Social Media Optimisation SMO

SMO Blog

• Talk About Transparency!

  When you've flown, how many times have you ignored the safety instructions? We've all heard the same boring routine over and over, and let's face it - if you don't know how to fasten a seatbelt, you probably shouldn't be flying alone. Air New Zealand has done something to ensure they'll have your attention: they've made a safety video where the flight attendants are wearing nothing but body paint. See if you pay attention to the entire announcement now. That's what Seth Godin would call remarkable. How is your company being remarkable - and most importantly - making it easy for people to remark about it? Air New Zealand could have kept their video locked up on their planes, but they put it on YouTube. Why? It's not like people need to watch an airline safety video at their desk. But people do have the power to tell everyone they know about this cool airline and what it's doing. And that's how great content is spread. Posted via web from The Full Monty

• The Herculean Effort to Stop Ignoring Customers

  The Herculean Effort to Stop Ignoring Customers via The Buzz Bin by Geoff Livingston on 6/30/09Note: this is somewhat of a guest post by Geoff Livingston. I saved it to my Posterous page with the intent of bookmarking it; evidently, it resulted in a posting to my blog here. Full credit goes to Geoff. If social is but a channel, then the real issue for companies lies in embracing feedback from their most important stakeholders: Their customers. That was the focus of the Forrester Customer Experience Forum last week in New York City (photos here). Organizations struggle with corporate barriers to moving towards their customers. Controlling the experience has long been the domain of various departments from product marketing to customer service. Giving stakeholders a voice in that process — via phones, email, mail, participation and yes, social media — has been the antithesis of many corporate cultures for decades. Yet according to Forrester, by failing to embrace their customers and bulwarking their experience, companies are denying themselves serious benefits: 14.4% of customers would purchase more 15.8% of customers would be less likely to switch brands 16.6% of customers would refer the brand more often Yet in spite of these beneficial numbers, progress seems daunting. During the Chief Customer Officer panel (yes, this is apparently a title), two panelists indicated they were making progress, meeting with company executives as often as once a month or more… Once a month? That’s it? But for every ten companies haltingly talking to and listening to their customers, there is a Virgin America. The entire company seems to be built around creating the ultimate, enjoyable (gulp) airline experience. As CEO David Cush went through his session, you couldn’t help but smile and admire the audacious brilliance of Richard Branson as he turns the American airline industry on its ear. This is how companies should be built. Barriers to Adoption We’ve discussed this before here on the Buzz Bin. There are serious cultural barriers to adopting social media, and in general, customer feedback (find a link to a white paper here). Siloed corporate structures prevent companies from listening to and embracing their customers. Forrester outlined a five stage process that organizations need to go through to foster the evolutionary change towards a customer-centric organization: 1) Interest - Discuss that there may be a problem with customer interaction and that the company may need to research its stakeholders 2) Invest - Upon realizing that there is a lack of understanding about customer needs, get the company to invest in a “voice of the customer” program 3) Commit - This is where getting C-Suite buy-in is absolutely necessary for success. The company must commit to responding to customer feedback. 4) Engage - Take the feedback from customers, and apply it across the line. Change the experience. 5) Embed - Make the customer experience feedback loop and product innovation part of the actual cultural lifeblood of the organization. According to Forrester, most American companies are either in stage one or two of the five stages. I think part of the failure to adapt has to do with the tendency to use old ways to affect change. Consider the siloesque idea of a customer department or initiative, rather than realizing customer centric behavior affects a company across the line. Consider how David Armano and the team at Dachis are starting to address the challenges of cultural barriers to customer interaction (pictured above). They see multiple nodes touching hubs throughout an organization. Similarly, Charlene Li’s latest research is focusing on how companies embrace their customers to become socialprises. The challenge to becoming a customer-centric organization is not as easy as simply listening. It involves reinventing many an organization’s actual structure and workflow. Cultural barriers to success cannot be underestimated. The Social Backlash Throughout the conference there was a very clear and present resistance to social media hype. Every single discussion around our new media certainly recognized its value as a great way to converse with customers. Every successful company featured at the Forum had some kind of social component, even if it was just listening to feedback. But more and more, you heard executives rejecting social media as a panacea for customer ills and feedback. In fact, there were discussions about the viability of Twitter in the long term as a scaleable tool, and whether it really could supplant news organizations for information. While companies recognize social media for its value as a toolset, they don’t see it as the cure all for an actual experience, and don’t see it as the alpha and omega for customer contact points. Instead it is one of several ways customers discuss their experiences from calls, web site chats, email, etc. There was a huge emphasis on multichannel integration of customer voices throughout the conference. This backlash seems to me be a result of overhype. A smart communicator can see this. Customers don’t touch a company in one, singular channel. They have many touches from ads, news, web sites (standard and mobile) and packaging all the way through to the actual product experience. To think that social media is it for a company is a horrific error. And the implication of the current hype cycle would only have companies communicating in 140 character sound bytes. Thus the very natural backlash. Related Buzz Bin Posts Cultural Challenge to Integration Moving from Siloes to Hives Examining Siloed Processes There Is No Social Media Department The Socialprise: A White Paper Posted via email from The Full Monty

• Are Your Priorities Screwed Up?

  The recent news of Michael Jackson's death has a lot of people rattled. When an icon of that stature passes, it's natural for a whole generation of people to reflect on nostalgic times, pine for what could have been, and think about lessons for our own lives. In this case, I couldn't help but be struck by a similarity between Michael Jackson's status and that of some so-called social media "rock stars." I've always been a little hesitant to anyone self assigning expert or "rock star" status. To me, experts are deemed so by others, after an individual has put in plenty of hard work and dedication. And the whole "rock star" thing boggles my mind. There seems to be a cult of weblebrities - people who are Internet famous - where social media types celebrate each other with more and more fervor. My question is: why? The reason I tied it in with Michael Jackson is because I read a recent column written by the Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who was MJ's spiritual advisor for a time. He makes a very profound yet simple observation about what fueled Jackson's passion for fame: "He needed the throngs, he thrived on the adulation of the crowds...In many ways his tragedy was to mistake attention for love...Money [or fame] is not a currency by which we can purchase self-esteem and being recognized on the streets will never replace being loved unconditionally by family and true friends." The strange thing is, I see a lot of this behavior in some social media types. And it's kind of sad, really. It's like they're busily trying to replace something that's missing in real life. To understand the absurdity of it, I'll give you an example of an exchange I witnessed: Person 1: "You've never heard of [insert name of social media "rock star" of your choice here]??" (I'm leaving the name out to protect the innocent) Person 2: "When my mother has heard of him, then you know he's famous." But let's not kid ourselves. Using social media as part of your marketing mix is far more than recruiting some uber-connected individual who can bring attention to your brand. It starts with crafting a strategy and understanding what your business objectives are. And it means never, ever taking your eye off the customer and doing what matters - providing value to them. After all, isn't that what you're in business for? A poignant reminder from Seth Godin (as interviewed by Debbie Weil) on that very topic here: (Facebook readers, click through for the video) Photo source: ovaratli (Flickr)

• What Matters in Most Word-of-Mouth Marketing?

  We all know that people trust people like themselves the most, and that "real" friends are more influential than online contacts. But how does this shake out, exactly? According to a recent Mintel study cited by eMarketer, people who bought a product based on a recommendation did so based on this breakdown: And while you'll see that bloggers make up only 5% of the recommendation source, for those of you who have resources tied up in blogger relations programs, this is not some sky-is-falling panic to get you to halt your efforts. On the contrary, how many friends, relatives, spouses/partners do you know that have a blog or a social network presence? They're still likely to talk about it with others, both online and off. But if you're going to be effective at tapping into word of mouth marketing (WOMM to some), you at least need to take into account the other acronym: WIIFM. What's important to them?I recently shared a link to an old post in which I quoted that master orator, Cicero:If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings and speak my words.No matter what your word of mouth tactics consist of, your content needs to resonate with the people you're trying to reach (and consequently, with their contacts). According to that same study, here are the top three things that matter when it comes to product recommendation: It's not terribly surprising that people are currently focused on price, is it? We're always looking for a bargain. And, consistent with human nature, we want the best quality at the same time too. :-) You would think that a clever marketer would simply drop prices and compete based on offering the lowest prices around. Some have. Others have simply shrunk their product size and left prices intact. But those tactics can only last for so long - prices can't drop to zero (or only the largest companies have the scale amp; leverage) and packaging can't shrink ad infinitum - and in my opinion, it develops into a spiral of decreasing expectations from your customer. It's untenable. But let's stop and think about price for a moment and recast it in another marketing term - pricing's close cousin value. Recently, Seth Godin wrote about the value equation: Value = Benefit / Price What if companies focused on increasing value to the customer by increasing benefit instead of decreasing price? Indeed, if you're providing consistently high benefit, you might even be able to hold the value level high and modestly increase prices. And that would be something worth talking about.

• I've Been on a Calendar, But I've Rarely Been On Time

  #hotmen And to prove it, I'm late with this blog post. A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the never predictable, always thoughtful Dave Delaney with a scheme that I can only describe as hairbrained inspired. I've known Dave to go to bat for individuals before, raising money for good causes. Many were local businesses or colleagues, but Dave's passion always rang true and led him to success. So that's where the latest idea came in. Dave decided to plant his tongue firmly in his cheek and ask a number of us (18, to be exact), to pose for the Hottest Men on Twitter Calendar. No lie.But if it were all about just seeing (cough) hot guys, we wouldn't sell a single copy. Well, that's not entirely true - Jason Falls would buy one so he could hang Mr. April in his office. But there had to be a hook. Dave's angle: 40% of the proceeds of the calendar (the net after production costs) will go to DonorsChoose.org, where teachers post projects and how much they cost, and you can choose what to fund. It's a great cause. So, if you're in the market for 18 months worth of photos, including a hot amp; sweaty new media consultant, a buff and bronzed mobile marketer, a fearless community leader, a voice-over guy like no other, a humorist extraordinaire, a woodcrafter-cum-social media marketer, a podcaster across borders, and possibly the bravest geek I know - then this is the purchase for you. Even the Village Voice is taking notice. Oh. Wait. "But I have absolutely no interest in this kind of thing," I hear you saying. Fine. Don't make me pull a National Lampoon. Do it for the children, for I believe the children are our future. Here's what you can do: 1. Please purchase the calendar by clicking here. 2. And share the link around, using the hashtag: #hotmen. And just for fun, vote for your favorite "hot" man on Twitter. I haven't got any favorites, but I hear there's an October surprise. (Not-so-subtle hint: I'll reward you with many fine blog posts). Thanks for joining in the fun here. Let's work together so we can help raise enough money to give these deserving teachers and children some resources they need.

• The Microphone Is Always On

  Andy Warhol once noted "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Now that we're constantly publishing, sharing, microsharing, updating, vlogging... (I could go on), it seems to me that in the future, everyone will have 15 minutes of privacy. I've noted before that it's extremely important to live your life in a way that reflects positively of you, because you never know who's capturing what image, sound file or video. Put more bluntly - if you'll allow me to turn another phrase - whatever happens in Vegas stays on Google. Every action counts. Want proof? One need look no further than Michael Richards, who was caught via cellphone video making a racist rant at a comedy club. It's still the #1 search result on YouTube for "Michael Richards." And President Ronald Reagan made a famous gaffe during a microphone check, unaware that he was being broadcast live: How does that apply online or in social media? Every tweet you make, every blog post you write, every video you record - it all adds up to showing the world who you are. And since content is easily discoverable by Google, the content you (or your company) produce needs to reflect what you want it to. For example, just the other day, I was told that I was the subject of someone's presentation, and they showed my Twitter feed up on a big screen. If I were careless about what I wrote, my stream might have been embarrassing. Luckily, that's not the case. Since you never get a second chance to make a first impression, every single piece of copy, every minute of video, every utterance you make can become a decision point for someone. It may be a potential customer, a prospective employer, maybe even a family member. Make your actions count. Have you run into a situation where you you either gave someone an impression you didn't intend to, or you discovered something about someone that made you think twice about them? I'd be interested in hearing from you. Photo credit: iNafih

• Oh, Mama!

  There's no question that so-called "mommy bloggers" are an interesting demographic. Recent statistics show that there are more than 36 million of them online, and they definitely wield influence in purchasing power. Which is why many companies think this community can be a key in their word of mouth efforts.  A few key facts:Of the 36.2 million women actively participating in the blogosphere weekly as either publishers or readers, 46% -- or just over 16.5 million -- have children at home. 67% of moms online look for help making a purchasing decision.Overall, full-time working moms use technology at the highest rates.The cell phone is the technology used most often by moms to communicate with their kids, and 80% say it is the direct line to their child and babysitter. But I think the notion that all mommy (or daddy) bloggers are the same is extremely shortsighted. They're just as diverse and different as any of us. And while it's tempting to think they do things in lock-step, there are many different niches and interests that can be explored - lifestyle, safety, green, frugality, parenting, sports and family issues are just a small set of the many segments you'll find.  And aside from the blogs, what are moms actually doing online? Here's a chart that breaks down the top 10 activities of moms online: Looking at the points of transaction, it opens up an opportunity for conversation and engagement with moms on other sites amp; platforms as it relates to those activities. And let's not forget those cell phone statistics - busy moms are on the go and use their handheld devices more. Image credit: Top 10 Online Activities for Moms (MarketingCharts.com)

• Susan Boyle Knows Something You Don't

  Over the past week, the name Susan Boyle has been pegged at the top of the Trending Topics on Twitter. You can always tell when there's an item related to pop culture, current events or breaking news, because it rises to the top of Twitter's barometer of culture on http://search.twitter.com. In this case, the name belonged to a woman who has ascended to the 15 minute throne because of a television show (in this case Britain's Got Talent), the immediacy of YouTube and an amazing talent. Rather than try to describe what's been happening, I'll let you see for yourself. Since embedding is disabled for this video you'll have to click through to see it. When you come back, we'll talk about another equally as remarkable video. Just about two years ago, a car phone salesman by the name of Paul Potts had a very similar story unfold on the same show. You can see that video by clicking here. I wrote about it in two posts: "Your Next Creative Genius May be Closer Than You Think" and "What I Learned From Paul Potts." In both situations, we see something happen with the audience (and perhaps with ourselves) that seems to universally apply to human nature: there's initial skepticism, followed by awe. But ultimately, we want the underdog to win. Why? Perhaps because we can relate to a "regular" person and we like the idea of overcoming odds to be successful. The lessons that I wrote up in the Paul Potts post also apply to Susan Boyle's situation: Assumptions can limit your creative output It's okay to take risks Know your audience and connect with them on an emotional level Exceed expectations When we're constantly hit over the head with polished, branded, uber-cool ads, campaigns and come-ons, it's refreshing to see a down-to-earth, humble approach. It gets more attention. But here's another thing that's going on. It's been just two years since Paul Potts made his first appearance, but the Susan Boyle phenomenon is being treated like an anomaly. How quickly we forget - the social media pundits and even the the show's judges seem to have forgotten Paul. The reality is we're overrun with the latest headlines, shockers, tragedies, personal issues and more, and things like this will always come and go. I still remember Paul, but mostly because I wrote about him before. I wonder how many others forgot? Turning this to practical business advice (I wouldn't let you down!), do you think your company's product or service is that memorable? If a Paul Potts with 44 million views on YouTube doesn't even come to mind for the public and even the judges involved, what can you do that's going to stick with people? Giving them a predictable, repeatable experience each time they use your product is one way - I'd say it's the price of entry. No amount of viral videos, marketing gimmicks or slick mailers are going to matter if you've got a shoddy product. But beyond what's expected, how are you exceeding expecatations, creating the "wow" factor, and still being on a level that they can identify with. And that's the challenge, isn't it? Britain's got talent, but have you? If you don't, then go out and hire or partner with someone who does.  Maybe a Susan Boyle or a Paul Potts can help you.