Monthly Archives: March 2013

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6 Reasons Why “Driving Traffic” is Vital

by: Jamey Brown

On my way home for Easter this weekend (from Atlanta to Athens, Georgia) I had to stop, turn off the main highway and go around, through a gas station, and get back onto the main highway about 500 feet down the road. Why? A water line had busted, thus forcing cars to have to go around and reconnect to the same road a few hundred feet further down. Pulling through the gas station, along with all of the other cars, and back onto the main highway I thought, “I was redirected here. And now, I am in front of this gas station and I am a little hungry…” The bottom line: I was driven, directed to a destination where I could potentially make a purchase for something I wanted. Now, I understand gas stations are a hard comparison because they offer various things (as opposed to an ad that offers a specific product or service), but the real life metaphor got me thinking…

Cost effective social ad buys must be specifically targeted. The more targeted, typically, the better results.

Aim for the enthusiasts. In the end, they will convert and convince more than anyone else.

Make sure your destination is inline with your ads. User confusion ends in click-offs and no conversions.

Monitor your campaigns daily. Be it traditional Facebook ads, promoted posts, Twitter trends, etc. Always know what’s doing well and what’s not.

In conjunction with the above, adjust your ad images, copy, spend, interests, demographics, etc. based on what is working and what isn’t.

Rinse and repeat. If you had a successful ad campaign that had a high CTR and a plethora of page views and visits on the destination you wanted, then repeat that strategy! Be wary though, some adjustments might need to be made as all campaigns aim towards different people.

 

What have you found to be a successful way to drive traffic to the destination you want? 

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YouTube’s Facelift, Just In Case You Forgot

by: Jamey Brown

YouTube’s made some channel changes. Drop a “like” or “dislike” in the comments section.

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A Letter To My Family (the 25 Years of Age Update)

by: Jamey Brown

So I got to the office early today. Poured my coffee. Turned on my computer. Teed up my to-do’s list. And began clicking. But this morning was different than other mornings – and you can ask my coworkers, I cherish my early morning time. This morning I could not stop thinking of what it is I do and why I do it. Sometimes we get so caught up in doing what we love we don’t have time to actually love it. So, I switched over to my personal e-mail account and decided to write a letter to my family (which, sadly, I rarely do). Below is what I wrote, with inspiration from Chris Pirillo - following is the response from my father (the best man I know):

Hi Family, 

You know, I grew up in the world of sports and hard work. Sweating was what equalled success. And believe me, that is the mentality I still have, and always will have. But today, my interests have shifted – not changed, just altered (bc I still love cracking some beers and watching a Braves game and obviously a UGA game. That will never go away). But now, I consider myself a “geek” and a “nerd.” Deep down that’s what I enjoy on a daily basis. I enjoy digital media, social media, screenwriting, nerding out with movies, tv shows, certain comics. That being said, I think what makes the difference, what makes it a career, is the business side that goes along with it – the drive to get others talking about it and connecting with the zealots out there. Rallying people for a cause, expo or brand is what I love to do. And today, that is best done by storytelling – a gift I think I have. I lack in a lot of areas (don’t we all?), but I feel I am here right now, right here to do what I am doing. Many people can’t say that with an honest face. Moving aside from my genetically passed down philosophical points of view, I wanted to share a quick 2 minute video. Please watch with full sound (the music is good). I have been following this dude for a while and seen him make his career. How did he do this? He unapologetically loves what he does and has made a thriving career for himself. Yet with all the digital and tech in his life he lives in beautiful Seattle with his wife and values relationships – real, connected relationships. He values how digital and tech can help better our real life relationships and day to day activities. That is a hard combo to find. Therefore, I find this as genuine inspiration. So again, please watch below with headphones, let it sink in and cheers to change and loving what you do. 

 
Just had some time to give you all a 25 years of age update, 
Your son
RESPONSE FROM MY DAD 30 MINUTES LATER BELOW
I am pleased that you are able to do something you are passionate about, and  have the work ethic you have developed-maintain it as you will need it throughout life. The fact that your primary interests and focus may have changed is part of life-but I have never cared for a “classification”-it implies being one dimensional which I don’t think is good or healthy. Follow your passion-enjoy what you enjoy-but remember this statement (I can’t take credit for it) – “To label me is to negate me”. 
 
Be a compilation of ALL of your interests, past, present and future- your influence upon others will be heightened.

 
We’re proud of you, son.

DAD 

First off, I think it’s safe to say my father is awesome. Secondly, I know it is hard to do what you love and make a career out of it. You are going to have horrible days and you are going to struggle and be unhappy at times. But as long as you are working hard at what you love doing then it is always worth it. Always.

- Jamey

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5 Ways You Can Effectively Harness YouTube

by: Jamey Brown

YouTube reaches 1 billion people per month. Let me repeat, YouTube reaches 1 billion people per month. That’s almost 15% of the world. YouTube is dominating the world, literally. So how can this massive reach be activated correctly? Even as a social marketer it is still hard to sometimes wrap my head around how YouTube can generate leads, create brand awareness and encourage or produce sales. It is still seen as a nesting hub for multimedia content for brands – not all, but many. Here are 5 ways that YouTube can be creatively used to further brand awareness, create good word-of-mouth and generate sales.

1. Include CTA’s in the video itself – ask your audience to take action in the comment thread below. Or better yet, in real life. You’ve made the effort to produce this video content, so get as much out of it as you can. Activate your audience visually. Trust me, it sticks.

2. Create branded playlists – YouTube hosts all genres of videos. If applicable, create playlists for specific purposes of your brand. For example, if you are a bakery brand that bakes a diverse group of foods it would be smart to have quick “how to’s” playlist of each food (ie. cakes, breads, etc.) By doing this you will create a hub that your users can continue to come back to and use as a source. Retaining users and being seen as a leader in your industry are huge wins.

3. Properly brand ALL aspects of your channel – everything from your skin to your channel picture should be sharply branded. Along with this, make sure your channel is integrated with ALL of your other social platforms. This information lives in your Channel Art photo and will allow users to browse your other branded networks with just once click.

4. Tag, title and link each video… correctly – this is the “no-brainer” of the group. Always make sure your keywords are applicable to the video. Make sure they are ACTUAL words users type in to search your product – put yourself in the seat of the average person searching something within the ballpark of your product. Also, title your video with good keywords that people will actually search. Put your creative ego aside and title your videos for results, not shininess.

5. Don’t be afraid to engage - when subscribers (or non-subscribers) start commenting, engage back! Keep the conversation going just like you would on Facebook or Twitter. A brand voice needs to exist on all platforms, not on only certain ones.

Create a catchy trailer video (Bonus) – when users land this will be the first thing they see. So, make it concise and make it connect. 

What are some other ways YouTube can be harnessed effectively?  

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What Is Bottom Line Social Media?

by: Jamey Brown

This industry lends itself to a lot of fluff, talk and show. Naturally, social media is the combined worlds of imagery, writing and creative thinking. These are essential in not only social marketing, but branding as well (which we all know comes before anything else). But what does all this creative fluffiness do? What are the real results? And how do they actually happen? Below are a few Bottom Line Social Media points I’ve encountered so far.

- ROI can come in various forms. Don’t just think traditional here. Depending on your goals beforehand, engagement can be a form of ROI. And obviously, there is traditional ROI – those good ol’ greenbacks. Typically, the more engagement, the better your numbers will be. Before you are dead set on what kind of ROI you want in the end, make sure your goals are laid out correctly in the beginning phases.

- Consistency = growth. This is a bold statement, but I stand by it. Why am I so sure of this? Well, if best practices are in place and you are consistent and planned with your strategy and tactics, then your community will grow. Remember, growth takes time.

- Delegation is vital. This goes hand-in-hand with consistency because your team must know WHO is publishing and resourcing content. The Community Manager position is in high demand now, thus increasing its appeal and need for companies in all industries. Confusion with managing a community can be devastating because the brand/company message can be jumbled or worse, completely lost. Don’t let confusion be part of your social team. Delegate a specific Community Manager and potentially an Associate Community Manager who is part time. Make them the gatekeepers.

- Bonus: Best Practices. Make sure you have your brand’s social marketing best practices memorized and in line. Or better yet, do your research and write them yourself. Social media is an industry based in being able to constantly practice what your preach 24/7.

What are some other bottom line social media points you’ve learned?  

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3 Reasons Why Facebook “Communities” Are Better Than “Fan Clubs”

by: Jamey Brown

In the past few days, I have noticed the conversations taking place online at SXSW. Let me be clear, I’m not in Austin, but I’ve have been tracking conversations on Twitter, Facebook and my catalog of blogs. I have noticed the same words and ideas coming from these conversations and that is “how do we all grow our communities?” But then the conversation ends on that note. I’ve been left hanging on the second 50% of this method of “growing communities.” Where did it go? Where’s the next half of what’s supposed to be said? What I mean by that second half is “who’s joining your community?” This is more important to me, by far. I’d rather have 500 dedicated contributors who converse with each other and the brand than 1,000 fans who just sit there, not activated. With that in mind, here are three reasons why Facebook “communities” (no worries, we’ll get to Google+ in the next entry!) are more valuable than Facebook “fan clubs.”

1. Connection: yeah yeah, I know you’ve heard it, but you’ve heard it because it’s true. Fan clubs don’t build connections. Communities build connections. How? When you become part of a community (both offline and online) you become transparent. The community feel enables you to let your guard down a little bit and open up with genuine thought, creativity and respect. When this happens, the connection airwaves are 100% open. You just can’t beat that value.

2. Word-Of-Mouth: this is all the good stuff that comes after you have a successful community. Or, it can be all of the negative chatter. But for now, let’s look at the positive effects. When an online community is thriving, and a brand is at the center of conversation, fans (yes, real people) are conversing with one another about not only the brand, but other topics that have surfaced within in each comment thread. Fan clubs, if there is any chatter going on period, tend to only stick to promotional dialogue. “That’s so awesome!” type language. And don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad thing to hear, but you want more than just that same hollow comment reverberated in your community.

3. Friendship: remember this? In the beginning… Facebook was created help people find like-minded friends. That fan number is actually made up of people with brains and points of views. What are communities made up of? Exactly! When you scroll down a Facebook business page’s wall, see how many people are conversing with each other. Trust me, it exists. I’ve seen communities (and not just on Facebook) where people are asking others “what time they are going to a specific event” or “are they there at the event?” If you are on a page of interest and you see this type of conversation flowing then I’d suggest clicking “like.”

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An Ode to Community Managers

by: Jamey Brown

You’re a creator. A curator. A communicator.

You’re an editor. A director. A writer.

You’re an analyst. An interpreter. An advertiser.

You’re a sun up to sun down (and then some) worker. A “not leaving till it’s done” researcher.

You’re an orchestrator . A leader. A helper.

You’re a contributor. But most importantly, a listener.

You’re a doer. An observer. A specialist.

You’re a linker. A connector. A seeker.

You’re a Community Manager 

Congrats on being awesome 

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When User Generated Content Goes Too Far

by: Jamey Brown

Ok, so a Community Manager walks into a bar… no, just kidding. But a Community Manager really does walk into his or her office, sits down and looks at the calendar. It’s THAT day. You know what day I’m talking about… the day where you click open the Excel (or Google Doc) content calendar for the next month and a slow tear comes down your cheek as you stare at the unbranded abyss. That lack of future content makes you even more nauseous than the two grande coffees you just had. But then you remember, “hey, we are now crowd-sourcing content from our online communities” (and yes, I will use that buzzword only once. Apologies). The flashbacks of your meeting with the Strategy Director and CMO are coming back to you and the words “we need to start incorporating more user generated content from our fans and followers” blink in bright neon lights. You then take a look at next month’s naked calendar and attack it with no fear. Well, before you do this you need to read the below tips on how to not go nutzo with user generated content. Because as transparent and effective as it can be, it can also be lethal to your brand or organization if overdone or done poorly.

1.  MOST IMPORTANT Research Where Your Content Is Coming From: I know there are other things to do on your list, but take a few minutes to make sure the content you are using is from a credible source. Believe me, if you publish content that is from a sketchy source fans and followers will call you out on it. And you don’t have time for that.

2. Do Not Forget Regular Content Strategy: user generated content can become addictive, especially if you have a large brand who enjoys tweeting, posting and producing videos about that product. Stay the course with your brand’s marketing strategy! Content from the community is an add-on, the icing on the cake. It is a strategy that should be periodically tossed in to spice things up and show everyone that “cool, they are listening to us and publishing our content.” Don’t fall into the trap of becoming addicted to your online community’s content. If you get hooked then all of your walls, streams and pages will become flooded with fan and follower content. Your brand message will be lost, thus creating confusion as to anything you were actually trying to push.

3. Make It Exclusive: this is the point of it all. Make your community members feel as though they are part of the VIP section at the Viper Room when something of THEIRS is published by YOU. To that person, it’s a stamp of brand approval. They will say to themselves (and their friends) “yeah, that’s my video that was RT’ed.” But if your consistency amps up and everything becomes user generated content then this exclusivity is lost. It is no more the “secret lair” you wanted it to be. The zest, the rush of it is lost.

Now, as you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), remember these tips when implementing a user generated content strategy (wow, I’ve used this word a lot. Please comment on another word for this. I seem to be getting buzzword syndrome). Finally, have fun with it. That’s the bottom line with all of this. Content, branding, online communities, etc. are supposed to be fun and engaging. Don’t forget that when making things shareable and RT’able.

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Should All Brands Be Onboard With “Real Time Marketing?”

by: Jamey Brown

I was reading a good piece by Scott Monty yesterday on what exactly “real time marketing” was and if it should even be a term. After taking 24 hours to digest the piece and digest the comments, I woke up with these thoughts about the newly slated strategy:

- I like this term, but it will soon be overused by every marketer out there and will then die a tragic, buzzword death.

- No, not all brands need to adopt this style of marketing. It needs to be applicable to A. your brand and B. your brand’s campaign.

- Don’t forget normal marketing.

- Not everything has to be “live.” I swear, as soon as a harlem shake comes down the pike it’s off to the races on who can push out the fastest blog post. And half the time, they aren’t worth the keystrokes that went into writing them. When something viral hits and I read these immediate write-ups on it, they usually just say that it happened…and that’s it. Is it too much to ask to be informative these days?

- Force messaging is not the answer. During the Oscars I saw SO many brands pushing campaigns that had no business being lumped into this stream of conversation. Again, don’t compromise your brand’s mantra just because a big event is coming up.

Bottom line: Real Time Marketing can be effective, but under the right circumstances and for the right brand. Always be wary of marketing trends before decisions are made.

Do You Know Brands Who Are Doing A Good Job With “Real Time Marketing?” A Bad Job?