The Problem of Mass- Just ask General Motors!

 

We’ve seen the history of mass during the Industrial Revolution. It has taken the form of: production, factories, transportation, food, retailers, riots, consumption, marketing, start-ups, dotcoms, healthcare, layoffs, moving overseas and closures. Anyone see a mass pattern here?

During the 1960’s, it was common to find several gas stations at any major intersection in the United States. They attempted to offer free drinking glasses or soda (6 packs, 12 packs, or even a case) to compete for your business. Many offered full service car repair. The service stations paid employees to wash your windows, check your oil and pump the gasoline.

Near the end of the long tail, service stations offered free 2-litre for enticement, but the auto services and attendants began being replaced with mini-market stores inside the business. Check your own oil, wash your own windows, pump your own gas or air into your tires (no longer free). The money was being made from the food and merchandize sold inside the market, not the gasoline product.

Gas card have become the only form of enticement and serve as a form of customer tracking, while some outlets feature a car wash. Few gas stations offer any type of mechanical service.

Slowly gas stations in cities became less prevalent. The economics of the industry changed. Retailing to the masses was no longer sustainable.

Many of those street corner businesses have been replaced by drugstores. Where you find one pharmacy, you’re likely to see another close by.

The same with big box stores replacing grocery stores, hardware and retail stores. Businesses designed to market to the masses by offering one-stop shopping.

Healthcare is another industry falling into the mass trap. Many healthcare businesses are expanding, merging systems to reduce cost and increase services.  This reduces the competition and one company is committed to serving the masses.

The biggest problem of scaling to mass is- it just doesn’t last. One large change in economics, technology or market share can bring a giant to its knees. Just ask General Motors.

The problem of mass:

·        Lower wages (unless unionized).

·        Loss of personalized service. Mass is about numbers, not people.

·        Customer service suffers. Familiarity is gone. Nobody knows you.

·        Quality becomes lost in the focus of mass (replaced with a chant).

·        Lack of standardization of employee roles becomes a morale issue.

·        Consistency from employees between roles, location and businesses differ.

·        Growth is all that matters.

The biggest problem with mass is once the threshold of growth is met, the scale of the business becomes about reduction. Then the pain begins. When you cheapen something to obtain mass acceptance, offering less at the lowest price is the only option. The race to the bottom is all about someone else doing something cheaper!

It’s far better to offer services of exceptional value with customer and employee satisfaction to sustain or grow a business. Natural growth built on a sound business foundation is far sturdier than scaling to mass.

It’s no secret.

Just ask General Motors!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books, products and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

BloggingTips and Secrets

I’ve spent a great deal of time in the last week attempting to increase my blog viewership. I’ve tinkered with everything from SEO (search engine optimization), keywords, metadata and coding. Life was much simpler just focusing on writing.

Content is King!

Some folks believe it is all about content. Content is king! Forget about algorithms, SEO and attempting to understand what makes the search engines the happiest.

What is SEO?

My Blogger blog site rates my own blogs high in a Google search, but I noticed once I log out of Google+ the ratings plummet. Google Blogger doesn't seem to play well with other search engines. I attempted to add metatags information inside my code to allow other search engines to find “keywords” and rate posts higher. Some experts believe the attempt is no longer valid in the SEO game. From my own experience, I believe they’re right.

The experiment didn’t seem to improve my ratings within Bing or Yahoo.

SEO is kind of mysterious function. The rules within the cycle of parameters sometimes change. It’s similar to the Federal Reserve (lots of secret information).

WordPress- A Bloggers Best Friend

I experimented with the free version of WordPress (WordPress.com) in my early blogging days. I found it easy to use and the search engine results are stellar! The only problem with the free version- it doesn’t allow affiliate marketing. So I switched to Google Blogger.

In the near future I will probably switch to the pay version of WordPress (WordPress.org) using the Thesis or Genesis Framework Themes. For hosting I will likely use Go Daddy or Bluehost.

Note: WordPress.org allows you to add affiliate marketing links and you own the content posted.

Why spend valuable time worrying about SEO, when the Thesis or Genesis framework can optimize my work and reach possible viewers?

Keep it Simple

This brings me back to focusing on clarity and writing. That’s what it’s all about. Without quality content, it doesn’t matter what or where the material is displayed if nobody is interested or I can’t earn your respect and keep your attention.

List of Blog Rules

·        Choose a catchy, popular or interesting topic.

·        Write a catchy headline.

 

·        Content is King!

·        Use sub headings (a plus with search engines and a great way to divide the story and keep it interesting).

·        Use  bullets or numbering to breakup blogs and allow easier readability.

·        Blogs should be limited between 500-600 words.

·        Blogs with fewer words are a better idea (Seth Godin is the king of pithy blogs), keep it short and easy to read.

·        Respond to comments and treat your followers with respect.

Stats Tracker

 I’ve done a fairly decent job of attracting new viewers (a third or more of all viewers are new) each month and my page views double each month. Overall, my visitors average over 8 minutes on my blogs per visit. Not bad at all.

Google Blogger features its own statistics tracker, but I really like the functionality of using Google Analytics (and it’s free).

Find your Niche and Build a Tribe!

My biggest concern is reaching out and finding my tribe of followers. Expecting everyone to read my blogs or like what I have to offer is unrealistic and a recipe for failure. One of the biggest secrets to online marketing and writing is to find your niche and build a following.

Give Credit where Credit is Due

So, I thank all of you for reading, following, and commenting on my writing. Without you- none of the inspiration would be possible to continue to do something meaningful that matters!

Thank you- from the bottom of my heart!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Added Value = Passion and Wisdom

I could tell you that my Rust Belt Chronicles Blog was written to give you added value. You’ve all have heard and read that cliché. It’s a power phrase tossed throughout discussions, meetings, websites, blogs and promotional events. It’s been misused often and sadly where is the value?

When used in terms of making money it is a metaphor, referring to “icing on the cake. “ It may be added value to the business but in this twist of terminology it’s really not adding value to the customer. Somehow, many have taken a term of relevance and replaced it with a sad interpretation of greed, while offering only mediocrity.

I want to build the Rust Belt Chronicles Blog into something more meaningful. The thoughts and purpose of this blog is to express my concern, offer hope and change lives. By challenging the status quo and creating a movement to make a difference in how we are treated in our work environment and how we think is part of my reason for being here.

Too often, we have been brainwashed into negative thinking, self-doubt and fear by those who were suppose to lead us. Corporations, businesses and management forgot we (the employees) are their customers too, not merely slaves for wages.

The Rust Belt Chronicles Blog is also for those who are jobless, laid-off, in-debt, confused about their future or where to look for help. It really doesn’t matter where you live- We all live in Detroit. The industrial age is ending and the good paying factory jobs of longevity are a thing of the past.

Some of you were older workers let go, pushed to the curb and are having a tough time finding a new career. I am here for you. Another entire segment of the population doesn’t know where their skills fit in this new revolution called work.

I want you to have more than a job. I want to help you reach your goals by inspiring and motivating you to become what you’ve always wanted to be. I want to help you discover and build your passion. If I only help a few people every blog I write is worth it. If hundreds of people are inspired, I am truly blessed.

Photo used courtesy of: ana_ng.

Call me a modern day Roy Rogers- where (hopefully) the good guys win. Call me Robin Hood or the guy that fixed Humpty Dumpty.

Just know I care and want to make a difference!

Wisdom Meets Passion

Author and America’s finest life coach Dan Miller and his son, Jarad Angaza have co-written a new book to be released August 28^th entitled- Wisdom Meets Passion: When Generations Collide and Collaborate. You can be a part of some special bonus gifts by purchasing the book. Read about it here.

Dan Miller is the best-selling author of No More Dreaded Monday’s and 48 Days to the Work You Love. Dan Miller also has two websites with loads of community assistance, classes and podcasts at 48days.com and 48days.net.  Jarad Angaza is the president and co-founder of KEZA, an ethical fashion label in East Africa.

Dan and Jared have discovered their passions and lead fulfilled lives.

You can too! 

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver

Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and 3^rd party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Start your own Revolution

Corporations have an obligation to their customers and employees. Once the objective becomes the core process without considering both entities the result can be a deluge of reckless abandon with adverse public reaction.

Businesses who fail to support those under their own umbrella lose credibility. Banking on the short term memories of everyone involved and expecting to save face isn’t a smart idea in today’s era of social media presence. The long-term results can be catastrophic financially in terms of clients and the lost of trust by the public.

Sometimes, it’s better to lose a few arguments than to be perceived as greedy.



Matt and Katie Fisher

Matt Fisher simply blogged about the treatment of a claim with Progressive Insurance and their reported stance in trial proceedings in regard to Nationwide Insurance and the defendant involving his sister, Katie  and her tragic death in 2010.

The story went viral throughout social media.

The insurance had the prior opportunity to correct their stance and save the reputation of their brand. Simply paying $75,000.00 would have been much cheaper than dealing with the fallout. Trust is why we purchase insurance to provide a source of security in case of accidents, dismemberment and death.

Trust is the heart of any business.

As much as the publicity hurt Progressive, can you imagine the buzz if a competing insurance company with no financial ties wrote a $75,000.00 check to Matt Fisher? The amount of trust and positive marketing would speak volumes for a competitor’s ethics, morals and sales.

In today’s viral universe, it could’ve easily happened.

Three days after Matt Fisher posted the blog (which was also blogged by Seth Godin) Progressive Insurance announced a decision to reach a settlement for “tens of thousands of more dollars.”

We now have the ability to change the world through the use of social media. Permission, money or lawyers are no longer required. A voice resonating of honor, reason and right has given us power which was never before available to us, no matter where we are located. That voice is social media.

Start your own revolution today!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com

http://jimcarver.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and 3^rd party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Mr. Seth Godin

Several blogs ago, I mentioned some cool startup projects seeking funding using Kickstarter. I was happy to be able to contribute to Seth Godin’s unique publishing transformation idea, which sought $40,000.00 in donations to publish his upcoming book- "The Icarus Deception: Why Make Art?" The dollar amount was exceeded within 3 hours on Kickstarter. So far, the project has more than 3,900 supporters and earned more than $267,000.00.

The project funding ends on Tuesday, July 17^th.

Seth’s has built an amazing tribe of followers who are very loyal towards his art. If you get an opportunity to catch his blog or purchase any of his books, do so. If you want to hear him speak at a conference- act quickly; Seth Godin’s lectures sell- out in a matter of minutes.

Why? Because what Seth offers is rare and sometimes free. His foresight and advice in marketing and business is cutting edge. His broad marketing research is undeniable.

Mr. Godin initiates trends and proves their success by accomplishing the act himself within the public’s view. No test run, no survey, a decision is made and without fear, he walks the talk.

Seth is willing to take risks because he knows the art he creates are opportunities.  Opportunity’s are the future and the future is now!

Besides, Seth has created a tribe and a tribe of people can make things happen quickly. He is relentless in his ideology and is always pushing the boundaries. Change is constant so his followers are never bored.

Mr. Godin often states the importance to finish, do it, ship it or simply get it done. Fear is not an option. That’s why he has the Midas touch. The Kickstarter project is an excellent example of this concept.

Congrats to Seth Godin and his tribe!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com
www.bestofvegaswebsite.com
www.paradisefitgranola.com

Kickstarting your project!

For those of you with an idea that needs funding to implement-Kickstarter is an excellent choice. Kickstarter allows you to post your project with a description along with photos or a video presentation. Forget about borrowing money or maxing out your credit cards to go into business.

Kickstarter is free to join. It doesn't charge anything unless the minimum funding is reached. You are only charged for what you pledge and guaranteed to be rewarded the prize offered.

You setup the pledge amounts and number of financial backers necessary to fund your project. The backer chooses the dollar amount they will pledge. In return for a pledge, the backer (donator) is rewarded with different gifts. As the dollar amount of pledge increases so does the rewards or gifts to the backer.

If the required amount of money isn't reached within 30 days, you can scrap your idea and move on. Some projects are actually funded above the money needed by 200-300%.

Obviously, getting the word out helps your goal of reaching the funded needed. People with tribes of followers have a strong chance of exceeding the goal. Web presence and social media networking skills are the easiest way to build a tribe.

Best-selling author, marketing guru and blogger, Seth Godin, recently launched a Kickstarter project needing $40,000 to release his next book "The Icarus Deception: Why Make Art?" In less than 3 hours his project met its goal. The project has 15 days remaining on Kickstarter and has earned over $253,000.00 from 3,700 backers.

Seth Godin's goal was to use Kickstarter to pre-market a book before its release changing the way traditional publishing is marketed. You can read about it here.

Another project that blew me away (and like Seth's project above I missed the chance to pledge and receive some really cool gifts) was the funding for a film called: "I'm Fine Thanks." The film is a documentary by Crank Tank Studios, who travelled the country to interview people who created their own success by not settling for mediocrity. (This is the stuff I love to write about and I can't wait to see this motivating film).

The 5-man film crew asked for $100,000.00 in pledges. At the end of the 30-day run on Kickstarter, the artists raised over $116,000.00 with 4,700 backers to make their project become a reality.

Congrats to Kickstarter, Seth Godin and Crank Tank Studios for their successful and innovative ideas!

Until We Meet Again, Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School "Band of Gold"
Something Meaningful that Matters!
www.successthroughmusic.com
www.bestofvegaswebsite.com
www.paradisefitgranla.com