07/07/2009
The recent rains awaken the heady scent of the lavender bush at the front of my house. I pass by it every day. I planted it several years ago but today the scent was exceptionally strong .. almost intoxicating. I had to stop what I was doing for an extra moment or two. Sometimes what we see all the time, what
is in front of us can be overlooked.
This afternoon an email popped into my in-box from a favorite dessert company - Dancing Deer - from Boston. I send Dancing Deer gifts all the time. Somehow I feel connected to the company for a number or reasons: Boston, my friends love their presents, the site is graphically whimsical, frequent coupons, they have "heart" in giving back to the community.
The subject line "Sweet deals and ice cream cookie sandwiches" caught my eye (it's summer and I'm making ice cream .. there goes the diet again!) and I opened and clicked into the site to find out more. The click took me to a blog. Way cool! I had no idea. Dancing Deer and I had yet something else in common - social media. Must be new I thought. Nope .. it's been around for several months.
I went back to the home page - no mention or link. I went back to the blog and searched a round some more. Oh my .. the owner, Tish Karter, was in Atlanta in April for the start of a 1500 bike ride "..to engage the public in a conversation about how to end homelessness." She blogged and vlogged her journey.
Awesome but why did I not know about this? I guess I missed the email? Surely I would have noticed that email. I mean come on .. Atlanta, social media, a bike ride from-to the 2 cities I've lived in. They reached out to bloggers - some of whom are friends. They never talked to me.
Now I'll tell you something that you might think is rather silly .. I felt a little sad. Isn't that odd? I've never met Tish, homeless is not my "cause" but If Dancing Deer had
reached out to its customer base, If they had told me about their blog
or that they were tweeting I might have been able to help. Not only that there would 
have been a significant brand experience creating not just a fan but a raving fan.
Adding social media to your communication strategy you give your customers more than an email, or a press release or even a free cookie. You are inviting them into your world beyond the spin of advertising or PR. Odd as it may sound - when you talk to your customers it becomes personal for them.
Sometimes, like with my lavender bush, what we see all the time, what
is in front of us maybe overlooked. Developing All of your strategies with your customers in mind becomes increasingly critical if you step into the world of blogs, vlogs, twitter, Facebook, podcasts .. social media marketing.
07/04/2009
Happy Fourth of July!
Run, walk, watch or read tweets #peachtree road race - The Peachtree is Atlanta's tradition for the 4th of July morning. Today the 2009 Peachtree Road Race celebrates its 40th anniversary back where it started at Piedmont Park. 5500 will proudly wear the 2009 Peachtree Road Race t-shirt this year.
The race is so integrated into Atlanta culture that we simply say "The Peachtree" assuming that all the world understands what that means. Talking with @Pollig this week brought that one home. My friend from Boston, well Weymouth, MA, was confused when I mentioned that after The Peachtree I'd probably join friends in Midtown tonight to watch fireworks.
I thought it does sound funny - "Watch the Peachtree." Why would you watch a street and which Peachtree street might that one be since Atlanta has 50 zillion Peachtree Streets?
How many times do we get caught up in our own company's or industry's buzz words? How often do we confuse customers and especially prospective customers? We don't mean to .. it's just part of our culture. But in doing so we construct barriers that our customers have to figure out by themselves how to maneuver around.
In marketing, especially social media marketing, that seems to happen all the time. So much so that worlds that seem obvious become platitudes. A term that social media consultants and marketers love to toss around is conversation. What are these "conversations?" What does it mean to be authentic? How do you define transparency?
Lessons learned from The Peachtree Road Race: Give your customers an unobstructed course to run your The Peachtree!
06/28/2009
This morning, after I washed the news print off of my fingers from the Sunday New York Times, I downloaded some sample chapters on to my Kindle. Several of those books were recommended to me by my dear friends at amazon.com. Others I found on blogs and through Twitter. The world of publishing is not simply changing .. it is colliding with technology and the world of social media.
Don't just take the word of a digital author but people in traditional publishing are taking out their red pens and looking at their current models with a critical eye. If the publishing business is to stay in business I would encourage publishers and editors to take a cue from the lessons that marketers have learned over the past few years. What is important to understand is that these changes come with options for the reader/customer. The "delivery channel" choice may be as important as the content. Do your readers want digital or traditional or an integration of both?
This month Debbie Stier @debbiestier - SVP, Associate Publisher, Harper Studio, Kaylie Jones @KaylieJones - best selling novelist ("Lies
My Mother Never Told Me." "A Soldier's Daughter
Never Cries"), Kevin Heisler (@KevinHeisler - literary executor and Ron Hogan @RonHogan - curator, Beatrice.com gave their insights about the future of publishing at the 140 Character Conference. The video is well worth a view.
Then there is the other Big Question: How are readers finding books in the new world of tweets, Facebook, blogs? Is the library still important? How has the promotion and building a readership community changed? Publishers and agents tell me not to even consider submitting a proposal without a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes social media tactics. The rules of engaging with editors are in flux also. If you follow me on Twitter or you Friend me on Facebook does that mean it's okay to send you a proposal without an agent?
Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent recently asked his readers- "Where did you hear about the book you're reading?" Over 300 people responded. I was curious about the break down and did a very informal tally. What is probably valid is not the count but the weight of each category.
- Friends (including book clubs) - 78
Blogs (including author blogs) - 62
Bookstores - 45
Websites/reviews sites - 33
Library - 22
Amazon recommendation/reviews - 22
Twitter - 19
Book tours/met the author - 11
Blog promotion/contests - 5
Read other books by author - 4
Other (ezines, book fairs, TV, Radio, book reviews, podcasts, cover/jacket - 29
It will be interesting to see how social media impacts traditional publishing, what emerges as new publishing model/s, who will lead the innovation and who will close their doors. In the mean time I'm curious .. "Where did you hear about the book you're reading?"
06/17/2009
Add one more virtual place to network to your list .. TweetChats. Oh no! girlfriend you might be thinking not another social media thing to add to my running list .. and what is a tweetchat anyway?
Anita Campbell, Small Business Trends, has a great definition.
- A tweetchat is simply an organized group chat that takes place using the Twitter platform. Participants use an assigned hashtag (say, #sbbuzz) for their tweets during the discussion.
When Marc Meyer asked me to host one of the most popular Tweetchats this week I said .. of course! Held weekly, Tuesdays from noon - 1p, #socialmedia explores issues about social media marketing. The focus this week was on the "hidden demographics" of social media like bebe boomers, women etc. etc. etc. Title: Deciding the “now what” and the “who with” of social media in your company.
The exchange of ideas was fast, furious, exciting .. and the people .. so smart. Moderating was like running a race while juggling 50 balls in the air. Although #socialmedia is structured around 3 20-minute segments each with a unique question, it was fascinating to watch the sidebar conversations occurring simultaneously. The questions:
#1. What demographics are most powerful in each of the top social networks? And Why?
#2. Which demographics are most overlooked, ignored, or taken for granted, in the top tier social networks? Why?
#3. With the increase of social media usage, which demographics will drive innovation in social networking?
I found that our conversation didn't really follow the progression of the questions as much as some other tweetchats might have; but the discussion happened naturally on its own accord. With tosses of a pink boa to the amazing people who generously shared their opinions and experience and to Marc Meyer and Jason Breed the sponsors .. here are my takes of the highlights.
Boomers
The Baby Boomer generation maybe late in getting to this party but according to comScore there are about 16.5 million adults ages 55 and older engaged in social networking.
@conniereece - All I can say is that marketers need 2 wake up 2 how many boomers R online & how they use socnets. Connie thinks that boomers are the "lost demo" and not only for profits but nonprofits are missing opportunities.
Even in this economy, Boomers have more $ to spend then the X-Yers. Note to brand marketers (and main stream media): Take off your cool shades the internet and social networks are Not only for the "youngsters."
The challenge for brands per @CBWhittemore is to make it .." relevant to baby boomers & others b/c new marketplace imperatives."
The challenge for people who have not grown up with new technologies is understanding how to use the tools. A wrong click will not necessarily bring down the Internet or explode your computer. On a personal level @evelynso shared a great idea .. that might help grandparents have an ah ha! moment. Think of Flickr or Facebook as a global grandkids brag book. You get to share those cute photos of your precious darlings with your closet Friends; and if you wish some you might not know yet.
When it comes to How generations use social media platforms we noticed a few differences. - seniors/ Boomers have a different $ management style. Check
alternatives - sometimes SM is cheaper & faster. From @evelynso and @marc_meyers - boomers share content Gen Y shares the intimate details of their lives.
Where are the Boomers hangin' out? Consensus seems to be on Facebook. Very few boomer friends (male or female) on Twitter. For @conniereece - Lots on FB now, and a few on LinkedIn. @sonnygill thinks that - demos on the more established networks are wider ranged than Twitter is (namely boomers).
Wondering ... will we see a change as Gen Y's and Millenniums' careers shift into management levels and the Boomers become more comfortable with open conversations? Also will Boomers leaving the work force (those that can afford to do so!) result in more transparency in their social media interactions? In other words will the cultures flip-flop?
Gen Y
When it came to Gen Y we thought they were tech savvy but lacking in social media marketing, strategy expertise. @CathyWebSavvyPR
- I've heard from some college students that SM is a part of social
life, they can't see applications. That was my experience too when I
presented social media marketing to an advertising class at UGA.
When it comes to Twitter - @dcgf - I think it's Gen Y who are not very "savvy" w/Twitter. The movers and shakers on here are older...However @CathyWebSavvyPR believes that - I think Gen x/Y will once they begin entering the workforce & needing to use SM. their learning curve may B shorter
Can Social Media Close the Generation Gap?
Example of one of the sidebar tweet conversations
>At the risk of making assumptions, I'd hazard to say that the ave age of THIS "unConference" is over 35! (don't hate-ha) - @dcgf
>@dcgf
as an Mil-gen are you comfortable engaging with the 'older' peeps on
twitter? @dcgf could social media be the way to close the generation
gap? - @tobydiva
>def closes gen gap and @Mark_Meyer I think all gen's want to feel like they're being engaged on a personal level - @dcgf
Women
We wondered where women were hanging out online and if they were using social media diffently than men. Most of our tweets were based on observation and personal experience. @Verbatim told us that - Research shows men preferring Twitter and women, FB. Which makes sense to me, FB being more personal details.
@conniereece in regard to Twitter - if you look at *what* men/women post on Twitter, it's different. Women more likely to share, men to broadcast. #socialmedia (generalization). Seems that a guy agrees with Connie - @marc_meyer men generalize and women socialize...?
Tweets were not all serious we had some giggles along the way. @wpmc - Saw a book on communications "Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti" - Facebook is like spaghetti.
@CathyWebSavvyPR brought out an interesting point that brands should consider when using Facebook to reach women. - I know many women feel that FB is for freinds & family & resent the intrusion of business there. others like it.
Social Media Marketing
We also talked about what is social media? @greenhance offered an interesting concept - Altho I've no proof, I think SM adoption is personality driven. Some are more likely to use Twitter, others FB, etc.
@marc_meyer looked at in from this point of view - Twitter is 4 biz Linkedin is 4 networking, FB is the playground, or something like that. any1 remember the analogy?
When it comes right down to it people agreed with @ddeseta - It's not about the most followers. It's about having the most relevance within yoursphere. and with @mrochte - It's about convening not controlling #SocialMedia " - that's the message we need to understand http://on.ted.com/y mrochte
When it came down to what to make of the "hidden demographics" @greenhance reminded us - Brands can cultivate real loyalty with SM in a way that was previously limited by geography/reach. Social media is one aspect of marketingmarketing basics.
To wrap this up it's back to marketing basics - know who your customers are/where they hang out/what they want. @tobydiva Be careful of what you think you know.. your truth might be an illusion.
Resources
Tweet Stream
Business Week Social Media Gender Gap
Pew Internet has extensive stats on social media
Forrester Social Technology Profile Tool - John Cass for the link!
Blogher 2009 Women and Social Media Study
06/12/2009
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.
In the world of social media Facebook, Twitter and other social networks have taken center stage. Our old friend .. the 
blog .. seems to be relegated to a role in the chorus. Of course social networks can play an important part in social media marketing, however, the platform is not Yours. It will never be Yours. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and every community on Ning could go away tomorrow. All of your contacts, all of your content could blow away like dandelion seeds in the wind.
Blogs, (that you serve yourself) are always Yours (at least until the server crashes or a hacker blows up your site). #BringBackTheBlog is an occasional series on Diva Marketing that highlights some of the great work in the blogosphere.
Blogs do take more time and care than a 140 character tweet or a Facebook wall post. The challenge becomes updating with relevant, interesting content. According to Nettie Harsock, "Conversational content is the base ingredient to any blog truly thriving and engaging a community long-term." Nettie offers 5 Tips For Conversational Content.
Fard Johnmar HealthCareVox has been writing smart posts about healthcare in social media since 2006. His recent post is a great example of building content from other sources, In his post about media consumption habits of e-patients he incorporates findings from the Pew Social Life of Health Information study. By the way did you know that although people are looking for medical information online, including peer reviews, less than 40% use social networks like Facebook and only only 12% are currently taking advantage of Twitter?
Unlike an article written in main stream media, social media provides an opportunity to tell your stories when you want, how you want, without the filter of a reporter or editor. While business story telling follows a similar format to those you read as a kid, there are a few differences. Katya Andresen Getting To The Point, provides us how-to direction including a story telling check list.
When it comes to story telling blog posts that end in marketing lessons no one does it better than Ann Handley - Annarchy. Ann's talent for creating stories about simple every day happenings in her life not only engages us but endears us to her. Word of caution .. don't enter the world of Annarchy unless you have a few spare moments.
When we think of blog posts we usually think of T-E-X-T. However, since blogs are websites and anything you can include in a website you can incorporate into a blog post think photos and videos. Paul Chaney's, The Social Media Handyman, use of video interviews is an excellent example of the versatility of blog content. Paul does one - two minute interviews at the 140 Twitter Conference.
Read more in the all tweet book - Social Media Marketing GPS #smgps - Chapter 6 Tactics Second interviews with Yvonne DiVita and Julie Squires about blogs
06/02/2009
Part 2 of Where Are the Atlanta Women in Social Media Marketing?
Part 1
For me, the secret sauce of social media marketing is in how the tech tools with odd sounding names like blogs and wikis and Twitter can build and nurture old fashion corner grocer store relationships. While my travels in social media extended my network across the States and several oceans a few weeks ago I realized
I knew few women in social media marketing in my own home town -
Atlanta.
To borrow a phrase from my friends at BlogHer I wondered, "Where are the Atlanta women working in social media marketing?" I'm on the
search find the talented Hot'lanta social media divas and in doing so create a resource list that will shine a light on them.
Criteria: using social media as a marketing
strategy for your business ventures or helping clients use social media
as a marketing strategy. Look for the Atlanta Women in Social Media
Marketing posts over the next couple of weeks.
Atlanta Women In Social Media Marketing
Jacki Schklar Funny Not Slutty @JackiSchklar
1.
What does social media marketing mean to you? - It means having a forum
to become friends with comedy producers in the UK and Tel Aviv and
working together with them remotely. It means introducing a talented
Australian artist to new fans in the US.
2. My favorite social media tactic is bonding with humor.
3.
In 140 characters what is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a
social media hub?- I think of a social media hub in terms of industry
or interest, not geographical location. I get emails from people who
think I’m in NYC or LA on a regular basis because of my affiliation
with those cities.
4. 2 sentences about your company. – Funny not
Slutty features comedy for women created by female producers, writers,
humorists and comedians. Our content may be a little smarter and a
little deeper than your average web humor (sometimes). Focus is on B2B
and B2C.
5. Began in social media marketing - With the promotion of my
animation project, How to Live and Eat like a Southern Jewish Princess,
in 2008. I had previous interactive and journalism experience so it was
an easy transition.
Laura Nolte Green Theory Interactive @Laura_nolte
1.
What does social media marketing mean to you? -Social Media marketing
is a very accessible and cost effective way to learn about and engage
my client’s customers and prospects. This medium is unmatched in terms
of the breadth and depth of targeting that it offers.
2. My
favorite social media tactic is contributing to the content and
community in highly specialized LinkedIn groups to generate B2B leads.
This is particularly effective when targeting C-level executives.
3.
In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a
social media hub? As a city with a big media presence including TBS,
Atlanta is poised for social media growth. The key will be getting
Atlanta’s big brands to support this medium.
4. 2 sentences
about your company. - Green Theory is a marketing consultancy that works
primarily with venture backed startup companies. We develop marketing
plans, install marketing technologies and hire marketing teams. 60% of
my focus is on B2B marketing and the other 40% is on B2C marketing.
5.
Began in social media marketing - I started using social media in 2001
by interacting with food blogs and I started using social media as a
marketing tool for clients in 2004 by testing content and advertising
on blogs.
Barbara Giamanco Talent Builders Barbara Giamanco @barbaragiamanco
1. What
does social media marketing mean to you? - For me, social media
marketing is the opportunity to create community, conversation and
connection with people anywhere in the world. Used effectively, you can
build brand awareness, demonstrate credibility and capability, and
create relationships with potential buyers long before you meet them.
2.
My favorite social media tactic is sharing valuable content. I use a
variety of social media tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter,
BlogTalkRadio, Delicious, Blogs and more to keep abreast of information
that I then can share with potential clients, current clients or
colleagues that I know will find value in the information. I’m all
about “give to receive”.
3. In 140 characters - What is
Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub? -
Atlanta’s current challenge is the “flash in the pan – look at me I’m
an expert” types claiming to understand social media. They don't.
**Add this if you want too…I wanted to stay within the 140 character
request. And a hub implies interconnectedness, but I notice more
individual focus versus a willingness to team up with others to create
something powerful. Ironic given the nature of what “social” media is
all about.
4. 2 sentences about your company – About Talent
Builders: We help business owners and sales teams accelerate the sales
cycle by better qualifying sales opportunities on the front end. The
result is faster close rates and a reduction in wasted money and time.
Our talented team of professionals brings to the table an impressive
array of experience, skills and abilities to assist you in achieving
your sales goals. My primary focus is B2B.
5. Began in social
media marketing - Since 1997 while still at Microsoft, I began working
with the early tools. I headed up Microsoft’s first sales team to
support Internet retailers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. My
corporate career was in technology, so I’ve always been an early
adopter and a closet “tech geek”. I have been proactively using
LinkedIn, email marketing and internet radio since about 2004. As other
tools came out like Delicious, Ning, Twitter, etc. I jumped on early
and learned how to integrate them into my sales/marketing strategies.
Blogging took me some time to get in a groove with, but now I’m a very
active blogger.
Sue Rodman Field Trips With Sue @suerodman
1.
Social media marketing offers people and brands the opportunity to
find, build and nurture relationships online, making offline activities
more meaningful. If I follow someone on twitter or see their status or
photos on Facebook, I have some reference for discussion the next time
(or the first time) we meet in person.
2. My favorite social
media tactic is my blog fieldtripswithsue.com. It gives me an excuse to
do fun things with my kids, has become a conversation piece with
friends old and new and opened up doors professionally. It's also been
a great learning tool.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's
greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub? - Time. Everyone
wants results tomorrow. Social media is about building relationships,
it doesn't happen overnight. But when it does, it's extremely powerful.
4. 2 sentences about your company. - Fieldtripswithsue.com is
about inexpensive things to do in and around metro Atlanta with
children. It's been nominated as best local blog in the Nickelodeon
Parents' Pick Awards (vote early and often, each day until July 15).
The blog also serves as a testing/ proving ground to
learn more about social media and how to use it for marketing and public relations.
5. Began in social media marketing - February 08 - I
attended SoCon. The big takeaway was that you have to jump in and do
something. Field Trips with Sue was started in Nov. 08 so I could do
something and learn. (It took a while to determine what that something
would be.)
Sherry Heyl Concept Hub, Inc @sherryheyl
1. What does social media marketing mean to you? - Social Media
gives everyone a voice. It is as important as the printing press was
and has disrupted every business model that exist today and is
challenging every assumption we have held about what we are capable of.
2. My favorite social media tactic is status updates throughout my
various networks which helps me to share information and stay top of
mind.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming
a social media hub? Learning to work together as a community.
4. 2 sentences about your company - Launched in 2005, Concept Hub, Inc
is a full service social media agency. Services include; Social Media
Business Plans, Customized Training, and Campaign Management.
I primarily focus on: B2B, B2C, Nonprofit, Education
5. I began in social media marketing Oct 2005
Nadia Bilchik Nadia Speaks Nadia Bilchik @nadiabilchik
1.
What does social media marketing mean to you? - Social Media Marketing
is a way for me to communicate my expertise with many people in a new
way.
2. My favorite social media tactic is using Twitter to tell people about my experiences.
3.
In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a
social media hub? - Atlanta’s biggest challenge is not embracing social
media more!
4. 2 sentences about your company. - Greater Impact
Communucation is a Media and Presentation Skills training company. We
focus on getting individuals to leverage their Personal Presence and to
Elevate sales and the trajectory of their careers. Focus is b2b,
particularly broadcasting. PR, and pharma.
5. First began
offering social media in networking for success workshops for Coke in
2007. Brought in a Linked In Guru to give webinars for my clients. Now
its a big part of Virtual Presence in Professional Presenceseminars.
Atlanta Women in Social Media
Donna Lynes-Miller GourmetStation
Grayson Daughters WaySouth Media
Lya Sorano Lya Sorano.com
Melissa Galt Today By Design
Jeaneane Sessum allied
Melissa Libby MelissaLibbyPR
Amber Rhea Being Amber Rhea
Jacki Schklar Funny Not Slutty
Laura Nolte Green Theory Interactive
Barbara Giamanco Talent Builders
Sue Rodman Field Trips With Sue
Sherry Heyl oncept Hub, Inc
Nadia Bilchik Nadia Speaks
and me! Toby Bloomberg Diva Marketing
Girlfriends, I ask you .. Where are the Atlanta women in social media marketing? Where are the women on the client/brand side? If you want to be included or know of anyone who meets the criteria please leave a comment or shoot me an email.
05/26/2009
A couple of weeks ago Mashable held a smashing mash in Atlanta for over 400 of its closest friends .. who signed up before the fire marshalls could call Stop! no more people. I shared a glass of vino or two with friends, got to hug a live pink boa, complements of Jungle Disk, 
and met new people. However it became crystal clear that although Diva Marketing celebrated its 5th blog-birthday my social media network is more global than local.
I found myself asking, "Who are these people and what do they do? What is happening in Atlanta social media marketing? To para phrase from my friends at BlogHer ..Where are the Atlanta women in social media marketing?"
A few months back BBF Dan Greenfield suggested that I interview the women in Atlanta who are involved in social media marketing. Last week ideas synergized .. why not create a resource list that highlights the women in Atlanta who are working in social media marketing? But not just a boring list .. a series of mini interviews where we can get to know these women better. Along the way perhaps new friendships will take online offline.
Criteria: using social media as a marketing strategy for your business ventures or helping clients use social media as a marketing strategy. Look for the Atlanta Women in Social Media Marketing posts over the next couple of weeks.
Atlanta Women In Social Media Marketing
Donna Lynes-Miller - GourmetStation Delicious Destinations Blog
@gourmetstation
1. What does social media marketing mean to you? Social media marketing provides GourmetStation with non-conforming, non-traditional, casual and comfortable ways of communicating with our customers outside of our website. All social media tactics provide our brand with a means for different aspects of our brand personality to shine through.
2. My favorite social media tactic is our travel and culture blog, Delicious Destinations which include guest writers from around the world.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub? With Internet driven social media tactics, I believe it will be difficult for any city to be a hub. The Internet is the great equalizer giving all regions the chance to participate.
4. 2 sentences about your company. - GourmetStation is a national food gifting company specializing in 3 & 4 course gourmet dinners, steak & seafood dinners, soup samples and dessert gifts. GourmetStation products also include dining certificates and monthly dinner clubs used by both consumers and businesses. I primarily focus on: B2C and B2B
5. Began in social media marketing: 2005
(Bloggy disclosure GourmetStation was one of my first social media marketing clients .. and proof that clients can be dear friends.)
Grayson Daughters - MediaConnection.tv WaySouth Media, Inc
@SpacyG
1. What does social media marketing mean to you? Social media means staying relevant and informed in very turbulent times. Without social media, there's not much I could offer clients, or show potential ones, that could possibly set me apart from the pack.
2. My favorite social media tactic is is the distribution of a video, or other original media I've created for myself or for a client, via Twitter. So easy. So fun. Such immediate feedback.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub? In the corporate arena, Atlanta's greatest challenge is getting over the tendency to do things the way they've always been done. For decades. Right now is just the crazy time to try something oh-so-bleeding edge. In an economy like this, what could it possibly hurt?!
4. 2 sentences about your company. - Grayson Daughters is the founder of WaySouth Media, Inc. - producing and promoting new media. She blogs at Mostly Media, and you can follow her on Twitter as SpaceyG. Her very latest online venture is MediaConnection.tv.
5. Began in social media marketing - I started using social media in 1995! (I think that's when I got my first dial-up/AOL account.) I started the first AOL Melrose Place chatroom on AOL, jointly with some dude from LA named J.T. Bug. I'll never forget that name, nor that first live chatroom experience. I published a southern culture webzine called WaySouth from '98-2000. I've been blogging since May of 2005, and was an early adopter of Twitter and Facebook (when it went beyond colleges).
Lya Sorano LyaSorano.com Great Southern Speakers Georgia Gardener
No Twitter – I’m too exhausted!
1. What does social media marketing mean to you? Social media marketing opens up channels of communication and potential sales that did not exist before. Opportunities pop up that twentieth century marketing did not provide.
2. My favorite social media tactic is to provoke discussions.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub?
Traffic! People sit in commuter traffic all day and are too exhausted to peep – much less care about social media.
4. 2 sentences about your company. - The Oliver/Sorano Group, Inc. provides marketing and PR support, including social media strategies, to clients in a variety of industries. I primarily focus on: B2B.
5. Began in social media marketing around 2006-07.
Melissa Galt -Today By Design Melissa Galt.com
@prosperbydesign
1. What does social media marketing mean to you? Social marketing is about the ability to connect to your target market cost effectively, frequently, and succinctly with value content. It is about using multiple channels and layering communications for ultimate effectiveness.
2. My favorite social media tactic is the variety of tools and applications available on Twitter, acebook, and LinkedIN that add fun, convenience, and facilitate the sharing of information. Strategically I am a fan of Tweetlater as it allows me maximum control of my time while still maintaining by exposure and my reach.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub? Atlanta has a golden opportunity to truly land on the map of social media, but to do so will require more leaders to step forward and claim their place. The city is home to many great entrepreneurs and creatives, yet still the value of social media is not always understood.
4. 2 sentences about your company. - I speak, consult, train and mentor small businesses who think BIG and want to harness the power of social media and new marketing taking their business to the next level, and unleashing unlimited success.
5. Began in social media marketing - I have been using social media since 2008, and have been offering to clients this year. I primarily focus on: B2B, B2C, Nonprofit, Education. I believe it is the single factor that can keep many businesses afloat in tough economic times as it provides simple, effective tools to reach targeted buyers and decision makers whether business to business or business to consumer. Social media is the cornerstone of relationship marketing and with women becoming an increasingly significant force in both consumer and business goods, new marketing as social media is considered, is essential.
Jeneane Sessum allied Jeneane.net
@jeneane
1. What does social media marketing mean to you? Social Media Marketing means reaching customers and communities on behalf of my clients using social spaces on the Internet, where people come together to do/discuss/create/laugh/complain about what interests them.
2. My favorite social media tactic is monitoring and participating in the range of social media discussions to identify what Really Urgent Community Need a client can help solve to make something better for an existing or potential customer.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub? To replace the “broadcast and sales pitch” mindset with genuine listening and understanding. To talk with not at.
4. 2 sentences about your company: Sessum Creative is an Atlanta-based marketing and public relations consultancy focused on helping clients talk with their markets using the power of social media and the Internet. Working with clients at home and internationally since 1998, we help clients with strategy, messaging, content development and media relations. I primarily focus on: B2B, B2C, Internet startups
5. Began in social media marketing - I entered social media as a blogger myself in 2001 with my personal blog allied). My first social media clients were Elimitaste Gum, Qumana, and Cox Communications. I helped these clients develop a blogging strategy and put in place processes to make sure that strategy worked. The primary goal was to use blogs as an effective way to talk to customers and build thought leadership.
Melissa Libby MelissaLibbyPR Atlanta Dish blog
@melissal
1. What does social media marketing mean to you? Social media is public relations at its best. It is old fashioned communications with new technology. You must create relationships and spend quality time with people in order to have a genuine dialogue.
2. My favorite social media tactic is Facebook status updates and photo postings.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub?Too many advertising focused minds.
4. Include 2 sentences about your company. Melissa Libby & Associates was founded in 1992 and specializes in PR and social marketing for restaurants and anything edible or quaffable. I primarily focus on: B2B.
5. Began social media marketing - I attended a social media seminar at the University of Georgia in October of 2007 and it changed my business model immediately. On the way home I spoke to a client, Fifth Group Restaurants, and the owner agreed for his restaurants to be our guinea pigs as we figured everything out. We dove in. By December 2007 I had restructured my company to accommodate the social media function and now have two full-time employees who do nothing but SM.
Amber Rhea Being Amber Rhea Georgia Podcast Network Sex 2.0 Conference
@amberlrhea - To keep us honest Amber provides us a "point counter point."
1. What does social media marketing mean to you? Honestly? Most of the time, when I hear phrases like “social media marketing,” the first assocation in my head is “obnoxious.” That might be unfair; but I guess I've just seen a lot of companies/individuals where I want to scream, “You're doing it wrong!” I don't really use social media for marketing. It's an integral part of my life. I've been doing the social media thing since before anyone used the term “social media,” and it touches all areas of my life. I don't want to get ranty but I have to say one thing I've been disappointed with in the “social media scene” (such as it is) in Atlanta is how there is so much focus on business, marketing, PR to the exclusion of anything else.
If that's not your primary focus with social media, you're really looked down upon by a lot of people; some of them can't even conceive of someone not using social media purely as a marketing tool. It's frustrating because the people who are busy building their “personal brand” and establishing themselves as “thought leaders” wouldn't be doing what they're doing if it weren't for those of us who got into blogging, etc. years ago, back when the business world as a whole scoffed at us.
Example: At SoCon07, a fellow attendee argued with me when I talked about (how) transparency and being real are important things online. He was actually very condescending and was stuck on the idea of, your life will be ruined if someone sees you doing something dumb on YouTube. But funny thing, at SoCon08, he was back, and this time he was a social media consultant.
2. My favorite social media tactic is being accountable to myself and others.
3. In 140 characters - What is Atlanta's greatest challenge in becoming a social media hub? Entrepreneurs in Atlanta need to think outside the box for real and be proactive, not reactive.
4. Include 2 sentences about your company. The Georgia Podcast Network isn't really a company, except for tax purposes! It's portal site for Georgia-based podcasts. If you live in Georgia and want to start a podcast, you can host it on the Georgia Podcast Network for free. It also includes a directory of podcasts based in Georgia that are hosted on other sites. The show Rusty and I cohost, Mostly ITP, was voted Best of Atlanta 2006 by Creative Loafing, and Best of Atlanta 2008 by Atlanta Magazine.
I primarily focus on: Life, friends, activism, work, technology, sexuality, politics, learning, thinking... and whatever else happens to strike my fancy at a particular moment.
5. Began in social media - I started my blog in April 2002 - so I recently had my 7th blogiversary. I've had a web site since 1996, though (or a "home page" as we called them back then) and have been writing about my life online since then. I wrote a little bit about my history on the internet
05/22/2009
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.
This post was inspired by Mark Story, Where Online Intersects With Offline. Mark is running a series on Mondays he's calling #blogmonday. With all the chatter about social networks and widgets and videos and podcasts and apps and tweets and gizmos (oh that's the next Big thing) the traditional blog has gotten lost in the digital maze. So I thought I'd use Friday Fun from time to time to #BringBackTheBlog by highlighting some of the great work that continues to be done in the blogosphere.
Seems only fitting that the first up should be Mark Story's post - Help Doug Haslam Ride. Blogs are wonderful social vehicles to tell from the heart stories and also to raise awareness for causes. In this post we learn about Dougn Haslam who is riding in the Pan Mass Challenge to raise money for the Jimmy Fund. Through his post Mark gives us a peak into his life as a dad and shows us some of the values that are important to him -helping others. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Twitter.
Sidebar: The Jimmy Fund is a Boston-based nonproft supporting the Dana Farber Cancer Institute that helps children and adults.
Mary Schmidt's posts on Marketing Troubleshooter always make me think. She's smart, witty and quick to the draw proving that blog posts don't always have to be long to position yourself as a thought leader. In her post The price is a surprising happiness to you Mary combines two complex marketing topics - price and email marketing .. and makes her point about both.
It has always amused me and confused me that marketers think no Believe that marketing is vastly different from business-to-business, business-to-consumer, products and services. While there are of course challenges within verticals and sectors the principles of marketing and relating to people's needs remains the same. Francois Gossieaux, Emergence Marketing, addresses that issue in his post about social media communities - B2B and B2C communities - no difference, it’s all about h2h. Francois uses his blog post to present his point of view including a few examples.
I'm going to let you in on my new secret. Shh! If you tell anyone Max might have to howl at you .. he never bites. Mommy blogs. (I'm not a mom so I don't frequently hang out in that blogosphere village though I do pop by to visit friends like Geek Mommy, Mom-101, MomInTheCity.) Remember this is #bringbacktheblog post so I'm talking blogs not necessarily "influencers" .. thought a great mom blog will often be home to a women who is sought after by marketers. Some of the best designed blogs are coming from this 'village' of the blogopshere.
My new favorite is Cool Mom Picks - a multiple author blog led by Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase. The branding is clean and consistent and the writing fun and engaging. Take a look at the side nav bars that are used not just for sponsorship ads but for value content. You'll find links to guides and internal content pages .. brilliant!
Sidebar: If you do want to know more about Moms Influencers catch the Diva Marketing Talks podcast where Liz Gumbinner and Susan Getgood join me to dish about Blogger Relations. It's a fun show with lots of great information.
05/19/2009
Pop a Cork For The New Diva Marketing Blog. Five years today - May 19, 2004 - that was the head line I wrote for the first post on Diva Marketing.
As my story goes .. I launched Diva Marketing as an experiment because my friend Dana VanDen Heuvel told me I couldn't talk about blogs in workshops I was conducting unless I was active in the space. I pretty much told Dana he was daft. I mean I can talk about any marketing strategy if I understand what it's about. Dana said blogs were different and in order to establish credibility I had to participate in this thing called a "converstation."
What did I really need with a blog .. I had a website!? However I did want to understand the logistics so I launched Diva Marketing. I quickly realized that the website with the funny name was not like any other marketing strategy I knew. Dana was right to "get it" you had to roll your sleeves up and dive in .. watching from the sidelines wasn't going to cut it.
Thanks to you .. five years later the experiment is still around. Diva Marketing turned into not only a learning playground but a labor of love and one of the first blog brands. 
Who would have thought?
Thanks to you .. for enriching my life. If anyone had told me that some of my dearest friends would live oceans and miles way in India, Europe, Australia, Canada as well as across the country from NYC to St. Louis to San Diego and just around the corner in Atlanta too .. no way Girlfriend would I have believed that one!
Thanks to you .. for impacting my personal and business life and for the opportunity to work with marketers all over the States helping them understand that the importance of blogs/social media.
Here are a few of the Looking Back Lessons that I share with you today.
11 Looking Back Lessons About Social Media Marketing
1. Opening the doors and windows to allow your employees to hear the unfiltered voices of your customers can bring unexpected insights leading to stronger brands, new products/services ideas even more responsive customer service.
2. Management's trust in their employees to represent the brand value in an authentic but respectful manner is the foundation of a social media strategy. This may mean different hiring values and more transparency in the strategic direction of the company.
3. Traveling the social media marketing road alone, without a someone who understand the culture of the "villages" where you want to engage, can do more harm than good.
4. Social media gives more than it takes if you're willing to come out from your walled garden and engage with your customers. No eating M&Ms behind the 2-way mirror .. it's a time for sharing your candy.
5. You can set house rules for blogs and social networking communities and still be "real."
6. People want to know they matter. Social media creates ways to show your customers you care about their concerns and feelings.
7. To succeed social media must be given the same respect and made accountable just as any other marketing strategy. Set strategy that includes: goals, execution expectations of your staff, measures of success.
8. Measures of success may be different from traditional marketing, especially direct response .. but it's okay to view success differently.
9. You can color outside the lines and take risks to try new ways to do it .. IF you stay true to your brand, are transparent, authentic, honest and believe in the conversations you are starting.
10. You don't have to do every thing at once. Review social media tactics with the view point of how they can support your goals. Start with your "digital home" and build out from there. For some organizations that may be Facebook, for others a blog and for some Twitter or ... you fill in the blank. What can you do within your current enterprise's culture and resources of human capital, time and money?
11. Social media puts the heart and soul into marketing.The real power behind social media is in building and nurturing relationships.
Help Me Celebrate Year Five!
There should be a way to pop a cork on a bottle of champagne when a blog turns five. There should be a special way to celebrate a milestone in the digital world. So what should we do?
Tossing this back to you. Drop your ideas in comments I have presents for the folks whose ideas we use - the soon to be released book, Ignore Everyone, by Hugh MacLeod gapingvoid and perhaps some Johnny Depp inspired brownies and 
a pink boa!
- "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun." Katharine Hepburn
05/15/2009
One important outcome of social media is the ability to listen and learn from our customers, and even our employees, through the unfiltered conversations of consumer generated media. However, there are other ways to understand our target audiences and that of course is through primary research.
Skipping around the blogosphere I found three posts that included research studies that might be of help to you: women in social media, engaging employees and marketing to African American women. I'm leaving a few virtual bread crumbs for you to follow and perhaps travel down a few new paths.
One - A must read is the BlogHer Second Annual Women and Social Media Study. Elisa Camahort, BlogHer, explains the history of the study. The research takes a close look at the habits and attitudes of heavy users - women who participate in any
social media activity at least weekly.
Participants, who were online were more likely to spend less time
engaging in traditional media activities like watching TV (30%),
listening to the radio (31%), and reading magazines (36%) or the
newspaper (39%).
A few more findings - Women are nearly twice as likely to use blogs than social networking sites as a source of information (64%), advice and recommendations (43%) and opinion-sharing (55%), while they are 50 percent more likely to turn to social networking sites as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family (75%),
Two - Continuing my virtual blog travels I found that Sybil F. Stershic at Quality Service Marketing wrote a great post based BlessingWhite’s 2008 Employee Engagement Report. We're learning that social media influences more than marketing. It's not just about the brand <-> customer relationship. Social media impacts the entire organization from who is hired to management's trust of employees. It becomes even more critical for mangers to understand how to inspire and engage their staff.
Three - Michele Miller, Wonder Branding, concentrates on marketing to women. She well understands that success is dependent on realizing that this segment is more complex than it may appear. There are niches within niches. One important segment is African American women.
Michele points us to an interesting study by Lattimer Communications that found " 86% of African-American women say that advertisers need to do a better job of understanding and marketing to them." 
Lattimer has developed six psychographic profiles.
