Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

Since its inception, Facebook has been subject to a host of changes — different layouts, formats, policies and so on. One of the more recent and widely-noticed changes has been the phasing out of the Facebook Fan Page in favor of the “Like” button. But are you giving the “Like” a thumbs up?

The change was part of a broader plan to spread the “Like” button across the web and lower the barrier for users to become connected with brands and organizations. According to Facebook, users click “Like” almost twice as much as they click “Become a Fan” — so,  if Facebook changes “Become a Fan” to “Like,” more users will click on it. Right?

However, in a poll by Mashable, 29.6% preferred the “Like” button — while 57.3% preferred to “Become a Fan.” The rest were indifferent. (Come on people — Choose a side!) Then, there are the articles that talk about how “fan” is a whole other level of “like,” dictating the Wikipedia definition of the word “fan.” And believe it or not, there is actually a Facebook page titled “‘Like’ vs. ‘Become a fan,’” and you can choose to “Like” it or not. (By the way, there’s only 20 people who do!)

Jay Krall’s article on the Cision blog notes that “when you ‘like’ an article, it gets published to the news feeds of your friends on Facebook. This little feature has the potential to drive new traffic to your content. If you publish press releases or blog posts online, then you should consider using it.”

Is the “Like” button more lightweight, like Facebook says? Do you “Like” the “Like” button? Well, it really doesn’t matter if you actually “Like” it — so far, there is no “Dislike” button.

Coles Marketing Communications is the Pinnacle Worldwide representative in Indiana

Pinnacle Worldwide, a global network of independent public relations agencies with more than 50 offices worldwide, including Coles Marketing Communications in Indianapolis, has formed a strategic alliance with 27&More, an international public relations network covering 44 countries.

Established in September 2007 in Frankfurt, 27&More began as a partnership of prominent European PR agencies which all had one main focus — to provide strategic communication services with flexibility, effectiveness and an integrated approach to worldwide clients. Individual members of both Pinnacle Worldwide and 27&More have long-standing business relationships. Coles Marketing Communications is the Pinnacle Worldwide representative in Indiana.

“This alliance between Pinnacle Worldwide and 27&More gives firms like Coles Marketing Communications the opportunity to reach an even wider landscape of global coverage for their clients,” said Coles Marketing Communications Vice President Brian Coles. “It will help firms within the partnership continue to thrive and establish high-quality practices, concepts and relationships in an ever-changing business landscape.”

Ruud Bijl, President of Bijl partners in public relations in the Netherlands, and President and Co-founder of 27&More said, “The strength of our new alliance lies in the fact that we have hand-picked the best consultancies in each country rather than relying on ‘outposts’ of a big brand to deliver. That means quality consulting delivered by experts wherever the need, and for brands seeking sound strategic support and quality delivery regardless of location. That’s a very strong offer indeed.”

“With our combined strength providing access to highly-respected offices around the world, this partnership expands the reach for our clients and members alike,” said Donna Vandiver, President and CEO of The Vandiver Group, Inc., in St. Louis, Mo., and President of Pinnacle Worldwide.

If you haven’t at least heard of Facebook and Twitter, you have probably been living under a rock — or in denial. But as quickly as you get used to the ins and out of the most popular social media sites, more are on the rise. And these sites want to know where you are, where you’re going and where you’ve been.

Welcome to the location-based social networks, such as Foursquare — which I have previously discussed in another post. I tried out Foursquare — and I while I’m not super familiar with it, I can see the appeal. You “check in” to businesses and other locations in real time, and many places are now offering special perks for their most frequent visitor — called the “mayor” — and others who check in.

But what about Blippy? Customers can tell their friends about the products that they buy through this site, which links merchant accounts to broadcast members’ purchases to the world. Blippy lets you communicate about and share purchases with friends by syncing already existing e-commerce accounts to Blippy such as iTunes, Netflix, Woot, eBay and more.

And then you’ve got TagWhat, which takes a leap into the world of Augmented Reality (AR). It allows people to tag real-world locations and attach information, reviews, links, photos, videos, notes and so on to those particular spots, whether tied to their current location or not. Users can also follow other people and merge their respective ‘markers’ together in an effort to build a global network of augmented reality hotspots.

A little overwhelming, right? Well, maybe it’s best to start with a toe in the ever-changing social media pool instead of taking a flying leap headfirst. But whatever you do, start swimming!

Today’s news atmosphere calls for up-to-the-second news, as soon as you can get it and as fast as you can post it. That includes social media such as Facebook and Twitter, but it also applies to websites. One essential way to keep your website as updated as possible is an online newsroom with fresh, new content that is constantly evolving.

David Henderson, author of “Making News in the Digital Era,” said, “Static newsrooms are the least-visited part of a website because most are just graveyards of old press releases. Your newsroom needs to present the spectrum of all the things that your company is doing within its industry, and hanging press releases there kills credibility.”

The core audience for an organization’s online newsroom is everyone from shareholders and business partners, to customers, donors, employees… and THEN the media. And because newsrooms are not only for the media, practitioners must use a writing style that draws interest in a way people can relate to.

“Nobody cares what your company does unless you tell them in a way that adds value,” Henderson said.

What are some elements to add value to your online newsroom?

• News articles (300-500 words)
• Short videos (HD for B-roll)
• Links to company facts and contacts
• Search capability

And if you use WordPress as your content management system, you’re not alone. Even The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal use it for their blog networks, said Ryan Zuk. There are over 22 million WordPress publishers as of February 2010: 10.6 million blogs hosted on WordPress.com plus 11.4 million active installations of the WordPress.org software. According to Quantcast, around 250 million people visit one or more WordPress.com blogs every month, and they view over two billion pages on those blogs.

So get reading, writing and online newsroom–ing.

Marketing communications is multi-faceted.  Starting the conversation can be accomplished with many different marketing tactics.  In today’s world, there are many ways to reach potential customers, current clients or dormant users (insert your audience here).  Some people prefer newsletters, others read newspaper articles, online, brochures, billboards…and don’t forget about mobile marketing.  The real power can come after these marketing tactics have run their course.  How do you keep the conversation going? 

One of many services we offer our clients is Word of Mouth marketing.  As Indianapolis’ only agency officially trained in Word of Mouth marketing, we know how to keep the conversation going long after the tactics have been implemented.

While sitting in various client meetings, a resounding theme is often repeated….internal evangelists must be present in “Company X” before that company can have external evangelists. 

So what does this mean?  It’s pretty simple.  Companies must have staff that believe in their cause/mission or the message will not carry over to the external word of mouth couriers.

So take care of your staff and invest in internal evangelists.  It can have a positive impact on the external view of your brand.

Not these days it isn’t. I remember the days of playing the game outside at school — also know as squareball. Today, Foursquare is a web and mobile application that allows registered users to connect with friends and update their location. Users “check-in” at venues using text messaging or a device specific application. They are then awarded points and sometimes “badges.”

Is this the next big thing? As it closes in on one million users this month, Foursquare is being pursued by Internet giant Yahoo Inc., which has offered as much as $125 million for Foursquare. Must be a must have!

It’s a new way for you and your friends to explore your city — and it’s available for the iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Palm and other devices. Have you tried it yet? And Foursquare Day was officially declared on 4/16: 4 squared = 16. 4/16.  Get it?

Ideas for how businesses can use Foursquare to enhance marketing efforts and generate leads are already appearing:

• Create incentives for new customers
• Offer promotions, contests and giveaways
• Maximize the success of events

With three million users expected by the end of the summer, it looks like Foursquare is for real.

Is change a good thing? Or maybe is TOO much change a good thing? I just listened to a Webinar about a change in our e-mail distribution system. And there have been several re-designs to the almighty Facebook, from an added newsfeed to a new layout to countless new applications. New blogs are started daily. The list of social media and social networking sites is seemingly endless and continues to grow.

How can you keep track of it all — and do you want to? As soon as you learn the ins and outs of one site or one blog or one technology, it seems a re-design is right around the corner or a new product is on the horizon. And then you have to re-learn something new all over again. Many users don’t like change, and as a product becomes more popular, users may grow ever more resistant to change.

An article in TIME said, “Perhaps what civilization needs is a NOT-SO-FAST button. In the aging population of the developed world, many people are already tired of trying to keep up with the latest cool new tech. The market for change could dry up, and lock-in might again become the norm.”

Try telling that to the 300,000 customers that purchased the new iPad on the very first day they went on sale. And you won’t hear that from the 500,000 users on Foursquare, which some label the “new Facebook.”

So I guess if you can’t beat em, join em — or get left behind in the flurry of new technology.

We all know brands. We all have our favorite brands.

Ketchup = Heinz vs. Del Monte. I choose Heinz.

Mustard = French’s vs. Plochman’s. I choose Plochman’s.

Syrup = Aunt Jemima vs. Mrs. Butterworth’s. This is a close one but I choose Mrs. Butterworth’s.

That’s why I was delighted to recently see Mrs. Butterworth in a Geico commercial and more recently in the news regarding the mystery of her first name.

In a 1987 television ad, it was revealed that Mrs. Butterworth’s first name is “Joy.” She was reluctant to let her first name be used because her childhood friends referred to her, jokingly, as “Joy Buzzerworth,” punning on the popular novelty item the Joy Buzzer.

Recently, Mrs. Butterworth ran a contest to see who could remember her first name. I had no idea what her first name was even though I’ve spent many mornings with the matronly female. It turns out, two teenagers (I’m sure with their parents help) from the Midwest knew her name was Joy. I’m not sure what the teenagers won, maybe, a lifetime supply of the tasty syrup.

The full story is a quick read and a great marketing idea.

So I’ll keep using Mrs. Butterworth’s when I make my kids their pancakes but I feel like I know her just a little more. Even more than when I chugged half a bottle of the sweet stuff on a dare when I was 13 years old!

Just less than two weeks shy of my wedding day, I found something that translates from pre-wedding “goof ups” by vendors to public relations, marketing — and the world at large. And that is customer service.

Just as each vendor should bend over backwards to fix their mistakes and make my order correct, so should we in the public relations/marketing industry do so for our clients. Courtesy of About.com, here are a few ideas to keep in mind:

1. Don’t make promises unless you WILL keep them. Not plan to keep them. Will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. Think before you give any promise – because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.
2. Listen to your customers. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.
3. Deal with complaints. No one likes hearing complaints, but if you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time – and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service.
4. Take the extra step. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people.
5. Throw in something extra. Whether it’s a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting.

So the next time, remember customer service with a smile — and hopefully the rewards will follow. [I wrote a thank-you e-mail after a company promptly corrected their mistake and rushed my order — they said how appreciative they were to get the good news!]