In the January issue of Entrepreneur Magazine (see the cover to the left) available at your local news stand or online you will find my thoughts on how social media tools can help a start up or existing business and often times…for free.
There's quite an impressive list of resources whether you're trying to manage file storage, host content or boost your web presence.
If you've been a reader here for a while, you'll recognize some of the tools like ooVoo, Jott and Google Alerts. But I promise you…there are plenty of new discoveries to be made.
I'd love you to take a peek at the article (page 42-45) and then come back here to let me know what you think.
In the meantime…what web 2.0 tool has been the most effective for your business?
Good friend to the Marketing Minute, Susan Gunelius (author of Harry Potter, the story of a global business phenomenon) has a great article on Entrepreneuer's website. In the article, Susan reminds us that the normally jaded and wary consumer is even more so after the economic struggles of 2008.
I think her list will surprise you. It includes works that traditionally have been touted as buying trigger words. It also includes some copywriting 101 tips that have been passed down for ages. Let's see what you think.
Here are 5 of Susan's 10 words to avoid in your 2009 marketing efforts. These are the ones that intrigued me the most and I wondered what you thought.
Free
Ads that include messages about a free product or service promotions can work well during an economic downturn, but consumers need to see the products perform well. E-mail spam filters are tough on messages that include "free" in the subject line. While it might be tempting to use a subject line that says, "Open now to get your free widget," that's an e-mail spam filter red flag that will send your message to most recipients' spam boxes. When the economy is tough, you can't risk having your e-mails not make it to the intended recipients. Replace "free" with "complimentary" or "gratis" to sneak by spam filters without compromising the effectiveness of your message.
Guarantee
Few people believe in guarantees these days. Unless you can prove your guarantee is real, use the valuable real estate space in your ad for a more effective message that consumers are likely to believe and act on.
Really
If you want to waste space in your ads, include "really" in your copy. This word does nothing to help your messages. Instead, it slows consumers down, and they are not likely to wait around for the complete message. Don't risk losing them by loading your copy with useless filler words. Make sure every word in your copy is there for a reason.
Very
Does a message sound more compelling with "very" in it? Is "When you need very fresh flowers, call ABC Florist," more effective than "When you need fresh flowers, call ABC Florist"? If you answered, yes, reread the last paragraph.
Opportunity
You're not helping anyone when you offer "opportunities" in your copy. Consumers don't want opportunities. They want to feel confident handing over their hard-earned money. They want to know they'll get the results they want and need, not the opportunity to perhaps get those results. Don't let them wonder what they'll get when they pull out their wallets. Tell them.
To see the other five words and read Susan's thoughts on them, check out the article. But before you go…what do you think? Is free now a tainted word? Should we stop offering guarantees?
SEM, SEO, organic search engine optimization, driving traffic, etc, etc.
I believe for most people, search engine optimization/marketing is one of the most confusing, misunderstood aspects of marketing today.
But it doesn't have to be.
This fall, Mike Moran and Bill Hunt released the 2nd edition of their book Search Engine Marketing, Inc: Driving search traffic to your company's web site. The guide is 600+ pages and packed with practical, applicable information. I've worked my way through it once and now am heading back in to begin implementing some of their strategies.
This is not a book for someone who wants a light read. But if you want to understand how search engine marketing really works and how you can master the tricks of the trade — buy it now.
The book also comes with a DVD, filled with more than 2 hours of video tutorials, podcasts, articles and slide sets.
This book will be on your desk, propped open and dog-eared, for a long time to come. I know mine will be.
Hubbell Realty is a very established and respected builder/developer in Iowa. They have just opened a new condo complex in one of the more affluent suburbs. The condo's design, size and amenities make it a perfect fit for young professionals.
And so a perfect fit for social media.
Hubbell's advertising agency has invented what they are calling a spokesperson. (She is actually one of the agency's ad reps who lives in Philadelphia). This spokesperson has a Facebook account (she went to school at Depaw University, spends time at Johnny's Hall of Fame (a local hang out), celebrated her birthday in November and loves watching The Office.) She has a blog (so far, she only writes about how much she loves her new home) and she's done some videos. (Feed readers and e-mail subscribers, click on the post's headline to view.)
Here's the question:
As you see on the video, no one is told that Hailey is a fictitious character, played by a woman in Philly. On her Facebook page, there is a note that says "Hailey Brownstone is part of a Hubbell Homes promotional campaign." But other than that notation — I can't find any disclaimer or explanation that tells us that Hailey isn't real.
She's received date requests and has 130 Facebook friends.
The company and some of the supporters of the campaign at IowaBiz argue that since her name is Hailey Brownstone we should all get the joke. The place is called GreenWay Crossing. And they have brownstones and villas.
I did a WhitePages.com search and there are plenty of Brownstones out there. I'm thinking most of them are real people.
So what do you think? Smart social media campaign? Social media faux pas?
UPDATE: The comments are so plentiful — we had to go to two pages. After Cat's comment…click on the NEXT to keep reading!
I had coffee today with a gentleman who made the comment that "branding was the hot, new thing."
Yes and no. It’s certainly one of the buzz words of the day. But the truth of the matter is… genuine, dig deep branding is a fundamental truth that has been talked about for a century or better. Listen to what branding expert Mark Twain has to say on the subject:
"I cannot give you a formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure, which is: Try to please everybody."
How about you? Are you narrowing your focus or in this recession panic filled time, are you trying to please everyone?
Just about every day at McLellan Marketing Group, we’re working with clients who want to explore social media and what it can do for their company. And almost all of them think they want to blog.
Not so fast.
I think one of the most irresponsible things we (MMG) can do, is simply give them the keys to a blog and set them off. Because many of them will end up in a ditch. Not because they’re not competent and capable. But because not every one or every company should blog.
Before we’ll build them a blog and teach them how to engage it….we review the 5 musts of business blogging and walk them through each step. If they can get through all five, they’re probably a good candidate to blog.
You must have a clear purpose.
The why sets the tone for everything. Who are you going to talk to? What types of things will you write about? Who should be writing? How will you decide if it’s working or not?
Way too many companies launch a blog simply because it’s the cool, new things to do. Really bad idea. Don’t do a thing until you have a vision for your blog.
Listen at least twice as much as you write.
Good bloggers are good blog readers. They read inside their own category and they read blogs that have little to do with their core competency. They read smart writers. They reference smart writers and they create a network of smart bloggers, inside and outside of their profession.
Jump into conversations and add value.
Most beginning bloggers believe that all they need to do is write their blog posts and voila, a following will show up. Rarely.
You earn your stripes and the respect of other bloggers, readers and the like at other people’s blogs long before you can earn it at your own blog. A good blogger is not only a frequent reader…but a frequent commenter.
And “great post!” doesn’t count. When you comment — add to the conversation. Do that consistently and you will entice people to your own blog. Skip this step and your blog becomes a dusty monologue.
Write and then write some more.
The tech blogs seem to have a new post every 5.7 seconds. For the average business blog, that would be insane. But 3 to 5 on topic, on target posts a week is what it’s going to take create the stickiness that will attract and keep readers satisfied.
We’re not talking thesis papers here. Blog posts should focus on one teachable message or thought. Short and sweet (shoot for 300 words or less) wins the day most of the time.
Be in it for the long haul.
Business blogging is not a quick fix. It’s relationship-based, whether that’s your relationship with your readers, with other bloggers, or with the media — it’s all about connecting.
If you’re looking for an insta-success, try something else. Even if you do everything just right, it’s going to take some time and discipline to create a community.
If you’re not going to give it a year, don’t give it a start.
Whew…if that hasn’t scared you off, then you’re probably a pretty good candidate for a business blog. Let us know if we can help.
And, a hat tip to my blog coach Mike Sansone. I learned all of this stuff at his knee a few years ago and keep on learning from him today.
I will probably be posting quite a bit less often with this latest development. I wanted to share the news with you as soon as it was made public. (feed and e-mail readers, please click on the headline to see the video)
You know there are very few things that would take me away from the blog….but come on!
Drew’s Note: Here’s part three of Sandy’s grab the mic guest post. (see parts one and two here)
Without further ado…enjoy Sandy Carter!
Case Study 3: IBM video game seeds market
This holiday season, buying a Nintendo Wii, or the latest online games need not make you feel guilty. According to The Apply Group, at least 100 of the Global Fortune 500 will use gaming to educate their employees by 2012, with the USA, the UK and Germany leading the way.
With that in mind, we decided to leverage social marketing in education with a serious game. Thousands of universities around the world now have access to Innov8, IBM’s new "serious game.” Now students of IT management who grew up playing video games can benefit in learning activities in a fun way, like flight simulators teaching pilots to fly airplanes.
By interacting with the video game, students can make real-life business situation decisions.
They can see the results of their decisions right away, and if they make a mistake, it’s much more private than “failing” in front of a classroom of their colleagues. Because a love of gaming is shared around the world, professors have told us the game can help to bridge cultural barriers.
While it is too soon to measure the full implications, there’s a new business environment emerging. We cannot ignore the changing group dynamics and social implications. In fact, we should tap into the most innovative ideas to redefine the fundamental nature of educating the market.
Just as games present us with situations that invite players to make choices, consider the advantage of using graphics and decision-making steps of games in business. Using Social Media, we could allow decision makers to immerse themselves in the real-world simulations, judging cause and effect before making decisions.
Sandy Carter is author of the new book, The New Language of Marketing 2.0, which leverages the ANGELS methodology (ANGELS stands for: Analyze the Market, Nail the Strategy, Go- to- Market socially, Energize the Channel & Market, Leads and Revenue, and Scream with Technology.) Sandy is IBM’s Vice President, SOA and WebSphere Marketing, Strategy, and Channels. She is responsible for IBM’s cross-company, worldwide SOA initiatives and is in charge of one of IBM’s premier brands, IBM WebSphere.
Twitter allows people to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Businesses like Dell (and IBM) are using Twitter in more corporate instances.
Dell Outlet has inventory based only on equipment that is returned to Dell, which therefore can fluctuate quite a bit. When there is a large inventory "bubble" of a particular model, there may be time to generate an e-mail campaign to promote that particular system and generate more demand.
However, when the bubble is smaller, the major lever to drive sales has been to lower the price of the overstocked model.
Dell Outlet came up with the idea that Twitter may be a solution to the challenges presented, by offering Twitter-specific promotions and featured products. The goals were:
To drive increased traffic and thus increased demand for particular products for which Dell Outlet has inventory greater than desired levels
To grow the pool of Dell Outlet’s Twitter followers to the point where it is sizable enough to have an impact on specific demand-generation postings
Dell Outlet’s Twitter strategy revolves around regularly posting Twitter-only offers. When a new tweet is posted, it generally provides followers a coupon code to obtain a discount on that particular model in the Dell Outlet. Typically, this coupon is exclusive to Twitter, so they are able to measure the redemptions and know that it was due to being posted on Twitter. Twitter followers may share coupons easily with Twitter friends in a viral fashion.
For Dell, Twitter represented a new way to reach customers. Ricardo Guerrero, a key visionary for this work at Dell, claims that per their latest surveys, a significant portion of people who bought through Twitter were not aware of the Dell Outlet before Twitter. And by tracking the coupon code, in the first year utilizing Twitter as a promotional tool, Dell Outlet generated over $500,000 in revenue in sales of refurbished systems.
Sandy Carter is author of the new book, The New Language of Marketing 2.0, which leverages the ANGELS methodology (ANGELS stands for: Analyze the Market, Nail the Strategy, Go- to- Market socially, Energize the Channel & Market, Leads and Revenue, and Scream with Technology.) Sandy is IBM’s Vice President, SOA and WebSphere Marketing, Strategy, and Channels. She is responsible for IBM’s cross-company, worldwide SOA initiatives and is in charge of one of IBM’s premier brands, IBM WebSphere.
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In the January issue of Entrepreneur Magazine (see the cover to the left) available at your local news stand or online you will find my thoughts on how social media tools can help a start up or existing business and often times…for free.![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=64903021-ef85-418d-9e7b-8c2e903ac033)
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