Take A Breath and Be Human

Go. Go. Go. Go.
Faster… Stronger… Better
I have to get it out… if I don’t… I will not be heard! I can’t let it go… I have to get out there!
Go. Go. Go. Go.

It is exhausting…. and yet somewhat fulfilling.

Every business owner can relate to this exhausting form of competitive spirit that overlaps everything from social media marketing to traditional marketing. You have to be first… You have to be the best… You have to be ahead.

I was scanning my Twitter feed this morning and Roger Byrne of Social Media Fish had a great post:

In your search to be the fastest and most comprehensive news provider on Twitter take a breath and be human (@imrogb)

It wasn’t a connection for me in terms of being the “fastest and most comprehensive news provider on Twitter.” I could really care less on how fast a tweet is sent out or how many “lists” I am on. I don’t know about you…. but sometimes I forget about the concept of taking a breath and being human. You get caught up in the race… in the push to be better… you forget about the fundamentals of running a business and your life.

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News Flash. Advertising Isn’t Dying. It’s Adapting.

This is my last post on the Razorfish FEED 09 Brand Experience Report. One thing I have learned while reading and studying the social media report is that marketing and advertising is not dieing… it is merely adapting. This may be old news to many of you but (in the social media world) the cry of the DEATH OF ADVERTISING… is constant… loud and clear. I have even taken up the battle-axe and screamed to the heavens about the slow death of the ad world.

Truth is… advertising will never be dead. The cycle of product promotion will always be a staple in the world of entertainment and communication. It is changing and adjusting with the fast changing world of online communication! The digital experience of the consumer is changing the way we communicate as brands… as companies. From Razorfish:

“According to our research, the overwhelming majority of consumers who actively engage with a brand digitally–whether by entering a contest, “friending” a brand on Facebook, or even watching an advert on YouTube–show dramatic upticks across the entire marketing funnel. Simply put, digital brand experience create customers.” (pg 4)

This change is not only happening in the world of social media but beyond… Consumers are engaging with brands on a completely different level. Through digital marketing and brand experiences consumers now have the CHOICE to communicate with a brand.

So what does this mean to us… the business owner, marketing executive, and sales person?

Shifting your marketing… adapting and changing with your environment is only the beginning. The world is changing and the business landscape will shift with it. Are you positioning yourself to take advantage of the future?

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Why Do People Follow Brands? Conversation or Deals?

This is the second post about the Razorfish FEED 2009 Report… as promised. I was reading a post from my friend Todd Muffley over at Fat Atom and it got me thinking about the future of online communication. His post is entitled, “Is Social Media One Big Coupon Book?” The premise of the post is captured in two sentences:

“If Social Media does become one big coupon book, watch out Newspaper, Magazine, Radio, TV and Direct Mail (to name a few). The old school push model of coupon distribution may just go the way of the VCR.”

The post is (of course) fueled by the Razorfish study which states that of “those that follow a brand on Twitter, 44% say that access to deals is the main reason. The same holds true for those that added a brand on Facebook or Myspace, where 37% cite access to exclusive deals or offers as their main reason.” (pg 9)

Now, the Razorfish study does not give a voice to all 200 million people using broadband Internet access but it does create a platform for discussing the main draw of social media. I would venture to say that the main reason a user FIRST joins a fanpage or follows a brand on Twitter is because of a contest or promotion. Once the individual becomes a fan the SECOND step is interacting with that fan in order to build some type of trust. Repeat customers are the best customers… nay… repeat customers with friends are the best customers.

There is always a conversation buried in the depths of a relationship being built between a customer and a brand. Where that relationship starts? Who knows? The important thing to remember is to have the conversation… which eventually leads to conversion.

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130 Million Are Being Influenced Online

I was reading the new Razorfish FEED Digital Brand Experience Report for 2009. This report is unbelievable and has some amazing statistics to help further the goal of increased use of digital marketing. I am going to be devoting the rest of this week to breaking down the Razorfish report.

At the beginning of the report Razorfish states:

65% of consumers report having had a digital experience that either positively or negatively changed their opinion about a brand. 97% say that their digital experience influenced whether or not they eventually purchased a product of service from that brand.

Razorfish surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers (50.5% female, 49.5% male) in four major age groups. The consumers that were surveyed have spent $150 online in the past six months and have broadband access to the Internet. According to the PEW Internet & American Life Project, about 63% of all Americans today have a high-speed Internet. The use of broadband stat stat roughly translates to 200 million people.

With 65% of broadband users being influenced by brands online (130 million) it may be important to start debating importance of digital marketing. The use of the Internet is only going to increase over the next 5 to 10 years. It is important for brands to start learning and educating their employees and consumers on the values of digital marketing.

What is even more important than the 65% statistic is the fact that almost ALL of the 130 million people influenced by a brand made the decision to purchase (or not purchase a product) based on their digital experience.

Decisions are being made online. Are you putting enough emphasis on your digital brand… or are you wasting that money on a stationary billboard that individuals can not interact with?

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Why Should I Care About Twitter Lists?

I have been waiting to write this post. I don’t know if it is because I wanted to hear what other social media users thought… or I just didn’t care enough about another feature on Twitter. Needless to say… I have been researching Twitter lists and the inherent value of the lists. Because of that research I have come to three simple conclusions:

1. If you create Twitter lists be very sure you keep them updated and fresh.

2. It is not imperative to create lists. If you need organization… use a trusted source’s list or organize through an application like TweetDeck or Hootsuite.

3. Monitoring lists without following individuals is important to business research on Twitter.

For those of you who have not discovered Twitter lists… it is pretty simple. Twitter users have the ability to organize people they are following in topical lists. The organization of users based on lists is not new to the social media world. Facebook also allows you to organize your friends based on lists. To get a better understanding of Twitter lists view this video from BitRebels:

Twitter lists can be a powerful business tool as mentioned in point 3 of the “simple conclusions.” You have the ability to follow the updates of a group of people (or brands) without publicly acknowledging that you are following them. This is important for lead generation and competitive analysis. I have setup a Twitter list called Business Leads which help me keep track of individuals or companies I am interested in selling in the near future. If you decide to use a list for business leads… make sure you make them private. We wouldn’t want competition taking advantage of this new tool.. Would we?

I haven’t come to a conclusion on what I think about Twitter lists. Honestly, the feature is a little green… to make any rash decisions. Try it out. Make some lists for yourself and try to find some value. If you can’t find any value… move on with your life. There will be a new feature in a month to capture your attention.

For more Twitter List Resources:

John Jantsch: 5 Reasons to Use Twitter Lists

Red Eye: Twitter Lists Making Tweeting Better, Easier

Word Sell Inc: How To Use Twitter Lists

Social Media Today: The Ugly Side of Twitter Lists

Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy

The guest post today is by Shelley Cadamy is currently the Business & Entrepreneurial Services Coordinator for Francis Tuttle Technology Center.  She assists start-up as well as existing small businesses in strategy development and implementation.

About a year ago, I fell into being a “social media expert.” I use the quotes, because I’m really not convinced there are all that many actual social media experts out there, and I’m certainly not one of them. As a small business strategist, one of the things I assist my clients with is creating quick and dirty marketing plans. As such, I created a seminar on how my clients could effectively use social media tools in their marketing. It was wildly successful (one client picked up three new customers the first three days they were on Twitter), and the one seminar I expected to do turned into about thirty seminars and counting. Unfortunately, when I get introduced, to my chagrin, it’s as a “social media expert,” which I quickly correct, after much cringing.

Having said that, I’m amazed at how many people are more than happy to promote themselves as “social media experts.” Every third twitter follow I get is from some IT guy who may have difficulty with interpersonal communication, but is now a social media expert. Or an HR Director who believes that since he is successful at using social media in his HR position, that he is also qualified to do social media on behalf of other people. Or an accountant who is on Facebook and Twitter 24/7 and thus, must be a social media expert and believes himself completely qualified to do social media on behalf of you or your company.

When it comes right down to it, social media is a marketing tactic, and just like old school marketing tactics – direct mail, TV & Radio advertising, print advertising, etc. – lots and lots of difficult homework must be completed before they’re ever employed on behalf of your company. They must be used as part of an overall marketing strategy that makes sense for your company, your market, and your resources. Those marketing plans are not easy to create, and the reason they’re not easy to create is because they take actual marketing knowledge and understanding to craft – something which marketing professionals have plenty of and something of which IT guys, accountants, and HR professionals are generally fresh out.

If you’re a small business owner, do you know who your market is and why? Do you know what they want? Do you know what your message to your market should be? Then and only then should you be getting your message out to that market via social media or any other media. If you don’t have the answers to these questions, please find a marketing professional to help you find them and to help you implement the resulting plan. If you choose to hire someone to assist specifically with your social marketing as well, please ensure that he or she is also a marketing professional. You wouldn’t hire a marketing professional to manage your EEO claims – please don’t hire an HR professional to do your marketing.

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The Arrival of My Twitter Marketing for Dummies Book

I have been waiting with great anticipation for the delivery of my book, Twitter Marketing for Dummies. It has been a long (but awesome) process of writing, editing, and brainstorming over different concepts involved in marketing through Twitter. I couldn’t have done it without Erik Deckers, the Wiley Staff, Manny Hernandez, and the staff at Brandswag. It was a fun 7 weeks of writing and I am looking forward to what the future brings.

If you have not picked up the book you can do so through Amazon.com (click the link) or through your local bookstore on November 18th.

Some general things you will learn by reading the book:

• Using Twitter to communicate with your customers
• Utilize tools to maximize your Twitter prescence
• Build and use your network to psread your message
• Measure the success of your efforts

It has been fun and I am looking forward to the feedback from the book!