I missed Friday's post, because of my birthday. I didn't make any official plans. I decided to play it by ear and see what I could find with social media, direct mail and anything else marketers tried to tempt me with.

Friday
My birthday was actually Saturday, October 22, but my wife convinced me to make a weekend of it. I checked in at Foursquare. P.F. Chang's had a Happy Hour free Dim Sum deal – yum (Sorry, Red Robin). Then I checked my email and saw an email blast from Famous Dave's for a free birthday meal. The free rack of ribs won. Forget my diet (I'll workout an extra hour) and don't tell my doctor. Besides, everything is calorie and cholesterol free on your birthday. (And don't worry P.F., I'll be a candidate for Mayor soon.)

Saturday
Got an email blast from Fusicology Chicago. There's an Octoberfest Blues Concert at Kingston Mines so I booked a couple of tickets on my phone. That night I checked in via Foursquare. There were no special deals, but I got well-wishes from others who checked in, beer and a signed copy of the band's CD. Big James and the Chicago Playboys were jammin', by the way.

Sunday
Something told me to look at Yelp. There was a deal – $20 for $40 worth of food at Fonda Isabel, a local Mexican restaurant. That deal is the equivalent of another free meal. Grabbed it. At the restaurant, I checked in again at Yelp and a free entree deal popped up on my phone. I know where I'm eating next weekend.

Checked email from Chicago Metromix and saw Wallace Roney was playing at Jazz Showcase and caught the 10 pm set. Great show.

When it comes to direct mail, deals of the day, CRM –  timing is everything. Remember, this is an audience that opts in and wants you to communicate with them. So treat them well by:

• Knowing your audience (birthdays and interests - jazz and blues, in my case)
• Not flooding them with communication. Send too much and you get drowned out.
• Communicating regularly. Don't bombard them with messages, but keep a conversation going to stay top of mind.
• Creating mobile communication. Offer communication people can take with them and see on the run. (You'd be surprised how often that gets left out.)