Tag Archives: communication
Breaking Down Social Media : Finding a Soul in Brands
The term social media is largely misused and misunderstood.
You can’t have one social media strategy, or just decide to “do social media”. You have to realize what the term represents, that’s the first challenge I see when I speak with most people considering social for their businesses.
The Basis of Media
When you are speaking about using social media as an outreach tool in the general public the first thing you have to realize is that none of those people are reading “these” articles – the dialogue we all have about it on-line , its of no interest to them.
The people you are trying to reach are living their lives. Reaching them becomes marketing – just as you try and do in magazines or radio ads or newspapers. That’s the media part of the term.
In turn, from a business owner’s stand point, making decisions about social media use has to come from understanding deeper objectives and being in touch with your organization as a whole. Social media is not a new marketing strategy or sales vessel. It’s not a substitute for customer service. It’s not about broadcasting a new logo or flooding a channel with messages, it’s about a mindset.
What is the “Social” Really About?
Social is about this ability for consumers, employees, and all people to be connected. People using the on-line space to further their knowledge, interact with others, do research, play games, express themselves, grow, laugh, be entertained and of course throughout all this to share… The social part is about where you are reaching them and it’s the entire basis of all these pillars of social marketing success.
I think sometimes businesses, people looking into social and marketers forget the why of why you have to be genuine, or why the goal is
The Most Exclusive And Engaging Social Network | @CoupleApp
The most engaging network? It’s a bold statement, but I think if we walk through the important aspects of engagement, you would undeniably agree, this app & network is about everything that works in engaged networks.
- Being genuine
- Feeling listened to
- Keeping open communication
- Sharing moments & emotionally driven messages
The catch? It’s only for two.
The benefit? Finding time in our increasingly digital worlds, and busy lives to make time for the important people in your life.
When You’re Overrun With Fear. #Leadership #Marketing #Culture and Social Media
The underlying theme for much of what I have been seeing lately seems to have it’s roots in fear.
Online and offline, people everywhere seem to be stunted by fear. This not only hurts your business, but it closes doors. The worst part about fear is that not only is it hurting you, but I think in many ways it is obvious to those around you, and one must give some thought to the concept that people can “smell fear”. When the environment is fear, people adapt and start to alter their behaviors to their own detriment.
Fear vs. Success
Success is bred of confidence – even if that confidence is in the fact that when you take a risk, something may go wrong (fear) however you will not let it stop you because you know you can make something out of it. Amber Osborne wrote a beautiful post that covers this idea here.
Leadership, Marketing and Culture
The greatest ideas in the world and the most innovative changes do not come from those who fear. They come from those willing to put themselves on the line, who face realities, who respond, and who also take a chance.
In the workplace, fear of speaking up can hinder and organization by eliminating the opportunity for members of the community to drive positive change by sharing ideas. Often it’s the collaborative perspective of people at all levels that add to the ability for a company to change with the needs of the consumer and to increase efficiency.
The Enagaged Mind: 5 Reasons Every Serious Professional Should Use Social Media for Business
Your World Isn’t “The World”
If you want to know the value of social media and social networking for business, you need to be able to agree that your world is limited. That without social media, you live “in a box” – maybe it’s your box, but a box nonetheless. Don’t believe me? Keep reading.
You need to understand that to be the best at what you do, you need to be educated and knowledgeable about what is happening in your field, in the world, with your consumers and your competitors. Surely, you agree with me here.
Take a few moments with me right now, in this post I am going to share with you exactly why social is critical to the leaders in your company. Why taking advantage of the opportunities in social media is critical for you. I am not going to discuss the marketing aspect here. What I am talking about here is personal development, innovation and the tools to always stay on top of your game.
Social Media Timing is Everything: Understanding Automation’s Role in Community Engagement
Robot (Photo credit: ewen and donabel)
Are You a Robot?
We have heard a lot of talk lately about the risks of automation in social media. Many people seem to believe that automating tweets, or posts work against social media best practices. In particular, genuine communication.
I think that the key to assessing this is in knowing the objective of your social media activities. In addition, the role that your social accounts are playing for the community they serve.
Manpower is a huge issue in this as well. Do you have a community manager who is dedicated to only running social media, or do you have social media as a “part” of the person’s role?
Automation used right doesn’t mean “impersonal”
There are positive ways that automation can be used which also respect and maintain the human touch. Here are some examples:
1. Scheduling Updates that contain photos, videos or your own posts to strategically appropriate times on both Facebook and Twitter
This content should be generally in line with your objectives, and the message you want to share within your community. There is no reason not to schedule these things. It allows you to be consistent. A huge factor in establishing a strong social media presence.
2. Scheduling distribution of articles via Twitter or Facebook so that the proper exposure is attained on peak hours in multiple time zones.
3. Automation responds to various needs and can help teams work together
Automation lends a Helping Hand in Time Management
Where “Automation Is Anti-Social” – What Not to Do.
It’s all about Balance
- Time for Blogging or other content creation
- Time for broadcasting the content
- Time for dialog and interaction based on the content & Identifying Opportunities for engagement elsewhere (ex: Social Search) <;- The most important aspects
- Time for analysis of interaction and results
The Appropriate Use of Automation
Automation does not Equal Auto-Pilot
- What is the acceptable delay to respond to comments on Facebook, Twitter, Your Blog?
- This will depend on the nature of your business, and the role your sites play.
- Itemize the type of content your organization is willing to automate.
- Example, blog posts, photos, videos, status updates, Direct Messages. Make sure to answer the question for yourself, what value does automating the selected items give your public, and your company. What are the potential risks?
- Ensure that there is a regular check point to follow through on these automated posts.
- Will it be every day, every hour? Set an expectation so you don’t lose yourself in the automated process. You want to respect the whole reason you are using automation – to stay connected. Leaving it on Auto-Pilot is not acceptable, and in theory does not meet the reasons you are doing it in the first place!
Providing Value
Do you use automation to expand your capabilities in social, or were you thinking it could just put your activities on auto- pilot while you head out to the beach?
What do you think?
Do you have any tips to add?
Navigating The Buzz of Branding: Start Here.
People aren’t looking for an ad,they aren’t looking to buy something.They are looking for a connection.
How do you do that? #branding
When Search Engine Giants Turn to Print – Your Marketing Strategy
Fading printers sign on an old stone wall – is print a thing of the past?
According to a recent infographic focusing on the demographics of online users, over 66% of adults are connected to a social network. According to Internet World Stats, as of Dec 31, 2011 over 78% of the North American Population is connected online. With information like this, it’s clear why there has been a surge in internet marketing, social media marketing strategy and a rush of forward thinking companies looking to find ways to reach the population in these areas.
The challenge for companies working on marketing strategies is balancing the investment into the online world with traditional media. Many are of the mind set that traditional media is dead, or soon will be. However, we need to consider that although everyone may be online, they still live in our offline world which is scattered with opportunity. When building a brand, or reinforcing one, it has never been sufficient
Fast Track Marketing: QR Code Driving Fans Closer |Strategy|Engagement
QR Codes are a tough sell in social media circles. Despite this, the average consumer surely sees multiple codes a day scattered on business cards, ads on walls, magazines, newspapers, billboards, TV ads, and even restaurant menus. In recent research from ScanLife, a popular QR Scanning App, the data not only shows consumers scanning when they are on the go, but even when they are at home! If that doesn’t indicate increasing comfort with the convenience of the QR method of communication, I am not sure what does.
Why do so many oppose them in the social marketing field? The QR code may seem “boring” to a graphic artist, or annoying to a social marketer, but to the average consumer armed with a smart phone and a scan app, I’d go as far as say it can be magical. You never know what lies behind the code until you see it.
Go ahead, scan me 
~Wasn’t that fun?
The State of Mobile
According to Cisco‘s Mobile Forecast Highlights, in North America, the number of smartphones grew 58% during 2011, reaching 138 million in number. They further predict, in their VNI Mobile Forecast Highlights, 2011 – 2016 that in North America, the number of smartphones will grow 1.8-fold between 2011 and 2016, reaching 253 million. Why is the potential application of QR coding important? Look at it as your added opportunity to entice the mobile user, to connect somewhere that everyone is becoming increasingly more comfortable.
According to a recent Scanlife report in the second quarter of 2012, the company’s QR codes got 16 million scans, almost 10 million more than what it saw in the second quarter of 2011. in addition the rate of scans per minute Scanlife is seeing has increased by 5 times compared to the same time last year. You can check out a pretty awesome infographic here.
Why Aren’t You Seizing The Opportunity?
QR Codes are one of the easiest ways for consumers to easily respond to an ad, and get the information they are looking for. They allow the
Seduced by the numbers? The Honeymoon is Over.The Value of a Facebook Like {Casestudy}
The biggest challenge faced by social media professionals entering an organization who is at the onset of social media integration will be confronting the popular misconception that “likes” on Facebook & followers on Twitter is the measure of social media success.
When social media first started to gain attention as a new business opportunity, it stands to reason that in absence of true measurement tools, the only number a business or organization could understand easily, and “measure” would be the number of followers, or fans.
Many organizations, due to lack of familiarity or understanding of social, are convinced that there is success in the numbers; that “likes” or followers equal reach, and that if they attain high subscription – whether it be on Twitter, Google Plus, or Facebook – that this will equal success.
The Wrong Numbers.
Social business is still in the early stages, as new technology and strategy intertwine to find stronger measures of success on various levels –
