How is Social Media Changing Marketing?
By Matt Borchardt | July 19, 2010
Where is social media taking the world to? As the universe of social media continues to gain influence amongst the populace in this age of uncharted technical revolution, the question as to how the dynamics of real time communication are affecting our lives is only understood in a very limited sense due to the small window of context. As our natural social need for interaction begins to spill into the digital realm, some interesting effects have begun to transpire whether intended or unintended, positive or negative.
The raw profusion and abundance of consumer data available as a result of the unbridled growth and usage of Social Media (SM) networks by people all around the world has instigated opportunities in the world of business and marketing that were almost unimagined by many of previous generations. Who would have thought fifteen years ago that “Google” or “YouTube” would be such a widely used verb?
The true beauty of social media is that the basic mechanism required for it to function is the inherent desire for its users to be social, something that anthropologists for years have asserted as a condition innate to all of us. As neuroscientists have told the field of so called “right brain” marketing, this type of communication (especially from a marketing sense) engages consumers at their emotional core.
We as humans want to interact, we want to tell stories, we want to have information available on command– this is partly why the SM movement has been as successful as it has been. SM offers both companies and consumers a mode of communication that is far more interesting, engaging, and relevant than most conventional marketing methods.
The major benefit of effective SM use (among many) is that it allows a company to grasp at what their core customers are thinking about as they think it (hence the term “real-time” technology).
Why is social media valuable? How can it be used to better understand and engage your customers?
SM not only offers companies open opportunities to collect data regarding their target market, it also gives them the power to communicate with that market directly, actively position their online brand, and to gain a large community of followers that are actually interested in hearing about their products or services.
Good corporate SM use is akin to good online PR with one distinguishing point – SM not only allows companies the opportunity to position and present who they are, it lets them get immediate feedback, adapt, and reposition without skipping a beat.
Yves Behar, an industrial designer at Fuse Projects recently said “Advertising is the price companies pay for being un-original.” Social media is an incredibly cheap way for even the smallest companies to gain brand enthusiasts and evangelists. Not only that, you can generate a laser focus on your key demographics and speak freely with them at a more interesting & relational level.
If you are a business owner and haven’t asked yourself “How do I get more people to pay attention to my company on the internet?” then it might be worth your while to get engaged and see what it can do for you.
Feel free to comment or add your own thoughts below–
Topics: Social Media | No Comments »
365 days @SMCpros
By Adam Maikkula | July 13, 2010
It has been a very eventful and educational year at SMCpros. Tim, Tyler, and I launched SMCpros a year ago this week with the vague premise that we could ‘help people understand and use social media’ (however that would pan out). True, it was a very simple vision at that time (and probably sounds a little naive to outsiders and traditional business minds), but how the heck else could you approach such a thing as social media? At the rate at which things change in this industry, you really have to just play it by ear and be confident enough in your abilities to adapt, multi-task, fix, jerry-rig, bend, break, scrap, sketch, wait, ignore, test, exclude, A/B test, and extinguish fires with an ounce of charisma and a pound of foresight. Remembering that we have no control over the development, execution, and support of third party platforms and applications allows us to maintain our sanity in a world of what seems like quarterly planned obsolescence…Not to mention that most web 2.0 products lack the same partner services that other IT and Enterprise IT companies provide to organizations interfacing between consumers and their products.
When the three of us came together to start a company, we each had very diverse backgrounds and interests that all hovered around a common interest in the web 2.0 space. I think what has really allowed us to differentiate ourselves is that we came to the table with no pre-conceived notions of what a social media company “should” look like…We simply started with one client, then two, then three, and so on — continually growing along the way. Each new project challenged us to figure out how to effectively ‘nail jell-o to the wall’ long enough to explain, educate, and train clients how to start at step 7 rather than square 1 (considering the rate at which an already overwhelming industry changes directions).
The ultimate question that we had to solve was how to remain relevant while not watering down social media so much so that clients wrote it off as a trend, but still maintain a level of technicality that would ensure that the market would respect the importance it needed to place on making social related decisions. (LOL) If you can effectively learn, experiment, problem solve, analyze your ‘in hind-sight discoveries’, and simultaneously teach others how to do it along the way, then a career in social media is right up your alley. It’s kind of like asking an artist to analyze the affect their art will have on viewers as he/she creates it on the fly.
There have been a few realities that exposed themselves over the last year. 1) There will always be an aspect of experimentation involved in any social initiative. Social media is social because it involves people. People are very social and people are very complex; making it a double whammy. Regularly, you are trying to shoehorn solutions together based on limited information and changing features/capabilities of said platforms and tools. In the planning process, a feature is appealing, but by the time execution time arrives, the technology slightly changes and the critical aspect of the tool which had persuaded you to move no longer functions with the breadth you’d become enchanted with. Rather than scrap the entire project, you scramble to figure out the ripple effects of the changes, adapt your game plans, and move forward aware that more changes will arrive in the execution process – (read: expect the unexpected).
Over the past year, a few common questions have remained at the forefront. I for one have learned that you truly have to do different to be different. It all starts with your actions. All too often, people tell us that they ‘do not want to touch it’ and would rather have somebody else deal with all of their social media. But, this is missing the point. That’s like saying you would rather have somebody else exercise on your behalf for your benefit (Well, duh. Who wouldn’t?). As ideal as that would be, it just is not physically possible. You have to get in there and do it yourself to be most effective. Fortunately, just like exercising, you do not have to be the most knowledgeable, motivated, or experienced person in the gym as you can always rely on others to motivate, educate, and guide your exercise routines. It is those people who provide the training, coaching, and guidance over time to keep you on track.
As social media continues to grow, there will be a learning curve as late adopters try to hop onto the scene. From a cultural studies perspective, the thing that fascinates me is that social media will just be an innate form of communication for future generations (just like past generations stepped right into telephones and AIM). In the interim, questions will continue to arise, tools will continue to evolve, and problems solved.
Thank you to everybody who has helped us along the way. What started as helping people understand and use social media has grown into strategic development, implementation, advertising, training, monitoring, reporting, and many more services.
Who knows what day 730 will look like? Thanks for reading!
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Is Google Really Making a Facebook Killer?
By Joel Feder | July 2, 2010
I have read the articles and heard the talks revolving around the upcoming “Facebook Killer” from Google. I will say one thing, many have noted that Google now realizes that Buzz was not enough. Yea, I would say that is a contender for understatement of the year.
Back to the point at hand, is Google really making a platform to go head to head with Facebook? I would not put it past them. Yes, I said it, I would assume Google is making something that will contend with Facebook. I don’t believe however, that it will dethrone Facebook, the main reason being Facebook has a foothold in the market. They are also constantly evolving and adding new features. The fact is, Facebook is the center of social networking. Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, the list goes on, they all play a role but Facebook is full featured. It is dynamic in nature.
The bottom line is simple; I do believe Google is creating something. I do not believe it will kill Facebook or even overthrow it. Competition brings innovation. If anything, Google making an attempt to really compete with Facebook will likely bring new and cool innovative features to the market.
What’s your take on this?
Topics: Social Media | No Comments »
The week that was: Vuvuzela edition
By Mitchell Hislop | June 18, 2010
Here is your roundup of all the top stories for the last week. Now, I have to get that buzzing out of my ears:
Facebook:
The first Facebook story is actually from today. Reuters announced that it looks like Facebook did $800MM last year in revenue, and had profits in the tens of millions of dollars. Considering that most of their revenue comes from ads, that means that they served something like 700MM ads last year, or about 2 million per day.
This is big news, because it is not only proof that these online networks can make money, it also shows that Facebook should be around for a while, which is good news for any marketers looking at running a campaign on it. (source)
Also in Facebook news, they finally decided to allow the creator of a page to be removed as an admin. This means that now, agencies can make the page and hand it off, rather than jump through all the current hoops that one has to. (source)
Twitter:
One of the biggest stories of the week was the trouble that twitter has been having recently. The uptime has been really poor as of late, and Twitter knows it. It is due to things like engineering changes, the World Cup, and the NBA Finals. They are working on it, and they fully admit that it is their fault. Look for it to be better in the middle of July, and even better beginning in August, when they change the way that 3rd parties authenticate with Twitter. (source)
Also, their new ads started rolling out. They show up in the “Trends” Section, and are distinguished from the rest with a little “Promoted” tag. The first one was for Toy Story 3 (source)
Other:
In the other news of the week, Wordpress released WP3.0, the latest milestone release for the popular blogging software. Included in this release are over 1200 bugfixes, a new menu system, and the merging of the multi-blog and single-blog branches. It is also a recommended update for all users. (source)
Finally, it looks like Amazon has patented social networking. No one really knows whats going on here, but it is a fun patent to read. (source)
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Taking on a Social Media intern
By Tyler Olson | June 11, 2010
People frequently tell me they plan on taking on an intern to manage their social media. An inner part of me cringes every time I hear this because I know I have failed to explain the importance and power of social media to them in a way they can understand.
Yes, I am a biased opinion. I am convinced though that social media is one of the most effective ways of reaching a large audience. Additionally, social media represents a new twist in Marketing… everything said on social media is permanently archived forever in an easy to search manner. Talk about what a PR nightmare it could turn into! Every piece of content said is permanently attached to your brand image.
When I hear people say they are excited that they found an unpaid intern or low-paid intern to manage their social media and help them get into the 21st century, I know it is already too late to educate them on the dangers this provides their business. The primary question I wish I had the opportunity to ask them point-blank one month prior:
When you think about your company brand that you’ve worked so hard to establish, how do you want to continue it? In a concentrated professional manner, or in a haphazard way that might occur with a low paid (or free) intern who might leave you in a few weeks. Most companies say they want consistency of message and of delivery. They want to be confident that the words that go out about their company are well-thought out. Because social media is quite new to a lot of companies, many don’t know that there is no “undo button” in social media?
How much do YOU want to risk? With SMCPros you can be confident every move is planned and focused on making you look good to your customers and prospects. Our methods are tried and proven successful. We are way past guessing what works. So I ask again: How much do you want to risk?
Having said this, please, be careful.
Topics: Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Twitter | No Comments »
Got an itch with LinkedIn?
By Sarah Shehata | June 11, 2010
Many of our clients have yet to explore LinkedIn and understand it to its fullest potential. Many of you ask yourself the same questions, without finding accurate answers for them. I have put together some FAQs that will help answer some of your questions.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of InMails I can send out?
A: In order to send InMails, you need to upgrade your account. There are 3 different packages which have different features that you can upgrade for. Of course, it’s directly proportional to the amount you want to spend. InMails start from 3 per month and go up to 50.
Another alternative would be to purchase InMails without upgrading. InMails are for $10.00 each and you may purchase up to 10 at a given time.
Q: Is there a certain number of Open Introductions I can have at a time?
A: You may have up to 5 introductions open at any one time. If your introductions run out, you can either wait for the recipient to take action or upgrade your account.
Q: How many connection requests can I have opened?
A: There is not a limit to how many people you are connected to, however, rumor does have it that you are allowed up to 3,000 invites to connect with others. Each time you are prompted to invite someone from your own personal e-mail and they do not join, you have, in essence, wasted a contact.
Q: When I want to add someone to my network and click on I don’t know this person, what happens?
A: LinkedIn will not allow you to send out the invitation. A warning pop up appears telling you that you are not allowed.
Recipients can indicate that they don’t know you. If they do, you’ll be asked to enter an email address with each future invitation.
Q: Can I search a group for a specific member without going through entire list?
A: Yes, there is a search bar available within the group under the ‘more’ tab.
Q: Can I see the groups my connections are on?
A: Yes, if you go into their profile, it is displayed towards the bottom of the page. It does not however show common groups you share.
Do you have more questions? Or have answers? Share!
Topics: LinkedIn, Social Media | No Comments »
Maikkula back on the scene!
By Adam Maikkula | June 11, 2010
Having taken a break from blogging, I am flooded with all of the cool things I could possibly write about. Everything from f8, Chirp, Google I/O, Facebook Privacy issues, “Pants On The Ground”, and the new Ford Explorer Fan Page campaign all come to mind. Considering all these more well-known items, I think I’m going to point out some of the less popular social media insights I’ve gained this spring; each cool nonetheless!
Did you know that you have to be a partner of YouTube to get a custom background? It’s true. Did you know such partnership entails spending at least $10,000 in advertising dollars or having a bajillion (yes) video views (read: be a video superstar). Want that custom background? Spend some money or go viral…
Did you know that you can hyper-target Facebook advertisements to people who work at specific companies? Yes, you can do that! Imagine wanting to advertise your product to everybody working at a major retailer to 1) get exposure and possible customers and 2) attract a following at said retailer with the hopes that they contact you to carry your product in their store(s)..! Yes, it’s plausible – and fairly inexpensive (if you do it right).
Were you aware of the ability to have a customized landing page on your Fan Page? The programming language is FBML (Facebook Markup Language — from HTML fame) and it allows you to create rich, graphic intensive and custom branded tabs for fans and prospective fans to view. With a little ‘magic’, you can even have it set up to immediately display the custom welcome tab to anybody who is not already a fan of your fan page.
Lastly, did you know that I have an Evo? Yep! That’s true as well…and I highly recommend you getting your hands on one.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Why I Am Getting The New iPhone 4
By Joel Feder | June 11, 2010
Anyone that knows me probably figures I am getting an iPhone 4. If you ask them why, they will most likely say it is the newest, shinest piece of Apple phone hotness to come out of 1Infinite Loop this year. While that maybe true, it is not the entire reason.
Fine I will admit it is part of the reason. The other part is because the upgraded technology is more then enough for me to justify the cost. The upgraded camera (now up to 5 megapixel) and the insane screen resolution alone justify it for me. The ability to have 5x zoon and HD video recording are more then icing on cake.
Oh did I mention the bigger battery? That might make it so I almost make it through a full day without needing to hit up a charger. The video calling over Wifi called Facetime is cool, but not my key selling point. Lets not forget between how big my bill is every month and the fact that I am the main line on the account AT&T is letting me upgrade (read resign to be locked with them for another two years) for a cheaper entry price to the new iPhone 4. So you know why I am getting the new iPhone 4, half because it is the newest, shiniest piece of Apple phone hotness this year, and also because it has features that I can and will fully utilize that are upgraded from my current iPhone3Gs. So the only question is, are you getting the new iPhone 4 and if so, why? What was your deciding factor?
Topics: Technology | 2 Comments »
What is this new HTML5?
By Mitchell Hislop | June 11, 2010
HTML5 is the new proposed standard for how websites are made. While it is not official yet, many browsers and companies are already supporting it. HTML5 brings several new features to the table, and will make browsing the internet faster, easier, and more like working with a desktop program.
The main theme in HTML5 is to do more in the browser, and without plugins. Prior to now, most things being done on the web needed a plugin if it was much more complex than displaying simple text or images. Videos, games, and offline storage currently require a plugin, making the integration with the browser sloppy at best. HTML5’s new technologies remove the need for these, allowing the web to work a lot better, and enabling a new generation of applications.
New Features:
- The Canvas: The canvas is an all-new way to display graphics on the web. Previously, web graphics had to be static, or needed to be Flash. With the canvas, images, games, or other visuals can be created on the fly, in the browser, without the need for plugins.
- Video: HTML5 will change the way video on the web happens. Much like the canvas, the new “Video” element allows the video to be in the browser without needing a plugin, or using Adobe Flash.
- Geolocation: Rather than needing to look up an IP adderess to guess a users location (whether for a map or an ad), HTML5 will be able to tell a users location much more accurately, allowing the next generation of location-based applications to also exist in the browser.
- Offline: HTML5 includes a way for a website to function offline, without a plugin like Google Gears. This will make it much easier, and more useful, to use local storage, which will further increase the benefits of apps like Gmail.
For more information, Focus.com has an infographic that does a great job explaining it.
Topics: Technology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
How do you feel about Facebook’s recent privacy settings?
By Sarah Shehata | May 26, 2010
There have been many people across the globe complaining about Facebook’s recent privacy setting changes. As a matter of fact, Facebook has been LISTENING to you! Due to peoples rising concern they have decided to reconsider those settings.
The announcement is expected to take place shortly after 1:00pm ET, on Wednesday.
“I can confirm that our new, simpler user controls will begin rolling out tomorrow. I can’t say more yet,” Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes told CNN in an e-mail Tuesday.
The website also implemented, among other changes, a new tool that spreads user preferences and data across the Web. This tool allows Facebook users to share articles and “Like” pages. In return this had an impact on the privacy settings and some members voiced their concerns to changes that switched their settings to default making their profiles open to the public.
“I know we’ve made a bunch of mistakes, but my hope at the end of this is that the service ends up in a better place and that people understand that our intentions are in the right place and we respond to the feedback from the people we serve,” Zuckerberg said in the e-mail, which Scoble printed after receiving permission from the Facebook CEO to do so.
What kind of changes are you expecting to be rolled out?
CNN Tech was used as a source for the above information.
Topics: Facebook, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »
