The very smart Nancy White, Full Circle, once told me .. when you send your blog or community site into social cyber space it's never totally yours alone again. Girlfriend, it doesn't matter if you're writing on social media topics, manufacturing equipment or dirty martinis (3 olives please!).
However, if you're very lucky sometimes the people who "read" you and become part of your digital world are a delightful surprise. That's exactly what happened to Diva Marketing.
I write about social media marketing, how it impacts branding and can be used to build stronger relationships. As expected marketers pop by and people who are curious about new media. The creative elements and tonality attract women and men who want their learnings served up with a little fun and a dash of irreverence.
The segment that was delightful surprise is young college women. How do I know? Found reviews and mentions about Diva Marketing from following links in from my stats.
Recently, Amanda Schwartz, Barnard College '13 reached out and asked if I would write something for Barnard College of Columbia University's newspaper The Bulletin " .. about social media and its role in the job search process... I was honored.
By the way, Amanda could give some PR pros a lesson or two in how to approach bloggers. She was respectful, identified who she was, detailed what she wanted and most of all her request was relevant to what I do; and she even followed-up with a thank you. Toss of a pink boa to you Amanda! Here's what I sent her written with a dash of Diva style .. of course.
In today's world, as well as tomorrow's, your digital image is becoming as important as your offline style. Not only for your friends but for prospective employers and mentors. Why not take advantage of social networks and blogs to build relationships beyond your best friends or your latest crush?
A presence on LinkedIn or a blog, that profiles your talents and passions, can supplment an interview. It can also give you an advantage if a prospective company chooses to research a candidate even before she steps through the door.
Keep in mind that just like the shoes you choose to wear, from cute boots to fun flip flops , how you develop your "digital personal brand" sends a message too. The language you use, the story you tell, the images you include are all are pieces of your online puzzle. Remember that Google (and other search engines) have long memories so create for the long-term.
Although social media offers an exciting way to showcase your talents and experiences eventually you'll take online offline. The personae that you develop must authentically represent "you."
You learn more quickly under the guidance of experienced teachers. You waste a lot of time going down alleys if you have no one to lead you. W. Somerset Maugham
Just One Crowd Sourced Question
Before there were books or conferences about social media .. before there was Facebook or Twitter people tried to make sense of marketing in a digital world by tapping the experiences of those who were exploring the (then) innovative ideas of blogs and RSS.
We met in late night Skype chats exchanged emails and posted our thoughts and questions on blogs. We learned from each other. I can not think of a more generous group than those who live in the social media world.
In the spirit of Somerset Maugham, I thought it would be fun to crowd source a series of how do you do itposts. So I did what any good social media marketer might do, I tapped my social networks. 20 Marketers kindly shared their thoughts on the 2nd question in the series: Just 1 Crowd Sourced Question.
The funny thing is we continue to learn from each other within our ever expanding digital worlds. Enjoy!
Question: How do you take the "fear factor" out of social media?
First of all, you have to uncover the fear. Is it fear of writing? Many people feel they aren't good enough writers. Is it fear of comments? Is it fear of time? Once you know what the issue is, it's easy to tackle. For writing - a quick demo of the conversational style of blogs and social media works wonders.
If it's the fear of comments - well, why do you fear comments? You can manage them but... teaching people that a complaint is a gift, takes care of that. If it's fear of time, a simple editorial calendar and the understanding that you can prepost everything - even on Twitter, helps people relax. ~ Yvonne DiVita, LipSticking@lipsticking
Start with talking about objectives first and tools depending on objectives. Emphasize results are measureable and measuremet can be matched to business goals. ~ Shashi Bellamkonda, Network Solutions@shashib
The fear factor in social media stems from not understanding how social media works. Instead of seeing social media as a conversation, it is often views as tools, technology, and broadcasting. To remove the fear factor, it is important to show people that social media is about talking with others, and building relationships through sharing conversation. When the human aspect is considered, rather than the technological aspects, the entire idea of social media becomes a natural part of life. ~ Wayne Hurlbert, Blog Business World @WayneHurlbert
We need to remind people that they have a digital footprint regardless of whether they use social media. Choosing not to participate is no guarantee of staying below the radar screen, even if you'd prefer to keep a low profile. ~Bonnie Sashin, Bonnie's On it@bsashin
Educate, inspire, and make it personal. Adding a little fear helps too, by showing what their competitors are doing and showing them what will happen if they keep sticking their heads in the sand. ~ David Berkowitz, Marketer's Studio @dberkowitz
Oh, please, just dive in! There are, for sure, opportunities to commit faux pas (and plenty of helping hands along the way for quick recovery), and far more to share, connect and become regarded as the expert you are. Fear? Not in this arena!. ~ Lya SoranoThe Oliver/Sorano Group
I guess the biggest fear is saying something dumb & then knowing your great great great grandchildren will be able to read it online with all their friends. ~ Anon
I find it's less "fear factor" and more "I know I need to be doing social media, but how? I don't have time for this. Can't you just do it for me?" We're all trying to do more with less and keeping up with social media (being consistent) and learning the fast changing tools are the biggest hurdles.
Assigning dollar values to fans and followers, sharing case studies of success, and showing ROI on campaigns makes it an easy sell. ~ Angie Robar, LinkedIn
I suppose I should be more afraid. ;-)
Start slow. Listen at first. Test the waters with retweets and/or sharing cool/interesting content (videos, blog posts, news). I post things about Startups, Technology, and stuff that's very personal. I'm posting as me, not as a brand. And I'm trying to live authentically both IRL and online.
As Chief Chick of StartupChicks, I do represent a brand. A brand that I built almost entirely on Social Media. And I do occasionally think twice about what I am personally posting, and if it could possibly look impact that brand. And I have deleted a post for this very reason. But, for the most part, I don't really worry about it. My friends and followers have come to know ME through this platform, and if I don't always say the exact right thing or have a typo... they'll understand. After all, they are my "friends". ~ Jennifer Bonnett, Chief Chick, StartupChicks@startupchicks Founder, Nexpense@jen_bonnett
Find out how they feel about cocktail parties and water coolers and remind them that its really just the same thing. ~ Anon
I blogged about exactly this! ~ Joel Rubinson, Joel Rubinson
I guess the biggest fear is saying something dumb & then knowing your great great great grandchildren will be able to read it online with all their friends.
Remedy: 1. Do your best not to say anything dumb. 2. Take comfort in the fact that it's unlikely that our great great great grandchildren will know how to read anything longer than "lol". 3. Dance like nobody's watching. (They're all too busy worrying about how dumb they look.) ~ Tsufit, Author, Step Into The Spotlight!Tsufit
Use email marketing as a point of reference. Every new channel comes with the fear factor, and the best way to control / learn them is to get in the game. Use email marketing as a point of reference. Every new channel comes with the fear factor, and the best way to control / learn them is to get in the game. ~ Anon
Demystify the barriers to participation, lower the expectations, be crystal on the need for communication, directmarketingobservations.com ~ Marc Meyer, Direct Marketing Observations@marc_meyer
To take the 'fear factor' out of social media, I relate it to a person's own online habits e.g. ever read a review on Amazon? look for a how-to video? conduct a search for a local retailer? etc. Most are engaged in some form of social behavior (online) without even realizing it. ~ J Schmitt@cloudspark
To overcome this fear, start by working w/ someone experienced in social media who will (patiently) help you get familiar & comfortable with SM as a consumer - i.e., show you blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., and then help coach you to join in the conversation/community. ~ Sybil Stershic, Quality Service Marketing@sybilqsm
Being true ones purpose of being on line. Passion mission business Act from a place of love not fear. ~ Anon
Like everything, most fear is related to ignorance or a lack of understanding and education. It is about education of social media for those afraid of it. ~ Jim "Genuine" Turner, One By One Media@Genuine
First I acknowledge that the fear can be well based - bad things happen online, as they do offline. Then I provide analogies for what we do offline in fear situations, e.g. have legal advice, get accountant's advice on financial matters, don't go down dark streets in strange cities, or even into dangerous areas in our own cities or at particularly risky times, have good HR policies in place to cover behavior issues.
Then I say it's just another area for risk management for contemporary companies. Then I say there is no shortage of models, templates and expert advice available (e.g. the social media guidelines explicitly available for copying, in Brian Solis' Engage p196ff). It's a bit of an intellectual approach so it is probably not going to help the people who want to luxuriate in their fear and/or often proudly trumpeted ludditism :). ~ Des Walsh, Des Walsh@deswalsh
.. and my thoughts. Before you can conquer any dragon you must first answer two questions. 1. Why are you afraid. 2. What exactly is your dragon?
Your responses to the first question will lead you into the culture of how your organization currently conducts business. The insights you discover will lead you to a better understanding of not only your marketing/pr/sales/research strategies; as well as your internal employee culture.
To answer question number two .. well you've taken the first step by reading this post. Learning as much as you can about social media is the secret sauce. Toby Bloomberg, Diva Marketing @divatoby
How do You take the Fear Factor out of social media? Please share your insights and learnings in the comments.
What does watching football games, a fractured foot, a party gal, a nap, late night lattes, a hotel PA system and eating cheescake have in common? Twitter tweets of course.
Girlfriend, now you might be saying, "Toby, I rest my case. That's exactly why I would never think of tweeting for business. Who cares if I'm eating cheesecake or staying at a hotel with an annoying PA system?"
Social media does not have walls. Hold that thought.
For my 2 cents, the special sauce of social media, and now social networks, is the opportunity to build and sustain relationships. From a business perspective that usually means customers/clients, prospects, colleagues, vendors, the media, analysts and shareholders. Did I miss anyone? Oh yes, the gate keepers! Lots of people who have hugely diverse interests.
I spend a lot of time trying to make sense of how do you build business relationship in today's digital world. One day, it occurred to me ..
Social media does not have walls. Hold that thought.
This quote from Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone, sheds some light and understanding on what makes a business relationship either online or offline.
"Everything that you want to achieve in life is with and through other people. Making friends with people you meet is the first step toward getting what you want and you do that by getting to know everyone on a personal level—even business contacts.
There is no such thing as a business relationship—there are only personal relationships in a business context that you are fearful of creating a personal relationship with."
Well .. I'm not so sure about the fear factor, though it certainly can be an issue. However, getting to know people on a personal level resonates with me. It also reinforces my concept of the Corner Grocery Store Relationship where the shop keeper didn't just know her customers by name but was an integrated part of the larger community.
Hang with me a bit more.
If we were doing business together and I met you in your office, or even at your favorite coffee shop, there would be visual clues that would provide insights into your world .. personal and/or business. Those visual clues would give me the opportunity to find common ground that goes beyond my product or service. If I were savvy (and of course I am!) I would use those clues to share with you how we are more alike than different. At the end of the day, all things being equal (more or less) people like to do business with people they know and like.
A couple of examples:
My friend and colleague Merrill Dubrow, CEO of M/A/R/C, has a huge Red Sox banner on his office wall. Wicked cool .. a Boston and baseball connection.
Photos of your family vacationing on the beach might lead to a sidebar conversation about our mutual love of the ocean. Perhaps I'd tell you about my family time at my cousin's home in Hull.
We're enjoying a cup of java at your local coffee shop. You take out your iPhone to take notes. Why, I have an iPhone too. We talk about our favorite apps.
Back to the idea of social media does not have walls.(Finally!) In the digital world there are no walls or cues. While we might begin our online relationship because I find the information you post is helpful to me, I still don't know who you are as a "real person."
However, if among the value added content that you share with me in your Tweets, blog posts, LinkedIn messages, Facebook updates, or where ever we hang out together, once in awhile you drop something you are providing "cues" that help build our relationship.
10 Tips To Decorate Your Social Media Walls
1. How personal is personal? - How much of "you" should you include in let's call them "coffee tweets" depends on a two factors: your comfort level and the culture of your organization. While some people maybe okay with chatting about their new bebe other people may be concerned with a safely factor.
2. Pets can add that fun dimension. The Diva Marketing community knows I often include my dog Max in posts. The first time I met someone at a conference, who asked not about me but about Max, I knew there was a relationship brewing.
3.Travel both for business and pleasure can not only give you interesting content. How about a post about a great meal and excellent service or a tweet about the TSA .. er that might be a different blog.
4. A tweet or Facebook update while you're watching the Super Bowl.
5. The weather. What you're doing during the snow storm or how you're spending the 1st day of spring.
6. Your latest venture into the kitchen along with a photo of those yummy cookies or cake disaster.
7. Your tennis team's ranking.
8. Kids do say and do the funniest things. If you're comfortable sharing in pubic think capturing it on video.
9. What you're doing for your coffee break or lunch hour. I don't mind a few of those either. I just might be inspired to have a bagel instead of a muffin.
10. What are your suggestions?
When asked about Twitter's vision, CEO Dick Costolo said, "Twitter is about connecting for a purpose, not just connecting." If you're purpose in using social media is for marketing or business, a little of the mundane can help bring the humanity to relationships.
When it comes to learning about how to succeed in social media, one of the most valuable type of posts is the multiple insights shared by people who are in the trenches.
I thought it might be interesting and fun to crowd source a series based on just 1 question. So I did what any good social media marketer might do, I tapped my social networks. 19 Marketers kindly shared their thoughts on the 1st question ..
Question: How do you put "soul" into a blog post?
Never lose your sense of humor. We're marketers, not pediatric brain surgeons. A lot of the time a funny photo or drawing can add a little levity to an otherwise serious topic.~ B.L. OchmanWhat's Next Blog@whatsnext
Realize that we all have both personal lives and professional lives. Use that knowledge to bring the passions of your life into your work-related blog. For example, I'm a huge music fan and frequently write about music in my "work" blog. What are you passionate about? Use that as fodder for blog posts with soul.~ David Meerman ScottWebInKnow@dmscott
Be yourself. If you're snarky, be snarky. Compassionate, be compassionate. Funny, be funny. Don't try to be something you're not or the world will know in just a few tweets.~ Susan Cartier LiebelSolo Practice University@scartierliebel
Robert Frost said, "No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader." While writing the initial draft of a blog post, then, allow your ideas to get away from you and surprise you.
Push yourself to think about unexplored parts of the story. Write about images that appear to you for reasons you can't explain, and then try to explain them. Explore and experiment and have fun, before you bring you bring in the internal editor to smooth things out. ~ Mark LevyLevy Innovation@levyinnovation
Be frank about what you don't know and don't understand ~ Des WalshDesWalsh@deswalsh
My tip is a quote borrowed from a billiard's player I once knew. He said, "Study long, study wrong." While things can't be quite as extemporaneous these days, I still feel that being too cerebral with a post is a way to suck the life out of it.
In other words, some of the most soulful posts are those written without too much editing or over-thinking.I used to say blogging was a "shoot from the hip, speak from the heart" style of writing. ~ Paul ChaneyMy Amplify@pchaney
Bring your personality and opinion to the table.. you can have marketing goals, but people don't want to hear marketing speak. They want to hear you speak about what you think about ideas and opinions of the day. ~ John Cass@JohnCassPR Communications
Rather than reporting or writing about a topic , write how you "feel" about a topic. Speaking from your heart brings out your passion and helps you connect and resonate with readers better. ~ Jody DeVere Ask Patty@askpatty
Isn't the answer in the question maybe? Bare your soul... or at least be transparent and passionate in what you write. ~ Marianne RichmondResonance Partnership@marianne
Be present without pretense. Call it soul, authenticity, your voice, your thing, your mojo - it doesn't matter. What matters is you've got to own it and to do that you have to know yourself.
Take some time to reflecton who you are, what you care about, what revs your motor and why. Get to know your inner compass and you'll begin to feel it when you're getting off the path, when you're overworking it, phoning it in, or just being "on message" without meaning.
Be sensitive to the idea that everything you write about has a common denominator: you! So don't be afraid to be present in the process. ~ David S. Cohen Equation Arts@davidscohen
I think soul means heart and depth. To bring that soulfulness to your blog it needs to occasionally be personal. Not the every day experience level of personal, but that story that gives you pause. Was it embarrassing? In hindsight is the answer clear? Should you share *that*? If it could be of value to even one person, then yes. ~ Katie Bromley@KatieRBromley
Stick with what fuels your passion and let that enthusiasm shine through in all that you write.~Teresa Caro@TeresaCaro
Don't try to create an overly authoritative voice - be yourself and write as you wouldspeak to a friend. The best blog posts make me feel like I just had an intelligent conversation with a friend. The ones who are haughty and lofty in tone lose me within the first few sentences.~ Amanda ThompsonDachis GroupTravel Blog@mercerthompson
I add soul by being honest. Honesty doesn't mean being snarky, which seems to be a trend these days. Honesty is about giving people an insight or an "insider's perspective" that they can't get by reading the WSJ, the Times,ADWEEK, MEDIAWEEK or any other traditional publication. ~ Jamie Turner60SecondMarketer@60SecondTweets
Keep in mind every post might be the first post someone reads so make it amazing - Rob PetersenBarn Raisers@robpetersen
One infallible way to add "soul" to your blog is to have a humorous or non-traditional About or Biography page. Some people use a page that includes a list such as "10 things about me" or "7 things you may be surprised to know about me" or something along those lines.
Other people write a humorous biography. Still others write a very personal story about why or how they started the blog. Whatever it is, be sure to include something about YOU -- your passions, your values, your beliefs, your hobbies, your family, even your favorite foods or your dislikes. Share a little about YOU and it will make your blog memorable. ~ Anita CampbellSmall Business Trends@Smallbiztrends
Let your passion shine through to distinguish your point of view. Like-minded individuals will be attracted to your honesty. Let your voice be heard and don't forget the funk (aka, spirit and wit). ~ Terry StarrDice@dicerecruiting@dicenews
Make each story or post you write unique to you using active verbs and capturing your curiosity and passion for the subject.
In college, I took a modern dance class that based on piece on Tennyson's The Eagle. I'll have to demonstrate it for you. The last part of the poem and dance capture what needs to happen for a blog post or any performance for that matter to have 'soul.' Thanks for the question. As usual, you got me thinking. ~ CB WhittemoreSimple Marketing@cbhwhittemore
He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ringed with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls. ~ The Eagle by Tennyson
.. and my thoughts: Putting "soul" into your blog posts is like playing jazz. Once you understand the basic notes, step out of your comfort zone and explore something new with your community. Play the tune together where you share another side of what makes you .. you. ~ Toby BloombergDiva Marketing @tobydiva
Let's keep the conversation going .. How would do you put "soul" into your blog posts?
With over 13,500 views on YouTube, my dog Max thinks he's a social media rock star pup. Shh.. don't tell him there are videos with millions of views and he is at most a blip on the celebrity circuit. It would hurt his feelings.
In all honesty, Max doesn't really care if 13,500 or 13,500,000 viewed his cute video. Max is a dog. Max is not a brand. For him quasi social media star status is good enough bragging rights at the doggy park.
What is disheartening is many organizations/brands have similar, let's call it a "Social Media Dog Mentality" where cute and counting are the extent of their planning process. Tweets and Facebook status updates fly into cyberspace that are little more than "cute" spins from a marketing campaign. Success is determined by the number of likes, followers, connects, comments or views rarely taking spam bots into consideration or if the "right" people are engaging.
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking at a conference, sponsored by Connuntelligence, about how to build a social media strategy. I presented a 3 phase model that might be helpful to you as you build your social media strategy.
If your organization is new to social media, or if you jumped in without an enterprise direction, I would encourage you to spend some time on Step 1: Align the Enterprise.
Our customers' expectations of how they make purchasing decisions (peer reviews, online conversations with peers and with the people behind the brand) are changing. That change impacts every traditional customer touch point e.g., customer care, sales, marketing. Business units that rarely, if ever, had direct customer contact may find themselves center stage.
Step 1: Align the Enterprise .. Develop the Social Enterprise
Face the Gorillas in The Room, Determine the impact on the enterprise, Determine cultural compatibility, Identify social media champions, Inform all your staff
Step 2: Build the Strategy
Objectives/goals support business outcomes, Conduct social media assessment audit, Conduct industry and competitive analysis, Identify target audience, Ensure Brand consistency, Determine tactics and Content direction, Determine metrics for success
Step 3: Create Awareness
Cross promotional, Social media, Traditional marketing
I'm happy to share the deck with you - below. Thanks to Dorothea Boziconlona-Volpe for her help transcribing the participants' comments about Barriers. @socialespinonage
Puppies are fun and a Social Media Dog Strategy Mentality may be great people talk at meet ups or tweet ups. However, it is not a business strategy. Max sends woofs to you!
Inspiration can materialize at the oddest moments. We round a corner and Zap! something unexpected takes hold of our hearts and imaginations. That's exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago.
I walked into a classroom at the Drew Charter School in the East Lake area of Atlanta .. very Hot'lanta today! .. fully expecting to meet a group of smart teens. However, 3-hours later I walked out of the building inspired and energized. The students in the East Lake Foundation'sCREWTeens summer program were beyond just smart .. they were amazing!
My dear friend Mary Dugenske - the awesome director of marketing & communication - invited me to be a guest speaker for the Tweet This program. The course explores how social media and the digital world are impacting advertising, marketing and journalism. Jana Broadie, the instructor, not only brings heart but soul and humor to the class.She's created an environment where learning is interesting and fun.
The assignment that I was given was to help the students understand the differences, and similarities, of using Twitter for personal and business purposes. We started the session off with a jar of jelly beans to demonstrate that the same could be different. Of course in order to really get the concept many jelly beans had to be consumed!
A lot of the students were using social media from Facebook and Twitter to YouTube, MySpace and Ning. While munching on jelly beans we explored why. The reason: to keep in touch with friends. At the end of morning we came to the conclusion that brands had a similar purpose to be involved in social media. The reason: to connect with customers.
Some of the most significant dfferences we decided were that brands develop a strategy and content direction. We talked about the importance of knowing who you wanted to talk to (identifying customers) and how to add value while representing the brand. All in 140 characters!
I really like the beat you cover began one pitch that recently dropped into my inbox.
Seems that PR people think that I am a media outlet. Sort of funny. However, at this juncture in the evolution of social media and blogger relations, sort of sad and frustrating that too many agencies still don't understand the "human side" of "social." All they see is "media."
One could make a case that most marketing and public relations higher education courses don't cover earned media well if at all. One could make a case that social media is new and many people are at the initial stages of learning. One could make a case that blogs appear to be a type of public information and leap to the conclusion that content creators are another type of reporter.
One could come up with a whole bunch of excuses. But Girlfriend, if you don't fix the broken heel of your favorite Jimmy Choos you'll hobble along forever. Or something like that. How do you "social media fix" a PR agency or ad agency? With a little training and a walk in a blogger's stylish shoes.
For now forget the listen to the conversation. Forget the build the relationship first. If you've ever stepped your polished purple toes into the social media waters you've heard that at least a zillion times. Guess you didn't get it.
We're changing Nike's Just Do It into "YOU do it" with Extreme DYI Social Media Blogger Relations Training For Agencies (and anyone else). It's not easy. It does take time. It's based on at least 2 people or 2 teams participating. It's not for the whiners.
If you succeed at the end of the course .. you buy me my next pair of Jimmy Choos. If not I'll buy you a drink when your boss says the famous Donald Trump words - You're Fired!
ExtremeDYI Social Media Blogger Relations Training - A Four Week 12 Step Program
Step 5 - Create a blog on any topic that you can sustain for three weeks. The graphical look and feel must complement your subject. Add at least 10 blogs that write about similar topics to you blog roll.
Step 6 - Write a minimum of 3 well thought out posts per week for the next 3 weeks
Step 7 - Comment on other blogs at a minimum of 3 times per week.
Weeks Three & Four
Step 8 - Pitch A Blogger
Step 9 - Develop a minimum of 4 pitches per week that you will send ONLY to the people who are participating in the Extreme DIY Social Media Blogger Relations Training with you.
Step 10 - For each pitch you receive do one or more of the following actions: a. reply back; b. post to your blog; c. do nothing; e. other .. you decide. Track your actions for each pitch.
Week Four
Step 11 - Provide feedback to your colleagues on their pitches including how you responded and why.
Step 12 - What did you learn? How did you feel about response to your pitches? What will you put into practice in your next blogger relations campaign? Did you color outside the lines .. do more than was suggested? What?
Last Sunday night I was chatting with a few hundred people about blogs on Mack Collier's popular Tweet Chat #blogchat.
What's a tweet chat? Glad you asked. It's simply people tweeting on a designated topic, at a specific time, and using a unique identifier - called a hash tag (#blogchat) - so the conversation can be easily followed online.
#blogchat is always fun with lots of ideas generously exchanged among colleagues from all over the world. @mattchevy offer a great suggestion that I found so simple but elegant .. like the classic black dress.
Some people might call Matt's idea an "evergreen post; this is Diva Marketing after all and I prefer - "Classic Black Dress Post." Girlfriend, think Coco Channel. The little balck dress never goes out of style.
Please enjoy one of Diva Marketing's Classic Black Dress Posts - August 31, 2008
life just happens. However, every once in awhile when you round a corner, when you least expect it, you bump into something that causes you to pause. No where is that more magical than in New York City.
Big bronze pennies leading to whimsical art, created by local sculpture Tom Otterness, was one of the many little surprises that my friend Kate introduced me to during our walk along Rockefeller Park (Battery Park City) this weekend. I found it interesting that the name of this wee park is The Real World but the children call it Penny Park. I couldn't help but think .. what's real and what is play and how as adults we loose our sense of wonder and miss the moments of delight.
It's only a description of what I see in New York: the constant clash between people walking on the same street, living in the same world. I see small vignettes of meaning, but the connection between the events is beyond my understanding. Tom Otterness
Later that night Otterness' words would ring true for me. In a NYC taxi my aunt lost her purse. Panic set in as she was told by the 311 operator that due to the holiday weekend no one would be able to help her for 7 long days. Her lost money and cell phone were not so much a concern as her identification. How much of a hassle would it entail to get through TSA security? Life can be so complex.
The cabbie had found her purse. Taken the initiative to call several people from her phone list who in turn called family who was with my aunt. Happily ever after occurred when this good samaritan took time out from his job to return her pocket book.
I see small vignettes of meaning, but the connection between the events is beyond my understanding.
What might this have to do with marketing, or branding you may ask? In my way of thinking it is a reminder that be it taxi rides or art it's the people who we touch .. who we connect with who matter. For me social media marketing is making that happen more so every day. Because business is personal.
Sometimes you just have to color outside the lines. Sometimes you stumble. Sometimes you soar. Sometimes people wrapped in the status quo just don't get your ideas. Sometimes you find people who believe in your vision.
My story. Last summer I invited social media marketing pros to explore with me a new book genre. I wondered if a real business book could be written using Twitter as the major content platform and distribution channel.
I am excited to launch Social Media Marketing GPS, as free eBook, in celebration of Diva Marketing's 6th blog birthday! My mom's birthday! and Shel Israel, who wrote the Forward and is recovering from heart surgery! Social Media Marketing GPS is the first business book based on Twitter interviews.
What is it about? Social Media Marketing GPS is based on Twitter interviews with 40 of the smartest people working in social media. The book begins with an explanation of why include social media and moves on to cover ethics, tactics, research, metric, branding, sponsored conversations, blogger relations and even a few case studies. Additional content wraps around each of the 12 chapters creating a process for you to use to develop your social media marketing plan.
Who is it for? It's a genre for the 24/7 marketers who don't have time to read a tome but must understand social media in order to do their jobs. It's for people who want insights and information bite-size and actionable. It's for business professionals who want a quick refresher and innovative ideas to take their current strategy to the next level.
I invite you to download the eBook; and if you find value please pass the link to people in your network and in your social networks. I'd love your thoughts on the genre, the book, social media and how to promote the it. If you tweet the hash tag is #smgps.
Please enjoy the companion podcast series sponsored by the American Marketing Association, Social Media GPS, where I interview many of the contributors from the book. In keeping with Twitter's 140 character format, interviews are about 14 minutes long .. because 140 minutes is way too long and 140 seconds much too short. As a special treat each interview begins with the marketers reading some of their tweets. So here we have another new genre .. tweets on tape!
2. You understood the impact the social web will bring to your enterprise.
3. You created a strategy that includes objectives, goals, measurable results. You've integrated it into your overall plan.
4. You listened to the social conversations and understood how your customers are engaging and the value you could contribute.
5. You built a content direction that could be maintained for the long-run and across multiple social platforms e.g., blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and even the next shiny new toy.
6. You have internal and external guidelines in place.
7. You've even identified a social media champion who is respected at a senior management level.
You finally launched and took a celebration sip of a well deserved appletini or double espresso latte. You wait. You wait. You wait. So what happens now? Where are the comments? Where are the RT (retweets)? Where are the atta girl we love your ideas?
Ooops! You gave a social media party and forgot to invite the guests. If you build it they will not come .. unless you tell them. Similar to your traditional website .. social media serves many masters. Not only can it support marketing, public relations, customer service or consumer insights but think of it as an asset unto itself.
Shh .. don't tell .. here's the secret .. the missing piece to the social media puzzle that is frequently forgotten: a promotional strategy must be included with each and every one of your social initiatives.
However, for me, the customer experience stumbles with the goal of providing only the website url. It's not easy to go to what is promoted - Facebook or Twitter. Once at the site links to Facebook and Twitter are below the fold. Though I might not have found the sweet dedication to their dog Lulu and her pup friends. Max sends woofs!
To help you ease on down the social road ...
18 Easy Tips To Promote Your Social Media Initiatives
1. Add urls to your email signature
2. Add urls to your business card
3. Include in traditional marketing communication materials
4. Include links in all of your social media assets
5. Add links above the fold on your website
6. Add links to the footer or site navigation bar that runs across the site
7. Include in ads - print,digital and broadcast
8. Create a special ad a la Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
9. Include links in your eMail newsletters
10. Drop a Facebook status up date
11. Drop a LinkedIn update
12. Judiciously tweet it out
13. Engage with the social web communities where you 'live' e.g., comment on blogs, @tweets, etc.
14. Include "share this" widget on posts
15. Optimize for key word search
16. Send email updates to your network
17. Add urls in media releases
18. Take online offline .. mention it to colleagues at networking events
Now .. take a sip of 'tini or vino or java and toast to your success!
