Posted in Viral Marketing, social media, social media marketing

3 comments

24/03 2009

The Real Value of Social Media: A Piece of the Pie

Elizabeth Friedland over at TrendyMinds has an excellent post about the concept of social media not being the end-all scheme to push marketing to the masses.

I wanted to bring up my thought on the real value of social media to the small business owner or CEO: Listening. You do not need to get rid of your tradtional marketing strategy. You shouldn’t. Whenever I am in front of a group of people I always say, “If you come to me and say you got rid of your press releases and direct mail pieces and started a Facebook Page. I will never talk to you again.”

So what is a business owner to do?

Learn the tool. Use the tool. Evaluate the tool.

You can either decide to take a class to learn how to implement the tool into your overall strategy or learn the tool yourself using videos from Common Craft. You need to understand the tool before using it. You need to use the tool before implementing it into your overall strategy. If you decide it is a waste of time and money… ditch it. At least you tried.

The important thing to remember is that whether you do it yourself or hire one of the numerous marketing, social media, and new media companies you should be staying ahead of the curve.

1.5 Billion people are connected to the Internet and 300 million use social media. It is an important tool and it will be in the future.

Be strategic. Be thoughtful and listen.

When consumer information belongs to consumers! (thecustomercollective.com)
Is Your Online Marketing Strategy All Tweet and No Meat? (hubspot.com)
25 Ways to Fit In With the Competition and DIE (kylelacy.com)
r-e-s-p-e-c-t (adliterate.com)

Posted in Uncategorized

1 comment

23/03 2009

Evolve or Die: The Entrepreneurship Series

I am excited to be partnering with my ex-employer/mentor, Lorraine Ball, on this seminar for the Hamilton County Chambers of Commerce. Check out more information below.

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Local marketing and social media experts Lorraine Ball, owner of Roundpeg and Kyle Lacy, owner of Brandswag, will offer a marketing seminar as part of the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Series. The program will be held at the April 14, 2009 from 3 – 5 p.m.at The Mansion at Oak Hill 5801 E 116th St
Marketing Basics Evolve or Die, this lively session will look at both the strategies and tactics small business owners must use to create a viable on-line and off-line marketing strategy. The program combines both a formal presentation, with time for questions and open conversations. Participants will walk away with practical tools they can apply to their business.

“The rules of marketing have changed,” said Ball. “Talking “AT” your prospects and customers is no longer as effective as it once was. Today’s successful businesses are learning to talk “WITH” customers using marketing strategies focused on building relationships.”

“I am obsessed with concepts, technology, and people behind social media on the Internet. Location and time have become agnostic. It is about creating a sustainable lead generation tool using new media and creative marketing tactics, ” said Lacy. Business owners who learn how to use these tools well will have a significant competitive advantage.

The program begins with Check In & Networking at 3:00. The presentations begin at 3:30. Additional networking, hors d’Oeuvres and a cash bar follow the conclusion of the formal program at 4:30.

The event is co-sponsored by all the Hamilton County Chambers of Commerce, and is open to all interested business owners. The fee to attend the event is $15. Participants are encouraged to register early as seating is limited. Advanced registrations are required. To register or for more information contact: Carmia Sciotto at csciotto@hcalliance.com or call Carmia at 317.573.4950

Posted in Marketing, Social Media Community, Social Strategy, relationship, social media marketing

11 comments

23/03 2009

Get 30,000 Followers on Twitter. What is it Worth?

I search constantly on the web for writers and thinkers who display a chip on their shoulder. They are brilliant thinkers but they have a sarcasm about them that keeps my days interesting. One of my favorite writer is Alexander van Elsas. There are times when I completely agree with Alexander and also times when I completely disagree… there really is not a middle ground.

He has a post talking about the real value of Twitter ‘s suggest user feature which was made a little more valuable after Jason Calacanis offered $500K. Congratulation Jason and Alexander, you have pushed me to a crossroad on the purpose of quality over quantity.

We talked about the purpose of quality over quantity all the time on the web.

“I would rather have 200 devout followers than 20,000 kind-of listeners.”

There is a reason we do this. We are the social-renegades of the marketing world. What? You think we should send out mass mailings? Buy an email list? AHH. I am dying from heart failure.

The truth of the matter is this… I haven’t come to any conclusions yet on the value of quality over quantity. Jason Calacanis shows the absolute value of driving traffic from Twitter to his start-up, Mahalo. He was willing to pony up $250,000 to drive two-million visits a month to his site. I would do it too.

And yet, Alexander talks about the quality of the followers being below zero. I also agree with him when he says:

“It makes the reach you have on Twitter as good as any spammer that hijacked millions of e-mail addresses. There is always a sucker that falls for it. The real-time effect is pretty much worthless when put into comparison to the nr of followers and the spam being produced. To me the only benefit, if you can call it a benefit, would be that the audience that follows you remains persistent.”

So what is the answer? You can always give the quality over quantity speech but does that drive revenue? In the world of business there is absolute value to use social media but what is the strategy? Quality over Quantity?

What are 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 Twitter followers worth to you?

Hey Twitter, Here’s A Way To Call Jason’s Bluff And Maybe Fight Breast Cancer (techcrunch.com)
Calacanis on Value of twitter (everwas.com)
Hey Twitter, Here’s A Way To Call Jason’s Bluff And Maybe Fight Breast Cancer (tsurch.com)
Why Twitter’s ‘Suggested Users’ is the Next Superbowl Ad (or “Calacanis offers $500k for three years”) (calacanis.com)

business

3 comments

23/03 2009

The Future of Technology and the Changing World

In light of my presentation tomorrow at the Hoosier Hospitality Conference on the future of Technology… I thought I would post this Did You Know 3.0? video. It is awesome! Watch. Learn. Enjoy.

Marketing, My Life, innovation, louis gray, social media

2 comments

22/03 2009

Don’t Shoot Your Transparency All Over Me!

We talk alot about transparency in the blogging and social media world. In terms of being a business owner or a professional it is important to be transparent in everything you do in the online environment. Why? People want to know YOU not necessarily what you do.. that is secondary.

I haven’t really thought much about the concepts of transparency recently until reading a post by Louis Gray entitled Being Transparent is Fine but Please Use Smart Filtering. It talks about where you should/could draw the line when it comes to sharing personal information on the web. Louis talks about how he only shares personal information when it is relevant to the conversation or where it adds overall value to his online brand or persona.

“If you want to be transparent, and build a personal brand you are proud of, you must always be thinking about filtering what gets into your stream, and how it could benefit you and your audience.”

As I told some Purdue students a couple of weeks ago..

Everything is recorded online. Everything is searchable. Be careful what you post because it could come back to hurt your personal brand.

There is a fine line between being transparent and being ANNOYING. There is a reason why you have people following your blog or your profiles on multiple social networks. Don’t dissapoint and be proactive in what you share.

Jacob Morgan: Social Media Translated into the Real World (mpdailyfix.com)
Despite Recession, More Than 50% of Marketers Increase Spending on Social Media (readwriteweb.com)
Liz Strauss: What Is Social Networking? (via Liz Strauss at Successful Blog) (successful-blog.com)
Idea: LinkedIn Recommendations for You As a Blogger (davidrisley.com)

Uncategorized

1 comment

22/03 2009

25 Ways to Fit In With the Competition and DIE

(disclaimer: this is tongue-in-cheek, otherwise known as sarcasm)

In light of my post yesterday about fitting in with the competition… I wanted to make a list of 25 ways you could fit in with the competition and use marketing/design/communication the wrong way. There is a ton of this going on and it doesn’t make any sense to me.

1. You use an email with an ending of @aol.com or @comcast.net or @hotmail.com

2. Microsoft Publisher was used while creating your brochure. Oh that clip art looks nice!

3. Your website hasn’t been changed in 6 months to 5 years.

4. You send out direct mail the same way you did 5 years ago without changing any strategy.

5. You chose to use a WORD font for your logo instead of investing in good design.

6. You wont touch social media or the Internet because you “don’t have time.”

7. You are reactive to competition instead of proactive.

8. You send out an article for your e-newsletter instead of up-to-date content and information.

9. You send out an e-newsletter once a month… same day… same time.. same content.

10. You sell the same thing your competition sells.

11. You care more about selling than listening.

12. You don’t ask questions… just sign contracts.

13. You will not invest any money into marketing because you fear wasting “resources.”

14. You do not spend time investing into your education and do not read because it is “boring.”

15. Your employees hate going to work.

16. Your brochure has 5,000,000 words about your company and 10 about how you help the client.

17. You think Facebook is just another “college kids” hang out.

18. You don’t attend networking events or community events because you have “better things to do.”

19. Your best client is described as…. everyone that owns a small business.

20. You refuse to write a blog. Period.

21. You create seminars you know nothing about but only because it is the “cool thing” to do.

22. Use a billboard without tying to the Internet.

23. Use the same stock photography as everyone else.

24. Ignore market trends because what “you do” worked in the past.

25. You talk about what you offer instead of what YOU do.. it is about personality and human quality… not service offering.. to an extent.

Well there you go. If you want to fit in with your competition… by all means.. follow the 25 steps.

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)

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)

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)

Social Media Community, social media marketing, social media mission, twitter

0 comments

19/03 2009

Facebook Just Got Twittered: The Twitter Rush

I feel like I am in the gold rush. We are all part of this massive push to join the online minions of the Twitter world.

I just finished reading a post by Sarah Perez from ReadWriteWeb about Nielsen Online reporting Twitter “has now surpassed Facebook and others to become the fastest-growing site in Member Communities.” I wasn’t really expecting this type of growth out of Twitter. And there is a reason for that…

It is hard to describe the concept or meaning behind the Twitter revolution. Facebook is easy to describe and (sometimes) use but Twitter?? No way.

In a way the growth of Twitter is encouraging to the Social Media enthusiast in all of us. The world of social media tools and marketing is no longer for the computer nerds stuck in their mothers basement. This world of two-way communication and online relationship building is starting to gain traction from small businesses to corporate America.

You may be asking…What do we do with this information?

To all the non-Twitter Users:

You use the stat of an increase of 1382% of unique visitors year over year (2008-2009) and beat yourself over the head until you at least TRY the tool. It is important to understand all communication tools available.

To the Twitter Users:

Congratulations. We now have a used tool.. now let’s figure out how it can be useful.