one part motivator, and one part business-generator.

Grab a cup of coffee, sit down, use our handy-dandy highlighter and think. You have to start somewhere, so why not start now? If you want a little audible inspiration, we also created a C.R.I.B. Sheet Playlist on Spotify . It contains some of our team’s go-to tunes for when it’s time to be creative.

At WebSolvers, we are here to help you turn your C.R.I.B. sheet into a plan that finds and wins you more customers. And if you want some help or an outside perspective on your plans for 2013, please feel free to reach out to us!

One more thing since we’re talking about year-end activities: have you given any thought to your holiday cards, party invitations, donation campaigns, etc? With the holidays right around the corner, it’s a good time to get going on those items. We can help you with that, too.

Do You Hear Jingle Bells?

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We know it’s only September, but the holidays are right around the corner.  And while you might be getting in shape for Black Friday and readying yourself for a visit with your in-laws, we thought we would remind you of a few more items on your to-do list.

Dress-up your business for the holidays and let the festive team at WebSolvers dazzle your customers with creative e-cards, invitations, party favors, social media campaigns and more end-of-year cheer. It’s less than 90 days away. Just sayin’.

The good news is that we are here to help!  We can pitch in and be of assistance with all kinds of holiday and year-end needs like:

  • Animated e-cards
  • Printed holiday cards
  • Event invitations
  • Year-end announcements
  • Annual reports
  • Wrap-up videos
  • Whatever else you dream up

We have the creativity and capability to help you get through the holidays and safely on to a successful 2013.  Please call us at 407-722-7830 or e-mail projects@websolvers.com to get things rolling.  We’d love to help!

WebSolvers Helps to Launch The First Tee of Central Florida in Orlando

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The First Tee of Central Florida

Board Chairman Matt Certo works with volunteers and donors during the launch event.

As a small business, our firm has always aspired to make a difference in the Greater Orlando community.  One recent example of that has been our participation in the launch of The First Tee of Central Florida.  The First Tee is a national organization whose charitable mission is to teach young people how to make good and healthy choices through its Nine Core Values (i.e. courtesy, respect, honesty, etc.) and Nine Healthy Habits.

Website implemented within the MembersFirst platform

Website implemented within the MembersFirst platform

The organization uses golf as a vehicle for these important life lessons and hopes to reach 10 million young people in the coming years.  The First Tee’s founding partners include PGA Tour, USGA, LPGA and Masters Tournament.

WebSolvers has been privileged to join other area firms like Golf Channel, Annika Foundation, and Gray Robinson to launch the Orlando chapter of the organization, a multi-year effort led by WebSolvers President (and The First Tee of Central Florida Board Chairman) Matt Certo.  The launch of the chapter took place on July 29, 2012 at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge where LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam led a clinic for young people from Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida and Elevate Orlando.  The Orlando Sentinel chronicled the launch and Golf Channel was on hand to cover the event.

In addition to volunteering hours of staff time, WebSolvers also had the opportunity to provide creative services pro-bono.  WebSolvers has cultivated the group’s Facebook presence,  implemented the organization’s Website into the MembersFirst platform and developed a variety of print materials.  We are thrilled to contribute in a very tangible way to this important cause.

The chapter is launched and expects to serve thousands of young people in Central Florida in the coming years.  For more information, please visit The First Tee of Central Florida Website or Facebook page.

Print materials designed within the national brand standards of The First Tee

Print materials designed within the national brand standards of The First Tee

What do you see when you look into a mirror?

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Your reflection, of course. That image looking back at you is what other people see more often than you do. (At least I hope you aren’t looking in the mirror that much.) The impression you make is displayed through your appearance, smile, attitude, gait, language, etc. and when you look in the mirror, typically you want to see the best version of yourself.

Same goes for your brand. What do you want your brand to “see” when it looks in the mirror? More importantly, what do you want your customers and potential customers to see? How do you want that reflection to appear and does your staff, product/service offering, price, quality and everything around your brand stand up to your mirror test?

That mirror’s reflection is your brand.

The best way to create this desired reflection is create your own Brand Mirror. WebSolvers invites you take a walk through a revealing process that helps you articulate a true and detailed description of your brand. It’s something that your team can use as a filter and guide to define what you do and how you do it.

The Brand Mirror is a dynamic document that is primarily for internal use that acts as a foundation for your brand. It includes such things as the elevator speech, firm personality, distinctive visual themes, culture, values and more. The common and sanctioned language throughout the Brand Mirror provides confidence at every level to properly articulate who you are and who you are not. This unified front provided by the Brand Mirror is a game-changer for capturing the true spirit of your brand.

This process is enlightening and inspiring, even sometimes uncomfortable, and it’s best done by a third party like WebSolvers to help see it from an external point of view. We all know that looking in the mirror isn’t always fun to do. However, clients that work with WebSolvers to create their own Brand Mirror consistently walk away feeling like they have the clarity, direction and words that they have been searching for to describe their brand.

They no longer need to wonder what should be staring back at them in the mirror because they can see it for themselves. And most importantly, it’s what the rest of the world sees.