Saturday, July 23, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Untitled
How to Get 216% More Interaction on Your Facebook Page
Written by jeffbullas - http://www.jeffbullas.com/?p=13817">View Comments
Categories: Facebook, Facebook Marketing
Brain surgery takes many years to perfect. Most of the people that require it are thankful that the surgeon has to pursue a rigorous course of learning.
Just imagine the problems that would occur if you were able to obtain the right to operate by filling in a survey on the back of a cereal packet.
It would not create a more intelligent nation but I am sure the lawyers would be happy!
Obtaining more Interaction is not Brain Surgery
A recent survey by Momentus Media discovered a fact that is not brain surgery and increases your interaction rate by 216% on your Facebook page!
They analyzed 49,266 Facebook page posts to compare interaction rates for for posts containing
- “Like” calls to action
- “Comment” calls to action
- No calls to action
The results revealed something which is essential but often not done by many marketing professionals and that was that a “call to action” (or CTA) will increase your chances of interaction over not asking at all!
The survey also observed that only 1.3% of status updates analysed even had a call to action.
Why the Correct Call to Action is Important
The results for no call to action as being the most likely to elicit very little interaction was not surprising but what was surprising was that asking for a “like” increased your chances by 216% over asking people to “comment”.
The results by the numbers for average interaction rates for the 3 types of updates
- “Like” calls to action received 0.38% interaction
- “Comment” calls to action received 0.14% interaction
- No calls to action received 0.11% interaction
So just by using a ‘better’ word in the call to action more than doubled your interaction rate.
It ain’t “Rocket Science” but it is good to know what works and what doesn’t.
For me I am going to ask people more often to “like” me, are you?
More Reading
- How To Take Your Company Facebook Page From Zero To 40,000 Fans
- 50 Fascinating Facebook facts and Figures
- The 10 Best Facebook Marketing Campaigns
- How To Advertise On Facebook In Ten Minutes For Less Than $10 A Day In 10 Simple Steps
- 5 Ways To Improve Your Facebook Page Engagement with Fans
- How to Create a 5 Step Facebook Marketing Strategy for Your Blog
Image by Sean MacEntee
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Tags: Call to action, Comment, CTA, Facebook, Facts and Figures, Interaction, like, Marketing, Momentus media, Rate, statistics
90% of branded social media marketing will fail | New Media and Marketing #socialmedia #howtosucceed #TechyGoddess
Brands that implement social media marketing programs have a 1 in 10 chance in succeeding. That stat comes from a soon to be released report* called Social Media Marketing and the Realities of Real ROI which will be released next week. The company researched over 100 social media brand pages/accounts and found that 90% of them did not lead to conversion or ROI they were just idle chatter. In addition an alarming number of brands failed to respond to consumers when they posted a complaint or asked for help.
If this comes as a surprise to you than you need to read more about empowered consumers. Why are so many social media marketing programs failing ? Here is my list:
(1) Failure to understand the channel – All social networks have different dynamics and different users. What works on Facebook may not work on Twitter. You need to understand what works and what doesn’t work.
(2) Failure to use the necessary resources – No, just building a Facebook page and sitting back waiting for results does not equal success.
(3) Failure to develop a strategy that includes measurement directly related to brand/business drivers – When you develop your social media strategy you have to continually ask how are we going to measure it and will this lead to an ROI ?
(4) Using an intern as the voice of your brand on social media – Sorry but I want someone who understands my brand, company and marketing so that they can turn prospects into customers and solve problems
(5) Posting too often or too little – Enough said here.
(6) Your content is not magnetic – Magnetic content draws people in and makes them want to know more and share it with their friends.
(7) Finally, expecting immediate results – No relationship is going to lead to a wedding within a few weeks or few months. People need to learn to trust you and you have to continually earn that their trust.
Think of social media this way; you build a great house on a hill with lot’s of signs to invite people to stop by. However those people that stop by need a reason to stay and talk to you or else they will leave and say “no big deal”.
Social media marketing should support one of three key brand objectives: increase sales, lower costs or improve customer service. If it’s not doing that than you’re wasting time and money.
*The report is going to be available at a considerable price ($15K) but since I helped with the research guidelines I am going to be getting a free copy and will share what the publisher allows me to share. I tried to get them to give the research away for free but it cost’s almost $150K for the 5 month program.
Related articles
- Should you train employees how to use social media ? (newmediaandmarketing.com)
- Stop interrupting me while I’m talking ! (newmediaandmarketing.com)
- Introducing No Bullshit Social Media (socialmediaexplorer.com)
- Social Media Marketing Tactics (brittanymorse.com)
- 10 Social Media Marketing Tips to KickStart Your Week (oneforty.com)
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Saturday, July 16, 2011
Live Webinar - Introduction to The Google+ Project #socialmedia #googleplus #webinar
home | Webinars | Live Webinar - Introduction to The G . . .
Live Webinar - Introduction to The Google Project
Hello There!
How exciting is Google !This Saturday the 16th July 2011, I'm holding a live webinar, during which I will be taking you through all the basics of Google , from setting up your account, to using the circles, sparks and hangouts features, plugins and all sorts!Please let me explain a bit more about this exciting webinar in this video...
WOW how exciting!! I like to stay up on the latest social media and I wanted to share this with you too!!
Step-by-Step guide on Google Plus.
Don't Get Left Behind Looking to the Old Paradigms!
JOIN ME!
Ja'Mille Wilborn
Soulcial Media Evolutions
8002351327
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Merchants Need to Adopt a Social Media Mindset; 10 Principles | Practical eCommerce #socialmedia
Merchants Need to Adopt a Social Media Mindset; 10 Principles
July 12, 2011 · by Paul Chaney
In my experience working with small business clients assisting them with online marketing, I often find they are very focused on learning how to use social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter. However, more important than embracing the toolset is adopting the proper mindset. Put another way, before you learn how to use the tools, it is best to first learn why to use them. In this article, I outline 10 principles that are foundational to building a successful social media marketing strategy.
1. Everyone Has a Voice and Every Voice Matters
The social web has given people the opportunity to share thoughts, ideas and opinions on a scale never before seen. Even my 79 year-old mother is on Facebook! Though her circle of friends is small, I can attest that her influence within that community carries weight.
While everyone who uses social networks has influence, some have more than others. This is something to which ecommerce merchants should pay heed. A better strategy than attempting to reach the entire target market is to focus efforts on reaching those that have the most influence.
Judging the degree of influence was the topic of a recent article - 5 Social Media Influence Measurement Tools - so I will refer to to it for more information on how to find and measure the value of these influencers.
2. Word of Mouth is Now More Important Than Ever Before
One of my favorite marketing-related cartoons - which is taken from a book entitled This One Time, at Brand Camp - testifies to the power of word of mouth. You will notice that a certain product is being advertised in many different ways. However, the man seated at the table across from the woman says to the waiter, "I'll have what she's having." It is not the same product.It's become a well-understood fact that people do not trust marketing and advertising messages as much as they used to. In its place, people have come to trust each other. Word of mouth has great influence in this social media-inspired ecosystem that is the web.
3. Listening is the New Marketing
It stands to reason that, if people are talking to each other and those conversations have influence, merchants should take time to listen to what is being said.
Three things are useful to listen for: who is talking, what they are saying and where they are saying it. With that information in hand you know who to talk to (the influencers), what to talk about (topics) and where to talk to them (social networks).
Listening is the on-ramp to engagement and I would not pursue a social media plan of action without first taking time to listen.
4. Lose Control of Your Content
Marketers spend a lot of time crafting a persuasive brand message, and we don't want anyone messing around with it! Unfortunately, that's not how the web works today. Once the message is broadcast, it becomes free game for anyone with an opinion and access to the internet.
Rather than resist consumer attempts to remix the message, how about partnering with them instead? That's exactly what Cadbury Schweppes, the UK-based confectionary owned by Kraft Foods, did with its Cadbury Gorilla and Cadbury Eyebrows viral video campaigns.
The company created these videos for use on television, but also posted them to YouTube encouraging customers to get creative and remix them, then post their own versions to Youtube. Hundreds of people did exactly that and Cadbury says it had a positive impact on the bottom line. For instance, the company credits the Cadbury Gorilla campaign with a five percent increase in revenue.
5. Information Has to Be Findable and Sharable
What I am referring to is the combination of search and social. If your company can't be found on the first page of Google returns for relevant search terms, in the mind of that consumer it does not exist. That is where social media can play an important role, due to the fact that so much of it is content related.
Not only that, all major search engines use what is referred to as universal search. That is, search engines look not only at traditional webpages, but to sites containing all forms of media, as well as social networks. Having a presence on sites such as YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others can only serve to help your search marketing optimization efforts. Truly, the line of demarcation between search and social has largely been erased.
Social media makes information, once found, easy to share thanks to tools like Share This, Facebook's Social Plugins, and others. Make content easy to find via search engines and easy to share via social media and you'll be amazed at the difference it can make.
6. Information Today is More About "Shared Connections" and Less About "Information Silos"
Once upon a time, having all your information stored on your company website was fine. That is no longer the case. In order to make information both findable and shareable, it is imperative that it be linked together in a hub and spokes arrangement, with the website serving as the hub and social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn serving as hubs.
If you connect your website to all the other places where your company maintains a presence online and connect all of those places, where possible, back to your website, you create a reciprocal linking arrangement that can not only help your SEO - assuming these aren't all "no-follow" links - but create synergy between each of the channels. Though individual channel serve a unique purpose, each should be one part of an integrated whole.
For example, your company website is a place where you maintain a greater degree of control over not only the type of content, but, from a design standpoint, the look of it as well. You are able to reach your entire audience and can present the data in a manner best suited to drive conversions.
On the other hand, even though you may be able to exert a lesser degree of control, having a presence in social networks is vital, even expected. They are where customers are gathering and where they spend increasing amounts of time. Increasingly, sites like Facebook and Twitter are where people are first introduced to your brand.
7. The Watchwords of the New Web
The four major trends that merchants need to be aware of, which I refer to as "watchwords," are: global, local, mobile and social.
The web is breaking down barriers across borders and enabling merchants to conduct business in places they never would have been able to heretofore. Conversely, the web is also becoming localized. For example, a report from research firm BIA-Kelsey stated that "nearly all consumers (97 percent) now use online media when researching products or services in their local area."
Increasingly, with the advent of smartphones and other mobile technologies, the web is moving to a mobile environment. An article in technology website GigaOM, reports that Mary Meeker, internet analyst for Morgan Stanley, has said that within five years, we will access the web more via mobile devices than through laptops or desktops, and that access will be via apps, not browsers.
Finally, it almost goes without saying that the web is now a social environment.
8. Facebook is the Operating System of the New Web
Facebook has long referred to itself as a "social utility." It wants to be the default network where consumers go when they go online. For more than 600 million people and growing, it has become just that. To many, Facebook has become the web - a 21st century iteration of America Online.
To support this effort, Facebook has morphed into being an all-inclusive online ecosystem where users can not only interact with each other socially, but purchase products, send emails and instant messages, and create business-oriented pages. Facebook's platform fully supports these activities and it will come as no surprise when the company continues its progress toward literally taking over the web.
9. The Web is Real-Time and All-the-Time
Thanks to mobile devices, we now have the capability to be online 24 hours per day in real-time. It is not unusual to see people walking down the sidewalk head down tapping out status updates, email or text messages.
Though it is by no means a foregone conclusion that all ecommerce merchants need to have mobile sites, merchants are beginning to recognize the need to consider incorporating mobile technologies into the marketing mix.
10. Using Social Media Does Not Have to Be Expensive
One of the most attractive principles underlying the use of social media is that it does not have to be expensive. While it is certainly not free - time is, after all, money - using many of the tools is.
There is no better example of this principle than what has become known as the "Will It Blend" phenomena, which is a series of inexpensively produced videos - the first ones were done completely in-house - by blender manufacturer Blendtec.
Not only have the videos become the company's marketing tour de force, they have been attributed to making a drastic difference in revenue in the hundreds of percentile range.
Conclusion
What I have been referring to in this article is the way the web works today. That's different than how it worked 15, 10 or even five years ago. Consumers now have a powerful voice that has influence and impact with other consumers. Not only do we as marketers need to listen to what they are saying, but get engaged in using social technologies to participate in and influence the tenor of those conversations. Doing so may mean the difference between whether you remain relevant in the mind of the 21st century consumer or are even in existence within a few years.
This post is filed under The Social Retailer and has the following keyword tags: social media, Social Media.
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Social Media is NOT going away... Embrace it and decide when to get started...
Ja'Mille Wilborn
Soulcial Media Evolutions LLC
twitter - SMEvolutions
Facebook - Soulcial Media Evolutions
http://soulcialevolutions.com
Monday, July 11, 2011
Build Profits: 7 Step Marketing Plan plus How To Market With No Cash | Steve Reports #socialmedia #marketing
Jay Conrad Levinson is known for his “gorilla marketing” advice. He recently listed on Rich Shefron’s blog his 7 Step Simple Marketing Plan. I read this today and thought you might like it before we get to the main topic. This is a very good guide to remember. Here they are: (for the complete blog article Click Here )
1) What is the purpose of your marketing? (What action do you want them to take?)
2) What is the main competitive advantage you stress to achieve that action/purpose? (What main benefit do you offer that your competitors do not?)
3) Who is your target audience?
4) Which marketing “weapons” will you use to achieve that action/purpose? (Expressed as a list.)
5) For your market niche, what do you stand for?
6) What is your identity, your personality?
7) What is your marketing budget? (as a percentage of your projected gross sales)
How To Market Your Business With Little or No Cash
Most consultants and authors offering training programs and services assume you have the cash to implement a sound marketing plan. That is often a misguided assumption and this begins to address a common issue of marketing with little or no cash. Many entrepreneurs and companies are experiencing a cash crunch.
The following steps are essential for marketing your business when you have no cash. They are also essential when you do have cash. Cash will help you advance your results faster.
The Most Important Step – Always - and There Are No Exceptions:
Spend Most of Your Time Marketing Your Business. This is a mindset coupled with a commitment and knowing what is productive time. Jay did not list this. Most do not. This is the number one item I work on with companies and with people I coach. This is the number one item I work on for my own ventures. This is also a challenge for most people since it is easy saying “I was busy today”. I say if you are not working on building new business and strengthening what you have, most other activities are just busy work.
Second Step: Know How To Use The Tools Requiring No Money and Those Most Helpful When You Have Money
If you are reading this you are on line somehow and I realize there is a cost for a connection. A computer and a connection are required. They cost money. They are essential tools. This article is how to market when you have little or no cash. You have to have a connection to market even if you are an off line based business.
How To Market When You Have Little or No Cash.
1. A web site is now required for credibility and I recommend using blog technology in most cases. If your business needs an html based web site fine. You still need a blog.
2. Use social media to drive traffic to your blog. The primary social media sites for driving traffic are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
3. Your goal is strengthening the relationship with your visitors and encouraging them to become part of your list. Even when you are selling a product on line, your primary goal when using the no money marketing approach based on social media traffic is to move your target audience from your social media network to your list where you can communicate with them.Facebook groups have similar characteristics of an email list. However, at no time will pounding on your network to buy from you be an effective marketing strategy. The Build Profits Group on Facebook is a good example. All the content sent to the group is intended to be of value. At the same time there is no secret as to my business ventures and professional services.
I used and continue to use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for the development and growth of three businesses that have cash profits this year. Last year two of the three did not exist. Two of the Three took less than $100 cash. Manifest Mastermind was less than $1,000. Today all are marketed using social media.. time yes, cash no.
Manifest Mastermind:
New Digital Media, Inc
IR Consulting, IncI use one autoresponder account for all businesses and lists. I use one hosting account for all domains. If you have no cash you can use blogger and by-pass the autoresponder. When you have some cash, convert your blogs to a WordPress based platform with individual C-Panel access. If you don’t know why you need these tools, learn. I feel an autoresponder is a must have tool for building a list. No matter what is being discussed in social media circles, email is still very important and valuable. So if you cannot afford an autoresponder, then track your email list manually until you can afford it.
Once I had built some cash flow, I outsourced certain of the work required to continue building the social media network and continue to do so. Notice earlier I mentioned I do not spend cash on marketing. However, I do leverage my time which is very valuable. I view the development of your own social media network essential for business and your social media network is an asset. I work on this everyday – everyday.
I do not outsource content origination meaning blog articles, posts to Facebook groups, Tweets and autoresponder messages. Some of this work can be outsourced. I do all of it now and some of it soon, will be outsourced. However, some content cannot be outsourced as it is my voice.
I will cover key points in building your social media network in the next article.
The easiest way to follow this series is to become a member of my Facebook Group Build Profits. Register for my list. What is in it for you? Candidly the information you receive here in most instances is more valuable than programs you will pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for. Why do I offer this information? Because some people will want me to become part of my Executive Coaching Program, some companies will want my consulting services and some will want help in building their social media network. Most of all some people will write and say ” I followed what you wrote and it worked – thank you” That my friends is the greatest reward of all.
Sending you energy of health, happiness, prosperity
Steve Pohlit
Business Consulting, Executive Coach
Turnaround/Crisis Management
Temporary CEO, CFO, Controller Services
International Business ResourcesSocial Media Services
New Digital Media, Inc.727-587-7871
About: Steve Pohlit is a CPA,MBA and has been the CFO of several major domestic and international companies. Steve is a business owner and an expert business consultant focused on building profits and net asset value. He is very experienced with Internet marketing and social media marketing. All articles published by Steve unless specifically restricted may be freely published with this resource information.
6 Facebook Ad Tricks For Competitive ‘Mad Men’ Types
What if the characters of “Mad Men” had access to Facebook advertising tools? Okay, that’s anachronistic.
Whether you’re one of the big time Mad Men on Madison Avenue or selling a product out of your home, no one should be missing out on the marketing potential that Facebook offers. Recent data suggests Facebook motivates one in five purchase decisions.
Know When to Post
There is lots of data and viewpoints to consider regarding timing. According to Dan Zarella and KissMetrics, the absolute best time to post is noon on Saturday. Depending on the brand, others suggest that posting in the middle of the day is more effective, when both coasts have an opportunity to participate in the discussion.
For some of the biggest brands and top pages on Facebook, 70 percent of interactions occur within 60 minutes of a post. So the bigger the brand, the more important timeliness of a post seems to be.
Act Like a Politician
Remember when the “Mad Men” were considering working for the Kennedy campaign? We do, and while that doesn’t really have anything to do with this post, it gives us a opening to talk about the 2012 election.
Candidates this year are all over Facebook like “Mad Men’s” Don Draper is all over an attractive woman. And the secret weapon of the candidates is the application. Using apps to motivate their fans to give money or sign up for events. Congressman Paul Brow has a social video channel app that is a low-cost alternative to television advertising. So what are you waiting for? App-up your page.
Take a Page From Jesus
What’s the most engaging page on Facebook? That would be Jesus Daily, of course! Jesus Christ’s fans make it so, because posts and comments drive rankings. And by the most recent count, Jesus has more than 6 million fans and is racking up more than 1.7 million interactions — driving its EdgeRank numbers through the roof. If you have a business on Facebook, have a plan for engaging fans. Get more likes and comments. Determine whether your page is getting a one percent feedback rate. Data from PageLever suggests most business pages are underperforming, garnering only 3 to 7.5 percent feedback rate.
Get More Likes
A Facebook like doubles a person’s willingness to purchase something from a Facebook store, according to recent data from Vendorshop, which builds virtual storefronts. As a result, businesses are missing out on the viral marketing abilities that social networking sites like Facebook can deliver.
Another method? Try like targeting. Optimal for pages that are well-established and enjoy a highly engaged audience, like targeting drives fans toward a like total in exchange for a reward, particularly a discount, and works best on Facebook pages where the brand has something to sell, preferably via an online store. Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to buy likes.
Leverage the Social Stream
Place ads in the right context, at the right time — when an intended audience is primed to learn and listen — then the message will be delivered. Facebook can deliver that type of environment because members flock to the site for the The surge of updates and information flowing from friends. Serving up a custom ad on Facebook when someone is already online looking for what’s cool, relevant and hip, is the optimal context.
Ads delivered in the social stream offer 10 to 20 times the engagement of regular display units on average because they appeal to the consumer’s interests at a time when they are primed to engage.
Remember Sponsored Stories
Presidential candidates to corporate America are getting turned on by the latest ad product from Facebook – sponsored stories.
- A sponsored like (page like story) targets friends of your fans.
- A sponsored post (page post story) shows messages to existing fans.
Sponsored stories are still relatively new, but already metrics are showing them to be 50 percent more effective than other types of ads.
The like and post ads are featured by themselves on a page so the placement stands out. And finally, sponsored stories takes advantage of what Facebook does so well: Leverage the endorsement of your existing fans.
What do you think of these suggestions, readers?
Sunday, July 10, 2011
NOTHING beats a failure but a try. Pauletta Vaughn
Saturday, July 9, 2011
How to Choose and Apply Social Media Tools - emedia and Technology @ FolioMag.com #socialmedia
Since social media was identified as a relevant tool to the publishing industry, magazine publishers have devoted many resources and an abundance of energy to finding and implementing the best strategies to solidify a presence in the sphere. Here, Michael Grover, UBM TechWeb’s director of content operations & syndication, and Patricia Cesaire, the director of digital PR & marketing with Black Enterprise, share tools, strategies and observations of their successes (and a few missteps) in social media.The Tools
Before entering the social media sphere, Michael Grover of UMB TechWeb believes it is of utmost importance to hone in what a company intends as a result from participating in the conversation, “Registrants? Traffic? Are you trying to build a third party community with third party credibility? You need to sluice out the different things you want, and hopefully you’ll find one that will rise to the surface as the prime directive.”
According to Grover, there are 700 million Facebook users, 106 million users on Twitter and LinkedIn currently has 100 million members. This is an extremely large audience to engage with, and one that has a diminishing attention rate as the marketplace becomes more crowded with competitors selling similar wares.
Once a publisher has established initiatives and joined the social media community, tracking campaign success and content sharing is often the next step for publishers. These results then become part of a base strategy for content production and distribution, as publishers get to see what is catching on among users.
At UBM TechWeb, with products that include magazines, websites and social communities such as the newly launched BrainYard, Grover says a content tagging strategy has been important in guiding their social media strategy. An RSS feed is
integrated into all UBM brands, so staff can track what brand is being promoted and to what channel it’s being promoted to on the back end.In order to keep team members in sync, Grover reiterates how the importance of keeping a consistent strategy when tagging and tracking content, “It needs to be immediately understandable not just by you but by other people in your organization, which will reduce number of questions. Data is only good if you can track it historically; if you change your tagging, data becomes unusable.”
UBM also utilizes a free online tool called Twitter Feed, which helps manage flowing information into Twitter. Grover says that while there is a similar service for Facebook from the Twitter Feed group, it is not efficient; instead, UBM uses RSS Graffiti for Facebook posting.
While the latest gadgets and tricks may seem appealing, Grover makes it top priority to “to be vigilant to see if they’re performing and how they’re performing; I’m always testing products as they come up. I run into many cases when things seem very promising, and then it stops working or doesn’t work the way I thought it would.”
For posting on Twitter, UBM TechWeb worked with URL shortener Bit.ly to produce Twb.io, a custom URL shortener that allows the company to fit an entire headline into a tweet. Twb.io also supplies real time tracking of tweets, and maintains branding the standard Bit.ly shortener does not.
Grover points out that while Twitter and Facebook may be the most immediately visible entry ways into social media, often, third party applications (like Tweet Deck) account for the majority of aggregating first party content; only 25 percent of Twitter drives come directly from Twitter’s site, and 75 percent comes from third party applicants.
To alleviate this issue, UBM TechWeb utilizes Omniture, which is used to collect stats from UBM’s web properties to track how much traffic came from Twitter and other social media forums, as well as third party applicants.
Over at Black Enterprise, Patricia Cesaire says Omniture is used to generate reports concerning hot topics on Facebook, Twitter and Ning (Black Enterprise’s social community for entrepreneurs). Then, content in alignment with these topics is generated by Black Enterprise editorial staff.
UBM has also created a central wiki that is used throughout the company, which feeds to about 6,000 users. Grover says that this tool is so successful, half of these users log in to the wiki on a daily basis.
The Strategies
As both Grover and Cesaire point out, the two-way engagement opportunity that social media provides is key to building relationships with users. “You have to watch what happens when the content is out there and see what people do with the content. You also have to have the bandwidth to understand it,” says Grover.
The BE editorial staff, from the magazine’s editor-at-large to interns, are consistently engaged in conversations about trends the BE team is seeing in relevant content categories. Cesaire says that the constant evaluation of this dynamic is a big tool in the success of her company.
Cesaire also identifies the individualization of social media channels as a key to Black Enterprise’s successes in the space, “Particularly with Ning, the audience (called the BE Insiders) behave as if they’re neighbors and they have storefronts. Facebookers sound off in a one-off fashion, not necessarily engaging in dialogue with each other. We try to engage according to user behavior on each platform.”
And just as the social media platform allows a dialogue about content between company and user, businesses are fast finding that users are eager to share the good and the bad of company behavior with staffers. Grover discovered this after a Facebooker commented that UBM “was clogging their feed”; after a Facebook member “likes” a company’s fan page, the company’s content is automatically updated to the member’s home page.
Grover’s team put out a survey asking users whether UBM was providing too much or too little information, “We got feedback that we were being too aggressive, and that we needed to tone it down a little bit.”
Successes in the Sphere
In the custom-built Ning community, Black Enterprise developed a rewards program that’s resonating well with the BE Insiders. Cesaire details a contest dubbed “The Elevator Pitch Contest”. Black Enterprise hosts an annual entrepreneur conference, and its sponsors give 5 winning entrepreneurs $10,000 each to put towards their respective businesses. The sponsors also work with the winners to make sure the money is properly invested back into the businesses.
Contestants were encouraged to submit their “elevator pitch” via video format on the Ning platform. Cesaire says though YouTube had been used in the past for video entry, the Ning platform allowed for user comments and a more seamless experience.
“Folks not only returned to the Ning platform at a rate of 3 to 5 times more weekly; they were also building out convos, discussing strategies of videos and showcasing what they’ve done, business-wise, to enhance their pitch. It became a user-generated video hub, but also a platform for folks to converse and network prior to, throughout and after attending the conference,” Cesaire notes of the contest.
Grover says that one of the brightest areas for UBM in the social media community is the ability to integrate media. The newly launched BrainYard, a community for business and technology leaders focused on social enterprise, is constantly fed with content from UBM’s Twitter feed. UBM relates this community back to the Enterprise 2.0 conference, “piggybacking on registration around the conference.”
In other UBM social communities, it may be more difficult to grow a larger audience with narrower content feeds, but Grover says that these smaller sites often mean a more attentive audience, “TechWeb Security, which is just our security content and has 800 followers, consistently go deeper into our content when they link to our site.”
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Friday, July 8, 2011
Google+: What Does It Mean for Marketers? | ClickZ #socialmedia #marketing
Will Google ever get social media right?
That question has marketers buzzing since the search giant last week rolled out Google+, its latest venture into social media and a potential Facebook competitor.
Marketers are divided over Google's chances for social success. Some contend that social media is not in the DNA of its tech saavy, performance-driven organization, while others counter that Google has enough money and talent to succeed in social – if not this time, maybe another time.
One thing's clear: Google has finally got people talking, rather than yawning, about its social strategy. Ford's Scott Monty helped to fuel that discussion when his team created two accounts on Google+ – Ford Motor Company and Ford Europe – to test the platform. Ford's plans included offering video and group chats with some of its followers on Google+.
However, brand marketers will have to wait out on the sidelines in the coming months. ClickZ Managing Editor Zachary Rodgers learned yesterday that Google told brands to hold off from using the service until it releases business profiles later this year.
"Interestingly, Google has chosen to use their old-fashioned limited test rollout to friends and insiders rather than a social media invite everyone-at-once approach," said Heidi Cohen, president, Riverside Marketing Strategies and ClickZ Experts contributor, in an email interview with me. Indeed, that strategy worked when Google introduced Gmail in 2004.
What exactly is Google+? It's an assortment of features with titles such as +Circles, +Sparks, +Hangouts, and +Mobile.
Consider +Circles: it is designed to give an individual more flexibility than Facebook to identify who they want to associate with in a particular group. Problem is, as Search Engine Watch Director Jonathan Allen points out, it can be tough to categorize relationships. "Personally speaking, it has already been a challenge to decide whether I differentiate professional friends from personal friends, or work on the basis that they are all ultimately friends," he wrote last week.
Google doesn't have recent history on its side either. Google Wave, promoted as a tool for use in "conversation and collaboration," was more like a ripple. And Google Buzz came under criticism for violating the privacy of Gmail users; it initially created a network of Buzz friends from a person's Gmail account. And once someone activated Buzz, those names were made public. (Google allocated $8.5 million to fund privacy education as part of a settlement to a class-action lawsuit brought by some Gmail users.)
Google+: The Promise for Marketers
The marriage of search and social holds great promise for many reasons. And Google's in a position to make that happen, says Bryan Eisenberg, managing partner at Eisenberg Holdings and ClickZ Experts contributor.
Consider this example: let's say Eisenberg wants to take his 6-year-old child to the movie, "Cars 2," and searches for movie reviews on Google. And if that search shows reviews from his preferred social circles, those reviews would be more relevant than one written by someone with different likes and interests. In addition, he said, people typically see only a small percentage of their friends' tweets and status updates on Twitter and Facebook.
Google also has had a relationship with Bazaarvoice to integrate customer reviews into search results, according to Eisenberg. So Google+ should be able to build upon those connections.
What about potential barriers to consumer adoption? Eisenberg doesn't believe that's an issue either. "Every single [Android] phone that's activated – there's one-half million a month now – comes with a Gmail address that's automatically set up by Google Buzz," he said.
Eisenberg says Google will triumph over Facebook because Google's efforts are built around an open network compared to Facebook, which is a closed network.
And if Google doesn't get it right this time, it has the resources to refine its approach. As of March 31, Google had $36.7 billion in cash on hand, according to its earnings report.
Google+: Out of Its Comfort Zone?
Not everyone is convinced that Google can and should compete with Facebook.
"In order to have a social network, you need a network - not just the technology to power it. Google has long had the largest user base online, but never the largest subscriber base, which means they have very little knowledge of who (or where) their end users are. And Google end users are very uptight about privacy, so trust is an issue for them," observed Mike Grehan, VP and global content director at Search Engine Watch, ClickZ, and the SES conference series.
Because Google has been an innovator in search, he finds it odd that it's giving so much attention to a non-core area of business. "Developing what is virtually a Facebook clone is certainly a departure, if not a lack of direction - certainly a lack of innovation. I doubt that Facebook has plans to launch a web crawler any time soon," he said.
Instead, Google may be in a better position to compete with LinkedIn and its business users. "With [Google's] presence in the online apps space/SaaS and the cloud (Google Docs, etc.) it may have been a better idea to develop a community around that," he said.
"Given that companies such as Facebook and Twitter have yet to show signs of substantial revenue generation, whereas Google is loaded, it does beg the question why they're doing this – just to keep up with Mark Zuckerberg? Just because they can?" Grehan asked.
What Does Google+ Mean for Marketers?
Google is discouraging businesses from setting up Google+ accounts right now, so there's not a lot that brand marketers can do today. However, marketers (you are human, after all) can try to get an account to better learn how the service works.
Riverside Marketing's Cohen said that while it's too early to forecast how Google+ will evolve, she identified three important marketing considerations to keep in mind. She advises:
- Test it out. While it's too early to say how well it will perform when released to the public at large, every marketer should be clamoring to get onto Google+ to test what it does and doesn't do.
- Review how Google+ works with other Google tools. Google+ builds upon the functions offered by other Google social and non-social applications and platforms. Of particular note is its integration with Google's Android operating system.
- Watch for changes in Google's search algorithms. Since Google is the dominant player in the search space and social media has increasingly had an impact on search, Google+ will cause changes in search, especially real-time results.
Hmmm, time will tell. Let's watch, wait and see.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
THE POWER OF PODCASTING TO BUILD YOUR BRAND with @KeithKeller (July 5th: 9pm... - Eventbrite #socialmedia
Join Lillian Cauldwell and Keith Keller as they share their insights into fascinating world of podcasting. Lilian is the CEO of Passionate World Radio, Inc.
Keith is well known as the presenter of Career Success Radio which he cohosted for two years with Annemarie Cross.
Lillian will share some of her secrets about running a successful internet radio station and will give you an insight into what’s involved in running your own radio show.
Keith will talk about the experience of cohosting Career Success Radio, which at it’s height was listened to in 120 around the world. Downloads for the show (there are over 100 now) total more than 80,000.
This demonstates the amazing power of podcasting to share you message with a global audience.
Monday, July 4, 2011
THE POWER OF PODCASTING TO BUILD YOUR BRAND (July 5th: 9pm... - Eventbrite
Join Lillian Cauldwell and Keith Keller as they share their insights into fascinating world of podcasting. Lilian is the CEO of Passionate World Radio, Inc.
Keith is well known as the presenter of Career Success Radio which he cohosted for two years with Annemarie Cross.
Lillian will share some of her secrets about running a successful internet radio station and will give you an insight into what’s involved in running your own radio show.
Keith will talk about the experience of cohosting Career Success Radio, which at it’s height was listened to in 120 around the world. Downloads for the show (there are over 100 now) total more than 80,000.
This demonstates the amazing power of podcasting to share you message with a global audience.