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Do you do viral video?

January 14, 2008

YouTube has changed our connotation of the word video. Depending on your age…it might have meant something you rented at the "video store." Or, you might have even taped TV shows on one.

For those of us in the communications world, video used to only mean high end production pieces that would tell your company’s story in 4-7 minutes. (Still a very viable communications tools — just not an exclusive meaning anymore) or you might send away for one if you were considering buying a BowFlex.

But today, when you said video, it’s just as likely that someone will reference a Paul Potts video that was viewed by over 20 MILLION people or the Diet Coke + Mentos video was was watched nearly 5 MILLION times.

So as marketers — I think we need to be paying attention and asking ourselves if we too should be producing video content for our business or our clients’ business.

Over the next few days, I’d like to explore this topic with you. We’ll look at high end, slick videos that have gone viral, sentimental tear jerkers that have touched people’s collective hearts and some down and dirty videos that have an effectiveness all their own.

Here’s some statistics to start off our discussion. Think that viral video is just the territory of bloggers and other early adopters? Think again.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project have just completed some research and the numbers are noteworthy. Is this marketing tool mainstream yet? No….but if you look at the increase in percentages, you can see that it’s not too far off.

This first chart shows stats on people who have ever visited a video sharing site like YouTube. Look at how the numbers are trending.

This next chart is looking at activity on an average day. Again, look at the huge percentile growth.

So what’s been your experience so far? Have you experienced a surge of video exposure in your professional life? Are your competitors doing it? Have you considered it?

Interestingly, when you look at the list of the Top 5 viral videos of 2007, you’ll see they’re hardly of the home grown variety. What do you think that means for the less expensive and less agency produced variety?

Source of charts: MarketingCharts.com

Catch more flies with honey

January 14, 2008

What do you get when you add the phrase "you’ll catch a lot more flies with honey" to the other phrase "it’s not what you say but how you say it?"

You get a lesson in copywriting.

Most often, both phrases are used in the context of a personal relationship but they have significance for our professional communications as well.

The other day, I was skimming a newsletter and had to laugh and appreciate a newsletter editor’s insight into this notion of mixing honey and how you say something.

Like most newsletters these days, it has a very US Today (snippets of info) layout. But, the center spread had a large, bold subtitle that immediately caught my eye…and had me reading the entire section word for word.

The subtitle – "For Achievers Only." Now, what discerning reader is going to skip over that section?

How could you use that same idea in your business? Do you dabble some honey on your copy?

Want to earn your MBA in blogging?

January 13, 2008

Then you need to attend Biz School for Bloggers — SOBCON ’08. May 2-4 in Chicago.

Last year, Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker conceived of and launched SOBCON ’07, which was a resounding success. Attendees learned, laughed and connected. So much so…it’s back again this year.

250 seats. That’s it. Intimate learning. Genuine sharing.

Let them know you want to be a part of it all — before there are no seats left!

The only bummer about the whole event? The Cubs are not in town!

The sounds of collaboration

January 12, 2008

Anna Farmery does some of the best podcasting out there. She really lives her blog’s title — The Engaging Brand. Somehow she can make just about anyone sound smart and interesting.

So with that promise, download (or just listen) her podcast with Gavin Heaton and myself as we discuss collaboration, the Age of Conversation and much more.

Which one am I? Well, there’s the warm British accent and then there is the dashing Aussie accent. I’m the other one!

Well worth the listen. Enjoy and please let Anna know that you did.

Grab the mic: Facebook as a Tool for B2B Marketing (Shama Hyder)

January 11, 2008

Ever wondered how to use Facebook to market your business? Maybe the thought never even crossed your mind because you didn’t think it was possible. Not only is it possible, but people are marketing and selling through Facebook on a daily basis.

So how can you use Facebook as a tool for B2B Marketing? Here are 5 steps!

Create a fantastic Profile– Facebook profile pages are soon going to top Google search results, so make sure you have yours up. Be sure to list your website address and your occupation. I get plenty of Facebook messages every week from people who visit my profile and are curious to learn more about our company. Think of your Facebook profile as an elaborate business card. Once you login, you can check out my profile as an example here.

Add friends…and people you want to befriend– You may be surprised to find more people than you expected are using Facebook. You can add friends through a widget that will look through your address books and messengers to find current friends. After which it will allow you to see "friends of friends." This is a great way to broaden your network. For example, you see that a major decision maker for a firm you have been trying to get in touch with is in your colleague’s friend list. You can easily drop them a small message mentioning the mutual connection and perhaps an invitation to connect further.

Join Groups– Facebook has a group on almost every subject imaginable to man. Some are funny (French Toast Lovers Unite), some are working for global change (Help Feed the Hungry), and some are professional networking groups (Professional Services Marketing). Facebook Groups are the perfect way to go about networking in a casual manner with like-minded individuals. I have heard from quite a few top bloggers that it is easier for them to connect with others on Facebook than it is through email because their inboxes are usually overflowing.

Create your Own Group– Couldn’t find a group you liked? Create your own! Whether it’s Accountants of UK or Direct Marketers for Auto Companies-you can start your own group. There are two benefits to this 1) You are perceived as a leader in your field for taking initiative, and 2) You get to cultivate friendships and prospects.

Let it Simmer– Perhaps the best thing about Facebook is it doesn’t require too much time. Once you setup a profile and add a few key friends, let your account simmer. Sit back and watch as more people add you, send you messages, and invite you to join groups.

Think of Facebook as a platform for networking and lead generation, rather than a tool for direct marketing and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Shama Hyder is an expert marketing consultant to independent professionals and professional service firms around the world. As the founder of After The Launch, Shama serves clients through her one-on-one consulting work, and through her company’s several online and offline marketing services. You download her free report "101 Ways to Market Your Business."

Every Friday is "grab the mic" day. Want to grab the mic and be a guest blogger on Drew’s Marketing Minute? Shoot me an e-mail.

Put a little heart into your business

January 9, 2008

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, I hope that it does not come as a surprise to you that I was drawn to a business book called Lead with Your Heart.

Truth be told, I would have read it regardless of title, because Lewis Green wrote it. I have great respect for Lewis, his business acumen and his marketing skills. I also consider him my friend.

I know what you’re thinking. A book with a title like that could easily be all fluff and no real stuff. It had the potential to be touchy-feely without making the business case.

Have no fear. Lewis didn’t let us down.

You see, this book isn’t really about peace, love and feeling groovy — but instead it is a very practical, straightforward study on how to increase profits, retain your best employees and develop customer loyalty that will last for many years.

Lewis contends (and I agree) that a values-driven organization where people (employees, customers, vendors/partners) are more important than profits — yields the best of both worlds. Happy people AND a profitable business.

Lewis serves up relevant case studies and business stories. He holds up some of the best companies (Starbucks, GE and 3M) as learning labs. And he ends each chapter with a Points to Ponder feature that captures the most salient nuggets.

You’ll find sample sales letters, discussions about strategic planning and all kinds of marketing smarts in this book. But you’ll also find the human ying to balance the business yang.

I wholeheartedly agree with Lewis’ premise — and think you will too. Leading with your heart isn’t just good for the soul, it’s good for business. Grab the book. Read it. And in the spirit of leading with your heart — share it with your team and then brainstorm how you can put it into play at your workplace.

What did you learn from these PR Crises?

January 8, 2008

Now that 2007 has passed, we’ll see a flurry of lists, reflections and commentary.

PRWeek has done a very thought-provoking job of summing up the year in their downloadable 2007 Book of Lists.

Some of the lists are the 10 toughest communications jobs (like being the corporate communications VP at Mattel) and 10 brands that soared (Apple, Nintendo) and a list I thought we could all learn from — the top 10 events that tested PR Pros:

Jet Blue: Known to many as the Valentine’s Day Massacre, the ice storm that crippled the Northeast last February grounded planes on the runway for up to 12 hours. The PR backlash eventually led to CEO David Neeleman resigning.

Mattel toy recall: With more than 20 million toys recalled, this was probably the longest-running crisis story of the year. Regaining the trust of parents around the world will be an arduous task.

Taco Bell rats: After getting through an E.coli breakout in the Northeast, a video surfaced of rats running amok in a Manhattan Taco Bell/KFC restaurant. While it was an isolated incident, the PR hit was still nasty.

NBA’s gambling referee: Veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy’s involvement in a betting scandal led to his firing and the league scrambling to maintain its integrity. Commissioner David Stern later altered the league’s gambling policy for refs.

Virginia Tech shooting: Only six hours after a gunman killed 32 people at Virginia Tech, the world’s media landed at the college. Larry Hincker, AVP for university relations, was forced to create a makeshift communications team from schools within the college to manage the more than 600 reporters covering the story on site.

US Attorney firings: The alleged politically charged firings of eight US attorneys put Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the White House on the defensive. Before the Senate Judiciary Committee though, Gonzales was unable to recall… anything – and eventually resigned from his position.

Blackwater shootings: When a Blackwater security detail gunned down 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, not only was CEO Erik Prince called to testify before Congress but it called into question the practices of the private security company.

GAP child labor issue: This year it was GAP’s turn to catch heat for child labor practices. The much-maligned retailer came under fire for working with a vendor in India who used child laborers.

Pet food industry recall: Recalls involving hundreds of products left shelves in the pet food aisles barren for weeks. In response, the industry created the National Pet Food Commission.

Don Imus: Though his ratings weren’t what they used to be, the original “shock jock” had to realize people were listening when he used a racially charged term to describe the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. Not only did advertisers pull out, but Imus was fired days later.

So….what was the takeaway for you, from these situations? Do you see any trends? Which of these do you think was handled the best? The worst?

Related posts:
Don Imus: The dark side of social media?
Jet Blue goes bold
What would you advise: PR Nightmare

Precision adds to credibility

January 6, 2008

I flew into Marco Island, FL on Saturday to speak at a conference. During the flight, the pilot came over the PA system to tell us that he’d "have us on the ground in 37 and one third minutes."

My first thought was…guess he knows what he’s doing.

In marketing materials, copywriters have a tendency to use round numbers or catch all phrases like "well over two thousand." What if instead the writer had used 2,482?

Which one feels more real? More accurate? Which one gives the communications piece more weight and credibility?

Exactly. So be exact.

Ten things you didn’t know about Toby & Liz

January 5, 2008

So here’s how this went. Toby (Marketing Diva) and Liz (Successful Blog) got tagged by Shel Isreal. They decided rather than share 10 secrets about themselves, they’d create 10 things about Shel that Shel didn’t know.

Then, Toby tagged 10 people, including yours truly. So I decided to continue along the vein that the ladies started. So, without further ado, here are 10 things you didn’t know (and neither did they) about Toby and Liz.

Toby:

On Tuesday nights, Toby (in a fabulous black wig and hot red dress) sneaks down to Atlanta’s infamous Kitty Kat Lounge, where she performs as the torch singer, Lulu Larue. She actually is on the piano when she sings. Totally true.

In 1998, Toby was awarded the blue ribbon for her peach cobbler at the Georgia State Fair. Totally true.

Being the genteel Southern lady that she is…Toby actually outfits herself in a hip hat and some shades to get into her Diva persona. Totally true.

Toby is a trained dog whisperer. In French. Totally true.

When asked what her favorite swear word is, Toby demurely replied, "pooey is what slips out when I’m REALLY mad." Totally true.

Liz:

Being the connected and sought after Chicago socialite that she is, Liz has Oprah’s super duper secret cell phone number. When Oprah calls Liz…her special ring tone is the theme song from the Color Purple. Totally true.

Liz has not slept a wink since 1987. This explains her "can’t be humanly possible" output of work and the fact that if you comment on her blog, she will always comment back within 16 seconds. Totally true.

If you haven’t spoken to Liz on the phone, she has a very husky, Kathleen Turneresque voice. But you can hear her…she’s the official voice of Maxim magazine. When you call to order a subscription, it’s Liz who says, "what free gift would you like with that, Tiger?" Totally true.

Liz can actually trace her family tree back to Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press. Totally true.

For fun, Liz filled balloons with whipped cream and drops them from her condo’s balcony on unsuspecting passersby. Totally true.

As you might guess…I am not brave enough to tag anyone. Let the tomfoolery end here.

Update: So much for that plan. Within a nanosecond, Steve added to the tomfoolery. Read about my secret life.

Apparently the presidential candidates missed the memo

January 4, 2008

The Iowa caucus of 2008 is history. We all know who is viable, which messages resonated and which candidates need to re-tool.

But here’s what I know. Not one of the candidates got the memo.

What? You haven’t seen it either? Hmm. Maybe it got bogged down with all the holiday cards and political post cards. Okay…let me share it again.

TO: Presidential Candidates of 2008

FROM: The American people

SUBJ: How we’d like to hear your message

DATE: From now on

Thanks for caring about our votes. Really.

We appreciate that you want to share your ideas and vision for a different and better America. But things have changed since the last election and we thought it was only fair to clue you in on how we’d like you to conduct your campaign. Here are some key truths we’d like you to know.

We don’t want to be hunted down like rabid dogs: The good old days of you being everywhere we look are over. We want to decide when to listen. Where to listen. And who to listen to. Stop sending your volunteers to knock on our doors. Stop invading our homes with your stupid recorded messages. Don’t force us to hide from you.

Frequency is one thing. Overkill is another: We all know the marketing maxim — tell them and then tell them again. But know when enough is enough. We don’t need a new postcard every day. We don’t need to see the same commercial so often that we can recite it with you. Show some fiscal responsibility and stop wasting your supporters’ money.

We do care about your plans. But you can’t explain them in :30 TV spots: TV spots are a great medium for generating an emotional response. But we don’t want to just like you. You’re not selling beer. You are selling our future and our kids’ future. We want to know what you’re going to do. Tell us in detail. Give us facts. Not spun facts — real facts. Be relevant or go home.

And you can’t use weasel words either: As soon as we hear the standard political rhetoric, we start calling bull%$#*. You see, we’ve been advertising consumers for too long. We know all the tricks and we’ve stopped believing them. A long time ago. Talk straight.

Sometimes we don’t need you to talk at all: Give us places (websites, blogs, etc) where we can explore for ourselves. Put real content there — not campaign highlights. No fluff. Just honest details about what you have done and what you want to accomplish.

A monologue is no longer acceptable: We are tired of being talked to. We want to talk back. We actually want to initiate some conversations. No matter who wins this election — you’ll be just fine. But for many families and businesses — this is a make it or break it election. We want to participate and we do not want to be ignored until you decide to talk at us again.

Leave the other guys alone: You really should have gotten this one by now. When you take a swing at an opponent, it makes you look scared and desperate. Or like a bully. either way — not so good for you. If you don’t have anything important to say about yourself – then you probably need to just go home.

Be a good guest: There are two kinds of guests. Those you’re sad to see leave and those you can’t wait to wave goodbye to. How did you leave your Iowa campaign headquarters today? How will you leave the meeting halls in New Hampshire. What would happen if you sent your volunteers to do some good once a week or month. Read to some kids. Feed the homeless. Visit the elderly. Not because there are cameras running but because you want to set a good example.

Just try to be a real human being: We are really looking for a candidate we can trust to speak for us. We want to like you. More important, we want to believe in you. Stop thinking of every appearance as a "show" and every human being as a vote. Tune out your advisors, stop worrying about the perfect sound bite, don’t give us the thumbs up and goofy smile. Just be real.

That’s it. Easy stuff. We’d really appreciate it if you’d give these ideas a spin. Thanks for listening. We really hope you’ll try it again soon.

P.S. The same rules apply to your business and mine. How many of these old school marketing sins are you guilty of?

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