As expected, #unGeeked was a great experience, and the new friends and knowledge we took from that conference was well worth the trip. There’s already a great recap of what made #unGeeked so special, but we thought we’d share some of our takeaways. We didn’t catch everything, so I apologize if I missed someone or a particular topic.
Sam Fiorella: Enterprise Internal and External Communities Sam started #unGeeked by saying, “Too many businesses focus too much on the “online” and not enough on the “offline” components.” True words. Sam’s discussion went on to point out that both marketing and communication now lie within all the individuals who make up your business.
This is something we at re:group have had to recognize, that there are multiple touch points of communication. We now live, as Sam Fiorella puts it, in a “many to many” marketing age.
“Finding the meaning in what you do and why you do it is what will drive the success of your business, i.e. make money.”
Amanda had a great message in that social media, though good for businesses, doesn’t necessarily have to be all about business. That there is something bigger that a company’s social media effort can be a part of. Social media can be about enhancing lives while building projects with meaning. It shouldn’t just be about followers.
Troy talked about building and transferring the culture of a traditional company into the world of social. Few industries are as conservative as insurances, but Troy positioned the internal brand evangelists into the driving force of change. And in the field of Insurance, you have to make up the play if you are playing in a field where nothing exists.
Every employee has a role when it comes to social media – and if they are not provided a role, they will find a role. Regulations are important, but they can work within social. The key is internal communications.
Curt Hanke:From Blanding to Branding Thanks to Curt’s presentation I discovered that there is no such thing as a rational purchase, or rational marketing. We live in an emotional world that dictates our buying and marketing decisions.
This plays big in the agency side. Successful firms teach people about their business, not application. They start with business objectives and sell their clients on the squishy or scary points – things that are not 100% solid, but that the agency believes will work for the client, because they understand their business.
Diane Matigian: When is a Tweet, Comment or Update Slander or Libel? The Legal Implications of Transparency and Digital Tools
Defamation is a big issue thanks to social. Slander and libel still plays – traditional laws exist through the content and publishing of the social web. So, the original laws still apply. For those who argue freedom of speech, just know this is limited. You can say whatever you want, but you better be prepared to back it up.
When it comes to social media, there is a very fuzzy line between an opinion and slander. The most frustrating thing about social media and the law is there are no 100% correct answers. This space is still being sorted out.
Did you know that 93% of word of mouth happens OFFLINE? Did you also know that 76% of people still feel companies lie in their ads? This number drops from 58% to 38% when people are asked if companies will do the right thing.
The biggest challenge for marketers right now is marrying word of mouth and credibility. Mr. Jones even had the nerve to state that social media creates weak ties. We agree. Social media is great for networks, not networking. Building and participating in communities that exist solely on online social networks doesn’t work. Businesses need to combine the online with the offline interaction to succeed.
Jason Falls: Channeling Mayberry: What Small Towns Can Teach Us About Social Media
Not many would call Ann Arbor small, but there is definitely a small town feel here. Jason’s presentation on how small towns and social media work hand in hand really hit home. Some of his takeaways included:
Communities are Networks of trust.
Facebook is built on an intentional openness. Small towns are built on unintentional openness.
Loyalty is huge in small towns.
Being loyal to the community – no one person is more important than the other.
Communities celebrate and mourn together.
Hospitality and honesty – big in small towns.
Local search is the big thing right now in social media, because it has to do with relevancy.
All of what makes small towns what they are can easily be translated to social media best practices.
Can one separate their personal Working on the personal brand? That was the question asked by Sima. Employees need to ask themselves: Who you are, why you do what you do, what makes you special, and how can you take the special and make it work for a company.
To be successful at anything we have to own what you want to do. The brand, personal or corporate, helps with the buy in – access.
We just finished sponsoring the social media communications for FutureMidwest, and we are now looking forward to the next event.
Before we give away too many details, (though we gave a big hint in the title of this blog post) we should consider what really makes a digital conference stand out these days.
We attend a fair amount of events including some of the big ones like IFA and BlogWorld, to some of the smaller regional events like SOBcon and #unGeeked. All are excellent, but it can be tricky gauging where to drop your dollars. Make sure you ask organizers, speakers, and past attendees the following questions before making your conference decisions.
What’s the value? What is the goal and mission of the conference? If you can’t find an answer beyond, “teaching the latest trends in social media”, I’d look for another event.
What will you teach me? Conferences can be fun, but education should be your main objective for attending. What will you learn that you can’t find online or on someone’s blog?
What’s the take away? You can listen to all the great presentations you want, but that doesn’t mean you will know how or be able to integrate what is said into your current business strategy. The best events have their presenters provide takeaways so attendees have a better idea what to expect.
Will I make connections? Networking is great, but networking without a purpose is just standing around talking. Is there a speaker or attendee that can help you with your business? Can you offer an attendee something that will help theirs. Having business objectives while attending conferences isn’t a crime. It’s smart business.
All of this leads us to the above Twitter hashtag used in this post’s title: #unGeeked.
Last year we attended and covered #unGeeked Milwaukee. This was an event limited to about 200 people with a series of presenters who actually spoke with, not just to, the audience. This lead to a cultivation of ideas and brainstorming around a series of topics that included ROI, social media, marketing, content, publishing, branding, job search, and more. There was opportunity to connect with both speakers and attendees. The education and take away we received more than made up for the price of registration. And yes, the connections lead to both personal and business opportunities.
On May 12th re:group returns to #unGeeked. This time we will be in the heart of Chicago along with a fantastic lineup of speakers and thought leaders including Olivier Blanchard, Spike Jones, Barry Moltz, and more.
I’ll be leading a brainstorm session on a topic we are very passionate about here at re:group, content – Identifying Your Content Bubble. (Scroll down midway to read to full description). To get a better idea of what this means, check out the video at the top of this post. We’ll also be covering all the #unGeeked action on our Twitter channel and Facebook page.
There is still time to register, and your #unGeeked pass will include:
We’ve stated this before many times, and it something we firmly believe. Social Media is not about media. It is about communication. How are you as a business or organization going to communicate to your audience? Notice we didn’t say market?
This is what social media is all about. QR codes are great. Facebook will eventually rule the planet, but we will always need to communicate, and communicate well with those we want to pay attention.
This is a reason my title is Director of Social Web Communications. We want to emphasize that we help and teach our clients to communicate in the digital landscape. And as a communications firm we are discovering that many industries are still tripping over the social media road bump. They still don’t understand what social media is and how social works.
The reality is that many organizations have to learn, or re-learn how to be social. This can’t be taught by simply setting up Twitter account or a blog for the client, and then walking away. Education is key.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words B2B and social media?
Is it LinkedIn? What about Facebook? We could can even throw in SalesForce in there too I bet.
Tools are usually top of mind when it comes to social media. However, there is a lot more to this space than just tools and tactics. Especially when it comes to B2B communications. Notice we didn’t say marketing?
B2B businesses can take full advantage of the social web, and can do so just as well as any B2C organization.
True the customer base may be smaller, but that doesn’t mean you can’t focus on brand loyalty. Yes Mr. B2B, company you have a brand, and loyalty is something social media can help you obtain and maintain. It really comes down to who you are connected with, and by connected we don’t mean through Linkedin or Twitter. Ask any good business person what the foundation of good business is, and they will say relationships. How many solid relationships have you built offline. What about online?
This is where social media rocks.
Social media is not a tool. It is a relationship builder. Jason Falls says it best, “B2B social media is still P2P social media. The P stands for people folks!”
Trust me, we understand the need to make a buck. That’s what we are in business for, right? Or is it? Perhaps the ROI we experience through our traditional and digital communications isn’t so connected to the dollar, but through the personal connections we make. I mean, without them, we wouldn’t be making money, period.
Referrals, word of mouth, value, good products and good business all came way before social media showed up.
So don’t get so caught up in what you should do in social media. Instead, focus on:
How you are going to communicate
How you are going to show people what you do
How you will build relationships, not just leads
How you will maintain customer loyalty to your products and services
How you are going to get people to find you
How you are going to identify your marketing objectives
How you are going to be social
If you are in the Ann Arbor area this week, AnnArbor.com is hosting a FREE B2B expo this Thursday, March 10th at Washtenaw Community College.
This is a one day event focused on B2B success, economic development and entrepreneurship in Washtenaw County. A great program has been organized including presentations by Keystone Media, NEW, Power Marketing and Research, and more. You can view the entire schedule here: http://b2bexpo.annarbor.com/schedule.html.
We will also be participating on the panel discussion, Social Media: You Are Doing It, Now What?
You pretty much have the pick of the litter when it comes to resources showing you how to “fully leverage the power of twitter.” There are plenty of guides, FAQs, eBooks, blogs, and experts all sharing their advice and tips. However, very few of these resources really dive into how and why Twitter is such a powerful tool.
Justin’s eBook offers professional testimonials on how Twitter has helped them build real connections, and how the ethics that govern our offline relationship influence the effectiveness of 140 characters. In short, you are given true insight on how Twitter really works, and how it can work for you.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I also provide some insight in Chapter 1: Ready to Shake Hands?
Forty six pages of Twitter best practices. Best part? It’s free. This eBook is available for download at no cost. You don’t have to sign up for anything either. Justin and all the contributors felt that what they learned through Twitter should be 100% accessible, and now you have the chance to learn from them.
Download this free eBook at www.embracingtwitter.com, and learn the “why” on why you should use Twitter.
To kick start our week, the gang all gets together in the meeting room where we discuss what’s in the pipeline, and the latest happenings and news in digital media. This is usually done over a slice of pizza, which can make our meetings even more entertaining.
We thought we’d start sharing a “slice” of what we’ve been learning with you. That way we can all learn from the digital pizza pie.
Today our Director of Digital Media, Matt Zumstein, discussed dashboards, pay per click campaigns, and the some of the fallacies of what "clicks” truly represent. The buzz on the web is that clicks are dead. That measuring clicks alone is not an accurate way to determine a successful campaign. Tracking visitors through what they click doesn’t truly show how they are responding to your content.
Matt shared with us a video from the iMedia summit of Will Chapman, Director of Media Development with AudienceScience. In his interview he breaks down the need for online buyers to increase their spending, despite the fact consumers may not click on your add. His insights support Matt’s claim that clicks aren’t the whole picture.
MIT’s magazine, Technology Review, recently published an infographic that breaks down the global usage of Facebook. Every country with a Facebook audience is represented – over 80 countries total. The study shows Facebook still has a larger audience to find. Many countries still prefer their home grown social networks over Mark Zuckerberg’s creation, however, Facebook’s global penetration seems certain as it’s growth rate continues to advance.
Some of the interesting findings include:
Iceland’s market saturation at over 55% of the country’s population.
Norway also leading the pack at over 50% saturation with over 2 million users
The sparse usage in the South American countries
The explosive user growth in South Korea and Eastern Europe
The potential popularity Facebook could receive in China if it wasn’t illegal
Credit has to be given to my Dad, who subscribes to the magazine, and found this article. You can download the complete infographic here. Also, be sure to check out Technology Review. It’s a pretty solid resource for all technological developments in web, communication, science, and more.
Depending on who you ask, the internet may have born over 40 years ago when two computers were simply connected together. Since that time, people have been using every available tool to build stronger connections with each other. It should be no surprise that the internet eventually became the social web.
Many look at 2010 as the year of social media adoption. This is a fair statement, however, the reality is there is still a large sector of businesses and organizations with little knowledge of this space. More so is the need to align internal cultural changes in order to accommodate best practices that the social web requires.
If 2010 was really the year of adoption, then 2011 needs to be the year of education and best practices.
Firms and marketing professionals need to cement their own internal communication plans, and be able to deliverable measurable results for their clients where appropriate. They also need to ensure that their clients not only know how to use the available tools, but more importantly, why they would need to use them. Best practices can only be achieved through education and guidance that a firm must also practice. Leading by example will be the winning formula.
Social media has proved itself to be a legitimate communicate channel, and a disruptive force when it comes to marketing. I say disruptive because our industry went through dramatic changes in 2010. Agencies had to rethink not only what they can offer their clients, but also how they themselves communicate through the digital landscape.
So, what is in store for 2011?
That could be anyone’s guess. Again, I think we are going to see the need for best practices in both companies, and the agencies that serve their communication needs. Measurable results should be a high priority. The endless debate measurable ROI could be put to rest. In fact, Jay Baer and Amber Naslund have a book coming out that addresses this very topic.
We will continue to see the need for new and unique case studies, especially in the B2B sector. Klout, which entered the ring last year, may need to prove itself as a reliable measure of true influence. The terms influence and personal brand may also have to step up and defend their existence. And now we have Quora, the newest social media sensation to enter the ring.
Communication has always hinged on sociological and cultural tempos. With immediate access comes immediate expectations for communication to be heard, received, and responded to. It should be no surprise that the companies and agencies that communicate the best, will win.
Just about everyone here in the office is a gadget hound.
We love reading up on the latest time sucking gizmos that seem to pop up daily. So, when it was announced that Google TV would soon be available for purchase, our own Digital Media Director, Matt Zumstein, decided he would take the plunge and buy one.
Below is Matt’s experience with Google TV:
I can’t remember the last time I was so excited about a new product coming out as I was with Google TV. A TV/box that could stream the Internet and allow consumers to interact and download any application in the Android store, what’s not to get excited about?
The first day it was available to the public I reached out to a buddy of mine at Google who granted me a 20% discount, even more reason to get excited. I ordered the Sony blue ray Google TV that night and counted the days until it arrived. My wife and I had already created plans to cut cable and stream directly from Hulu and CBS interactive.
The day it arrived, all I could think of was coming home and playing with my new toy. Setting it up was not difficult and took probably twenty minutes. I quickly jumped on Hulu only to get the dreaded error message:
“We see you are trying to access Hulu through Google TV. Hulu is not currently allowing streaming through Google TV but we are working hard to bring you Hulu Plus”.
As multiple obscenities left my mouth I realized the kids were in the other room and I needed to tone it down.
I quickly checked CBS.com, ABC.com & NBC.com only to receive the same error message. My wife and I looked at each other in disappointment but tried to stay optimistic. We went on TBS.com, TNT.com & HGTV.com and found videos we could stream; however the experience was not the same.
TNT videos minimize at every commercial break and you need to manually put back onto full screen.
We also checked out Youtube only to find the quality of the videos on an HDTV was poor at best. We even tried to stream from Fancast which a lot of bloggers were saying was the current work around.
Our first reaction was to return the product immediately since there was no value for us. But again we wanted to stay optimistic about a product I spent the last three weeks dreaming about. Realistically we knew that Google would not strike a deal with the major networks anytime in the near future. But we thought maybe we could justify our purchase with the app store.
Quickly we found out there was no app store, just 8-10 pre loaded applications (most of them paid apps).
While having Vevo as an app and being able to stream from Netflix was cool I couldn’t justify the $400 purchase to my wife or even to myself. It was time to return it.
I called Sony up and stated my case and let them know Google TV was blocked from all the major players. The first person I spoke with told me I could return it but I would have to eat the $10+ shipping cost. Maybe I was a little emotional from my recent disappointment but that was not the answer I was looking for.
Next I was told that I would need to speak with someone from Sony’s technical service department to confirm that the product was not as advertised. After being bounced around a couple departments I finally reached someone who could help me, but unfortunately my phone died and I had to start the process all over again. It was just one of those days.
Finally I spoke with someone at Sony but they swore they could stream Hulu, which I quickly correct by pointing them to several blog postings stating otherwise.
At last I convinced them it was false advertising when I asked them where I could stream the program “Community” which was advertised on all of the TV’s on their website.
Long story short, I spent about two and a half hours with at least five people in customer service and I think I am finally going to be able to save that $10 shipping cost I was so adamant on saving.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that the technology is present to stream anything on the web and even download apps specifically from the Android store (Google TV says coming in early 2011 now). The future versions of this product will definitely be something to get excited about, once all the major players are on board.
Personally I am going to wait till version 2.0 or 3.0 comes out before I take a risk on this again.
But until then I’m rating this product 2 out of 5 stars.
One of the best things about the social media space is that there is always something new to learn. During my recent travels I picked up quite a bit of knowledge at a conference called BlogWorld and New Media Expo. It is held annually in Las Vegas, and as far a big conferences go, it’s a real value.
This year was no exception. I took a book worth of notes while I was there, and thought I would share some highlights from Scott Stratten’s keynote.
We’ve shared a presentation of Scott’s here on our blog, and I’d recommend checking it out if you are not familiar with his presentation style. He pretty much set the stage for the entire conference.
You are always marketing
Marketing is not a task, if you have a potential engagement w/ a customer, consumer, anyone, then you are marketing.
Everyone in your company is a marketer
Stand up for what you believe in when you blog. Blog when you have something to say.
Your blog is your marketing department.
If you don’t get people or like people, don’t use social media.
Enable the sharing
The reasons why people share things have not changed. How they spread it has.
People don’t spread “meh”, they spread amazing and awesome. Be amazing and be awesome.
Your job when blogging is to get people excited when you do post and want to share it. Make people stop what they are doing and read your post.
It’s not your job to tell someone how to consume you content. Your job is to to get them to consume it, period.
What’s New in Social Media Scott?
Forget about “what’s new in Social Media”. Let’s focus on now.
Social Media doesn’t change the fact that 1) relationships take time and 2) we need to still focus on products and service.
If you do not have your blog mobile enabled, you are stopping the spread. You are losing readers. Don’t make people jump through hoops to read your content, because they wont.
Social Media success doesn’t exist. It amplifies what you have – good or bad. If your products or service suck, then social media makes your product suck more.
The Deal w/ SEO
Rule #1 – write great freakin content.
The more you engage, the better you will be with social media. But you have to put in the work. You can’t short cut relationships.
If you are a business, then your social media channels are an extension of your customer service.
If you are online, your customers will expect you to be immediately present.
ROI
We hold ROI to social media much harder. What is the ROI of talking and networking? Doesn’t matter if you believe in social media.
The time issue is the big one but the return of social media is not immediate.
If your market is people and your niche are humans, then they are there. If you don’t want to be there, then don’t use social media.
Closing Statements Scott ended his keynote with a request to ignore the haters.
The people who bait you. Let them hate you. Do what you love. Follow your passions. Don’t feed the haters.
He also stressed that one the best things in business is to have someone give you honest and substantial critical feedback.
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Solid stuff.
I’ll share more from BlogWorld as I clean up my notes.
