Marketing best practices


The clash of the social media know-nothings

Jul 25th

73 comments

The know-nothings.

You know who I’m talking about right?  Social media “marketers” who have never practiced marketing.  Maybe have never even had a sales job or a college-level marketing class. But they’ve created a Facebook page and have 500 followers on Twitter so somehow that makes them a guru.

“You can’t walk out your house without bumping into a social-media expert today, said Forrester Analyst Sean Corcoran in a WSJ article. ”The reality is the space is still very much a Wild West.”

I’m not going to dwell on the shake-and-bake “experts” and their webinar info-mercials promising to unleash profits through the magic of follower lists and multi-level marketing scams.  Enough has been written about that. The point of this post is that there is a clash in the marketplace because there aren’t enough true social media marketing experts — with the emphasis on MARKETING — to go around.

[SOCIALADS]

Look at what’s happening on the demand side.  Ad spending on social networks world-wide is expected to rise 14% this year to $2.5 billion. Every advertising, marketing and public relations firm in the world wants a piece of the action and is looking for talent.   Consider these news bites from the past week:

  • Universal McCann, is launching a social media practice this month called Rally.  “Social media is now part of all our clients’ plans; we can’t not be in this space,” says Matt Seiler, chief executive of Universal McCann.
  • Publicis Groupe‘s digital umbrella organization, VivaKi, says it also will open a social-media consulting practice this year.
  • Pepsi‘s Gatorade brand created a “Mission Control Center,” which is set up like a broadcast-television control room, to monitor the sports drink around the clock across social-media networks.
  • Kraft hired 360i, a digital ad agency owned by Japan’s largest ad company, Dentsu  to monitor brands like Oreo and Jell-O.
  • Microsoftis currently searching for a social-media firm to handle duties for its Xbox videogame system.

In other words, social media marketing is white freaking hot.

Now for the supply side of the clash.  Who is going to fill all these positions?   Unless you define success by the loosey-goosey standards of “engagement” and “conversations,”  there just aren’t many individuals out there who have actually demonstrated an ability to use social media to move the needle for a business.  And I don’t mean new “followers.”  I mean sales. Cash flow. New customers.

If you have the fire-power and mega-budgets of Microsoft, Pepsi and the other big brands, you can certainly buy your way into success on the social web.   But the vast majority of businesses out there are going to be stuck with the no-nothings instead of the exceptional marketing talent they really need to grow their business.

The dirty little secret the know-nothings are keeping from you is that, with the rare exceptions, nobody wants to be Facebook Friends with your company. You’re going to need much more than an intern tweeting earnestly about your latest coupons to impact your bottom line.  We live in a society that is absolutely sick of being advertised to, sold to, and marketed to, which is why most people turn to Farmville and the social networks to ESCAPE commercialism. So if a know-nothing is promising that they have this figured out and they’re going to help your car dealership or clothes boutique be the next Old Spice succcess story by “listening” to the Twitter stream … well, be afraid.

At the end of the day making money on the social web — or anywhere — still gets down to MARKETING FUNDAMENTALS.  Research, strategy, planning.  Creating points of differentiation. Finding a unique way to delight your customers and out-smart  your competitors.  And then, using the social web as a channel. Maybe.

For most businesses trying to figure out what to do with all this social media stuff, forget about finding a social media expert. That’s a hammer looking for a nail. Find the best, most experienced marketing pro you can afford and let them figure out where it fits for you, if at all.

Can I hear an “amen?”

Creating a content marketing plan — without any content

Jul 6th

28 comments

When somebody talks about “content marketing,” they’re really talking about “content engineering” — scientifically optimizing documents such as blogs, case studies and white papers to create search engine results and sales leads.

This can be an extremely complicated, time-consuming and expensive proposition! So I started thinking about this in the context of my friends and small business customers who simply can’t afford that kind of effort.  It led to this idea:  micro-content, or marketing content when you don’t have time to produce content!

Let’s examine ideas about micro-content that even a time-starved business owner should be able to master in 15 minutes a day …

Preparation

Like any marketing initiative, you must have a firm idea of your strategy, selling points and target audience.  Spend time thinking through a set of keywords that represent your business and your customer needs. You’ll need to weave these keywords into your micro-content.

LinkedIn forums

If you’re like most people, you have a profile on LinkedIn and haven’t done much with it. This platform is a goldmine of opportunity to create micro-content!

There are about 600,000 groups on LinkedIn covering every imaginable business interest. You’re sure to find one with like-minded people who might be interested in you.   If you are in a very specialized field, consider starting your own special interest group.  Make sure you use relevant keywords in the title of the group so people can find you.

Look for some Q&A sessions within relevant groups and get involved. Simply answering questions is providing meaningful content that can attract attention to you and your website.  I’ve personally made some fantastic connections and acquired my two most profitable customers just by answering questions in LinkedIn Group Forums.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and helpful so people can learn about you.  In the “specialties” section of your profile, list your keywords!

Twitter

This is the ultimate site for making connections through micro-content. In this separate post, I’ve provided some helpful ideas on building a targeted audience through Twitter. It makes no sense to work on micro-content on Twitter if you have nobody listening!  Here is a suggested micro-content regimen if you’re just starting to tweet.

1) Create a habit of sharing — When you read something that interests you, share it on Twitter. It takes but a moment.

2) Leverage your network — If you’ve surrounded yourself with interesting people, they’re providing great content. When you find something great, re-tweet it! You don;t have to generate everything yourself.

3) Try following the “3 x 3 x 3 rule” — If you’re new and trying to figure what to do, tweet three times a day, at three different times of the day, on three different subjects:  a) interesting non-work-related information you saw, heard or read; b) news related to your business, market or industry (use keywords), and c) your opinion on an item in the news or something funny. Pass on links and snip your URL’s!

Remember that micro-content is still supposed to do the job of big content — drive people to action on your website. Of course you need to include your website in your profile and use your keywords in your bio.

Comments

Commenting on relevant blog posts, videos, and Facebook pages is a quick and easy way to deliver micro-content that links to your website.  Here are some examples:

  • A small business owner I know commented on a magazine’s Facebook site and was invited to send her product to the editor for coverage.
  • Adding your comment to relevant YouTube viral videos can create impressions with thousands of people who are interested in a related topic.
  • My comment on a popular blog post contained a link to my website which is still receiving hits nine months after I posted the comment. That’s not unusual since posts on popular topics can have a long “shelf life.”
  • Comments on my blog have resulted in new business partnerships, guest blogs, and freelance assignments for my readers.

I find that comments can carry even more impact when they’re “micro.”  People will read a few sentences, but probably scan a few paragraphs.

Re-purposing micro-content

There are so many great benefits to blogging but this is usually the place time-starved marketers stumble. Think about re-purposing your micro-content on your website as a blog, even if it only happens once a month:

  • Cut and paste answers you’ve already provided on LinkedIn and blog comments as new, unique posts.
  • Start a blog post with, “I found this interesting article on Twitter …” and share the great content on one of your tweets.
  • Share a relevant article, video or blog post from a trade publication and simply write a few sentences commenting on it.

In summary …

These are just a few of the ways you can effectively network on the social web with a “sprinkle” of content instead of a flood.  Obviously there are hundred of other ideas I’m sure you can share with the community but this is at least a start that a small business owner can work on 15 minutes a day.

Age of Conversation takes fresh look at business of the social web

May 15th

3 comments

I mentioned a few weeks back that I contributed to a new book called “Age of Conversation: It’s Time to get Busy.”  It is now available through Amazon. As a reminder, all profits from this book go to Make A Wish Foundation so this is not an “affiliate link!”

One of the things I like about this book is that introduces us to a lot of new voices.  Sometimes my blog reader starts to sound like an echo chamber and this book has some truly fresh business perspectives from around the globe.

I hope you’ll check it out.  Thanks for your support!

The power shift on the social web: What does it mean to you?

May 4th

16 comments

Remember when we used to say that “people” are the power behind the social web?   Can we can honestly claim that any more?  The social web has rapidly become just another a mass-marketing channel like TV or magazines, dominated by the mega-brands.

Think about the videos going viral these days.  What was the biggest hit of the year?  The Nike Tiger ad, a bizarre production certainly aimed at the viral potential of the Internet more than any paid TV opportunity. In fact eight of the top 10 most-viewed You Tube videos of 2009 were professionally-produced:

  1. Evian roller babies (see above to view)
  2. New Moon movie trailer
  3. Wedding entrance dance
  4. David after dentist
  5. Britain’s Got Talent – Susan Boyle
  6. through 10 – professional music videos

And all of the Top 10 Facebook pages belong to big names:

  1. Texas Hold ‘em Poker
  2. Mafia Wars
  3. Michael Jackson
  4. Barack Obama
  5. Vin Diesel (Vin Diesel???)
  6. Starbucks
  7. Lady Gaga
  8. Twilight
  9. Coca-Cola
  10. Skittles

Remember that just a few years ago, there were few, if any, corporate videos on YouTube and Facebook was a hang-out for college students.  This commerical development is not surprising. If there is a way for money to be made, companies will find a way to exploit it.  Capitalism at work.  So what are the implications for small businesses trying to carve a niche? Is it too crowded?  Is it too late?

No, I don’t think so. There are plenty of social media marketing opportunities for the savvy small business professional, even with the brand titans bringing their game:

Think local. All marketing is local.  Can your small business still have an impact on the social web? Absolutely.  I’m working with a marketing manager for a very successful regional chain of restaurants. One restaurant already has 5,000 Facebook fans. I think that’s pretty impressive. If you’re providing meaningful connections with your local crowd of customers, who cares if Evian babies rule the web?

Raising the bar. Not long ago, grainy home videos dominated YouTube.  Just about anybody, at any time, had a chance of going viral.  The novelty of the social web has passed and expectations for quality are increasing. If you hope  to compete for attention on the national or international level, bring lots of money.  But I believe that even on a local level the bar has been raised and there is an increasing expectation for quality … maybe not along the lines of the Evian babies, but an expectation for something entertaining nonetheless.  To stand out, you’re going to have to provide remarkable content.

Importance of Twitter. Twitter isn’t flashy.  It rewards real connection and conversation, something monolithic companies typically don’t do well.  I have a small business but have more followers than Pringles (one of 2009′s Top 10 Facebook pages). I think there’s a message there. My hypothesis: Of the major platforms, Twitter may actually favor the local small business owner.  How can you leverage this powerful tool on a local level?

Keeping it real. Unless you are going to simply “buy” fans with coupons and discounts, you need to let your personality shine through. Coca Cola, probably the best-known consumer product in the world, is doing a great job at this. They feature their Facebook personalities right on their front page and each tweet is attributed to an author. Of course Scott Monty is a recognizable social media personality for Ford Motor company. Still, these are exceptions among the big brands. Real people and small business owners can normally have an advantage connecting with their local clients.

Watch and learn. The big guys are spending millions to fine-tune their social web offerings.  Learn from them.  What are they doing to be successful and how can you capture that success on a local level?  What methods are they using to engage and reward their customers? What channels do they employ and why?  What devices like online games and contests could be used in your business?

While the future of mainstream social media ultimately belongs to the behemoths, I do believe there are opportunities for small business success. Do you agree?

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