tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15468075893321289532024-03-06T00:39:31.048-08:00James Gurd: The rise and rise of digital mediaThis is a blog that follows the use of eCommerce and social media (mainly by retail brands). The aim is to build content that is interesting, insightful and gives a glimpse into the ways in which digital media are changing the business mindset. It is not intended to be a solution, it is a discussion and I would welcome input and comments from anyone who shares an interest.James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-34044867581634526982010-04-08T06:29:00.000-07:002010-04-08T06:52:06.926-07:00Using social media for niche business - have your cake and eat it<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm always looking out for stories of niche business using social media to drive customer engagement and/or increase sales, so I was interested to learn via </span></span><a href="http://marketingdonut.co.uk/marketing/internet-marketing/online-networking-and-pr/how-we-got-together-online-to-boost-our-cupcake-businesses"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Marketing Donut</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> of two groups using Flickr to increase conversation around cake making and cupcakes. "Cupcakes!?", I hear you question. Well, yes. And you know what, I can see why social media would work for this product. Indulge me.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Who is using Flickr for cupcake indulgence?</span></span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The two groups are </span></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/cakebiz/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Cake Biz UK</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1401749@N22/">Cakes UK Style</a>, set up by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Karen Labett of </span></span><a href="http://www.tastylittlecakes.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Tasty Little Cakes</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and Svarna Singh of </span></span><a href="http://www.thelittlecakery.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">The Little Cakery</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. If you check the founders' websites, you'll see that social media is an important part of their business with prominent links on the homepage to profiles.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#545454;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Why is social media relevant?</span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Making cakes is fun yet challenging. I know from many hours spent as a kid trashing my grandma's kitchen in search of the perfect fruit cake. It is also a social activity because cakes are made to share and deep down, when cooking most of us want to know we've done well, so feedback and discussion is important.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Unless you're an expert, it's also hard to know the best way to bake a cake, how to blend the ingredients and how to get organised. This is where the advice of a wider community is valuable - we've all got some experience but there's nowhere to access the communal perspective. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Furthermore, when planning what to bake for your next gathering, you want to know what it's going to look like. The aesthetics of cake making should not be under-valued, a good looking cake catches the eye. Inspiration is often hard to come by, so tapping into the creative suggestions of other enthusiasts can be highly beneficial.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, information gathering, sharing and visualisation are important. This is where social media ticks the boxes and Flickr is the perfect fit.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#545454;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What value does Flickr add to the community?</span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The article from Marketing Donut highlights the lack of UK websites to cater for cake making enthusiasts and business owners. What these groups have done is identified a need and built a solution around social media to deliver the following benefits:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Central location for information sharing and advice</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Discussion threads are supported to encourage participation and problem solving</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Image library helps members share photos and display their skills</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">People can share their passion with like minded community members</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A separate groups exists for people running a cake business - this enables business owners to share knowledge and learn from each other to benefit the market</span></span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love this story because it emphasises how social media can be used effectively for niche business and niche discussion. The challenge is to find a need and then communicate this to the right people. Good luck to Karen and Svarna, let's hope their social media activity can influence and inspire other communities.<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanks to </span></span><a href="http://marketingdonut.co.uk/marketing/internet-marketing/online-networking-and-pr/how-we-got-together-online-to-boost-our-cupcake-businesses"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">The Marketing Donut</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for the article.</span></span></span></div></div><div><div><br /></div></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-77740341379287826182010-03-30T01:35:00.001-07:002010-03-30T06:05:34.799-07:00Waterstones - showing that Twitter can be fun for customers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is a lot of coverage of companies getting social media wrong but less focus is placed on celebrating those who do it well. As an industry we need to be more positive and celebrate people who demonstrate creativity and innovation in their usage of social media. Last week I came across a Waterstones promotion available to its Twitter followers - the Golden Ticket Treasure Hunt.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The promotion</span></span></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are 10 Golden Tickets hidden around the website</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Waterstone's tweets a clue to each one</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Followers scramble the site using their clue solving skills to locate the golden ticket</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Followers then email when they have found it</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">First correct reply wins the prize</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Different prize for each Golden Ticket</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Prizes are showcased on landing pages linked to via Twitter</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Additional clues are given from time to time</span></span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImP7DW3waE4dvUWsCyZ10gMPi6PGFzibwe0x8GGKPAOrCOA110w27GJ_0K-RySsusWsd0Jzh-ptN5oQS5xBuxt7KKHV2M-WgxpR_Or-aryExZ27RQCxRup4KwRrwaqAT47Q8OEvGHp6g/s1600/Waterstones.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImP7DW3waE4dvUWsCyZ10gMPi6PGFzibwe0x8GGKPAOrCOA110w27GJ_0K-RySsusWsd0Jzh-ptN5oQS5xBuxt7KKHV2M-WgxpR_Or-aryExZ27RQCxRup4KwRrwaqAT47Q8OEvGHp6g/s400/Waterstones.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454346988016880258" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The benefits</span></span></span></b></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Greater engagement of Twitter followers - during each treasure hunt Waterstones is talking to its followers</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Driving traffic to the eCommerce website</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Customers spend more time looking around the site to solve the clues</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Increase product views and appreciation of range diversity</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ancillary sales generated off the back of this activity.</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Whilst the format is hardly revolutionary (Willy Wonka anyone?), the delivery was neat and fun. And this is where I think social media has great potential - driving brand engagement by giving people something of interest that they can play with. We all like to be distracted for a while and business doesn't always have to be serious.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I would love to find out the actual impact of site traffic s0 have asked Waterstones via Twitter. I will update this blog if they are able to share the information.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>*UPDATE*</b></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The kind peeps <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Waterstones">@Waterstones</a> have shared this info:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>"We've had double the usual traffic from Twitter, and as you can see we've had 882 new followers in 2 wks"</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So what do you think? Clever marketing or not?</span></span></div></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-42872892048428537242010-03-20T06:10:00.001-07:002010-03-20T06:35:28.097-07:00Do you need a mobile strategy?The latest data from ComScore shows a 30% increase in social networking traffic among smartphone users in the past 12 months. <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/06/12/new_study_shows_iphone_users_to_be_in_a_class_by_themselves.html">Research from Forrester</a> shows that iPhone users are more affluent than users of other smartphones. The average internet usage for an iPhone user is 100MB, x30 larger than on other phones. There is a lot of discussion about the shift from desktop to mobile and the prediction that in several years time eCommerce will be dominated by mobile browsing.<div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC33CC;">So this begs the question, do you need a mobile strategy?</span></b><div><br /></div><div>The obvious answer is yes but what exactly is a mobile strategy? At a basic level, you can optimise your website for mobile browser compatibility meaning that people using mobile devices can navigate your main website on their smartphone. However, I would argue that this is not a mobile strategy, it is simply enabling browsing via mobile devices.</div><div><br /></div><div>For me a mobile strategy involves integrating mobile commerce into your customer communication channels to ensure that they can interact with you using their mobile device. This goes beyond mobile commerce through to supporting communication and driving engagement via mobile channels. So what can this include?</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>Capturing mobile phone numbers and using these for customer service including order status updates</li><li>Targeting mobile users with SMS marketing campaigns</li><li>Developing mobile apps to provide added value, such as an iPhone app</li><li>Developing social media presence on mobile friendly sites such as Twitter, Facebook</li><li>Providing mobile as a response channel for customers</li><li>Taking micro payments for products and services</li><li>Optimising your web presence for local search to increase visibility when people browse on the move</li><li>Using mobile technology to improve internal communication between remote teams.</li></ul><div>Of course this comes down to relevance. If your audience is not using Facebook, focus on the other elements of a mobile strategy to add value. It's also important that each element of your mobile strategy is measured to ensure it is adding commercial value. There is no point building an iPhone app if nobody is going to use it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>How do you work out if this is right for you?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>First, check your web analytics data - what % of your traffic is coming to the site on mobile browsers? If it's a decent %, then there is clearly a mobile audience out there. Next, compare the performance stats for mobile visitors v other visitors - what paths do they take, how long do they spend on the site, are they repeat visitors, how much do they spend? If you have a decent traffic volume but poor conversion, it would suggest you need to do something better to engage your mobile audience.</div><div><br /></div><div>I appreciate this is a simplistic analysis - I would recommend you survey your customer base to find out what the mobile demands are. Analytics tells you what is happening, the voice-of-customer data will tell you why.</div><div><br /></div><div>For further reading, there is a useful post by <a href="http://econsultancy.com/blog/5481-mobile-commerce-should-you-have-a-site-or-an-app">Graham Charlton on the Econsultancy blog</a>.</div></div></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-71944245139387737582010-03-11T08:23:00.000-08:002010-03-11T08:56:12.921-08:00Local niche business owner using social to extend his brand<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It has been a while since I've had time to maintain this blog but as a freelancer I've decided I should prioritise it a little bit more. This week I found something that got me excited enough to want to blog about it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I got a call from Charlie, the owner of </span><a href="http://www.henryherbert.com/?utm_source=JG&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=100311"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Henry Herbert</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, a specialist London tailor who makes shirts, suits and overcoats. Everything is made in England and the twist of difference is that they visit you by scooter for a personal fitting. Personal service is at the heart of what Henry Herbert offers.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Charlie set up his website using Wordpress with a focus on content and blogging about the products and services. The site does not sell direct because it's such a customised service but he's turning to SEO and social media to increase brand exposure. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4425241590_39372af593_m.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4425241590_39372af593_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Early efforts with </span><a href="http://local.google.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Google local</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> have paid real dividends, generating strong click through and leads. For a mobile tailoring business that relies on bringing its skills into your home, local search is an ideal marketing channel. Next steps will be to add a listing to </span><a href="http://uk.local.yahoo.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Yahoo Local</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and extend the use of customer reviews on to the main website.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Another opportunity around local is to improve the landing pages for local search, providing content that relates specifically to a London audience.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Charlie has sensibly taken steps to build a social media presence. Word of mouth in this market is important and his </span><a href="http://twitter.com/henryherbert"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Twitter presence</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (</span><a href="http://twitter.com/henryherbert"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">@henryherbert</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">) provides a good platform from which to reach new customers and communicate the brand values. It is early days and the challenge now is to extend beyond simply pushing new blog content to engage with a local and national audience and generate dialogue and conversation.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I really love this business idea. For busy people, the opportunity to have an experienced tailor visit you where you want and take all the effort out of the buying process, is wonderful customer service. It reflects the increasing number of businesses that are offering mobile services, especially in the London area, and the online world provides a wide range of communication channels through which to capture new customers.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So take a look round </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.henryherbert.com/?utm_source=JG&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=100311">www.henryherbert.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and let me know what you think. How do you think a local niche business can use Twitter to build brand awareness and engage with customers?</span></div><div><br /></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-6193969661049825622010-02-23T07:40:00.000-08:002010-02-23T07:49:57.239-08:00The Winter Chill hits the fitness raceFebruary has been a real pain in the arse. Having finished Jan in good spirits and well on my way to reaching half marathon fitness ready for the South Coast Half Marathon on 21st Feb, I suddenly discovered the flu. Not the man flu us gents are so often ridiculed for by the unfairer sex but real, smack in face, wipe you out for weeks type of flu.<div><br /></div><div>So my training has been well and truly screwed. I spent the first two weeks of Feb sulking at home dosed up on Tamiflu, which sounds more liken a ladies' hygiene product than a medicinal cure. To be fair to Tamiflu, whilst they may have cornered the market for flu anti-viral treatment and raked in serous £££ from the NHS, the little tablets do work. Unfortunately, there is a risk. One of the disclaimer side effects is kidney problems; so, I might not have a fever, i'll just experience agonising pain from renal failure. Bonus.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's only now at the end of Feb (Tuesday 23rd to be precise) that I've been able to muster the enthusiasm to get out and run. And i've picked a freezing day with driving, pouring rain. Marvellous. However, despite the pain and the tiredness and the overall mental desire to quit after 5 mins, I managed to drag my sorry backside round 6.5m and still do it well under an hour. Strangely, though it has ripped the lungs apart and kicked up a coughing fit, I feel mentally much better and stronger. It is amazing the impact that exercise can have on your psychological and mental balance. </div><div><br /></div><div>So as Feb draws to a close, I can now get back on track. Alas I missed the half marathon on the 21st but there was no way I could have managed 13m after 4 weeks of no running. The next target is the Newham 10k on the site of the Olympic Park on Sunday 7th March. Fingers crossed the renal side effects don't kick in.......</div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-15602910654949129472010-01-27T10:50:00.000-08:002010-01-27T10:58:43.343-08:00Running on empty<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It has been a tough first month of training to blow away the Christmas cobwebs and shed the love handles. It started so well with some new year enthusiasm but then it snowed. And it got cold, really cold. And my feet started to hurt. And I added Sky Sports to my Virgin Media package. The schoolboy error is haunting my every move.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">However, through wind, rain, snow, hale and sheer laziness I've kicked myself into action and hit the road. At the start of Jan I struggled with pace and was managing 6.5 miles at around 8.15 minute mile pace. Having given myself the target to complete a half marathon at 7 minute mile pace, I was a bit gutted.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As Jan progressed, I've gradually upped my distance to 10 miles and comfortably doing this at 8 minute mile pace. However, the killer blow was a recurrence of my old ATB injury that has meant everytime I try to increase the pace, my leg falls apart and I spend days in pain. So after much soul searching, i've made the sensible (for once) decision to stop obsessing about times and focus on being able to complete my races and keep going.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have to admit, after the initial sulk I'm now really happy that I've made the decision to focus on distance and enjoyment rather than the illusory time. I'm regularly knocking out 10 mile runs and this weekend (Sat 30th) will be the first 12 miler.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've also being playing regular 5 a-side football on Monday evenings down in Putney and this has helped my core aerobic fitness massively. It is also more fun than running around the freezing roads of Ealing.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So all in all, a positive first month of training and now only 3 weeks to go before my first competitive race, the Portsmouth Coastal Half Marathon on Sunday 21st Feb. If you fancy helping me reach my fundraising target of £1,000 then please visit my </span><a href="http://www.justgiving.com/rosemaryfoundation"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">justgiving.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> webpage.</span></div><div><br /></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-65004624000411580822009-12-19T05:48:00.001-08:002009-12-19T06:29:49.863-08:00Raising £1,000 for The Rosemary FoundationThe last month has been a manic time moving into freelance world. My current Client projects and other commitments such as guest blogging for Econsultancy, I'm not gettting the time to dedicate to my personal blog to write content worth reading. As I don't want this blog to descend into the pits of content for content's sake, I'm changing its purpose.<div><br /></div><div>Charity is something close to my heart. In 2009 i've not done any direct fundraising myself, having supported others instead. 2010 is the year I get back to fundraising and i've chosen the wonderful <a href="http://web3.open2web.co.uk/rosefound/ABOUTUS/tabid/89/Default.aspx">Rosemary Foundation</a> (previously the Sue Ryder Home) to contribute to. This is a Charity close to my heart. At the end of 2008 my Grandad was diagnosed with lung cancer at the ripe age of 87. In Feb 2009 the doctors told us it had spread to his brain. The brain cancer brought a quick end to his life, in a matter of weeks. The Rosemary Foundation gave my Grandad and family incredible and selfless support during that time, helping care for him so he could bid us au revoir with dignity from the comfort of his own home, the home he had shared with my Nan for so many years. I can't thank them enough for the care and consideration they showed my Grandad and I know that he will be eternally grateful.</div><div><br /></div><div>As with many local Charities, they are not-for profit and self-funded. Every penny counts and helps the wonderful nurses support families like mine. I've set myself the target of raising £1,000 by the end of 2010 and will be running several organises races to achieve this....more to follow.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will be using my blog to keep tabs on progress and write about the events I enter and the joys of training through Winter.</div><div><br /></div><div>I appreciate that there are many amazing Charities and solicitations for financial support are frequent. However, I would not be a serious fundraiser if I didn't ask for support so I would welcome any contributions, either donations (via my <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/rosemaryfoundation">JustGiving website</a>) or spreading the word to your connections and across your networks.</div><div><br /></div><div>To find out more about the <a href="http://web3.open2web.co.uk/rosefound/HOME/tabid/37/Default.aspx">Rosemary Foundation</a> please visit their <a href="http://web3.open2web.co.uk/rosefound/HOME/tabid/37/Default.aspx">website</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you have any questions or suggestions for how I can hit my £1,000 target please drop by and say hello.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the meantime, happy Christmas!</div><div><br /></div><div>thanks</div><div>james</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.justgiving.com/rosemaryfoundation">http://www.justgiving.com/rosemaryfoundation</a></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-29591991914815311672009-11-06T03:13:00.000-08:002009-11-06T04:07:36.153-08:00What is social media marketing?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The term "social media marketing" is now the buzz word du jour, with social networking taking a temporary back seat. But what exactly is social media marketing and what can you do with it?</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My abbreviated definition is this:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><i>"The integration of social media channels into your marketing and customer communication mix"</i></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yep I know that sounds very marketing lovey but it makes sense if you take it bit by bit. Social media provide a channel to market, another communication option for you to talk to and with customers. The culture of marketing is changing thanks to the community aspect of social media - dialogue and engagement take precedent over push marketing (i.e. broadcasting messages without interaction). This offers an excellent communication channel. Therefore, I see social media marketing as the creation of, participation in and nurture of communication, wherever that communication takes place.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The wonderful thing (in my humble opinion) about social media marketing is that the impact, whilst you can influence via intelligent planning and execution, is in the hands of the community. They either like it or they don't - the word of mouth element is determined by influencers who can help spread your message like wild fire or send it to an early grave. The difference from other online marketing like email is that the global reach is far greater and the share of information quicker - and the expectation for engagement is higher.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For me, social media marketing requires an understanding of the new rules of engagement, an appreciation of netiquette (the etiquette of social networks). It goes beyond selling something to someone. It relies on building relationships and helping people to find the information they need, quickly. If done well, it builds brand loyalty and reputation. If poorly managed, it will lose your potential customers and damage your brand.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is a good </span></span><a href="http://ow.ly/zOf1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">article from Jay Deragon</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on the impact of social media on marketing communication. I like it not for what it teaches me but for the way it is expressed - social media marketing involves people and, therefore, emotion.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In summary, social media marketing:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">Integrates social media into your marketing mix</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">Provides a platform for customer engagement</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">Supports offline and online marketing programs</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">Enables brand and reputation monitoring</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">Supports your customer service framework</span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What is your definition of social media marketing?</span></span></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-71360484280394398232009-10-31T04:48:00.000-07:002009-10-31T05:23:06.061-07:00Wiggly Wigglers gets social networking<a href="http://server-uk.imrworldwide.com/pdcimages/Global_Faces_and_Networked_Places-A_Nielsen_Report_on_Social_Networkings_New_Global_Footprint.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nielsen Online research</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> shows that blogs and social social networks are more popular than personal email and that the audience is spanning the age groups. Facebook has fast become one of the most influential social networks globally - according to </span></span><a href="http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=46881667130"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mark Zuckerberg</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, if it were a country, it would be the 8th most populated in the world.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, with such a large audience and fan pages/groups to take advantage of, surely every business can reap the rewards of Facebook presence? Wrong. There are Facebook fan pages going to seed because the owners are passive and expecting their potential audience to do the work for them. That is not social media, that is lazy marketing. </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ebuyercom/25406059349?ref=ts"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ebuyer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is the perfect example - their discussion board has not been updated since 30th Jan 2009 - what is the point? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">However, amongst the chaff there are some good people building fun communities whilst adding commercial value via networking.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3120520301&ref=ts"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wiggly Wigglers</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is a great example of a brand that understands the culture of social networking and the need to build engagement with its customers. Its social presence is driven by the owner, Heather Gorringe, who adds a personal touch to all communication. This is why I think Heather and the Wiggly team have got the mix between strategy and passion spot on:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/life/meettheteam/index.html?-session=shopper:D56AA2CE192c51DB9DuYI115F718"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Heather's personal brand</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> drives the social networking activity</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Their Facebook presence is integrated with other channels including </span></span><a href="http://wigglywigglers.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">blogs</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span></span><a href="http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/podcasts/index.html?-session=shopper:D56AA2CE192c51DB9DuYI115F718"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">podcasts</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, Twitter and main website</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The tone is relaxed, informal and open - it is not a corporate PR stunt</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is a genuine warmth and passion for the audience</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is interaction - comments are listened to and replies made, promptly</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Heather sends a regular (almost weekly) newsletter just to her Facebook fans</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The content in fresh, fun and engaging</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are frequent personal touches that give you a glimpse into the people behind the company - I love that they've named their choc Labradors Toast & Jam!</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And guess what, it's on-brand and incredibly effective and making you want to visit the website and tell your friends about it. I know, I have.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Please share your thoughts on Wiggly Wiggler's social networking presence.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-61691751977104303722009-10-25T10:02:00.000-07:002009-10-25T10:17:46.630-07:00Social search and the information bubble<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Google and Bing used the Web 2.0 Summit to lay down their </span></span><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/174131/realtime_search_google_and_bing_rivalry_intensifies_on_facebook_and_twitter.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">social search markers</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. A long anticipated move, the search engines have been pushing hard to improve their real-time search capabilities. In a nutshell, Bing is doing some nice tag clouding of trending Twitter topics (US only currently) as well as including Facebook content whilst Google announced an agreement with Twitter and the altogether more intriguing </span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220900052&subSection=News"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Google Social Search</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I’m not going to evaluate the two offerings here, this blog asks the question: “How will real-time and social search impact SEO?”</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A brief history of SEO</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Algorithms change. Frequently. Experienced website optimisers monitor these changes and decide what the next stage will be in the optimisation of the website(s) they manager. Most recently, Google Webmaster Central has announced the </span></span><a href="http://econsultancy.com/blog/4656-google-stop-wasting-your-time-on-meta-tags"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">demise of meta keywords</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, once the obsession of optimisers, and raised the question about the long-term future of </span></span><a href="http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/000751.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">page rank</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Google has long been the market leader with a devout focus on the relevance of SERPs to drive user experience. They have market domination in the UK because their focus has always been on search results, not content. Google changes its algorithm to keep pace with the way in which consumers search for, access and share content online. Yes, they exploit their position for commercial gain. However, they do so by ensuring the search engine works for online searchers. Integrating social media into the SERPs was the next logical step.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Why is social and real-time search relevant?</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">People are consuming, moving and commenting on content at a micro-level. Look at how </span></span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/16/jan-moir-stephen-gately-facebook-twitter"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Jan Moir</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">’s article on Stephen Gately’s death hit the headlines through social networking.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It is logical that search engines want to find a way to index and display user-generated content so that search results mirror the real world. If there is a trending Twitter topic yet a traditional search results page shows none of this content, browsers will turn away to an alternative information provider. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Real-time social media owners like Twitter were never realistically going to topple Google for all our search demands. However, integrating social search with the power of the major engines’ algorithms provides an enhanced service to consumers. In the future, when we search Bing or Google we will have the content of private and commercial web owners as well as conversations taking place on social networks. We can begin to build up a contemporary view of individual topics and not just rely on historical commentary. If you add in blog updates and mobile to the mix, you can see a 360 degree information bubble emerging.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Imagine the education potential? Want to teach children about the impact of politics? Get them monitoring the Twitter conversation using search engines and correlate this with historical evidence. A great example would be the social coverage of the </span></span><a href="http://mashable.com/2009/06/14/new-media-iran/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Iran Election</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (and the subsequent </span></span><a href="http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Habitat-Twitter-Row-UK-Furniture-Chain-Blame-Intern-For-Using-Iran-To-Promote-Spring-Sale/Article/200906415319105"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">backlash against Habitat</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> for breaking the etiquette).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">SEOs need to adapt and increase their capacity for social media optimisation</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Switched on SEOs are already planning social media optimisation (social network conversation management) as part of their overall website optimisation strategy. However, the importance this element now plays has increased as the major search engines place more value on social conversation. SEOs need to focus on:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The value of personal and commercial blogs</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Registering the brand across social networks</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Brand reputation monitoring and management</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Generating relevant content via social profiles</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Managing conversations effectively using cost-effective tools (such as Hootsuite)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Responding with a human voice to comments, questions, queries</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Producing relevant and valuable content</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Integrating social media planning with other marketing channels</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Engaging with thought leaders, influencers and advocates</span></span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This list in not exhaustive but covers the key elements of social media optimisation. What do you think? Are you committed to the value of social media in your website optimisation? Do you think there are other areas that I have not covered above?</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Please share your comments.</div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-62208334737306321162009-10-19T04:09:00.001-07:002009-10-19T04:13:23.703-07:00Social media and presentations - the speaker backchannel<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 15px; "><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; "><strong style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; ">Earlier this year I attended an event at which one speaker used Twitter to gather audience questions and then answer key themes at the end. He did not allow this to interrupt the presentation but it was made clear that questions would not be a 'hands up' affair. More and more speakers are now aware of and monitoring their presentation 'backchannel' (a new marketing buzz word for the bingo card). </strong></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; ">Yesterday, I read an interesting article from <a href="http://sn.im/socpres" target="_blank" title="Jeremiah Owyang social media in presentations blog" style="color: rgb(0, 58, 159); ">Jeremiah Owyang</a> outlining how speakers should integrate social into their presentation. Whilst I don’t agree with all of Jeremiah’s points (I will elaborate), I think speakers need to be aware that the penetration of social apps on mobile devices is making real-time commentary increasingly relevant.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; "><strong style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; ">What is the presentation backchannel?</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; ">The backchannel is the discussion about you or your presentation that takes places in other media, whether that is online or offline. The most direct channel where this is happening is on social networks like Twitter.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; ">This backchannel is real-time. Social media has expanded event dissection from the general hubbub of physical event networking spaces into online communities.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; ">I have direct experience of this. At Internet World, when I was not on the exhibition stand or attending seminars, I tweeted live from the event. I talked about the organisation of the event as well as the content of presentations. Included was constructive criticism of issues that made the event experience less than ideal. So, is this backchannel part of the future of presenting or is it a passing obsession of the attention deficit nation?</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; ">To read more on my thoughts about the relevance of the speaker backchannel and what you can do, please join in the debate on my blog on the <a href="http://econsultancy.com/blog/4805-do-speakers-need-to-weave-social-media-into-their-presentations">Econsultancy website</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; ">I would be interested to read your comments.</p></span>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-49799396822302820922009-09-30T10:54:00.000-07:002009-09-30T11:11:00.979-07:00Do websites need a social media landing page?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Social media is all the rage. Everyone and their dog is on Twitter, even if over 50% of profiles are ghost towns. The older generation is growing on Facebook more rapidly than the teens and content sharing has become a la mode. If you're not bookmarking (AddThis, Stumbleupon, Digg etc) then you're so last year.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">However, it is dangerous to assume that just because your website now has a social media angle, your customers will flock to it and engage like never before. Wrong. Why would they? Just because they use Facebook doesn't mean they automatically want to join your fan page. The world is crammed with stuff to do, networks to join, content to read, links to follow. If you want yours to get to the surface, you need to give your customers a compelling reason to join in.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With this in mind, I started thinking about how landing page optimisation could benefit social media activity. I don't mean the main page of your community section or your Twitter account background, I mean a page on your main website that communicates your social media presence and explains how customers can interact.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The logic is clear - social media is marketing, so to drive conversion (<i>Twitter follow, Facebook fan page sign-up, YouTube views etc</i>) you need to target customers with a relevant landing page. That landing page then needs to be optimised over time to drive click through and conversion. If you want the benefits of social media then be serious about marketing it to your customers.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>What content do I think sits on this page?</b></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Explanation of what you are doing and why - convey your passion</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">List of benefits to customers e.g. If you have a customer service query, use our Twitter account to get a faster reply</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Bio of each social media profile you manage - what, where, why, how, who etc</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Links to each profile</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Integrated into your analytics package - track links and page performance to enable benchmarking & optimisation</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Main navigation back into core pages of your main website - keep consistency</span></span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Take away thoughts:</b></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Get your customers excited about following you via social media</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Clearly communicate the benefits</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ask for feedback</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Encourage people to get involved and share their thoughts/ideas/content</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Enable people to bookmark your pages and share your content easily</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Look at the stats - how does the page perform?</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Test different ways to improve the page and keep asking your customers' advice</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What do you think? Is landing page optimisation missing from social media presence? Do you know a company doing this well?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Please share your comments. Thanks.</span></span></div></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-7409719233871597682009-09-11T07:27:00.000-07:002009-09-11T08:27:04.259-07:00BT using Twitter as a customer service support tool<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Twitter is becoming increasingly popular amongst retailers as a customer service tool. The likes of ASOS and Debenhams have embraced this angle, the former having a dedicated ASOS account for customer enquiries. This adds another feather in the bow of the micro-blogging service when it comes down to challenging the criticism that Twitter offers no viable commercial value.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This week I was nodded in the direction of </span><a href="http://twitter.com/BTCare"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">@BTCare</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> by </span><a href="http://twitter.com/GeoffreyB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">@GeoffreyB</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, Marketing Director at BT Retail Solutions and someone whom I follow on Twitter. So, I took a look round....</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">First impressions are good - </span><a href="http://twitter.com/BTCare"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">@BTCare</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> has a branded backround and has added some key profile info such as web address and location. The bio could do with some work though, very friendly but says nothing about who/what BTCare is and who is behind it. Nice links on the left to other BT Twitter accounts, good to see joined up thinking.</span></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRk0bMFvuCmTfUJOOhRK6yEkcn8vxlgs0qnCqx1HuYH24bO-yAxG9aPb5A763UCUuuRGG9s_2iGAQ7B-pm6LOQRf3rlxwrC2hZ8mKVRWp3FFx_w2BN_GKbNAUZtSweHW7VrV95LIiAM8/s1600-h/Twitter_CSExample_BTCare_Profile_090911.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRk0bMFvuCmTfUJOOhRK6yEkcn8vxlgs0qnCqx1HuYH24bO-yAxG9aPb5A763UCUuuRGG9s_2iGAQ7B-pm6LOQRf3rlxwrC2hZ8mKVRWp3FFx_w2BN_GKbNAUZtSweHW7VrV95LIiAM8/s400/Twitter_CSExample_BTCare_Profile_090911.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380230017289114770" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-size:13px;"><b></b></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What about the level of engagement and content?</span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This impressed me. There are a lot of replies to individual users, with a positive and helpful tone. There seems to be a genuine desire to help, it certainly does not come across as a “me too” attempt to leverage Twitter’s popularity. The #followers is testament to this – currently at 1,978. Yes I know that BT is a huge brand with a customer database of millions but I think the follower base is a reasonable size.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Without approaching BT with a genuine customer query/complaint, it still looks like BTCare is doing a good job as a customer service channel. I love replies like </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“@</span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/edwardlamb"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">edwardlamb</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> I do not think we can gain the information you require, however if you DM us your account details we can have a look for you!”</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. The tone conveys knowledge but also offers to investigate the enquiry further. This communicates authority, reliability and genuine care. I really like this.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOHNboutFfXL-PHuS5oPvFw8-NhEiEXT-VwGrC0HIHzBePKGKA5Zdom1b5I_uVqOmxYDxOT-UQ7pkMk2_WxiZ-ENGroGPH7V98z7vsiHwz4qKva0IfdLSdh5FxfBmTzv1WSh_4tE7t-0/s1600-h/Twitter_CSExample_BTCare_Tweet_090911.png" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOHNboutFfXL-PHuS5oPvFw8-NhEiEXT-VwGrC0HIHzBePKGKA5Zdom1b5I_uVqOmxYDxOT-UQ7pkMk2_WxiZ-ENGroGPH7V98z7vsiHwz4qKva0IfdLSdh5FxfBmTzv1WSh_4tE7t-0/s400/Twitter_CSExample_BTCare_Tweet_090911.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380231470497414178" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p></b></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And what of the commercial benefit to BT? </span></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Using Twitter as a customer service channel can help answer queries in real time. This will encourage customers to use Twitter, reducing the demand on other inbound channels such as email and the call centre. We all complain when faced with a complicated IVR: we don’t want to wait, we don’t want to press 1 then 2 then 1 etc, we want a real person immediately. If this is what we want, then we should start to embrace Twitter as a communication channel and be grateful that retailers are putting the resource into providing this service. It is not a right, it is a bonus.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">There are other benefits too such as raising brand awareness and managing negative comments.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What do you think of BTCare’s uses of Twitter? Do you have examples of other retailers using Twitter as a customer service tool? Please share and leave comments.</span></span></span></p>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-41785175759943048132009-08-28T01:38:00.000-07:002009-08-28T01:47:08.657-07:00How social media can support your affiliate program – a concept<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been putting together a proposal this week for affiliate management services. At the heart of the proposal is my belief that affiliate management revolves around communication and relationships. Yes, strategy and delivery is important but without the relationships your strategy will not be implemented effectively. This got me thinking (the mice have pushed the wheels!) about how social media could play an important role in building sustainable partnerships with your affiliates.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">In its </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/internet-statistics-compendium">Internet Stats Compendium 2009</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">, Econsultancy estimated the UK affiliate market @ £3.82bn in 2008 (22% year-on-year growth) with an estimated £227m paid out in commissions. According to the </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/uk-affiliate-census">UK </a></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/uk-affiliate-census">Affiliate Census 2009</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> (in association with Affiliate Window), 13% of merchants claim affiliates generate at least £600k in revenue per annum. That level of revenue makes Directors pay attention and the commission potential excites affiliates. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">However, at the same time, many affiliates feel that merchants need to be more open and honest in their communication and flexible when dealing with problems, such as commission queries. The most significant reason for promoting a merchant is the quality and quantity of links and marketing support they provide to their affiliate partners. With 34% of affiliates doing this as their full-time job, it is obvious that they will focus on the merchants who give them the best chance of generating revenue.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Communication is king. You need to keep affiliates updated with product/service developments so they know what they should be promoting. Then you should identify top performing affiliates and give them a bonus scheme that rewards their support of your website. Don’t see them as reference numbers on a report, see them as an extension of your marketing team, people who can positively influence your end customers and grow your business. Make them aware of the rewards you offer them. It is a numbers game and your ‘super affiliates’ need to understand what their potential is – talk to them, encourage them and tell them what they could earn with a little more focus – send them projections to whet the appetite. Then give them the collateral and promotions to achieve this for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">How can social media play a role?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Twitter</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">It is not practical to be on the phone all day talking to your entire affiliate base. Twitter can provide a direct communication channel, enabling affiliates to post questions and requests that you can respond to quickly. This could help reduce your inbox burden and enable affiliates to support each other with answers/suggestions, increasing engagement with your program.</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">If you set expectations for response times from the start, you could find that your affiliates get value from the Twitter exchange. There are spin off benefits – other potential affiliates can find you from your Twitter activity and every tweet with your company name builds brand conversation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Social Networks e.g. Facebook</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">A closed Facebook group for affiliates would enable you to update your affiliate base with information and enable them to discuss your products/services amongst themselves. The more enlightened affiliates will see the benefit of sharing tips with others to learn from experience and help each other increase conversion and revenue. They will also identify common problems and flag them up for your action.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Ratings and reviews</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Why not ask your affiliates to post reviews of the promotion and campaign collateral you provide? The best way to find out why campaigns are working/not working is to get feedback from the website owners using them. This could help your strategy and planning.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">If you offer customer reviews on your website, send affiliates a weekly list of the best rated products to help them promote these on their websites. Research proves that products with reviews have a higher conversion rate (Argos experienced 10% increase), so get your affiliates shouting about them as well.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Take away thoughts</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Affiliates feel that communication from merchants is limited – social media can provide one tool to help address this sentiment and increase the level of engagement across the program. If affiliates believe that you take them seriously and are working with them in partnership to benefit both parties commercially, they are more likely to promote your campaigns ahead of their other merchants. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">My key thoughts are:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Use social media to increase discussion with your affiliates</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Use social media to inform affiliates of product/service news and latest offers</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Reduce the need for phone & email support by offering customer service via social tools</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Promote your top rated products to your affiliates</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Increase conversation about your brand to attract new affiliates</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Give affiliates the tools to become brand advocates</span></li></ol><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Not sure your affiliates will embrace social? Ask them. Start with the big players and gauge the level of interest.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">What do you think? Will social media play a role in your affiliate program? Let me know your thoughts, would be interested to develop this idea with your input. <o:p></o:p></span></p>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-35794136860268640252009-08-21T02:04:00.000-07:002009-08-21T02:39:44.029-07:00Why social media makes Customer Service more importantI spoke to a friend last night who visited Iceland for his first wedding anniversary. He had treated his wife and splashed out on the Hilton which is apparently the second best hotel in Iceland.<div><br /></div><div>On arrival he was greeted with the news that the hotel manager had upgraded their reservation to the executive suite, on one of the top floors, affording spectacular views over Reykjavik. The reception staff wished my friend and his wife a happy anniversary and told them to shout if they need anything to make their stay more pleasant. When they got up to the room, there was a greeting card congratulating them and a bouquet of flowers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that is what I call customer service. The hotel knew about the special occasion because my friend added this to the comments field when booking online. However, the fact that the manager made the effort to give them something for nothing and that the hotel staff were all aware of the importance of the occasion is testament to a company that takes customer service seriously.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a result of this kindness, my friend has recounted the story to almost everyone he knows. He added an update to his Facebook account when he was over in Iceland saying how happy he and his wife were. That message instantly reached hundreds of people. Following a conversation in a pub, I'm now writing about this and will link to it across my social networks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why? Because it illustrates the point that positive customer service can have a ripple effect. One of the positive effects of social media is the ability for individuals to influence decision making via user generated content. This content could be on a social network like Facebook, in a Twitter tweet or in a review posted on a website. The fact is, with people sharing information (in some cases instantly) freely, the impact the actions your business takes can have a significant impact on your brand reputation.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you look back to the problem <a href="http://sn.im/socservice">United Airlines</a> created for itself when it damaged a customer's guitar, it provoked a chain reaction from the video posted to YouTube which amassed over 2m views from July 7th to July 12th after the story broke. The company's reputation was tarnished and they had to respond, eventually providing positive customer service. Social media provided the tools for an individual to express his frustration by the inept customer service he was provided. This social commentary influenced the opinions and actions of thousands of people globally. </div><div><br />For brand marketers and PR, I think this concept is proving hard to handle and also quite daunting. No longer can you rely on press releases to spin a positive line, you have to monitor brand conversations across the social space and learn to engage with people on their terms and in their networks. Communication is more pervasive than ever and companies have to respond by taking customer service seriously across the business; the adage that the customer is always right is truer than ever and how business deals with its customers is wonderfully visible.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why has social media changed the requirements for customer service? Because an individual can influence people globally which in turn can have a significant impact on a business. Perhaps investors will take stock and impress the value of good service on their management team because ignoring it could affect the value of their investments. </div><div><br /></div><div>Do you agree that social media is making customer service standards more visible and more important?</div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-22281902608655880282009-08-13T06:32:00.001-07:002009-08-13T07:42:58.212-07:00Investment in social media needs to be measured and not treated with kid gloves<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">Over the past few weeks I’ve been asked the same question by different people, assuming it’s not the voice in my head again. The question is, “How can I prove that social media is profitable?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">I don’t like this question – what do you mean by profitable? Do you mean net profit after all costs (including labour) have been deducted? If so, how do you calculate the involvement of all the departments in your social media activity, such as the Customer Service team that fields an email/call centre enquiry generated off the back of your Twitter updates?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">I much prefer the approach of measuring the impact of social media investment on your commercial goals. How you measure success will differ to other companies, so you need to establish your success criteria and then learn how social media works in conjunction with other marketing channels to support them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">Establish goals and measure outcomes<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">What I do advocate is defining your success criteria and then putting the tools & processes in place to measure outcomes against goals. At the heart of this has to be a web analytics tool (Google Analytics, Omniture etc). Behind this has to be a carefully constructed tracking program that ensures that every link that appears anywhere across your social networks includes a relevant tracking code. These tracking codes need to be logically segmented to ensure you can evaluate the impact of Twitter v blogs v forum presence v social networks etc. An example would be to set a goal in Google Analytics that targets increasing revenue for Category X on your website – monitor what % of the revenue increase is contributed from social media activity via the tracking codes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">Understanding sales attribution online<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">Another important step is to ensure your campaign stacking is working. What do I mean by campaign stacking? The ability to see which campaigns have influenced the final click. Your last click secures the sale but earlier clicks influenced it. Very much like raising brand awareness via TV advertising, a sale generated by email might have its origins in PPC or Affiliate. Prior exposure to your brand could have driven email sign-up and subsequent conversion when the time was right. Multiple channels working together to drive your revenue base. Therefore, you need to ensure your analytics reports can deliver the granularity of reporting needed to identify these interactions; otherwise you will end up making the wrong investment decision based on partial information.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">What should my success criteria be?<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">You tell me! I am a strong believer in setting both financial and non-financial goals. Why? Very much like a holistic PPC strategy, there is the short and long tail impact of social media. The short tail is activity that immediately generates website traffic and purchases, such as a special promotion to your Twitter followers (Accessories Online does this very effectively). This can be measured by key metrics like visits / orders / revenue / average order value / conversion.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">The long tail is the increase in customer engagement that builds brand loyalty and drives elements like newsletter sign-up and word-of-mouth. In the long-term, these elements can lead directly to generating new orders and driving incremental revenue. An example of this is using the Facebook fan page tabs to incorporate a newsletter sign-up option for your main eCommerce website. What monetary value do you assign to a newsletter subscription from your social media presence?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">Measuring social media is never 100% accurate<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">Why? You can’t track everything. For example, just before Christmas I found a tweet from a fancy dress/jokes/games retailer about Space Hoppers. We loved these at school, so I posted the link to my Facebook wall using Add This. Next time I met up with some school mates who live locally, Jimbo brought up the post on Facebook and we started talking about how cool Space Hoppers (and other things like Pogo sticks!) were. A few of them shared the link with other contacts in their social networks. I turned up at Jimbo’s New Year fancy dress party in my Superman outfit and was handed a surprise gift. Inside was a brand new Space Hopper! He had gone direct to the website but he did not use the original Facebook link to click through.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">The retailer could not have associated that sale with their Twitter activity. They could run a post purchase question for “What brought you to the site today” – still no guarantee it would be filled in accurately or you could effectively cover all options.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">My summary<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">From an evaluation perspective, treat social media the same as any other investment: define your goals and success criteria, implement a measurement program and regularly evaluate performance and fine tune your program to focus on what drives the most value (however you define value). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GBfont-family:";">But do me a favour – make sure you enjoy it. Social media is more than brand marketing, it should be exciting, fresh, engaging and most of all, you should have a real passion for this, not just treat it as the next great thing for online marketing. It’s not a toy, it’s a community waiting for your involvement, step in and say hello!<o:p></o:p></span></p>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-11806741456169694432009-07-31T01:42:00.000-07:002009-07-31T02:17:06.529-07:00Will Facebook shops be a new dawn for monetising social media?The question of how to measure & monetise social media investment has been a hot potato throughout 2009. Many brands are either embracing or interested in adding social media marketing to their mix but struggle to define how this investment can be planned, measured and analysed to ensure it 'adds value'. <div><br /></div><div>Over in the US, retailer <a href="http://ww4.1800flowers.com/">1-800 Flowers</a> (can you guess what they sell?!) has taken a bold and innovative step forward in the race to commercialise social media activity - they've worked with advertising network <a href="http://www.alvenda.com/">Alvenda</a> to launch a shop within their Facebook fan page. </div><div><br /></div><div>The big leap here is that customers can shop and buy without having to leave Facebook. Whilst the current storefront is Flash based, it is an interesting step towards evaluating the cash potential of engaging customers via social networking sites. 1-800 Flowers currently has a low fan base, 2095 fans as of July 31st @ 10am (UK time!). Imagine though the potential of selling to a niche audience as that number grows. Provided they continue to engage with customers on Facebook and provide relevant content and contribute to discussions, perhaps there is a viable commercial model in play.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why do I think this could work? Firstly the user interface is quick and easy - you don't need to be web savvy to order. Check out the screen flow below - clear navigation, buttons & calls-to-action:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRg7MYHXH2EDUnrt8AVYWcI8ekfkeXaFTtaWvQyu3LLTj9my58-_V643CT1Mo5MRaOKxFvgeB4agTOUgg7dzCzVX8WdXaduUs1klSVaW2jJQF4rBQInFegkBoO4VUZzNe8HorjMi7asZU/s1600-h/1800Flowers_Facebook_Shop_Stage1_090731.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRg7MYHXH2EDUnrt8AVYWcI8ekfkeXaFTtaWvQyu3LLTj9my58-_V643CT1Mo5MRaOKxFvgeB4agTOUgg7dzCzVX8WdXaduUs1klSVaW2jJQF4rBQInFegkBoO4VUZzNe8HorjMi7asZU/s400/1800Flowers_Facebook_Shop_Stage1_090731.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364545069056994258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz-duAHLp29xwx_5IBv-ERTx348EOwyupCzZj6dOJnD3Stgftktoaxn95Nw0Vj_1_2YLF8CPbmcuo72Q97duPSXefBRmySsajjJsYBtb5ap3XoIBCdPQt5ilz92YbEsvv50DQPbjNuIc/s1600-h/1800Flowers_Facebook_Shop_Stage2_090731.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz-duAHLp29xwx_5IBv-ERTx348EOwyupCzZj6dOJnD3Stgftktoaxn95Nw0Vj_1_2YLF8CPbmcuo72Q97duPSXefBRmySsajjJsYBtb5ap3XoIBCdPQt5ilz92YbEsvv50DQPbjNuIc/s400/1800Flowers_Facebook_Shop_Stage2_090731.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364545160807980466" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_djaOb4iPfiv1kwv2dPHXAnBIqJLn53IJpHNNZDU5Izl2Rnsf-eCr8x-QAMbDmZaFlFLurZqYI4jOWoCjM8jvAuuydW6FQnNwDou5emQMABEvDo7BnrfEraoL1wGI2EDlRrKL3Jrzfw/s1600-h/1800Flowers_Facebook_Shop_Stage3_090731.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_djaOb4iPfiv1kwv2dPHXAnBIqJLn53IJpHNNZDU5Izl2Rnsf-eCr8x-QAMbDmZaFlFLurZqYI4jOWoCjM8jvAuuydW6FQnNwDou5emQMABEvDo7BnrfEraoL1wGI2EDlRrKL3Jrzfw/s400/1800Flowers_Facebook_Shop_Stage3_090731.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364545226455421970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_t_s2eglLfjc/SnKxjAmsWCI/AAAAAAAAAB4/QX1SV9sVA98/s1600-h/1800Flowers_Facebook_Shop_Stage4_090731.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_t_s2eglLfjc/SnKxjAmsWCI/AAAAAAAAAB4/QX1SV9sVA98/s400/1800Flowers_Facebook_Shop_Stage4_090731.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364545321167509538" /></a><br />Secondly, customers demand convenience. There may be a % of your audience who only use Facebook for communication, conversation and information. If you do not have the right presence in Facebook, you might lose the opportunity to convert them into a paying customer. I'm not saying this is going to work for everyone but it is logical that this eCommerce channel has potential.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some might throw up the criticism of cannibalising online sales and losing margin by paying fees to Alvenda and/or Facebook. However, would you rather take a sale at a lower margin than your main website to gain a new customer who can then fall into your retention cycle, or potentially lose them to a competitor? The same argument applies to marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, affiliates and price comparison sites. Having been a Head of eCommerce for a retailer using marketplace and affiliate programs, I know that without them the net sales and contribution from the online channel is lower than with them, even if your margin % point is diminuished. I guess the investment decision relies on whether commerically you target margin instead of net profit. If you have a limited stock base, this becomes a more pressing concern.</div><div><br /></div><div>The reality is that people have wanderlust online, they are promiscuous and shopping habits change. Presence is essential, as is grabbing attention in an attention deficit world. It is feasible that Facebook shops will add another channel to the online mix and help retailers monetise part of their social media investment. What interests me is the fallout of the 1-800 Flowers PR - how many 'me too' retailers will jump into a Facebook shop and how many will sit on the fence until there is evidence of the results?</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to <a href="http://econsultancy.com/blog/4319-1-800-flowers-com-brings-online-retail-to-facebook">Econsultancy's blog</a> for a helpful write up of what 1-800 Flowers has done and the ensuing discussion.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd welcome comments on my blog - what do you think of this move, will is start a footrace for the next frontier of social media? Alternatively, join in the Econsultancy blog discussion - I think this is an exciting move and would welcome other people's views on it.</div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-65038209487660687722009-07-24T02:39:00.000-07:002009-07-24T06:33:30.053-07:00How can your business start to make sense of social media?<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I woke up on Thursday morning with a nagging question in my mind. I don't know why, perhaps it's because my mind has a mind of its own. The question that snapped me awake was how can a business make sense of the seething metropolis that is social media? I've been guilty of adding to the commentary and not putting enough suggestions to paper. I've tried my best but I do tend to get distracted and add my thoughts to the latest story, albeit in an attempt to add value and insight.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So this week I'm going to put down a simple plan with the sort of questions you need to be asking yourself and the actions you need to take. This is not an authoritative and exhaustive list, it is simply my recommendation to help you get started and not simply sit back and drown in information. It is written for someone who is new to social media and has had no experience of working with it and struggles to understand how it works alongside traditional marketing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Below are my 9 steps to getting started:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step 1</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Define the goals and objectives of your social media strategy?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo9"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Why are you investing time & money?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo9"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What do you want to achieve?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo9"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Create SMART objectives and ensure that any activity is tied back to at least one of these objectives</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step 2 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Plan the resource requirements</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo8"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">How much time can you afford to dedicate to building your social media presence?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo8"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Who needs to be involved and how does this need coordinating?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo8"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Define how you will respond to feedback (positive, negative, general enquiries etc)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo8"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Establish what tools you will need to use to monitor your presence effectively</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step 3</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Understand the culture of the social networks you wish to explore</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo7"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Evaluate competitors and other companies using the networks and learn from what they do</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo7"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Immerse yourself in the social media and get to grips with the etiquette and how people interact</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo7"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Read relevant industry blogs and articles to improve your knowledge</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step 4</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Create a measurement plan</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Define what your success criteria are – are they soft or hard targets, are there financial objectives?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Define how you will measure each success criterion</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Set-up the tools that you need to measure these (web analytics, voice-of-customer, call centre etc)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step 5</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Understand your customers' needs that do not relate to a purchase</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo5"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What will make people interested in what you have to say and engage in conversation with you?<br />What information will satisfy the needs of online researchers who don’t want a sales message?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo5"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What subjects areas related to your products & services drive the greatest conversation?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo5"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What knowledge base do you have that you can communicate to add value to the community?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step6</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Create an integrated communication plan</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo4"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Define how you will use each channel to promote both conversation and sales orientated messages</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo4"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Define how your social media presence will work with your other marketing channels</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step 7</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Build relevant content – content is king</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo3"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Plan what content you can produce that is relevant and adds value to your community</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo3"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Integrate this content with your primary website to ensure that your traditional customer base benefits as well</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo3"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Integrate content creation with your SEO to ensure content is optimised and beneficial to site visibility</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step8</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Identify brand ambassadors and key contributors</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Monitor your networks and identify people who get involved the most – talk to them, find out more about them and encourage them to become brand ambassadors</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Use other people to spread your message – give them the tools to share your content across their networks</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Engage with them directly using more personalized 1-2-1 communication</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Step9</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Monitor, evaluate, respond, adapt & evolve</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Social media is not a fixed entity, communities are evolving every day as people’s needs and desire changes – make sure you stay in touch with the mood</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If your audience is shifting to other social media sites, move with them; if they are demanding more interaction, learn how to satisfy this</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Regularly evaluate performance against the objectives and goals you set – how are you doing?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Use all sources of information to identify ways to improve your engagement</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">·</span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Above all, monitor your brand reputation and act when there is conversation happening that you can both influence and add value to – never stop listening.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Have I missed anything obvious? I am not claiming to be an 'expert', I don't believe in that word. These recommendations are based on my own experience of using social media. Please share your comments and suggestions.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1"><br /></p></span><p></p>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-21271143608456416902009-07-17T08:40:00.001-07:002009-07-17T08:55:30.173-07:00Social media is pervasiveThis week's blog is a short response to an excellent article about the power of social media for individuals v business, posted by <a href="http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/109126">Dan Greenfield</a> on <a href="http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/">Social Media Today</a>. I am not going to repeat the content, Dan does an excellent job so please read his blog for an insightful analysis.<div><br /></div><div>In summary, a musician had his guitar damaged by United Airlines' baggage handlers and this was witnessed. Following months of wrangling, United Airlines failed to provide compensation. Frustrated, the musician set about using his music to broadcast this shocking customer service via social media sites such as YouTube. This led to an outbreak of negative PR as the online community took umbrage at the disregard for the customer.</div><div><br /></div><div>What does this tell us? Well, it clearly demonstrates that social media is pervasive. By that, I mean that its reach is extensive and one action can echo far and wide very quickly. You don't need to be a business leader or celebrity for your voice to be heard, shared and embraced. </div><div><br /></div><div>I think this is wonderful. The internet is fast becoming a social vehicle whereby people can have their 15 minutes of fame and effect change. The power of the online community to chose what it believes is important is exciting (for some concerning, perhaps). One individual can influence millions of others simply by providing relevant content that is then shared across networks.</div><div><br /></div><div>What does this mean to business? It means that monitoring brand conversation is more crucial than ever in order to protect and enhance your brand reputation. It is arrogant to dismiss channels like Twitter as worthless fads that offer no commercial value. If your company is being criticised and you do nothing about it, that will damage you commercially. The challenge has been set and business must take online reputation seriously. Read Dan's blog and follow the links to find out just how quickly a story can go global. Can business afford to be so complacent?</div><div><br /></div><div>What do you think? Is this a great development that will help make business more accountable for its mistakes or do you find social media too pervasive and open to abuse?</div><div><br /></div><div>All comments welcome. Thanks.</div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-64325668395874538612009-07-14T02:11:00.000-07:002009-07-14T02:33:40.878-07:00DM drives more web traffic than online marketing - how can this benefit social media?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 25px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A new survey by Pitney Bowes has found that 60% of UK consumers believe offline direct marketing is the most likely to get them to visit the website of a company they have not bought from before. You can read the full <a href="http://www.internetretailing.net/news/traditional-direct-marketing-more-likely-to-drive-new-customer-web-traffic-than-online">Internet Retailing article here.</a></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">Ok, the survey only covered 10,000 people but that is a significant number and gives a good inidicator of the general mood of consumers. How much value should retailers place in this finding? Do they need to rethink their marketing mix to cater for the impact of offline media on online performance?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">I started to think about this in relation to social media. Let's take the example of customer reviews. Argos made a bold and logical move at the start of 2009 by <a href="http://www.bazaarblog.com/2009/03/04/customer-reviews-featured-in-argos-catalog-goes-to-17-million-brits/">integrating online reviews into its print catalogue</a>, with a reach of over half the UK households. That decision instantly put user generated content in front of their main audience and highlighted both the service availability and the value of independent comments. This raises the question of how effective user generated content can be in driving traffic and sales from offline media into the online store? I have not seen any follow up data from Argos or Bazaarvoice on this subject and would welcome any info.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">The research from Pitney Bowes indicates an age and gender bias to the multi-channel effect. Women are more likely than men to be influenced by offline media and those in the 25-34 age group are most likely to consider buying when directed from an offline message. How does this tally up with the general usage of social media? Interestingly on networks like Facebook, it is the over 35 segment that is increasing usage quickly and there is a female bias, though us chaps are catching up quickly, especially on Twitter.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">So, if there is a prime social media audience that will respond to offline messaging, is there a bigger opportunity to engage people via offline media to improve online website performance? Beyond incorporating customer reviews into catalogue and other media such as advertising, how else can retailers leverage social media across their offline channels?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">I would start by testing some low level activity because you don't want to throw all your eggs in one basket and find out the effort has been worthless. With customer reviews I would be interested to see the impact on response rates to adverts using unique URLs for the online click. Perhaps radio ads could position top rated products to increase engagement and response?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">Then there is the question of social network profiles. How can you promote your community presence on sites like Facebook & You Tube or your micro blogging on Twitter? Perhaps these can be incorporated into catalogues and adverts to test whether they can increase your audience participation? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">Of course, you need to balance the testing of the new with the impact on your existing marketing activity. There is no point increasing Facebook fans if you destroy your direct response at the same time. However, with a sensible testing strategy I think retailers can play with this multi-channel marketing story and learn more about how the channel interaction affects customer engagement.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">I would be interested to hear what you think and give me examples of retailers already doing this well......</span></span></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-30369184633279004912009-07-03T06:32:00.000-07:002009-07-03T07:33:00.110-07:00Marketing Donut shows how to get people talking on TwitterIt's Tuesday 30th June, 2009 in Maidenhead. It's 9.30 am and my eyes are still stuck together and my brain desparately trying to work out why i'm not in bed and in my happy place. I'm sat at my desk, logged in to Twitter and just typing my first tweet using the hashtag #mydonut. <div><br /></div><div>Why? My thoughts exactly. The reason is both intrigue and genuine engagement with a new brand, the <a href="http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/">Marketing Donut</a>. The Marketing Donut is a new venture aimed at the SME market, sponsored by the brute force of Royal Mail and Google, to provide advice, guidance and discussions to benefit business. It is a fantastic idea and really well delivered online. Behind the Donut is a team of editors and marketers who are responsible for different elements of business, from marketing to law. </div><div><br /></div><div>The twitthusiasts (twitter + enthusiast?!) at the Donut organised a Twitter conference on Tuesday and encouraged their contacts to get involved using the hashtag #mydonut. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Did it work?</span></b></div><div>Well I don't know what their success criteria were but it certainly had a resounding impact. Over 1,800 tweets were exchanged (not just in the UK) and the hashtag trended to the #4 spot. This also generated wider interest as those following the trending topics got stuck in to question what the hell #mydonut was about.</div><div><br />From a personal viewpoint, I benefitted. I gained 40 relevant new followers whom I can now engage with and exchange ideas. I also accessed information that has enhanced my knowledge and god knows, I need it!</div><div><br /></div><div>For more detail you can check out the <a href="http://marketingdonutblog.co.uk/2009/07/02/marketing-donuts-twitter-conference-a-great-success/">Marketing Donut blog</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">What could have been done better?</span></b></div><div>Perhaps there could have been some goals set for the conference and these shared with all participants to focus the discussion. There were a lot of useful conversations but these were slightly disjointed and many people were simply RTing the same comments. Maybe there could be set discussion points that then generate multiple conversations and you can listen/join in to those that are relevant? </div><div><br /></div><div>I have a vested interest in encouraging engagement with <a href="http://twitter.com/MarketingDonut">@MarketingDonut</a>: I am one of their expert contributors, offering advice and info for online marketing. You can find my profile <a href="http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/experts/james-gurd">here</a>. Please do drop by and take a look around the Marketing Donut website, you could be pleasantly surprised!</div><div><br /></div><div>So what do you think? Was Marketing Donut's move inspired genius or symptomatic of people having too much time on their hands? Please leave your comments.....</div><div><br /></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-13446948964942334882009-06-25T05:58:00.000-07:002009-06-25T08:31:33.398-07:00Habitat - not a natural fit with Twitter!Unless you have been hiding, you will have read about the Habitat Twitter storm that has been exciting the masses. To keep a long story short, Habitat begain tweeting using irrelevant hashtags, one of which centred on the scandal around the Iranian elections. The Iranian hashtag was trending strongly as the global twitter community started to engage with what is a truly frightening and depressing scenario. Habitat (some would argue shamelessly) cashed in on the rising trend to grab awareness to their unrelated sales tweet.<div><br /></div><div>What ensued was inevitable - the twitter community reacted negatively and with speed. Negative comments streamed in against Habitat, criticising them for their 'black hat' efforts. A swift retraction of the tweets followed but general silence from Habitat HQ as to why they did this. After a few days an apology surfaced, more comments were generated and the storm in the tea cup gently eased. Not before the news had reached mainstream media with the story breaking on the Guardian and Sky News.<br /><div><br /></div><div>For me, this is a good example of how much impact conversations within social communities can have on mainstream media. Twitter has been derided by many as a fad, novacaine for those of us with attention issues and nothing to do (something I have always aspired to!). However, if you can put this one-dimensional view to one side, you will discover that Twitter is a powerful communication tool that throws up stories and spreads them like wildfire. The viral impact of breaking news is impressive; Habitatgate has seen coverage on Sky News which has extensive reach (nope, no idea how may million viewers!).</div><div><br /></div><div>You can follow the original story (and the outbreak of comments - some rather fuelled with vitriolic rage!) on <a href="http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/103334">Social Media Today</a>. A follow-up story was then posted after Habitat contacted Social Media Today to ask them to publish an apology - <a href="http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/104490">read it here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what do you think? Should brands be taking brand monitoring in social communities more seriously? Is managing your social media personality more important than ever? Do you need to define rules of engagement before starting, or does that go against the culture of social?</div><div><br /></div><div>Love to read your comments so don't be shy!</div></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-70183054917099185272009-06-22T06:05:00.000-07:002009-06-22T06:08:50.016-07:00How can you cut through the noise and appreciate what Twitter offers your business?The blog post below is a summary from an article I recently had published by Internet World and sums up my thinking about Twitter. <div><br /></div><div>For the full article please visit the <a href="http://www.internetworld.co.uk/buzz/the-buzz-articles/how-can-you-cut-through-the-noise-and-appreciate-what-twitter-offers-your-business"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Buzz articles website</span></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What is Twitter – my take<br /></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The online retail landscape is changing and not just because of the economic downturn. There has been a mentality shift from passive to active consumers of other people’s information. We increasingly expect dialogue from the people/brands we like and want to receive information when and where we want. This demands an understanding of the social networks that people use and the tools that communicate with them. Twitter is just one tool that enables people/brands to connect with a wider online audience.<br />I consider Twitter to be an interactive communication tool that is part of an overall communication strategy. Its audience is not homogenous. Who you communicate with depends entirely on why you are on Twitter, what you do and what you want to get from it. At the most basic level Twitter is a text based information service enabling you to send updates via online & mobile devices to your network of followers. As you embrace richer functionality and complementary applications, Twitter can become a brand monitoring service and customer engagement tool.<br />I genuinely believe that Twitter provides an important communication tool but that its contribution to your personal or business brand is entirely dependent upon what you want to achieve, how you use it and how much effort you put in.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Do you agree? Let me know what you think of the commercial potential of Twitter.</span></span></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-31091370183757087782009-06-11T01:27:00.000-07:002009-06-11T02:04:39.491-07:00Getting your attitude right with social presence is key<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was asked this week by another consultant (yes, we breed like rabbits!) what companies should be doing with social media and whether it is really worth the effort. Instead of laughing at the suggestion that it might be a futile investment, I thought about what is the best way to explain the context of social media to someone who doesn't know much about it. So I turned to the best possible example of how social marketing can engineer both a culture change & drive engagement with new audiences - the Barack Obama election campaign.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love this quote from Mike Slaby, CTO of Obama for Amercia: </span><i><b><a href="http://web2.sys-con.com/node/998089"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></a></b></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(76, 77, 79); line-height: 19px; "><i><b><a href="http://web2.sys-con.com/node/998089"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you tread on people’s space, you’ll piss them off"</span></a></b></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. That hits the nail on the head. To get social media, you have to change the mentality from a brand to a community member. You need to engage people with dialogue, not push marketing monologue at them. On Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc you are an equal member with everyone else, even if you have your own account you do not control the conversation. Why do you want to control conversation? That's not how a conversation works, that is more of a chaired panel session! </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(76, 77, 79); line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The challenge is to understand what you want to achieve from your social media presence, define the information you wish to communicate and then build relationships with key members (find the advocates, those controbuting the most and having the greatest influence on other members) so that you can get your message across without being seen as intrusive.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The other quote I really like from Mike is in relation to Twitter: <i><b>"If you’re going to use Twitter, you have to have people in your organization who know how to tweet. And you have to trust your people and the people you’re talking about"</b></i>. What I like is the ethos of trust, empowering your employees to take ownership of social channels and giving them the freedom to build relationships and conversations using their voice and personality. By all means provide guidelines (you don't want people swearing and using offensive language, that could damage your reputation) but allow nature to take its course.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In social media I think that your personal voice is really important. People relate more to people, than companies. Establishing who you are and why you are there goes a long way to building trust and with trust comes a more open dialogue that enables you to achieve your communciation goals. Take a look at </span><a href="http://eibsocialmedia.blogspot.com/2009/05/southwest-airlines-gets-that-social.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">my last blog entry</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on </span><a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/4803/Managing-Social-Media-and-Encouraging-Employee-Individuality-with-Southwest-Airlines.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Southwest Airlines</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for a great example of how employee empowerment can be put at the heart of a social media strategy. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Using commercial disciplines to plan a social media program is both sensible and recommended but the delivery has to be personal, relevant & engaging.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">So what's my take out from this blog post?</span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">1) Don't let your social program be brand-centric</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">2) Understand that people relate to people more than businesses</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">3) Get your employees excited about what social media can achieve</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">4) Empower employees to take ownership of social channels</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">5) Engage your community; ask questions, respond to queries, give them relevant content</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">6) Amongst this, weave in sensible promotions to drive traffic & sales on your commerce website.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#4C4D4F;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Do you agree with my take? If you have any comments or questions please drop by and have a chat.</span></span></div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546807589332128953.post-51733641246363902762009-05-29T07:17:00.000-07:002009-05-29T07:55:51.150-07:00Southwest Airlines gets that social vibeIt has been a long week, reading trite soundbites from really negative people slating social media sites like Twitter as smokescreens with no relevance to the business world. I'm all for exchanging conflicting views and opening up the debate but recently there has been a bit of vitriol from'experts' denouncing us new media darlings are being oh so naive and a bit too eager to jump on board.<div><br /></div><div>So imagine my delight when I discovered perhaps the best story I've read about how a major brand has embraced social media into its company culture and empowered its employees to use it to engage with the wider world. I stumbled upon this story in <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/4803/Managing-Social-Media-and-Encouraging-Employee-Individuality-with-Southwest-Airlines.aspx">Hubspot's internet marketing blog</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Southwest Airlines appointed a Manager of Emerging Media, Paula Bergs, who is responsible for driving their social media plans. They have an interesting model whereby each social channel is owned by a different person and that person decides how the company's message can best be communicated via that channel. The communication is not regulated by a central legal or brand department, instead employees are empowered to positively represent the company.</div><div><br /></div><div>I really like this approach. It does not involve one person banging the drum whilst others do as they are told. It is participative, it builds trust and encourages people to take ownership and have a personal attachment to the social media channel they are working with. It also means that each person will build up a strong understanding of the customers they are engaging with which will then benefit the overall social media strategy. Listen to Paula talk and you can clearly see that she is both passionate and excited about what Southwest is doing - that sort of passion is infectious and will rub off on her team.</div><div><br /></div><div>But what got me most excited was the video of David Holmes, a cabin crew employee, who has become a legend for rapping the inflight safety instructions to liven up the flight for his passengers. The rap was filmed by a passenger and put onto YouTube. Southwest Airlines got hold of this and, instead of criticising David for deviating from company policy, embraced what he had done and started to promote it themselves. He has now appeared on major TV networks (Leno, Oprah etc) and been interviewed online and for radio. He has become somewhat of a celebrity off the back of his own spontaneity and individuality.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What's more the top boys & girls at Southwest have encourage this and it has been absorbed as part of the company's attitude to encouraging its employees to engage with and delight their customers. What a truly refreshing attitude.</div><div><br /></div><div>What do you think? Does this put a smile on your face as well?</div>James Gurdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626267675577564917noreply@blogger.com2