Steve is the CEO of Polar Unlimited, a digital marketing and innovation agency where he and his team serve some of the most progressive thinkers in the healthcare, hi-tech, home comfort and not-for-profit industries. He is a frequent speaker to groups of CEOs across North America on the power of social media and innovative web content to transform the way businesses run, and ultimately win in the marketplace.
Expert Answers
Re: Can you offer me some advice on my first business?
Monday Jan 18, 2010Andy - here is my two cents as an entrepreneur and a dog owner. First, I wouldn't limit yourself to a 5 mile radius. I use a day-care for our dog and drive 15 minutes out of my way (and past another day care) because I love the way they treat my dog.Re: Is Blogging Overrated as a Marketing Tool?
Sunday Nov 22, 2009I think a common misconception in "blogging" is that it depends on the product or service you are selling. The biggest determinant of how successful a blog can or can't be is the value of the information presented to the people you want it toRe: What, if anything, is holding you back from using social media for your business?
Sunday Nov 22, 2009Emily - that question could fill up an entire book on its own. At its worst, it can be a huge time vacuum that produces nothing tangible in return for the business. At its best, it can transform how an entire company operates its
Content
Why EVERY Entrepreneur Needs Social Media
by Steve Cunningham Wednesday Mar 3, 2010I'm a firm believer that entrepreneur on the planet should be using social media. Why? Because being an entrepreneur is tough, and quite often the entrepreneur is viewed as the proverbial "lone-cowboy." When I became an entrepreneur myself, that description didn't sit well with me. I surely didn't have all the answers,and was pretty sure that I'd benefit from others who have "been there, done that."
Like It or Not, Customers Control Your Message Now
by Steve Cunningham Tuesday Mar 2, 2010There's a great quote by Mark Twain (and the other numerous people it gets attributed to) that goes like this: "It ain't the things we don't know that gets us in trouble. It's the things we know that just ain't so."
3 Entrepreneurs Whose Lives Were Changed by Social Media
by Steve Cunningham Monday Mar 1, 2010That's a question I get quite often. The easy answer is: as long as it takes to get the result you are looking for. Some people might advocate devoting a fixed amount of time to the medium, with a certain amount of time set aside for "listening to the conversation," "joining the conversation" and creating content. The truth of the matter is that there are no hard and fast rules, especially when you are an entrepreneur. For example:
Is Social Media Just a Fad?
by Steve Cunningham Wednesday Feb 24, 2010That's a question I was asked recently in a presentation to a group of CEOs. There is a very simple answer to this question: No. I've seen a lot of people become indignant and complain that some people "just don't get it" when that question is asked. However, there's a much better (and technical) reason what this is not a fad. Here's why. Although the worldwide web is still less than 20 years old, we've seen a rapid evolution in its ability to connect like-minded people from around the world. There are three widely accepted stages of this evolution:
Why Social Media Can Create Your Next Game-Changing Business Idea
by Steve Cunningham Tuesday Feb 16, 2010Pop quiz: Who will create your next game-changing business idea? Is it: a), Your employees? b), Your customers? c), Your vendors? Or d), Your consultants? Give up? The correct answer is: (e), Nobody knows, it could literally come from anywhere.
3 Reasons Why the $200 Budget Beats the $20,000 Budget
by Steve Cunningham Friday Feb 12, 2010If there is a consistent complaint in business, it's that we don't have enough time, money or resources to complete the task at hand, and that the only thing that would guarantee results would be an increase in one of those things. If I had three weeks to complete this assignment instead of two, things would be different. If I had a $30,000 budget instead of a $20,000 budget, things would be different. If I had five people in my department instead of three, things would be different.
3 Reasons Why Email Still Matters to Your Business
by Steve Cunningham Thursday Feb 11, 2010Email has long been considered the dinosaur of the digital marketing world. Our inbox is overflowing to the point where it is unmanageable and we certainly don't need more of it, right? However, there are plenty of reasons why email marketing will remain the workhorse of any digital marketing strategy, and in particular, any successful social media strategy. Here are the top 3 reasons why email and social media belong together. #1 - Not all customers are social media users.
The Right Way to Think About Social Media
by Steve Cunningham Tuesday Feb 2, 2010Metaphors are a very useful tool when trying to describe something new, and I have found it particularly useful when describing social media to those who want to understand what it is. I've heard them all over the past year or so, many of them posed as rhetorical questions, pointing to the logical conclusion that social media needs to be taken more seriously by marketers and entrepreneurs.
What Not to Do When a Prospect Unsubscribes
by Steve Cunningham Monday Jan 18, 2010If you are a fan of Hugh MacLeod and his diabolical cartoon riffs, you'll probably remember his now famous “If you talked to people the way advertising talked to people, they'd punch you in the face” line. I don't know that I've ever wanted to punch an advertiser in the face, but I recently got as close as I think I've ever been.
3 Questions to Kick-Start Your Web Content Strategy
by Steve Cunningham Monday Dec 28, 2009Whether you are a social media newbie or a social media expert, your single largest opportunity for success in 2010 will be to create a Web content strategy that generates traffic for you. Here are three easy questions you can ask yourself to kick-start that plan that you should answer well before you decide whether or not you need a Facebook Fan Page or what to do with your Twitter account. 1: What lies at the intersection of my passions and what my target market is interested in?
