Mar 17, 2008
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 fence will become are becoming more common and accepted with each click.
Thanks to BBF Ann Handley for the inspiration for this post.
Feb 26, 2008
Diva Marketing Talks
is a live, internet radio show. 30-minutes. 2-guests. 1-topic about
social media marketing. Why? To help you understand how to participate
in the "new" conversation without getting blown-up. Miss today's show?
You can pick it up as a podcast.
Today's Diva Marketing Talks explores an innovative, new model for a social media community. Dr. Daniel Palestrant, Founder CEO of Sermo, and Dr. Richard Thrasher, community member, join me to talk about Sermo, an online community open only to doctors (a niche) where for a fee sponsors can listen in, ask questions but not fully participate.
Big question: Would this model work for other verticals/market segments like moms or golfers or accountants or patients?
Topic for February 26, 2008: Where the Docs Are .. Someone Waits For Them. Paid Sponsors in a Social Networking Community.
Time: 6:30p - 7p Eastern/ 5:30p - 6p Central/ 4:30p -5p Mountain/ 3:30p - 4p Pacific
Call-in Guest Number: 718.508.9924
Guests:
Daniel Palestrant
Daniel Palestrant is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge-based Sermo, Inc. As CEO, Daniel is responsible for the overall vision of the Sermo community and business. His main tasks focus on ensuring that Sermo is a valuable resource to physicians while building a profitable and socially responsible enterprise.
Daniel's first experiences with Healthcare Informatics came when he conceived, designed, proposed and managed deployment of CIBUR (CIGNA Internet Based Universal Resource), one of the first commercial Web-based healthcare resources for physicians and allied health professionals. No stranger to the entrepreneurial side of medicine, Daniel founded his first company, Azygos, Inc., in 1998. During that time, he successfully raised $2.2MM in funding and deployed the company's first clinical application on schedule and on budget, before selling the company to BioNetrix in May of 2001.
After selling Azygos, Daniel joined BioNetrix (Now BNX Systems) as Director of Health Care. During his time at BNX Systems, Daniel helped numerous healthcare-focused businesses increase network security, improve patient privacy safeguards and comply with HIPAA. Daniel has done clinical and laboratory research in transplant immunology. He has a B.S. in biology from Johns Hopkins University, completed medical school at Duke University, and trained in General Surgery at Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital, in Boston before leaving to launch Sermo.
Dr. Richard Thrasher
Dr. Richard Thrasher is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. He established ENT practice - The Ear, Nose, & Throat Center at McKinney. He is also an active member of the Sermo community.
Dr. Thrasher received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and his medical degree from the University of Connecticut. He completed a general surgery internship in Denver before going on to an Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. While in residency, Dr. Thrasher spent significant time at Denver Children’s hospital (routinely rated in the top 10 children’s hospitals in the country) and has a particular interest in pediatric ENT.
Upon completing residency, Dr. Thrasher served on clinical faculty with the University of Nebraska Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery while he served as a Major in the USAF for 3 years at Offutt AFB in Nebraska. During this time he won three awards for best instructor as a clinical preceptor for family medicine residents and physician assistant students. He also served as medical director of the surgical service and chief of otolaryngology at his base hospital.
Dr. Thrasher was the first otolaryngologist in Nebraska, and first in the Air Force, to perform the new Balloon Sinuplasty® surgery. He was also the first otolaryngologist in Nebraska to perform an innovative base of tongue procedure for sleep apnea and is one of only 6-7 surgeons in the country currently doing this procedure. He has extensive experience performing the Pillar Palatal Implant® procedure for snoring. He has authored several publications and remains active in pursuing clinical research in sinusitis and sleep apnea.
Dr. Thrasher’s special interests include pediatric ENT, snoring/ obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid surgery, and sinus surgery. He is an active golfer and self-proclaimed technology geek. He lives in Plano with his wife and 2 children but hopes to move to McKinney in the next several months.
Tips From The Diva Bag
Complements of Dr. Richard Thrasher
- Log on frequently and just observe how things work for a little while. Some may feel comfortable seeing the personality of the site within a couple of days, some may need some more time. But I would observe how the interaction works first before just jumping in with a post. There is an etiquette on-line that is not always readily apparent to novices.
- When you do begin to interact, do so frequently. If you make a comment or post a topic, follow up on it frequently to see if there is any feedback regarding your input. This will definitely bring you into the community. Those who post and run will not feel like they develop a relationship with other users as well.
- Avoid trying to make overt discriminatory comments—this is the surest way to be ostracized. Whether you have a bias toward something whether it’s race, gender, educational background, etc, if you make those types of comments known, you will be quickly attacked. I have seen this on many on-line communities. Most importantly be open-minded of the opinions of others and at least respectful even if they’re factually wrong. There are definitely better ways to handle differences of opinion than through attacks.
- Disclose, disclose, disclose. If you market yourself or a product on Sermo and do not disclose a financial interest, but one is discovered, you will immediately be ostracized by the community at large. If you fully disclose your interest in the marketing, you stand a fighting chance of having a constructive discussion of your particular topic.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions about patients who have a diagnosis that you can’t figure out or who has an adverse event that you want to discuss. Often these are the best discussions on Sermo.
Can't call in but have a question? Drop a
comment and I'll ask it for you. Let me know what you'd like Diva Talks
to chat about. Don't forget Diva Marketing Talks morphs into a podcast.
Update: Enoch Choi, MedHelp of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation joined the conversation. If you have any interest in healthcare in the U.S. or where physicians' interest are in changing the healthcare system do not miss the After Show. In Ophra style, the After Show continues on a free for all flow for as long as the conversation goes on.
Jan 28, 2008
Shhh ... don't tell any of the social media Intelligentsia. 
It Is about the numbers. Don't let anyone kid you. We talk about dropping a pebble in a pond and the swirling levels of influence. But bottom-line looking deep into the waters .. we search for numbers. We worship numbers. We want more and more and more. We're only takin' care of business.
Oh sure, they have to be the "right" numbers er .. people. Right people. People are not numbers. But here's the secret it was always about finding the "right people." But we could never be sure if the right people were watching or reading or listening so we dived into the ocean of numbers. Network television. Newspapers. Oh okay .. radio was more niched. Oh okay .. cable was more niched. Oh okay .. magazines were more niched. We're only takin' care of business.
Alas but for the demographics we never really knew much about the numbers er .. people. Right people. Hello 18-34 year old women who live in the inner city and don't own cars. Hi there 35-54 year old men with beyond a college degree who reside in the suburbs. Hey sorry over 64 year olds we're not really sure what to do with you so we'll just mush you all together. We're only takin' care of business.
Then Pop! Zap! Bam! the world changed. Blogs. Videos. Podcasts. Photos Online. Technology presented easy, cool ways to communicate for the demos er numbers er people. Right people. Some of chat was about brands. People were talking to their friends and making new friends. Opinions were being influenced and maybe just perhaps purchase behaviors were changing through social media networking. The window and doors to those conversations were wide open and a few savvy marketers began listening in. They heard - Friends talking to friends. Talking to friends of friends. Here come the those numbers. We're only takin' care of business.
The social media Intelligentsia begin to ponder and some even to drool. Maybe just maybe if we listen we can hear and learn. We can create better products and services because we'll understand more than just demographics. We'll understand customers' dreams. Here come the those numbers. One person won't do. Hmmm .. maybe just maybe we can tap into - The Friend - The Top Dog - The Kingpin -The Influencer - who can lead us to the friends of friends and the friends of friends of friends. It's still a numbers game. We're only takin' care of business.
It is still a numbers game. But is that really so bad? When you have limited resources shouldn't you get the most bang for your buck .. so to speak?
If technology can help us turn a demographic snap shot or a one time view behind a two-way mirror into a multi media scrape book of our customers, that continues to evolve over time, shouldn't we maximize those opportunities?
Let's not pretend that social media marketing is not about qualifying the numbers. Marketers will always want more and more and more information to help make informed business decisions. Let's take the wrap off of the numbers game. We're only takin' care of business.
Thanks to Cardboard, Castles and Other Amenities for the use of the graphic.
Oct 5, 2007
What is wrong with marketers and advertisers?
Ford's campaign, Swap Your Ride, includes a TV commercial with this voice over:
"We didn't tell
them we were from Ford; we told them it was ... market research."
According to a Media Post article - "As part of the effort, Team Detroit created a faux market-research
company, "In Home Test Drive Experience, LLC" to distance Ford from the
research subjects."
The tag line on Ford's website supporting the campaign reads - No Scripts Or Prompts. Just Real People. Telling Real Stories. Right. To a Fake Marketing Research Company.
Is this stealth marketing? Is it astrotrufing? Sounds like gray marketing at the very least to me. Not to mention that I feel it discredits the marketing research industry. What do you think?
Wonder what happens the next time Ford conducts "real research." Will respondents, who saw the commercial, assume that they're talking to a Fake Marketing Research Company? Will the screener include a qualifying question? Did you see the Swap The Ride Commercial? If yes discontinue. If no ask question number two.
What is wrong with marketers and advertisers? Where were the real market researchers?
Read More About Ford's Swap Your Ride
Professor Walter Carl, North Eastern University
Updated: Want to hear what the marketing research community thinks about the ad? There is a lively discussion on Merrill Dubrow's blog. Merrill is the president of M/A/R/C Research.
The car maven, Jody DeVere. joins this conversation on Ask Patty and cross posts on BlogHer.
Sidebar: Tuesday 10/9 Shel Israel and Geoff Livingston join me on the internet radio show Diva Marketing Talk to explore Astroturfing and social media.
Jul 31, 2007
Diva Marketing Talks: Analytics tonight. Diva Marketing Talks - 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. Can't join us live? The show morphs into a podcast!
Topic for July 31, 2007:
Time: 6:30p - 7P Eastern
Call-in Guest Number: 718.508.9924
Guests: Peter Kim, Forrester Research and Marianne Richmond, Resonance Partnership
Tonight Diva Marketing Talks focuses on social space analytics. We're calling this one Blog Analytics A Step Towards Credibility?? Social media is fast taking its place at the grown-up marketing strategy table. With the respect, as a credible strategy, comes things like keeping elbows off the table and Accountability and the "M Word" - Measurement. Before you can measure "it" you have to define what "it" is. Our 2 guests are not only highly respected in the social media marketing world but bring the perspectives of agency and client side to the conversation.
Peter Kim is an analyst at Forrester Research in Boston. His coverage area focuses on marketing strategy and organization, including advertising and accountability. Prior to joining Forrester, Peter was international marketing manager at PUMA AG; part of the strategy network at Razorfish; and a research analyst at Coopers & Lybrand focusing on the energy industry.
Marianne Richmond has held senior level marketing positions with some of the largest consumer brands like Nabisco and Purina. From the agency side she's worked with Ally-Gargano/Marketing Corporation of America and DIMAC Direct. Her career direction has led to opening the doors of her own shop Resonance Partnership based in St. Louis.
Tips From The Diva Bag: Blog Analytics A Step Towards Credibility??
Complements of Marianne Richmond
- Forget trying to find the Holy Grail definition or measurement and focus on what you want the end result to be...what you want your customer to do, believe, experience or think OR what role you want a specific media channel to play to achieve the end result. Once you know the desired outcome, then what it takes to get there... the metrics should fall out from there.
- Accurate targeting is critical success factor. Bad targeting=false metrics.
- All or nothing statements like "the page view is dead" will kill you....there never was and never will be one single one size fits all measurement except for sales and profits.
Complements of Peter Kim
- Be free. There are many good packages available for no cost that provide excellent metrics.
- Think simple. Social media analytics work differently - focus on a few key indicators to start.
- Don't obsess. Metrics should help fine tune your communication strategy, not drive it.
Can't call in but have a question for Marianne and Peter? Drop a comment and I'll ask it for you. What would you like Diva Talks to chat about?
The show is available for download as podcast to your favorite MP3 player. Or play it right on your computer!
Jul 20, 2007
Friday Fun is Diva Marketing's virtual happy hour from cosmos to
Jack to lemonade. A waiting for the weekend 'playground' time to be
sophisticated-silly. Or sometimes just plain silly.
I've a riddle for you. No cheating don't scroll down! What is filled with danger and intrigue? Is something common but personal and very intimate. It holds emotion, pleasure, beauty, finance, disgust and sometimes despair.
No, it's not the new Harry Potter book. No, it's not the next James Bond
film. No, it's not the next Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton media blitz. Give up? 
It's a
woman's purse sometimes called a handbag or pocketbook or clutch.
Kelley Styring, InsightFarm, found that the mysterious world of a woman's purse is even more than that. It might just be a clue to unlocking billions of dollars in new product opportunities for marketers. Kelly spent over 100 hours interviewing 100 woman and exploring the contents of their pocketbook. She found remarkable insights into their lives and a surprise .. potential unmet needs.
“I found that the purse - the nerve center of a woman’s life, bearer of her most important things – is also a disorganized bag full of junk. But that’s where the opportunity exists for marketers to fulfill unmet needs.”
Did you know that 95% of U.S. women aged 18-64 take a purse with them Every Day? I bet the divas of marketing to women, Yvonne, Mary and Michele, could tell you that women make about 70% of all retail buys. Think of if this way .. that seeming innocent Coach bag or Target special is the only physical link between home - where needs are created and the store - where those needs can be fulfilled. (K. Styring). What is in that pocketbook and how it is found may be the catalyst for the next iPhone. I'm thinking a lipstick and mirror holder, as part of an iPhone, would be ultra cool.
Kelley Styring boasts that “In Your Purse: Archaeology of the American Handbag” is the first quantitative and qualitative study to delve into the
contents and context of a woman’s purse. Kelly has even turned her findings into a clever YouTube video. Well worth a watch.
Divas what is in your purse? I'll start - In my pink purse I found: a wallet, cell phone, blue tooth thingy, lip gloss, gourmet tea bags (for when I travel and don't want to drink the boring stuff or horrid coffee), note book, pens, biz card holder and a piece of chocolate.
Heard it from: The Merrill Dubrow Blog
Sidebar Update: Lip-Sticking - Handbags Post
Sidebar Update: Sorry, didn't mean to leave out the divos. For divos, like BBF Lewis Green .. what's in your man purse? I'm thinking a man purse research project is something I could get into (smile).
Jul 6, 2007
Friday Fun is Diva Marketing's virtual happy hour from cosmos to
Jack to lemonade. A waiting for the weekend 'playground' time to be
sophisticated-silly. Or sometimes just plain silly.
Play a game, read a great biz book and or listen to a few great biz ideas. BBF (best blog friends) have some awesome suggestions. The post is long because of the lists .. but girlfriend I know you can scroll pretty fast!
One For Three - play a game
When Lewis Green tagged me to play a new meme (a viral game where you get know a little bit more about your fav bloggers) I told him perhaps we should be playing jump rope. But that's rather difficult to do online so I'm telling you .. 8 Random Things About Me (yawning is allowed but no loud snoring).
Update: Steve Woodruff also wanted me to play tag with him. So Steve this is for you too!
1. I hate technology - It's what it can do that excites me
2. I'm getting addicted to My Face - Watch for interesting business applications as it matures
3. I love ice cream - It makes me happy. I don't know why it just does.
4. I love learning about and drinking wine - Have taken several courses and altho I enjoy a really nice bottle I love discovering great wines under $10
5. I love to travel - One day I'll have the $ and time to travel for fun and not business
6. I love the comedian Kathy Griffin - I can totally relate to the D List thing
7. I love jazz, music from the 40's and of course show tunes - Why? past boyfriend, my dad, theatre major
8. I love the ocean and I love watching storms on the ocean - Walks on the beach are calming, inspiring, and invigorating.
The rules are I get to tag 8 (random) people ..
Joe Reger
Average Jane
Arun Rajogopla
Ted Demppoulos
Dr. Ellen Weber
Paul Chaney
Philippe
Roxanne - maybe Rox will do a Barefoot on the Beach video (smile)
Two For Three - read a great biz book
Geoff Livingston found a creative use Facebook. He created an "email wiki"
and invited some friends to help develop a list of 25+ must-read
social media, marketing and PR books. This list was compiled by Chris Abraham, Toby Bloomberg, Eric Eggertson, Susan Getgood, Kami Huyse, Ike Pigott and of course Geoff Livingston. Thanks for the code Geoff!
In addition to listing the authors alphabetically by name, Geoff linked their blogs or home pages (you can get their books via
Amazon,
bn.com or any other preferred book seller).
Chris Anderson, The Long Tail
Paul Bausch, Matthew Haughey, and Meg Hourihan, We Blog
Rebecca Blood, The Weblog Handbook
Todd Defren, PR 2.0 Essentials (e-book)
Susannah Gardner, Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies
James Gleick, Faster
Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz, How to Do Everything with Podcasting
Rok Hrastnik, Unleash the Marketing & Publishing Power of RSS
Hugh Hewett, Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World
Joeseph Jaffe, Life After the Thirty Second Spot
Avinash Kaushik, Web Analytics: An Hour a Day
Richard Laermer, Punk Marketing (with Mark Simmons) & Full Frontal PR (with Michael Pricinello)
Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics
Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger, the Cluetrain Manifesto
Christopher Locke (linked above), Gonzo Marketing
Mike Moran, Search Engine Marketing
Katie Paine, Measuring Success (free e-Book)
There For Three - listen to a few great biz ideas
Susan Getgood and David Meerman Scott did a terrific job with their audio webinar on blogger relations 101.
Sidebar: More on Blogger Relations
Agencies Miss The "Relations" In Blogger Relations Strategies
From Blogger Relations To Blogger Relations Programs
Swag-for-post: An Integration of Traditional And Social Media Strategies
Tris Hussey and Jim Turner, One By One Media, mix it up, social media style, with their new show Mediasphere.
Wayne Hurlbert's show, Blog Business Success, is becoming a classic.
Happy 07-07-2007!
Jul 3, 2007
Toss of a pink boa to the bloggers and marketers who continue to explore how to use social media as a credible marketing strategy. Toss of a pink boa to the people who are not afraid to make mistakes, correct them and try again. Toss of a pink boa to the community of readers, who though you may not write a blog or even comment, are why we fight so hard to make it right.
Sidebar: The opening to this post may seem disjointed. And it is. I wrote it after reading this post and want to start with a thank you. Now on to the post ..
Smile and say cheese and if you are an influencer in your corner of the blogosphere and you just might land a new model Nikon camera. Or perhaps cool expensive shwag like a laptop, a trip to Amsterdam or a visit to the shoot of your favorite Sci-Fi TV show. The Brands (and authors too) having been tapping into bloggers, as a promotion tactic, for quite some time. Without a doubt the benefits are significant ranging from extending reach and awareness, to increasing search engine lift to obtaining the brass ring .. highly sought after peer-to-peer influence.
In corners of the biz/marketing blog world there are heated
conversations taking place. Many people believe bloggers should be transparent about receiving gifts. Others feel strongly that even with prominent disclosure a blogger's integrity is compromised or there is little benefit to their
community of readers. CK says nay. Joseph Jaffe says yea. This Friday they'll come together to talk about the issues on the podcast Across The Sound.
The lines are blurring between post-for-schwag and pay-for-post. Bloggers
who would never take $$ for posts accept expensive products. Perhaps it goes back to the concept of gift cards .. presents are okay but cold hard cash sometimes seems inappropriate as a gift. So we'll accept presents but not payment.
Sci-Fi Channel and Nikon Blogger Relations Programs: Two Different Strategies
Blogger Relations Programs are growing more complex as marketers merge promotion with product feedback and sampling tactics. Quiet on the set. Bloggers Blogging! NBC Universal invited influential sci-fi bloggers to a "digital press tour." In Vancouver bloggers were treated to a behind the scenes visit to their favorite Sci-Fi Channel shows where they live blogged the experience.
You expect to see cameras at these things, but to see all these people
with their laptops open, blogging live from the events -- it was a
completely different use of media than I've ever seen. Dave Howe,
Sci-Fi Channel Ad Age Interview
The Sci-Fi went further than a promotional blogger relations program when they included a research initiative. When you talk to your alpha consumers, you can learn so much. Do they like the plot lines? Do they like the marketing
of the shows? Is there a passion level for certain characters? Pete Snyder, New Media Strategies - Ad Age Interview
Nikon took a very different approach. In his blog post, Blogger Relations Program: My Point of View, Michael Kemper, MWWGroup made it clear that his company (that developed the strategy) considered the Nikon's initiative a sampling program. My comment on the post -
"However, it sure does appear an expensive "sampling program"
especially when you take into consideration that there does not appear
to be a mechanism for feedback from the bloggers. You are not giving
away tastes of King Pao chicken. If it quacks like a duck, why not call it a duck? A blogger
relations program "... where the goals were to desire for coverage,
discussion, testimonials and good word-of-mouth recommendations." (Italics quote from post)
If there had been a formal feeback loop, Nikon could have added value
to the entire blogging community's experience through those reviews and
demonstrated how to build a BRP that embraced not only transparency but
helped in the learning for all .. Nikon and perspective customers." There's been quite a bit of controversy about the program. In my humble opinion, this may stem in part from MWWGoup's misunderstand of bloggers.
The structure of the program is almost identical to how new products are introduced to print and broadcast journalists at The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NBC, CNN and virtually every other reputable news outlet you can think of. Why? Because we firmly believe that bloggers are, in many ways, journalists. The same ethical considerations that shape a marketer's interactions with print and broadcast reporters should also be respected and adhered to when dealing with bloggers. And that objectivity, accountability and transparency are a must. (Bold is from Diva Marketing)
Bloggers are not journalists. While we do want to be respected and feel that we should be treated ethically and fairly by organizations that are courting our favor we owe no allegiance to an editor, a publication or an organization. For most bloggers, their underling mandate is to be true to themselves .. not to an outside source or publication.
Like it or not brand marketers realize that bloggers can bring reach
and awareness to a campaign. Like it or not bloggers want cool content
not to mention it's some what of an ego deal to be acknowledged by a
major brand as an 'influencer.' That said, BR programs are not going
away. That said let's help this new form of marketing evolve into a tactic that adds value to the blogger, to the community (for CK is right) and of course to the brand.
~Questions Your For Your Consideration~
What should industry standards/best practices be to ensure the integrity of conducting BR programs?
What would an excellent BRP look like?
Let's get into some granular backend stuff .. what defines and how do
you identify the 'influencers' appropriate within a segment?
Sidebar: I don't have a particular concern about the concept of
product placement as part of a blogger relations program (I would
not have been the best participant for the Nikon project .. no sour grapes here.) as long as it is build on transparency and honesty. I have accepted free biz books and coffee. I would gladly accept a free cruise .. I so need a holiday! But I would def let you know (smile).
Read More From Diva Marketing
Agencies Miss The "Relations" In Blogger Relations Strategies
From Blogger Relations To Blogger Relations Programs
Jun 20, 2007
Why. Because. Sally Falkow asked if I would pass the word so I am.
The Society For New Communication Research and Marketwire launched a survey to determine how bloggers prefer to source and use news content. We want to find out if influential bloggers like yourself are
incorporating, or are planning to incorporate news on your blog and
also get your views on news sources.
There is a call out to all bloggers from all areas of the blogosphere to take the survey please and thank you. It's fairly painless and should take about 5 minutes or less.
The findings will be presented at a 2007 SNCR Symposium. What I don't know is how long it will be fielded nor do I know if participants will get a copy of the report .. or even a copy of the Executive Summary. Seems that SNCR would make that public but I don't know.
Here's where the marketer in me comes out .. SNCR and Marketwire do not have links to the survey on their sites. In fact, I couldn't find anything about the study on the SNCR site not even a media release. Guess it's the cobbler's child syndrome.
Update: Sally is going to ask SNCR to include the release on their site. She is also going to find out if Marketwire will share the Executive Summary with people who participate in the research. Thanks Sally!
Sidebar: The retro graphic was created, I guess in the 80's, for my dad's research company - Ellington Surveys. Click to see the "Girls" in their bell bottoms and smokes of choice. Yup, we've come a long way bebe! The cute lady in the yellow pantsuit tagged "Ann" (spelled wrong .. should be Anne) is my mom and of course Louis, or Mr. B he was fondly called is my dad.
May 14, 2007
What do you travel with? I mean when you go out of your home for the day or for a week. What do you always have with you to anchor you .. to keep you engaged with yourself and perhaps the world around you? In today's high tech world it might be your cell phone, camera or video camera.
For me it's always been a pen and note book and frequently a book. A little while ago I was sipping a coffee at a local Starbucks. Looking out at the parking lot watching cars whiz by was getting to be a drag so I dug out my little note book and begin writing random thoughts. As with writings in little note books no telling where the ideas will lead. This entree turned out to be Blog 101 Questions. Perhaps 1 or 2 thoughts will spark an idea for you.
- Are there really best practices for social media? What are they? Why are they?
- RSS why is it really so important?
- When will RSS add videos?
- Is there a "right" or "wrong" way to blog?
- Who are the influencers? Do they really matter and if so to whom?
- What is a blog? What is a business blog? What is a marketing blog?
- How do you address negative comments on your blog, on other blogs?
- Does a company need blogger guidelines? Does wikipedia have a generic entry?
- Are comment guidelines needed? Perhaps wikipedia has a generic entry for this too.
- How do you develop friendships at work? How do you develop friendships "on-blog?"
- How do you define honesty, transparency and authenticity? Are they different based on a company's culture? Should they be?
- What are the benefits for sponsoring a blog instead of advertising on a blog? Is it assumed exclusivity?
- When is it okay to sub contract blog writing? What is the trade-off for an organization?
- How do you manage a corporate blog?
- When does HR get involved with social media?
- How many corporate bloggers have job descriptions that incorporate goals, objectives? MBB - is there such a thing as "manage by blog" rather like manage by objective?
- What are the responsibilities of a corporate blogger? Does building relationship count as a "goal?" Does that devalue the relationship?
- What are the responsibilities of a paid blogger? Are they the same as a blogger on staff (see # 17).
- What is success? How do know you've achieved it if you don't set goals?
- What does blogger relations really mean? Does a camera or a dinner or a press release make a relationship? What is the company's courtesy to the blogger?
- What is social media research? How will it be integrated into traditional research strategies?
- How does pay per post, posts written by journalists and posts based on sponsorship relationships effect the data and analysis of social media research?
- How can you extend content from blog post in addition to podcasts, articles, books, white papers?
- For Shel Israel - "Will blogs change marketing? Or will marketing change blogs?
- What are the components of social media marketing? How many people think that social media is now an industry.
- <Side thought: It's ok to think pink.>
- What are Diva Marketing Biz Blog Series Companies doing now? Where blogs successful 2 years later?
- Is a social media strategy right for all companies? When does it make sense?
- How do blogs communicate differently than other text forms?
- Why do communities succeed or fail? Does a community organically evolve?
- Will social media be the new darling of customer service or the devil in disguise? How would a company incorporate social media tactics into a customer service strategy?
- What is the difference between blogger relations and media relations in the year 2007 and beyond? What side of the aisle are journalists who blog?
- Will social media consultants specialize by industry or by functional area? Does one need a niche to be successful in this business? Will the big agencies squeeze out the folks with real experience and passion?
- How much experience and how long does one have to be involved to be considered an expert in social media?
- What are the various uses for blogs? Shopping/commerce. Reviews. Marketing
- SEO and social media blurring of functional and strategies. Is it an SEO deal or a PR deal?
- Where does podcast fit in? It can't be social unless there is a conversation loop. So is podcast really social media? Same with vlogs.
- What can we learn from mommy bloggers?
- Blogs tie into corporate values.
- Blogs take time. What to write. How to write.
- Why don't more businesses brand their blogs with the look and feel of their website? Why. Why. Why don't (some) business bloggers include an about us? And why no email address?
- A blog report card. Does it go against the culture of blogs but not the out comes of business?
- Vast marketplace of ideas. The wild west of the new web. It's quickly being tamed.
- Why do people read blogs? What do people want from blogs and bloggers? What do they want? Do they really want the conversational options? What don't people want?
- How does a reader or community member Not an organization define engagement? Should we not start with that before defining engagement as a business goal?
- Are blogs and other social media initiatives making a difference? Are these tactics impacting and changing behavior like in purchase behavior?
- Side thought: If you can't connect to one .. you can't connect to many.
- Are blogs and social media marketing tactics little more than viral or SEO tactics?
- What do you need to know to get started? What do you need to know to continue?
- What is blogging etiquette?
- How do you integrate a social media program with a traditional campaign? Or how do you integrate traditional marketing into a social media strategy?
- What are the lessons learned thus far about social media marketing?
- Do blogs help us find and/or become the divas in the mirror?
- Not only company but country influences social media culture.
- Can you write a book about social media if you have no experience? Must you have experience to understand the culture of social media?
- Side thought: So many smart people generously giving information and ideas to the world at-large.
- Now that I have this written in a blog can I trash the paper list?
Mar 16, 2007
Girlfriend, those little search spiders sure do love indexing blog
posts. Yup .. with fresh content, HTML codes and those relevant inbound
links blogs & search engines go together like martinis and olives
(add 3 to mine please!). With over 71 million blogs (Technorati
tracking statistic) it’s not a big surprise that blogs frequently rise
about traditional websites like Google, Yahoo!, MSN et al.
What happens when the search is for something more serious than pet
care or Anna Nicole Smith or even marketing information? What happens
when you’re searching for 
healthcare information? Do you click on a blog or on a website? How do you determine the trustworthiness of the information?
Fard Johnmar, Envision Solutions was curious too. He wanted answers to two questions:
- Are Americans being exposed to a substantial amount of user-generated media (through search)?
- Do Americans trust online content because they are frequenting websites they consider well established and credible?
Using data provided by Hitwise, an online competitive intelligence service, he conducted a research study, Diving Deeper Into Online Healthcare Search,
that confirmed user generated media is becoming increasingly more
important as a resource for consumer healthcare information. Fard’s findings indicated that:
- Americans looking for online health content are exposed to a significant amount of user generated media.
- People are relying on government, corporate and non-profit
produced websites for health information; however, in certain cases,
blogs and wikis receive significant traffic.
A study conducted by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) complements the Diving Deeper Into Online Healthcare Search study. The ESRC research explored how health consumers decide whether or not to trust the information and advice they find online.
It may not be a surprise to marketers involved with social media but
according to Professor Pamela Briggs who conducted the study -
“When
searching for health advice online, consumers often reject websites
with high quality medical information in favour of those with a human
touch.
One thing that really put
people off was advertising, so people clicked off drug company websites
straight away. Generally, the medical information on drug company sites
is very accurate but people question the authors' motivation and
agenda. The issue of impartiality is quite crucial in building trust.
The great strength of the internet is that you can find people
who have had the same problem that you have and see how they have coped
with it - to forget about that, or to act as if it’s not happening, is
missing the point.
But the most important advice for those trying to promote
health information online is to use engaging stories about people with
similar experiences."
Lessons Learned: A human touch and impartiality are keys to unlocking healthcare social media marketing. I would dare say that holds true for business-to-business, as well as business-to-consumer products/services as well.
Dec 28, 2006
High search rankings are a big deal for a lot of bloggers - especially those who use their blog as a marketing /business strategy. Be careful if you're in the pay per post mode. Seems that our friends at Google don't like pay per post. In fact, paid text links can cause your blog to be devalued.
Matt Cutts of Google - "Google wants to do a good job of detecting paid links. Paid
links that affect search engines (whether paid text links or a paid
review) can cause a site to lose trust in Google."
Heard it from: Rusty Brick, Search Engine Round Table who has an interesting post about Paid Blog Reviews: ReviewMe & PayPerPost from multiple perspectives: search engines, advertiser, SEO and the blog writer.
As for me, unless clearly stated, paid posts muck up the issue of trust and credibility; and I can't help but think that it hurts using social media/blogs as a research tool. Wonder what the folks at the social media research firms think.
Nov 5, 2006
Blogging is complex, and each company approaches blogging differently.
- Northeastern University/Backbone Media Blogging Success Study
The quote, from a recent study conducted by Northeastern University/Backbone Media Blogging Success Study
, is near and dear to my heart. The research validates what I've been talking about and have believed since waaay back in 2004 .. Her passion for blogging is as a marketing tactic. This revealed a different perspective from that of most bloggers we asked." "Naked Conversations - Consultants Who Get It" by Shel Israel & Robert Scoble.
- Blogs/social media can be used as a credible marketing strategy
- To be successful blogs must incorporate a strategic direction
Within a very short time .. less than 2-years .. the website with the odd little name - "Weblog," better known as "Blog" is becoming a sophisticated, marketing strategy with multiple aspects.
Four Aspects of Business Blogging
- Authoring a business/marketing blog
- Using blogs as an external promotional tactic
- Monitoring blogs as a research tactic
- Reading blogs to gain professional development knowledge
Should your organization include a blog strategy? If you're considering stepping into social media I would ask you to answer just two little questions to determine if you're ready to jump into authoring a corporate blog
One: Can your organization support the open, conversational, transparent culture of blogging?
Two: Will blogs help solve a business challenge or support your overall marketing strategy?
If the answers to Both are Yes .. you have a good chance to succeed. If either one is No .. the timing is not right .. yet.
Don't be discouraged or feel badly. Social media is a huge paradigm switch in business attitude. It can be a challenge, and leap of faith, for some people to accept that business as usual is changing. In a world of easy online publishing (blogs, podcasts, vlogs) the marketer's job has morphed from tightly controlling the brand messaging to managing the brand message. Your company will get it .. sooner or later. If not, Girlfriend, you might want to consider creating a living bio blog <wink>.
However, while you're working on internal issues you can begin to participate in the conversation by reading blogs and monitoring the blogosphere for customer buzz about your brands and for industry trends. When you feel comfortable drop a comment on a blog and see where it takes you. Ta da! You are now an active participate in the exciting world wide discussion. Your opinion is part of the the biggest knowledge base ever invented .. the world wide web. But no time to sip an appletini - tho a quick bite of chocolate might be in order to celebrate. There are more blogs to read and more comments to write.
What determines the reasons, conditions
and factors that make a blog successful? What criteria should organizations use to assess whether and how they should engage in
blogging?
These were the objectives in the Blogging Success Study released Nov 2, 2006 by Dr. Walter Carl, the students in his Advanced Organizational Communications class (Spring 2006) at Northeastern University and John Cass and his colleagues at Backbone Media, Inc.
Toss of a pink boa
to Dr. Carl and John Cass for providing the research and the background interviews. Not only is this an great start for businesses to begin to understand how to do blogs right but the interview transcripts provide an in-depth look at the lessons learned from the participants who were early adopters to business blogging. Interesting note: the research/findings report are posted on a blog with each section as a unique post. Comments are open on all posts. You rock!
Blog Brags: My dear friend and client Donna Lynes-Miller, GourmetStation was included in the study. Donna continues to do innovative work in this space. Delicious Destinations includes a series of guest bloggers: an English butler, a Tuscan B&B owner, a wine consultant and a customer who share their experiences about food, travel, wine and the good life.
Rick Short, Indium Corporation (Rick Short's Blog,Dr. Lasky's Blog)and Deb Franke and Jim Cahill, Emerson Process Management (Emerson Process Experts) were participants in the American Marketing Association's Hot Topic Workshop: Blogs Beyond The Website that I had the honor and pleasure of chairing.
Bottom-line .. without a strategic approach and integration into your overall marketing plan a blog is a me too play toy. Which is fine if all you want is to be cool at cocktail parties.
Sidebar: The graphic is a cartoon that was made for my mom and dad's marketing research biz - Ellington Surveys. As you can tell fashions have changed as has the market research industry.
Aug 1, 2006
Thanks to Carl Bialik, the numbers guy, at Wall Street Journal Online for the mention/link to Diva Marketing in his article, Why Executives Speak Out. Carl was curious about the methodology behind the JupiterResearch study where findings pointed to a significant increase in corporate blogs by the end of 2006.
Sidebar: I wrote a few posts in what Amy Gahran might called an investigative journalist style about the study. Carl picked up one of the posts. [Jupiter Research - End Story JupiterResearch Makes Some Changes Answers From JupiterResearch (JupiterKagan) What Are Bloggers' Responsibilities? JupiterResearch Blog Report Reviewed JupiterResearch Passes Around The Kool-Aid]
JupiterResearch senior analyst, Greg Dowling, provided Carl with information about how the survey was conducted. The WSJ article is available by subscription only; however, Greg Dowling posted details about JupiterResearch's approach and a post by David Schatsky, president JupiterKagan, highlights JupiterResearch's new business practices regarding providing requested methodology and blogger relations.
<Update> One more shameless shout out. Another mention in the Wall Street. Carl Bialik's quoted me in his Aug 2, 2006 column. Can one of those cute little picture on the front page be next? Of course he does think I'm a "he" but at least my name is spelled right.
Technorati Tags: WSJ,, Wall_Street_, Journal,, JupiterResearch,, Carl_Bialik
Jul 23, 2006
In another part of the blogopshere I'm a guest blogger at The Medical Blog Network and thought a post on medical/healthcare consumer searches would be interesting. Jupiter Research recently dropped a media release highlighting results from a study about healhcare search engines. I had a couple of questions. So I dropped David Schatsky, President of JupiterKagan an email asking for clarification of the methodology. With 24-hours I received a detailed response from Vic Beck, VP, Peter Arnold Associates.
According to my pal Bill Neal, SDR, Inc., the information complied with APOOR Ethics Standards. Bill's comments are at the end of the post. Thanks to Bill and Thomas M. Guterbock, APPOR Ethics Chair for their on-going help.
Perhaps one day all research firms will include the methodology with their releases a la Harris Interactive and get that providing this type of data is not giving away trade secrets but establishing credibility of their results and conclusions as well as, of the organization.
In the meantime, kudos to Peter Arnold and Jupiter Research for providing the data quickly and kindly when requested. It's nice to know that a social media "community" can encourage positive changes. My hope is that this will be a win-win for all.
Sidebar: David has a great post on Logic + Emotion, People Respond: The New PR, that is a must read for business bloggers and companies who are/have been/will be touched by social media = every biz div
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.
Max. No need to flip a coin on that one.
