Tag Archives: Social Networks

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Don’t Let Content Overwhelm You

by: Jamey Brown

This morning as I arose with the sounds of Atlanta’s Midtown outside my window, I already had social on the brain. Today is a busy day in terms of monitoring certain communities and tidying things up simply to be prepared for this week. So, per usual, I got up, flipped on the coffee and plugged in.

Right now, at this very moment, I have six tabs open. One is Gmail. Four are social networks. The last one is WordPress (I guess technically another social network, but let’s not pick over small cookies). With this plethora of content at my fingertips, how do I filter it all to what I want? How do I not have a panic attack because there’s. just. so. much.? Well, it’s easy, manage yourself, not the networks.

Right now, I have too much content available at one time. Space things out into small segments of time. Overload can be detrimental.

Schedule what you want to get out of the next hour. I need to reply to some e-mails. I need to check my Google+ Communities and I need to monitor two specific LinkedIn Groups. These three things are priority for the next hour. So, I can remove my Twitter and Facebook tabs for now (and the WordPress one after I finish writing this on my break! Ha!)

Take your time. Content is much more effectively absorbed if you actually slow things down a bit and digest what you are reading AS you read it. Say it back to yourself.

Take small breaks. Now this does not work for everybody, but I am much more effective if I review something for 30 minutes and then take a 5-10 minute break. Rinse and repeat this and you will be surprised how much you get done by the end of the day.

Breathe. Remember, there’s always a tomorrow. Knock out what is priority for the next 24 hours, breathe and begin to schedule into the week.

What are some other content management tips you’ve found to be useful?  

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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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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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Connection vs. Conversation

by: Jamey Brown

I wrote a piece yesterday that discussed how Twitter can help spark genuine engagement with potential customers/brand zealots. After reading it over I really thought about what the differences were between connection and conversation. It’s a great example of comparing apples to oranges, and sometimes I think we get them confused. Below is a jot list of why they are different, but equally important.

 

 

 

 

- Connection is the first step. The first 50%. Conversation is the second step. The second 50%.

- They’re reciprocal. One cannot exist without the other.

- Connection means first contact. Conversation means further contact.

- Connection is the attention getter. Conversation is the sustainability of attention.

- Don’t connect and not converse. Don’t converse without connecting first.

- Connection means resonation. Conversation means discussion of resonation.

The next time you are on any social network and want to connect with other users (either for business or personal) remember the C squared relationship. If you don’t identify both of these, it will be hard to harness social networking…well, at least in the way you’d want it.

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5 Reasons How Twitter Helps With Engagement

by: Jamey Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my opinion, Twitter is the best social network for brand to customer engagement. Why? It’s fast. It’s concise. And it’s the best listening tool around. With that in mind, I will keep this entry concise and to the point. So, below are five quick tips on how Twitter can help spark up engagement between brand and customer.

1. It’s A Listening Tool

Twitter allows a brand to hear exactly what its market is saying. Now how is this different than Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.? Twitter is 140 characters long, thus meaning followers only have a short breath to say what they mean. So you better believe they are going to say the most important thing on their mind. With only 140 characters to spare, followers are going to use them wisely…and in response so should brands.

2. Speed

Twitter is about speed. If you are not timely on Twitter then it will be noted by followers and trust me, that isn’t good. Think of being speedy on Twitter like being a waiter at a wedding reception – you are moving 100 miles per minute and being nice along the way. Hard? Yes. Effective? Very. Remember though, do not sacrifice content and accuracy of responses just to be fast.

3. User Generated Content

Now all social networks allow this, but my reason for listing this is because Twitter allows one button execution for pushing out user generated content. Yes, the almighty RT! In one click of a button a follower can go from being a regular Joe Schmo to a brand ambassador rockstar. This application is powerful and builds a heck of a dedicated fan base.

4. Connection

Again, all networks have this characteristic - that’s the point of social marketing, right? But Twitter enables a much more personal type of connection. It’s as if we are texting back and forth with the brand or even a celebrity. The connections made on Twitter are deep and I value them greatly – this should be the same mindset for brands on Twitter as well.

5. Conversation

This is what happens after the connection. There’s no point in connecting if you are not going to talk! Twitter allows followers to carry snappy conversations in real time, while also bringing others into the mix. Facebook does this as well, but it is at a much slower pace and the dialogue tends to be clunky.

The next time you are cruising through your Twitterverse think of it as a network that will actually let you connect with someone and talk with them more than just one time. I have multiple Twitter connections that I tweet back and forth with on a regular basis – topics ranging all the way from personal life to work. That my friends is called engagement.

How do you use Twitter? How often do you genuinely engage with your followers? 

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How Red Bull is Doing It Right [FACEBOOK]

by: Jamey Brown 

It’s simple. Red Bull dominates the multimedia scene. They are a brand transcended because of it. So…why?

1. Visual content: content is king. Always. Red Bull capitalizes on this by pushing out the most extreme, eye-popping visuals online. Professional and intriguing visual content = more engagement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Copywriting That Matches the Brand: Every brand should have a unique, human voice – a personality. Red Bull attaches wording to its multimedia content that punts images and video content further down the field. Their writing inspires fans’ lifestyles and inspires them to engage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Maximum Interactivity: Red Bull’s brand page is a hub for all things: visual content, jobs, television, events and games. A user can land here and not only engage with others in the community, but engage with the various apps for an extended amount of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you think Red Bull is doing it right? If not, why? 

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Pinterest: The New Visual Resumé

by: Jamey Brown 

Summer: a time of hot weather, flip-flops, grill outs and Hawaiian shirts (yes, I’m a Tommy Bahama wearer during the summer months.) Mainly, though, it is a time for college grads to get that first real-world job out of college. But what makes a college student stand out among the rest? How can he or she be the shooting star in the sea of “regulars?” Well, traditional Cover Letters, Resumes and Recommendations are always the right way to go, but today you need more – the basic trifecta is only the bare minimum now, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can be angled for the creative good, especially with as many digital outlets as there are today – a huge one being Pinterest.

Pinterest, with the highest age demographic using the network being ages 25-34, is a visually based social network that capitalizes on users sharing visuals with one another, liking, commenting and re-pinning each other’s content during the process. So, how can this be harnessed to better a college graduates chances at getting a job? Well, first think of it as a more personal resume, with each pinboard acting as a different group that describes yourself. Secondly, be sure to keep in mind that using Pinterest in this way is using it as a tool, not a substitute. To use Pinterest as a personal resume means it is seen by interviewers as a third dimension to who you are – it hones in on the idea of transparency. Today, transparency is vital, and brands, businesses and organizations require it (and if they don’t, they should!). Using this visual network is a great way to let the interviewers in and see what you are about and see a side of yourself that they might not see otherwise. This being said, you better be ready to show it to them if you choose to do this.

The photo to the left is my personal Pinterest page, and granted I am not fresh out of college, I still have it set up to where people can come to my page and learn anything they want to about me – and I even have a section dedicated to visuals of myself in unique locations during my career. This visual storytelling is a great way for each interviewee to tell their story and show what they have done and where they have been. So whether you are fresh out of college and looking for work, or are older and looking for a new career path, give Pinterest a shot and use it as another tool in your job application arsenal.