Wanting to see highlights from the MTV Movie Awards last night, I went online to check out what I missed — the fashion, the drama, and the video clips.
Not surprisingly, I noticed a familiar message on some of my favorite blogs when trying to click on clips of most talked about moments, including Tom Cruise channeling Len Grossman.
Every video I tried to play on sites other than MTV.com was interrupted by a message saying the content was removed by Viacom.
Following my earlier rant after the MTV Video Music Awards when MTV removed any and all clips of Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech, Viacom has been actively removing clips and content where they see it posted. Forums, message boards, UGC sites and blogs all had clips that had to be removed or wouldn’t play.
A few weeks ago, I was asked to share some of my thoughts with iMedia Connection on common mistakes marketers make with Social Media and when it’s time for a Social Media Makeover.
Here is a re-post of that article and a few tell-tale signs your brand is missing a social media marketing opportunity.
The full article from iMedia Connection can be found here.
Article Highlights:
Brands often mistakenly plan social campaigns for the same window of time as they would an online advertising campaign
An intern should not be tasked with managing all of your social media efforts
Brands shouldn’t strip content off of blogs and communities just so they can promote it on their own websites
Common misconceptions and pitfalls
In the year of the social media revolution, we’ve seen many brands, organizations, and individuals jump in and make a concerted effort to expand their presences online and establish their social media footprints. Some of these brands have done a great job and really understand the importance of social media in getting people aware and engaged — while others are latching on to the newest trend and, perhaps, going through the motions to keep up with the Joneses.
Among the more than 3 million businesses creating Facebook pages and groups — not to mention millions of special-interest and community-driven blogs, up to 70 percent of which blog about brands — many have failed to connect the dots in terms of how to use these platforms effectively. Many brands fail to leverage social spaces to drive awareness and engagement among their customers and fans. They simply aren’t having conversations about their brands in the places their audiences share most.
For anyone who has ever wanted more information on Social Media and its impact on how we consume and share content, here are some favorite videos from Socialnomics that just might amaze you.
Social Media Revolution
Social Media ROI
Kudos to Socialnomics for gathering such comprehensive information!
A few weeks ago, I was asked to share some of my favorite social media tools with iMedia Connection. Here is a re-post of that article and a few of my favorite applications - some free and some paid - that are worth their weight in marketing gold.
Article Highlights:
Social Mention gives a great snapshot of blog, forum, and microblog buzz, sentiment, and keywords
Radian6 and Alterian’s SM2 offer solid analytical tools, easy-to-use interfaces, powerful data retrieval, and more
Quantcast and Compete are both free resources for basic metrics such as site/blog traffic, user demographics, page views, and unique visitors
In many ways, 2009 was the year of the “a-ha!” moment for social media marketing. While many people long-involved with social media and word-of-mouth marketing knew it was only a matter of time for the masses to embrace this type of marketing, others were just starting to get their arms around the importance of establishing and leveraging their social footprint to build engagement, dialogue, and awareness.
As more companies, brands, and individuals are building their social media presences, the universe of online tools — which used to be somewhat more limited — continues to expand on a daily basis. Not only do we have more choices in how we place content and measure social media, but the tools available to us also change and improve just as frequently.
To provide a little background on me: I run a social media marketing agency (KARMA Media Labs) that helps organizations and individuals connect with their target audiences and build word of mouth in the communities where they live. In order to find these audiences and strike a chord, it’s important to be armed with the right tools to listen to what is being said, find the right influencers, communicate with your audience in a way that is relevant, and provide content that is likely to be shared.
The following is a list of some my favorite tools and sites — some free, some paid — that have been worth their weight in gold in not only finding that desired audience and key influencers, but also putting the right content in front of them to build conversation and word of mouth.
A few weeks ago, I was asked by Lisa Lacy on behalf of ClickZ why MTV’s Jersey Shore has become so popular through social media and conditions for the “perfect storm”.
The show’s basic premise is similar to over 20 preceding seasons in MTV’s Real World franchise, yet Snooki, Vinny and the rest of the gang have reached an unprecedented level of cultural saturation. According to Nielsen, 1.4 million viewers tuned in to the premiere on December 4. And numbers have steadily risen since then, culminating in 3.6 million viewers tuning in on January 14.
That’s thanks in part to MTV’s efforts to harness organic buzz and create branded content. The company has launched a Twitter integration, exclusive online videos, and is preparing new features such as a character generator and an iPhone app.
Most people who follow me on Facebook and Twitter have come to realize that I’m not shy about expressing my opinion about AT&T Wireless’ lack of coverage and poor service in my city and neighborhood—which just so happens to be Los Angeles, California.
For the last two years, I have had little to no coverage in my home and other areas of Los Angeles, often getting the “Searching” or “No Signal” notice on my phone. Last time I checked, LA is the second largest city in the US, which makes me wonder why one of the biggest wireless providers isn’t delivering in one of our nation’s biggest cities.
My neighbors and friends, equally frustrated with the lack of service, have also tried everything to voice their opinions—ranging from calling AT&T, to going to their stores, which ironically, had no signal inside the store (aka the store on Beverly and La Cienega). One of my friends even carries a newspaper ad in his back pocket showing AT&T’s claims for excellent coverage in LA. None of these efforts proved to be worthwhile.
Making matters worse are the endless Luke Wilson commercials touting AT&T’s fantastic coverage. Don’t mock me Luke Wilson. I doubt you’ve spent endless hours on the phone with AT&T trying to get the service that you paid for.
Last Fall, Mass Animation’s Yair Landau, former president of Sony Pictures Digital, partnered with Intel on a Facebook-hosted competition to create an animated film.
The result of that competition is the 5-minute short film Live Music, which will premiere on November 20th as a short before TriStar Pictures’ film Planet 51.
Artists were invited to install a Facebook application which would allow them to download creative materials and assets, including music from guitarist Steve Vai and violinist Ann Marie Calhoun, use Maya to animate shots, and then submit them back for post production. Three separate deadlines were used to keep content contributions coming.
The Facebook application contained a sequence viewer and classified material as Easy, Medium and Hard.
The prizing included $500 per shot used in the final cut, as well as Dell computers. Users were invited to vote on their favorites and the Facebook community determined the winners.
As a marketer wishing to create a presence on Facebook, one is often faced with the decision of whether to create a Group or a Fan Page.
Before the design revamp earlier this year, Facebook Groups and Fan pages both had similar functionality and one big problem: they didn’t give people a reason to come back.
Once someone joined a group or became a fan, there wasn’t much to remind them to return for a visit. This made the decision pretty much 50/50 for a marketer as one option had about the same pros and cons as the other.
Point: Team “Fan Page”
The Group vs. Fan Page game changed a few months ago when Facebook updated Fan page functionality to act more like a personal page.
Rather than having static content, fan page news updates and wall posts would be pushed out to fans’ newsfeeds and foster more organic word of mouth and engagement (see our previous entry on the benefits of a Fan Page). During this time, Groups stayed the same– stuck with limited functionality and passalong factor. The marketing choice became a lot easier: create a Fan Page to maximize participation.
Last Sunday night, I noticed multiple posts on Facebook about Kanye West’s inappropriate actions at the MTV Video Music Awards, where he interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech.
Since the program was delayed on the West Coast where I live, I naturally went to social media to see what the fuss was about.
To my surprise, every video I tried to play was interrupted by a message saying the content was removed by Viacom.
Much has been discussed the past few days about Viacom’s decision to make VMA-related content available onlyon MTV or MTV.com. Viacom has been actively removing clips and content where they see it posted. Forums, message boards, UGC sites and blogs all had clips that had to be removed or wouldn’t play.
While Viacom is still engaged in a lawsuit with Youtube, my guess is their actions are as much about controlling content as driving traffic to their site and advertising supported video player.
Yesterday, over a lunch meeting with some friends and media colleagues, we started getting a bit philosophical about social media marketing and how companies are not only beginning to embrace it, but how they’re budgeting, implementing, and integrating this type of media internally as part of their overall marketing strategy.
One of the questions that came up:
Does a company really need senior level involvement or outside help to execute social media marketing, or can it be done internally by a team of interns?
Interesting question. The short answer is, yes and yes.
In my opinion, the mistake many companies make in leaping into social media marketing is that it’s all about having a Twitter and Facebook page. Well my friends, if this is all social media marketing means to you, by all means, have your interns go to town. But to me, social media marketing is so much more than that.
Reaching your target audiences where they live online is much more than how you’re represented in social networks. Tapping into the power of influencers, bloggers and taste makers who specialize in your cause or subject matter is something that is a bit of a talent, as there’s so much clutter and competition with getting messages and your call to action heard. If that’s something your intern can do, more power to you. However, sometimes it’s better to have a strategic game plan in targeting where you’re brand is represented, how consumers will engage, and the likelihood they will spread the word.
A few weeks ago, I was asked to share some of my thoughts with 
A few weeks ago, I was asked to share some of my favorite social media tools with iMedia Connection. Here is a re-post of that article and a few of my favorite applications - some free and some paid - that are worth their weight in marketing gold.
When actor 
Most people who follow me on 
Last Fall, Mass Animation’s Yair Landau, former president of Sony Pictures Digital, partnered with Intel on a 
As a marketer wishing to create a presence on 
Last Sunday night, I noticed multiple posts on 
Yesterday, over a lunch meeting with some friends and media colleagues, we started getting a bit philosophical about social media marketing and how companies are not only beginning to embrace it, but how they’re budgeting, implementing, and integrating this type of media internally as part of their overall marketing strategy.