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.

Sex sells (Now maybe people will read my blog!)

So we have all heard the phrase that sex sells. Well does it really? Short answer is yes. Now this would not make for a good blog post so I figure I will give my two cents on why sex seems to work so well.

I have a theory with advertising and marketing and the most effective campaigns. The best campaigns have that "Wow Factor" that leaves the audience with quite an impression on the company or product. Sex just so happens to be one of the items that can work and that is why it sells. Humor is also one of those huge aspects of advertising that just works for some companies. Look at Budweiser and the famous Bud-Weis-Er frogs from so long ago. Spokespeople also work along the same lines. Michael Jordan had a great run with Gatorade and Nike.

Basically I guess my reasoning behind this post was to partly debunk the "Sex Sells" line while also showing why the line is true. Confusing, I know. Also I wrote this to show that sex does not have to be used in advertising as Humor, Spokespeople and more can be used. You could say that lazy advertisers use sex to sell their products but that too is not entirely true. There are products and companies that have used sex to sell their products VERY effectively. As with any campaign you must take a look at the target audience, your product and the company culture to determine if sex works. Basically my blog post has been a way for me to declare the validity of and uselessness of sex in advertising.

If that was not confusing for you then you are my hero. That is all.

Social Media Meltdown

So a while back I talked about a few new-er social media apps; Loopt, Wave and Foursquare. Time has come and gone and I have decided on a winner (in my book). Of course this is just my personal preference so take it as you will, and try to convince me otherwise in the comments!

My last place app would be Loopt. I honestly did not keep it long as it did not have the "wow" factor that made me want to keep using it. Basically I could do everything Loopt can do (minus actually looking for a place to eat) with Twitter. I did not see the benefit to using the app and stopped using it very quickly.

Next up is Wave. I left this at second place because I kind of still use it. A group of friends and I get together via Wave to talk about music but the conversation starts to lag.... not due to our lack of knowledge on the subject but due to the service itself. Our group only consisted of four members at that time, really? This shouldn't happen. At least it is free and technically still in closed beta so maybe it will get better.

Next up, and my favorite, Foursquare. What sets Foursquare apart from the other location based apps is the game you play. Checking in is fun and all but the first time you get that Mayor status you get a little sense of entitlement. Upon losing a mayor status, it is like being demoted at work. You almost feel like less of a person and you try to win it back (great news for the business). Becoming mayor of even more places or getting more badges then your friends is like street cred. You have bragging rights.

I have been exchanging Tweets with (I guess you could say) friend on Twitter about this service lately and have come to the consensus that it is just plain addicting. Going out of your way to "check-in." The history of my Foursquare looks like a listing of local restaurants. It is a unique way to show ownership of your local area and to share it with your friends. If you are afraid of sharing your status, you can not send it to Facebook or Twitter but if that is not good enough you can always set Foursquare to hide your whereabouts even from friends on Foursquare.

The way I see it is Foursquare is stimulating the economy, one check-in at a time. Can't go wrong with that.

Too many hands....

So I had the great opportunity to meet with a business group today. Let me put it this way, and I hope it does not sound harsh, the company has potential but will not grow as it is presently constituted. The problem? Too many ideas from too many people. In theory the idea behind the company is great, get people from as many different specialties as possible to generate the greatest amount of ideas that do not cost anything to implement (ok so that last part is not as conducive to making money but that is not the point of this post). The problem is the amount of "expertise" in the room.

What I have found from my business traveling's in the small business world is that sometimes you just need to jump in to test the water. The more you think about your product/service the more you will over think. Now this is not always the case but 9 times out of 10 this will happen. Am I advocating not having a plan? No. I am advocating having more of a guideline and that you tweak it as you go. You need to stay flexible when starting and running a business as change is inevitable. Taking on business partners can be good, as long as you do not have too many and they all know what role they are to play.

Remember my motto, Dive in and Adjust your Plan!

Best, Guaranteed, Most Effective Social Media Marketing Techniques!

So I hope you did not come to this blog looking for the tips that would make you a super star social media marketer in the eyes of your employer because, much like those late night get rich quick schemes, there is no one formula for hitting it big. What you need are the basics and a willingness to learn. Now that will not get me a spot in a big marketing seminar but honestly I am here to give my insights. What I can do is give you my steps towards potential social media greatness... after all if you wanted a strict proven formula for success you would have chosen a field other then marketing.

First and foremost, you need to jump in. You can learn everything from book... or in this case websites, but if you do not take that first leap, noting is going to happen. Research is of course key. That part of marketing should not be left out as you NEED to know who you are targeting, which kind of social media they use most (but honestly jumping into Facebook, Twitter and blogging are going to be your best bet... at first) and what they look for online.  Once you have the basics about your demographic you need to take that leap.

After jumping in you need to tweak your strategy. Yes you still need somewhat of a strategy to get this done but the strategy is flexible. The way to tweak the strategy is to continue learning from your favorite social media marketers, be they bloggers or actual companies that you feel are doing a great job. Follow them, learn from them, observe their ways. This is how I have actually learned the most. I have seen what true social media dialogue should be.

Ask your followers. When you get a few, a certain number to be determined in your strategy, ask them what they want from following you. If you rely on the people who you are trying to get in touch with, there is a good chance others are going to feel the same way. As you ask for information you will also make your followers feel part of the process. They will be invested in you, your online strategy and your company, WIN-WIN!

Next up is do not be pushy. We all know the hot used car salesman that always gets on everyone's nerves. Why are they everyone's favorite? They only talk about the sale. Don't be that guy. Talk about news that is pertinent to your industry, look for glowing reviews of your product and retweet it out for others to see and you can always take the Best Buy route and go for a support squad, looking for opportunities to service your potential customers. One of my favorites is the good old contest/giveaway approach, for questions geared towards your business off course. Do not be the used car salesman of Twitter, for all of our sakes.

I will also say that you need to innovate. Try something new. Use social media as a way for people to receive discounts or special information on sales. There are a number of ways for you to innovate and bring more customers to your website. Be creative.

These are the basics. Build on them. Just remember that there is no true secret formula to success on the interwebs, no matter what you are told. Look into the blogosphere and even Mashable, they are good people.

Advertising on Quack!

So I was watching the season premier of 24 this past weekend when I happened upon the new ad from the Zimmerman Agency in Florida and the supplemental insurance company AFLAC. This new campaign is challenging the public's notion that AFLAC is just like their major medical insurance provider and that there is no need for the company's products. Having sold insurance for the company for a few years I understand the frustration that the company is going through. They have only recently started advertising what they do. The ads that originally came out did not give a lot of information, only the annoyingly cute duck spokes-animal.

What they are trying to do now is dispel the myth that AFLAC is like all the other insurance providers that are considered the primary insurance. The "supplemental" title has started being used (I am not going to go into detail about the differences between the two types of insurance as the purpose of my blog is not to try to sell products or services.... besides, I will not get a commission off any sells made (; ) to differentiate itself.  It is great to see the strategy expanded. Could the spot be better? I am sure. I do love the challenge to find out more but maybe they could give an incentive to those who do try to find out more. The typical consumer has been ignoring their ads for years so will this really help? Hopefully more then I give them credit for.

Check out the splash site they have set up to complement the campaign and see if you "know quack."

Social Media Marketing Continues!

So I have decided to dive into a few new social media sites to try their worth and I must say I am impressed with what I see. I am going to list a few of the newer services I have been trying out and mentioning what I see as the marketing opportunity for the service.

First let's go with Google Wave. This new service is invite only (for those that may want to try I have a few invites.. let me know). This service has great potential... for the business end of the spectrum. I see this service as a supplement to an instant messenger/email service with a little bit of the conferencing built in. I can see Google is trying to take over the internet and doing a really good job of it. This is a great cooperative site that may not be for consumers but by using Google Groups with this could really do a lot. Sadly this needs a little something extra  to really be pick up on by the consumer masses.. still a great product.

Next is Loopt. Loopt is a great little service to get to know your surroundings. Hungry, find some good food close by. Need to find your friends? Well as long as everyone has a GPS-enabled phone your can find them if they are close. Need to find something to do? Find events nearby. It is a great service to fill up your weekend. Enable it to connect with your other Facebook and Twitter to let your newer social media challenged friends know what you are doing. Great little service to figure out what is going on.

Finally I am now trying out Foursquare. This app seems to be a great idea for local businesses. One can check in at different place (much like Loopt) but the kicker is you can set up your own list of your Top 12 places and your Top 12 "To Dos" for the new people coming in. What is great is you can become a "Mayor" of certain places by checking in so many times. Really like your local bar? Check in and become Mayor. Then you can let everyone know. While this service is still pretty new, Mashable's founder has spoken very highly of it, including the fact that it could very well be the next Twitter. Check out this article detailing the possibilities behind the service.

Check out the new social media platforms and vote for your favorite by using it. I am really leaning towards Foursquare myself and if you need a friend... on these services, comment and let me know!