Has your Social Media just hit an iceberg?

I have a little Titanic on the brain. My daughter just finished a class project on the ill-fated vessel, and when it comes to immersion in a topic, she’s at the head of the class. It was not only a topic of discussion, but we also spent several hours viewing documentaries and specials. The feature film is also on our to-do list.

As I watched and learned more about what happened, I realized that the signs of impending disaster were all around – design flaws, bad assumptions, poor information, and a superior attitude – both before and after the collision. They combined to blind those in charge from coming catastrophe until it was too late. When Facebook rolled out its most recent changes, I realized that we in the small business marketing community might have just struck an iceberg of sorts, too.

Small Businesses Beware

The most recent Facebook changes have a number of implications to the visibility, and therefore the impact, of content from Facebook pages that aren’t wildly popular. Before the changes, smaller brands could cultivate a loyal following and be assured that their page’s content was going to appear to the majority of the fan base. On several pages that we manage (but not all), some measures of engagement and visibility, like impressions, are starting to drift downward, a reversal of a long-term trend.

My suspicion is that this latest update and how results are presented is either intentionally or inadvertently slanted in the favor of the larger brands – ones with extremely large and active fan bases. While this may be in Facebook’s best interest, it’s definitely not in the interest of smaller businesses and brands.

Don’t abandon the Facebook ship yet

I’m not telling you to hop in the lifeboats and abandon Facebook yet, but it might pay to look around and see what social media alternatives are out there. There are plenty of options and if you are following a balanced approach to your social media marketing, you should be actively using or at least experimenting with them:

• Twitter is returning to more engaging and active community – reminds me of its earlier days
• Google+ is still young, but is showing a lot of promise
• The mini-blogging site Tumblr is also building up quite a following

Whatever you do, don’t wait until the value of your Facebook Page slips beneath the waves, taking your social media investment with it. Start looking into alternatives now.

The concept behind social media is simple – it’s about connecting. Whether it’s professionals networking on LinkedIn, individuals sharing with each other on Facebook, or businesses finding an audience for their product on Twitter, social networks offer a new type of relationship, one that is no longer limited by time or geography.

Why you should care about Social Media

People have always talked about businesses – but their discussions were limited to a small circle – usually friends and neighbors. Social networks take that discussion and broadcast it. Recommendations are no longer limited by time or location. Your reputation carries much farther and comments can persist on the internet – possibly for years.

People who you do business with, or want to do business with, are already online:

References and Referrals – They recommend businesses by “talking” about it online, providing links or simply “liking” it on a site like Facebook.

Support – They get help by having their questions answered, finding how-to advice and links to useful content

Complaints – They share what they don’t like and what could have been done better.

Your business needs to be there to provide that help, support and advice. It becomes critical that you monitor social networks so that you will know if there is an issue and have a chance to resolve it.

Connect with your customers or clients

The online world offers you an opportunity to join in the discussion. Though proper use of social tools you can:

• Increase the visibility of your company
• Establish stronger relationships with clients and customers
• Build and audience for information about your products and services
• Lay the foundation of content and links to assist in your other online and offline marketing efforts

Getting Started

If you are new to social media, the multitude of options can be bewildering. If your business is entering into social media marketing, it is essential that you:

• Have an understanding of the fundamentals of social media
• Recognize how it can be used for marketing, and
• develop a plan for integrating social media into your other marketing activities

You can get this by attending a formal social media training series, like SM90Days; work with an agency to build and train your social team; or engage a marketing coach to help you move your social marketing to the next level.

Don’t forget it’s only a part of the rest of your marketing

While social media can’t be the only marketing tool you use, it should be part of your overall marketing strategy. Unlike many other facets of marketing, social tools and networks require very little upfront capital investment – but they do require an investment in time and planning.

So you are building an audience online (see previous blog post on that topic). The relationship has started, but how can you make it stronger? You have to provide value.

Think about media you frequent, whether it’s a newspaper, website, or a TV program. Why do you return? Because it provides something you care about, whether its information or entertainment. If you don’t see the benefit, you flip the channel or hit the “back” button, sometimes never to return. Your audience is no different. Once they visit, subscribe, “friend,” connect, or follow you, they want value.

How can you provide value:

• A newsletter (like ours)
• A blog (like this one)
• Curate information for others (see how)
• Facebook page with useful links and information
• Using LinkedIn or Twitter to share information

Make sure the content matches your audience, is of good quality, and is updated regularly. Do that, and you are on your way to building a stronger (and larger) audience.

How do you provide value?

Heads up to everyone who manages a Facebook Page.  It looks like Facebook has added a “spam blocker” to the page architecture.  See the explanation I received this AM (above) when a notice appeared on one of the Facebook Pages we manage.  Whether this will cause technical issues for owners or visitors who post items remains to be seen.

Has anyone experienced any benefits (like blocked spam) or problems (like blocked legitimate content)?  Also, has anyone experienced any reporting -  will page owners be notified about what is being blocked?

How long before you are forgotten?

One of the greatest challenges in marketing is having your audience retain not just a favorable impression of your business, but one that is strong enough so that they reach out to you when they are ready to buy.

Case in point:

Last summer, my seven year-old daughter attended summer camp, and had a great experience. Every day, without fail, she came home enthusiastic and energized – already primed for the next day of camp.

When camp ended, she was, as they say, one happy camper. Couldn’t wait until next summer and was ready to do it all over again. Five months later it was time to plan for the summer – guess what? She’d lost that lovin’ feeling. Not only had she lost her enthusiasm, but she had no interest in going to that particular camp.

A great experience isn’t enough

What happened? I’m sure it was a  case of out of sight, out of mind. Like most of us, the excitement doesn’t last for 5 months, and lacking any real way for the camp to reach out to the camper during the school year, there was no way to keep the memories at the top of her mind. It’s clear that a great experience is important, but it isn’t enough.

What it means for you

It’s not just summer camps that have this problem – anyone who has a product or service that is consumed infrequently runs the risk of fading from your customers’ hearts and minds. What to do?

This is where online marketing and social media shine. Whether it’s a Facebook Page or an email newsletter, a well thought out engagement strategy can make sure that your happy clients remember you, and make it easy for them to reach out to you when they are in that all-important shopping mode.

Marketers, especially social media marketers, have what I like to call a “how problem.”  Too much time and effort spent focusing on the how:

• How to use the tools
• How to get as many followers, friends or connections as quickly as possible
• How to broadcast your message, etc.

before they really understand why.

I don’t know if it’s our society’s preoccupation with the shiny and new, or our incessant need to “cut to the chase.” For whatever reason, people are in such a rush to the finish they consistently forget why they started the race in the first place. When moving full speed ahead, how-to seams necessary, even critical. But those who focus only on the how too often end up in over their head, confused, and frustrated. They either walk away or worse, create a lasting mess.

The “how” is one of the last things you should worry about. Real insight and lasting success occur by getting answers to the “W” questions:

Why – Why are you using social media? What are you trying to accomplish? (yes, you need goals)

What – What are the options and alternatives? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What is the culture of the network? What kind of messaging works?

Who – Who is using the media – are they your target audience? Why and how do they use it?

Where – Where is there a match between your goals, your audience, and the networks? That’s where you should be.

After you’ve decided the “where” then it’s time to learn the tools.

Some will argue that you need to dive into the various sites to learn the ropes and only then can you answer the questions above. They are right, but only to a point. It’s OK to jump in as an individual, watch, learn and even participate. I recommend it. Personal gaffes are easy to work through. But if you are representing a business, the implications of missteps can be much more painful.

Take the time up front answer the why before the how and your businesses’ social media experience will be much more productive.

Photo credit: fontplaydotcom

The following article was originally published in our monthly newsletter, Building Marketing the Works.  Click here to subscribe.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a tool guy – yard, garage, or on my laptop I like to have the best tool for the job.

Last month I embarked on a “spring renovation” of our deck – badly needed, and at least a year overdue. It ended up being one of those “entire weekend” projects, but it turned out well. While I was in the midst of prepping the deck, I realized that my current project and online marketing weren’t all that different.  Experience, planning, preparation are key elements for success. But having not just the right tools, but the best tools for the job can make all the difference.

Tool choice has an impact on your results

The stain went on well, but as I worked I realized it wasn’t the shiny new paint sprayer that made difference (though I did like using it), it was the time that I spent cleaning and preparing the deck that was key to my success. As I took break, I reviewed my preparation process and was surprised to find that the most effective tool that weekend wasn’t my belt sander or the specialized detail sander I used on the railings, but the simple pole sander I used on the decking itself. For those of you not initiated into the joys of house painting, the pole sander is just what you’d imagine it to be – a sanding pad attached to the end of a pole. Solid, but no great mechanical marvel.

I arrived at the choice of the pole sander though a bit of hard won experience . The last time I had refinished the deck, I had rented a floor sander – what I thought would be the best for the job. But I didn’t like the results – the sander was hard to control, took too long, and most importantly – didn’t produce a great result.

It’s not about the tool, it’s about the result

The pole sander is a decidedly low-tech solution. It took a little more time and a lot more elbow grease. But I had greater control over how the tool preformed and to my surprise, I started to focus on the result instead of managing the tool. All too often the tool, while well intentioned, distracts us from our goals.

In online marketing, especially social networking, the best tool might not be the most automated or “efficient.” Successful online marketing requires building a relationship with your audience. Solid relationships aren’t built overnight or with a rapid-fire tool set. Using tools that value automation over quality or worse yet, distract you from focusing your relationships, won’t end up producing the best result.

This article originally appeared in the April edition of our  monthly newsletter, Building Marketing that Works.  You can subscribe here.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36894712@N04/ / CC BY 2.0

People will sometimes refer to LinkedIn as your “online resume.” Frankly, it’s a disservice to a very powerful tool. The reach, features, and reputation of LinkedIn can provide you with much, much more. If you are building or growing any sort of business, offline or online, you need to not only have a LinkedIn profile, but a profile that accurately reflects both you and your business.

Why Join LinkedIn?

It’s one of the web’s most credible sources. At last check, LinkedIn had 50 million registered users. That’s an impressive community. But more impressive is the credibility a presence on LinkedIn confers to its members. By encouraging bona fide business use and discouraging inappropriate tactics like spam, it has built a rock-solid reputation for legitimacy. That reputation is transferred to its members. By simply joining, you send out a signal of authenticity.

LinkedIn helps you make a good first impression. It is now common for people go online to learn more about you and your business. Because of LinkedIn’s legitimacy and large user base, individual and business profiles typically show near the top in search engine results pages. For new or small businesses, this might be the only way to show up on the first page of the results without spending significant sums of money.

It’s a rolodex on steroids. Because the site is business oriented, people tend to keep their information up to date. People you want to stay in touch with will move, change jobs, or get a new email address. Chances are they’ll update their profile sooner rather than later. I’m able to keep touch with hundreds of former colleagues from all over the country – relationships built over a decade of consulting projects. Any other means of keeping up would be overwhelming.

And there’s more

LinkedIn allows membership in  groups for associations, products and interests. It has a unique question and answer feature that helps you establish your expertise or get relevant answers to business questions. And for those who create content, it provides the ability to show blog feeds and share slide shows with your network. The benefits are more than can be covered in a single blog post.

But you can’t enjoy any of the benefits unless you are registered and you have a decent profile. You can learn more about LinkedIn here.

Customers, prospects, leads – they no longer exist. At least they shouldn’t when planning for your market. Generational changes, social networks, and the ubiquity of the Internet has turned marketing on its head. The marketers are no longer in control, the buyer is. What once was a one-to-many broadcast/advertising model is quickly morphing into a landscape populated by relationships. Buyers are demanding them and marketers are beginning to understand that they are a necessary for success.

Anyone who’s been in a successful relationship realizes that it can’t be one-way. There has to be give and take.

Who’s Giving?

Smart marketers, that’s who – giving value, giving information, no longer just pushing out an offer, but providing a performance. Apple gets it (as with so many things marketing).  Watch Steve Jobs present the iPad:

Sure it’s a announcement, but it’s more – its performance art.

Consumers are taking in the show – online relationships are morphing into that of an artist and their audience. Today’s buyers not only consume, they comment, they critique, the advocate. They get excited, they chat, spread rumors, and sometimes become part of the show.

What’s a marketer to do?

You already have fans – people are sharing information and opinions about you and  your company, both online and offline – with or without your involvement. To successfully engage your online audience:

• Rethink your approach to your market – who’s your audience?
• Provide value – what does your audience want? How can you provide it?
• Build relationships – plan to communicate not just to, but with your audience
• Think of marketing as more of a performance or a event – what’s your goal and how is your message delivered. Is it ready to be consumed by your audience?
• Allow your fans to be fans – set up ways that your fans can easily communicate with and about you – fan pages, forums, feedback forms, ratings and reviews.

Engage with your audience and deliver the performance they expect and you will be setting the stage for life-long fans.

Blogs can help you establish credibility and generate leads for your business. But be careful: who’s getting the credit for all your hard work?

Creating content can be expensive. Whether you’re posting a professionally shot video, a self-shot video post, or text post that you’ve labored over to get just right, you’ve invested your time and/or money. Is your website or domain getting the long-term search “credit” for your effort? If you are posting your content to a third party blogging platform (like WordPress.com or Blogger), you aren’t. Don’t get me wrong – they and other hosts are solid platforms and easy to use – but if you are trying to build a business through your blog they could be holding you back.

The location of your content does matter

Some will argue that if the content is good, people will find you and link to that content.  They’re right – but guess what – the all-important search engine “credit” all goes to the host (the all important part of the web address right before the “.” – www.yoursite.wordpress.com). So big deal, you have inbound links and people are paying attention – why should you care? Two very good reasons:

1. If you are blogging for your business and you have a website, it’s not getting any significant search benefit. When you link back to your business, you might get clicks. But as far as search engines are concerned, the 3^rd party blog content is only distantly related to your primary website through those links. Content on a blog within your domain gives the entire domain credit.
2. Even if you don’t have a website, someday you might want to take your blog to the next level – do something the 3^rd Party Host won’t easily allow, or allow at all. You will want to move to your own domain. The larger your blog, the bigger the pain. You can post links to your new blog, or even copy your old posts over to the new blog. But guess what? You’ll lose most of the benefit of all that good content. The old content on the new site will never be ranked as highly on the search engines as the content on the old site.

What to do

If you are just starting out – start right with your own blog. If you are already established on a host platform, not all is lost. You should explore moving  to a self-hosted set up as soon as you can. Not sure what’s involved, contact us, and we’ll help you figure it out.

Some people are concerned that owning a blog can be a difficult and expensive. If you are already blogging on a hosted platform, you’ve mastered the difficult stuff. Hosting isn’t nearly expensive or complex as it sounds. If you are just starting out there are plenty of sources for examples and coaching (we do that too).

And don’t forget to regularly backup what you own – for a self-hosted WordPress, I use WordPress Database Backup.

Happy blogging.

Photo credit: Web Success Diva

What do social networking and sales have in common? You have to believe it will work.

Last month I was lucky enough to attend a presentation from Dan Caramanico, co-author of  The Optimal Salesperson. His presentation was full of great sales insights, but one of his points really hit home.

Dan pointed out that if salespeople don’t reverse certain beliefs, for example that all customers decide based solely on price, no amount of training will help them break out of their mold. They might try to use what they learned, but they will consciously or unconsciously act to undermine the process, which leads to failure, further reinforcing their already held belief.

Social networking is no different. Unfounded beliefs, unless reversed, will lead to failure. Do you find people (or yourself) putting up barriers to social networking success?

• No one would care what I say
• My customers/clients don’t use that stuff
• I can’t trust our employees to use it responsibly
• It’s all just a big time waster
• It’s just a fad, it’s only for kids
• I have enough friends already (my favorite)

While they are busy avoiding change, others are using social networking to make money and build businesses.

Did I miss any of your favorite barriers to success? Leave me a comment and let me know.