This FaceTalk blog post talks about the two questions I get asked most frequently… “How much time is this going to take?” and “Can I manage this in-house?” Of course, Social Media can take up your entire day and night if you let it. And, that isn’t its intention nor will it be very productive for your main business… remember, that thing you do so well? Outsourcing at least part of your social media marketing efforts allows a professional to guide you down the path that will be most successful for your business and takes the heavy lifting off you and your internal staff freeing you up to be the most productive at what you do best. Watch the video for more!
Jul 15
This video blog discusses the rising importance of the location-based, social media platform known as Foursquare. Foursquare was “lovingly created in NYC” and is becoming a huge hit with consumers as they check-in here and become the Mayor of that. However, business needs to step in NOW and embrace this location-based social media platform for the marketing and loyalty-program that it is in order for user population and density to grow.
In other words, business CANNOT wait until there is “critical mass”… it must start offering things on Foursquare now and the more that do, the more users will join and want to use it because they won’t have to carry around loyalty cards that make their wallet thick or that they leave home because they forget them. In short, businesses must create the critical mass that will ultimately bring them huge success!
Businesses, meet the NEW generation of consumers… we want points and we want you to participate. Have fun with us and reap the benefits! 
Feb 26
Water coolers. Pre-Internet, we met around our respective office water coolers for commraderie and to dish the latest office gossip. Those water coolers were mini-communities where like-minded professionals met daily.
Fast forward to 2010. Internet water coolers are just a mouse click away, according to a recent online New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/business/media/24cooler.html?hp . These “water coolers”, “birdbaths”, whatever you want to call them, come in the form of Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.
In fact, the combination of Social Media usage with other media (i.e. television and the music Industry, to name two) is the latest buzz among industry leaders. As the article points out, “The Recording Academy, which presents the Grammys, mounted a digital campaign to promote the awards show this year, signing up Facebook fans and monitoring Grammy-related Twitter messages.”
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter allow people to get involved in communities that are larger than simply their local physical presence as well as communities that might not exist in a certain locale. They also allow for people to take place in real-time “conversation” and join ongoing conversation for a real group interaction. Just ask any “social media junkie”… they feel “disconnected” when they haven’t been active in their communities for whatever reason.
Another great example of this was this past Super Bowl. Millions of people met and took part in conversations that would never would have taken place had it not been for social media. People discussed the game, the commercials, the halftime show and the hoopla in general. Fans and rivals alike shared in the fun. It simply didn’t matter if that you might not be in New Orleans or New England (or Miami for that matter)… the cities became larger than themselves. This age of connectivity is amazing and invigorating to say the least!
Play like the big boys in the Recording Academy and wage your own super-effective and state-of-the-art digital campaign. Contact Chris Isaac (me) at birdbathBUZZ cisaac@birdbathBUZZ.com.
Feb 14
3 New Studies Show Value of Social Media & Businesses Slow Response
By Amy Porterfield
Published February 5, 2010
There are some interesting studies surfacing lately in the world of social media. Here’s a summary of three recent research findings covering the benefits of social media marketing, how forums help brands and how businesses are employing social media marketing.
#1: 50% of Small Businesses Say Lead Generation is Biggest Benefit of Social Networking
According to the “Small Business Marketing Forecast 2010” from Ad-ology, lead generation is the biggest benefit of social networking for U.S. small businesses.
Here’s the breakdown of respondents’ top benefits of social networking:
- 50%: Generating leads
- 45%: Keeping up with the industry
- 44%: Monitoring online conversation
- 38%: Finding vendors/suppliers
This chart shows the level at which the respondents found each social networking benefit useful.
Here’s a surprising statistic: While 67% agreed that social media is a good way to increase business, 39% of those surveyed said they did not plan to use social networking in their marketing plan in 2010. This number is likely tied to the finding that 31% reported that their customers do not use social media, 29% stated they do not have enough time to devote to it and 21% said they do not know enough about social media.
Although more businesses are beginning to adopt social media strategies into their overall marketing plans, this report suggests businesses still have a long way to go before social media is fully integrated into marketing efforts.
#2: Online Forum Users Are Enthusiastic Brand Advocates
According to a recent survey published by PostRelease, people who actively contribute to online forums are overwhelmingly more engaged in “influential” activities – both online and offline – than people who don’t use forums.
What’s most interesting about these findings is that a forum contributor’s influence far extends past the walls of the forum. Here are some statistics:
- 79.2% of forum contributors help a friend or family member make a decision about a product purchase – compared with 47.6% of non-contributors and 53.8% overall.
- 65% of forum contributors share advice (offline and in person) based on information that they’ve read online – compared with 35% of non-contributors and 40.8% overall.
- 57.7% of forum contributors proactively recommend someone make a particular purchase – compared with 16.9% of non-contributors and 24.9% overall.
There’s also an interesting correlation between forum users and blogging. The study found that those who contribute to online forums are 10 times more likely than non-contributors to also publish a blog, and are 9 times more likely to take an active role in organizing an offline event or meeting for a group that originally met online.
For marketers who are looking to connect with the key influencers in their niche, the findings suggest that online forums are a smart place to start; however, marketers should proceed with caution. Justin Choi, founder and president of PostRelease, writes, “Online forums are great places to find enthusiastic consumers and influential brand advocates. The people in forums are often discussing specific products, sharing advice and asking each other for recommendations. For marketers, participating in that discussion is not quite as simple as jumping into a forum conversation – forums have rules about that. But there are tools for connecting in a way that’s transparent and relevant.”
Here’s a snapshot of the behaviors and habits of people who contribute to forums versus the non-contributors.
#3: Only 47% of Companies Experimenting With Social Media
A study by Gartner predicts that by the end of 2010, more than 60% of Fortune 1000 companies will manage an online community. However, another study by ComBlu brings Gartner’s findings into question.
ComBlu’s study, The State of Online Branded Communities, shows how most companies do not understand how to engage within online communities and have no real idea of what their customers want on these sites. Furthermore, most companies are unaware that people interact on these sites in different ways, so many companies are merely pushing data with little or no interaction.
The report reveals that when companies do get people to join their communities, their lack of engagement is extremely obvious to the sophisticated user.
“Instead of engaging the visitor, the brand drives them away because they offer little of value. Consumers today are sophisticated users of social tools and seek out communities to learn, share and interact. If these elements are missing, or there is no obvious organizing structure that fulfills specific needs, the ‘faux’ community will be quickly abandoned,” stated the report.
Here are some interesting findings related to brands and their online community activity (or lack thereof):
- 47% of brands are still in the experimental phase, meaning they “exhibit lots of social activity with little connection or integration with each other.”
- 24% are community ghost towns, meaning there is no engagement and very few members with no return visitors.
- 20% show a cohesive strategy and typically had robust engagement tools and multiple activities with an active participation from their community.
- 9% show community overload with multiple messages to the same audience, most likely causing confusion and diluting the message.
Perhaps even more important, the study points out that some of the most effective online community best practices were used the least. Of the 135 communities they examined, only:
- 44 have a community manager. A community manager acts as the face of the community. Without one, there is no cohesive bond between the community sponsors and its members.
- 44 allow social networking. This practice allows community members to connect with each other and find shared interests, thus promoting further connection.
- 35 offer social bookmarking. This best practice gives community members a tool to personalize and aggregate their online experience at the brand’s destination site.
About the Author, Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield is a social media strategy consultant. Her passion is helping companies, authors and speakers create raving fans using social media and online marketing. Other posts by Amy Porterfield
Dec 06
I just came across a very cool web service called Aardvark (http://vark.com).
The premise is that you sign-up as an “expert” in your areas of knowledge. The interface is cool and simple… Ask or Answer.
Click on Ask and Aardvark will go out and find an expert to answer your question. Click on answer and you are presented with three initial questions that you might be able to answer. I found that I was able to answer one of them and give the person asking a clear and precise answer. Since I didn’t know the answers to the other two, I simply skipped them. I could have also referred the question to a friend or someone in my network that I know has the answer to the question.
Sign-up was super-easy! It interfaces seamlessly with Facebook and asks you a few simple questions and you’re on your way. You can expand your network via Facebook and possibly other tools that I haven’t yet discovered.
In any event, I highly recommend a visit to Aardvark. You just might help answer an age-old question or help somebody on the spot with something they need right away. The return benefit is the same for you.
For more information and to sign-up for Aardvark visit http://vark.com
