Practical Simple Marketing In The News - 3/31/11

Happy almost April Fool's Day! No tricks here, just the latest links and resources shared on Twitter and tagged #practicalmktr grouped here together in Practical Simple Marketing In The News.

[Check out Flooring The Consumer with Retail Experience links #retailexp, too!]

Simple & Practical Marketing Data

• Preposterous! RT @servantofchaos: Fascinating Facebook infographic http://su.pr/5FrZO8 #practicalmktr
• Both awesome & frightening. Incredible data re #practicalmktr social media http://ow.ly/4mrYG fr @GaryPHayes via @PFriederichsen

Practical Marketing Advice

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Quora

• Have you experimenting with LinkedIn's new offering - LinkedIn Today? Here's official PR: http://ow.ly/4cChC #practicalmktr
• What's your reaction? LInkedIn Today plans on changing your social media life http://ow.ly/4dHUp #practicalmktr
• Check out LinkedIn Labs - which app do you like best? http://ow.ly/4k80O #practicalmktr via @dbreakenridge
• From #CMI @soloportfolio, advice on how to get meaning & content from Quora http://ow.ly/4ptMA #practicalmktr
• Have you read @marketingprofs Facebook Caveats fr Doug Karr @dknewmedia ? It's sobering! http://ow.ly/4jgx0 #practicalmktr
• More opportunities to ask questions... via Facebook! http://ow.ly/4mGL2 #practicalmktr
• Have you checked out the new Facebook Insights? Reactions? http://ow.ly/4n63Y #practicalmktr
• Insights fr eMarketer on who uses Twitter http://ow.ly/4lYFj #practicalmktr

• Could you survive without mobile apps? Which are your favorite for biz? http://ow.ly/4q1tV #practicalmktr
• 5 ways small businesses can use QR codes: http://ow.ly/4dg11 Love the biz card idea #practicalmktr
• Marvelous ideas for transforming your website into a social media hub http://ow.ly/4n68F #practicalmktr

Ideas for increasing fans, followers, subscribers:

• Good thoughts, CB. RT @CBWhittemore: What's your favorite advice for increasing fans, followers and subscribers? My post: http://ow.ly/4lx3Y
• Thks 4 adding yr advice RT @MikeMoore_: @CBWhittemore Engage, connect, communicate & relate...Take time to care about others! #practicalmktr
• 2 grow followers: RT @galkinelli: killer product + personality of people Bhind it. In mo boring terms "brand" & its culture! #practicalmktr
• RT @edgardiazemes: Exceptional customer service! that by itself increases fans, followers, contacts, subscribers, etc #practicalmktr
• H2 increase followers: RT @Abe_Cortes: @cbwhittemore quality relationships, conversations and patience. #practicalmktr
• Marvelous wisdom fr @bkmacdaddy on what 2 do w/followers you have http://ow.ly/4n6AQ #practicalmktr

Simple Marketing Inspiration

• Marvelous! RT @jaybaer: 3 Angles to Create Magnetic Content with the Triangle of Relevance http://tiny.ly/jWHb #practicalmktr
• RT @chrisbrogan: On @OPENForum , I wrote about a sales plan for social media. Friend First, Sell Later - http://ow.ly/4kE1y #practicalmktr
• I enjoyed this FastCo interview w @TomPeters re: In search of excellence http://ow.ly/4ekuS #practicalmktr
• I love reading about surveys like this: quality trumps quantity! http://ow.ly/4jJ0y #practicalmktr

About comments, trolls, complaints:

• Fabulous wisdom: RT @Worob: RT @DannyBrown Of Comment Trolls and Flash Mobs | Danny Brown http://bit.ly/enGMs7 #practicalmktr
• Why anonymous comments should be banished: "troll, reveal thyself" http://ow.ly/4dg8t #practicalmktr
• RT @wilsonellis: Responding to negative reviews increase customer loyalty http://om.ly/BPvwX #practicalmktr CB: Brilliant!
• Search, mobile and complaints, an evolution http://ow.ly/4jgtu #practicalmktr

Brands Being Practical With Social Media

• Enjoyed this interview w @Century 21 Bev Thorne re: using social media to connect with home buyers http://ow.ly/48Wwn #practicalmktr
• I'm not sure I could sustain a convo w/ Ken even if he is turning 50 and doing social media: http://ow.ly/4aweF #practicalmktr
• Love this use of QR codes to access fresh content related to #AORN2011 congress: http://ow.ly/4hvxS #practicalmktr
• Gr8 example of how to meld TV program w social media: Anthony Bourdain @NoReservation #practicalmktr http://ow.ly/4n6eS
• Fascinating! Google project oxygen on h2 become a better manager http://ow.ly/4ekEe #practicalmktr [note reg may b requ'd]
• @WholeFoods Marla Erwin is wonderfully wise: 6 ways to avoid social media catastrophe http://ow.ly/4pZR1 #practicalmktr
• Interesting discussion online/offline RT @David_Rogers: Pastor: Don't Give Up #SocialMedia For Lent [NPR] http://n.pr/eCdtPy #practicalmktr
• Fascinating interview w/ Joe Fernandez about Klout influence scores http://ow.ly/4kn8h #practicalmktr
• How blackberry used video to engage NHL sports loving young men http://ow.ly/4lZnq #practicalmktr
• How Ford blends digital with branded content - interview w Scott Kelly http://ow.ly/4ipfd #practicalmktr | kitchendsns_com Mar 21, 9:52am via web - @CBWhittemore Interesting how effective the FB Explorer was. Great article! Thanks for sharing. 

Here's a link to previous editions of Practical Simple Marketing In the News.

Thank you for reading!

Best,

C.B.

PS: If you like what you've read, would you consider subscribing via email or RSS to the Simple Marketing Blog?  Thanks.


Image credit: “#PracticalMktr” Wordle by CB Whittemore

Press Release: New York Law School Panel Discussion 4/4/2011

For Immediate Release: March 29, 2011

New York Law School Panel Discussion Addresses ‘Getting the Most Bang Out of a Social Media Boom’

Whittemore Shares Marketplace Insights

Kinnelon, NJ – The Institute for Information Law & Policy at New York Law School has organized a half day lecture series conference entitled “Advertising & Media Law ‘Spring Rush’: Are YOU In?” on April 4th, 2011 from 2 to 5pm at New York Law School in New York City. Christine Whittemore, chief simplifier of Simple Marketing Now, has been invited to share marketplace insights.

“Advertising & Media Law ‘Spring Rush’: Are YOU In?" is relevant for legal and marketing professionals in the advertising field as well as students. The event includes a networking reception and three panel discussions as follows:

• Getting the Most Bang Out of a Social Media Boom
• Rolling Out a Multi-National Advertising and Promotional Campaign
• The Genius Behind Brand Integration, Brand Recognition and Fantastic Tie-Ins

Whittemore will participate in the opening panel discussion “Getting the Most Bank Out of a Social Media Boom” and joins Jeffrey Greenbaum from Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, Michael Rubin, social media strategist, Fifth Third Bank and David Binkowski, executive vice president, digital marketing, Lippe Taylor.

To attend the April 4th conference, contact Naomi Allen as soon as possible via email at naomi.allen@nyls.edu. For any visitors attending, a table will be set up in the entrance of the New York Law School (185 W. Broadway) to direct them to the event venue.

For information about Simple Marketing Now, visit http://SimpleMarketingNow.com. Or, simply contact Whittemore at cbwhittemore@SimpleMarketingNow.com.

# # #

About Simple Marketing Now LLC
Simple Marketing Now, a marketing communications consultancy, helps organizations integrate social media and content marketing with traditional marketing to better connect with customers and improve business profitability.

Simple Marketing Now issues the Social Flooring Index which monitors the social state of the Flooring Industry and Flooring The Consumer about marketing to women and the retail experience.

For more information, visit http://SimpleMarketingNow.com.


About New York Law School
Founded in 1891, New York Law School is an independent law school located in lower Manhattan near the city’s centers of law, government, and finance. New York Law School’s renowned faculty of prolific scholars has built the School’s strength in such areas as constitutional law, civil and human rights, labor and employment law, media and information law, urban legal studies, international and comparative law, and a number of interdisciplinary fields. The School is noted for its nine academic centers: Center on Business Law & Policy, Center on Financial Services Law, Center for International Law, Center for New York City Law, Center for Professional Values and Practice, Center for Real Estate Studies, Diane Abbey Law Center for Children and Families, Institute for Information Law & Policy, and Justice Action Center. New York Law School has more than 13,000 graduates and enrolls some 1,500 students in its full- and part-time J.D. program and its four advanced degree programs in financial services law, real estate, tax, and mental disability law studies. www.nyls.edu

Happy Simple Marketing Blog Birthday #2!

Today - March 25th, 2011 - marks the two year anniversary of this blog and of Simple Marketing Now - a milestone I find amazing!

In thinking back on the past two years, I can't get over how intense the learning has been.  I never imagined meeting and interacting with so many wonderful and equally passionate marketers and business people. I never imagined having as much fun exploring, creating, discovering and trying new ideas and approaches. And I never imagined how rewarding it would be to guide others who believe equally in the power of social media and content marketing.

I'm ready for year three! Are you?

In anticipation, here are the top Simple Marketing Blog posts of all time:

1. Urban Outfitters: Be Where Customers Are
2. Sandy Carter Integrates Social Media
3. How Do I Craft a Blog Welcome Post?
4. Simplicity, A Dominant Trend
5. How Do I Evaluate a Blog?
6. Mayo Clinic's Lee Aase: Simple Marketing in Action
7. Fiskars: 360 Years Young & Innovating with Social Media
8. The Benefit of Facebook Fan Pages
9. BRITE Conference: Steve Rubel 11 Digital Trends To Follow
10. Wear-Dated Website Redesign Case Study

Which is your favorite?

Thank you, dear readers and subscribers, for being part of this journey. Long live Practical and Simple Marketing!

Best,

C.B.

P.S.: Today is also my Dad's 92nd Birthday.

How Do I Increase My Followers?

A question that comes up frequently is "How do I increase my followers or fans or subscribers?"

Several people asked that question during my MarketingProfs online seminar on How to Manage Your Reputation in a Social World as well as during my Coverings 2011 presentations.

The easy answer is that you can increase the number of followers, fans and subscribers by engaging with them. Say thank you; get to know them; acknowledge them; be respectful; offer them content that addresses questions they have about your product or service. Imagine if your fans, followers and subscribers came by your office, store or home. Wouldn't you greet them and invite them in for conversation? It's the same online.

At the same time, I caution against 'get rich quick' schemes that guarantee you 1000s of followers and fans overnight. The result of such a strategy may be good for your ego, but it will not deliver quality of interaction, the possibility of building credibility online and the opportunity to establish long term business relationships over the long haul.  It will, however, offer you considerable spam and irrelevant messages. Much better to build your base of fans, followers and subscribers consistently over time as a result of exchanging value and meaning.

Given the relevance of the topic, I thought it would be valuable to share with you other perspectives on how to increase your followers, fans and subscribers.

Social Media Examiner has just published 17 Ways to Grow Your Blog From Top Bloggers which includes perspectives from some of the best bloggers around on How To Grow Your Blog:

Mitch Joel recommends being active in other communities first.
Michael Brandvold says to write about what you love,
Mark Schaefer suggests writing insanely great content.
Mark Robertson recommends that you answer questions for your audience.
Danny Brown says to offer real value.
Mike McGrail recommends that you be there for your readers.
Deb Ng says to say something new.
Gini Dietrich states make your readers feel good.
Fransisco Rosales suggests respecting your audience.
Stanford Smith says to focus on evergreen content.
Tom Webster recommends that you know your goals and stick to them.
Lee Odden urges that you deliver as promised.
Jay Dolan states that you should give each reader opportunities to interact with you.
Jason Keath says to ask for subscriptions at the end of  your article.
Mack Collier recommends placing your subscriber box at the top.
Ricardo Bueno urges that you offer a benefit.
Kristi Hines recommends letting people follow you in the way they prefer.

Do you detect a theme?

As it relates to Twitter, you may enjoy The Drew Blog and 7 Crazy Ways to Increase Your Followers on Twitter. My favorite? "Bribe them with prizes." That is sure to deliver deep loyalty! And, assuming that a Charlie Sheen type follower base is the ideal target market for your business, you might learn something from How Charlie Sheen Got 1 Million Twitter Followers in 24 Hours (and what we can learn from it)...  The most critical lesson in my mind is that you produce engaging content which means that you need to be paying attention to what matters to your followers...

As it relates to Facebook, this article titled Promote Your Business With Facebook - Effective Strategies will offer you good ideas.

What have you found most effective for increasing your fans, followers and subscribers?


Thanks for reading. If you liked this post, please consider subscribing!

BRITE Conference: Steve Rubel & 11 Digital Trends to Watch in 2011

As I promised in BRITE Conference 2011: Highlights, here are my notes from Steve Rubel's presentation on the 11 Digital Trends to Watch in 2011.

By the way, this year's Edelman digital trends represents a collaborative mashup between Steve Rubel's and David Armano's views of the future. Since both are hugely talented and marvelously immersed in the digital world, the trends are definitely worth internalizing...

The 11 digital trends to watch in 2011 include:

Attentionomics – Marketers begin to realize the value of attention and not just reach in driving conversion.  Attention becomes gold as we are time constrained and on the receiving end of too much input. Let's face it, reach is an empty metric. Better to go where the conversation is taking place. Visuals are underutilized. Best to leverage data and utility."Scale your surfaces with digital embassies." Think about day parts and when is best to engage with customers.  See Rubel's Attentionomics: Captivating Attention int he Age of Content Decay for additional perspective on this trend.

Digital Curation – The plethora of content will give rise to digital curators who can separate art from junk. I personally love the notion of digital curation and consider it powerful for those with knowledge.  It's an opportunity to separate the art from the junk. Every brand can become a curator and own a specific knowledge zone.  Editorializing, framing the issue, makes it collaborative and social.

Developer Engagement – Marketers typically don’t try to court developers, but that’s all about to change. You see, developers drive innovation. If you make content and data available to them, you have a greater chance of creating an ecosystem. If you help developers win by making assets available, building APIs, they will adopt your creations. See Rubel's Fish Where the Developers Are (2011 DIGITAL TRENDS PART I)

Transmedia Storytelling – If there’s one constant it’s that humans crave stories. Technology creates new expectations. Yes. Humans love stories. Narratives are being consumed in less linear and more disconnected ways [e.g., Twitter via links and Facebook via video and pictures]. Therefore, help readers connect the dots. Let employees tell stories. Encourage handcrafted content for each venue. Example: Zappos.

Thought Leadership – Companies recognize they must activate credible individual expert voices who can create content. Companies that propagate new ideas generate trust. They engage in meaningful conversation. Therefore, build expert hub for internal subject matter experts; equip them with the tools to tell stories and fan them out across a cloverleaf of media.

The Integration Economy – Social media efforts can no longer exist in fragmented, non-formal initiatives. They begin to integrate.  Therefore, make social media a part of everyone's job. Increase collaboration across departments. Start listening; consider centralizing listening. Integrate, share intelligence across enterprises. Modify existing process and protocols so you can be ready to go.

Ubiquitous Social Computing – As competition heats up mobile devices, consumers closer to being socially connected anywhere. We will absolutely connect everywhere! We will become less dependent on PCs and more on mobile as we 'untether'.  Therefore, design for digital distribution. Plan for multiple digital experiences and platforms. Optimize for mobility. Combine social sharing integration.

Location, Location, Facebook – If 2010 belonged to solely Foursquare, it’s likely that Facebook will rain on their parade in 2011.  Facebook is well positioned to make location successful.  Local, social, photo and mobile are being included in everything!  Combine real and digital; reward with status.

Social Media Schizophrenia – Social overload is no longer a problem for tech mavens, but a broader population. Overload is real and more average users will experience it. Let people self select which tools they will engage with. Make social participation effortless! Do big platforms well. Keep it simple!

Google Strikes Back – Google proves that the best way to beat Facebook & Twitter is to do what they do best: index them to pieces. Therefore, integrate paid, earned, owned and social. Go beyond keywords to think visibility. Focus on producing regional, relevant, high quality content.

Viva La Social Web Site – Businesses realize that integrating social functionality into their existing web sites is what users now expect. Explain benefits in human language. Bring social into website and website into social.

Here's the full presentation:

Eleven Digital Trends to Watch in 2011

View more presentations from Edelman

Which trends do you consider most relevant to your business?

Managing Your Social Reputation: Highlights

I can't thank you enough for making my inaugural MarketingProfs online seminar titled "Managing Your Reputation in a Social World" so successful! I was blown away by the enthusiasm that seminar participants expressed in the online chat as well as the #MProfsPRO Twitter chat and thoroughly enjoyed the questions - not to mention the awesome feedback!

Several similar questions have come up this week during my Coverings seminars and I plan to address them in a separate post.

[Click on this link for the #MProfsPRO Twitter chat transcript for the event.]

Special thanks to my friends at MarketingProfs - Kathy Bushman, Anne Schweitzer and Valerie Witt - for their expert guidance.

If you missed the presentation you can still experience it via the seminar recording of Managing Your Reputation in a Social World. Be sure to listen through to the end since the Q&A session conversation was lively.

I consider the topic of reputation management fascinating - not to mention hugely relevant - and thought I would recap here the links that I shared in my presentation.

Managing Your Reputation in a Social World - References

I referred several times to the Socialnomics Social Media Revolution Refresh video. It's packed with good data and perspective, not least of which is a reference to Dale Carnegie who, as far back as 1936 with his bestseller How To Win Friends and Influence People, urged us to "listen first, sell second."

The benefits of participating in social media:

• Charlene Li and the Altimeter group study: Deep brand engagement correlates to financial performance
• Check out the Real-time marketing and PR webinar by the wonderful David Meerman Scott.
• From eMarketer 121016: Social Media Increases Small Business Exposure
• I love these charts from Hubspot: Study Shows Small Businesses That Blog Get 55% More Website Visitors.

About conflict in the marketplace:

• Retail Experience Issues and Paco Underhill
• Financial Marketers: Get In Touch With Your Feminine Side - Wells Fargo research
• Don't miss The Break Up. I'm amazed that this was released in 2007 and yet remains so relevant.
• Digital Visibility: The Reason Behind Content Marketing
• The Network in Your Customer by David Rogers
• [Definitely check out Sheena Iyengar & the Power of Choice.]

Extremes in the marketplace:

• Zappos Uses Social to Share Culture
• Citibank are you listening?

Age of Conversation Opportunities

• Fiskateers: Fiskars: 360 Years Young & Innovating with Customers and CMO 2.0 Conversation About The Fiskateers.
• CME group / notes from MProfs Digital Mixer 2009 - Twitter Success Stories
• Sandy Carter Integrates Social Media Into The Marketing Mix

What About Negative Feedback?

• "Sorry Pumpkin" - The Labcorp Saga Continues
• Reference: AdAge “The Right Way to Make Your Social Media Mea Culpa” 5/10/10
• Boeing's Social-Media Lesson
• [Story related to Nestle: 7 social media lessons from Nestle's Facebook missteps and When Social Goes Wrong: Customer Relations Fiascos]
• United Breaks Guitars - also check out Dave Carrol's website
• HBS Cases: United Breaks Guitars
• How Do I? Deal With Negative Comments

Guidelines:

• IBM Social Computing guidelines
• [Related story: Why You Need a Social Media Policy]
• How Do I? Start With Social Media Guidelines

Managing Your Social Reputation

• Interview with Kodak's Chief Listening Officer
• [I love this story about how Staples Keeps Customers 'Following' on Twitter because it is paying attention to customers and thinking about the service implications.]
• From AdAge: Listen Up! Six Things You Need to Know About Social Listening. Note references to listening for intelligence, customer service and action.
• Develop a plan to deal with complaining tweets, posts
• Five Tools for Tracking, Measuring, and Evaluating Your Personal Brand Online
• Defeating the Dark Side of Social Networking
• 'I Hate My Room," The Traveler Tweeted. Ka-Boom! An Upgrade!

Anticipating the Worst:

• Scenario Planning: Kami Huyse's 3 Rs of Crisis Management
• Beware snark attacks - Connie Reece from Every Dot Connects
• Social Media Response Chart, Ohio State Medical Center
• Dealing with Haters, Potty Mouths on your Newsroom Facebook Page

Negative Reviews Aren't All Bad!

• 6 Reasons To Not Fear Negative Reviews
• [Related story: Setting the record straight on online reviews: An interview with Bazaarvoice's Ian Greenleigh from Mack Collier.]
• Social Media Explorer: 101 Social Media Stats to make your spirits bright and your head spin

Managing Your Reputation in a Social World Means:

• Forrester's Augie Ray: 7 Things Your Organization Must Do Because of Social Media
• 11 Unwritten Laws of Reputation Management
• Blogger Outreach: 8 Tips for Managing Brand Promoters & Detractors

Just Spotted on the subject of Managing Your Social Reputation:

• From Danny Brown, Of Comment Trolls and Flash Mobs
• Troll, Reveal Thyself on why anonymous comments should be banished

Thanks again!

Best,

C.B.

Practical Simple Marketing in the News - 3/15/11

I'm off to Coverings 2011 and thought you would enjoy a less intensely packed issue of links and resources tagged #practicalmktr relating to Practical Simple Marketing In The News.

[If you are interested in the customer and retail experience, check out Flooring The Consumer with Retail Experience links #retailexp.]

Practical Marketing Advice

• Lovely wisdom fr Sean Howard / Craphammer on Google Analytics http://ow.ly/44uDU #practicalmktr
• Search and social continue to evolve: http://ow.ly/45gHf #practicalmktr
• Outdoor advertising reinvents itself via social http://ow.ly/47E8c #practicalmktr
• Optimizing videos for bing, google search engines: inform, engage, keywords http://ow.ly/46SLo #practicalmktr
• Nice! RT @heidicohen: 10 tips 4 #socialmedia introverts http://bit.ly/eGGz5g Via SmartBlog on SocialMedia #smchat #practicalmktr
• Facebook reach and fascination: video http://ow.ly/48TUL #practicalmktr
• Must read post + comments: RT @markwschaefer: Social Media Case study: 6 ideas to get yr blog out of fog http://bit.ly/ecXk5O #practicalmktr
• Fascinating discussion about Twitter metrics happening on @blueglass by Amy Vernon http://ow.ly/48HwH #practicalmktr
• New to Twitter? Here R the 4 stages of 'getting' twitter http://ow.ly/48TRz #practicalmktr
• Integrating social and mobile is revolution not an evolution in marketing says BCG John Rose http://ow.ly/48TH7 #practicalmktr
• Have U optimized your ecommerce site, including customer reviews? http://ow.ly/48WaT #practicalmktr

Simple Marketing Inspiration

• Attn all marketers: social media is about relationships AdAge article re: social & Egypt http://ow.ly/44tWH #practicalmktr
• How social media helps companies become part of civic landscape http://ow.ly/47E3d #practicalmktr
• "There's nothing gender specific in running a business well" http://ow.ly/45gvK #practicalmktr
• The evolution of listening and social intelligence. Converseon interview http://ow.ly/47EzO #practicalmktr
• Interesting insights re: nature of social media fr Egypt revolution http://ow.ly/48V4U #practicalmktr
• It pays to be happy! FastCo article about corporate pursuit of happiness. This makes me happy http://ow.ly/48SYx #practicalmktr
• Lovely B2B perspective on social media in these links fr @dianekrose http://ow.ly/45gLi #practicalmktr

Brands Being Practical With Social Media

• Enjoyed this interview w @Century 21 Bev Thorne re: using social media to connect with home buyers http://ow.ly/48Wwn #practicalmktr
• How 1-800 Flowers uses Facebook to engage w customers http://ow.ly/44tMy #practicalmktr
• Can hyperlocal news make money? Patch and NYT's The Local as examples http://ow.ly/48T4T #practicalmktr
• Learnings from Kodak on H2 apply social media to B2B based on B2C experience http://ow.ly/48VFr #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