10/29/2007
How do you develop relationships through social media? It's a question that comes up more times than not from people who are new to social media marketing. However, telling someone who has just begun her "sm" adventure to join the conversation, comment on a post, get involved not only can sound intimidating but blog speak gibberish can be as confusing as corporate speak.
Skipping around the blogosphere I came across three wonderful posts from three favorite Divas, Valeria Maltoni, CK Kerley and Wendy Piersall. Their posts dove-tail and after commenting on Valeria's and CK's posts I thought .. hmm .. this would be a tangible example of how joining the conversation might look. Plus the posts do support each other and it's fun to bring them to your attention, if you haven't found them already.
To start .. in her post, You're Asking The Wrong Question, Valeria continued the conversation begun by Wendy about the issue that many marketers have - "How can you keep control of your brand with a blog, social media & user-generated content?" Valeria set the stage for her ideas by spinning off of what Wendy discussed and of course adding her own unique thoughts:
My slight contribution to her short answer is that you never controlled the conversation, you only thought you did because consumers did not talk back.
Valeria ended her discussion with a new question to consider -
The right question is how can I let people see as much as possible (and practical) of what's going on so they can choose for themselves?
Commenters on Valeria's post continued the discussion adding their own thoughts and ideas. Here's my addition to the thread -
Long or short ... another thoughtful post. I agree with your stance; smart marketers always knew "you never controlled the conversation, you only thought you did" .. but instead of "because consumers did not talk back" I propose that customers did talk back to companies and to each other. However, technology e.g., the internet, social media has provided our customers with many opportunities for their voices to be amplified and to be heard by more people, who in turn, add their thoughts/voices and take to the "virtual streets."
The challenge for business is not only to listen and learn but to acknowledge, take specific action and become involved in a multiple dimension exchange. The impact from social media goes beyond the importance to join the "conversation" to developing new ways of conducting business including creating internal information processes, as well as, sophisticated customer feedback mechanisms.
When I read this one sentence in CK's Taking It To The Streets post I had a bloggy light bulb moment.
In order to engage executives around social media, they need to feel comfortable.
So simple .. so elegant .. so very true .. and so often forgotten. There are steps to take Before change takes place and people feel at ease participating in a very public conversation. My comment to CK -
Thanks for sharing your time on the 'street.' I especially loved your take away - make people feel comfortable. We talk so much about listening but the step even before "hearing" is to alleviate fears so people are open to new ideas. Helping people feel comfortable (in a safe environment) is critical to making that happen. Bravo CK!
CK acknowledged what I wrote and continued our conversation on step further -
@Toby: Thanks, for sure the bravo goes to Susan Bird for being so savvy
to include us. All it takes is a comfortable conversation ;-).
Conversations online hop from one blog to another; thought adding to thought, involving more people; changing morphing ideas. Through idea exchange relationships begin to develop and grow. Rather like in the 'real world' wouldn't you say?
If you're new to the world of public, viral communication I hope you feel comfortable exchanging ideas here on Diva. Consider this a safe space to take the first steps of your travels to an exciting adventure.
10/22/2007
Happy Monday. How about a little guessing game to jump start your week? (Take a sip of your coffee and stay with me on this one.)
Q: What is one common denominator of a successful blog?
A: I say passion. Without passion about the topic it's difficult to sustain these hungry critters with content. (Yes, there is also honesty, transparency, authenticity and more but stay with me on this one.)
Q: What is one benefit that you can derive from a blog written from a passionate point of view?
A: I say viral word of mouth buzz. (Yes, there is also relationship building, brand awareness, SEO lift and more but take another sip of your coffee and stay with me on this one.)
Mary Hunt, In Women We Trust, has a BIG vision that combines passion, social media buzz and women. She is working very hard to not only change the lives of families around the world but positively impact the bottom-line of business at the same time. She's not in this game alone. Among the key players who share Mary's goals is Lee Scott, President and CEO of Wal-Mart. He's putting the significant force of the largest retailer in the world into play to make this dream a reality.
"It's viral in nature and company programs are usually not viral."
Doug McMillian President and CEO, Sam's Club
Q: What "drops to the bottom-line, makes you feel good, improves quality of life?" Quote from Lee Scott
A: Sustainability
The company you either love or love to hate might have found a way to win the hearts of many with its commitment to the environment. Earlier this month Wal-Mart invited its Big Brand vendors and some consultants and a few bloggers to its Live Better Sustainability Summit. Lee Scott explained what the company has done (launched initiative in 2004), what the current outcomes have been (10 $Billion saved in the last 2-years from packaging efficiencies) what the future holds not only for the Wal-Mart but for its vendors (20% of items influenced by Live Better innovation in 2008).
Lee Scott and Mary Hunt both believe that it is through business via consumers, not government, that will result in changing the way we live. Not only our personal life styles but our business life styles as well.
" .. the leadership isn't going to come from the White House. Ever. At
best, Washington can enhance what is already in motion. The answer lies
in Time Magazine's Person of the Year - YOU, and another big organism
of YOUs - Wal Mart and the 62,000 YOUs in their supplier base." - Mary Hunt
While Lee Scott is leveraging the power of retail economics Mary Hunt is leveraging the economic power of the women online through social media. "Why women?" you may ask. Research indicates that women hold the purse strings when it comes to consumer buying decisions. It just makes good sense to follow the money. These stats were taken from the Women's Congress site.
FACT: Women influence 95% and make 85% of all consumer buying decisions.*
FACT: By the year 2010, women will control 60% of wealth in the U.S.*
FACT: Women-owned firms are growing at nearly twice the rate as firms as a whole.*
FACT: America's 9.1 million woman-owned businesses employ 27.5 million people and contribute $3.6 trillion to the economy. **
FACT: Female entrepreneurs account for 70% of new business start-ups.*
FACT: Women comprise 46% of purchasing managers and 58% of wholesale and retail buyers.***
*Center for Women's Business Research
**U.S. Small Business Administration
***U.S. Department of Labor
Mary is building alliances with many bloggers and online communities including the influential Big Green Purse which has challenged women to be One In A Million where if a million women intentionally shift at least $1000 of their existing
budget to environmentally-friendly products, we can have a noticeable
ONE BILLION DOLLAR IMPACT in the marketplace.
Denise Wakeman, Next Level Biz Tips, offers some ideas on how to reach your $1000 goal. Her suggestions range from buying recycled paper products for your business to supporting environmentally friendly vendors. Her post is an example of the buzz that is building through blogs (count this post too).
So .. through social media, by impacting businesses' bottom-line, can women change the world? Mary Hunt thinks so. What are your thoughts? Of course, men are always welcome to participate too.
Read More. Learn More:
In Women We Trust Interview with Coral Rose
Cool It Moms Be sure to read the Open Letter To The World Leaders
Yvonne DiVita Lip-Sticking
Funny Business Elana Centor on BlogHer
A World of Difference - The Trendsight Group
Sustainable Buzz
Power Image Green Brand Study 2007
When asked what their perceptions were of green brands, respondents said they are often seen as better quality, though at a higher cost. This perception of green equating premium is one that makes good business sense for anyone considering entering the space.
Top 10 Green Brands From Power Image Green Brand Study 2007
1. Whole Foods
2. Wild Oats
3. Trader Joe’s
4. Toyota
5. Honda
6. Sub Zero
7. Ikea
8. Body Shop
9. GE
10. Aveda
10/21/2007
Several people have asked me where to find workshops/conferences on blogs/social media. If you have extra budget money for 2007 that is burning a hole in your pocket or are planning Q1 2008 and need a few ideas take a look. Please add to the list.
20007
October
Houston - October 25 - DFW Interactive Marketing Association HiMA: Interactive Strategies '07
Boston - October 26-28 - Podcamp Boston
Chicago - October 26 - AMA Hot Topic Beyond Marketing 2.0: Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Marketing Campaign Results*
November
Austin - November 6 - Social Media Club
Las Vegas - November 7 - 9 - BlogWorld*
Las Vegs - November 8-9 GodblogCon
Las Vegas - November 9 - AMA Hot Topic Beyond Marketing 2.0: Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Marketing Campaign Results*
Atlanta - November 13 - Atlanta Social Media Mixer - hosted by David Berkowitz (See Facebook Event) All welcome! Venue: TBD. Time: 6p -9p*
Las Vegas - November 14 -15 WOMMA
December
Washington DC - December 3-6 - Social Media For Government
Boston - December 5 -6 Society For New Communications Research
2008
January
Miami- January 11- AMA Hot Topic Beyond Marketing 2.0: Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Marketing Campaign Results*
Miami - January 24-25 - The Woman's Congress*
Miami - January 31 - February 1 - Social Media Conference
February
San Diego - February 22 - AMA Hot Topic Beyond Marketing 2.0: Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Marketing Campaign Results*
March
March 28th -Chicago - AMA Hot Topic Beyond Marketing 2.0: Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Marketing Campaign Results*
March 31-April 3 - Seattle - International Conference on Weblogs and Social Media
Update: Speaking at a conference and need a topic? Chris Brogan has 100 suggestions! Also a great list to use if your creativity goes on the slump for blog post topics.
Sidebar: Shameless plug the * are where you can find me.
Note to Ina: Got your message but you left a wrong phone number. Please try again.
10/19/2007
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.
When you hear the words YouTube what comes to mind? A directory of fun, silly, inane, insane, controversial, political videos? Put on your marketing hat and YouTube morphs into an interesting distribution channel to extend awareness of your brand. From a marketing perspective YouTube is quite cool and offers multiple Free benefits:
- Serves your video
- Extends reach through easy to use links and codes that even technology challenged me can insert
- Provides statistics on page views
- Provides statistics and links on websites that link to your video
- Comments turn YouTube into social networking
- Voting and favorites provide the "power of crowd" recommendations
- Creating a channel allows you to provide information about your organization or the brand. It also creates a Go To Space where you can store all of your videos.
As an experiment in March (Everyone Needs A Best Friend post) I uploaded a cute, (Girlfriend it is too cute!)video of Max. With a few emails to some friends this wee video today has 5 links, 4746 views, 7 comments to a question I asked, 6 favorites and 15 stars averaging a 4-star rating. I'm not sure what it means expect that people are somehow finding it and taking the time to watch.
My friends at Spunlogic, 
an Atlanta interactive agency, took their YouTube experience several steps further than the Maxie's best friend video. They invited YouTube celeb Kevin Nalty, or Nalts as he is know to his hundreds of thousands of fans, into their offices to film a spoof with some of their staff.
What did the staff think when they found out they were part of a practical joke and how did Spunlogic pull it off? What were the end results .. from a marketing perspective? Inquiring minds wanted to know. Stephanie Critchfield, Director of Marketing, kindly agreed to tell me the back-story of .. drum beat please .. Spunlogic's Drunk Interviews. First a few stats as of 10-19-07.
Views: 25,956
Ratings: 449 averaging 4 star rating
Favorite: 47 times
Text Comments: 236
Video Responses: 7
Links: 5
Sidebar: The video is included on Nalts channel which gives it a big lift in the view department. Although "about this video" links to Spunlogic, if YouTube allows for duplicate downloads of the same video Spunlogic should consider adding the video to their own channel.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Was the goal to film the interviews and make into a video for YouTube? Did you have any marketing objectives in filming and putting up on YouTube?
Stephanie Critchfield: We invited Nalts – an honest to goodness YouTube celebrity - to come and speak at a “lunch and learn” to a group of clients and prospects on the topic of viral video. Seeing so much success from everyday people on YouTube, it’s a medium that many brands are becoming interested in.
As a consumer marketing manager for a Fortune 100 company by day, Nalts was able to offer this group a very interesting perspective. We knew during his visit that we wanted to record a video, but we weren’t sure exactly what we were going to do. The only thing we knew with certainty was that Nalts would be editing the piece and placing it on YouTube and other online video sites.
After the lunch and learn, a group of Spunlogic employees sat with Nalts and toyed with some ideas. Nalts favors unscripted videos, not only because they are quick, but also because the reactions are more authentic.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Who are the Spunlogic employees in the video and their titles?
Stephanie Critchfield: The Spunlogic employees in the video are:
Melissa Read, Ph.D. / Director of Behavioral Research, Tomer Tishgarten / Director of Development, Scott Councill / Developer, Eric Hammond / Senior Project Manager
Toby/Diva Marketing: How did you set it up? Who did your staff think Nalts was and why was he at Spunlogic?
Stephanie Critchfield: The idea to prank our employees was very spur-of-the-moment, coming to fruition in a matter of only 2 hours. Since all of Spunlogic’s meeting rooms were booked, we set up in the only available, private space, a vacant office where Nalts carefully hid the camera on the desk underneath a stack of papers.
The plan was for Jeff to ask each Spunlogic employee to come in a meet with a prospective candidate or a prospective client, depending on the “victim.” Jeff Hilimire, the agency’s president, would tell each person that Nalts was a friend of his named Jack, who had a few too many drinks while attending the lunch and learn. No employee was aware it was a prank, they truly believed they were either interviewing a candidate, or meeting briefly with a prospective client.
Also present as a participant in each meeting was Ryan Tuttle, Spunlogic’s VP of Operations – who was in on the joke. Each person spent 5 minutes or less with Nalts /Jack, and after each person came out Jeff would set up the next person.
Toby/Diva Marketing: What was the reaction of the staff pre "know it was it hoax?"
Stephanie Critchfield: Each Spunlogic employee believed they were in a legitimate meeting. As you might expect, reactions were interesting to a drunk interviewee who falls out of his chair, snort-laughs uncontrollably, falls asleep, and nips from a bottle of booze.
Our Director of Behavioral Research, Dr. Melissa Read was able to impeccably maintain her composure. She knew he was “Nalts” and that he had just presented, so Jeff set him up to speak with her as a potential client from the “consumer marketing” piece of his life. Because Nalts didn’t act “drunk” with her, she later told me that she wasn’t certain if he was narcoleptic, but that the way he fell asleep after just being on a “high” from his presentation was consistent with narcolepsy. So, when he woke back up, she wanted to be careful not to call attention to it and embarrass him.
The woman is a consistent display of professionalism and tact. In fact, every Spunlogic employee was a model of composure during such an unusual event. I still wonder what many of them were thinking. One of my personal favorites was Scott’s reaction when Nalts fell asleep, he just stopped talking, crossed his arms and looked at Ryan with a mix of surprise and exasperation.
Toby/Diva Marketing: How did you break it to the staff that it was a prank?
Stephanie Critchfield: Nalts told each Spunlogic employee after their “meeting.” You can see the outtakes where he actually begs Dr. Read to let him use the video. He told me later that with some of them they were so surprised he wasn’t sure they knew what he was telling them. He even said the next time he pulls a prank that he might have to say “You’re on Candid Camera!” since that’s the universal language for “you’ve just been tricked.”
Toby/Diva Marketing: Sounds like it could be a new series - "Your On YouTube Now!" What was the reaction after employees knew it was a joke?
Stephanie Critchfield: In the days after the prank, when they were able to see the edited video (we allowed them to see it and give us the final ok before it went live), the reaction was very positive. They all thought it was funny, many of them asked to get the link to they could send it to their friends and family.
We don’t take ourselves to seriously around here, so each person was a very good sport. While undoubtedly out of character to be pranked in a meeting, it’s not unusual for us to play around in the office. For, example, we’ve also held a staged arm wrestling competition, which can also be seen on YouTube.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Spunlogic is def a fun place to work! What has been the reaction of putting the video on YouTube?
Stephanie Critchfield: Nalts placed the video on YouTube, Revver, MySpace and other sites. The reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. We even emailed our attendees form the lunch and learn to let them know about the prank and included a link to the video in our quarterly newsletter.
There have been well over 21,000 visits, 230+ comments, and over 425 ratings. The average rating for this video is a 4 out of 5. Some of the comments include “lol! 5 stars!!!”, “thank you for the laugh Nalts!”, “LOL i wonder what the employees said to thier boss after THAt interview! LOL”, “snort snort. funny when you hit your head.”
Be sure to read about what Kevin had to say from his visit with our agency. And the outtakes are great fun too!
10/17/2007
Memo
To: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport (and many other airports)
From: A Frequent Customer
Date: October 17, 2007
Subject: Customer Service
Please take a lesson from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport: friendly volunteers greet customers entering the main concourse area, interesting shops and great fast food burritos. However, the very best is "For your convenience, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport proudly provides Wireless Access to the Intern, without charge."
In fact, the airport has a customer service policy that puts customers first with a vision to create "Americans friendliest airport."
At Sky Harbor, customer service is second only to security. Ensuring a positive experience for all who visit and/or interact with the Airport in any way is a top priority for all aviation staff.
Now if they would add some social media .. would be very cool!
Off to find that burrito before I take to the friendly skies!
10/15/2007
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to the members of the Lehigh Valley (PA) Convention and Visitors Bureau about one of my favorite topics .. social media marketing. What a beautiful part of the country! Next time the Crayola Factory is on my to see list along with a visit to the vineyards. Yes, girlfriend, there are vineyards a short drive from Philly.
The CVB is stepping into the world of social media and Web 2.0 with RSS, podcasts including a walking tour and a soon to launch blog. We discussed putting their wonderful photos of the area on Flickr as well as live blogging events.
Present a new idea to a group of people .. you never really know who might get it and take it steps further. Or who may think you are totally daft. When reporter, Jeanne Bonner, Of The Morning Call, talked with one of the workshop participants, Dave Fooks she discovered that he had a bloggy light bulb moment. David is responsible for the Kutztown Festival, an event that celebrates Pennsylvania Dutch folklife.
After the session Dave did a bit of search hunting and found, much to his surprise, that there were many people talking about the festival. He "got" that there is an untapped opportunity to build community with people who are passionate about the festival. Way to go Dave! I'm thinking that this quote from Dave would make a great bumper sticker (smile).
This blog thing
My God! It's incredible! - Dave Fooks
Jeanne also spoke with Randall Forte, of the Lehigh Valley Arts Council, who was concerned what to do if he received a negative comment about a local arts event that he had blog about but that he did not produce. Good question. I dropped this comment -
In addition to increased SEO lift, customer service support and viral word of mouth, through a deeper understanding of the people who make up the heart of the brand .. employees and customers .. relationships are frequently build that influence purchase behavior e.g., sales.
In response to Randall Forte's concern about negative comments, it is never comfortable hearing that a customer is unhappy with your product. However, positively critical feedback should be considered a 'gift' from a customer who has taken the time to express an opinion that many others may have as well.
In Randall's example, the producer of the event would surely want to know about that comment; I would encourage the producer to respond to the comment .. to tell his/her side of the story. Next I would encourage the producer to launch a blog to carry on the conversation on his/her home turf. For as Dave Fooks learned, people are talking about your organization .. even if you are not part of the conversation.
Special thanks to the Bureau's president Michael Stershic and to Tracey Werner, Director of Public Relations for their warm hospitality. Also to my BBF Sybil Stershic who set the wheels in motion.
Toss of a pink boa to all of the great people who were open and interested to learn about a new way to conduct marketing and business. It is indeed the Age of Conversation!
10/11/2007
A heads up from David Armano - Critical Mass has a coool live web-cam , along with a live chat, pointing to the Forrester's Consumer Forum 2007. (October 11-12 9a -5p)
Im finding the audio a little hard to understand but it could be my computer. Sure gives a new meaning to live blogging!
10/09/2007
Diva Marketing Talks is a live, internet radio show. 30-minutes. 2-guests. 1-topic about social media marketing. Why? To help organizations 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 about how Astroturfing, false grass root campaigns, are impacting social media marketing. With Shel Israel and Geoff Livingston as guest rock stars it is sure to be a lively conversation you won't want to miss.
Topic for October 9, 2007: Astroturfing - Grass-root Sleaze
Guests:
Shel Israel, author of Naked Conversations; Global Neighbourhoods (Blog)
Geoff Livingston, author of Now Is Gone; The Biz Buzz (Blog)
Time: 6:30p - 7p Eastern/ 5:30p - 6p Central/ 4:30p -5p Mountain/ 3:30p - 4p Pacific
Call-in Guest Number: 718.508.9924
Shel Israel
Shel consults and speaks on social media and business-related issues. He also serves as a
senior advisor to several social media start ups.
Some of his clients have included Scrapblog, Ustream, Roam4Free, CNET,
Riya, Sun Microsystems, Creative Labs, and the original teams behind
Filemaker, PowerPoint, Mapinfo, Virtual Vineyards and over 100 other
companies
In addition, Shel is a senior advisor to both the Society for New Media Research and the
Social Media Club. He is on the board of directors for YourTrumanShow
a video blogging site. Shel's Wikipedia page.
He is the co-author, with Robert Scoble, of "Naked Conversations--how blogs
are changing the way businesses talk with customers."
Geoff Livingston
Geoff has worked as a marketing strategist in the Washington, DC region for 14 years. He creates marketing strategy, media relations, branding and Internet marketing campaigns for public and private organizations. Some of his experiences include work for AT&T, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bartleby Books, BEA Systems, Hughes Network Systems, ManTech, the Washington Nationals, Intelsat, Verizon Wireless and many others.
His book Now Is Gone: A Primer on New Media for Executives and Entrepreneurs will be released by Bartleby Press on November 12.
Tips From The Diva Bag
Complements of Geoff Livingston
- The desire to appeal to buyers plus an older mass communications ethos creates a logic that astroturfing is OK. It’s not.
- Open disclosure is always the best policy. By telling people it’s a
fake blog, or an -assisted CEO blog from the get-go, you are providing
them the context they need to decide whether to participate. They may
actually find it valuable – a la the Fake Steve Jobs blog. And if they
don’t, it’s because the effort doesn’t address the community’s actual
needs.
- Your content, creativity and value must stand on its own. If an
entity feels compelled to be dishonest about its communications effort
in order to make it successful, then it needs to go back to the drawing
board. Why? Your product or marketing campaign simply isn’t good
enough.
Read More:
Geoff's post Astroturfing On The Dark Side of The Moon
Shel Holtz - Will We Never Learn?
Diva Marketing - Ford Creates A Fake Marketing Research Firm For Marketing Campaign
Can't call in but have a question for Shel or Geoff ? Drop a
comment and I'll ask it for you. Let me know what you'd like Diva Talks to chat
about. Diva Marketing Talks morphs into a podcast.
10/05/2007
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.
How do you develop relationships through social media? It's a question that comes up more times than not from people who are new to social media marketing. However, telling someone who has just begun her "sm" adventure to join the conversation, comment on a post, get involved not only can sound intimidating but blog speak gibberish can be as confusing as corporate speak. 
