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’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?
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.
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.
Heading back to Michigan for its 3rd year is Brand Camp University, an event that focuses on business and personal brand development.
The subject of personal brand inevitably brings up a long and heated discussion. Some feel brand can not and should not exist within the confines of online identities. That the pursuit of personal brand is nothing more than a platform to feed the ego. Many defend it. Recognizing that brand, personal or not, is a vital foot print in one’s overall marketing and communication strategy.
This year, BCU focuses on “Awaking your Inner ‘Prenuer’.
More than just a “this is how your brand yourself” workshop, BCU brings in some big names who share how businesses and individuals can reinvent their own professional brand identities. The speaker lineup is stellar, and range from hometown business owners, to industry experts across the county.
Marketing, business, communications, PR, SEM, SEO, Social Media, regardless the tactic; we can not deny that the web has changed they way we work. More and more, it has become important to adopt the flexible and innovative entrepreneur mindset regardless if you are small business or major corporation.
As we start to reinvent our own business mindset, we in turn empower ourselves to help reinvent our communities. If we are going to turn the corner, new ways of doing business are required. Innovation and brand development will go hand in hand. This will lead to new marketing solutions that will ultimately reinvent Michigan’s brand.
Brand Camp University is October 8th, 2010. 9am – 5pm at Lawrence Tech University. You can follow BrandCampU on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Blog.
re:group is happy and proud to be a sponsor of this great event.
Recently I came across this presentation by my friend and social media/marketing professional, Scott Stratten.
Scott has a style all his own when it comes to talking about the social web and how we all need to start thinking differently when it comes to communicating online. Check out his presentation as he talks about:
Getting people to your door
Making it easy for them to open that door
Using social media only if you are going to be there too
How social media is an extension of customer service and communication of your brand
How too many companies are faking passion and authenticity
Selling Social Media as Influence
Why social media doesn’t cure sucking (think BP)
Why emotion is the new vehicle
The three pillars of the social web: Know – Like – Trust
How ROI is not the point
Building relationships and creating life long value
Technology has made this happen. Just about anyone with a flip cam or phone can grab footage, add titles with some free editing software, post it to YouTube (also free), and away you go.
As far as entertainment goes, the value factor can be extremely high. As far as the waste your time factor goes… it can be even higher. But the value in this medium is the immediate access it provides. Access into communities, individuals, thoughts, expressions, art, music, culture, and everything that makes us human. Video helps connect us on this human level that is not only gratifying but incredibly important.
When it comes to your business or organization this can play a huge factor in bringing your message across. Video ranks as one of the highest traffic drivers for Google. Just today I came across that Facebook is up to 20 million video uploads a month. The ‘viral’ potential is there.
However, like all mediums that touch the social web, it requires a very humanistic approach. Posting only commercials and your ads won’t work. But will work is experimenting. Remember video is a collaborative effort. It require both you and an audience to connect.
This can only be done by organic experimentation and the courage to try new things.
Putting into practice the collaboration/access combo, they are providing a contest in which anyone around the world can submit a video to be selected for their YouTube channel. 200 entries will be chosen and from these 20 will be selected to be viewed in the Guggenheim museum.
Companies should consider videos. Just remember to be human about it and you’ll see the collaboration effect. The results will be access into the viewers world.
Just wanted to take a quick moment to introduce myself. My name is David Murray and I am the Director for Social Web Communications here at re:group.
Okay, enough shop.
Time to get personal, because that is what social media is all about. Getting personal. Believe it or not, social media isn’t new. Oh sure, the tools are, but they are just that.. tools. Social media isn’t Twitter. It’s not Facebook either. It’s about communication and building relationships. Maybe you’ve heard that before, maybe not. The point is, don’t think of the social web as just another way to advertise. There are more appropriate channels for that.
Want a quick tip? The more time you spend using the digital landscape as a place to cultivate relationships and be human, the better. Why? People now have the option to tune you out.. and they will. Unless they get to know you, not your product.
What I hope to do is to show you how this can be done while sharing some of the things I’ve learned along this social media discovery. I’ll also provide some examples that I find, and point you to some people who are way smarter than me.
Whoops! I forgot to get personal!!
Well, you can find me on Twitter (where I spend most of my time), at most offline social functions, or around the internets. I’m also the founder of Social Media Club Detroit. When I’m not doing the social media thing, I like to play the occasional video game, cook, and watch movies.
I look forward to learning with you, so feel free to reach out to me anytime!
There are a lot of girls out there (like myself) who know a thing or two about sports. I could tell you that the Tigers are 16 and 10 in the Central League, with Verlander dominating the mound. The Wings goalie, Jimmy Howard is a finalist for the Calder Trophy. And the Pistons, well, let’s just say they didn’t make it to the “40 days/40 nights win or go home playoffs” this year – they just went home.
I enjoy watching the game with my girlfriends, and proudly wear my team jersey and drink my favorite cold (light) beer. It’s the perfect situation until I see one of those annoying beer commercials, ahem, Labatt Blue, with a half naked, ditzy chic trying desperately to sell beer to us sports fans. Let me be the first, but certainly not the last, to tell you that I am one girl who will never buy a beer product from a company that continues to believe sports fans are men only.
You would think after thirty years of women whacking at that glass ceiling as professional athletes - thank you Billie Jean King - beer advocates would give up already and acknowledge the other half of us sports fans. Sadly, we are still fighting those misconceptions that girls aren’t really sports fans, but more like “accessories” to the game, i.e., cheerleaders.
I don’t understand the lack of appreciation for girls paired with beer and sports. When will beer commercials realize that girls, too, like a good cold beer while watching the game? Serving up a half naked, buff man could quite possibly entice us to buy your beer. Who knows?! But until then, stop pandering to those sports fans who can grow a beard and think “Slap Shot” is the greatest movie ever.
