Tweet me home!

So I have been a huge advocate of Twitter lately (as have most people that use it on a constant basis) and I have been pondering what this service means and how it should be used, especially in a business sense. What I came up with is a little old school, I will admit, but could help many people understand how to better use Twitter to their advantage.

I was thinking of the term "Mirco-Blogger" and conjure up images of Blogger or Wordpress and the one-way communication that typically happens with most blogs. Instead of this whole micro-blog I prefer to think of the old school chat rooms. Twitter is like a large chat room where you can be as selective as you want to be with who you see and can converse with. With this mentality maybe we would see less regurgitation of information and more of a dialog.

Another example that works well from the "chat room days" is the spammers. You look at what they would do (bring in links to click on without adding anything to the discussion) and you can see many companies doing the same thing. Be productive. Give, do not just try to take when on Twitter and you will do well.

Let me know what you think in the comments or hit me up on Twitter!

Are You The Manager of Your Social Media Future?

So I ran across this today when I logged into my Foursquare account. Go ahead and look... I am talking about the highlighted area that asks if you are the manager of the business. What is that you ask? Well I had to check it out for myself.

After clicking on the hyperlink it takes you to a page that explains what the business manager gets in return for claiming the venue:

In order to give you the power to create specials for your venue, we need to confirm that you're the person in charge of managing that venue.


In addition to being able to create specials for you location, Foursquare gives you access to its research:


By claiming your venue, you'll also get exclusive access to the stats we collect for your venue — how many people check in on what days and times, and lots of other goodies.


What I like about this "new" option (I haven't seen it before today) is that it is finally an option to track visits to your location. Foursquare will actually keep track of the visits for your specials. You are only allowed one active special at a time but can activate a new special at anytime.


Why is this significant you ask? Well this removes a barrier many small businesses have been facing to entering the Foursquare game. Before this it was a little more difficult to keep track of the specials and required more work on the part of the business owner. I applaud Foursquare's decision to make it easier to control the specials and look forward to what this is going to do for small business and the mainstream adoption of Foursquare's service. 


Gowalla has had a little buzz as of late (no social media pun intended) that would also be great as a blog post... maybe another post is in order?


What is your take on the new "fad" of geolocation apps? Will the fad fade or is this the next big thing? Do we even need geolocation? Let me know!

Social Media 102 - Reblogged

So I figured I would post this here because it pertains to small business as well as the nonprofit sector. This is from another blog I write for which can be found here. Enjoy!

So it has been a while since we last posted a blog update. Just know that we have not forgotten about the nonprofit sector but are truly trying to get this little company up and running to be able to help out with your social media needs.

Now you may be saying, "why does a nonprofit really need to use social media?" This is a valid question. Social media is something that many people do not understand or are actually a little afraid of implementing in the marketing mix because it is something you cannot control. Well hopefully this post will dispel a few of those fears for you.

Well first off, why do you need to use social media? My answer would be because it is a cheap and effective way to reach out to those who would actually help. Think about it, many people already use the RSS features of many news sites to keep up with what is going on in the world. Even if you just use Twitter like the RSS feeds, you are getting those who donate their time and goods to your cause. You can Tweet different needs your organization may have or even different events you may be having. Only those who know you and have had some contact with you will follow you. Same thing with Facebook. Set up a Flickr account to show the activities and service opportunities. There are many ways you can use social media to your advantage.

Next up, control. While yes it is technically true that you cannot control what is said about your brand on the various social media outlets, (and this is great for transparency) you still have a little control. First off you need to make sure what you are doing is ethical and the way your treat your volunteers is in line with how they should be treated. Of course you will still have some naysayers as that is just business but it is how you handle those negative remarks (and you MUST handle them) that will show your true worth as an organizational leader.

If you need any help, feel free to contact us at atsocialmarketing@gmail.com. More to come later.

"I'm an ideas man, Michael..."

So I have been thinking of little things I could do to make the Marketing world a little better place. Figured I might as well get my head wrapped around the idea of brainstorming on a regular basis for that day when I get a job. Well I figured I would share some of my ideas.... with the knowledge that they may get stolen at some point.  Well here it goes (and I am not sharing all my ideas... that would be stupid).

My first thought is on the location-based app world that is starting to bloom. It is no secret that I really like Foursquare. It has become an addicting little pass time  for me as of late. I began to think of how Foursquare to monetize their business (and this goes for Gowalla, Loopt and the others out there) and came to a conclusion. All of this data that these companies collect is VERY valuable. You find out how many people they usually show up with, what they are saying and how often they go (probably what kind of phone they checked-in on as well). This can be a lot of use for marketers. Why not sell this information to the companies? Now before you grab your I-want-my-privacy pitchforks let me explain that they would not get any information you are not giving to your social networks and you could opt-out of the personal information sharing, just the location sharing would be shared.

Start off with a pricing plan that for each location you want info on you pay a certain price. Then if you want info on your competitors you pay more. Well you can see where I am getting at here. This would help with the market research and make sure these budding social media companies stick around a while longer.

Next up I figured I would put in a PR idea I have. This also deals with Foursquare and the adoption of social media into your integrated marketing strategy. So you already use email marketing... or you should, and now you are diving into the realm of location-based sharing to get your company out there. You have your Twitter, Facebook, blog, Flickr and other social media profiles on your website. Now what? Well you can check to see who is Mayor of your locations and give them a little bonus or discount. You then mention the discount on your website to entice others to jockey for that coveted position. Even better, you post the profile or name of the current mayor of your locations on your Facebook, blog and email newsletter to encourage competition. You make people want to gain that mayorship to gain that recognition. Maybe give discounts for kicking a mayor out. You want turnover in that mayorship because that means loyalty and repeat business.

These are just some of my ideas. Take them as they come. Ask me for more... but the next ones will cost you (I want a job).

Social media 101 (reblogged)

So this is a little something for a side project I am starting up with a family member. What I have done here is explain a little about the social media realm for nonprofits. Sorry if it is a little shaky and hard to hear but I recorded it on my cell phone and at the park (in my car) because that was the quietest spot I could find at the time. Let me know what you think!
Originally from here.

Chew-a-licious Advertising

So as I was looking over some of the news articles on my phone this morning I came across one from Mashable that I really enjoyed. This article shows a great deal of "social sensitivity" from Trident Gum. Honestly a great piece.

So what I find great about this print ad is the fact that Trident took the time to find out what people were saying about their new gum. They way they did it was even better. I am so happy to actually find a company truly using Twitter in an advertising sense (yes best buy has done this to an extent with the @twelpforce but has not used unsolicited testimonials). This is what social media was made for. This is a great way for a company to find out what people are saying about the products and services and best of all.... it is FREE!!!! Previously one had to send out surveys or create a focus group to really find out what consumers were thinking but with Facebook and Twitter, Marketers are able to figure things out quickly and efficiently.

I really hope more small businesses and large ones get used to social media marketing. It is a great tool and not hard to learn. I look forward to more great ads like this one. Great job Trident Layers!

Ever get that feeling...

So recently I have been job hunting. Graduating during this recession has not lent itself well to finding a job. This is for a completely different blog post though. Like many of my peers, I have returned home to focus my energies on actually finding a job. In the mean time I picked up a job at a local credit union as a teller. I figured with this part-time job I would be able to completely focus on my task at hand, which is to find a real job. Normally I would also be working on something to increase my experience for my resume and while I continue using Facebook Twitter and the occasional blog post, I have not tried anything Marketing related. I have tried.... on occasion; and this is that story.

To give you a little more insight into the story, I will begin by saying that I have previously worked at this credit union in a marketing intern/analyst/consultant position. I worked on the re-branding analysis of the credit union, sales consulting, worked on the budget and had a few other projects while there. They liked my work and heard I needed a job to get me through the period from graduation to career so I got a part-time job. The marketing position was filled by a great lady while I went back to finish my schooling. Now comes the meat of the story.

A little while back (as I had not found a job) I was talking with the lady from the marketing department about starting a social media campaign for the credit union, as that is a very inexpensive yet effective way of reaching your end consumer. During this conversation I learned that they recently sent her to a conference about this very subject. Everything I had learned from my "experimenting and observing" on the social media front held true with everything she learned. I then proceeded to offer my assistance in starting this campaign (as I wanted to really try this out) and was told that in September they planned on implementing something and she would keep me in mind.

Well we are now half way through October and still no social media from this credit union. I am getting the feeling that it is not a priority for many companies. The only reason I can come up with is fear. Many companies, and those in the marketing departments, do not understand social media marketing and do not take the time learn. I, on the other hand, am not afraid. I ran a website for over a year and implemented a social media campaign designed around Facebook and a blog. After implementing this campaign I increased unique site visits 300%. That is a huge increase. I never would have achieved such results without social media marketing. My advice... take the leap and if need be, follow my advice in a previous blog post.

Dive in and take a chance. At least it will not cost you anything.

Tweet me something interesting

So lately I have really been enjoying the Twitter phenom that has swept the... well really the world. I can keep track of a few bands I like, get job postings and (sometimes) hear something from a brand I like. Now I say sometimes because I will send a tweet into the world and I get a "following" message from a company. I have no problem with that as I do not mind looking in on my favorite things, hence the Twitter account (that and I am no Oprah so I have to find my own favorites). What I have a problem with is the fact that they do not post. I understand that it is hard to keep track of every social media aspect but if you are going to do something it would be better to go all out, or at least part of the way.

Case in point, I have an obsession - yes I admit it - with a certain watch brand. I have yet to find the actual manufacturer on Twitter but there is an "authorized" retailer with the watches' name. Their last update was on July 4th. Pointless, if you ask me (but no one ever does).

Of course on the other hand I am following someone else who, amidst the few actual tweets of job positions I was promised, tweets "Mom Loses 48 Pounds in 2 Months. Read How a Busy Mom Lost 48 Pounds in 60 days with 2 Simple Products." Am I really following him so he can sell me this product? No.

Now I understand that he wants to make some money, we all do. I also understand that people are learning to use Twitter in new and exciting ways but this sort of promotion does not flow with Marketing. First off if he really wanted me to click through he should try something a little more in line with the "theme" of his Twitter page. I do not look at CNNMoney to learn about cooking and same thing goes here.

So after that rant comes how Twitter (and any other social media marketing) should be used.

The number one rule of Twitter, be genuine. We do not want to be sold a product but we want to feel like we are actually talking to a human. Social media needs to be a dialogue to really work. A great example of this is Best Buy's Twelpforce. The experts at Best Buy are on hand to answer all questions, via Twitter. That is service. Products are bound to be sold through this service and good will is established. Great PR and Marketing.

Number two. Search and Respond. Many companies and people are doing a good job of finding those who mention their products or even the competition's products but few go as far as to really work through problems. If I was a big time marketer I would be scouring the Twittersphere just as they now scan the blogosphere. It is a great way to find out what people think of your brand and you.

Number three. Don't forget to post. My pet peeve is a non-posting business account. Why spend all that time to find people and set up an account if you are not going to use it? I can honestly say that if an account goes without update, I will not follow it unless I have a very special interest in the Tweet-er.

I know this seems like it is going to take a long time to get set up and especially when there is only one person in the Marketing department. Well luckily there are a myriad of programs to run your Twitter. Programs like HootSuite work beautifully. Of course there are many more as this is the new "in" medium.

Twitter can be a great ally or a vengeful enemy. You choose.

P.S. I dare you to not follow my Twitter as it is not interesting and I use it more as a spot to air my thoughts....