Social Media Marketing
This Is Where Customers Are Going!
Remember when you were a kid, you ran out the door and then heard your Mother calling, where are you going? That’s what many local businesses are doing with their customers today. If you are the one calling, it’s most likely too late because your customers are off looking for what you didn’t have to keep them around the supper table. In this picture you are behind them calling out not in front of them engaging and sharing, drawing them in building a relationship, a relationship that builds loyalty and increased return on Investments. For many this sounds like way too much work and don’t have time for this new way of doing business. This new way is happening and you will have no choice, this new way is called Social Media, resistance is futile, you will be assimulated.
Businesses today will have to figure out how to integrate multiple Social Media Networks into there web presence, their marketing strategy and above all incorporate it into the business plan as a another way of generating a ROI. Keep in mind that Social Media is not the Messiah, it is one of many tools to use to build a stronger more viable business. Reaching out to millions of consumers who thrive online around the clock requires an investment, a different type of thinking and some courage too. Many business are still wedded to a traditional marketing approach, based on TV, radio and print ads, Social Media seems harder to understand.
The biggest change taking place, or the shift as I see it, there is no gap between the CEO and customer. They now talk directly to each other, there’s no need for the middleman. Support costs are dropping, some businesses are using these Social Mediums to reach customers and save large dollars in doing so. Take Comcast as an example, for more than a year Comcast has pioneered the use of Twitter to speak directly to it’s customers. It’s Twitter page @comcastcares has 28,000+ followers. Software maker Sage North America, to cite another example, routinely receives instant feedback from hundreds of people within an hour on specific products and services. Another example is in sales, those who visit MyFICO’s community website are spending 41% more than other customers!
Businesses don’t think in terms of inbound marketing, they are very good at outbound marketing. Outbound Marketing is only half the equation in today’s new market place. A great resource to learn about Inbound Marketing is Chris Brogan & Justin Levy’s Inbound Marketing Summit.
There are multiple shifts taking place but increasingly, consumers don’t search for products and services anymore. Rather, services come to their attention via social media networks like Twitter. So if you are wondering where your customers are going, look to the Social Networks a plenty, don’t believe me, here is another example of a National pizza chain, Papa John’s added 148,000 fans on Nov. 17, 2008 through a guerrilla marketing campaign on Facebook. It offered a free medium pizza to anyone who signed up to be its fan on Facebook. The promotion gained it thousands of customers and drove its Web traffic up 253%. It now has more than 300,000 fans and hopes to top 1 million by the end of this year.
I could list many, many more examples of how businesses are winning and using Social Media to enhance existing marketing efforts. When was the last time traditional marketing campaigns garnered such ROI’s as some of these businesses are experiencing in today’s new social environments? Your customers are in these social networks and you had better be there to.
Now you know where your customers are going, the question is….are you going ahead of them?
Social Media In Your Community
How many times have you gone to a Conference hoping to see or hear a particular thing only to be disappointed? I’m not suggesting these Conference’s were bad and didn’t provide value, but what was it you went there for but walked away feeling like you didn’t get what you invested in? I think more conferences should be taking place to involve as many people as possible, in as many area’s as possible too! I am working on putting together a Conference in my area but I’m hoping you will tell me, what you would like to see & hear if you attended. Keep in mind we can’t please everyone and it’s possible the conference could go on for weeks with everyone’s wishes, so the list will be scrutinized to ensure we cover the HOT topics.
I am looking for your input on the topic of Social Media In Your Community, please send me an e-mail or leave your idea’s and wish list in the comments of what you would really love to see & hear at a Social Media Conference in your Community. After all, you did want to come to Canada didn’t you?
Are The Words "Social Media" Missing From Your Business Vocabulary?
This question has been nagging at me these past few weeks like I was being pecked to death by a chicken, could it be that these words are not computing with local business owners? It’s like your smallest child learning how to read an can’t pronounce a word, they end up creating a new word because they can’t say what they are reading. No it’s not a learning disability, it’s an understanding of what those words actually mean and how to use it in this new age and environment of marketing. It’s changed, or has it? Anytime you have the word ” Social ” attached to a phrase or sentence, people think less formal, beach party, BBQ or relaxing on the deck with friends. Yes, that is a form of being social and it is somewhat related to the term in business circles as well. The problem isn’t the word, it’s the thinking that is attached to the words, and small business owners can’t seem to break how they feel or think about the word. It’s not that they can’t, they just don’t know how and it’s embarrassing enough that they won’t ask for help on the topic for fear of looking stupid. I mean come on, it’s the words ” Social Media ” how could I not know what that means! So rather than find out, they think, let’s not go there and or I’ll avoid the conversation all together. Worse yet, I’ll ask my kids. Small to medium business, all business for that matter needs to educate themselves on the tidal wave before them and how to ride that wave without being wiped out.
In my corner of the world here in Western Canada, a very small group of people participate in the formal sense of the words social media. This group is comprised of mostly people from chat rooms or FaceBook and the like, not a many are business owners trying to add this environment into their marketing mix or even their support systems. I say this because I’ve been coming up against this lack of understanding everyday and this uncomfortable feeling when you try to share with them, to help them understand what it is or could be for their business. It’s like the words Social Media aren’t even in their vocabulary or business language, it’s completely missing, and if it is there, it’s a picture of people standing around a water cooler. So in light of that, I am posting the Wiki definition of Social Media here for all the world to see.
Social Media Definition
Social media is online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. At its most basic sense, social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content. It’s a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many) and is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into publishers. Social media has become extremely popular because it allows people to connect in the online world to form relationships for personal, political and business use.
Distinction from Industrial Media
Social media are distinct from industrial media, such as newspapers, television, and film. While social media are relatively inexpensive and accessible tools that enable anyone (even private individuals) to publish or access information, industrial media generally require significant resources to publish information. Examples of industrial media issues include a printing press or a government-granted spectrum license.
“Industrial media” are commonly referred to as “traditional”, “broadcast” or “mass” media.
One characteristic shared by both social media and industrial media is the capability to reach small or large audiences; for example, either a blog post or a television show may reach zero people or millions of people. The properties that help describe the differences between social media and industrial media depend on the study. Some of these properties are:
1. Reach – both industrial and social media technologies provide scale and enable anyone to reach a global audience.
2. Accessibility – the means of production for industrial media are typically owned privately or by government; social media tools are generally available to anyone at little or no cost.
3. Usability – industrial media production typically requires specialized skills and training. Most social media do not, or in some cases reinvent skills, so anyone can operate the means of production.
4. Recency – the time lag between communications produced by industrial media can be long (days, weeks, or even months) compared to social media (which can be capable of virtually instantaneous responses; only the participants determine any delay in response). As industrial media are currently adopting social media tools, this feature may well not be distinctive anymore in some time.
5. Permanence – industrial media, once created, cannot be altered (once a magazine article is printed and distributed changes cannot be made to that same article) whereas social media can be altered almost instantaneously by comments or editing.
Community media constitute an interesting hybrid of industrial and social media. Though community-owned, some community radios, TV and newspapers are run by professionals and some by amateurs. They use both social and industrial media frameworks.
Here is the link from the above: Social Media Definition
The real issue isn’t what the words mean, it’s how a consultant or media firm explains them, provides a case study that reflects that a business can derive an ROI from Social Media. Thus, giving the term value and a new way of marketing and communicating with their customers, by building a deeper, richer relationship that builds a new kind of loyalty. More importantly it provides a forum where you the business owners actually cares about what your clientele think about your products and services. A place where you can give them and even better experience of dealing with you.
Another challenge for these words and business owner’s; there are people out there claiming to be knowledgeable and understand social media that just plain don’t. These individuals land high positions in large organizations, they get the position and then scramble around to figure out how to do the job when they have no business being there in the first place. A great rant on this topic is from my friend Olivier Blanchard of The Brand Builder, his video entitled, “Is your Social Media Director qualified?”, it articulates far better than I Olivier’s frustration and concern with these individuals in one short video. Take the time to view it.
As you can tell there is alot of work to be done, an educational track that needs to be articulated in a way that business owners can connect the dots, connect the words to a real opportunity and value they have not considered before. Each business owner needs to bone up and learn that the term Social Media is a new marketing environment but also a relationship they have avoided in the past. You can no longer avoid it because it is the new word of mouth, it can be your best friend or your worst enemy. You have to decide which it will be.
Three Parts of a Social Media Marketer
Gary Vaynerchuck
I got all Twittery on the topic of Social Media Marketers this morning, there is a group of people that seem to be considered more popular, even an Elite, as Social Media Marketers. I know the definition is not clearly defined because personalities seem to play a large role in the who’s who of these networks anyway. I think there are three parts to being a Social Media Marketer. You might call these three parts the recipe for Weblebrity (new word coming to a dictionary near you) as someone coined a while back. I’m not trying to start a who’s better than the other war, but I am curious what these people have that appeals to you as your favorite SM Marketer.
Would you consider Gary Vaynerchuck a Social Media Marketer, Promoter or Ambassador? I would entertain that Gary is a motivational speaker, his enthusiasm carries him a long way. You probably know him as the Wine Guy from tv.winelibrary.com with his regular viral videos.
Gary Vaynerchuck has captured attention with his pioneering, multi-faceted approach to personal branding and business. After utilizing traditional advertising techniques to build his family’s local wine business into a national industry leader, Gary rapidly leveraged social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to promote Wine Library TV, his video blog about wine. As his viewership swelled to over 80,000 a day, doors opened to a book deal, several national TV appearances, and a flurry of speaking engagements around the world. Gary’s dual identity as both business guru and wine guy has made him the “Social Media Sommelier.” (taken from his site)
There is no doubt that Gary is a force to be reckoned with and he has made the most of his efforts to buy the New York Jets NFL Football Club, only time will tell. His focus is clear and makes no excuses as he is CRUSHING IT!
On Twitter I asked if Gary and Chris Brogan were a Marketers, Promoter or Ambassadors? Could they just be popular dynamic personalities.
Here’s a few responses:
Randy Haddock (a musician blogger) says of Gary Vaynerchuck, “Ambassador to both marketing and promotion and does it brilliantly, He’s very knowledgeable, personable, and approachable. He cares about every single viewer/reader he has and builds relationship”.
Chris Herbert of MI6 Agency, Would Chris Brogan be considered a Social Media Promoter, Marketer or Ambassador? Answer: Yes!
Lisa Hoffmann of New Media Lisa says, “Everything is a personality contest, Owen. Everything. Well, everything involving other human beings”.
There are many, many Social Media Marketers that you don’t hear of because they aren’t as high profile or don’t spend as much time in Social Networks as some do to be noticed. I’m not that popular but I spend considerable hours in a day on some Social Media Networks talking, asking questions, writing articles or ranting about Auto-DM’s in Twitter. I love to help people with Social Media Marketing and I love to talk about technology’s and how they will impact society. Does that make me a Social Media Marketer? Maybe, but that has yet to be determined 🙂
Chris Brogan
How about Chris Brogan, he has an incredible following and is loved by many, here is his BIO taken from his site. Chris is a long time Blogger and is all about community and social media. As president of New Marketing Labs, my role is to build and execute strategies for companies seeking to engage their community via the social web. We focus on four core areas: listening, content marketing, community management, and outreach programs. Acting as a hybrid social media PR/communications organization, New Marketing Labs extends your other channels into the new world of the web.
I also operate the Inbound Marketing Summit conferences, a series of events dedicated to educating businesses on the potential of Internet marketing and communications and featuring the brightest practitioners available. We run several single day Inbound Marketing Bootcamp events all over the US as well.
Scott Stratten
Then there is my Canadian favorite Scott Stratten, a sharp young man that seems to be addicted to Twitter. He is very witty and his work on Twitter is always interesting not to mention funny. Who is Scott Stratten? Well….Scott Stratten is the President of Un-Marketing, a firm that works with business owners to help them become customer magnets. He uses proven methods of successful marketing to increase awareness and sales both within a company’s current customer base and new ones. He recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Fast Company and his articles have been published all over the world.
Mack Collier
Mack Collier is another person who is very sharp in the marketing game and uses Twitter as if it was an extension of himself. Mack Collier is a social media consultant, trainer and speaker. He has been actively immersed in social media since 2005, he has helped advise, teach and consult businesses of all sizes on how they can better connect with their customers via these amazing tools and sites.
Kris Colvin
Kris Colvin doesn’t claim to be a marketing person, she describes herself as a designer. I just love her spirit, she is very engaging and enjoyable, she has alot of energy and frankly practices the law of attraction by being exactly who she was designed to be. Personally, I think she’s pretty sharp in the marketing sector too.
Kristi has been creating business communications since 1993 for leading software organizations and small-to-medium size start-up companies. A foundation in print design and retail visual merchandising, led to web site design, user interface design (gui design + information architecture + branding + usability) and she specializes in making product and brand experiences better for users and customers.
Olivier Blanchard
Olivier Blanchard, The Brand Builder – he’s not as flashy as Gary Vaynerchuck but is very engaging, he has a deep understanding of what Social Media is, he knows exactly what the metrics and indicators are and should be in this marketing environment. Plus he makes great non-threatening, personable videos made easy to understand. I follow Olivier because he relates to me and I truly enjoy his perspective. I think he even likes wine 🙂
He explains himself on his site as BrandBuilder Marketing’s principal and senior strategist, I help companies significantly increase their marketing ROI, foster both broader and deeper engagement with their customers, establish leadership in their markets and expand to new ones.
He also helps companies and their marketing partners establish effective social media programs and integrate them into every facet of their business, from Public Relations, reputation management and market research to Human Resources and Customer Support.
Each one of these great people have all three parts of being Social Media Marketer 1.) Marketing Knowledge 2.) They are Entertainer’s and possess 3.) A dynamic personality. Those three components add up to people that are, savvy, have brand and trust. Don’t take my word for it, follow them, watch, listen and learn.
I’ve had the privilege of listening to and engaging with some of these brilliant minds, bantering back and forth on the topic of Social Media Marketing and ROI (Return On Investment). I’m grateful for their time to share, they have allowed me to get to know them a little bit even if it’s just at 140 Characters at a time. I follow all them and highly recommend each one of them to you, be sure to follow them on Twitter.
Do you agree, do you know others not mentioned here, then please let me know by leaving a comment.
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- President at New Marketing Labs
- cofounder PodCamp at PodCamp.org
- Publisher, Speaker, and Trainer at [chrisbrogan.com]
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Chris Brogan’s Summary
As president of New Marketing Labs, my role is to build and execute strategies for companies seeking to engage their community via the social web. We focus on four core areas: listening, content marketing, community management, and outreach programs. Acting as a hybrid social media PR/communications organization, New Marketing Labs extends your other channels into the new world of the web.
I also operate the Inbound Marketing Summit conferences, a series of events dedicated to educating businesses on the potential of Internet marketing and communications and featuring the brightest practitioners available. We run several single day Inbound Marketing Bootcamp events all over the US as well.