Tag Archives: twitter marketing

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Social Speak vs. Broadcasting

by: Jamey Brown

I always stress the point that social media is a communication tool more than anything. If you look at social channels as a means of broadcasting then you will fail. Why? Because it is about talking, conversing, listening. Not push push push. If I’m at a party and walk up to a group of people and there’s one person talking all about himself and not listening to anyone else, I immediately walk away (and after hearing a person like that, typically straight for the bar). It is a back and forth. And people will listen to you if you listen to them. The ONLY way a connection is made is by both parties involved listening.

So, next time when crafting messaging around any content for your brand, remember, social speak is how we talk in real life conversations. Not what you see on a billboard driving down the street.

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5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Implementing a Social Media Strategy

by: Jamey Brown

In my head it goes: goal setting – brainstorm – idea pool – checks and balances – strategy – tactics – finished plan. This has been my process for developing strategy plans thus far. Everyone’s strategy development is different, but the overarching themes can be applicable to all. Oh yeah, and strategy (since I see it everywhere and no real description attached) is the high level plan(s) that’s built to achieve certain, pre-determined goals. Tactics are the executional steps that help achieve the overarching goals of the strategy. So, before you make the jump to executional, think of these five questions while you are developing your overarching strategic plan.

1. What are my goals? Short term? And long term?

It’s all pointless if you are not striving to hit certain goals you’ve set. There needs to a be a concise list of short term, immediate goals you want to knock out, and then a concise list of the big, 6 month-ish goals you want to achieve over time. Determining goals is the very first step.

2. Will I need 1 overarching strategy? Or several?

Sometimes, multiple strategies are needed if the client you are working with is a large one and has multiple large goals to achieve on a more corporate branding level. That and the fact that they could have a campaign that seeks to accomplish two very different things. Do I recommend them implementing a bipolar campaign? No. But sometimes several strategies are needed to accomplish different sets of goals.

3. What tactics do I need in place to fulfill the goals of my strategy?

VERY IMPORTANT. These are the mechanical pieces that keep the big machine running. You need actionable steps that say, “this is how you are going to actually do it on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis.”

4. Is my strategy fulfilling BOTH my long term and short term goals?

Always go back and double check yourself. Asking this question forces you to keep your goals on your mind at all times. Sometimes “creativity” can blind people’s strategic thinking and “cool” can take a front seat very fast. DON’T let this happen. Goals are always #1! Let cool and creativity come naturally.

5. What is the lifespan (timeline) of this strategy? 

Simple. How long will this plan be in place? Again, determine how long you think it will take to accomplish the long term goals at hand and build a strategy that reflects that timeline. It could be three months; it could be one year. Give yourself checkpoints along the way.

What are some other steps you implement before developing a new social media strategy plan? 

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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? 

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Dear Young Social Marketer…

by Jamey Brown

Dear Young Social Marketer,

You are entering a world of conversation, clicks and CTR’s. Don’t be scared, if you do your research you will execute all of these things just fine. Social media is nearing its end of “the new way to market” and is becoming essential to how a brand markets its message and content. You must value time management, creativity and collaboration. If you have an ego problem then you can go ahead and check that at the door – no room for that in this industry. But guess what? You will have to learn how to deal with others who don’t value that. Hard? Very. Good experience? Like you wouldn’t believe.

Know that your days will be spent on a timer and that you will have to not only execute your creativity, but execute it at hyperspeed. Oh, and it has to be good. You will have to write, write and write some more. Content creation is fun, but wait till you sit down to a blank editorial calendar. Get the ink ready! You will enjoy the creativity, but you better love it enough to have days where ALL you do is brainstorm, brainstorm and brainstorm some more. Trust me, midday coffees will be your new best friend. And just when you think you are about to leave, you will have a “quick” stream of work come down the pike that has to be done by EOD.

Be ready to handle a lot of money that is not yours. You will be running multiple social campaigns that must have good CTR’s and engagement. Tell that to your friend who says, “uh, you play with Facebook and Twitter for work?” Don’t worry, they still won’t get it. Be prepared to be on the ground floor for live events that revolve around your social media pushes. You will have to be the most charming person in the room, while also being the best marketer in the digital space at the same time.

But you know what…

It’s all so worth it. When you see your social campaigns surpass their numbers. When you see twitter streams light up like Christmas trees. When people give you feedback that says, “wow, thank you.” At the end of the day you live for this. You are a connector. A creator. A marketer. A master linker between brand and consumer, bridging the two dimensional traditional gap with the three dimensional injection of the all powerful social media. So, pat yourself on the back Young Social Marketer and know that all good word-of-mouth starts with your passion for social media marketing.

Best,

@JamesonGBrown

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3 Reasons Why Vine Will Help Brands

A couple of days ago the new Vine application was released and every digital nerd, including myself, thought we were the new Spielbergs of directing. The stop/go flip book app allows users to easily edit together video content of their choosing and then share socially within the Vine community or to other social networks (Twitter and Facebook). I refrained from writing an immediate piece upon the app’s release date because I wanted to let the initial wave of “OMG, this is awesome” to blow over and really examine the realistic benefits of this program. Is this application a real game changer? No. Will it be a useful, tactical tool for brands? Yes. Below are 3 reasons why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Transparency: one of the most important staples a brand must embrace when using social media is transparency. This is something that we all know by now. The question now is “how can we further our transparency?” The Vine app will allow users to take a step further into the brand’s internal way of life. Nothing huge, but it will make users connect with the brand further because…ding ding ding…the brand will be further humanized in the eyes of the user!

2. Conciseness: I am sure there were many meetings, debates, brainstorms, etc. on how long the clip’s length. And Vine did a great job with staying in line with Twitter’s mantra of being the salsa dance network of social media. When user’s only have a limited amount of time to make their multimedia content oscar winning they know it has to be good. And it is perfect for people who are on the go (and the majority of us are these days). So if I want a quick “how-to” clip on how to cook a meal or how to put something together then I know Vine can give me the quick video blueprint of how to do that. Hmm… do you hear that brands? “How-to” videos on Vine…not a bad practice to start implementing if applicable.

3. Content: everything in social media will always wrap back around to “is your content worthy?” So, whether it is a “how to” clip or you showing segments of your day, make sure the content you push out on this application is something users will not just like, but benefit from. I can like something all day on Facebook, but Vine takes things a step further in that it will be a competition for good content.

So, future social media directors, go out and start filming. Just know that you should not overuse this app and the content you push out needs to not only be “cool,” but valuable to other users.

Have you used the Vine application yet? If so, what has been your favorite type of content you’ve seen so far? 

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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?