Wishing You The Best For the Holidays!

From my family to yours, I wish you

Simply Marvelous Holidays 

and

A Prosperous, Healthy, Happy and Grounded 2011!

Thank you so much for subscribing, reading, commenting and offering me your encouragement.

Best,

C.B.

Google for Visibility: TalkFloor Social Media Marketing Series

Dave Foster from TalkFloor.com and I connected recently to continue our conversation about social media marketing.  This time we discussed Google for Visibility.

He described the three-part interview on Google for visibility as follows:

Christine Whittemore, Simple Marketing Now, on the Opportunities Available on Google

Christine Whittemore, Simple Marketing Now, in an ongoing series on social networking looks at the opportunities available on Google looking to enhance a company’s visibility, looking at various tools on Google including Google Alerts, Google Profiles and Google Places along with the benefits of website optimization.

As usual, we had a blast and even managed to touch on geolocation / location based marketing tools!

You can access the three interview segments by clicking on this link to Christine Whittemore on the Opportunities Available on Google. Each segment is approximately 12 minutes long.

My show notes for Google for Visibility.

My theory is – if you can’t be found online, you don’t exist. Extreme, but increasingly true when 97% of local consumers use online media to research businesses in their community** BIA/Kelsey research. People start at a search engine to start any kind of research. Majority of the time, that search engine is Google.

Being found can be an issue for people working at the same organization for a long time, for businesses used to doing business in person. That means it’s important for all of us to be paying attention to our digital visibility – for ourselves individually and for our companies.

Step 1: Google yourself

Check out your “google juice”. What do you see? Do you show up? Is it positive? Negative? Irrelevant?  You want to pay attention to the results on the first 3 pages; ideally, the majority of those 30 entries are about you and positive.

This is your opportunity to start managing your social reputation.

Step 2: Set up Google alerts

Everyone should set up Google alerts. Set them up for your name in quotes, for your company name, for your company URL, for products terms, even competitors.

I still meet people who don’t take advantage of Google alerts. They are free. You can set them up so you receive email notifications; you can even have them flow into Google reader where you can further organize them into relevant folders.

Google alerts allow you to monitor any new entries about you. For example, if someone writes about you in a blog or reviews your company. You’ll know about it and can say thanks.

Note: you’ll need to set up a gmail account for yourself.

Google alerts search tips: [not included in the interview recording]

+ You can create an alert with up to 32 words
+ Add a “+” sign in front of your alert term to force Google to search for exactly the word you want [blocks stemming]
+ Add a “~” sign in front of your alert term to generate synonyms for your search terms
+ Use quotes for exact searches
+ Exclude words using the minus sign in front of your alert term.
+ Add OR uppercase to search for any words in a list
+ Use AND uppercase to search for all terms
+ Wildcard: * [e.g., favorite * store]

Experiment with these in a search window and fine tune your query based on how relevant your results are. Check out this marvelous Google Guide for Selecting Search Terms which includes lots more details!

Step 3: Become more visible

If, when you Google yourself, you don’t find much that’s relevant to you, you need to take some steps to become more visible. More specifically:

+ Create and complete your LinkedIn profile and create one for your company [See How Do I Make the Most of LinkedIn]
+ Create a Twitter profile [See How Do I Do Twitter]
+ Create a Google profile
+ Claim your business listing on Google Places – particularly valuable for a retailer

Google Profiles: Allows you to gather all of your digital presences in one place: LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, websites, SlideShare presentations, Flickr photos… You can add specific photos to your profile. You have unlimited space for telling your story. It complements your LinkedIn profile. A great example is Glenn Raines [google.com/profiles/rainesmaker]. Mine is google.com/profiles/cbwhittemore.

Google Places: A Places page is the listing that shows up when you search for a business geographically and you notice several options to choose from from a map. Google allows you to claim such a listing for your business. Every business should do so, especially ones with physical locations. You can add coupons and special offers, visitors can rate and review you [which means you should be encouraging your customers to add reviews so you build up a positive track record consistently online rather than have to panic and react when you get your first negative review.]

Good reason to pay attention to Places is that Google has just released Google Hotpot, a location-based recommendation engine for places. It has a social element and integrates with mobile smartphones.

Note: you had better be paying attention to mobile for all of these digital tools.

BTW, also be aware that Yahoo offers local listings. A basic free listing lets you include phone/address/website, store hours, products.

Step 4: Optimizing your website to maximize your visibility

With this topic, we are getting into SEO or search engine optimization. Since we’re talking Google, it’s important to be aware of what Google pays attention to for digital visibility particularly as it relates to your business website.

I wrote a post titled SEO Primer: Nurturing Your Online Digital Visibility in which I list a few tips:

1. Review each page of your website paying attention to the META data – e.g, Page title, description, keywords

2. Review the content on each of your website pages making sure it is unique

3. Pay attention to your keywords

4. Static vs. dynamic content or websites vs. blogs.

Google has issued a Search Engine Optimization Starter guide that I recommend you read.

That SEO Primer post started with another article I wrote titled 10 tips for being found online:

• Beware of Flash
• Focus on Content
• Consistent Keywords
• Post frequently, consistently, relevantly on a blog
• Create unique content
• Listen. Listen more
• Banish the Hard Sell!
• What do your physical & digital retail experiences communicate? Are they fresh?
• Promote your digital presence offline & your physical presence online
• Invite visitors to opt-in for memorable email communications

Summary and Assignment:

• Set up Google alerts.
• Complete your LinkedIn and Twitter profiles. Participate in those networks.
• Create a Google profile.
• Claim your Google places listing
• Read the Google SEO Starter Guide.

Next: Google the Search Engine

How Do I : Twitter Chat?

How Do I Do a Twitter Chat?

Have you heard yet about Twitter Chats? They take place on Twitter, on a recurring basis - e.g., often weekly although there are a few exceptions, on the same day and time of the week and address a set subject area.  Although the theme will vary from chat to chat, if you are participating in a travel-related chat [e.g., #TNI - travelers night in], participants will have some connection to travel; if it's a horse chat [#horsechat], it will have something equine to it.

Each Twitter Chat is identified by a hashtag [e.g., #] and the name of the chat.  When you participate in a chat, you create a search [via http://search.twitter.com or with a new search column in Tweetdeck] on the specific hashtag that identifies the Twitter Chat you want to participate in. As a result, you filter for Tweets related to that event. When the chat is over, you close the search.

Other tools are available, too, for keeping track of Twitter Chats. You'll find some listed in the Additional Twitter Chat Resources listed below. I've tried a few and keep coming back to my Tweetdeck search column. It's simpler...

This week, I participated in a MarketingProfs sponsored chat about location-based marketing identified as #Profschat. Many more take place every week. As of 12/16/10, this Twitter Chat spreadsheet lists 263 chats on a multitude of subjects. I guarantee you will find one relevant to you; once you do, simply 'show up' on Twitter on the specified date and time and prepared to track the relevant hashtag.

What I love most about Twitter Chats is that you automatically share a common interest with those participating - otherwise you wouldn't be taking part in the chat. As a result, you encounter people whom you will want to follow on Twitter. And vice versa. You also discover unexpected benefits as Beth Kantor describes in this post Twitter Chat as Pre-Survey for a Training.

Twitter Chats can be wild!  Mack Collier's Sunday night #blogchat sets new records every chat for number of participants and tweets issued. Here is Mack's description of #blogchat with details.  Others may be more structured with questions asked at regular intervals.

In terms of participation, you may decide to simply watch and learn the first time. Or, you may just dive in and ask questions. Each chat has its own personality. This post from Lisa Barone titled How to Participate in a Twitter Chat? offers good advice.

Sharon Mostyn from Motherhood, Marketing, and Medical Mayhem moderates #SMChat on Wednesdays from 1-2pm EST. She has also hosted #TNI [mentioned above - see Twitter Chats - Fantastic for Insights and Visibility]. Sharon knows the ins and outs of Twitter Chats.  I caught up with her in May 2010 at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2010 in Boston and asked her about Twitter Chat best practices.

Here is what she detailed for me:

• Create a 'framing' post where you explain the purpose of the Twitter Chat and list the questions to be discussed. Sharon suggests 4 to 5 questions per topic.
• During the Twitter Chat, be prepared to ask one question approximately every 10 minutes. Mix open questions with agree/disagree questions.
• Start with introductions: ask everyone participating to introduce him/herself and state why each is taking part in the Twitter Chat.
• At the end of the chat, wrap up, say thanks. Be sure to thank all those who retweet during the Twitter Chat.
• Last step: post a recap with transcript of all the Tweets [using Wthashtag].

Thank you, Sharon!

I recommend that you try a Twitter Chat out. I think you'll be surprised at how vibrant the experience is and how much you learn.

Please, let me know how it goes and what you would add to this post to make it more helpful.

Additional Resources on Twitter Chats:

10 Steps to Creating a Successful Twitter Chat from Mack Collier
Twitter Marketing Tips: Twitter Chats and 8  Marketing & PR Chats To Follow from Lee Odden
4 Steps to Launching a Successful Twitter Chat from Steve Woodruff
13 Twitter chats every PR pro should follow from Petya Georgieva
Twitter tweet chats on the examining table: #HCSM [Healthcare Communications Social Media]
3 Reasons To Join a Tweet-chat from Patrick Barbanes - added 12/19/10

Wordle "How Do I" by C.B. Whittemore

Practical Simple Marketing In The News - 12/14/10

Here are links and resources shared on Twitter and tagged #practicalmktr grouped together in Practical Simple Marketing In The News for December 14, 2010.

I'm particularly pleased with these resources: lots of interesting brand examples, how to resources and good references.

If you are interesting in the retail experience, I've been doing something similar on Flooring The Consumer with Retail Experience links #retailexp and the response has been encouraging.

Here goes...

Simple & Practical Marketing Data & Resources

• Have U seen this: almost 40% unhappy w/ branded apps. Hope there's good learning going on http://bit.ly/9bxiCX #practicalmktr 
• Bookmark this: Fascinating Social Media Facts for 2010 http://bit.ly/cXGgNO #practicalmktr 
• Simply fascinating: interactive infographic addressing do CFOs believe economy is recovering http://bit.ly/icoZEn #practicalmktr  
• 35 Twitter hashtags for PR pros http://ow.ly/3nHVU #practicalmktr 
• Twitter Research Nuggets from @BrianSolis & Ad-ology http://bit.ly/bemcao BTW, if U RT this, it will live 1 hr. #practicalmktr
• RT @brettessler: Great resource: online database of social media policies http://ow.ly/3aQ3I CB: terrific #practicalmktr resource
• 10 directories for listing blogs http://ow.ly/3mToh with an addition in comments #practicalmktr 
• What is future outlook for small business fr @smallbiztrends http://bit.ly/9klvf8 #practicalmktr

Practical Marketing Advice

Twitter:

• Lots good advice for pitching media on Twitter http://ow.ly/3nHYR #practicalmktr 
• Using Twitter to monitor the competition http://ow.ly/3mFKD #practicalmktr via @nataliemacneil
• How not to use hashtags in a tweet http://ow.ly/3nI0r #practicalmktr
• How to effectively use #hashtags on Twitter http://bit.ly/c2S3hk #practicalmktr
  
• How to use Twitter effectively for small business fr @Mashable http://on.mash.to/a1ZoSu #practicalmktr

Facebook:

• Are U a newsroom? 8 ways to get more out of Facebook. Interesting #practicalmktr ideas http://ow.ly/3mQZK
• Lots good advice here: top 10 tips for successful SMB facebook pages http://bit.ly/bvyfVC #practicalmktr
• H2 add Google Analytics to a Facebook Page Tab http://bit.ly/b2sUBk #practicalmktr

Blogging:

• 10 ways 2 entice whole company to blog fr @MarketingProfs -the author- http://bit.ly/exstG3 #practicalmktr
• Well said @markwshaefer! 10 reasons to blog even if nobody reads it http://bit.ly/bF8EzM #practicalmktr

General Observations:

• Why businesses should care about social media http://bit.ly/ahj5Ek Relates to A/E firms; relevant to all. TU @AventeTile #practicalmktr 
• Developing a social media conversation calendar fr @sproutcontent #cmi http://bit.ly/ehPWmt #practicalmktr 
• Interesting #practicalmktr perspective on managing social time commitments given biz demands http://bit.ly/as9YdS

Simple Marketing Inspiration

• If you're going to take part in social then 'put a face on those social sites' http://bit.ly/cN0TFu #practicalmktr
• Top 10 SEO rules 2 remember in yr online PR campaign http://bit.ly/anOS2d #practicalmktr
• Lots good perspective here from SEJ: When local SEO isn't local/regional. http://bit.ly/bVuB11 #practicalmktr
• RT @RonPloof: Can U explain yr entire corporate social media Strategy on one page? Try this http://bit.ly/hNevlO CB: elegant #practicalmktr 
• Why LinkedIn is social network that will never die fr AdAge http://ow.ly/3mTzB #practicalmktr 
• How online reviews & negative comments benefit U fr @MackCollier interview w @be3d - http://bit.ly/h8meoW #practicalmktr TU @sharonmostyn
• Lovely guidelines for extending hospitality to an online community http://bit.ly/ahOTY7 #practicalmktr
• 3 reasons why SMBs need social media! http://bit.ly/akkwBu #practicalmktr #retailexp : win over yr local community 
• Lots of good open-ended questions to stimulate community activity http://bit.ly/aJrflL

Brands Being Practical With Social Media

• Bravo @sesamestreet! This is truly engaging content #CMI - smart, relevant, talkworthy http://bit.ly/byYTZc #practicalmktr 
•  5Qs with NHL's Michael Lorenzo http://bit.ly/a8Rqhk #practicalmktr 
• Amazon, Best Buy, Dell among top social brands + 4 phases of social commerce development fr Altimeter http://bit.ly/aL9vFl #practicalmktr 
• Eileen Fisher interview. Love the simplicity of vision and execution http://bit.ly/dvS4tc #practicalmktr #retailexp
• The art of calculated risk from Richard Branson http://bit.ly/cIZDXr #practicalmktr 
• Interesting use of Twitter: to pinpoint dropped calls & improve service http://bit.ly/dxN2cG #practicalmktr
• AMC Talks Mad Men Marketing = fascinating observations http://bit.ly/9GZKHB #practicalmktr #bathroomEXP
• Bishops urged to embrace social media to evangelize effectively http://bit.ly/buUm0k #practicalmktr
• Power of Twitter: making 400 year old theater come alive C Moliere Goes Twitter http://bit.ly/goTqrv via @Gauravonomics #practicalmktr 
• Geolocation is getting interesting! Google unveils Hotpot, reco engine for Google Places http://on.mash.to/cEiNVJ #practicalmktr
• Check out @dmscott post for 25+ non-Zappos social media examples http://bit.ly/dJmZlc #practicalmktr 
• Fascinating! How 3 brands use social media to unite customers http://bit.ly/axEBMX #practicalmktr

Here's a link to previous editions of Practical Simple Marketing In the News.
 
Thank you for reading!

Best,
C.B.

Image credit: “#PracticalMktr” Wordle by CB Whittemore

13 Inspiring Content Marketing Examples

This last post in the recent Content Marketing Institute series about making the case for content marketing in your organization captures 13 Inspiring Content Marketing Examples.  The post is titled Content Marketing in Action: 13 Examples To Get Your Inspired.

The previous posts I've shared with you in this series include:

The Value of Content Marketing: How Do You Explain It?
Getting Started in Content Marketing
Measuring & Presenting Effectiveness of Content Marketing
Finding Internal Content Marketing Allies

As Michele Linn writes: “Sometimes the best way to understand the power of content marketing is to see it in action. To help someone see the value of this discipline, share an example of a company who is using content marketing effectively. What are they doing, and how do they know it is working?”

Wait 'til you read through the 13 marvelous examples that the following content marketers have identified! You will definitely enjoy the range of organizations and approaches to content marketing.

These are my fellow content marketers:

Heidi Cohen (@heidicohen)
Russ Henneberry (@russhenneberry)
Doug Kessler (@dougkessler)
Ahava Leibtag (@ahaval)
Katie McCaskey (@KatieMcCaskey)
Tom Pisello (@tpisello)
Lisa Petrilli (@LisaPetrilli)
Nate Riggs (@nateriggs)
Stephanie Tilton (@stephanietilton)
CB Whittemore (@cbwhittemore)
Debbie Williams (@sproutcontent)

Here is my contribution:

My favorite example of effective content marketing comes from a UK company that sells worms… and other organic items called Wiggly Wigglers. Have you heard of them? I met Heather Gorringe, company founder in 2008 and wrote about her in BlogHer Business 2008: Hats Off To Wiggly Wigglers.

I particularly admire that Heather uses a variety of content forms to create community around her products and the lifestyle that she and everyone at Wiggly Wigglers enables. In addition to the weekly Wiggly Podcast which recreates a fully sensory experience reminiscent of old-time radio broadcasts, the Wiggly Blog, a robust content-rich website, and a vibrant Facebook group, you can now watch The Wiggly Cinema.

Success? Wiggly Wigglers is listed as one of the top five best international brand campaigns with Zappos.   Better yet, Wiggly Wigglers has successfully reinvented organic farming.

Which examples do you like most? What others have you come across that use content marketing in a way that effectively connects with potential customers and engages them?

Making Your LinkedIn Profile Pop: CBSAC/NY Social Media Event

On December 6, 2010, Ruben Quinones, director of new media at Path Interactive shared insights on Making your LinkedIn Profile Pop during the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York social media event which took place at the Samsung Experience at Columbus Circle.

The event consisted of networking, formal presentation and hands-on, one-on-one consulting for those interested in getting more nitty gritty with LinkedIn.

Here's the event description:

YOUR LinkedIn PROFILE: T0 MAKE IT TO THE TOP, MAKE IT POP

Learn how to build your profile and create connections to make the most out of LinkedIn, the world's #1 business networking site.

Discover how to propel yourself to the next level by using LinkedIn, the most searched professional website. Over 15 million business professionals log on every day to look for jobs, search for potential clients, get recommendations, reconnect with former coworkers, and build their reputation as an industry or subject expert. LinkedIn now has over 70 million users, including over one million company profiles.

This event is for business professionals who have wondered how to get started on LinkedIn or have started a profile, but then wondered what to do with it beyond filling in the form basics.

We will start with an introductory presentation and Q & A by Ruben Quinones, Sales and Social Media, Path Interactive. In a short amount of time, Ruben has caught the attention of the online marketing community as an enthusiast, teacher, speaker and personal brander. Ruben consults with brands on their SEO, SEM, and social campaign strategy, and is an Adjunct Professor at New York University teaching SEO and Social Media. He is also Speaker, Lecturer for Digital/Social/New Media at Path Interactive as well as their Director of Sales and Social Media Marketing.

Ruben will talk through how to:

• Sign up on LinkedIn
• Develop a profile that encourages connections
• Generate and research sales and development leads
• Start or participate in LinkedIn Groups
• Work the recommendations section
• Ask AND answer business questions to LinkedIn Answers

After the presentation, several hands-on social media advisors from the Club will be available to walk you through the LinkedIn site and answer questions, using the computer terminals at Samsung.

HANDS-ON SOCIAL MEDIA ADVISORY COUNCIL:

Ben Bloom, Digital Strategist, Wunderman
Cecilia Pineda Feret, Digital Marketing Strategist
Brad Jobling, Social Media Manager, Columbia University Department of Surgery
Mo Krochmal, Journalist, Educator and Social Median
Catherine Ventura, Social Media Content Strategist, Venn Diagram
Amy Vernon, Director of Viral Marketing Strategies, BlueGlass Interactive Inc.
Christine B. Whittemore, Chief Simplifier, Simple Marketing Now

Our thanks to Cecilia Pineda Feret ‘92 and Mary Reilly ‘93 for organizing this event. Thank you to Samsung and Sobel Media for sponsoring our event and hosting us at their wonderful showroom space, which offers several Samsung computer terminals for our hands-on instruction.

Here are my notes on Making Your LinkedIn Profile Pop

Google controls your message/reputation online: Dec to Jan 2009, Ruben got 44 visits from LinkedIn. That caught his attention and he started experimenting to determine which factors affected the LinkedIn search algorithm.

LinkedIn is an 80 million business network with a Wall Street Journal type audience. You want to develop a profile that encourages connections:

• Use conversational wording
• Use keywords
• Post a photo
• Describe yourself in an interesting way

Your positioning in LinkedIn is influenced by your connections and the keywords in your profile. If you want to come up higher in search results, it helps to connect with others.

Add keywords to your professional headline and your current & past position titles.  Ruben's professional headline reads: "NYC Online Marketing, SEO, PPC, Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Online Branding, Speaker, Blogger, NYU Adj."  He recommends adding NYC. Notice that the headline is about selling solutions rather than listing a position title that only makes sense to you.

The summary has no bearing on the LinkedIn search algorithm. However, that's where you tell your story.

Specialties matter, as do Interests. That's where you should jam keywords in!

Add applications to make your profile pop: feed from your blog, presentations you've done. Ruben has added video using Google presentation.

Consider status updates an opportunity for conversation with your network. Make the information you post beneficial to your audience.

Try to get one recommendation per position. Recommendations factor into your overall positioning for search results.

Be sure to use LinkedIn as a research tool, to connect and converse with contacts within industries.

Groups and Answers represent ways for demonstrating knowledge. Google indexes answers; they help your Google-ability [a.k.a., Google Juice].

Additional LinkedIn Considerations:

Explore using LinkedIn search; see what kinds of professional headlines come up when you enter your search terms. Who ranks first? Where do those search terms appear in those results? Think like Google.

Mention your key words many times throughout your profile to improve your ranking. Note how Ruben has broken his current position into three separate positions to highlight specific keywords.

STATS? If you have premium account on LinkedIn.

You can name your weblinks in such a way as to highlight keywords or calls to action. Ruben uses “Need a Speaker?” “My take on Social Media, . . . .”

Preferably do status updates from the LinkedIn application itself versus using #in from Twitter so you can include pix or video and - more importantly - customize the message for your audience.

LinkedIn References

Ruben Quinones suggests checking out his LinkedIn Tips.
Mo Krochmal points us to Leveraging LinkedIn.
I recommend How Do I Make the Most of LinkedIn [to which I will be adding a link to this post].

Final Thoughts

I had a blast being part of the Hands On Social Media Advisory Group for the Making Your LinkedIn Profile Pop event and really enjoyed the questions that came up. So much so that Cecilia had to chase me out of Samsung Experience!

If you're in NYC for the next CBSAC/NY Social Media event, I recommend that you come. You're guaranteed good conversation!


Check out the first event in the Social Media for Business series: Social Media for Business & Entrepreneurship - CBSAC/NY Panel Discussion which took place in June 2010.

Image Credit: Thanks, Mo Krochmal!

Finding Internal Content Marketing Allies

This week's Content Marketing Institute series question addresses How to Find Internal Allies for Content Marketing.

More specifically, it addresses: “What other areas of the organization can help build loyalty/buy-in to the content marketing program? Who will be your allies outside the marketing department?”

Joining me, in providing perspective, are the following content marketers:

Rick Allen (@epublishmedia)
Heidi Cohen (@heidicohen)
Russ Henneberry(@russhenneberry)
Doug Kessler (@dougkessler)
Ahava Leibtag (@ahaval)
Katie McCaskey (@KatieMcCaskey)
Sarah Mitchell (@globalcopywrite)
Tom Pisello (@tpisello)
Elise Redlin-Cook (@redlincook)
Nate Riggs (@nateriggs)
Stephanie Tilton (@stephanietilton)
CB Whittemore (@cbwhittemore)

Here is my contribution:

I believe that all areas of the organization – and particularly customer facing roles – can help build loyalty and buy-in to content marketing programs. Here’s what’s so wonderful about involving those other departments: they have perspectives on the customer experience with your product or service that often go ignored. But, if you pay attention to what they’ve observed, you may come across invaluable insights. At the same time, you develop internal advocates who see direct benefit from the content they help create to address customer issues.

In my previous life as a corporate marketer, I brought our warranty claims manager into my content creation process. I created an ongoing blog series for her on The Carpetology Blog called Annette’s Carpet Corner to address common consumer concerns with carpet care. Together we developed new consumer reference sheets to help facilitate and guide the carpet purchase process as well as the warranty process. We even created a video on the proper technique for removing carpet stains that I recommend to everyone!

What is your take on the question? How do you go about finding internal content marketing allies?  I'd love to hear!

Modenus Writes About New Friend CB Whittemore

What timing! Practically on the heels of posting about the wonderful Tweetup at Coverings 2010 when I met Veronika Miller from Modenus, she publishes this lovely post titled New friends – watercolors, Vivaldi and German beer – marketing maven CB Whittemore.

I particularly appreciate that Veronika has reserved for me a delicious watercolor as reminder of and inspiration for some of the creative activities that I've put on hold...

Meanwhile, I recommend that you go spend some time on the Modenus site, a social network and resource for design professionals, where you will find Before & After design solutions, fantastic on location design inspiration [the High Point images make me feel as if I were there!], and amazing ideas and resources.

I can't wait to see how Modenus grows as a social network and look forward to meeting Veronika again in person to hear about her successes and new Modenus developments.  Or, maybe we should just schedule another Skype session!

Thank you, Veronika!

Measuring & Presenting Effectiveness of Content Marketing

The Content Marketing Institute series continues with How To Measure and Present the Effectiveness of Your Content Marketing Program.

Previous posts include:

• How to Explain the Value of Content Marketing
• How to Get Started in Content Marketing

The question addressed here is “How can marketers measure – and present – the effectiveness of their content marketing programs to their management teams?”

The following content marketers offer their perspectives to the current question:

Rick Allen (@epublishmedia)
Heidi Cohen (@heidicohen)
Russ Henneberry(@russhenneberry)
Doug Kessler (@dougkessler)
hava Leibtag (@ahaval)
Katie McCaskey (@KatieMcCaskey)
Sarah Mitchell (@globalcopywrite)
Tom Pisello (@tpisello)
Nate Riggs (@nateriggs)
Jennifer Watson (@ContextComm)
Dechay Watts (@sproutcontent)
CB Whittemore (@cbwhittemore)

Here is my contribution:

Content marketing programs work quite effectively with traditional marketing programs and you can easily get started building success stories.  Don’t forget, though, to measure the before state of your website, lead generation efforts and any other elements critical to your business and management team. Consider screen grabs of digital assets, too. Those come in very handy during presentations!

Many content marketing programs build gradually over time. Monitor and measure regularly. Build mini-case studies at regular intervals, repurpose your small successes, and generate conversation with your management team to build engagement on their part. Keep track of unexpected efficiencies that develop and of the anecdotal stories about how the impossible has started to happen!

Don’t forget to tell your content marketing program story at every opportunity – in formal settings as well as less formal ones, with associates and customers. The effectiveness of your content marketing programs will be undeniable!

By the way, we had a lively discussion about measuring engagement during the previous content marketing series. Definitely check out How To Measure Engagement.

What is your take on the question? How would you go about measuring and presenting the effectiveness of content marketing? I'd love to hear.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010!

I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Many thanks for being such an important part of the Simple Marketing Blog....

Best,

Christine




Thanksgiving 2010 by C.B. Whittemore created via Wordle

Meetups and Tweetups: Building Community

Have you taken part in a Meetup or a Tweetup - aka a Meetup organized via Twitter using a specific hashtag? I recommend that you do. Both are powerful means for building community.

Particularly if you've started engaging with others via social media, Tweetups and Meetups allow you to meet in person people with whom you may only have been interacting with virtually to that point. That's where the magic happens!

I've noticed it time and time again - at my first NYC Blogger Meetup: Night of the Iguana in 2007; at the ultimate blogger Meetup in April 2008: Blogger Social which I describe in Back From Blogger Social 2008 - NYC - interacting with people online by reading their blogs or tweets and exchanging ideas makes for intense in-person meetings where you 'know' the person despite never having met them. You already have the basis for conversation established and your next exchanges can go far beyond superficial cocktail party chatter.

Since those early days, Meetups have become more formalized and tend to refer to regularly occurring meetings and conversations. In fact, you can search for ones of interest in your geographic area by searching through Meetup.com.

[In this post, I describe NJ Open Coffee, MontClair, Thursdays 11am-12:30pm which has just been extended to Morristown on Wednesdays.]

Tweetups, on the other hand, retain an impromptu, one-off quality which can take a variety of forms.  You learn about them by following a specific hashtag [#] associated with an event taking place. Note from the following examples not only the range of formats, but also interaction.

• At Coverings 2010, I participated in a low key Tweetup that I discovered while following #Coverings on Twitter in anticipation of attending and presenting at Coverings 2010.  My fellow Twitter friends are pictured above: Paul Anater, Zoe Voigt, Veronika Miller, Bill Buyok, Marilyn Russell, Arpi Nalbandian [not pictured here; I originally met Arpi in person at Surfaces after many Twitter exchanges].

• David Parmet describes a 150 person Tweetup in this post titled What Every PR Person Can Learn From The #NASATweetup.

• Neville Hobson describes an 80 person music-based #ealingtu Tweetup in The Success of the Ealing Tweetup.

• In this last example - which is more about Twitter than Tweetups, but does include one - Twitter marvelously brings to live Moliere's 400 years old play "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme", as each character embraces his/her own Twitter stream, tweeting in verse even and engaging with new audiences. The project culminates in a 50 person Tweetup at the Theatre du Nouveau Monde before the performance which I bet was electrifying!  From Gaurav Mishra, see Case Study: How a Theatre Used Twitter to Introduce a Young Audience to a Moliere Play with link to the video: Molière Goes Twitter.

I hope you'll be on the lookout for upcoming Tweetups at the next trade show or conference you attend. You'll be amazed at how they help build community.

Will you let know your experience?

How Do I Make The Most of LinkedIn?

With all of these LinkedIn resources that I've put together, it's definitely time to group them together and share with you in How Do I? Make the Most of LinkedIn.

As I come across other interesting LinkedIn resources, I'll be sure to add them to this post.

Here goes How Do I Make the Most of LinkedIn?

Most recently I took part in a fascinating conversation with Bernie Borges which became a podcast titled 8 Content Marketing Tips For LinkedIn. I think you'll enjoy both the podcast and Bernie's show notes.

The TalkFloor Social Media Marketing Interview Series with Dave Foster continues, this time all about LinkedIn and in three parts!

• In Part I, we introduced LinkedIn and examined features of LinkedIn.
• In part II, we explored advanced LinkedIn features such as Groups, Answers, Events and Search.
• Part III addressed LinkedIn Business Successes on TalkFloor Social Media Marketing Interview Series.

Finally, I just came across this post LinkedIn Marketing: 5 Reasons B-to-B Companies Can't Ignore It which includes some valuable LinkedIn recommendations.

Added 12/8/2010:
Notes on the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York Making Your LinkedIn Profile Pop: CBSAC/NY Social Media Event

From Hubspot Blog:
LinkedIn's Little Secret: It's a Great Lead-Gen Tool
5 Tips for Creating, Promoting and Managing a LinkedIn Group

Added 12/9/10: Why LinkedIn is the Social Network That Will Never Die from AdAge
Added 12/22/10: How To Add Video To Your LinkedIn Profile - A Reel Tutorial 

That's the lowdown on LinkedIn so far.

If you come across other LinkedIn resources you consider helpful, would you let me know? I'll add them here.

Also, I'd love to hear about your LinkedIn success stories.

Getting Started In Content Marketing

Last week, Content Marketing Institute explored How to Explain the Value of Content Marketing. This week, the topic is How to Get Started in Content Marketing and the question, “If a marketing organization is new to content marketing, how do you suggest they get started?”

The following content marketers offered their take:

Heidi Cohen (@heidicohen)
Doug Kessler (@dougkessler)
Ahava Leibtag (@ahaval)
Amanda Maksymiw (@amandamaksymiw)
Katie McCaskey (@KatieMcCaskey)
Sarah Mitchell (@globalcopywrite)
Tom Pisello (@tpisello)
Lisa Petrilli (@LisaPetrilli)
Nate Riggs (@nateriggs)
Stephanie Tilton (@stephanietilton)
Jennifer Watson (@ContextComm)
CB Whittemore (@cbwhittemore)

I particularly like Doug Kessler's succinct suggestion to create great content that addresses what prospects care most about and where your company excels - i.e, the "overlap zone" - and Katie McKaskey's "think like the shopkeeper from yesteryear".

Here is my contribution:

I like what Joe Pulizzi described in last week’s post about getting people and content together in a room to discuss how customers and content relate. Getting started with content marketing requires understanding what assets and processes already exist and how and why they are used to build relationships with customers.

That then triggers discussion about the marketplace and how the company creates value for customers.

From there, you can start to piece together a bigger picture perspective, a content strategy, a rough content calendar and a strong sense for where gaps and opportunities exist for content marketing.

What is your take on the question? How would you get started in content marketing?

Simple News & Insights - Fall 2010

The latest issue of Simple News & Insights, Now Available... and I hope you enjoy it!

Released on 11/11/10, the Fall 2010 issue of Simple News & Insights from Simple Marketing Now is available for your reading pleasure.  You can access it by clicking on this link to the 11/11/10 archive of Simple News & Insights.

This issue explores the role content plays in making your marketing work harder for you so you can more effectively connect with potential customers.

I'd love to hear what you think.

If you like what you read in the Fall 2010 issue of Simple News & Insights, please consider subscribing.

To do so, simply click on this link to subscribe or look for the eNewsletter subscription form in the right sidebar of this blog.

You can review archives of Simple News & Insights by visiting the Simple Marketing Now News page and scrolling down to the left sidebar.

Thanks for reading!

Bathroom Blogfest Social Media Marketing Analysis: Why Participate?

Why would an 'eclectic' [hat tip to Bruce Sanders] band of bloggers get together once a year to discuss bathrooms in an event called Bathroom Blogfest?  Good question. Especially since we have been doing so for five years now, calling attention to improving the reader, customer, user, patron, patient and other experience using bathrooms as leitmotif.  Let me explain why via the following social media marketing analysis and historic overview! [Fellow BBC, please feel free to chime in!]

First, we share a passion for extraordinary user/customer experiences that we express through our participation in social media.  Bathroom Blogfest allows us to express that passion and then delight in how fellow Bathroom Blogfest participants relate her - and now his - blog focus to bathrooms...

Don't forget that there's a historic quality, too.The event just completed its 5th year!

I like participating in the Bathroom Blogfest because it inevitably brings intense social media marketing learning.

• I consider a blog critical for generating content. It's your marketing & communications hub. An important aspect of a successful blog, though, is connecting and engaging beyond your site to become part of a digital community - something that's easy to lose track of as you focus intensely on creating content consistently and meeting deadlines... The Bathroom Blogfest represents a friendly means for exploring other sites and connecting. I have formed lasting relationships as a result.

• Social media marketing involves experimentation to figure out how to make sense of new tools available. Twitter had no place in the first Bathroom Blogfest; it does now. The intensity of the Bathroom Blogfest experience makes for valuable pressure-testing! Blogposts, tweets, Facebook updates and comments need to be tracked and coordinated and some systems work better than others, particularly with increased complexity. Perhaps we'll add a Twitter Chat next!

• Bathroom Blogfest uncovers brilliance and cleverness; it's a bridge to perspectives otherwise foreign to you. It stretches your awareness and intellect and fires up your creativity.   

• Finally, Bathroom Blogfest has dimension! It takes place offline as well as online. Don't believe me? Try it. Bring it up in conversation with friends, family and business associates. I guarantee it will generate stories, anecdotes, and leads to followup on.

The Bathroom Blogfest has become a meme of sorts, evolving since the first event in 2006.

What started out in 2006 with 9 bloggers has grown into a much larger event and fascinating Bathroom Blogfest Community [aka BBC] with close to 40 bloggers participating in 2010.

We added BathroomBlogfest.com in 2007 to create a central focus point for the blogfest. It has evolved, too, over the years.

Since 2008, we've adopted a distinct theme for the yearly Bathroom Blogfest thereby adding an element of surprise.

We've also integrated additional social media tools as they have become more mainstream.  There was no Twitter to speak of in October 2006 when we first launched the Bathroom Blogfest. It is now an important communications and cooperation platform that drives traffic to sources of larger content [e.g., blogs].  Same goes for Facebook....

To give you a sense of the growth in the Bathroom Blogfest, I thought I would share with you a few charts.

Here you see the increase in traffic to BathroomBlogfest.com from 2009 to 2010. Yes, this is definitely a yearly event with little activity in between.

This next chart details referring sites. Notice that Facebook and Twitter represent important sources. Interestingly, the Twitter traffic spent more time on the Bathroom Blogfest site compared to the Facebook traffic.

I wonder how much stronger the Facebook traffic would be if we were to start re-connecting with Facebook fans a month or so ahead of the Bathroom Blogfest to build up event momentum.

This next chart captures the volume of conversations that Bathroom Blogfest 2010 generated between May 8 through November 8, 2010 [using eCairn Conversation]: close to 400 conversations consisting of Tweets, Facebook updates and approximately 70 blogposts.

The Bathroom Blogfest continues to evolve and I invite you to participate in next year's event, as an active participant or a supporter.


In the meantime, I hope you will look at the bathroom experiences around you with fresh eyes and consider how you might improve your patient, user, customer experience. Oh, and go visit the sites of my fellow Bathroom Blogfest participants. You may want to subscribe to several of them.

What other learnings would you add? 

------------------------

Here are the participants in the past five Bathroom Blogfests:

2006 Bathroom Blogfest

My summary post: Bathroom Blogfest 2006 Comes to a Close

• Susan Abbott in Toronto, Canada at Customer Experience Crossroads
• Reshma Anand in Bangalore, India at What I Do For A Living
• Sara Cantor in Chicago, Illinois at Curious Shopper
• Jackie Huba in Chicago, Illinois at Church of the Customer
• Maria Palma in San Diego, California at Customers Are Always
• Linda Tischler at Fast Company's blog FC Now
• Stephanie Weaver in San Diego, California at Experienceology
• C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer
• Sandy Renshaw at Purple Wren

2007 Bathroom Blogfest

Bathroom Blogfest 2007 posts: available via this link, this link (2), and this link (3), and finally this link (4).

Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

2008 Bathroom Blogfest

Theme: Cleaning Up Forgotten Spaces Around Us.

My summary post: Bathroom Blogfest '08- Recapping the Details

Susan Abbott at Customer Experience Crossroads
Katia Adams at Transcultural Marketing
Shannon Bilby at Floor Talk!
Laurence Borel at Blog Till You Drop
Jo Brown and the blogging team at Kohler Talk
Lisbeth Calandrino at Lisbeth Calandrino
Sara Cantor at The Curious Shopper
Becky Carroll at Customers Rock!
Katie Clark at Practical Katie
Iris Shreve Garrott at Circulating
Ann Handley at Annarchy
Marianna Hayes at Results Revolution
Elizabeth Hise and C.B. Whittemore at The Carpetology Blog
Maria Palma at Customers Are Always
Sandra Renshaw at Purple Wren
Kate Rutter at Adaptive Path
Claudia Schiepers at Life and its little pleasures
Carolyn Townes at Becoming a Woman of Purpose
Stephanie Weaver at Experienceology
C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer

2009 Bathroom Blogfest

Theme: Flush the Recession and Plunge Into Forgotten Spaces.

Summary Post: The Entire Bathroom Blogfest 2009 Lineup

Susan Abbott at Customer Experience Crossroads http://www.customercrossroads.com
Reshma Anand at Qualitative Research Blog http://onqualitativeresearch.blogspot.com/
Shannon Bilby at From the Floors Up http://fromthefloorsup.com/
Shannon Bilby and Brad Millner at My Big Bob’s Blog http://blog.mybigbobs.com/
Laurence Borel at Blog Till You Drop http://www.laurenceborel.com/
Jeanne Byington at The Importance of Earnest Service http://blog.jmbyington.com/
Becky Carroll at Customers Rock! http://www.customersrock.net;
Leslie Clagett at KB Culture www.kbculture.blogspot.com
Katie Clark at Practical Katie http://practicalkatie.blogspot.com/;
Iris Shreve Garrott at Checking In and Checking Out http://circulating.wordpress.com/;
Julie at Julie’s Cleaning Secrets Blog http://cleaningsecrets.greatcleaners.com/
Marianna Hayes at Results Revolution http://www.resultsrevolution.com
Maria Palma at People To People Service http://www.people2peopleservice.com/
Professor Toilet at Professor Toilet’s Blog http://www.professortoilet.com/
David Reich at My 2 Cents http://reichcomm.typepad.com/
Bethany Richmond at The Carpet and Rug Institute Blog http://www.carpet-and-rug-institute-blog.com
Carolyn Townes at Becoming a Woman of Purpose http://spiritwomen.blogpsot.com
Stephanie Weaver at Experienceology http://experienceology.blogspot.com;
C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com and Simple Marketing Blog http://www.SimpleMarketingBlog.com
Linda Wright at Lindaloo.com: Build Better Business with Better Bathrooms http://lindaloo.com/

2010 Bathroom Blogfest

Theme: Inspired by Mad Men - Stuck in the 60s?

Summary Post: Bathroom Blogfest 2010 Final Recap

Susan Abbott - @susanabbott - Customer Experience Crossroads - http://www.customercrossroads.com/customercrossroads/

Paul Anater - @Paul_Anater - Kitchen and Residential Design - http://www.KitchenAndResidentialDesign.com

Shannon Bilby - @shannonbilby

My Big Bob’s Blog - http://blog.mybigbobs.com/

From The Floors Up - http://fromthefloorsup.com/

Big Bob’s Outlet - http://blog.bigbobsoutlet.com/

Dolphin Carpet Blog - http://blog.dolphincarpet.com/

Carpets N More Blog - http://blog.carpetsnmore.com/

Toby Bloomberg - @TobyDiva - Diva Marketing - http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/bloomberg_marketing/

Laurence Borel - @ blogtillyoudrop - Blog Till You Drop - http://www.laurenceborel.com/

Bill Buyok - @AventeTile - Avente Tile Talk Blog - http://tiletalk.blogspot.com/

Jeanne Byington - @ jmbyington - The Importance of Earnest Service - http://blog.jmbyington.com/

Becky Carroll - @ bcarroll7 - Customers Rock! - http://customersrock.net/

Marianna Chapman - @ResultsRev - Results Revolution – http://www.resultsrevolution.com

Katie Clark - @practicalkatie - Practical Katie - http://practicalkatie.blogspot.com/

Valerie Fritz - @Awarepoint - The Awarepoint Blog - http://www.awarepointblog.com/

Nora DePalma - @noradepalma - American Standard’s Professor Toilet - http://www.professortoilet.com/ and O’Reilly/DePalma: The Blog - http://www.oreilly-depalma.com/blog/

Leigh Durst - @LivePath - LivePath Experience Architect Weblog - http://livepath.blogspot.com/

Iris Garrott - @circulating - Checking In and Checking Out - http://circulating.wordpress.com/

Tish Grier - @TishGrier - The Constant Observer - http://spap-oop.blogspot.com

Renee LeCroy - @ReneeLeCroy - Your Fifth Wall - http://yourfifthwall.com/

Joseph Michelli - Dr. Joseph Michelli’s Blog - www.josephmichelli.com/blog

Veronika Miller - @Modenus - Modenus Blog - http://www.modenus.com/blog
Chris Moline - Alexandria Carpet One - http://alexandriacarpetone.wordpress.com

Arpi Nalbandian - @TileEditor - TILE Magazine Editor Blog - http://www.tilemagonline.com/Articles/Blog_Nalbandian

Maria Palma - @mariapalma - People 2 People Service - http://www.people2peopleservice.com/

Reshma Bachwani Paritosh -The Qualitative Research Blog - http://www.onqualitativeresearch.blogspot.com/

David Polinchock - @Polinchock - Polinchock’s Ponderings - http://blog.polinchock.com/

David Reich - @davidreich - My 2 Cents - http://reichcomm.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Victoria Redshaw & Shelley Pond - @scarletopus - Scarlet Opus Trends Blog - http://trendsblog.co.uk/

Sandy Renshaw - @purplewren - Purple Wren - http://www.purplewren.com/ and Around Des Moines - http://www.arounddesmoines.com/

Bethany Richmond - The Carpet and Rug Institute Blog - http://www.carpet-and-rug-institute-blog.com/

Bruce Sanders - RIMtailing - http://rimtailing.blogspot.com/

Steve Tokar - Please Be Seated - http://stevetokar.wordpress.com/

Carolyn Townes - @SpiritWoman26 - Becoming a Woman of Purpose - http://spiritwomen.blogspot.com/

Stephanie Weaver - @experienceology - Experienceology - http://experienceology.blogspot.com/

Christine B. Whittemore - @cbwhittemore

Flooring The Consumer ­http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com/

Simple Marketing Blog http://www.simplemarketingblog.com/

The Carpetology Blog http://carpetology.blogspot.com/

Ted & Christine B. Whittemore - Smoke Rise & Kinnelon Blog - http://smokerise-nj.blogspot.com/

Linda Wright - LindaLoo Build Business With Better Bathrooms - http://lindaloo.com/

Jennifer Young - Secrets in San Diego - http://secretsinsandiego.com