Alignable

January 2, 2025 by

Alignable

The other day I posted on Alignable: “I was on a local Smart Connect today for the Portland, Oregon area and we were discussing the current contest.” That brought me to a comment that I hadn’t realized I was going to make regarding the value of Alignable.

For many of us, it can take a while to figure out what Alignable can be useful for. There are the obvious “more business”, leads, and stronger network kinds of things (See my recent stats top right!). But I think that there are hidden gems which, after being busy on here for 6 months, are only now coming into view. Things like learning new processes/ways of doing things. Book recommendations. And even how one might tailor their profile better.

I’m curious about what you’ve found valuable about Alignable. I often tout it as a way to get clearer on what you’re doing in business. Improving one’s presentation skills. But there are riches that keep popping up on a regular basis. I feel lucky to be here now. There is a new energy on Alignable that wasn’t here in 2016 when I signed up. Maybe it’s the Smart Connects. Maybe it’s new leadership.

So, what are you finding that’s valuable?  Thanks.”

—————————–

And Jesus had this great response which I think is on point:

Jesus Devesa  • 

I agree that Alignable has evolved significantly since 2016, and the new energy you mentioned is palpable. For me, the value of Alignable lies in several key areas:

Local Business Networking: Alignable has provided a fantastic platform for connecting with other local businesses. This has been invaluable for understanding local market trends and establishing collaborative relationships.

Referral Opportunities: One of the most significant benefits I’ve experienced is the ability to both give and receive referrals. This aspect of mutual support within the community is not just about growing our businesses but also about building trust and reputation.

Learning and Sharing Insights: The platform has been a great place for learning from others and sharing my own insights. The diversity of businesses on Alignable means there’s always something new to learn.

Improving Online Presence: I’ve found Alignable helpful in strengthening my business’s online presence. Engaging with others, responding to queries, and participating in discussions have enhanced my visibility and brand recognition.

Smart Connects and New Features: Like you, I’ve noticed the impact of features like Smart Connects. They’ve made networking more dynamic and targeted, allowing for more meaningful connections.

Feedback and Reviews: The opportunity to receive genuine feedback and reviews has been crucial for refining my business offerings. It’s also a great way to gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty.

New Leadership and Direction: The changes in leadership and direction at Alignable have been noticeable and appreciated. The platform seems more user-centric and geared towards real business growth.

In summary, Alignable has become more than just a networking site; it’s a community where businesses can grow, learn, and support each other in tangible ways. I’m keen to see how it continues to evolve and aid in our business journeys.

And.. another entry by James

I’m teaching classes and hosting Smart Connects on Alignable. To stay in the loop, click here. Here’s one of the groups I lead on Alignable.

 

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Lunchclub

November 23, 2020 by

Lunchclub

LunchClub. Have you tried it? I’ve had 23 meetings with somewhat random people set up by LinkedIn in the past 2 months since it began. I’m sure it’s possible to match with someone and have something cool come of it. And.. I’d much rather be doing this with people in my community. In case you want to try out LunchClub, there’s a link to it below. If you want to try out LunchClub with me, visit my website and set up a 15 minute appt. with me and we’ll take it from there. 

LunchClub: https://lunchclub.ai/?invite_code=albertk – I get nothing by inviting you, btw. But you might 

Albert’s website: https://albertideation.com

I just figured out an aspect of this service that’s reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode. Once you’ve had a meeting with someone you have the ability to send out a note about how the meeting went. That can then be tweeted from their interface. But there’s more. I believe your “review” of the meeting also gets sent to anyone who accepted your invitation to Lunchclub, thus potentially turning it into a marketing vehicle for both you and the person you met with. 

1.18.2021 = there is now a LunchClub “Your Network Strength” rating. See mine @ https://lunchclub.com/dp/network-strength-30e365e3d9af?ref=share_link

12.16.2020:

ASC Webinar Series Ep #16: How To Shape Your Social Sphere https://youtu.be/Naq-EOcqeC0

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Social Media is Many Things to Many People

August 16, 2017 by Leave a Comment

The many faces of social media

The more I use social media over the years the more convinced I am that it is very hard to say exactly what it is. There are various platforms and these are often hard to explain simply. I’ve been training people on how to use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others for about 11 years (in 2019).

I first started out by teaching classes in my living room – mainly – how does one use Facebook – personal pages vs. business pages + netiquette – how to be in those places and look like you have a cleu. As the various platforms have expanded their feature sets and made things a bit more difficult for businesses to reach their fans how people use them has changed.  Here are some of the new uses that I am experiencing and seeing in the field.

1. Some people are just using the systems as a messaging system – an example would be FB messenger. I note that I am having more and more personal “email-like” interactions via FB messenger than in the past. FB messenger seems to be replacing email in terms of personal connections/conversations in my world.

2. People pick their platforms and stick with them. I know a number of people who are mainly on one platform and that’s it. My next-door neighbor runs an Instagram page for his crystal business.  He’s up to 142K followers. I encouraged him to get going with email marketing – and he has, but really, he’s having so much success and fun with Instagram.. that he’s pretty happy with that one platform. Personally, I don’t recommend having all your eggs in one basket (ie, make sure to be list-building – that’s yours…) – but I see this across the board. People who are mainly on Twitter or FB – find a home and stay there.

3. Then, there’s how one spends their time on FB. I used to spend much more time on the newsfeed – and I’m sure many still do. But ever since I discovered Friends’ Lists and how to segment my friends + see all the posts of those who I most want to follow/learn from.. that has changed my FB experience dramatically. I also am using FB much more to network with others and connect around business topics in relevant groups. Active business or interest groups have changed my thinking about how a small, dedicated group of people can come together for a common purpose and really elevate everyone’s experience.

I’ve been looking for more insight into where people delve into how these prominent tools/platforms are being used – in non-obvious ways, but have not really found what I’m looking for. So, I’ll try putting out my own thinking on the topic and see how that goes.

Do you use social media in a way that you think was not intended by the creators?  Please share below!

Have a great Summer – Albert Kaufman, Albertideation, Portland, Oregon, The United States

PS – Please join my email list. I have a few different projects I’m working on and I’d love you along for the ride!

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Digital Marketing Training Videos by Albert Kaufman

January 3, 2017 by 3 Comments

Training Videos by Albert Kaufman

I have been offering digital marketing training for the past 16 years. Each training offers a unique collection of insights and a lot of personal commentary! I recommend looking at all of the topics first before picking one to watch. You’ll probably find one that is perfect for your needs right now.

Thanks to Constant Contact for much of the educational content and the opportunity to hone my skills as a public speaker.  As always, I appreciate your feedback – please comment below.

Latest Video – Alignable Tutorial 1.2.25

Email Marketing Quickstart 11.24

Holiday Marketing 11.24

Maximize Holiday Sales via Event Marketing with Vicky Toth – 11.24

The Constant Contact Partner Program – 10.18.23

Email Marketing 102 – 11.8.2020

Getting Started with Email Marketing

Getting Started with Email Marketing with Albert Kaufman – March 2017 from Albert Kaufman on Vimeo.

Digital Trends for 2017 – February 23, 2017

Digital Marketing Trends in 2017 with Albert Kaufman

Learn Constant Contact’s new 3rd Generation Editor

Power of the Inbox – part Constant Contact’s One in a Million Celebration – Constant Contact has educated over a million small businesses as of January 2016!

Ways to Automate Your Marketing: Save Time, Drive Results, Earn Loyalty 

Social Media Timesavers – July 2015

Getting Started with Email Marketing + Facebook and LinkedIn Tips & Tricks – January 2014 – but still super relevant in 2019!

Everything You Want to Know about Facebook But Are Afraid to Ask – February 2015 (still very relevant in Jan. 2019, and probably beyond!)

Measuring Your Marketing How to use reports and analytics to evaluate your marketing campaigns with Albert Kaufman – September 29th, 2015.

Standout Subject Lines – October 2015

Watch me work – December 2016 – a 40-minute session where I demo some of the tools I use – live!

How to set up a Birthday Autoresponder. You can also sign up for mine, here.

Thanks for watching. If you have any questions about anything I’ve written – feel free to contact me!

Happy marketing, Albert Kaufman

Albert at #OneCon2015 - training videos

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The Power of Your Many Inboxes

February 6, 2016 by 1 Comment

one in a million inboxesInboxes

Since the start of 2016 I’ve taught a class called The Power of the Inbox as part of Constant Contact’s celebration of having trained over 1 million people since they opened their doors. These classes focus on the value of email marketing and how to do it right. Some of the main points are getting a great subject line going; using mobile-friendly templates; sending from a recognizable email address – and so much more. To see a video of the class as a webinar, click here. Something interesting occurred to me as I’ve been teaching this class – the rise of the importance of your other inboxes! Email remains the key way to reach customers, clients, friends and family, and it turns out, you can’t neglect the communications coming via your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter messaging systems (to name just 3).

A client, Gregg Harris (of Rooseveltpdx – a fantastic terrarium store on 44th and Hawthorne in Portland, Oregon, which made my top 11 list for 2015) said to me the other day “Albert, people are expecting me to respond to their communications on Facebook“. I am so fully busy in the on-line world that I’ve just taken it for granted that messages that come in via various platforms are “like” email, and so should be treated as such.  But, like Gregg, I tend to let many of those messages languish for days – especially messages from Twitter and LinkedIn.  I’m on Facebook so much that I tend to use their messenger at about the same rate of response as email, but Gregg’s woken me up to how I should be treating all on-line communications. And there’s a simple solution – notifications.

Within each social network is a way to be notified (via email, of course) when a message has come into your account. My recommendation would be to turn on any direct messages you get via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and see if any business or important information is coming your way.  I’ll do the same and I’ll keep you posted what I learn. Timing is often important in this instant gratification world. If a request for your services comes in through a channel you’re not monitoring, you may miss something important.  Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks for reading. Albert

Can you spot the fish?

Can you spot the fish?

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Online Marketing Checklist

July 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment

email marketing works

Marketing Checklist = Social Media & Email Marketing for Small Businesses

  • Email Marketing – 43% ROI – most valuable tool out there

  • Use Constant Contact – https://albertkaufman.constantcontact.com
  • Consistent Branding
    • Stick with 2-4 colors
    • 1-2 fonts
  • Relevant Message – short and Sweet
    • Welcome Email: What to expect, how often you send and a special offer
    • Newsletters: Blog posts, press releases, events, announcements
    • Promotions: New and compelling offers, clear call to action
  • Consistent “from” name
  • For mobile-friendly emails (which should be all you do at this point) stick to one column and keep logo left-justified or centered
  • Contact information in the body of the email
  • Add in social media links
  • Clear call to action
  • Quality photos
    • Link your logo/photos back to your website
  • Links, Links, Links
    • Give a short description or teaser line and link the rest of the info.
  • Join My List button (always!)
  • Social Share Bar (in header options)
  • Web page version option (in header options)
  • White space is your friend!
  • Use the “Share this email with your friends” option
  • Be yourself… use conversational text!
  • Don’t forget the Humor!

Social Media Suggestions

  • Learn about Hootsuite, Buffer and Sendible (pick one and use it)
    • Buffer has a great daily newsletter
  • Make sure all accounts are filled in
  • Think about a different voice for each type of account
  • Double-check your spelling
  • Think ahead – editorial calendars are great!
  • Are there holidays, other events coming up, tomorrow, a year from today!
  • Follow your competitors – what are they posting?
  • Err on the side of over-posting – with the new algorithms, it’s likely followers won’t see much of what you post (see why Email Marketing is a preferred way to spend your time/$$$)
  • Try things – make mistakes
  • Everyone is learning social media together – no one is an expert – try something clever and your post may go viral
  • Upload native video to Facebook and elsewhere.
  • Be prepared in case anything ever does go viral (have all accounts filled in with website URLs – landing pages where you would like people to get to
  • Think about the what, why, who, kinds of questions often – who am I trying to reach with what message?
  • What would success look like?
  • Consider trying FB advertising – boosting posts vs. advertising

Feel free to keep in touch. I love fielding questions about social media and email marketing. Don’t get discouraged – this is a new field and it’s a constant learning curve! Good luck, Albert Kaufman

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