Social Media is Viable. Like it Or Not.

(this post is sparked from Jason Falls post on social media sustainability. Found here.)

When does a communication reach the point of being viable.. sustainable… business driven? If we look at some of the other mediums (radio and tv) you could say that the peak came when it was adopted by people as a worthy form of either entertainment or communication.

Social media is no different.

We can think of social media as a tool, a communication platform, or simply.. another bright, shiny object… but the truth remains that when millions upon millions of people adopt it as a form of communication..

The viability and sustainability of the medium becomes a reality..it has the potential to grow, to prosper, and to live.

We will continue to have years of grueling death matches between the business world and social media (the same thing happened with radio and tv). This is a fact. It is very apparent to me that people have a hard time adapting and changing when faced with a new thing… a paradigm shift.

The truth is going to be in how you adapted. How did you take your employees… your product… your company… and evolved to fit the changing landscape of customer communication on the web?

How are you going to use this new medium to drive business? Your customers are using it… isn’t it about time for you to step in?

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Number One Rule for Realtors Using Facebook

I stumbled across this video today (via Ribeezie) from CyberHomes. It is a simple (shockingly simple) video that describes the number one rule for realtors using Facebook.

Do not lead with advertising. Get to the heart of the individual. Let them know that you care about what they think. They could care less about a home offer, or a discount, or a new showing. They care about the person behind the message. Period.

Is Email Marketing Better than Social Media?

I was thrown into a conversation through the Understanding Marketing blog surrounding the concept of email marketing being better than social media… or vice versa.

I tend to agree with the editor over at Understanding Marketing when they say:

“So there’s a big conversation on which one is better. Here’s what I say – Who cares!? They both serve your audiences in their own way.”

I couldn’t agree more. There shouldn’t even be an argument over which medium is better. You should be using both mediums to develop your marketing strategy. Email has been successful over the years to drive valued buyers to a landing page, website, or phone. Social Media is used to build a brand, tell a story, and start a conversation.

They are two different mediums.. two different uses.. two different outcomes. If you are wanting an idea about how to combine the two mediums… Here is something to chew on:

1. Social Media is available to start building brand awareness around a specific product or service. It is also there to truly empower your employees and clients to talk about your company.

2. Email is the second tier of communication. Once a potential client buys into your conversation through social media.. Email can be there to deliver relevant and sales material to push the sales across.

These are just two uses for the HUGE mediums of email and social media. How do you combine both strategies?

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Business Is Always About Connecting

I was reading a post over at SmartBlog on Social Media and it had a quote by the Mzinga CEO Barry Libert:

“GM never thought of themselves of being in the business of connecting people, which is why they’re going bankrupt,”

Pretty valid thought if you ask me. Should all businesses be involved in connecting people with each other? Better yet… should businesses search for that lofty goal of connecting people who use their services to people who do not?

My opinion… Yes they should.

Business has always been about connecting. If you look back into history there has always been some type of connection between two people that created a company…

whether it was a deal that was signed or an idea sparked out of thin air.

The Internet has given way to a landslide of communication. You now have the ability to connect with every demographic on the face of the earth. What is your company doing to connect?

I am not going to sit here and say that the demise of GM was based around their inability to connect… but it is a valid point.

What are you going to do tomorrow to make it easier for customers and potential customers to connect?

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10 Tips to Build Trust with Social Media

In the new economy there is one major truth that stands above the rest. Trust equals revenue. If you are a small to mid-sized business it is the amount of trust you can build between clients that strengthens your brand.

With trust comes happy clients and with happy clients come referrals. Trust is a fundamental block of building business. Marketing is built under the assumption that stories can create an emotional bond between a consumer and a brand… a client and a service. Can you tell a story… create a service and en experience that builds trust?

Social media can help you build that trust.

1. Content

Content is the number one way you can build trust with potential clients. By creating meaningful and thought provoking content you are building a bridge to later sell that person on your services. Talk about what you do on a daily basis. When I  say you.. it means you are writing and communicating stories that happen to you on a daily basis.

2. Be Transparent

This can also pertain to content or how you use a specific social network. Be human. The people who are interested in your thoughts and suggestions want to know about you as a person. They could care less about a sale you are having or the amount of money you can cut off their bottom line. They want to know how you helped LARRY the plumber or Susan the account.

3. Picture of Your Day

When you are using social networks make sure you put up pictures of your daily life. If you have a cell phone with a camera takes some pictures of your daily routine and share them with your connections. Just don’t over do it. We can only look at so many professional business or glamor shots in a day.

4. Picture of You

Use your real picture. I don’t know how many times I have said this. Don’t use your logo. There is only one exception to this rule. If you are using Twitter for your business and personal (see my company @Brandswag for an example).

5. Saying Thank You

If somebody helps you share information or decideds to retweet a post.. make sure you thank that person. They are helping you spread the word… they are your online evangelists.. If you miss a thank you.. don’t let it kill you.. but try to make the most of the people that help you out.

6. Do Not Auto-DM on Twitter

See my post… I hate Twitter Auto-DM

7. No Hard Selling

I don’t care about your enewsletter or the new lotion you are selling. Also, just because I reply to a tweet or a message does not mean you can message me back and sell your wares. Social media is a long sell process. You are developing content in order to gain an order of trust with people in your area of influence. We are now experiencing a relationship driven economy… get on the train.

8. Time is Important

Remember that you are building relationships.. do not trust the people that tell you to add 1023920 friends and make $10,000 a month. It is a load of crap. Build your following slowly… create relationships in an online environment that can be transferred offline.

9. Criticism is Important

You will be criticized. It is a truth of open communication. Take it with stride and respond. If you are debated… make sure you debate back. Stand up for what you believe and you will gain trust with the people who are listening…. and watching.

10. Have fun

Good Lord… is it that hard? You have the ability to connect with thousands… and thousands… and thousands of people from every nationality… and life experience. Just imagine your ability to expand your knowledge base and learn?!

One thought: If you are not enjoying and having fun with what you do… quit… go find something else.

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A Brilliant Social Media Presentation

I stumbled across this presentation from Seth Goldstein on Slideshare while doing some research. This is something that is extremely well designed, informative, and fun.

Time Magazine Gets Owned by Social Media

And I thought I had seen it all… well… enough for my 24 years on this earth… apparently not.

I was reading an article at Mashable about the founder of a “legendary memebreeding forum” called 4Chan topping the Time’s 100 Most Influtential People Poll. I had to read the article twice. The person called “moot” is the founder of a website? A founder of a website beat out the likes of Rick Warren and Anwar Ibrahim? Say it ain’t so. 

What is hilarious is that the list was apparantly hacked by 4chan users in an attempt (successful attempt) to completely deface the Time 100 Poll. The surprising thing is not only did Moot win the poll but his followers also hacked away at the entire list. According to Mashable: 

“The vote is obviously hacked. Time’s attempts to fix the damage came too late, and the 4chan folks managed to put the encrypted message back into order (if you read the first letters of the first 21 names on the list, the message reads “Marblecake also the game”).”

The world is becoming smaller. One the most influential magazines in the world was infected by an anime/meme forum. Despite the fact that Time magazine built up defenses and put a captcha in place… it was too late to quell the amost 17 million votes for the 4chan founder. 

To be honest with you… the important lesson to be learned from all of this…

You can’t afford to ignore the Internet. It is NOW a part of life… our daily routine… for people, cultures, and clients. 

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Social Media Lab Developed to Help Interns and Biz

Thanks to my partner in crime at Brandswag, Brandon Coon, for sending me this article on a Social Media Lab in Oklahoma.

There is a company in Tulsa, OK that is taking the concept of marketing and education in social media and magnifying it by 1000%. Cubic , a creative marketing and advertising company, has developed a Social Media Lab that is dedicated to teaching young professionals and business owners the front and back of technology and social media.

Check out the article and read the background behind the idea from Cubic.

I like the idea of the Social Media Lab because we need (as a culture) to start helping the masses understand the concepts of social media technology and the Internet. It is important for the learning curve to start collapsing from all sides. I am glad that tech and new media companies are taking this upon their shoulders.

From SMASH to the Social Media Lab, education is going to be the leading focus of many social media and new media marketing firms in the near future.

What do you think about the Social Media Lab? Do you think it will work?

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Being Productive in Social Media Presentation

I have been meaning to get this up on my blog since Friday so here it is. This is the slidedeck from my presentation at the Fundraising 2.0 conference. By the way, I am still trying to figure out the quirks of Slideshare and synching with Powerpoint. I apologize in advance for anything that look a little off.

Social Media Can Help Your Business Be Remarkable

There is a constant theme in social media that defines the use of the tool in terms of marketing and communication… being remarkable. This concept was first started when Seth Godin wrote about it in his book Free Prize Inside and Purple Cow.  The whole concept of being remarkable is focusing on the customer who is “willing to make a remark about” your product or service. I wanted to take a look at the word remark because there is a lesson buried within this word-of-mouth marketing concept. 

re⋅mark (from dictionary.com) 
   /rɪˈmɑrk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ri-mahrk]
–verb (used with object)
1. to say casually, as in making a comment: Someone remarked that tomorrow would be a warm day.
2. to note; perceive; observe: I remarked a slight accent in her speech.
3. Obsolete. to mark distinctively.

Do you know what hit me? The third definition in the group above: to mark distinctively. Many people view the concept of a remark as a casual comment in passing. Unfortunately or fortunately… depending on your situation… it is important to remember that a remark is no longer casual. In a world where communication is doubling ever second (or so it seems) a casual remark can spread like wildfire. If you can build products and services that are remarkable…

… that people are talking about…

… that people love …

You can create a word-of-mouth campaign that will grow your business by leaps and bounds. The truth of the matter is this: if you are not being talked about in a positive light…You are doing something wrong. Seth has the tendency to ask, “Are you invisible? Or are you remarkable.” I am going to encourage all the business owners and marketing professionals of the world to do 5 things:

1. Love the product and service you sell and believe it can be Remarkable. 

2. Talk about what you do with excitement (drink caffeine if you have to).

3. Send surveys to make sure your product or service is staying remarkable.

4. Utilize a blog or forum to allow your customers to share the story (to remark on your story).

5. Believe in the concept of using social media as a HUGE communication tool. It is here to stay. 

Are you invisible or remarkable?

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