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Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’

Post-Yoga Creativity, Vine, and Teaching

Posted in MKTG 2350: Integrated Marketing Communications, Social Media Marketing, St. Catherine University, Twitter, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 13, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

My post yoga day

This morning I wrote about my need for yoga and my tendency to not go if I get too busy. Today I practiced and it paid dividends. I came home to write a pop quiz for my MKTG 2350 students and devise a new assignment for them involving Vine and blogging.

It’s the 2nd week of class–many of my students are new to blogging or at least new to WordPress. They’ve posted videos, hyperlinked text, cataloged, tagged, and written posts; but none of this is really facile yet. Hence their extra credit assignment outlined below.

We wrote the assignment description collaboratively in class on our private class blog and posted it with an embedded Tweet of one of my Vine videos. Then we pitched it to our University MarComm department. Check back next Thursday on Twitter and Vine for the #M2350 hashtag.

What do you think? Does this sound educational and interesting?

Extra Credit (5 points)

Two Options:

1) You have an Apple Mobile Device

iPhone or iPad or iPod Touch (probably newer, such as a 4 or 5)

Open a Vine account.
Shoot a Vine video about St. Kate’s
Post it to Vine — ideally also post to Twitter
Tag it #M2350 and @stkate

2) You don’t.

a) Write a very short (~100 words) blog post entitled Extra Credit: Vine etc.

What should you write about?  Vine News and/or post a someone else’s Vine to your blog. Tag it #M2350 and @stkate.

What chickens sound like when let out of their coop #joy vine.co/v/bvlEQFHz0EM

— Sara Kerr (@Saralitta) February 13, 2013

b) Collaborate with someone who has an Apple mobile device.

DUE:  Next Thursday, February 21st at Noon

Why?

• It’s relevant to all social media
• It’s great marketing for who? St. Kate’s, Vine, YOU!

• It’s great preparation for Shout Out St. Kate’s Day

• It helps establish student expertise in social media
• It’s fun!
• Extra Credit is Good!

• It showcases the new Sales and Social Media lab

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Summer 2012 Classes at St. Kate’s: Interactive Marketing, Social Media and IMC

Posted in MKTG 2350: Integrated Marketing Communications, MKTG 3300: Interactive Marketing: Social Networks, Multimedia, and SEO, Social Media Marketing, St. Catherine University, Teaching, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

No Minnesotan’s summer is ever bland. We have three short months to cram in as much outdoor warm-weather living as we can. This summer, I’ll be on the water, in the classroom, on the mat (yoga), and field-side cheering for at least four different sports teams. Thankfully I’m only coaching one of them!

I’m grateful for all my marketing students who sacrifice a warm summer evening to spend 3.5 hours mostly inside with me at St. Catherine University. Maybe it’s the yogi in me, but I learn so much from my students–especially in the summer–because I know they want to be there and that they sacrifice sacred summer free-time to be with me.

This summer, I’m teaching an awesome new class entitled MKTG 2992 Interactive Marketing: Social Networks, Multi Media, and Mobile Applications, which is a 2-credit topics course.

This is a hands-on course. Yes, we have a text-book, but the majority of our time we’ll produce podcasts, publish videos, and dive into the interactivity of multimedia marketing.

What, pray tell does “the interactivity of multimedia marketing” mean, you might ask? It’s the idea that there are thousands of social media tools some with broad and some with narrow applications. Today’s marketer must both produce content for popular tools such as Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook and know about application development, infographics, and the next big thing on the horizon (Prezi.com anyone?).

Lastly, consider the word “citizen.” Here’s a snippet from Merriam-Webster online:

citizen, subject, national mean a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state. citizen is preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people citizen>.
As citizens, we have responsibilities. As social media producers and citizens, we must honor intellectual property, copyright infringement, and civil discourse. We’ll hit this subject hard and heavy, as well. I don’t want any of my students to receive a “cease and desist” letter because of something they published.
Interactive Marketing: Social Networks, Multi-Media, and Mobile Applications meets on Tuesday nights during Summer Session I (June 5th – July 3rd). Capped at 12 students, this class will fill up soon. Register today.

I also have the pleasure of teaching Integrated Marketing Communications (MKTG 2350), from June 5th – August 9th. This is one of my favorite classes to teach. I developed it in 2010 after a fun stint of technology consulting in North Carolina. In this class students master the promotion element of marketing which includes advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion, and direct marketing. Interwoven throughout this class is the mulitplicity of social media.

“Multiplicity of social media?” Is Facebook direct marketing? It fits that definition, but what about Facebook Ads? How about Pinterest, is that public relations? or is it sales promotion? or both? See what I mean? Social media bring a new dimension to classic IMC theory. Please note the fall section of this class is full.

To learn more about this class, read what students have said:

Measuring the return on my investment requires minimal reflection and thought. Naturally, the most tangible measures will be my final grade and the completion of four more credits toward my B.S. degree, but perhaps the most valuable benefits will be intangible:

  • The confidence I developed in sharing my voice online – that others might think what I have to say is worth the investment of their time to read.
  • The enthusiasm I developed for social media and how to leverage it to make my life easier (enter my new favorite crowd-sourcing GPS app: WAZE!)
  • The interest I’ve developed in Marketing itself. I am beginning to believe I have untapped talents for marketing and selling that I can leverage in my next career step.
  • The personal fulfillment that results from developing friendships and network relationships with the peers, professors, and speakers from the class.

Promotional Communications – a relevant course [former course name]

As part of your coursework for this class you are required to write an IMC plan, in a safe, non-threatening environment (a much better way to go, then having your boss ask you to write one and not having a clue).  This plan includes familiar sections like: Company Overview, Marketing Segmentation, SWOT and Marketing strategies and tactics, but it also includes sections like: Media strategy, a Creative Brief, an Interactive and Social Tools section which highlights what social tools you will be using and why, followed by a time-phased spreadsheet that culminates all this information together.

When we met for the first time the thought of writing an IMC plan was a daunting thought for me, but Sara (Sara Kerr), breaks up the process in several manageable steps so, at the end, you are impressed and surprised with what you have created.

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Pinterest for Business and Non Profits

Posted in Social Media Marketing, tagged , , , , , on February 23, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Like Twitter, Pinterest’s beauty is it’s simplicity.

It’s fun, it’s easy, and it drives traffic to websites.

I’m sharing excerpts from two articles. Please share any tips in the comments below

How to use Pinterest for business from Hubspot

Common vocabulary below, but do download the free e-book to learn best practices such as pinning videos, using hashtags, and adding web addresses.

A pin –  an image added to Pinterest

Pinboard — a set of theme based pins

Pinning — the act of visually sharing pins

Repin – reposting somebody else’s pin

Pin it Button – a button that can be placed on websites to facilitate sharing on Pinterest. pins added using the Pin It button link back to the site they came from.

Five Pinterest Best Practices for Nonprofits from Nonprofit Tech 2.0

If your nonprofit has yet to start using Pinterest, then hopefully new data released for January 2012 illuminating that Pinterest now drives more referral traffic than Google+, YouTube, and LinkedIn combined will motivate you to start pinning – or at the very least to sign up and reserve your first choice of usernames (hint, hint!).

Step One:  Pin your own website and blog content, but only if it pulls up a good photo!
Step Two:  Pin It!
Step Three:  Review Pin and Test Link

  1. Add website links to your Pin’s descriptions.
  2. Add your logo or avatar to your images.
  3. Embed inspirational quotes onto your images.
  4. Add a price banner to your pins that are goods being sold or fundraising campaigns.
Source:  http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/five-pinterest-best-practices-for-nonprofits/

My thoughts:  many of these ideas apply to for profits, as well, and you need to balance the “hard sell” of a price banner with simply being social. The most important piece of advice? The first one:  update the pin description with your web address. If applicable, I would suggest adding a Twitter hashtag, too.

Boards to check out: 

Chobani Yogurt – they’ve captured the lifestyle of the brand perfectly.

Good Ground Press — my work in progress. Notice how the print gets cut off on the board titles. I have revisions to make!


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Content Marketing and Consumer Buyer Behavior Example From the Lice Ladies

Posted in Content, Creativity, MKTG 2350: Integrated Marketing Communications, MKTG 3350: Buyer Behavior and Marketing Research, Sales / Professional Selling, Twitter, Video, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 2, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Ruling out catastrophic illness or accidents, discovering lice on their child’s head is a parent’s nightmare.

I teach a lot of marketing classes. Not surprisingly, various theories cross over between classes. In searching for a unique example to demonstrate content marketing, social media, buyer behavior, and selling strategy; I landed upon head lice marketing. Before you’re too grossed out, take a look at my analysis and let me know what you think. The lice ladies at HeadLicetoDeadLice.com perfectly illustrate all these concepts in an easy-to-understand situation. This is a cross-post from one of my private class blogs.

Buyer Behavior

  1. Emotional reaction: “Oh no, not my child!,” “Our house is clean!,” “What do I do now?!”
  2. Google: Parents turn to the internet and per Google’s “Zero Moment of Truth” search for “How to kill head lice.”
  3. Read, watch, listen to the experts or at least those that were on the top of page 1 in a Google search.
  4. Follow the prescribed instructions and buy the recommended products (shampoos, creams, nit-picking combs et al).

Marketing Strategy

  1. Establish expertise.
  2. Be found.
  3. Sell product.

Marketing Tactics

  1. Establish expertise.
    1. Provide relevant content via informational website and YouTube videos.
    2. Reference experts, such as the Harvard School of Public Health
    3. Appeal to the buyer, in this case providing material in English and Spanish and geared toward all family members.
  2. Be found.
    1. Maximize search engine optimization (SEO) to position company at the top of a Google (Bing, etc.) search.
    2. Cross reference media, so that YouTube references the website and vice versa.
  3. Sell product
    1. Make online ordering easy, but provide other methods such as a toll-free number
    2. Don’t inundate the consumer with “buy now”messages–instead let your content persuade your consumers to buy your product
    3. Provides thoughtful analysis of market options.

Example

The Lice Ladies at HeadLicetoDeadLice.com

  1. Google Search placement:
    1. Search terms: “Killing lice with heat:” 3rd on page one with a soft-sell informational approach
    2. Search terms: “Head lice treatment,” “Natural head lice treatment:” nothing on the first page
  2. Website analysis
    1. Easy to navigate
    2. Scientific, believable tone
    3. Addresses parent’s emotional state of panic
    4. Establishes expertise via reference to the Harvard School of Health and Parent’s Guide website accolades
  3. Addresses all consumers
    1. Children’s game
    2. Parent language Q and A
    3. Uses humor to mitigate parent panic
  4. Educational and helpful video content
    1. Bilingual YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/headlicetodeadlice
    2. Video content ranges from informational, but humorous: Part 1: Head Lice to Dead Lice (English)

to quantitative action plan: Part 2: Head Lice to Dead Lice (English) with its 5-Step Battle Plan

Analysis

The content is excellent–great use of humor, outside qualified experts, and multiple media. However, the website was not found with common search terms. They should concentrate on search engine optimization and explore other integrated marketing communication principles such as partnering with parenting websites and social media used for crowdsourcing (Twitter, blogging).

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Château Pétrus, Professional Selling, and Social Media

Posted in Minneapolis / St. Paul Marketing, Sales / Professional Selling, Social Media Marketing, St. Catherine University, Students, Teaching, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Do you drink Château Pétrus? I don’t either, but I wish I did. At $300 a bottle for a poor vintage (and $3200 for the 1948), it’s out of my price range. But I can say that I sold it. After a semester studying wine and food in France, my first professional job was selling wine at Haskell’s. Back then we tasted wine, made notes, and combed wine journals and books to build our professional knowledge. We kept our client lists in little notebooks and vintage charts on the back of our business cards. I tell my students that I was a professional drinker–it always grabs their attention–when in truth I was taster and professional seller, or wine merchant.

Today’s selling tools do the same work as my trusty notebook and Decanter subscription, but they sure look different…

In 2009 Forester Research published the fact that 91% of IT buyers used social media. Two years later, I don’t know any professional sales person that doesn’t compute in a mobile environment with a smart phone and an iPad, research prospects via social media, or in the words of Jonathan Farrington in Social Selling: A Professional Sales Trend, court prospects instead of cold-calling.

Now that I’m on the buying end of wine, I apply these selling principles in reverse. I only buy wine from companies I trust, like Haskell’s or Wine Street Spirits because I know they store their wine well and I trust their advice. I do my research, too–I might see great deals on white Burgundies from the early 90s, but I know they are too old to drink and I’ll be disappointed. And I follow my favorites on Twitter and Facebook. Afraid of a screw top? Not me. I know they’re fine for wines I plan to drink soon vs. age. In other words, I’m a smart buyer. I come to stores prepared–I know that the current sale price of a 12-pack of Summit is $11.99 and that if I’m lucky I can pick up a bottle of a French sparkling rosé for under $15.

Sales tools and buyers are different thanks in part to technology, access and transparency of information, and the electrification of relationships.

How has your buying and selling changed because of social media? How do you use LinkedIn and Twitter to prospect?

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#m2350 Tweeting in Class

Posted in Communication Tools, Minneapolis / St. Paul Marketing, Social Media Marketing, St. Catherine University, Students, tagged , , , , , , on February 26, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Normally, I have a no-texting policy in class, but last night was different.

In Promotional Communications / MKTG 2350 Integrated Marketing Communications, Reid Sellgren of Conuiti joined our class to discuss his work and trends in social media for business. As part of the discussion, my students and I tweeted questions back and forth using the hashtags #m2350 and #bananafairy.

It’s always interesting to sit with your class and not stand up front to teach. Between Reid’s presentation and my iPhone Tweeted answers, my students took what they read this week about social media and used the technology they’d read about in class. It’s one thing to read about businesses using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., but it changes your perspective and appreciation for the technology when you use it, as you learn it, real time.

Case in point, Reid’s company manages the fantastic, interactive marketing presence of Anderson Dry Cleaners. I’d never really thought about my relationship with my dry cleaner until I saw this website. Dry cleaning is just not fun, like shopping for a smart phone app is. But Anderson’s now my source for information — the stuff I need to know on caring for my clothes because of their content-rich website. Will that make me buy their services? Probably! Reid walked my students through Anderson’s website and its use of social media to enhance the customer experience and ultimately grow revenue. It was a fascinating experience augmented by Twittering through the presentation.

Now, I’ll have to ask Reid what it likes looking out on a sea of faces pointed at their smart phones and lap tops. As a prof, that would unnerve me. As one of the Tweeters, it was an enthralling experience.

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Social Media and other Interactive Marketing Tools – My working list

Posted in Blogs, Communication Tools, Social Media Marketing, St. Catherine University, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

My working list of cool interactive tools for fun and business.

Many are free or almost free except for the time needed to program, write, and monitor them. Here’s a great video (38 minutes) if you are really interested in working in social media.

Pinterest — an online, virtual bulletin or pin board. It’s akin to liking something on Facebook that a friend shares with you. Login is via a Twitter or Facebook account. Different from Facebook, it curates your collections and makes them manageable

  • For use by:  a business or anyone with something they are passionate about
  • Purpose:  sharing what’s visually important to you
  • Method:  sign in with your Twitter or Facebook account, add “pins” which are visuals (photos, graphics etc.) that link to the web source, arrange pins in groups, called boards
  • Marketing Use:  drives people (traffic) to your website share your brand
  • Technology Requirements:  computer with internet
  • Consumer Issues:  none really. It’s incredibly easy and simple
  • Business Issues:  invitation only still…

Here’s some expert advice from HubSpot and the Nonprofit Tech 2.0 blog.

Paper.li — A Twitter newspaper and content curation system where you can publish on any topic you like

  • For use by:  a business or anyone with something they are passionate about
  • Purpose:  sharing what’s important to you and an easy place to read all about it
  • Method:  sign in with your Twitter account and then base the newspaper off of the posts of people, lists, keywords, and hashtags you follow.
  • Marketing Use:  a great tool to build followers
  • Technology Requirements:  computer with internet and a Twitter account
  • Consumer Issues:  none really. It cleans up the overwhelming native Twitter stream and presents new writers/experts that you may not have heard of.
  • Business Issues:  be specific with your curation settings if you are concerned with offending anyone. Here’s an example of a paper.li I manage for Good Ground Press.

Google+ — A new social network

  • For use by:  a business or anyone with something to say, see Mashable on Google +
  • Purpose:  sharing — a lot like Facebook with added utilities:  better targeted sharing to subsets of one’s followers (aka “Circles”), chat feature (AKA “Hangouts”), multimedia sharing with photo manipulation similar to Instagr.am
  • Method:  Sign up with your Google account, share, build your network by adding people to your “circles.”
  • Marketing Use:  similar to Facebook for sharing and Twitter for news searching. Can also be used to conduct informal focus groups via “hangouts.”
  • Technology Requirements:  computer with internet
  • Consumer Issues:  can be confusing if you have more than one Google account and there is presently no way to combine them
  • Business Issues:  Time, mostly. How many networks do you need to be on? If your company is very techy and innovative, then this would be a good tool to use.

Flickr – A photo-sharing service.

  • For use by:  a business that has something to show
  • Purpose:  awareness, share photos
  • Method:  post photos of business related work, e.g. framing jobs, new artists, new materials etc. for Frameworks, tag with business name, subject, location; as well as make albums
  • Marketing Use:  to keep one’s business top of mind, can also be used for contests, e.g. “Take a photo of yourself and product XYZ and post it to Flickr where ever you are in the world.” Should be referenced and linked in other social media and the main website.
  • Technology Requirements:  digital camera and computer with internet
  • Consumer Issues:  must have an account to upload photos
  • Business Issues:  Time, mostly. Can be quirky to link to a WordPress blog.
  • Example:  Element Six Media

Instagr.am and others– photo sharing and manipulation via Twitter or Facebook; iPhone app

  • For use by:  a business or anyone that has something to show
  • Purpose:  sharing of photos
  • Method:  download app (free) from iTunes, share via Twitter and/or Facebook account
  • Marketing Use:  post photos of business related work, e.g. framing jobs, new artists, new materials etc. for Frameworks. Use Twitter handles and hashtags for business name, subject, location
  • Technology Requirements:  iPhone
  • Consumer Issues:  only available on iPhone:  Instagr.am, photogram, hipstamatic, GLMPS, Smugmug, Camera+ other platforms:  Posterous (Android, too), MobyPicture (almost all phones),
  • Business Issues:  much easier and faster than Flickr, but lower quality. Still, time to manage is always an issue. Click here to read why they are so popular.

Foursquare – A location-based service. That means it only applies to a business that has an identifiable, physical presence that people come to.

  • For use by:  stores, restaurants, service providers, schools, libraries, etc.
  • Purpose:  build loyalty
  • Method:  “gamify” the act of visiting a place to make a purchase or do something
  • Marketing Use:  to encourage repeat business, reward customers who visit x number of times, become the most frequent visitor (aka the Mayor), or visit at specific times
  • Technology Requirements:  smart phone
  • Consumer Issues:  time-consuming to “check in,” can become irritating to constantly receive friends’ updates until you know how to turn that feature off, poor rewards
  • Business Issues:  not rewarding customers, setting up the account and then ignoring it, not integrating it into other marketing efforts, not responding to consumer comments

Google Places – Google references businesses that people search for. Businesses can “own” these pages and update them with specific information.

  • For use by:  any business with a physical address
  • Purpose:  to be found
  • Method:  business owners let Google know that they own the business. Once ownership is verified by Google, the business owner can upload photos and adjust the map settings.
  • Marketing Use:  to encourage consumer searchers to click on your actual website and easily find your business on  a map. Business owners can also ask happy, loyal customers to review them. Positive reviews may sway potential customers.
  • Technology Requirements:  computer with internet connection
  • Consumer Issues:  owner provided pictures could be misleading
  • Business Issues:  owners should periodically update their listing, or at least check it, and monitor customer reviews.

Online Business Directories — Many businesses are indexed (listed) by other businesses or service providers to help consumers. If a business has many alternates and is a type that is frequently searched, then strategically, the business should request to be included in any lists they find.

  • Examples:  http://www.mnschools.com/SchoolFinder/Preschools/index.htm#st.paul lists preschools in the St. Paul, MN area,  http://saintpaul.areaconnect.com/churches.htm lists churches, and Pauly’s List that lists senior-friendly businesses in the Twin Cities.
  • Purpose:  be found
  • Method:  business owners search lists online and then email list owners and ask to be included
  • Marketing Use:  simply to be found, but also found on influential lists
  • Technology Requirements:  computer with internet connection
  • Consumer Issues:  information can be outdated
  • Business Issues:  owners need to maintain a database of where they are listed and update the list owners as needed

Google Alerts:  A Google service whereby one provides a search phrase, such as a business name to Google and then one is notified via email when Google runs across that phrase.

  • Examples:  I have one set up with my name, so that anytime references me on the internet, I’m informed
  • Purpose:  Monitoring or per Google:
    • “monitoring a developing news story
    • keeping current on a competitor or industry
    • getting the latest on a celebrity or event
    • keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams”
  • Method:  visit http://www.google.com/alerts
  • Marketing Use:  to manage one’s reputation
  • Technology Requirements:  computer with internet connection
  • Consumer/Business Issues:  turn around is slow — i.e. it make a few weeks for Google to let one know what they find.

Yelp – an online review service

  • For use by:  any business that deals with the general public, i.e. B2C
  • Purpose:  word of mouth marketing in an electronic system. It’s a virtual place for consumers to read reviews from real people, share their positive opinion of a business, or vent their anger. For businesses, it’s another opportunity to “listen in” on what customers say about the business and, of course, manage their reputation.
  • Method:  Consumers can search without having an account, but an account is required to post a review. Business owners can claim their business in a similar fashion to Google places.
  • Marketing Use:  Word of mouth recommendations are highly trusted by consumers. Business owners can manage their reputation and interact with their customers.
  • Technology Requirements:  computer with internet connection
  • Consumer/Business Issues:  Negative reviews can potentially really harm a business. The best strategy for business owners is to bring the issue offline for resolution, i.e. never fight in public. Secondly, owners should encourage happy customers to review them on Yelp, to bury the negative review.

Email Newsletters  - HTML emails

  • For use by:  Any organization
  • Purpose:  Opted in communication with an interested population
  • Method:  Encourage customers to sign up and provide email addresses, clearly state the privacy policy, reward consumers for providing this information
  • Marketing Use:  Share news, promote new products, thank customers, ask for feedback from the target population
  • Technology Requirements:  Computer with internet connection, email account, and/or an email marketing service account, such as MailChimp or Constant Contact
  • Business Issues:  Managing frequency (once a week is almost too much), providing content that customers are interested in, can be time-consuming to create the newsletter
  • Consumer Issues:  Information overload, tendency to simply delete all messages if too frequent or if the message is not compelling

Blogs  - first person website, where writers share their opinions

  • For use by:  Anyone
  • Purpose:  Establish expertise, improve search (content quality and authority, social media links and content freshness.)
  • Method:  Open a WordPress account, buy a branded URL, learn the software, plan your topics, gather your writers, start writing, THEN start reading and commenting on blogs that relate to yours
  • Marketing Use:  web presence optimization (dominating the search results for your name and unique tagline), core of most social media strategies, to be found (see Purpose)
  • Technology Requirements:  Computer with internet connection, WordPress Account
  • Business Issues:  maintaining a regular publishing schedule of information that is appealing to your customers
  • Consumer Issues:  Information overload, the need to establish the accuracy of the writer

Twitter – microblog to meet and connect people and organizations of interest

  • For use by:  Anyone
  • Purpose:  share news, learn things, talk with people, meet people
  • Method:  Set up account, learn the tool, start following people/organizations, share news/content (don’t sell), talk to people
  • Marketing Use:  Monitor what customers are saying about you or your company, or your interests; talk to consumers, respond to problems
  • Technology Requirements:  Computer with internet connection, Twitter account
  • Business Issues:  Time to Tweet frequently, finding  your voice (tone, subjects etc.)
  • Consumer Issues:  Information overload

Facebook – Social network where people connect with people they already know, very personal

  • For use by:  Any organization
  • Purpose:  Opted in communication with an interested population
  • Method:  Engage with customers in their private space (vs. Twitter)
  • Marketing Use:  Share news, promote new products, thank customers, ask for feedback from the target population
  • Technology Requirements:  Computer with internet connection, Facebook account
  • Business Issues:  Managing frequency, providing content that customers are interested in
  • Consumer Issues:  Information overload, tendency to “unfriend/unlike” if feeling interrupted

LinkedIn – online resume and network builder

  • For use by:  Any professional organization or person
  • Purpose:  Establish credentials, connect with colleagues, vet potential business contacts
  • Method:  Create personal and/or business account, populate it with accurate information that is found on a resume (person) or product offerings (business). Also join interest groups
  • Marketing Use:  Share news, promote new products, establish expertise, see purpose
  • Technology Requirements:  Computer with internet connection, email account
  • Issues:  Updating information, sharing news on a regular basis, participating in groups that one is a member of

Groupon, Restaurant.com etc. — email/web-based heavily discounted offers to opted-in consumers

  • For use by:  An organization with something to sell
  • Purpose:  Create awareness, seek new customers
  • Method:  Create account with Groupon, PlumDaily, etc., design an offer that will entice consumers and not bankrupt the business
  • Marketing Use:  see Purpose
  • Technology Requirements:  Computer with internet connection, email account
  • Business Issues:  Must have limits on the offer because offer fulfillment can bankrupt a business
  • Consumer Issues:  Boredom with the offers

RSS -  Really Simple Syndication

  • For use by:  Anyone
  • Purpose:  Simplified system of subscribing to content (website, blogs, newsletters, etc.)
  • Method:  Plugin to website or blog
  • Marketing Use:  Make it easy for consumers to opt in to regular information from you
  • Technology Requirements:  Some knowledge or access to expertise to set up
  • Consumer Issues:  Information overload, tendency to simply unsubscribe if too frequent or if the message is not compelling

YouTube – Video blog

  • For use by:  Anyone
  • Purpose:  Establish expertise, appeal to people who prefer to watch and listen vs. read
  • Method:  Record and brand video, upload
  • Marketing Use:  Similar to blogging
  • Technology Requirements:  Computer with internet connection, video recorder
  • Business Issues:  maintaining a regular publishing schedule of information that is appealing to your customers
  • Example:  Element Six Media

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Cassoulet: Why Use Social Media

Posted in Blogs, Communication Tools, Eating & Drinking (aka Restaurants), Getting the word out, Minneapolis / St. Paul Marketing, Students, Twitter, tagged , , , , on January 20, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Why should my local deli Tweet? or my bike shop? or any business?

Why follow @Sara_G_N_Kerr?

How relevant is it that Tuesday I ate Cassoulet for lunch while sitting on a radiator because it was so cold here? Granted, I usually have more important things to say. But then again, how do I know my readers didn’t run down to the Meritage or Vincent and order a bowl? Days before I’d just read how Cassoulet is perfect for Minnesota winters and over the course of 3 days, baked up a pot of it.

Why use any social media for that matter?

Social Media makes the purchase relationship better, tighter, more creative, and ultimately satisfying.

See In Defense of Social Media by B.L Ochman for her full post or read her blog:  WhatsUpNextBlog. Here is an excerpt from that post:

What it takes to create evangelists and sales with social media:

  1. A great product or service: because if your product sucks (a problem many observers seem to think Burger King has) nothing else matters.
  2. Close integration of digital, social, mobile with offline: advertising, events, PR, direct marketing, sales promotion — Best Buy is a champion in this area.
  3. Entertaining content is a good place to start: ask Blendtec. But that alone is not enough. Not to sound like a broken record: but integration with social media, digital, offline and sales promotion are key.
  4. Including social media in product development: Doing that saves costs in research and testing, and increases brand loyalty — ask Dell.
  5. Selling what people want, using social media, without a heavy-handed pitch: Dell claims that their Twitter presence led to $3 million in sales plus lots of earned media. They don’t hit people over the head with a sales message in Twitter. Their website, online and offline advertising, direct mail and word of mouth convey the brand’s features.
  6. Using social media for customer/tech support: Twitter has led to huge savings in tech support for companies ranging from Best Buy to Verizon to Comcast.

The biggest mistake I see with my clients?

It’s the total lack of integration between real world marketing and and what organizations do interactively.

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13 Tweets

Posted in Communication Tools, Getting the word out, Students, tagged , , , on January 20, 2011 | 1 Comment »

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) — The number 13 is often said to be bad luck. But not for a group of interns chosen by Campbell Mithun, Minneapolis, which announced today it will hire its group of summer 2011 interns based on an application consisting of 13 tweets sent between Feb. 13 and Feb. 25.

I love that Cambell Mithun will choose their Minneapolis summer interns based on a series of 13 Tweets. How better for students to not only show what they know, but to do it in the process of getting a job.

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