Social Media Marketing GSP: A Tweet-book

Social Media Marketing GPS - Chapter 7 Social Media & Branding Interview With Dana VanDen Heuvel

The big Q: "What makes a brand "social media smart"? - How hard can that be? Who is "social media smart?" #smgps

Social media smart is 'social media approachable' according to @y2vonne. Approachability is born from confidence. #smgps

Confident, self-assured and differentiated brands are *capable* of being social media smart. Weak brands have no chance. #smgps

Social media smart brands practice 'altruism before capitalism'. Help, engage, deliver value and then profit... #smgps

Smart brands integrate social media into their 'service' , regardless of what they sell. Not doing so is a dis-service to customers. #smgps

Brands need to realize that their employees (all of them) are part of the social media equation. Empower and enable them. #smgps

Smart brands have sorted out the "3 R's - Risks, Resources & Rewards" of social media - http://is.gd/sCYz  - #smgps

Twitter is a perfect example of people's comfort with the "BETA" economy - smart brands always work in "BETA" re: social media... #smgps

Brands see social media with "Faith" or "Fear" "Faithful" brands, that trust in their customers, are successful. Fear has no place #smgps

This recent Domino's Pizza response on YouTube is a smart way to engage through social media: http://tinyurl.com/crtq3k #smgps

Finally, social media smart brands will lead the charge for equal engagement - like SMBs did with Yelp: http://is.gd/sFPn  #smgps

More From Dana VanDen Heuvel  @danavan Dana Vanden Heuvel

Social Media Marketing GPS - Chapter 7 Social Media & Branding Interview With Beth Harte

My upcoming tweets are part of @tobydiva’s new book about social media written via Twitter. This is Chapter 7 Social Media & Branding 1 #smgps

What makes a brand social media smart? They are listening to and engaging with their customers daily. Sounds simple, right? 2 #smgps

It’s a challenge for a lot of companies to recognize that their brand equity balance lies in the hands of their customers. 3 #smgps

By brand equity balance, I mean that customers can rather quickly affect established a company’s perceived brand equity via SM. 4 #smgps

For example, a company may have a perception that their brand equity is positive, but in reality it might be neutral or neg online. 5 #smgps

Brands that are SM smart, tune into rating scales, conversations, etc & aren’t afraid to engage when something is negative. 6 #smgps

Here are some examples of companies that are brand social media smart: http://is.gd/2aC8 [From @PeterKim]. 7 #smgps

Brand equity takes a lot of time to build & companies had the ability to quietly address (or not) customer feedback & challenges 8 #smgps

The days of companies to quietly handle customer feedback (+ or -) is coming to an end. Customers now have a voice & they use it. 9 #smgps

And when customers use their voice, they want to make sure someone is listening…even if it’s that guy/gal at the next computer. 10 #smgps

Customers with a voice affect brand loyalty too...and brand loyalty affects revenues. Social media smart brands accept this. 11 #smgps

SM smart brands know that if a customer is having a neutral or negative brand experience, they could be swayed by online comments 12 #smgps

Social media smart brands listen, engage & address any online comments/conversations that could affect the brand loyalty of others 13 #smgps

As marketers, in the era of SM, we need to accept that the only brand mgmt in our control is the name, logo and brand colors. 14 #smgps

Companies need to accept that they no longer control the brand equity or loyalty. And they need to embrace those who do: Customers.15 #smgps

Smart SM brands understand that customers have an “emotional aftertaste” after engaging their brand [EA term courtesy of @ZeFrank] 16 #smgps

Smart SM brands go where the conversations are being had and participate there. They don’t make customers come to them. 17 #smgps

Smart SM brands know that there’s a tendency to ignore interruptive/one-way push marketing (no matter how large their budgets are) 18 #smgps

Smart social media brands know that they will make mistakes and they work with brand evangelists to get it right. 19 #smgps

And finally, smart social media brands know that it’s still business & that they need a plan of action, staff & budget to continually engage in social media. 20 #smgps

More From Beth Harte @BethHarte The Harte of Marketing

Social Media Marketing GPS - Chapter 7 Social Media & Branding

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING GPS - CHAPTER 7 Social Media & Branding -A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. Jeff Bezos 1 #smgps

Company responsibility is to ensure brand values/benefits can be delivered for the product & w/in all customer touch points. 2 #smgps

No matter how diligently marketers work to create a brand it is defined by the customer’s perspective. This always was and will be. 3 #smgps

In the open channels of conversation customers express their ideas, concerns. Marketer's challenge is to not llisten but "hear." 4 #smgps

Understanding leads to trust between customers & people in orgs who are the heart of the brand. SM helps validate brand values. 5 #smgps

Social media offers unique opportunities for customers and companies to share in the creation of a brand by working together. 6 #smgps

SM pulls away the Wizard of Oz curtain to reveal true brand values/benefits and honest customer expectations. Relationships Rule. 7 #smgps

SM demands the authentic brand be woven into the fabric of the all tactics (see chapter 6). This is not the same as “messaging.” 8 #smgps

One way to achieve that is thru sharing stories. SM offers an environment where you can tell your stories using your own voice. 9 #smgps

More compelling than just facts, storytelling creates emotional bonds. R. Jensen .. stories “capture the heart not just the mind.” 10 #smgps

SM strengths: builds & nurture relationships where customers feel connected with the brand because they’ve helped create it. 11 #smgps

Question: What makes a brand "social media smart?" Interviews with Dana VanDen Heuvel @danavan & Beth Harte @bethharte 12 #smgps