Posted in My Life, rant, social media, twitter

6 comments

25/08 2009

Pre-Order My Book Twitter Marketing for Dummies

9780470561720.pdf

I was given the opportunity to write Twitter Marketing for Dummies from Wiley Publishing because of a direct connection through social networking. The relationship was further solidified by a connection on Smaller Indiana. I am humbled to have been given this wonderful opportunity and it is highly unlikely it would have happened without the connection through social media.

Here is the breakdown:

An introductory guide to effectively using Twitter to grow your business!

The field of social media marketing is exciting, cutting-edge, and…open to almost anything! Twitter’s style of quick remarks lends itself to a carefree, conversational tone, ripe for passing along a plug, sharing a suggestion, or referencing a recommendation. This fun and friendly book is an excellent first step for gaining insight on how to effectively use one of the most popular social media tools to expand the success of a business.

In addition to covering the basics of Twitter, this easy-to-understand guide quickly moves on to techniques for incorporating a Twitter strategy into your marketing mix, combining new and old media, building your network, using Twitter tools, and measuring your success.

Examines how Twitter’s style for character-count caps and real-time posting allows for unique marketing opportunities

Analyzes several real-world examples of successful strategies for marketing on Twitter

Discusses ideas for promoting brands on Twitter, building a following, communicating better with followers, and driving traffic to a Web site

Shares the top Twitter applications

So get chirping and put Twitter to work for your marketing needs today!

You can check out the book at the Twitter Marketing for Dummies pre-order site. A big thanks to Erik Deckers (@edeckers) because without his help this book would have never happened.

Marketer addresses social networking for businesses issues … (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
Social and Network Learning – Free Online Discussion – June 18 … (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
Are you willing to do what it takes to create visibility on the Web? (buildabetterblog.com)
Facebook Vanity URL | Social Networking News Daily : Earn Extra … (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
How to make use of the Twitter advantage (va4growth.com)

Posted in Advertising, Corporate Strategy, Marketing, Social Media Community, Social Strategy, blogging, customer evangelist, small business, social media, social media marketing, social networking

5 comments

24/08 2009

Balancing Perception and Reality in Social Media

Is social media everything we really make it out to be? Is there an imbalance between perception and reality when it comes to social media? I would venture to say yes. Before we get into the underlying argument of the two terms… let’s define them (from dictionary.com).

Perception: a single unified awareness derived from sensory processes while a stimulus is present.

Reality: something that exists independently of ideas concerning it.

There is probably a universal argument of perception versus reality in terms of marketing. We are going to touch on that briefly. The majority of marketing communication exists in order to balance the worlds of perception and reality among consumers… among your clients. When it comes to social media there is an imbalance of the two worlds. There seems to be more perceived value of the tool than the the actual reality (at this given moment).

We can talk about the growth of networks and the stats surrounding the baby boomer adoption of Facebook. We can talk about the growth of Twitter and the role it plays in international foreign policy. However, the fact remains that only 22% of the globe (350 million) has adopted social media as an avenue for communication.

We are still in the infancy of this communication medium. That is the reality.

However, I am not discounting the value of perception. If a tool is perceived to have high value… it is my belief… that mass adoption is going to come much, much quicker than previously anticipated. What happens when perception turns into reality and your company is left behind because you didn’t change… you didn’t adapt?

There will always be the balance of perception and reality in any form of communications advancement. Did anyone really perceive the true value of television before mass adoption? What about radio? Newspaper? We tend to only leverage a communications medium after mass adoption.

It only makes true business sense to stay ahead of the curve. It is your job as business owners, marketing directors, and C-level employees to watch for the perception turning over to reality.

What do you think? Do we actually have an imbalance?

TWEET SUCCESS: Why We Love Twitter’s 140 Character Limit (mashable.com)
What is Social Media, How can it help my business? (insights-group.com)
Value is key – is social media worth it? (rchurt.com)
Is The Real Time Web A Solution In Search Of A Problem? (regulargeek.com)

Posted in Public Relations, Social Media Community, social media, social media marketing

4 comments

20/08 2009

When To Fire Your PR Firm Part 2

I was just finishing up this post when a status update came to my attention on my Facebook wall. The much acclaimed marketing technology blogger, Douglas Karr, had just written a post entitled Brody PR: When to Fire Your PR Firm. It was absolutely hilarious and expected that we were thinking in the same world.. because well… Doug is one of my social media mentors. This is officially the first not-planned tag team post by myself and Doug Karr.. enjoy.

Doug’s post talks about the misuse of an email campaign by Brody PR in order to sell a social media book that was written by a client. Doug gives a good argument on why the PR firm should be fired because of spamming individuals about a book that frankly… no one cared about. This all comes down to communication and strategy which Brody apparently didn’t do very well. Now, let’s see if they are doing their own brand reputation management. I am looking for a comment from the firm.

The same concept applies to your PR firm discussing the concept of a social media strategy. It is pretty simple. If your public relations company is NOT talking to you about social media you should fire them. Better yet… check to see if they are talking about it at all. A social media onslaught may not necessarily apply to your communications strategy but wouldn’t you prefer the PR firm in which you hired to be up to date on communication tools?

If your public relations firm is not writing, speaking, and educating their clients on how to use social media for brand management or communication… fire them on the spot. Find someone who actually cares about the changes in communication and technology.

The Brains Behind Social Influence Marketing (kylelacy.com)
Bits and Pieces and Brands, Oh My! (paulisakson.typepad.com)
Are you willing to do what it takes to create visibility on the Web? (buildabetterblog.com)
Social Network Publishing | Bianca Gubalke (jonggunlee.tistory.com)

Corporate Strategy, Marketing, Micro-Blogging, Public Relations, Reputation Management, blogging, content, relationship, social media, social networking

1 comment

19/08 2009

Screw Stats. It is about Portability and Experiences

I am co-hosting a webinar tomorrow with Chris Baggott of Compendium Blogware entitled Getting a Grip on Social Media. The first slide of my presentation simples says: Screw Stats. The whole concept behind the slide is the idea that we can run around statistics and figures all we want but the most important thing to understand is the future of portability and experiences in social media.

Portability

Portability is mobility. The mobile phone domination is going to grow even larger in the next couple of years and social media will be right behind it. There is no better way (other than text messaging) to utilize the iPhone or Palm Pre than securing applications that can be used to strengthen a users social media experiences. I don’t think the concept of social media is going to die because of the power of being mobile. Customer service is going to be dependent on securing social media because of a users ability to automatically tweet or post an experience the moment it happens… that is powerful.

Experiences

Selling is now almost completely dependent on the experiences of the customers. Peer recommendations have always been a staple to sell your services… referral and word of mouth marketing are inherently connected to success. Social media has made experiential marketing and referral marketing extremely powerful because of the ease of sharing a message. Social media is strengthen by the experiences customers share online. It is extremely important for a business to understand the ability and the important of using social media to empower your customers to share your message.

There are other reasons to join, research, and implement social media but the future of tool is in the ability to leverage portability and customer experiences.

Social Media Marketing to Increase by 48% (kylelacy.com)
The New Marketing Funnel (adamhcohen.com)
10 Sun Tzu rules for the networked world (flowingmotion.wordpress.com)
Americans are going wireless Internet big time, report says (news.cnet.com)

Social Media Community, Social Media Expert, Social Strategy, blogging, productivity, social media, social networking

5 comments

18/08 2009

Video: My Thoughts on Social Media Productivity

This video was made about a year ago when Brandswag was still working out of my apartment in Fishers, Indiana. Please ignore the dresser. I wanted to repost it because of the content relating to the productivity of social media.

Social Media Community, small business, social media

14 comments

17/08 2009

Social Media is Not a Fad. Get Over It.

There is a new video on YouTube that takes many of the stats from the Did You Know 3.0 video and adds some new stats. There are some surprising statistics that keep the argument of the new social revolution burning red hot. We are experiencing a shift in communication whether you like it or not. With the video I created the list below of important stats that further support the notion of using social media for business communication:

1. Generation Y will outnumber Baby Boomers by 2010.

2. 96% of Gen Y use social media

3. If Facebook were a country it would be the 4th largest in the world.

4. 80% of companies are using LinkedIN to search for job applicants

5. Boston college quit distributing email addresses to students in 2009

6. There are over 100,000,000 videos on YouTube

7. There are 200,000,000 blogs in existence today

8. Over 100,000,000 blogs post content daily

9. 25% of search results for the top 20 largest brands are user-generated content

10. 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations

We are on the edge of a communication transition. 14% of consumers trust advertising… only 14%. Are you ignoring the changing landscape and risking the reputation of your company and brand? Is your PR company talking to you about social media? It is important to remember that new technology will always change the way business operates… and the new technology is here.

Your Social Media Reality Check (marketing-helper.com)
Iggy Pintado’s Connection Generation: Review (deswalsh.com)
Working with Blogs, by Steve Raye at Tales of the Cocktail (slideshare.net)
Lolcats: Building a Media Empire Around ICanHasCheezburger.com – TIME (time.com)

Marketing, Social Media Community, Social Strategy, innovation, small business, social media, social media marketing, social networking

5 comments

13/08 2009

Balancing Client and Social Interactions in Social Media

I was recently asked by Duncan Alney from Firebelly Digital on a recent Hoosier PRSA blog post to detail how I balance client interaction with social interaction in the social media realm. Here is the question:

“BTW Kyle – perhaps you should share with those that don’t know – how you balance client and your own social media interactions. I know how you do it (now) but clearly – there are others that are dying to know ”

With such a great question posed how could I not answer it? Duncan is a great guy and an awesome social media advocate. I would encourage you to check out the blog over at Firebelly.

I am going to take a stab at this question and form my own opinion on what Duncan meant by client and social media interactions. The idea of being able to balance personal social experience with client lead generation is a valuable commodity when using social media. It is extremely hard in the long run to balance both without taking to much time in both categories. I would venture to say that you shouldn’t try and balance the two… they should be intertwined.

Time is a huge commodity when using social media. How do you take the time to truly use social media without wasting the day away… because we all know… time is money. When the importance of productivity is realized

The social world is beginning to change the way consumers look at brands. Are they viewing the brand as a logo or as an experience? In my humble opinion… the user is viewing the brand as a person… as an experience… as an extension to their daily lives.

I use social media to show my personal side… to show that life is revolving around more than just a balance sheet, an income statement, and an accounts receivable report. Social media is about giving a perspective into the daily lives of the individuals that make up a company. People buy from people and the importance of showing more than just a product is being lost by many individuals using the communication systems provided on the Internet.

When writing a blog, using Facebook, or connecting on LinkedIN… you should be making it a point to deliver a half/half balance of life as well as business. Your potential clients want to know about your knowledge in your given industry but they also want to know about your daily routine… what makes you tick.

I try to balance the two by using Facebook as my social interaction tool and my blog as my business side of my life. How do you balance the two? Do you even try to balance the two?

Can Social Media Get You a Job? (usnews.com)
Attention Social Media Skeptics (myventurepad.com)
Social Media is not about your company. It IS about YOU. (insights-group.com)
How the Social Web is Redefining Community and Brand Legitimacy (myventurepad.com)

Uncategorized

4 comments

12/08 2009

Meet Offline and Capitalize!

I was browsing the many, many pages of social media blogs this morning and found a post by Steve Woodruff. His blog StickyFigure has some great content and his post, The Personal ROI of Social Media is one of those posts. I am going to borrow a concept from his post and expand upon it: the pre-meeting.

From Steve’s post:

“Through bloggging and Twittering, I have “pre-met” a vast array of people who have shared interests in marketing, branding, social media, pharma, and other aspects of life. By having initial contact in the safe zone of social media, a shared sympathy has been built up, irrespective of any borders of geography, race, background, and political leanings.”

I thought to myself… hmm… It is always good to try and fit a visual description of an idea in order to help people remember the concept. If you are using social media as a platform to build a business network that far surpasses anything in your location.. you are on the right track.

Social media allows you to pre-meet thousands upon thousands of people and then decide whether you want to take that relationship to the next level and meet at a conference or by other means. You could almost think of it as a pre-screener. Ehh, I would rather not meet them in person. Blah.

I encourage everyone venturing into the social media world to pre-meet and extend a hand to the people you find interesting in the online environment. If you have a location based social network (like Smaller Indiana in Indianapolis) it is important to have these offline meetings to further strengthen your online network.

Build the pre-meeting platform and you will flourish. Just remember to take it offline sometimes too.

Joining Not Very Famous Social Networks And Communities Can Bring … (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
The NonProfit Matrix: Directory of Online Service Providers for … (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
Understanding The New Advertising Environment [i.e. Social ... (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
Planned Parenthood Movement Building: Leadership, Engagement, Stories, and Platform for Self-Organizing (beth.typepad.com)

2 comments

10/08 2009

Are You the Problem or LinkedIN?

I was surprised when I was reading some stats from the PEW Internet & American Life Project via ReadWriteWeb. Apparently the majority of adult social network users are not using the networks for business or professional networking. According to the PEW report the majority of adults (89%) are using social networks to stay in touch with friends. A surprising 6% of all adult users on the Internet are using LinkedIN which makes more sense if you think about it.

LinkedIN has boasted around 30 million users and when you think about the odd 250 million Internet users worldwide… it makes complete sense.

My question for LinkedIN and other professional social networks?

How do you get more people onto your site? How do you utilize your far from perfect application development and draw in more business owners, corporate professionals, and white-collar individuals?

Or does it matter?I don’t think LinkedIN has to expand to the point when they are catering to the people who will not use social media.

It isn’t about numbers anymore. You do not need 60 million people on a network to start making money. LinkedIN should be focusing on it’s 30 million members… switching them over to the premium service.

Why Do People Use Online Social Networks : Internet Marketing … (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
Joining Not Very Famous Social Networks And Communities Can Bring … (jonggunlee.tistory.com)
Can Social Media Get You a Job? (usnews.com)
5 Golden Rules of Netetiquette (lansner.freedomblogging.com)
Social Network User Loyalty Erratic | BNET Technology Blog | BNET (jonggunlee.tistory.com)

Social Media Community, corporate blogging, social media

2 comments

5/08 2009

What the CRAP is Social Media?

I can’t believe it has been a year since Marta Kagan shared the “What the F**K is Social media?” slides on the now famous website: SlideShare. I know that many of you may be offended by the offensive language that is used in this slideshow and the only reason I am sharing this is because they (bleep) out the word.

What The F**K is Social Media?

View more documents from Marta Kagan.

If you are wanting to understand the concepts of social media (which are now a bit data) slide on through this slideshare. Better yet, if you are wanting to understand the concept of a viral phenomenon… you are going to need to slide through this slideshare. This presentation has been shared hundreds of thousands of times (if not millions). Out of respect to viral marketing and Marta… I wanted to reshare this presentation.

If anyone is completely and utterly offended by the use of this slideshare… I apologize now.