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!
As a follow-up to my last article titled: HISPANICS: The Majority Minority and Its Influence in Social Media, I would like to give a closer look at one of the Hispanic profiles I introduced as an example of influential Hispanic people in the digital space, and who has been able to recruit a solid fan base from the bottom up. In an exclusive interview with Matt Reyes the founder of Twitteros, we will get a chance to learn more about his role as a successful Latino influencer in the online world. Let’s begin!
Have you ever heard of Twitteros?
According to Matt Reyes, the term Twitteros is a Spanish adjective that means, “Twitter user”.
Matt is the founder of Twitteros, a social media community hub for Latinos that Twitter, based on the Ning platform that launched in late 2008. The community hosts profiles, music, photos, blogs, forums, and other features.
As he explains: “The whole idea of Twitteros is to connect all Latinos that Twitter. We have so much to say and so much to learn from each other, and this group will only connect us even more!”
In my 1:1 chat with Matt Reyes, he was very open to share with us more about Twitteros and his role as an influencer in the market, so influential that the 2010 US Census partnered with him and his social network to encourage Hispanics to be counted and share the importance of taking part in the act.
There is a deservedly famous scene in Taxi Driver (Martin Scorcese, 1976) where Travis Bickle, the lead character played by Robert de Niro, tries various lines and deliveries in front of a mirror, angrily and seemingly puzzled at an imagined effrontery, and exclaims “Are you talkin’ to me?!”
This is what I imagine most traditional marketers’ expressions and words to be in the face of the social media explosion: surprised that their consumers are talking to them. And in many cases, talking back. As well as upset at the loss of control of their carefully crafted messages, unsure of whether to do anything about it, then unsure of what to do. And in my own reenactment of the Taxi Driver scene, with brands as Travis Bickle, I envision the mirror talking back, in the voice of consumers: “Are you talking to me?!” “Yes, but are you listening to us?”
Since the once one-way monologue from brands to consumers has irreversibly mutated into a multi-way conversations thanks to social media, the need to listen has become a critical part of any marketer’s must-do list.
One could even say that listening to what consumers are saying about your brand, which has been called many things from Social Media Monitoring to Buzz Monitoring to Social Listening, is a matter of survival. Here are a few reasons why:
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.
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.
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.
Recently, the US Senate voted to end funding for the F-22 Raptor stealth fighters based on recommendations from the Defense Department. This jet is the world’s costliest weapon and was designed in the 1980’s to combat a similar set of sneaky war planes the Soviet Union had in its arsenal.
At the time, it was clear that we needed to go head to head with our Soviet counterparts to ensure that our country stayed safe. They had planes, we had planes. They wore uniforms, we wore uniforms. All was safe and secure in the world of high profile and high cost defense.
However, the world has changed drastically since then. The Soviet Union no longer exists and while there are still well-gunned challengers in the world, the biggest threat to our national security comes from people without uniforms or weapons commonplace in the battlefields of the past. These new enemies are crafty and covert, utilizing methods that require a more surgical approach than our F-22 bombers can deliver. So, how does this apply to the current state of marketing?
Well, before social media took off in the US, marketers used traditional advertising vehicles to get the word out. Many of these options, like TV, radio and print, provided great reach and enabled an advertiser to increase brand awareness at a fairly significant cost.
The ability to connect with a single customer in a meaningful way outside the store, a call center, or direct mail was just not possible. This would be the F-22 phase of advertising, as we all used pretty big guns to hit a target we might not know that much about.
Well if you haven’t seen those videos, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that people are talking about them.
Getting the word out there via sending the link to a friend, having a conversation about it at a bar, having a laugh at work. All of this does matter in the world of promotions, advertising, and marketing. So why aren’t more brands and companies making them?
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.
As a follow-up to my last article titled: 
There is a deservedly famous scene in 
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 
As a marketer wishing to create a presence 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.
Recently, the US Senate voted to end funding for the F-22 Raptor stealth fighters based on recommendations from the Defense Department. This jet is the world’s costliest weapon and was designed in the 1980’s to combat a similar set of sneaky war planes the Soviet Union had in its arsenal.
Have you seen that video…