Yesterday I had the most fun teaming with two amazing divos - Dan Greenfield. media consultant Bernaise Sauce (former vp Earthlink) and Michael Pranikoff (del.icio.us) director Emerging Media PR Newswire. We were Conversation Guides for a session on social media for a great group of folks. The convo went from micro blogging to how to develop a strategy to the difference between an audio file and a podcast. Answer: RSS
As promised, we're happy to share the deck. For those who didn't attend the session there are some great resources including Twitter search engines complements of Michael and an easy to follow 10 Step Social Media how-to get started Process from Dan. Enjoy! Download the_social_media_10_step_process.pdf
From the lunch key note panel .. a few snippets
To celebrate GM's 100th anniversary an employees wiki has been established. As employees add their memories a unique view of the company's history will be created. For Mary Heinge, APR communications director, GM Corp., the added benefits include a viral element, a way to involve many people and no book printing costs.
Debra Neuman, svp external relations for Care told the group that social media gives people the ability to respond immediately and especially for a non profit ".. your content better be right."
Question: Who owns social media? Debra Neuman - "No one and everyone." Love that one.
Most controversial statement was from Jack Leslie. When the panel was asked about the skills they were looking for in new hires, Jack told us he leans toward people half his age when considering employees with social media skills since .. young people have this built into their DNA. Now perhaps Jack was trying to be funny but the buzz in the ladies loo (Girlfriend you know exactly what I mean.) was outrage that only the Millenniums are perceived to "get it." As one women said to me - Anyone can learn how to put together a MySpace or Facebook page but it takes experience to understand how to incorporate social media into a PR plan or campaign.
When was the last time you hung out with your customers or clients? I'm not talking about the last time you watched behind the two way mirror: 8 to 10 women, 18-34 years of age, who lived in a metro area and skate boarded to work wearing their Jimmie Choos. Nor am I talking about reading the customer sat report that your research department sent over .. which by the way you really should take out of your "To Read" pile and read.
It's not comfortable to be a brand manager sitting behind the two-way mirror munching on M&Ms and suddenly hear customers bash your latest brain child. It's devastating to read a research report that coldly informs you that 91.27% of your customers believe your service stinks. Don't you sometimes wish that you could drop the formal research strategy and meet Becky or Brian or Betty or Brandon at your neighborhood Starbucks and just dish? (Note: I am not saying disregard traditional marketing research.)
When was the last time you talked, listened, laughed and learned with .. not From .. but With your customers or clients? Divas and divos I'll bet you a chocolate martini that for a few savvy marketers it was your last trade show but for most the answer is - Never.
The concept of conducting business is an odd duck to me. Marketing teaches us the more we know about our target audience the better we can service them. The big however is .. how do you to get to know the millions of individuals that make up the customer base of global brands? I don't know about you but it's damn difficult for me to create new products, marketing programs or service a demographic group that seems more like wisps of vapor than people with hearts. Enter stage left research-based personas that begin to provide some texture and depth. While there is value in these composite profiles, and great fun to build, they've always seemed rather like playing with paper dolls.
The son of the Godfather was wrong .. dead wrong. Business IS personal. However, creating corner grocery store relationships can be as challenging with customers in Madrid as with clients on Main Street. We compete every day for precious moments of time with our customers. There are so many priorities in our lives from family to work to friends to self. Yes Girlfriend self (but that's another post!).
It sure is hard to fit a relationship with your favorite brand into the mix. I'm not sure if I want to anyway. Time spent with my shampoo brand .. time spent with
Max. No need to flip a coin on that one.
But time to drop a comment on the blog or social network site of the shampoo's marketing manager that I've come to know and like and respect .. that's a different story. Time to even chat with a friend I met online line about how I perceive her newest product. Sure. Of course, I'll help out a friend.
Marketing research pros might argue .. but you are biased because you have a relationship with your-friend-the-brand-manager-of-your-shampoo. Perhaps. Perhaps my feedback will be colored but then again, because I want to help her succeed perhaps my feedback will be even more honest.
Business friendships built online in social media venues? May sound strange to you but trust me on this one Girlfriend, it is not strange for Kinsey and Caroline who are redefining "What Is A Friend." Building those relationships that do morph into friendships over a virtual backyard fencewill become are becoming more common and accepted with each click.
Thanks to BBF Ann Handley for the inspiration for this post.
Sometimes
the world spins even smaller than one might think. At the second BlogHer Conference in 2006 I invited myself to share the breakfast table of two women I greatly admire - Amy Grahan - Contentious and Dina Mehta - Conversations With Dina. Amy and I have crossed non digital paths but I lost track of Dina until my friend Rajesh Lalwani, BlogWorks, invited me to participate in a conversation about social media . To my delight the third member to join our chat was - you guessed it Dina Mehta!
Blog The Talk is a joint project sponsored by Impact, a highly respected Indian biz publication, Idea Farms and BlogWorks. Wonderful idea conceived by Rajesh that brings issues and learnings about social media marketing to the India business community. These are important conversations for anyone interested in the global
impact of conversational marketing. Rajesh is not only providing
insights and addressing concerns but in retrospect the series will serve to be a
documentation of the evolution of social media marketing in India.
Rajesh set the stage for this Blog The Talk asking: It's a great time of the year to discuss where we stand on the conversational marketing front. Is it really making an impact on the ground, to the consumer and to the marketer?
I'll toss the same question out to you. Is social media making an impact on the consumer? Do you find that it's changing behavior and influencing purchases and brand loyalty?
For your reading pleasure .. PDFs of the article follow. Or if you prefer to Rajesh has the entire discussion of Blog The Talkposted. This is the second Blog The Talk that I've been honored to participate in. The first focused on the Social Media Challenges In India.
As promised here are my random notes from Blog World. Or at least those note I could read. I apologize for the quotes that I have not a clue who said what.
Web 2.0 does not equal community. Paul Dunay
"It's an old media concept that your audience should come to you."
Internal wikis are a great way to: share opinions, create spontaneous work groups, develop a knowledge management system.
Maggie Fox generously shared lessons learned from a MySpace campaign for Harlequin (books) that quite didn't make it. Don't treat MySpace like an ad. Authors should have actively participated in the community.
Social media networking communities don't work if you control the content. Credibility can't build from only content you put up. Think about how to create trust online. Relevancy is key.
The Dell Story was told at least 5 million times. How much longer can Apple afford not to get social?
How do you get marketers to get it? 1. Point to success examples. 2. Show examples that their brand / industry is in the conversation .. with or with them. 3. Try it internally first. Create an internal blog, wiki, podcast, etc. 4. Coach them through the process.
Responding to negative comments on a blog can create greater credibility.
No one can dictate the message of what is happening in the field anymore.
No one owns the flow of information any more.
Gives the troops a voice; the great equalizer.
Military blogs often more accurate than main stream media. Lines between MSM and bloggers are blurring.
How does one determine the truth? By reading multiple blogs. Trust = facts. Mil bloggers frequently check each other's facts. Posts are passed along to confirm the details. Or the community self corrects in comments.
Military bloggers are morphing into hobby bloggers or new media correspondences.
As with any community conversation and relationships are also built off-blog.
Mil bloggers are creating change within the military from the outside.
Mil blogs are read by senior staffers, generals and policy makers. Many use blogs as a source for their research.
When it comes down to brass tacks, the community of mil bloggers is much the same as the community of business bloggers. We both struggle with similar issues from comments to posting frequency to content direction. A defense contractor raised his hand and asked, "How do I get in front of your readers?" The response was, "Build relationship with us." Sound familiar? That's what the biz bloggers call Blogger Relations.
"The power of blogs is found from their communication at near real time." Christian Lowe.
"Isn't there a risk in entering into a social media strategy," They asked.
"What about? What if?" They asked.
"We want safeguard," They said.
"We need reassurance," They said.
"I respect your fears," Said I.
"Let's address some", Said I.
Hesitantly They nodded.
"I admire your courage to explore," Said I.
They gifted me with a nod and a smile.
I remembered what CK said about feeling comfortable.
Q1: How do you ensure the brand is not comprised through comments? A: Develop comment guidelines or house rules that set expectations. Moderate/filter prior to posting comments.
Q2: How do you measure ROI? How do you know if you succeed? A: Develop a blog strategy that ties into accountability. Success for a social media/blog strategy may not happen ‘as the crow flies.’ The route my be circular.
Q3: How do you ensure the brand is not compromised through the company's bloggers' posts? A: Develop blogger guidelines and a blogger code of ethics. If the bloggers can help develop these all the better. Invest in training bloggers and setting expectations. Bring bloggers in on the purpose/goal and /what is success.
Q4: Will we need to promote the blog/social media programs and how will they impact our current marketing strategy? A: Yes. If you build it they will not come unless you tell them. Consider how your initiatives will either support/solve a marketing or operational challenge or strategy and then how it can dovetail into current and future tactics. If you develop a blog commit to ensuring it is visible on the home page of your website and that there is a link placed on the main navigation bar.
Q5: What do we do if IT does not have time to be involved? A: There are hosted solutions such as typepad.com. IT interface can be kept to a minimum such as adding links to the website to the blog .
Q6: Is it worth the additional time? A: Identify anticipated benefits and how they will either support/solve a marketing or operational challenge or strategy. Example: Your customer service reps time spend answering questions about how to send packages over seas. A blog post can expand a static FAQ page and provide feedback for specific questions that will be available in archives and part of your continuing knowledge base. time, people resources and $ saved.
Q7: Do you have the people resources needed? A: Determine what your content direction will be; the roles and responsibilities of the people involved and track time. Read Q6 answer
Q8: Can you afford the additional operational (software, hosting) expenses? A: Hard cost is pennies .. the look and feel/design may up the price but that can be control.
Q9: What happens if your competitor is less risk adverse than you and steps into the space first? A: You'll be second to market and have to play catch-up in your learnings.
Q10: How do you safeguard against getting "blown-up?" A: Keep the social mantra top of mind: honesty, transparency, authenticity. Throw in a little passion too. Remember social media is simply a way to engage in conversations with your customers and prospects using a bit of technology and the internet. Expect differing opinions, questions and perhaps some challenges too.
Social media usually self-corrects if someone says something unfavorable that is not true frequently your brand champions will tell the other side of the story, giving the nay sayers less credibility. You can also join in and tell your side of the story.
How do you develop relationships through social media? It's a question that comes up more times than not from people who are new to social media marketing. However, telling someone who has just begun her "sm" adventure to join the conversation,comment on a post, get involved not only can sound intimidating but blog speak gibberish can be as confusing as corporate speak.
Skipping around the blogosphere I came across three wonderful posts from three favorite Divas, Valeria Maltoni, CK Kerley and Wendy Piersall. Their posts dove-tail and after commenting on Valeria's and CK's posts I thought .. hmm .. this would be a tangible example of how joining the conversation might look. Plus the posts do support each other and it's fun to bring them to your attention, if you haven't found them already.
To start .. in her post, You're Asking The Wrong Question, Valeria continued the conversation begun by Wendy about the issue that many marketers have - "How can you keep control of your brand with a blog, social media & user-generated content?" Valeria set the stage for her ideas by spinning off of what Wendy discussed and of course adding her own unique thoughts:
My slight contribution to her short answer is that you never controlled the conversation, you only thought you did because consumers did not talk back.
Valeria ended her discussion with a new question to consider -
The right question is how can I let people see as much as possible (and practical) of what's going on so they can choose for themselves?
Commenters on Valeria's post continued the discussion adding their own thoughts and ideas. Here's my addition to the thread -
Long or short ... another thoughtful post. I agree with your stance; smart marketers always knew "you never controlled the conversation, you only thought you did" .. but instead of "because consumers did not talk back" I propose that customers did talk back to companies and to each other. However, technology e.g., the internet, social media has provided our customers with many opportunities for their voices to be amplified and to be heard by more people, who in turn, add their thoughts/voices and take to the "virtual streets."
The challenge for business is not only to listen and learn but to acknowledge, take specific action and become involved in a multiple dimension exchange. The impact from social media goes beyond the importance to join the "conversation" to developing new ways of conducting business including creating internal information processes, as well as, sophisticated customer feedback mechanisms.
When I read this one sentence in CK's Taking It To The Streets post I had a bloggy light bulb moment.
In order to engage executives around social media, they need to feel comfortable.
So simple .. so elegant .. so very true .. and so often forgotten. There are steps to take Before change takes place and people feel at ease participating in a very public conversation. My comment to CK -
Thanks for sharing your time on the 'street.' I especially loved your take away - make people feel comfortable. We talk so much about listening but the step even before "hearing" is to alleviate fears so people are open to new ideas. Helping people feel comfortable (in a safe environment) is critical to making that happen. Bravo CK!
CK acknowledged what I wrote and continued our conversation on step further -
@Toby: Thanks, for sure the bravo goes to Susan Bird for being so savvy
to include us. All it takes is a comfortable conversation ;-).
Conversations online hop from one blog to another; thought adding to thought, involving more people; changing morphing ideas. Through idea exchange relationships begin to develop and grow. Rather like in the 'real world' wouldn't you say?
If you're new to the world of public, viral communication I hope you feel comfortable exchanging ideas here on Diva. Consider this a safe space to take the first steps of your travels to an exciting adventure.
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to the members of the Lehigh Valley (PA) Convention and Visitors Bureau about one of my favorite topics .. social media marketing. What a beautiful part of the country! Next time the Crayola Factory is on my to see list along with a visit to the vineyards. Yes, girlfriend, there are vineyards a short drive from Philly.
The CVB is stepping into the world of social media and Web 2.0 with RSS, podcasts including a walking tour and a soon to launch blog. We discussed putting their wonderful photos of the area on Flickr as well as live blogging events.
Present a new idea to a group of people .. you never really know whomight get it and take it steps further. Or who may think you are totally daft. When reporter, Jeanne Bonner, Of The Morning Call, talked with one of the workshop participants, Dave Fooks she discovered that he had a bloggy light bulb moment. David is responsible for the Kutztown Festival, an event that celebrates Pennsylvania Dutch folklife.
After the session Dave did a bit of search hunting and found, much to his surprise, that there were many people talking about the festival. He "got" that there is an untapped opportunity to build community with people who are passionate about the festival. Way to go Dave! I'm thinking that this quote from Dave would make a great bumper sticker (smile).
This blog thing My God! It's incredible! - Dave Fooks
Jeanne also spoke with Randall Forte, of the Lehigh Valley Arts Council, who was concerned what to do if he received a negative comment about a local arts event that he had blog about but that he did not produce. Good question. I dropped this comment -
In addition to increased SEO lift, customer service support and viral word of mouth, through a deeper understanding of the people who make up the heart of the brand .. employees and customers .. relationships are frequently build that influence purchase behavior e.g., sales.
In response to Randall Forte's concern about negative comments, it is never comfortable hearing that a customer is unhappy with your product. However, positively critical feedback should be considered a 'gift' from a customer who has taken the time to express an opinion that many others may have as well.
In Randall's example, the producer of the event would surely want to know about that comment; I would encourage the producer to respond to the comment .. to tell his/her side of the story. Next I would encourage the producer to launch a blog to carry on the conversation on his/her home turf. For as Dave Fooks learned, people are talking about your organization .. even if you are not part of the conversation.
Special thanks to the Bureau's president Michael Stershic and to Tracey Werner, Director of Public Relations for their warm hospitality. Also to my BBF Sybil Stershic who set the wheels in motion.
Toss of a pink boa to all of the great people who were open and interested to learn about a new way to conduct marketing and business. It is indeed the Age of Conversation!
What’s a business blog mean to you? Okay, I’ll go first. One big factor for me is an opportunity to build a relationship with a person who may be otherwise clocked by the Wizard of Oz curtain that goes up with traditional marketing communication.
However, in some villages of the blogosphere people blog anon – anonymously. This type of genre is not like a character blog, where the tonality of the blogger may be a different style than if the blogger was writing in her own voice; however,the identify of a character blogger is frequently disclosed. That is the case of the GourmetStationDelicious Destination blog. Although the ‘voice’ is T Alexander the thoughts are from Donna Lyons-Miller, the president and founder. The back-story is proudly told on the blog. (Bloggy disclaimer GourmetStation is a client.)
The healthcare blog world is an example where sometimes docs who are not comfortable letting patients, or perhaps affiliates e.g., medical centers, insurance companies, etc., in on their identities will blog behind a pseudonym. The McChronicles blog is another example of an anon blog where McChronicles remains anonymous in order to ensure reviews – much like a restaurant critic – of McDonald’s around the world are not compromised by the celeb of McC!
Recently I came across an anon marketing blogger, Tangerine Toad who is writing on a blog appropriately called – The Toad Stool. It's interesting to me that the mysterious Toad has established credibility and a loyal readership/community. It would seem to be that in the spirit of social media: to be honest, transparent and authentic anonymous bloggers would have a difficult time establishing trust. When I was in New York last week I met the Tangerine Toad,who by the way does not look like a toad nor is he orange. In fact, he was very much upfront about his real name and identity.
This anon thing is curious to me. Tangerine Toad agreed to shed not his skin (do frogs shed their skins?) but to tell us his story .. why an anon blog?
Toby/Diva Marketing: Before we go anywhere with this interview I must know .. how did the name Tangerine Toad come about?
Tangerine Toad: Before I was blogging, I was commenting on other ad blogs, and just about everyone on those blogs comments under a pseudonym. The name was really just a whim-- a lot of new ad agencies have names that sound more like rock bands than ad agencies and Tangerine Toad was a goof on that. (Which is ironic in that I’m now just as guilty of using the moniker to set myself apart from more traditionally named bloggers.)
When I started my own blog, which I named “The Toad Stool,” it was really just an experiment: I was curious about the medium and wanted to get hands on experience with it. I initially intended it as a two month project at most and I didn’t really tell anyone about it. So I was surprised when I started getting comments from people beyond the 4 or 5 friends who knew I was writing it. That’s when I decided to recommit to it. And at that point, I was kind of stuck with Toad. Though at some level, I rather like it. It’s got a superhero-ish sound to it.
Toby/Diva Marketing: So Toad, any relation to Kermit? He’s green and you’re tangerine but perhaps you’re distant cousins? Sorry ..do you get that one a lot?
Tangerine Toad: Surprisingly… no. But I have discovered, through the magic of Google, that there’s a fairly popular Beatles cover band called Tangerine Toad. Who knew?
Toby/Diva Marketing: Let’s cut to the chase .. why did you choose to blog anonymously?
Tangerine Toad: It’s funny: advertising is such a business of star worship. And I find people are more open to hear what the mysterious “Tangerine Toad” has to say than if I blogged under my real name. They focus on the “what” not the “who.” I mean it’s not like I’m a complete unknown in the business, but there are probably only a half dozen creatives people would really and truly be excited to hear from. I often feel as if I’m the alter ego of some superhero called The Tangerine Toad. You know. mild-mannered creative director by day, outspoken blogger by night.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Hmm .. sort of like a Superman/Clark Kent deal. I'm thinking a cute tangerine cape might be in order. But I digress sorry. Would your ‘voice and style’ be different if you were blogging under your own name?
Tangerine Toad: Not at all. I have a fairly unique niche because I’m one of the few creatives who’ve been successful in both the general (TV, print and radio) and interactive advertising worlds and so I can approach the new world with the experience gleaned from the old one. And I try to do that in an intelligent-yet-highly-readable manner. My posts are never mean or vindictive—which is unfortunately common with some anons. Joe Jaffe is probably the only person I ever razz on The Toad Stool, but he knows my real identity (I’ve known him for years), and we’re still friends, so it’s all good.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Why should people take you seriously and put their trust in your work on The Toad Stool if they don’t know your identity?
Tangerine Toad: Not knowing my identity is actually a plus. It allows people to focus on my writing and what I have to say, not what agencies I worked at and how many awards I’ve racked up. People know that I’ve had a long career in advertising as a creative director at both big agencies and boutique agencies and that definitely gives me a base of credibility. And being The Tangerine Toad sets me apart from the rest of the bloggers, especially on marketing blogs like The Daily Fix, which I’m also going to be writing for.
Toby/Diva Marketing: That said, how difficult is it to build trust and assure readers that you are authentic? Do you do anything differently writing as an anon blogger to ensure that than you would do if your identity were open?
Tangerine Toad: Again, I think my writing speaks for itself. I have no agenda. I’m not pushing anything other than common sense. What I write about is my own viewpoint on the what’s happening in our industry, how everyone is reacting to the radical changes. And yes, it’s a strong viewpoint. Ann Handley called it “frank but fair.” I don’t pull punches, but I try and remain open to dissenting opinions. It boils down to an apocryphal story about the late Bill Bernbach. Legend has it he used to carry around a little card in his shirt pocket that said “They Might Be Right.” I always try and remember that story when someone disagrees with me.
Toby/Diva Marketing: I was also surprised to see you at CK’s blogger meet up in New York telling people that you were The Tangerine Toad. Were you not concerned that someone would spill the proverbial beans?
Tangerine Toad: Not really. Again, I don’t really ever say anything in the blog that I wouldn’t say in real life. The Toad Stool is a pretty honest look at what’s happening in our industry from a big picture perspective—there’s not any sort of gratuitous nastiness going on. Not to mention the fact that it was fun finally meeting all you guys.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Where do you want to take the Tangerine Toad? Will you ever reveal your identity?
Tangerine Toad: Well there is definitely a plan in place. First step is I’m going to start blogging on The Daily Fix. That should expand my audience to include a broader base of marketers and PR people in addition to the current base of advertising creatives.
Once that’s in place, I plan to write a book based on my blog, specifically the whole “Your Brand Is Not My Friend™” series. That seemed to really resonate with people and yes, I’d do it under my real name.
From there, I’d like to start up a consulting business that combines my business acumen with my creative background. So many people working the “new media” space lack strong “old media” creds, and I think I can provide clients with both. I’m also planning to continue with the Toad Stool blog. I really love writing it—I have a journalism background and I always thought the best job in the world would be to be a columnist. The blog lets me fulfill that dream on a daily basis. The fact that so many people actually want to read what I have to say has been a pleasant—and constant surprise.
On the AMA road again with BBFs Dana Van Heuvel and Bill Flitter. This time we are talking about not only blogs but social media .. from Second Life to widgets to how to ensure that social meets begins to get the respect we believe it's due as a credible marketing strategy. It was great fun talking social media with so many great people.
Next Stop: Chicago on October 26th. Next Next Stop: Las Vegas on November 9th. More Information.
Dana posted many of the links that we talked about today; it's a great resource for all.
The following are some questions along with responses that came out of the session.
B2B Versus B2C Blog Strategy/Expectations
Q: Is there a difference in expectations between Business-to-business versus Business-to-consumer blogging? A: B2B may not receive as many comments but the bloggers may receive more direct emails. Especially if the industry is very competitive your community may not want to engage in direct comment conversation. Including an email link is critical .. funny to me how so many business blogs don't add an email link as a way to contact the blogger/s. A: The credibility of B2B bloggers should be established. Build blogger profiles to include both professional credentials, as well as, a bit of personal background. Of course, since this is part of a blog the tone will be conversational not corporate speak.
Widgets
Q: What makes a widget a widget? A: Dynamic content, download-able, interactive (does something), pulls content from a feed
Q: Widgets - do they require any behind the scene manual maintenance? A: Nope .. or not usually. A: Widget distribution directories: Facebook, Widgetbox, Snipperoo, Clearspring A: Widget code is not universal. For example the widgets created for Facebook can not be added to a blog or website.
Q: Are widgets and other social media tools 508 (handicap) compliant? A: Widgets do not appear to be; however, since blogs are websites they (blogs) could be made 508 compliant.
Content
Q: How much of your content came from your head alone to the outside? A: As you continue to blog and build community ideas come from other people within your community who link to you and comment; also ideas come from other bloggers who write on similar topics who are also part of your extended community.
Q: What do you tell people who say I can't see the relevancy .. I don't get it. A: Start with your customers. As with any marketing strategy, it comes down to the supremacy of the customer and what the customer wants. It's not about you.
Q: How do you get people to come to your new blog in addition to search engine? A: Social media press room - Shift Communications A; Anyway you promote a website you can promote your blog. Add to your email signature, your business card, collateral materials, send emails or direct mail to your contact list. A: Social media optimization: tagging, del.icio.us account, blog directories, claim your blog in Technorati, join your community in conversation including linking and trackback, widgets. A: Hold a launch celebration and invite your bloggers, staff, customers and friends to an in-house party.
Q: In healthcare do customers trust peer-to-peer or medical sites/blogs? A: Post on Diva Marketing links to research done by Economic and Research Council.
Sometimes you just have to let a post be a link because someone does it so well all you can do is say .. click here to learn more.
In this case it's
Kevin O'Keefe, Real Lawyers Have Blogs and founder of LexblogsLexBlog, who has consolidated lessons learned about blogs and social media from some of the most highly respected people in social media (how I got into the mix I'm not quite sure). Kevin weaves in his own special sauce creating a must read post. Here's a taste .. but I encourage you to "click here to learn more."
Dave Winer: granddaddy of blogs and social media described blogs as the unedited voice of a person and suggests if you're trying to get business from your blog, send people away.
Duncan Riley, co-founder and former vice president of b5media tell us that you build traffic through your perseverance.
Amy Gahran, a Colorado-based media consultant, journalist and regular contributor to Poynter Online reminds us that before you do anything else, figure out which groups you wish to engage in a public conversation. Then - Don’t just lurk, speak up!
Robert Scoble who brought blogs to Microsoft and co-authored Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers)says blogs/social media is the new-more-efficient-word-of-mouth network. According to Robert, "Five bloggers is all it takes to spark something."
Shel Israel, strategic communications advisor, co-author with Scoble of Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers, and publisher of his social media/technology centered blog Global Neighbourhoods, offers 10 tips when blogging as an employee of a corporation. One of my favorites is - If you make a mistake, admit it. Say you're sorry. Fix it. Make a penance. Link to people who are talking about you or the mistake.
Charlene Li, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, has a report that helps to define the ROI of business blogging. This is a must read for anyone who considers social media to be a credible, accountable marketing strategy .
Jeremiah Owyang, a Bay Area web strategist and soon-to-be Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, explains there is no cookie cutter way to measure success, it depends on the goals of the program, whether it be thought leadership, buzz, reaching to customers, managing crises, customer outreaches, etc.
Alex Barnett, VP, Community for Bungee Labs, reminds us that the key to realizing the long-term marketing benefits of blogging is understanding that marketing is a conversation. Your prospective clients talk among themselves and with those who influence them.
Doc Searls, a fellow at UC Santa Barbara’s Center for Information Technology & Society and well-known blogger is credited for coining the phrase, "Markets are conversations." Doc explains his concept further, "In fact, we were trying to get past metaphor altogether, and back to what markets were in the first place: places where people meet to do business and make culture."
Guy Kawasaki, CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, co-founder of the user-created social media site Truemors offers 11 ways business professionals can use LinkedIn. One of my favs is - Ask for advice. LinkedIn’s newest product, LinkedIn Answers,allows you to broadcast your
business-related questions to both your network and the greater
LinkedIn network.
Josh Hallett, runs the consulting firm Hyku, LLC and operates the company’s Hyku Blog. Josh gives how to advice on live blogging conferences. He cautions that to be effective at large conferences a team of bloggers should be assembled. It's not a one man or a one diva show.
Mark Cuban is more than just the owner of Dallas Mavericks, Chairman of HDNet and new member of ABC’s third season of Dancing with the Stars, Mark is the author of the blog - Blog Maverick. In a post from 2005, Mark explains how blog searching can be a powerful 'competitive intelligence' business tool.
In today's world, one upset customer can write in their blog about how upset they are about your product or service and it could be linked to by any number of other blogs, which in turn are linked to by any number of blogs, which is in turn picked up by a TV news show. In 24 hours or less, tens to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people have heard the complaint and your business and brand are at risk.
Darren Rowse, co-founder and vp of blog network b5media writes lots the popular ProBlogger blog where he provides tips for successful blogging including how to monetize a blog. Darren's win-win-win tip is inviting guest bloggers in. You get a bit of a break, the blogger gets added exposure and your community gets some new insights. Sidebar: Guest blogging for Problogger was how I met Peter from The Blog Studio who designed Diva Marketing's spiffy skin.
Steve Rubel is svp at the PR firm Edelman. Steve maintains the blog Micro Persuasion. He believes the future of PR is participation, not pitching. He tells us that the web has become more influential than traditional media, and smart PR specialists are doing what they can to adjust their business models to reflect these changes.
Brian Clark is an Internet marketing strategist and content developer. He also runs Copyblogger, providing tips for successful online marketing. His 5 Immutable Laws of Persuasive Blogging, provides tips for gaining influence in the blogosphere. Anyone who pretends to know me will not be surprised that tip #5 is my favorite.
5. The Law of the Story: Stories are the most persuasive blogging element of all, as they allow you to present a problem, the solution, and the results, all while the connotation of the story allows readers to sell themselves on what you have to offer.
.. and what did Kevin pull from me? That blogs establish relationships and connect with potential clients.
Today's Diva Marketing Talks explores what is an authenticblog voice and how you can develop your voice to be informative and entertaining. Diva Marketing Talks is a live, internet radio show. 30-minutes. 2-guests. 1-topic related to social media marketing. Why? To help organizations understand social media marketing and how to join the conversation without getting blown-up. Miss tonight's show? You can pick it up as a podcast.
Topic for August 28, 2007: Finding Your Authentic (Blog) Voice
Tonight Diva Marketing Talks takes the wraps off the mystic of the blog voice. Tone and style can make the difference between a blog that becomes the center of a vibrant community or one that seems it exists in a ghost town. I thought it would be fun to pair an experienced blogger, Elana Centor, with someone who has been blogging for a few months - Julie Keyser-Squire. Do they face the similar challenges? Will Julie bring new insights? Has Elana changed her writing style?
We'll explore topics like - How much does content influence voice? Does having more than one voice on a blog confuse your community? Julie and Elana will have lots of tips to help you find and tweak your blog voice.
Elana Centor is a contributing editor on business for Blogher and blogs about business culture on her personal blog, FunnyBusiness which one reader described as "a thinking woman's Dilbert." FunnyBusiness is a blog about business culture.. it covers everything about business except the bottom line. Elana began her career as a TV reporter in Richmond, VA where she won Associated Press Award for a documentary on Drunken Driving.
Elana spent the next 20 years writing for business: speeches,
presentations, brochures, videos, direct marketing packages —you name
it, she’s written it. Along the way, she has received numerous awards
including recognition from the New York Film and Television Festival
and the Direct Marketing Association. Today, Elana continues to write and consult in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.
Julie Keyser-Squires' passion is connecting people and ideas. A 20-year PR pro, Julie brings the art of finding the right story for the right audience. Her results-oriented strategies are always aligned with her clients' objectives and goals. Julie's client list spans high tech Silicon Valley companies Sun Microsystems, to Seattle Software, Orion Network Systems, Inc.,to hospitality and government.
Since co-founding Softscribe Inc. in 1999, she has been privileged to
serve companies like LodgeNet Entertainment Systems, Vantis
International, Computas, Troux (pronounced ‘true’) Technologies, NxTV,
The Rainmaker Group, Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., and JDA Software to
increase sales up to 25%, get acquired, and launch and solidify their
brands. She's a member of Atlanta Web Entrepreneurs, Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association, PRSA and government’s Industry Advisory Council.
Tips From The Diva Bag Complements of Elana Centor
Record a conversation that you have with someone telling the story you want to blog about. Then do a written version of the story.
Transcribe the conversation version of the story and compare your written version to the conversation version. Your voice is somewhere in between.
Talk out loud as you write – it helps create a rhythm.
Decide ahead of time whether you will use profanity in your posts and in your comments
Complements of Julie Keyser-Squires
Give yourself a year to find your voice. Use Authenticity and Transparency as your guiding principles (“Whoever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln)
Be true to yourself. This is how you will attract friends in the blogosphere (“Every light attracts its own bugs.”)
Why are you blogging? Decide your strategic objectives and make every post move you towards Mount Olympus.
Pick a focus/topic that interests you (in my case), or is tied to your revenue generation (in the case of our clients). That way regular postings are easier to sustain.
Engineer time into your day or week to blog and read blogs. Get in the habit. A habit forms in 21 days.
If you are not technical, engage a friend who is to help you set up, negotiate and evolve your blog from the technical end.
Spend time with someone you care about.
Can't call in but have a question for Julie and Elana? Drop a
comment and I'll ask it for you. Let me know what you'd like Diva Talks to chat
about.
Here's the challenge: What to tell a group of savvy PR professionals about social media .. in 20 minutes. Yesterday I joined my friend SEO expert Stacy Williams, Prominent Placement, on a panel for a Business Wire Client Social Media Luncheon. Thanks to Mark Dunn, Laurie Sturaitis and Yasmine Santos Holmes for coordinating our efforts.
A few weeks ago I saw the John Travolta Hairspray film. Loved it. It's a fun, upbeat, happy flick. There was one song that resonated with me from the first beat - You Can't Stop The Beat! I thought it's about social media .. well really it's about love but hey, there's a lot of that in social media just take a look at the Age of Conversation. I found the theme to my presentation. Click and listen!
You can't stop an avalanche as it races down the hill You can try to stop the seasons, girl, but you know you never will
I wanted to explain - You can't stop the momentum of social media and anyone who thinks it's a fad is living under a rock. Sure it may change .. blogs today .. micro blogs tomorrow .. the entire world on Facebook .. and who knows what is 'round the corner. - You Can't Stop The Beat!
I wanted explain - The three ways that social media can authentically support public relations.
Active Listening - of the conversation through key word feeds from blog search engines. Using the information make a better product/service.
Active Participation - stepping into social media with a bebe step by commenting on a blog. Then developing a social media strategy that includes authoring blogs, a community, vlogs, podcasts, etc.
Depending on the Kindness of Strangers (a la Blanche DuBois, the wounded hero in Streetcar Called Desire)- blogger relations. Bloggers can turn into friends if you develop a relationship.
Sidebar: Toss of a pink boa to Sintya Moreira, TheDeMossGroup, who introduced herself to me after the event and asked if she could send me information - when she thought it might be appropriate. Of the 80 people in the room Sintya was the only PR person to do that.
Let's explore one of the three ways that social media can authentically support public relations - Active Participation. Active Listening and Depending On The Kindness of Strangers to come later.
Active Participation - One of the most powerful aspects of blogs is the ability to tell your stories when you want to how you want to .. you get to do it as Frank would say - your way.
Here's one of my stories. I've written my share of media releases but I'm no way a PR pro. A few years ago, before blogs .. way back in the '90's, I was marketing director of a non profit and with that came many hats including media relations. The agency's mandate was to provide business support for minority small
business owners. We had a great story to tell and didn't have much of a problem getting some pretty good ink.
Any members of the media here? Okay girlfriend, let's dish! How many of you have spent significant
time talking to a reporter that resulted in no mention or one sentence that was taken out of context or the slant of the story was not what you had anticipated?
For the most part the Atlanta media was kind and very generous to us. This article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle was sweet. However, my first interview was a frustrating and disappointing experience. The story wasn't wrong but it wasn't the way I wanted it to be written. I wanted people to hear the story in a different way. There was little if anything I could do. Oh sure I could have sent a few emails but the not with with the reach or the influence as that publication.
Technology has changed that one.Today my stories can be heard, read or viewed globally. And then quickly passed on by hundreds of people who want to help chat it up.
The agency I worked for, was all about helping small business owners.
The staff was committed and passionate. But the perception of an agency
even with people who care can be intimidating. A blog would not only
have allowed me to tell the stories but ripped the Wizard of Oz curtain
down and introduced the community to those people. It would have built
relationships and fostered relationships. It would have made The
Atlanta Small Business Project less intimidating. I would have had one more avenue to listen and learn what prospective clients wanted and how
to develop programs to meet their needs.
Recently Johnson & Johnson made David and Goliath heads when it opened litigation against the Red Cross over the use of the famous red cross logo. However,the JNJ BTW blog gave J&J the opportunity to tell the story their way. Agree or disagree with J&J over the use the logo .. the point here is a blog provided an instant publishing tool. Toss of a Pink Boa to Marc Monseau for allowing negative comments.
And you can try to stop my dancing feet, but I just cannot stand still!
'Cause the world keeps spinnin' round and round
Social Media Benefits For Public Relations
Tell your stories your way
Tell your stories when you want
Help brand champions tell your stories for you (viral and link love)
Build relationships with the people who are the heart of your brand
Listen and learn resulting in a better product and/or service
Yesterday is history [be gone!]
And it's never comin back! [Look ahead, cause...]
Tomorrow is a brand new day, and it don't know white from black [YEAH!]
'Cause the world keeps spinnin' round and round
You Can't Stop The Beat! But I ask you .. why would you want to?
I love planes so when Josh Hallett, Hyku, presented the opportunity to talk to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) I jumped at the chance. CAP held its inaugural Public Affairs Officer Academy in Hot'lanta (very hot 'Lanta!)last week. I had the pleasure of speaking to a wonderful group of volunteers who are making a huge difference in our country and influencing the lives of thousands of kids. I met people who had been volunteering for over 20-years. They told me the most heart warming stories of how CAP has changed lives .. especially kids in the cadet program. CAP is meant for social media. Julie, Kim, Steve and Jim you were great!
Got to the Marriott Marquis in time to catch the speaker before me. Always a good thing to do - to have a reference point of where folks were before you come on. It was a session on traditional PR. After the slides on how to plan and media relations a slide on Blogs popped up. Oh oh .. over lap I thought. The speaker's concluding remarks on the topic ran something like .. Interesting idea but you don't want to put it on top of your list. Keep in the idea file if you have time. You have too many other more important things to do before you add blogs to the mix.
Girlfriend, I had to bring in another point of view. The Civil Air Patrol is meant for social media. Fascinating to me was after my talk a group of people came over to chat that included 20 somethings to 70 somethings. It was a 71-year old gentleman who was the most enthused about going home to Dallas to talk to his WING about blogging. I,of course, sent him to Millie Garfield's My Mom's Blog for a peek into senior blogs.
Sidebar: Millie's on network TV .. ABC News no less! Not bad for 81-year young gal from Swampscott, MA!
Okay, I admit to taking a sip or two from the koolaid so let's take a closer look and see if CAP is really meant for social media.
CAP's mission is connecting with and helping people. - The most powerful value of blogs is the functionality to develop relationships through conversations. CAP has the most amazing stories to tell. Each WING (CAP Chapter) could write its own book.
CAP's mandate is also to education. Podcasts, vlogs, blogs each offers unique (and fun) ways to provide information and peer-to-peer interaction. Using YouTube and iTunes as distribution channels can increase reach.
The WINGs don't have a lot of money. - Blog platforms, like Blogger and Wordpress are free.
One of CAP's challenges is to reach diverse audiences: prospective cadets, cadets, adult volunteers, media, corporate sponsors, parents, community supporters, businesses, pilots .. to name a few. - Multiple social media strategies are a way to provide content that addresses specific needs of members of their community. Podcasts, multi author blogs and online photo albums area a few more ideas.
As one might expect the cadets are all over social networks. There are amazing Flickr photos, YouTube videos, MySpace sites and Facebook groups. There's even a Facebook group for girl cadets. However, it's not all under twenty somethings who are usin
Most controversial statement was from Jack Leslie. When the panel was asked about the skills they were looking for in new hires, Jack told us he leans toward people half his age when considering employees with social media skills since .. young people have this built into their DNA. Now perhaps Jack was trying to be funny but the buzz in the ladies loo (Girlfriend you know exactly what I mean.) was outrage that only the Millenniums are perceived to "get it." As one women said to me - Anyone can learn how to put together a MySpace or Facebook page but it takes experience to understand how to incorporate social media into a PR plan or campaign. 
