Posted in blogging, small business, social media

1 comment

1/04 2009

Nominate My Friend Brad Ward at SquaredPeg

Social media is about collaboration right? I love reading and collaborating on different ideas with Brad Ward. He has a higher-ed blog called Squaredpeg and it has excellent information about using social media with the higher-ed of the world.

He is running for the eduStyle Award for the best Higher-ed blog on the market. I vote Brad and you should too.

Why? He has some excellent Facebook research on admission department marketing and he speaks all over the nation about social media marketing and higher-ed.

Plain and simple. He is the man. Follow the link and vote!

Vote for SquaredPeg

Hashtag social media launches (directmarketingobservations.com)
Social Media 2009 = Search 2002 – ClickZ (tsurch.com)
10 reasons why the Unpanel worked. (directmarketingobservations.com)
8 Reasons Why We Love Social Media (futurelab.net)
Facebook: “Class of 2013″ Scandal Is Unfolding (montysmegamarketing.com)

Posted in Gen y, baby boomer, blogging, social media

14 comments

27/03 2009

Is Gen Y Going to Leave Facebook?

I “grew” up on Facebook. It is true.

My sophomore year of college is when Facebook hit the campus of Anderson University like a firestorm. Everyone was joining talking about the internal messaging and laughing at the pictures being posted over the first couple of months. It was the epitome of a 24/7 party but online.

Gen Y (millennial) have ruled Facebook for the last couple of years but that is changing… rapidly. Online Media Daily describes the changing tide of demographics on the social media powerhouse:

“Facebook is aging fast. The number of U.S. users over 35 has doubled in just the last 60 days, according to new data from Inside Facebook.”

Baby Boomers are also taking advantage of Facebook… rapidly. What is a Gen Y to do?

I have been having multiple conversations lately about the generation clash that is about to happen on Facebook. With parents and family members joining the social network I believe we are going to see a shift in younger users moving on to other platforms. Maybe.

It is debateable. Can the Gen Y users get comfortable with their mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles joining THEIR network?

What do you think?

Boomers Flock to Facebook (boomercafe.com)
Micro Persuasion: Social Networking Demographics: Boomers Jump In, Gen Y Plateaus (tsurch.com)
How Baby Boomers Use Social Media (web-strategist.com)
Meghan Peters: Facebook’s New Format Takes Away From its Purpose (huffingtonpost.com)

Posted in blogging, customer service, innovation, social media, social media marketing

0 comments

26/03 2009

It is About Experiences Not About Sales

Tuesday I gave a keynote at the Hoosier Hospitality Conference in the beautiful city of Indianapolis. The presentation was over the future of online communication and what it means to business and the tourism industry. While giving the keynote… I stumbled across a recurring theme…

The value of experiences over the value of a sale.

When you are using social media as a tool in your marketing mix… It is important to remember how the world is changing (in terms of communication).

People are craving experiences. We have experienced decades of 50% off and last chance now sales ads. We have been pushed multiple advertisements in the span of a thiry minute television show.

1st mile. Billboard. 2nd mile. 5 radio advertisements. 3rd mile…

We all get the picture don’t we?

Everyone says they have excellent customer service. Everyone has a half-off sale.

Not everyone can create unbelieveable experiences for their clients. Show the experiences. Show the respect and trust.

Knowledge, Power & Social Media (techrigy.com)
Twitter as a brand-builder: Three examples (news.cnet.com)
Motrin: A Case Study In Social Media Marketing – Part 2 (marketing.blogtanker.com)
Jason Baer: Are New Customers the Enemy of Success? (mpdailyfix.com)

Posted in Marketing, Micro-Blogging, ROI, blogging, microblogging, small business, social media marketing

1 comment

25/03 2009

Don’t Shoot at Fish in a Barrel. Blow the thing up!

Social Media Marketing

View more presentations from jeremiah_owyang.

Jeremiah Oywang has been ON FIRE the past couple of weeks with his posts regarding social media. I went through the slideshare (above) a couple of times and wanted to share.

When it comes to social media marketing you either understand the tools and then reach the customers…
or understand your customers and then find the tools!

Which choice do you think will grant you more success? The second.

Small business owners and business professionals are scraping to learn the tools presented to them. Whether it is for their personal use or for external marketing, they learn the tool and then broadcast it to catch the fish. They are choosing a gun… learning how to use the gun… and then firing into a barrel. Blow the thing up!

If you created a strategy and you understand your customer you don’t have to shoot anything… you will destroy the competition and the market. You will be picking dead fish up off the ground and cashing in. Dead fish apparently equal revenue/sales in my mind.

The Small Business Marketing Secret to Getting Referrals (marketing.blogtanker.com)
Hey Mediocrity. You can eat me. (kylelacy.com)
Social Media a Labor of Love? (nathanmcgee.com)
What IS a Social Media Expert? (growmap.com)
Social Media 101 Membership (marketing-helper.com)

Posted in Advertising, blogging, small business, social media

1 comment

21/03 2009

Be Different. Be Genuine. Be You.

There isn’t a day that goes by where I DO NOT enjoy the writings of Seth Godin. As many of you know, he writes about the concepts of being yourself and standing out from a crowd. He recently talked about the concept of fitting in and standing out and how it is always easier to fit in.

You can see it on a daily basis..

…marketing and communication companies helping their clients fit in. “Do what is safe”… they will say.

Let me give you a little insight into the consumers people of the world. They do not want you to be safe. They do not want you to look and feel like the other company in the industry.

We want you to be genuine and different. We want to know that there is a human being on the other end of that logo. We want to know we can trust you.

If you fit in…

What’s the point?

Seth Godin’s Advice on Equity (killerblog.com)
The Emperor’s new clothes (socialmediatoday.com)
Seth Godin Angry Viral Is Getting A Bad Name? (viralblog.com)
Discontinuous change in social media marketing and marketing for 2009 (directmarketingobservations.com)

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Social Strategy, blogging, content, social media marketing, social networking

14 comments

21/03 2009

Is Conversation or Content King on the Social Web?

I am currently doing some research for my presentation at the Hoosier Hospitality Conference and I ran across this quote by Cory Doctorow from BoingBoing:

“Content isn’t king. If I sent you to a desert island and gave you the choice of taking your friends or your movies, you would choose your friends…. If you chose your movies, we would call you a sociopath. Conversation is king. Content is just something to talk about.”

It made me think hard about my opinions on content and the use of such tools to drive leads to businesses using the Internet. Sometimes the point of conversation is missed by many Internet marketers. It is excellent if you are at the top of Google search for your keywords but what happens when the potential customer clicks through to your site?

Do you have the necessary tools and systems in place to create conversations with the users influenced by your search ranking? Is it even necessary?

Absolutely it is necessary. We are seeing an overwhelming demand for the marketers and businesses of the world to call consumers… PEOPLE… and not the other way around.

It is important to creat excellent content in order to push the conversation but…

Conversation leads to Relationships. Relationship leads to Aquisition.

What do you think? Is Content king or did Conversation just take the throne?

Candle Company Uses Blog Entries to Gain More Targeted Customers (blogduck.com)
Using PPC and SEO Together to Improve Your Google CV (lookuppage.com)
Web Search Engine Ranking: How To Get To The Top (marketersdaily.com)

Posted in Social Strategy, blogging, social media, social media marketing, social media mission, social networking

12 comments

19/03 2009

Is Blogging for Search ruining Innovative Thought?

Let me preface this post by saying… I don’t know the answer… and if you are a social media professional or consultant.. you are at fault.

I have been debating with myself lately (you should try it) about the concept of blogging for search and how it could be affecting the . From a marketing standpoint it is brilliant to use a blog for search. I will be the first to say that my company, Brandswag, uses our corporate blog for organic search. The blog you are reading now is used for some organic search goals, as well as my own personal branding in the city of Indianapolis.

What am I struggling with?

If you are constantly focused on keyword rich writing and blogging for search is that taking away from building knowledge and innovation in your industry? Is it taking away from you actually writing your thoughts.. feelings.. and ideas?

Sometimes I get stuck.

We blog for many reasons. Maybe you want to learn and co-create interesting articles and discussions. Maybe you want to build your company brand in order to drive more revenue. Maybe… you just want to talk to other people with the same interest.

Blogging and the world of social media has created a spinning mass of information that is being consumed by hundreds of millions of people on a daily basis. Are we missing out on writing from the heart and helping industries/people become better?

Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t know the answer.

If you are focusing so intently on the right keywords and such doesn’t that take you away from being truly innovative and thought provoking in your writing?

Maybe we are all at fault.

When your social media program fails (techwag.com)
Building a Pre-Meet Platform (kylelacy.com)
It takes practice (loupaglia.com)
Should We Even Consider ROI in Social Media? (kylelacy.com)
How to Switch from Personal to Business Branding (freelanceswitch.com)

Posted in Advertising, Corporate Strategy, Micro-Blogging, Social Media Expert, Social Strategy, Viral Marketing, blogging, business, small business, social media, social media marketing, twitter

32 comments

18/03 2009

25 Steps to Choosing a Social Media Consultant and Educator

I have been discovering many people starting to enter the world of social media marketing in Indianapolis. It can be anything from an advertising firm to a small business coach. It is probably pretty confusing for business owners trying to learn about the amazing new tools available on the web. I wanted to help you out with your first steps in choosing a social media educator or consultant.

1. They need to use the tools they are teaching.

It is extremely important that the teacher is using the tools. Before you decide to use a social media consultant… investigate! Make sure they are using tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN, and Plaxo. If they do not use the tools on a regular basis, they are just riding a wave.

2. They communicate with their audience.

The last person you will want to hire is someone who throws content out on the bed and doesn’t allow for two way communication. The best way to test this? Go to their Twitter account and make sure they are actually sending “RT” and replies to people. 2-way communication is key.

3. Do they call themselves a Social Media Expert? Ask about the 10,000 hours rule.

The person that calls themselves a “social media expert” is the last person you want to hire. Read Paul Dunay’s post about 10,000 hours to become an expert.

4. Ask them their definition of social media.

If they give you a list of tools. Fail them.

5. They will run your Twitter account for you.

It is impossible to ghost a Twitter account. YOU either use it or you don’t. Ghostwriting for a blog is a different story and NOT for this post.

6. Their blog is less than six months old with no comments. (thanks Beth)

7. Ask them about social bookmarking. Do they know what it is? Do they use it?

8. Have they taught a class before on social media? Even a webinar?

It is important that your consultant or educator has experience in teaching or presenting on social media. The last thing you want to do is spend money for something that is going to be a DRAG. You want to know that you are not wasting your money.

9. Are they a Just-add-water expert?

10. They actually have a personality and GET people.

It is important that your social media consultant have a personality. What do I mean by personality? They are not stuck in an office all day pecking away at Twitter and have no sense of humor. ALSO, they are not overly bubbly and excited about everything under the sun. Sanity is key.

11. They blog more than once a week.

It is important that the investigation goes deeper into the blogging world. Your social media consultant should be learning on a daily basis and expounding upon what they are learning by blogging. This does not have to be catered specifically to a BLOG (wordpress or blogger). You can always check on Twitter on how they are communicating and learning.

12. They are linking and being linked.

Complete a Google link search and make sure your social media consultant actually has people and blogs linking back to their site. It is extremely important

13. Ask their opinion on viral marketing.

It is extremely important that your social media consultant and educator understand the concepts behind word-or-mouth marketing and viral marketing. Social media marketing is a relationship drive model. The evangelists and lovers of your product or service need to have the means to shout to the world… WE LOVE YOU!

14. Check out their website.

The first step to any Internet or social media strategy is the website. Do they have a communication drive website or is it a web 1.0 brochure driven site? Are they interacting with people? Are they talking about social media? Are they talking to YOU and not about their services.

15. What do other people think about them?

Mentors are one of the greatest asset to any small business owner. Who would they choose? Maybe they think social media is a waste of time. You need to take that into account. Maybe they were burned in the past? It is extremely important to get another perspective when entering into a relationship with any type of consultant or marketing professional.

16. They advise you to start a Facebook page as the first step.

It isn’t about starting in one spot. If you are new to the world of social media it may be smart to start USING Facebook other than trying to manage all 5 but the last thing you need to do is just start a Facebook fan page. SM strategy should be surrounding an integrated marketing approach. Period.

17. The instant success test

It takes time and knowledge to be successful at using social media as a small business strategy. If they promise instant results.. You should probably find another consultant.

18. What do they think about traditional marketing and advertising?

Ask them. If they come back to you and say that the traditional approach to marketing is dead. They are just riding a wave of no return. They will never understand the concepts of combining traditional and new media into an overall strategy.

19. Ask them about Radian6.

Radian6 is one of the better brand monitoring companies out there. If they have no idea about Radian6. FAIL.

20. What is their opinion of Quality over Quantity?

If your social media consultant starts talking about driving hundreds of followers to your social media account they don’t understand the concept of TWO WAY COMMUNICATION. Quality is so much better than quantity. Quality connections are the only way to succeed at using social media to expand your business.

21. They believe in actually listening to your problems instead of convincing you about the world of social media.

22. If they are still using an @aol.com, @aim.com, @comcast.net, or @att.net email. Fail them.

23. Listen for new approaches to strategy.

Everyone is offering to be a “social” consultant. Do they talk and think differently than anyone else you have listened to? If they do. You have a gem on your hands. Creative thinkers are the best social media consultants.

24. Are they a used car salesman? Do they seem genuine?

For the sake of argument I am going to list this. Do not work with someone you do not trust. Period.

25.Do they have any success stories?

Ask them about their history in using social media. The space is extremely new but there are people who are succeeding in using the tool. If they do not have case studies. Ask.

There are plenty more but this is just the beginning. Add to the list if you would like!

Posted in Social Strategy, blogging, relationship, small business, social media mission, social networking

0 comments

18/03 2009

Small Businesses Can Compete without Borders

I was reading a post over at David Castor’s Business & Culture blog where he was discussing the Long Tail by Chris Anderson. Many of us (small business owners) understand the concept of the Long Tail. It has helped us grow in the early years of running a company. It is now easier than ever to enter into the LT strategy by using the Internet as a marketing medium.

I had another thought while reading David’s post:

It is now more important than ever to realize that competition stretches beyond borders in the “new economy.”

Small businesses across the nation (and the globe) are slowly starting to compete on an International scale. Whether you like it or not, the Internet has created a global market that is becoming faster and stronger than ever. Marketing plans have change. SWOT analysis have grown longer and more intense.

Why is it important to learn how to use the Internet as a marketing tool? There are plenty of reasons. The global economy should be pushing YOU to use the tools to cross borders and gain clientele that you wouldn’t have dreamed of 5-10 years ago.

You can be a lawyer or a accountant and begin gaining clients from all over a specific geographic region (the mid-west). If it is part of your goal structure of your company it is even possible to go GLOBAL.

Think about it…the world is open.