posted by Kevin

Feb 01, 2012 @ 11:16am

Consider Your Audience

My mom recently told me a story about one of her 4th grade students interrupting class to ask about a picture of her on Facebook. Other students immediately chimed in as well, revealing their extensive knowledge of her family, where she went on summer vacation, what she did on her birthday last week, her favorite inspirational quote, and so on and so forth. Her profile — which she thought was set to private and could only be viewed by friends — was Facebook-stalked by a bunch of 10-year-olds with nothing better to do.

It’s scary to me how easy it is to make our personal lives public in today’s digital world. We market and brand ourselves daily via social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook without truly considering our audience. With over 400 million people connecting to Facebook every day, we now have the chance to share our personal lives and opinions with an audience 10x greater than the one President Barack Obama had for his recent State of the Union address. These onlookers could include anyone from your grandmother to your future boss to your creepy next door neighbor who strolls to the mailbox every morning wearing nothing but a bath robe, so it’s comforting to know that there are options available to minimize how much of our lives we share online.

However, the method of securing our privacy through these social networking sites is constantly changing: either being made simpler for the sake of clarity or more intricate for a more personal approach to your privacy. While it is beneficial for companies to update their policies for the sake of the user, it can often lead to consumer confusion in the process. For example, I helped my mom update her Facebook settings and found the new options far too verbose and confusing. By the time I’d finished, I wasn’t even positive that I’d checked the right options.

Google recently updated their privacy policy by getting rid of 60 different policies and combining them into one that is more concise and easy to understand. Perhaps some day other companies will follow suit. But until that happens, I think we should all take another look at the information we are sharing with the world — literally, the world.

To see just how much the internet has invaded your personal life, click here and type in your name and city.

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posted by Cathy

Aug 18, 2011 @ 7:00am

10 lessons from Social Crush, Day 2, Part 1

It is the grand gift of a new communication paradigm that has left many of us feeling overwhelmed rather than in-the-digital-know. Starting tomorrow, and every morning following, ask yourself:

What is it that we can stop doing?

Repeat with me so I will know you heard correctly:

What is it that we can stop doing?

According to Kipp Bodnar from Hubspot, a presenter who knows a thing or two about magnetic content, it goes like this:

Experiment. Track. Then STOP (if it is not working), or DO MORE (if it is working).

the gospel according to Kipp

Does this rock your world the way it does mine? I can’t remember a single time in any aspect of my life, personal or professional, when I was encouraged to just give something a try to see what happened, knowing full well I had permission to simply STOP if things didn’t work out as I planned. This concept (is that even the right word?) is truly a game-changer, and I believe it will impact the way we create, innovate and evaluate across a broad business — if not cultural — spectrum.

Needless to say, it is the biggest Day Two takeaway for me from Social Crush, an incredible, all-encompassing seminar held this week in famously hot Columbia, South Carolina. Here are a few more:

2.  People don’t like to be marketed to. They like to have their problems solved.

3.  Kipp’s Formula for Success (and I believe anything he says)

  • Get the basics right
  • Maximize content discovery
  • Create conversion ubiquity
  • Test and fail fast
  • Optimize for maximum leads

4.  Ebooks and webinars rock.

5. You can get it done 15 minutes a day. (Okay, maybe I don’t believe everything he says.) But here goes:

  • 5 minutes Twitter/Facebook
  • 5 minutes LinkedIn answers/groups
  • 5 minutes Google alerts

Remember, monitor, then spend time where it is working!

6. You must have a schedule for what you are going to publish.

7. You can never publish too much stuff if your content is good.

8. Make it clear what you want your reader to do. Make it clear if you stand six feet away from the computer.

a lot of good stuff in here

9. It’s important to have a rhythm to your posts.

10. The web compounds over time, just like a 401(k). The results are exponential. Keep at it.

So that was just Kipp’s presentation, and there were three following it, including great tips on legal, SEO, new tools, blogging and more. Another day, another post.

Until then.

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posted by Cathy

Aug 16, 2011 @ 10:25pm

13 lessons from Social Crush, Day One

the crowd at Social Crush Columbia

Here’s the crazy thing. My biggest takeaway from Day One of this large and impressive social media conference, called Social Crush, is such a simple thought:

Listen. And respond.

We already knew that, didn’t we? And yet how easy it is to forget.

It’s like going to a cocktail party and feeling out of place. You get a little nervous, and before you know it, to be charming and interesting, you start blabbering on and on and on about Every Little Thing You’ve Ever Done and the stranger in front of you nods mechanically and quickly makes a move for the cold hors d’oeuvres.

Listen.

Do you know who you are talking to? What do they care about?

And respond.

Where do your interests overlap? How can you make a connection?

We need more creative farmers, it's true

I made a note in my very fabulous We Need More Creative Farmers sketchbook, made ‘specially for me by my friend and former art director Larry Thacker.  (I interviewed him when he was a young VCU grad just because I liked his name. Seriously.) Anyway, I made a note with a big ol’ star to remind me every time I find myself in social media the-toolbox-keeps-expanding overload: (whew) Just listen. And respond.

Here are the other Big Takeaways for me.

2. There’s a difference between being a social brand (one person’s job) and a social business (5 percent of everyone’s job). ~ Thanks Tim Moore

3. An advocate is someone who talks about your brand when you’re not listening. ~ Tim Moore, again

4. Offer real value. And use Farmer English. ~  Thanks Ty Downing

5. Follow local influencers. And wear great shoes. ~ Victoria Harres

6. Promote other people in ways that don’t benefit you.  ~ Victoria, again

7. Humanize the brand. (There is so much to say about this! Another post, another day.) ~ Victoria

8. Inspect your audience, and your content, frequently.  ~ Victoria

9. Work the phrase “That would be hot!” into my presentations/client conversations. (Oops. That was a note to myself. Just liked it. Tim? Ty? Skeeter? Kip? Not sure.)

10. There is no control in social media. There is only training. ~ Mike Brito

11. To coordinate your efforts, have a hub and spoke model. ~ Brito

12. The platform doesn’t matter. The content does. ~ Glen Gilmore

13. (on the future of social) Keep your eyes on the customer and understand their behaviors. You’ll be fine. ~ Brito

Looking forward to Day Two.

*Editor’s note: There was so much smartness flying so fast around the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center that some, or all, of the comment credits in this post may be wrong. The author accepts full responsibility for such matters and begs the forgiveness of any offended party. Particularly @glengilmore.

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posted by Apprentices

Jun 28, 2011 @ 3:00pm

Moe’s and Social Media: The Fast-Casual Options

Working with our client, Moe’s Southwest Grill, has helped convert me into a social media believer. Moe’s has a very distinct brand identity. Their messaging is very tongue-in-cheek, pop culture affluent and slightly irreverent. They remain popular with the school-age crowd, but are tailor-made for families with young mothers, who appreciate the fun while keeping it family friendly. All of this means social media is the perfect avenue for Moe’s to communicate with its customer base. Social media is decidedly informal and playful, and lends itself to instantaneity.

We help keep Moe’s highly active on the social media front, posting witty (well, depending on who you ask), timely updates not just for the purpose of advertising a daily special or promotion, but to stay top of mind and engaged with our audience. Customers typically respond very well. In Columbia, we’ve cultivated a fan base of nearly 13,000 followers, many who respond to our posts and proclaim their affection for the Moe’s brand. It makes sense: the young, social-media affluent, typical Facebook and Twitter user falls in line precisely with the Moe’s customer base. It’s a match made in heaven. And when something does interrupt the love-fest—say an unpleasant dining experience or an unredeemed coupon—we can receive feedback, pass it along to store managers, and remedy the situation at the blink of an eye, a speed only accessible with social media. No need for customer complaint cards, 1-800 hotlines or formal corporate responses. We acknowledge the error, fix it at once and compensate the affected party for their trouble.

While Facebook and Twitter fit Moe’s like a glove, social media is not the most suitable means of communication for all brands. I see car dealership commercials lately encouraging viewers, “Follow us on Twitter!” or, “Like us on Facebook!” I appreciate the effort to get with the times, but buying lunch and financing a car are two different things entirely, requiring completely separate levels of seriousness. Facebook has never been admired for its formality. A brand selling big-ticket items needs to acknowledge this truth and realize Facebook and Twitter do not lend the necessary gravity their services require. To these brands I recommend: stick to traditional media. But to those existing in a more playful market niche: embrace social media. It is not a trend or passing fad. It is the principal tool of the new consumer—informed, empowered and opinionated—and it will serve you well as a means of engaging your customer base for years to come.

–Pete Anderson

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posted by Apprentices

Jun 16, 2011 @ 1:56pm

Social Strategy: Make Yourself Useful

Last month, I jetted off to the West coast to explore Portland for a long weekend. I didn’t stay at a hotel. Instead, I rented my accommodations from Airbnb, an online service that allows regular individuals to rent their private residences to travelers. There are a number of reasons to choose Airbnb over a traditional hotel when traveling, but here’s the most appealing to me: its innately social nature makes traveling a totally different experience.

The experience varies with the host, but generally, Airbnb hosts (and guests) are interested in sharing highly personalized recommendations. In Portland, I got to stay in the heart of the city, with people who know the city intimately. They pointed us to the best food trucks in town, gave us an insider’s tour of the Oregon coast, and chatted with us over locally roasted espresso. It was a pretty perfect introduction to Airbnb. I’d recommend both my Portland host and Airbnb to my friends. But let’s say a casual college acquaintance of mine decides to visit Portland next year. I probably won’t even know she’s going, so I won’t be able to tell her where to stay in Portland. Enter Airbnb’s latest smart decision: Airbnb Social Connections.

Now, when you browse Airbnb, you can choose to link your Facebook profile to Airbnb search. Instantly, Airbnb will generate a list of accommodations that are personally connected to you. You can view fascinating connections like hosts who are friends of your friends, places your friends have stayed, or people who attended your alma mater. I linked my profile and found the results amazing. I was connected to people I have never met in Barcelona, San Francisco, and more—all via my real life Facebook friends. Genius.

This was a brilliant move by Airbnb because, most importantly, it adds a layer of trust to the search for accommodations, an element that’s missing for first-timers. But more than just putting wary travelers at ease, Social Connections was a good decision because it’s social in all the right ways. Rather than just yammering about themselves on Twitter or Facebook, Airbnb’s social strategy focuses on the people who are actually using their brand.

Integrating Facebook to Airbnb search is smart marketing because it quietly encourages people to travel more while raising Airbnb brand awareness. However, what makes Social Connections so great is that it actually benefits consumers. It’s a social networking function that makes using Airbnb easier. And when your social strategy is about making people better at something they want to be better at, you’re headed in a good direction. If you want to build a strong social network of brand champions, stop focusing on the latest gimmicks to attract more followers. Instead, ask yourself: how can our brand add value to our fans’ lives? Then get busy on that.

Airbnb, you’re doing it right. Let’s all take notes.

 

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posted by Apprentices

May 10, 2011 @ 4:29pm

The Magic Happens in the Audience

Over a recent lunch with my coworkers, the subject of social media came up. Since we’re all young enough to be classified as digital natives, I was surprised to find they were somewhat disillusioned with social media. “Most of it feels like someone sat down, wrote a bunch of stuff, fired it off, and hoped someone would ‘Like’ it,” one coworker said.

I know what he means. In this world of likes and followers, it’s easy to focus your efforts on numbers. You can measure network growth and plot it neatly in a spreadsheet. Sure, gaining fans and followers is validating. “Look, they like us!”  But before you grab your megaphone and starting broadcasting marketing copy (nicely packaged in 140 characters), consider this: what is the value of your social network? If you have 5,000 Facebook fans or 500 Twitter followers, but they remain largely unengaged (they only liked you for that free pizza deal anyway), your social success is over-valued.

Scrolling through my personal Twitter stream a few days ago, I stumbled across this little gem from the always-smart Seth Simonds:

He reminded me what makes social media magical. It’s not the fact that it’s free, or that it’s “easy” (hah), or that it’s a fantastic tool for reaching a lot of people in real-time. Social media is powerful because it’s interactive. It moves brands from monologue to conversation. New Economy Consumers—especially members of the Millennial generation—expect brands to be authentic. So stop churning out marketing copy. Brands are like people, complete with individual personalities, voice, and habits of expression. Give your audience a chance to get to know you by getting to know them.

You don’t develop real life relationships by rattling off a rote stream of information about yourself. You strengthen your connection over time, through a steady exchange of ideas. When you’re building relationships with people, you pay attention to them. You ask them questions. You talk to them about things they find interesting or meaningful. You listen. You make yourself available. This is the definition of a great social strategy.

Bowers & Wilkins, maker of quality home theater, hi-fi, and personal audio products, recently jumped into the deep blue waters of Twitter as @BWNorthAmerica. To build their network, they’re currently running a giveaway, requiring Twitter users to respond to a question and include “@BWNorthAmerica” in their tweet. This is a pretty standard strategy for launching a social network, but here’s what makes them different and delightful: They’re asking people “What are you listening to right now?”, and when they get a response, they follow up with another question, a personalized recommendation, or a thoughtful remark. They’re communicating authentic interest in the people who are talking to them. You can check out the conversation over here.

Back to those 5,000 pizza-lovin’ Facebook fans. What is their favorite kind of pizza? Maybe you should ask them. And then tell them yours.

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posted by Cathy

Sep 03, 2009 @ 9:26am

The Power of Connection

Sixth in a series analyzing seven new economy trends

According to Forrester Research, only 6 percent of American consumers agree with the statement: “Companies generally tell the truth in advertising.” No wonder Word of Mouth (in its many forms) has become the marketing rage of the recession.

Word of Mouth marketing, or WOM, is made up of countless subcategories that include viral, social, grassroots, cause, buzz, product seeding, and insider (or influencer) programs. A key tenant of WOM is that content or commentary is generated by the consumer rather than the marketer, thus the perception that the information that is shared is more credible. That information is shared consumer-to-consumer or consumer-to-marketer.

It goes without saying (so why do I feel the need to say it?) that WOM works for you, or your organization, when you offer something people want to talk about. The more “talkable,” the faster communications will spread. By its very nature, the great power in WOM is the fact that it is exponential; i.e., I told two friends, who told two friends, who told two friends… . Keep this strategy in mind as you build your communications program, and add WOM components to it.

Start here: To whom are you talking? (It’s an ages-old consideration.)

But then things take a bit of a new turn. With whom does he/she congregate? Where? What is it that links them? What is the basis for their shared interest? What do they talk about? What do they do?

Of course, many of these new communities are digital, so opportunities to intersect are endless. Just be sure you intersect with something that is “talkable,” and provide tools that make it easy for them to share their opinions. Then motivate your advocates to spread the word.

There is a new frontier out there, and it is fueled by interesting conversation. Go bravely toward it.

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