Honest Conversation.com About Us

End Piracy, Not Liberty

2012-01-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

Imagine a world without free knowledge.

Practical Tip #1: You Cannot Do What I Have Failed To Do Here

2011-12-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

Do you see that gap?

Check the date from the last post to now. Yep, 8 months. Embarrassing!
Sometimes an honest conversation isn't pretty, but it has to be said.

So I'm making the commitment to posting daily with fresh, timely, practical, and honest conversations.

When you engage with customers and the world, you have to say something every day. After 12 years of marketing online, content is still king. It had better be timely and relevant, too.

Did you make a customer so happy that they told someone else about what happened? Did you start the conversation about making your product or service better? Did the conversation somehow improve the process of interacting with customers quicker, faster, better, more fun, or exciting?

That's the genesis of great content. They are the fundamentals of what you're trying to accomplish in your organization. In a networked, online world, producing that content is the new road to a business competitive advantage, or a transformation of someone's life.

What Google’s New Algorithm Means for SEO | Elance

2011-03-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

What Google’s New Algorithm Means for SEO | Elance

Required reading. Google isn't going to have another Vitaly Borker ruin their product, brand, and equity. And that's a good thing.

The Remote Hire Relationship

2011-03-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Talentzoo.com had an excellent article outlining Simple Strategies for Managing the Remote Hire Relationship. I was all ready to write a blog post about how we do this here at Honest Conversation.com. But I don't need to tell (and you don't have to listen) something akin to the Boy Scout Oath about doing this for you. You know what I mean... "On my honor, I will do my best, etc." Scouting is great (I once won a Pinewood Derby), but there's a better way to hire people - permanent or temporary.

Meghan Paul Molino used the following points to Managing the Remote Hire.
1. Decide Who You Need.
2. Be Strategic Where You Look.
3. Get to Know Your Prospective Hires.
4. Set Up Expectations In Advance.
5. Communicate Regularly.
6. Let the Relationship Evolve.

Read the article for her tactics - they are excellent.

I would add the following to her thoughts.

1. I keep one Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube account for both work and home. Yes, if you don't mind the occasional post about the Philadelphia Phillies or tremendous love of pizza or cheesesteaks, then I'm all the more willing to work with you in the long term.

2. Skype is awesome. I can screen share, capture, converse in real time. It's a remote hire's best friend.

3. Like Meghan mentioned, Coroflop and Krop are great for graphic design. I love Elance and ODesk for web design, social media, and technical writing. They're nice because the provider has to be proven and somewhat serious in applying for jobs. If the hire wants a W9, US only, and a full portfolio of work, I better have it and I better not cheat. These tools manage expectations and can set up work in milestone-based objectives.

I expect clients to not only consider my bids, but to check my work, Google me, and get to know me as a person.

Finally, as a remote hire, I don't go for the "big kill" anymore. Things change and life moves faster than ever. You never really know what the client will need tomorrow or three months from now. Many thanks to Meghan (I have no idea who she is...) for writing a comprehensive article.

We are now on Elance

2011-01-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

Today, HonestConversation.com joined Elance. We did this to provide a safe, trusted venue to provide our services to the world. If you'd like to visit our Elance page, click on the box to the left under Facebook.

If you are a company or entrepreneur looking to jump start a project, broaden your reach or just simply get things done, you will find that Elance offers a ready, willing and qualified workforce of over 316,000 professionals. You name it and Elancers will take it to the finish line—from writing code, crafting a marketing plan, designing your website, managing your day-to-day schedule and a thousand other projects. Elancers deliver quality results, on-time and often with a flourish. Get started here.

Eight Things to Look For When Hiring for the Web

2010-11-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

John McWade was the first desktop publisher in the world. He beta tested Aldus Pagemaker in 1985, and the rest is history. He recently had an excellent post on his blog called "Hiring A Designer? Eight Things To Look For." The same criterion fit for hiring anyone to improve your organization's web presence.

They are:

1. Passion, vision, and self-motivation.
2. An Understandable Vocabulary.
3. Inquisitive intelligence.
4. Good conceptual skills
5. A portfolio.
6. Total Projects - Websites, Social Media, Design, Print.
7. Real-world experience.
8. Production skills.

Visit the article for a deeper discussion about each one. It's time for an honest conversation. We don't take work that does not fit the first criteria. We must also share your passion and vision, first and foremost. If we do, I truly believe we can help any small to medium sized organization with #2 to #7 on this list.

Predicting the Future

2010-08-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

In the next few months, this blog will become a location for predicting the future. What does that have to do with marketing, you might ask? If you want to create the future for you and your organization, it will become more important than ever to understand what's coming around the corner.

One of my favorite videos on YouTube has been Peter Schiff taking a ton of verbal abuse for predicting the demise of the housing market and its implications for the rest of the economy. How did he get it right when so many others got it wrong? Why was that the case? As this blog grows, we will provide an interactive tool on an old idea - the case study - to see where decisions made by organizations have gone right and wrong.

Some time around 2003, the creation and implementation of web-based tools started transforming websites from advertising to creating a community of passionate users. At the same time, marketing has started to transform itself from an exercise of convincing the public through advertising, brand messaging, and broadcasting a single message to a networked, organic conversation between both user and creator and other users.

Many have blogged about this before. It's now at the point where customers are closer to the organization than ever before. Peter Kim, a long-time blogger and social enterprise entrepreneur, opined that it's time for business to transform about 18 months ago. What's happened since then? This idea has made its way to the opinion page of the Wall Street Journal this month. And they say change in Washington, DC is slow!

We agree it is time to transform, but this means we don't have to blow up every notion ever held about business. Business will always be business - we innovate and we build markets to sell what we innovate. But when we had to get blood out of stones to achieve ever-growing, never-retreating profits, we did it in a certain way. With the new tools we have over the web, business doesn't have to keep the same model of profit maximization anymore because there are social tools that create better products and services, incentivization models in place to reward creators, and social networks to market these efforts. Most importantly, there's plenty of profit to go around.

This blog will continue to watch each of those three things and we hope to have some fun with it in the near future. Stay tuned.

Making the Commitment

2010-08-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

In the next few weeks, I'll go through the process of certification from Google on Google Analytics and Google AdWords. I'm really looking forward to it.

Will keep you posted and will be happy to show off my shiny new official badge from Google on the home page.

Also, I wanted to state the following for the record. Honest Conversation.com does NOT focus on marketing that is known as shilling, stealth marketing, infiltration, or spam. We are a "white hat" search engine optimization (SEO) outfit.

Our Mission Statement

2010-08-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

I was having coffee the other day with a friend and, during the course of conversation, it dawned on me that what we do stands out from the vast majority of web design, marketing/public relations, and similar organizations. For lack of a better term, this is our "mantra" - why we do what we do.

We fundamentally believe the following:

1. Content is still the most powerful tool to have in your organization's interaction with the world. When learning about SEO a million moons ago, I was taught that "Content is king." It's still true today, now more than ever.

2. That content must convert others toward action. This generally means an accepted swipe of the card of choice. But when your customers have the means to tell the world about you, action now means positive word of mouth about your organization.

3. The converted are your best sources of driving value. Two reasons why. Honest referrals from your best customers bring in more business and achieve goals. Additionally, customers as trusted partners can help drive costs down.

This is what we do at Honest Conversation.com.

HTML5 and it's benefits

2010-08-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

Here at Honest Conversation, we help customers get their message out using the latest and most affordable means. This generally means leveraging the web for the highest return on investment.

We are making the commitment to delivering the value of HTML5 (the next major version of the HTML standard) to our websites as soon as it is finalized. Technology is cool and we are convinced that HTML5 is going to rock, too.

More importantly, from what I can tell, there will be very powerful ways to help bring in more business, deliver more value to customers, and generally achieve business objectives faster and with richer information thanks to HTML5.

All the Proof in One Report

2010-07-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

I get many more questions than answers regarding "word of mouth marketing." First and foremost is "How can you prove it works?"

John Bell, at the Digital Influence Mapping Project, lays out the scientific argument about social media and the future of marketing. His excellent post is here. Please download the full Red Paper, too, for further analysis.

Change is tough and, like Mr. Bell indicates, a dilemma. He also indicates that embracing this platform is not optional. We are in agreement.

PRESS RELEASE: Honest Convesation and Blue Suede Studios, LLC join forces

2010-07-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

HonestConversation.com and Blue Suede Studios, LLC have joined forces to provide high-quality, custom built websites and social networking outreach at affordable prices to micropreneurs, individual contractors, and small and medium sized businesses.

With a combined 20-plus years of experience, these two businesses provide organizations with a dedicated web/email server, domain name, logo (if needed), custom built pages updated at the owner's discretion, search engine optimization, and performance tracking via Google Analytics. Additionally, Honest Conversation and Blue Suede Studios provide an introduction to a full array of social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube. These tools can help to interact with existing and potential customers and have them become passionate advocates for your product, service, brand, or organization. As word of mouth continues to be the dominant medium of effective marketing communications, it is an engaged customer that provides the most value back to an organization.

Blue Suede Studios, LLC was created in 2005. Its founder, John Kubasko, has experience in print design, basic Flash animation, and multi-media development. He is also the owner and operator of Finishers Auto Detailing specialists, serving Phoenix, AZ. He graduated from the John L. Grove College of Business at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania with a BSBA in Human Resource Management and Public Administration. Mike Harmanos has owned Honest Conversation.com since 2006. He was an attendee of one of the first Word of Mouth Marketing Association's Basic Training Seminars in 2006. Mike graduated from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, and earned an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.

Additional information regarding HonestConversation.com and Blue Suede Studios can be found at HonestConversation.com or BlueSuedeStudios.com.

CONTACTS:
Mike Harmanos
949-351-5948
Mike@HonestConversation.com

John Kubasko
602-790-9069
John@BlueSuedeStudios.com

Samples of Our Work

2010-06-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

Not only are the following some of our clients, but I highly recommend their organization, mission, and their work.

Canopy Energy Consulting is a full service energy management solutions provider. They specialize in helping homeowner’s gauge their home’s efficiency by performing a comprehensive energy assessment, reduce their energy usage and save money on their utility bills through efficiency upgrades. Canopy’s holistic approach to energy efficiency provides you with the tools you need to successfully reduce your carbon footprint.

Canopy’s one on one approach sets it apart from the corporate environment of its competitors. Their effective five step process for energy reduction makes it easy and affordable for any homeowner to take advantage of energy saving technology. They walk customers through the complicated process of filing for rebates and securing low or even no interest financing where available. By working with a core network of licensed contractors, they can ensure the job is done right the first time. Canopy is led by James Matarese and would be happy to hear from you if you are interested.

Speaking of James, he is also the President of the Orange County Renewable Energy Society. OC Renewables is the local chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. The Chapter's primary focus is to increase the intelligent use of solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies in Orange County. Made up of industry professionals, renewable energy providers, municipalities, and concerned citizens, the Chapter promotes the commercialization of renewable energy in order to facilitate its use in our residences and commercial buildings.

OC renewables meets monthly at the Duck Club in Irvine, CA. Meetings consist of networking time and a speaker with a presentation about the latest news and trends in renewable energy. OC Renewables also has a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a LinkedIn group to keep members updated of the latest news.

Welcome!

2010-06-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

HonestConversation.com is a marketing consultancy based in Southern California.
Mike Harmanos is the principal of HonestConversation.com. Mike is a marketing professional with more than 10 years experience focused on customer relationship management and encouraging, facilitating, and amplifying marketing-relevant communication among customers.

Mike attended the Word of Mouth Marketing Association's Basic Training Conference in 2006, and is a member of the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization. Mike attended business school at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University from 2002 to 2004. He attended class full time and began consulting government, political, and private enterprise to improve their marketing campaigns and customer intimacy. Prior to his MBA, he worked for Congressman Paul Kanjorski as a Legislative Assistant in Washington, DC.