Social Media and the Homecoming Queen

Homecoming week is upon us and the honor of being chosen to represent one’s sorority or fraternity on homecoming court comes with great fun and great responsibility (but seriously. It does.) As I received my homecoming packet on when and where I am allowed to promote , I forgot all about the poster stipulations and turned to the internet for my main campaign.

Promptly at 5 pm Eastern Standard Time on the Sunday before homecoming, queen and king facebook campaigns were in full swing. Profile pictures were changed to promotional images of contestants, Facebook groups and events were made (and all of the college network was invited, of course). TwitPics were uploaded and status updates included Facebook tags with sayings such as “______ pities the fool who does not vote him for Homecoming King” and other Chuck Norris-like sayings. While I must say it is a bit odd to see 80 of my Facebook friends with my face as their profile picture, it proves a vital point: visibility is key, and what is more visible to a college student then a social media post?

With over 85% of college students on Facebook and other popular social media sites, the need to reach mass quantities in little time is met through postings, events, tags and more. However, an open profile can do more damage then intended. Feelings are hurt when the “not attending” button is checked, friends are divided when an opposing status is “liked” and wall-to-wall conversations can be read and interpreted to a meaning far from their own. Does bringing a friendly competition into the social media world cause more harm then good? The pros and cons are questionable on both ends, however the fact is here: social media is so integral into today’s collegiate experience that it is impossible for this competition to remain off the internet. Facebook has become the ultimate procrastination tool, StumbleUpon is often seen pulled up on a classmate’s screen in class, and Gordon Hayward was a trending topic on Twitter feed after his #9 draft pick to the Utah Jazz. Jobs can be found via LinkedIn connections, students are checking into academic buildings with Foursquare or Facebook Places, the list continues on and on.

So as my fellow Homecoming court participants and I continue our viral campaigns, we may not even acknowledge the fact that we are reaching more students quicker and with more information than ever before. Yes, we’re living in a digital age and yes, we know that social media has changed our communication methods. The truth lies in a simple event feature that Facebook offers: the “Invite all of the _______ network” button. One click separates us from a fan following. I may not be completely savvy yet on my marketing skills, but reaching over 1000 people instantly sounds pretty good to me.

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Steph Gray is a Senior Theatre-Arts Administration major and Public Relations minor at Butler University. She is a performer with Butler Theatre and heavily involved in her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. Interests include social media, audience development, Shakespeare and her family.

6 Ways to Get Noticed By People on Twitter

It’s been a year and a few days since I first joined Twitter. I admit to being one of those people who didn’t see the point of the platform. I thought it was useless. But I was intrigued and I was on a mission. I knew Twitter was up and coming and rapidly gaining in popularity. For that reason I chose to write my diploma thesis about Twitter as a tool for Relationship Marketing. It was a challenge to say the least. I’d never used the platform before. Hell, I didn’t even know ANYONE in the Marketing, PR or Social Media industry. And yet, I needed a minimum of 120 experts to take part in my survey. I needed them to share their knowledge and experience with me. Someone, no-one had ever heard of before.

I’m not going to lie to you. Being new to Twitter sucks because you need to build an audience that helps you spread the word. Preferably an audience that has a big audience themselves. You want to connect with people that have influence in your niche, that know what they are talking about and whose single Tweet can get you noticed by a lot of other people. All of this is intimidating. You’ll need to be interesting, humorous, provide quality content and not be afraid to approach people. It’s a lot to take in and a lot to handle for a Twitter newbie.

A year ago, I was a newbie. Now, 5000 something Tweets later, a great thesis and some wonderful connections in my bag I’m going to share with you what I would have loved to know a year ago. I’m not going to talk about how you need to provide quality content or Retweet others because there are a million posts telling you exactly that. What I am going to do is to give you some tips that will help you become a blip on the influencer’s radars. The people that do something awesome, are interesting, have a wide reach and know their stuff.

Approach people!

This one is really important because people are not going to come knocking on your door. You have to work for what you want. Say hi to people. Ask how they are. Provide them with quality content. Comment on their blogs. @message them on Twitter. Do not spam them. No-one likes to be spammed. It’s probably not going to work the first time or the second time or even the third time. It all takes time. Don’t give up. If I had given up I would have not finished my thesis. I would still sit here and wait and hope.

Big shot or not, people are people

It doesn’t matter how famous someone is. People are people. You’ll probably find it intimidating to approach the celebs of your niche. There’s no need to. They are human. Maybe with a bit more knowledge and a bit more $ in their bank account but they are human. Remember that.

Be yourself

There’s nothing worse than being approached by someone who isn’t authentic. Be true to yourself. There’s no need to be something you are not. Being yourself greatly increases your chances of being recognized.

Don’t rush things.

What would you say if a stranger knocked on your door and said, “Please help me build my house.” Would you say yes? I doubt it. If you want others to help you, you need to be patient. Relationships take time. In that respect, Twitter is no different to real life. It’s a give and take. If people start to get to know and like you, they will be more than willing to help.

Don’t be afraid to speak your mind.

Every person has an opinion. Most of us are just too afraid to speak their mind. There’s no harm in saying what you think as long as you pay attention to how you say it. If you read a blog post by someone that is “famous” but you don’t agree with it, say it. They are not going to bite your head off. If anything, they’ll be appreciative of your opinion. They hear all day long how awesome they are. As I said, people are people. Just because people are well known, doesn’t mean they know it all. They still learn from other human beings. Try to be one of those people they can learn from.

Sometimes, just ask!

People will surprise you. Asking never hurts. If you did all of the above and you still haven’t reached the goal you set out to achieve, ask them straight. What’s the worst that can happen? They say no or nothing at all. No-one gets hurt. But, you might just win the jackpot and they will say yes. You never know.

When trying to approach people that you feel intimidated by it’s important you grab the bull by its horns, as they say. The influencers won’t come looking for you. You need to go looking for them. You need to be worth their time. Twitter allows you to approach them. Now, go do it.

Today’s guest post is by Antonia Harler. Antonia recently graduated and holds a degree in Management, Communications & IT. She’s performed extensive research on how to best use Twitter for Relationship Marketing. For more information about her visit her blog www.socialglitz.com, follow her on Twitter (@antwizzel) or join her on Facebook www.facebook.com/socialglitz.

1 in 4 US Adults Use Mobile Applications

Smartphones aren’t just for the tech-savvy anymore. According to Mashable, 1 in 4 U.S. adults now use mobile applications. It is no secret that cell phone use has increased over the past couple of years. Currently, cellphones are losing steam while smartphone usage is more commonly the first choice in mobile phones. Smartphones can do more than connect you to the Internet. They provide the user with a variety of applications. Among the most popular apps are those that provide entertainment… surprising huh?

In a recent Pew Internet Project survey a national sample of 1,917 cell phone users were asked about cell phone applications. Of the 82% of adults today use cell phones with 43% of users with apps on their phones. It’s been understood that app users are younger and more aware of current technologies. This survey was able to confirm that app users tend to be younger, more educated, and more affluent.

Overall… application users still rank low when compared to other uses of cell phones. Only 29% of users have downloaded an application  while the highest percentage is at 76% of users taking pictures with cell phones. For those who do have applications on their phones, the average user has 18 applications.

Again, there is some uncertainty among cell phone users… particularly older cell phone users… about what software they have on their phones.  Fully 18% of cell phone users with apps on their phones do not know how many they have.  That figure doubles to 36% among cell phone users age 50 and older.

Finally, the survey showed that there is still some uncertainty among older cell phone users. The uncertainty is in what software they actually have on their phones. 18% of cell phone users with apps  on their phones do not know how many they actually have or what they do. When considering cell phone users over 50 that percentage doubles to 36%.

Finding Human Desire in Marketing

What do all marketers strive for when creating a campaign? Is it a creative ad? Of course.
Is it a funny jingle? Sometimes.
Is it a memorable moment? They try.

We (marketers) live and breathe for the opportunity to create a campaign that will move people. It is moving the consumer to action through an emotional drive that drags us out of bed in the morning. We strive to reach that point of peaking human desire.

Meeting with clients and potential clients today I was moved by their desire and pure drive for their companies to succeed. They were thrilled with the concept of creating a campaign that drove to the base of human emotion.. something that thrilled to the point of action… something that told a story.

I am talking about a stimulus that moves beyond the point of action and secures an individual as a loyal customer. Loyalty is (by far) an overused word but it is the essence of creating loyalty that builds human emotion in a brand.

Tools like Facebook and Twitter in the world of Social media bring a new platform that encourages the pursuit of that emotional campaign. In all honesty it IS THE PLATFORM to create this thrill.

There is no other medium on earth that allows for the human connection quite like social media or even the Internet. You can drive evangelists of your product to bring others to your door in a fraction of a second.You can encourage individuals all over the world to communicate and help… make.. your service or product better.

How are you encouraging communication between current and potential clients? Isn’t it about time to start?

A Definition of Social Media Marketing in the Security Industry

Damon Paine is Internationally qualified and experienced Executive Protection operative and security Risk Manager. Follow him on Twitter @safarprotection and check out the website www.safarprotection.com

Social Media Marketing:

In my line of work it’s a bit hard to actively market yourself without coming across as a shameless self promoter. There is also the problem of privacy with most our clients requiring mutual confidentiality agreements or just not wishing their lives or actions publicised.  So as to ensure future professional relationships we take privacy seriously however, now and then we are given permission to use client’s images or information to help promote our services. My only foray prior into social media was a personal myspace and facebook account I used to keep in touch with colleagues, and occasionally check out how much weight classmate’s had gained since graduation.  Having developed a website over twelve months earlier, I was still struggling with the concept of SEO and promotion our services without spending excessive amounts of capital. Although I could see the potential returns my business partner had a convincing argument stating “We had not yet received any income from our site”. Thus I could understand his reluctance to invest any more resources to the company’s website.

I came across Kyle Lacy’s Twitter Marketing for Dummies whilst on an assignment protecting clients throughout India. I had until then dismissed twitter as anything more than another fad that people with too much time on their hands would take notice of. However as I was contemplating purchasing the book my clients were sitting in the Airport lounge letting their thousands of followers know how their trip was progressing. Kyle’s writing style was relaxed and on the money with his book supplying me with the tools to start marketing my website and services myself. I linked my twitter account to a facebook page and began to start writing blogs.

It’s been a little over two weeks, four posts, fifty one tweets and over two hundred unique visitors to my site. All this for the cost of the book and 20 minutes a night either writing, tweeting or re reading highlighted sections of my now marketing bible.  Not only is it free and starting to show measurable results in website traffic, I now am able to easily follow industry leaders in my field.  In parting I would like to highlight that by using social media to market my services like twitter and facebook I am now exposed to experts in the field of social media. Their tweets, blog and words of advice provide me with new ideas to continue on this path of non traditional marketing to a worldwide audience.

Why Aren’t We Serious About Social Media?

Companies… if tuned in… are aware of the existence or need for social media. However, many don’t exactly know where to start or what to do. So instead of getting the best use out of the tool (and implementing a strategy) they makes excuses like “its annoying” and ignore the existence… doubting the endless possibilities for promotion and customer service. Then on the other end of the spectrum they hold social media on a pedestal thinking it will solve all their problems. Both ways of thinking are wrong. Lets address these two sides separately.

1. Social media is a quick fix

You should never think of social media as a quick fix solution. For one… social media is a tool to be used for an objective of an overall goal (be it marketing, PR, or customer service). There is no quick fix in life so what makes social media any different? In order to be successful in any… especially with social media… you must be patient. The pyramids weren’t built in a day and your social media goals won’t be met after a day of implementation. Yes, social media goals. When embarking in the world of social media it’s important to have a plan or strategy in mind. It is also important that the said plan integrates completely with your overall marketing plan. Don’t create accounts just to do it and then expect something from it. Think of social media as a relationship you must nurture… in order to experience maturity and development. Social media is not the answer to all your problems it’s simply a tool to be used among many.

2. Social media is annoying

It’s annoying? Sure, it can be. Especially if you have no control over it. The more energy you spend trying to understand and benefit from social media the less annoying it becomes. Think of social media as a younger sibling. Yes, your annoyed but you grow to like and love that pestering little kid. Quit fighting it and figure it out. I’m not saying it’s right for you or your business but I’m saying you should give it a chance. You shouldn’t dismiss something especially something with this much backing until you fully understand what it is.

Now that your embracing it (I hope) don’t take it all on your own or it will become annoying and overwhelming. Divide the task load up. Manage and prioritize your time online. In order to get the most out of a social media plan then you can’t  be the only one who’s reading, writing, engaging, monitoring, tracking…the list goes on. Just don’t try and take on too much at one time. Stay committed to developing and building your brand on social media. Don’t give up too quickly. Finally,it’s not supposed to be a quick fix solution so have fun and a little faith doesn’t hurt.

What Type of Twitter User Are You?

After reading Chris Brogan’s 50 Power Twitter Tips I started really thinking about how people are using Twitter. The tips are insightful and should be read by everyone who using, thinking about using, and obsession over Twitter. While most of the tips Chris covers are included in my book, Twitter Marketing for Dummies, it is important to point out a few more things and maybe… ask some questions!

Below are questions outlining the ways that you use Twitter….Choose the answer that best fits you

1. While on Twitter you click every link that interests you
A. For the most part
B. When Bored
C. If it pertains to my work
D. I’d rather retweet then actually read it

2. Twitter is where I go to vent in under 140 characters
A. Only if pertains something other then myself such as news
B.I typically hold nothing back
C. Not usually
D. I guess

3. I find the majority of my current news on:
A. Twitter or other social sites
B.Sometimes Twitter, wherever
C. I check it but it’s not my only source
D. If I’m on Twitter I’ll read what’s going on

4. I found out about Twitter from:
A. A reliable source
B. I wrote the book
C. My boss
D. My best friend

Which Twitter category fits you the best?

A. Informative
B. Personal
C. Business
D. Bandwagoner

All or Mostly A’s- You are an Informant. It’s good to gather and share news on Twitter. However, if that’s all your doing then your missing the action. Yes, Twitter is a great source for news but it’s also a great place share your own news. You can also connect with other people who share your interests, business ideas and more. Don’t be short sighted!

All or Mostly B’s-You are Twitter for your own Personal reasons. Cool. Let’s get one thing straight. People don’t want to follow someone who only talks about themselves. Also be sure to understand the power that Twitter can have for your business purposes. Although your account is for personal reasons you can still share and contribute for your business goals. Remember whatever you are posting is how people (who don’t know) will view you.

All or Mostly  C’s- You are on Twitter for Business. Whether for yourself or for your boss. It’s good to be using Twitter for business but be sure you are engaging with your followers. It’s more important to share others information more than your own. Self promotion is boring. Also, people like interacting with people. They want to get to know the people behind the business. (plus spamming is obnoxious and will be ignored)

All or Mostly D’s- So you jumped on the Bandwagon?  You are only on Twitter because everyone else is. You are rarely on and have little to contribute. Let’s face it you sometimes forget you even have an account. I’m not dogging you here but don’t just join Twitter because everyone else has. Think about some creative ways to really use Twitter for your benefit. You never know you may have some really great ideas!

11 Ways to Use LinkedIn’s New Company Follow Feature

LinkedIn deserves a big “Thank you” from its millions of users with its new Company Follow feature. This feature lends itself to a multitude of tasks such as finding those coveted job openings, company developments and opportunities all which are current with the growing rate of companies using LinkedIn. So “Thank You” we all needed a little motivation and push toward the right direction.

Company Follow is beneficial for the Jobseeker in many ways. You can be among the first to know about the companies you follow in ways that benefit you. For instance, when employees, leave a company, join, are promoted and when a company is advertising a job oppurtunity through LinkedIn. All of these notifications can be delivered by email daily, weekly or whichever frequency you need. Get the most out of LinkedIn by taking advantage of the Company Follow feature.

Jobseekers
1.Be selective of the companies you follow. It’s imperative to follow companies where you will be of greatest value and that have a good reputation.
3.Discover what hidden jobs these companies may have by staying current its news.
4.Who’s coming and going? Find out what jobs are opening or closing and why.
5.Promotions. A friendly congratualtions to an employee receiving a promotion can garner itself into a beneficail networking relationship
6. Know what “Top Dogs” have joined with the company. By knowing what Executives or Senior Managers have joined you can insight into what the company is doing, accomplishing, or needing, which could be window of oppurtunity.

Companies use LinkedIn for various ways such as building a community, gaining new talent, or watching its competition. The Company Follow feature will ensure greater success for using LinkedIn to it’s fullest potential.

Companies
1. A new stream of followers and potential employee oppurtuinity can be built. There is no restriction on the amount of companies a person can follow allowing a followers to build.
2. Pay attention to the competition. If anyone can follow you so can any company so know who is paying attention to you.
3. They said what? Know what the conversations surrounding your business are whether you like it or not. It’s better to know than not.
4. Keep your employees happy. By following your competitors you will know if they are in need of someone who could be found in your company. This provides you with an unique oppurtuinity to keep your employees happy in ways that matter most.
5. Follow freely. You won’t be blocked so follow your competitor to protect your company and find ,if needed, new employees.

Hey Execs: It’s Time to Embrace Social

I had the pleasure of contributing content to an excellent report released yesterday by email/direct marketing company, ExactTarget. The report is called Letters to the C-Suite: Getting Serious About Social Media. Here is the breakdown:

You know social media is a big deal and that you brand should be engaged. But you still find yourself questioning how to monetize social media and where it fits with your other marketing activities. Sound familiar? Here is what is covered:

1. The importance of planning and implementing a social media strategy

2. How to build stronger customer relationships using social media outlets
3. Operationalization of social media marketing and how it directly impacts your bottom line
4. The value of social media testing and optimization efforts

I was joined by eleven other consultants in the report. Please check out their sites and join in the conversation:

Jay Baer – Convince and Convert

David Baker – Razorfish

Sergio Balegno - MarketingSherpa

Olivier Blanchard – The Brand Builder

Jason Falls – Social Media Explorer

Ann Handley – MarketingProfs

Joseph Jaffe - Powered/Flip the Funnel

Valeria Maltoni – Conversation Agent

Shelly Palmer - Advanced Media Ventures Group

Trey Pennington – Spitball Marketing

Jeffrey K. Rohrs – ExactTarget

It is all about navigating through the wonderful world of social media. If you would like to download the report please click the follow link and enjoy > Letters to the C-Suite: Getting Serious About Social Media.

Social Media for Lead Generation? Maybe Not

I came to a conclusion about lead generation and customer service while I was reading through “The State of Small Business Report” from Network Solutions and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. The report focuses on the development of small business and a section of the report talked about social media adoption. Social media adoption has actually doubled for small business over 2009 from 12% to 24%. However, that is not the interesting stat.

Based on the performance of Social Media image to the left it was rare when social media actually met the expectations of the business owner. This could be chalked up to higher expectations but there is an interesting dynamic that I recognized in the stats. The one stat that actually received higher than expected results was the collaborating more externally with vendors and customers.

This further supports thoughts I have had with Jason Baer and Brandon Prebynski... we talked about the concept of people laughing about social media being used for lead generation. The true value of social media is ingrained in communication through stories and customer service. We are talking about a communication medium where sharing, customer retention, and customer communication are absolutely… positively… king.

This also supports the concept of enterprise systems developing more social capabilities in the software helping corporate cultures market and communicate. Every facet of customer communication needs to be looking towards social as another way to speak values across a subset of people.

It is hard to imagine a world where every social media consultant is NOT talking about lead generation. However, we may be experiencing another shift in the way we look at social media.

By the way… small business is still increasing spending in social media. Let the games begin.