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I was recently at an event where I was waiting in line. For lunch. Not exactly the time I’m most enthusiastic to hear a sales pitch.

At the same time, the line was perched precariously close to an exhibitor booth, who was making the most of the opportunity by scanning everyone’s badge in line. I cringed, awaiting the inevitable.

When I reached the booth, I waved my hands in protest exclaiming that I only wanted lunch, and offered to talk with the exhibitor about their cool and valuable offering at some other point.

But that’s when I got the most unusual answer:

“Oh, I just need to get as many leads as possible.”

Me: “But… I’m not really interested in your service.”

“That’s okay. I just need to get as many leads as possible.”

BEEP! And so my badge was scanned.

And I got my lunch and promptly forgot about whoever it was at this booth and whether or not I’d ever hear from them again and especially not thinking that I would buy whatever product or service it was that they were selling.

And while I have no doubt that this person was under explicit orders to get as many “leads” as possible from this show, I can’t help but stare in wild bafflement about the perplexing logic it took to get to this place.

Now, instead of having a targeted list of real people that the exhibitor actually made a connection to and who might pan out to be great customers, they now have a gigantic list of people, most of whom aren’t interested, aren’t relevant, and to whom you’ll probably spam, jeopardizing the select legitimate leads you got in the process.

Yet, this thinking is everywhere. In traditional media, we expect it. It’s, in fact, the whole premise of old media (spam enough people and enough people will respond to make it worthwhile). But in so-called “new” media it is painfully evident and excrutiating.

For example, Jack Leblond excoriated several big companies’ email marketing campaigns for similar offenses to customer’s good sense and needs.

And Godin’s Meatball Sundae is all about the silliness of mixing old tactics with a new world.

And let’s not forget the legion of websites for agencies out there that trumpet themselves as new media and social media majesties with floofy slick graphics, poor on-page SEO and verbiage that truly makes you scratch your head and wonder, “what does a ‘world class leading-edge automated solution’ have to do with growing my business using the internet?”

A word for the wise: if you’re in the position of asking people for their contact information just for the point of having it, stop!

Go get lunch for yourself instead, and strike up a conversation in a person-to-person relationship. Talk to people who might be your customers and take off the sales pitch.

Figure out what people need, and then think about whether your product fits the bill. If so, now you know how to present it.

If not, all the “leads” in the world aren’t going to turn your business model around.

You have seen them. Empty, forgettable blogs just put up to beg for a comment, a digg, a stumble but not giving you much as the reader. You’re not going to Digg or Stumble it without an incentive, right?

Here are some suggestions to help your blog be remembered, subscribed to or shared:

Know what you are going to write before you start

Grab your reader’s attention. Have a powerful title and get to the point.Most people decide if they will read your post or not after reading the first sentence, if not just the title alone.

Don’t put something up just to have something up

A placeholder post is a total turn off.Say you found a remarkable post and subscribed to the blog because it really grabbed you - the next post or two after that are weak. Unsubscribe me please!

Consider Multiple Voices

How can every post you make be amazing? Consider multiple voices to your blog!

Write a post and then let another author contribute: a co-worker, maybe even your CEO. Just this week I was approached about writing a guest blog on someone else’s site. Cool idea? Maybe she was just having writers block!

Remember you are trying to have a conversation

Who enjoys egocentric blogs that are about the writer and don’t want anyone else’s opinion? They just want to bless you with their thoughts.

Of course you should share your expertise, but give readers something they can participate in.Ask a question. Ask for comments or for the readers thoughts and feedback. Your blog is a great way to build relationships with people and your company.

Get it out there!

Social Networking isn’t a one lane road. Share your work on other wavelengths. Email it to friend who you truly think would be interested in that piece. Post it on Facebook or Twitter

See a related blog? It could be appropriate to comment on someone else’s work and link back to your own. We find new blogs in hundreds of ways — make sure yours is accessible.

Those are just a few key points that I thought of. What did I leave out? What has helped you with your blog or what has held you back the most?

A huge thanks to Chris Brogan, who invited Fred down to the New Marketing Summit in Boston held October 13-14 (Twitter channel #nm08).

While juggling a thousand balls, answering tons of questions, being everywhere all the time and having an amazing attitude during it all, Chris stole a moment to chat with me about the conference and to answer a couple fun questions about social media.

The conference was a great time and stay tuned to SEO Audio for some clips from other speakers in the next few days!

SEO Audio: Chris Brogan at New Marketing Summit Boston

I grew up on Peaks Island, Maine. Peaks is a small island off the coast of Portland with an average population of about 800. Last week I spent the whole week on Martha’s Vineyard, and while larger than Peaks, it’s an island community all the same.

While on vacation I was thinking about small businesses and social networking (doesn’t everyone?).

On Peaks and the Vineyard there are lots of businesses working very successfully. These companies don’t have major ad campaigns, a blog or a Twitter account. What they do have is a good service that people like. Something different than what anyone else is doing. I bet if we did a case study of businesses on islands we would find out quickly that poorly run ones don’t last long.

Successful island businesses must be doing a few things right to stay alive. They:

• Provide a service that people need (or want).
• Have good customer service
• Are Transparent (How often do you not see the owner of the general store on an island working there?)

How does your business stack up to this?

• Are you providing a service people need? Or did you create a service or product and are now trying to find consumers to use it?
• What is your customer service like? What if that customer on the phone or in your inbox lived up the street from you and not 500 miles away? Would you treat them the same way?
• Do people know who you are? – I’m not saying make everything your business does public. But do you have a blog? Are you telling the truth in it? Are you reaching out to customers with Twitter? Don’t worry if people will think it’s silly. Worry that your customers won’t see you reaching out to them.

Could your business survive in an island community? There are thousands of things that make your business what it is today. This is just a pulse check that your core is rock solid too!