7 Sins of Social Media

Last week I heard Darren Barefoot, co-founder of web-marketing agency Capulet Communications, speak on the "7 Deadly Sins" of social media. Darren is a social media expert, and while many claim this title for themselves, he backs it up with his daily work and is publishing a book in the near future. No matter how often we "tweet" or post on Facebook, we can always improve, and here are some key mistakes to avoid with your company or brand.

1. Thou shall do it, not talk about it

Everyone is talking about social media right now. Twitter could revolutionize the way we communicate, Facebook could change the way we do business, etc. Almost all companies talk about what they could do with social media, but a lot fewer of them are actually doing it. Nobody really cares what you "plan" on doing, only what you ARE doing: show, don't tell.

2. Take heed of thy tone

A simple message can be taken the wrong way if the tone it is communicated with the wrong tone for your audience. It is essential to be aware of how the tone of an advertisement, etc. affects your relationship with key influencers. A great example of proper tone use to bring humor to a "touchy" subject is this Jack in the Box commercial, as it is communicate in a lighter tone that creates enjoyment. The key is that you need to know your audience to know which tone to use.

3. Foist not thine spam upon yon rabble

If you are like me and understand every second work in this "sin," you may be confused. Basically, if you spam, you will suffer. Too often companies, especially those with a PR focus, push unsolicited email to try to get a story out. All this does is closes the door to potential new relationships with content publishers (some major bloggers have posted lists of people/companies they have blocked from sending them email). You need to get to know a person first before sending content, even if it just a quick email asking if they would like to read a new press release, etc.

4. Observe what the web sayeth

For companies to be successful in the new digital age, and specifically in social media, they need to closely follow what is being said online. It is essential to monitor the web, all the time, to learn what the community is saying and to identify potential "bombs" (think Domino's and YouTube). By catching negative events quickly, and responding in the same media and style where the incident occurred, the potential brand damage can be greatly mitigated.

5. Find a good Shepard for thy flock

The Internet is made of people, so you need a great "frontman" for your brand. A good Shepard, as Darren put it, is an advocate for your community, an evangelist for your brand, possesses excellent communication skills, and can easily solicit feedback.

6. Abandon not they Blog

If you choose to have a brand or company blog, you must keep it updated. If you are not publishing new content/posts once or twice a week, your blog may be doing your brand more harm than good. The biggest issue companies have is not finding content to publish, it is having someone available to write the blog post. So IF (not all companies need or should have a Blog), make sure you allocate enough resources to it.

7. Thou shall not deceive

This sin is straightforward, you cannot lie effectively on the Internet. Everything will be scrutinized by the crowd and is archived for future review. Your comments must be genuine and authentic or the community will know and your brand will suffer.

I know I was able to take a lot out of Darren's presentation, so hopefully you will be able to pull a few things out of this summary to help the development of your brand in the social media sphere.

[BecomeMaverick]

Going Social

Obviously a major topic of discussion at the Chicago ad:tech conference was social media. We all want to use it, but we don't fully understand the scope of what it is, and some of us are honestly scared of it. It is, however, a very real element in the future of advertising.

No matter how you look at it, the growth of social media cannot be ignored. It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users, television took 13 years, the Internet took 4, and the iPod only 3 years. What about social media? Facebook added 100 million users in less then 9 months and China’s QZone has over 300 million users! These staggering numbers prompt many clients to say ”we need a Facebook strategy” or a Twitter strategy or whatever, but the key is to focus on a social media strategy. Moreover, remember while social media is an important component of advertising, it should not be the primary focus (only 5% of total online advertising spend is in social media) rather a supporting and enabling tool. In the end, the world and computers are digital, but consumers are analog; If you choose to use social media, it is essential to emotionally connect with the consumer.

Consumer uses for social media are generally grouped in 4 categories: information, product referrals, socializing, and entertainment. As a company you need solid understanding of not only what value you bring to these categories, but also how can you efficiently integrate them for maximum effect. That said, there is no end to how social media can be used to promote your brands, from offering fast, interactive customer services like the Best Buy “Twelp Force,” to offering exclusive promotions like United Airline’s “Twares,” to building an engaging brand experience like Threadless. Even small companies like the Liquor Depot in Alberta are using Twitter to offer exclusive promotions. First year social media budgets have trended as low as $2,000 (excluding manpower) meaning anyone can get involved at any time, it simply requires a commitment to dive in.

When the decision is made to venture into social media, think about what it is that you are trying to drive, what is your objective? What are you trying to communicate? Then be prepared to listen and interact with the answers, remember to think of social media as not something you can buy, but rather something you can earn and own. There are numerous sources claiming to have the keys to a successful social media strategy, and all are different in some way, but the following four elements remain constant:

1. Look, Listen, Lounge, & Learn: It is amazing how much you can learn about consumer interests, intentions, and problems by listening to what they say on social media sites (and it’s not even that hard!)

2. Join the Conversation: Response breeds authenticity in the eyes of the consumer. Find relevant communities and contribute (read as: add value) regularly.

3. Target the Coveted Influentials: Start with the conversation starters and they will reach the conversation spreaders.

4. Curate Passion: Place the passionate community at the centre and become a curator of that passion.

Right now platforms like Twitter and Facebook are social media’s next big thing, but only 11% of Internet users are active “tweeters” and only 20% of online ad spend is on Facebook and MySpace. What direction do you take? The answer is easy, get involved where your passionate consumers are involved (listen to learn where that is; see above). Twitter may just be a current fad, but online social interaction is not, it is a fundamental shift in the way we, as a society, communicate; And it matters. A recent study found that 25% of search results of the worlds top 20 brands are links to user-generated content and 34% of bloggers actively comment on their experiences. As a result it is essential to determine who these people are and how they can be positively engaged. We tend to think of social media as a massive global medium, but we forget there are many smaller, localized networks, such as Calgary 2.0 (calgary20.com) that are often driven by the very people our clients want to reach. A successful manager or planner will be able to determine which networks contain relevant consumers (remember the importance of data) and understand how people in those networks can be reached. With 40% of marketers already using social networking sites, it is easy to see the benefits; increased relationship building, increased brand love and loyalty, and increased trust (through transparency).

A reoccurring issue agencies face in social media is justifying the ad spend to the client. While everyone wants to be involved, they still demand to see a positive ROI. That is the current problem with social media, it is often hard to prove any ROI, let alone a positive one, as there is no established, definitive method or metric to evaluate the successes or failures of a social media venture. While you can track “click-throughs” on a banner ad, social influence is much more difficult to measure. As a result, successful companies will be those who view social media as a long-term strategy tool to gain insights and uncover unmet needs rather than for short-term ROI. If you must measure the return on a social media project, set your own objectives (followers, engagement, etc.) and tie goals to them.

Want to continue to engage and learn social media? I highly recommend heading over to Socialnomics and check out what the team there has to say!

[BecomeMaverick]

Trends in Advertising's Golden Age

As I previously mentioned, I was lucky enough to attend the ad:tech conference in Chicago at the beginning of the month. I have put together a brief summary presentation for some people and thought I would share it with all of you. The first section is essentially a repeat of "The New Buzz Word in Advertising" (posted September 3rd) so I will skip that and hit you with part 2 on industry trends (part 3 on social media will be posted midweek). Enjoy

The largest obvious trend is towards digital and social media. Though search marketing currently receives almost two-thirds of digital ad spend, it is forecasted that by 2014 that number will drop to 15% and social media will take the stage at 34% followed closely by mobile advertising at just over a quarter of ad spend. Still, only 6-10% of ad budgets are for online, but that number is forecasted to grow to 20% in the next half-decade. This shift to social media is starting the age of collaboration and a return to true marketing where the customer is the focus and understanding and meeting customer requirements is paramount. For years companies tried to down-play negative word-of-mouth, but in this new age being transparent with shortcomings makes the company more authentic and trustworthy. Southwest Airlines did not try to hide the fact that a hole was discovered in one of their airplanes, rather they used Twitter to broadcast an announcement that all planes would be thoroughly checked for potential problems, increasing consumer trust. For success, companies need to be prepared for the instant feedback that comes with the two-way conversation and be ready to act on it. Far too often people try to advise on something they haven’t actually used and thus cannot fully comprehend. It will become essential for account managers and planners to not only understand social media, but actively embrace the potential it has. By fully committing yourself to exploring such a rich medium (being on Facebook, using Twitter, etc.), the potential to generate new ideas for a client is endless.

Many companies (including advertising agencies) are beginning to reorganize themselves to stay aligned with the growth of the digital segment, as they deem it essential to their future success. This reorganization is taking on various looks across the industry, some companies are creating a separate division or acquiring a digital arm while others are making it an extension of public relations, or creating “community managers.” The key point is that all are developing integrated departments that are a strong part of the team, but also a strong part of the community, listening and engaging on a regular basis.

Data is the new creative. This comment leaves many in the industry scratching their heads in confusion or in down-right anger (especially among creative departments). What this means is that in the past consumers could easily be attracted or seduced by extraordinary creative, but the sheer quantity of advertisements a person is exposed to on a given day has numbed that attraction. The new key to attracting and developing new customers is to understand the customer at even the most basic level. Account managers need to develop a more well-rounded skill set that focuses on both the logic side and the creative side of the job. We will soon learn that advertisements in the digital space will only be successful if they are effectively targeted and relevant to the consumer. Thus, we need data to increase our understanding of the consumer and to communicate what they want to hear, in a way they want to hear it. This data does not need to come from large-scale research projects, rather it can be generated by observing, listening, and communicating with consumers. Once you have found the people who will listen, close the deal with excellent creative work.

Perhaps one of the biggest trends that cannot be ignored is the adoption of the Internet and social media by mothers across North America. In 2006, only 1 in every 10 moms used a type of social media like Facebook. That number has now skyrocketed to 63% and young mothers are 123% more likely to have 3 or more social networks then the rest of the population. Even though less then 2 in every 10 cell phones are “smart phones,” 91% of moms don’t leave their home without them and nearly three-quarters use their phones regularly to stay in touch with family and friends. This trend is allowing proactive agencies to better connect with a crucial demographic by taking advantage of social media. Unilever was able to successfully leverage digital media for their Suave product line by creating “webisodes” called In the Motherhood based on real-life submissions from moms about challenges around being a mother (the idea was later picked up by ABC and turned into a television series).

[BecomeMaverick]