Leverage the "Tuned In" Audience: How to LISTEN

What is the difference between traditional marketing activities and social media activities?

Well for one, most traditional marketing activities merely circle the target instead of actually participating one to one with them.

Here's what I mean:



See how the activities simply rotate around the customer? But never actually get any closer or touch them?

Now look at social media:



A web audience is "tuned in". Meaning that they proactively SEEK OUT, SHARE, AND DEVELOP content. Do not ignore these possible brand advocates or brand haters. Respond to blogs, tweets, etc. the very same way you would a customer service call - in fact that department is likely the best qualified group to handle online grievances as they have already been trained to avoid any actions that are not permitted by your organization.

But I will say this - there is nothing more powerful than leveraging your highest ranking officials in this capacity as well.

The key is LISTENING.

Here are two simply tactics for listening:
Set up Google Alerts
They'll find your company's name whereever it's being used and serve up links to you in the frequency you specify.
You should also monitor tweets. For this, I recommend TweetBeep.

Why You Shouldn't Hire An Agency for Your Social Media Communication

Ever wonder why some people are really good at reaching their customers and others invest millions on campaigns that fall flat?

Well, wonder no longer!

When companies choose to talk to their customers themselves they gain more than just insight, they also create relationships. Agencies that push messages can't do that...and consumers know the difference! There is very little that could ever replace good old-fashioned customer service, and that is the backbone of social media success online.

It isn't the cool gimmick of tweeting or posting that people are actually enjoying, it's the chance to speak one on one with companies, and it works even better if your top leaders are the ones talking.

Why do you think FaceBook is so successful? It's not the application itself, which is fairly cumbersome to navigate...it's the opportunity to connect and millions of people simply accept the obstacles of the platform so that they can collaborate and catch up with their friends.

If you hire an outside agency to write your blogs, answer questions, or post on Facebook or Wave, you're doing yourself a disservice. You're taking the actual value out of the connection - you. I personally don't want to speak to a third party, I want to tell a manager, or even the President of a company when I'm really dissatisfied, how about you?

No matter how much your agency makes you feel that they understand your business goals and needs, keep in mind that they have a bottom line too, and it usually means tacking on sparkly shiny things you probably don't even need. And everything they say is going to have potential to get lost in translation, so just do the talking yourself! Remember this: SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS IS NOT RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY, IT'S RELATED TO COMMUNICATION.

Save yourself some money, and get in on the conversation. It's likely your customers are already talking.

Coming up next time...Leverage an audience that is tuning in, rather than bouncing your messages and hoping for a hit.

Keep Clicking!

Michelle

Ten QUICK Ideas for Twitter Messages

Not quite sure how to get started with your shiny new Twitter account? Here are 10 quick and easy ideas to get you started. (Remember, Twitter only takes a line or two.)

10.Announce New Products or services and include a link to your web site.
9. Provide a link to download a white paper or other valuable document.
8. Create a scavenger hunt for your customers. Use your site content as the map.
7. Congratulate a customer on a new innovation or other significant achievement.
6. Announce employee achievements via Twitter.
5. Post a poll question. (Helpful for researching new product ideas, issues.)
4. Post an advertisement in parts, like a progressive billboard campaign.
3. Invite product spokespeople (especially if you're in NASCAR) to "guest" tweet.
2. If it's your first tweet, introduce yourself!
1. Post a link to a downloadable coupon.

Hope these ideas get you thinking and tweeting! Got ideas? Post in the comments!

Keep clicking!

Michelle

Delivering Bad News Online

It's inevitable. Every company will have some bad news to report at some point during it's existence. There are a myriad of ways to convey information, and where does the web fit into the mix?

Sure, you'll have the traditional press release, an update on your company's website, perhaps your executive team will even hold some sort of teleconference or send out letters. But, there is yet another way to reach your audience and share information that can help you get closer to your customers than the more traditional avenues.

Blogs can be an unconventional, yet brilliant way to communicate bad or negative news. First, online communication is much more informal, which can help to make the information seem more like an intimate conversation, rather than an announcement from on high. Second, it provides a channel to receive feedback on the information. Yes, this can be scary, but it engages you (the company) in the conversation and see firsthand what questions, concerns and negative feelings are being shared, instead of simply pushing the information out and shutting down. A practice that often leaves customers reeling and angry.

Social media sites (like blogs) also give you an opportunity to leak information at a controlled pace, and to educate your customers/the public on what exactly is going on throughout a difficult time. This is always better than suddenly announcing bad news. Of course you have to be cognizant that any negative information presented must be communicated internally first, then externally, and everyone must be armed with appropriate responses to the questions and comments that may come about. But these highly calculated leaks can also prevent confusion, anger, and make your customers feel more a part of the equation, rather than victimized.

Whatever your bad news, keep in mind that there is more than one way to skin a cat, and sometimes, crazy times call for really unique responses.

For more information on social media, here is some REQUIRED READING: Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff.

In the meantime, keep clicking!

Michelle

Who Should Blog For Your Company?

This is a very important question and one that should not be taken lightly. This person is the face and voice of your organization, so make it count. The very best person? Your CEO or other high-ranking executive. This creates an approachable platform for the general public to be introduced to your company - but it doesn't always guarantee the right spin. The personality of your leader should be taken in to account. If your CEO is stodgy and quiet, or often keeps the office door closed, seek out someone else. Perhaps a Marketing, Public Relations or Human Resources Officer can fit the bill.

It doesn't matter who posts it...(could be your web content manager, webmaster or other IT staff member), but who writes it and what they write does matter.

Again, Southwest's Gary Kelly takes the cake. Check out hislatest - he doesn't blog that often - but does when something is up - I imagine there will be another coming if the Frontier merger goes through.

He often addresses both challenging and humorous topics in the same breath, something that is appealing to the traveling audience. Also, this transparency is also appealing and I'm sure is a huge reason why the Southwest brand has the most loyal following on the web of all the airlines. You get the feeling they want and need to hear from you, that you are on the team yourself. They carry this through their entire experience, which is why they are the only airline that still makes any money.

So if you're going to get in on the blogging, it needs to come from somewhere on high (or the highest "cool" person at your organization), it should reveal facts and figures but also be conversational and it can be short and sweet.

Successful CEOs are usually the ones that you like to be around. The person that inspires you, that makes you want to do the best job you can, and that you feel works hard too. Successful people in general make others feel good, and feel included. Whether it's your CEO or someone else, make sure that your company is representing this type of attitude online as well as in the elevator.

The next truth? Delivering bad news online.

Keep Clicking,

Michelle Marquardt

The Importance of Completing Online Profiles

It seems odd that this would even be necessary to discuss, but if you poke around the web enough, you'll see that a lot of companies and individuals are not fully completing their profiles on LinkedIn and other sites.

Wouldn't that be the same as not completing an application or only putting your company's name on a board and then not saying anything else in a commercial?

Setting up a profile can be a little time-consuming - but don't make the mistake of not giving as much good information about your company (or yourself) as possible. It's important to keep it succinct, but still descriptive. It's akin to the elevator speech. A slice of content meant to, in a short period of time, give the proper impression and positioning of your organization.

Many, many important people (prospective clients and prospective employees) do the majority of their research online. Do yourself a favor and make sure that you make the same effort you would in person, in print, or on a billboard, online. There are millions more impressions to make online, so make yours count!


The Next Truth - Who should blog for your company?

Keep Clicking,

Michelle Marquardt

How do I start to represent my company on social networking sites?

Today's Truth: How do I start to represent my company on social networking sites?

This is not hard at all!

1) Use your LinkedIn profile to add information about your company - keep it POSITIVE and TRUTHFUL!
2) Create a profile on LinkedIn for your company. CAUTION: You may not be the "authorized" person to do this - proceed carefully. If you are, simply create it and share with everyone. If you're not sure where your company stands, get great examples of companies who have great profiles to share first.(Again, Southwest takes the cake!)
3) Also check out your competitors. Share their profiles if they have them.
4) Another way is to create a Facebook page for your company.
5) Do you have training videos you can upload? Add them to YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. This is free and uses great stuff your company has already paid for and completed.

That's how you can get started!

The next truth? What is the importance of completing online profiles?

Keep Clicking,

Michelle

Finding Your Customers Online

Today's Truth: You CAN Find Your Customers Online!

So, you have a hunch that your customers might be making purchases online (YOU'RE RIGHT! FOLLOW THIS HUNCH!). But you don't know where they are clicking?

Well, if a person is in the market for whatever you are selling, the name of that product or service is where you start.

For instance, if you sell soap on a rope, you might try Googling "soap on a rope" and see what results are given. Where is your company listed in the search results? High? (GOOD JOB!) Low? (Hey, no problem, add a little more content to your site and maybe play around with Pay Per Click or Adword campaigns.) Nowhere? Boo. Do you have a website? Has your website been spidered by Google? Talk to your IT team about doing this if you're not sure if it's been done or not. The key is to submit your sitemap to Google so it recognizes your site and will then spider it during searches. This practice use to be frowned upon, but now there are ways to do it that won't get you in trouble and are easy to do as well. More info on this here.

Another way to find your customers is to poll them. TIP: It doesn't matter what channel you use to poll them, just ask! If you have a postcard or a telesales operation, simply ask, "If you're shopping online for X product, what sites do you visit most often?" If they don't mention yours, ask for feedback on why not. Also, run surveys on your website quarterly. This will give you plenty of feedback on what you should be working on to make your site better. And please, offer some incentives for this! People do like to give their opinion, but show them how much you VALUE it by throwing in a little something (a white paper, a coupon, a knick-knack, etc.)

Tomorrow's Truth: How do I start to represent my company on social networking sites?

Keep Clicking,

Michelle

Welcome to Where In the Web Are Your Customers?

Where In the Web Are Your Customers is all about helping companies get comfortable using Social Media and dealing with the fear that "people will talk".

Today's Truth: People will talk.

Social Media is all about talk. It's about chiming in. It's about participating. It's social. Don't be a wallflower! Get in on the action. If there is something bad to say about your company, rest assured - it's already being said. Why not join the conversation, and better yet, why not take this new insight and DO something about it?

Is ignorance really bliss?

Imagine the good that could come of a very public resolution and customer experience that results in satisfaction as opposed to ignoring what people are saying? Don't give up the reigns of your company's brand, lead the charge and provide a way for your customers to tell you what they think - they're already telling everyone else.


Who does it right?
Southwest Airlines - Their CEO has a blog. Yours should too. Throw out the idea that "we can't afford the extra staff". Southwest leverages [FREE] posts from their customers...they're getting double the bang - free and testimonials!

Esurance - Shockingly hip for such a dullard industry. Throw out the idea that your industry isn't "ready for this".

Who gets it wrong?

The Onion. - So sad to say, as I still laugh very hard at much of what these genisues put out there. But surprisingly, this cutting edge pillar of comedy simply does not embrace publically created content. Their elitist attitude is no longer helping their brand in a world where everyone feels entitled to weigh in. (Note - Submissions to this blog are welcome!)

Sears - Can I just say, bless their heart? These guys don't get much right online. From not tying the in-store experience to the web experience to not understanding the channel itself, Sears is destroying their rebranding efforts by not embracing the web. Sears makes great products and offers real value...but they are missing opportunities due to a lack of intergrated marketing understanding and insufficient web (or deficient) web tools.


Tomorrow's truth? Finding your customers online isn't as hard as you'd think.

Weigh in - share your experiences or just let me know what you think! That's what Social Media is all about!

Keep Clicking,

Michelle