Posts Tagged manage brand communication
Put a Public Face on Your Social Media Strategy
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Networking on November 27, 2012
Here at RoryMartin.com, we talk a lot about branding as part of a good social media strategy. At a very basic level, branding is about how we want a potential customer to feel, and what we want them to think, when they see our company out and about – in advertising, on Twitter, being interviewed…
Being interviewed? How can a ‘company’ get interviewed?
When it comes to branding there is one school of thought which believes that people are more likely to connect with a person, than with a faceless corporation. You will most likely agree with this theory, but it’s probable that you will also have ‘good’ feelings when you see a Coca-Cola advert. Of course, Coke have millions of dollars to spend on advertising and marketing, and their branding is all pervasive.
Small to medium companies with rather smaller budgets for getting their brand in front of people may benefit from having a spokesperson or public face of the company. This way, a company can go the usual branding route with online networking and information dissemination but also send their public face out to meetings, networking events, and conferences to relate to potential customers on a personal level. Having a spokesperson, who is represented as an expert in their field, also provides the opportunity for guest-posting, and being interviewed!, on other industry blogs and websites, which then creates link-backs to the company website, as well as positive feeling towards the spokesperson, and therefore the company.
There can be a downside to have a public face on a company, however. Firstly, what if they were to leave the company! Some fashion companies have avoided this by having anonymous public faces, such as @OscarPRGirl who ‘reports’ from inside Oscar De La Renta, and which could be authored by anyone. Secondly, the public face on a company should live according to the company’s ethos at all times when they are in public. As a representative of the brand, it would be hugely detrimental for them to be found acting in such a way as did not represent the brand. This is ultimately quite a responsibility.
What do you think? Do you have a public face for your company? How has it worked for you? Have you ever had any problems with this marketing route?
Linking Businesses Through Social Media Networking
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Networking on November 12, 2012
Have you ever wondered how some small to medium companies never seem to run out of clients, even though you never see them at any networking events? You might be surprised to learn that they do much of their networking from the comfort of their own offices, homes, tablets and smart phones.
Recently, we are seeing more and more often that small to medium companies are scoring new clients and big sponsors through the medium of social media networking. In a time when many businesses are still slow to even jump on a social media platform – or don’t use it once they do – then this information may have many of you shaking your heads. Isn’t social media for listening to customers? For gathering potential customers? Is it possible to make business contacts through social media? The answer to all of these questions is: yes.
Social media platforms are perfect for listening to customers and gathering potential customers, and it is precisely this use which makes it such a great opportunity to reach out to other businesses and potential sponsors, donors and investors. Of course, it’s important to remember that reaching out to potential business contacts, investors, donors and sponsors is no different than reaching out to anyone else. You want to let them know how much you enjoy and value their work, while also providing them with a reason to get in touch with you. At first, this might be a few Tweets which praise a particular ad campaign, or recommend a certain event of theirs. Consistent, but not overwhelming, contact should lead to their notice of you. If your social media audience looks large and engaged, your potential contact will see that your customers and clients trust you. This could be the beginning of a beautiful business relationship…
Have you ever used Twitter, Facebook or another social media platform to find a business contact, sponsor, donor or investor?
The Dangers of Content For Content’s Sake
Posted by Rory Martin in Search Engine Optimization on October 18, 2012
The Anxious Type by JD Hancock
Content is king! The web is all about content! You must have fresh content if you want to be seen on the new, ever-changing, social web. A lot of advice regarding social media strategies and blogging suggest creating new content every day, setting a schedule to post within, and not deviating from this. This approach does have its advantages – for example, the idea that people will check back every day, or on certain days, out of habit, whether they have seen a social media update informing them of a new post or not. Bloggers and businesses alike promise themselves that they’ll add content to their site as frequently as possible, to keep up the momentum of FRESH! NEW! CONTENT!
However, some content creators, particularly for business, find themselves in danger of creating content without intent – content solely for content’s sake. Sometimes, there isn’t any news. Sometimes, there isn’t anything in the media which even vaguely relates to your field of expertise. Sometimes, there just isn’t anything to say. So, what happens then?
Content for content’s sake is just noise. Content without intent is irrelevant. Content for content’s sake is content that contains very little actual value to readers, and is only there to make your site seem “fresh”, and to beef up your backlinks, or keywords, for SEO purposes. This kind of post seems valuable – fresh content attracts search engines, but it can be off-putting for your audience. Repeat readers will be expecting a post of the usual high quality with relevant, actionable or inspirational information. To come across a boilerplate piece that’s only posted as a means of sticking to your posting schedule and boosting search engine rankings may make them reconsider your value (and where they spend their time on the ‘net).
“Businesses that produce too much information start to appear spammy and scattered. This does not instill confidence in customers and prospects. In fact, it is more likely to confuse them and push them away. Content for content’s sake does not help a business that is trying to be a true influencer in their industry. In fact, it makes you look like the little boy who cried wolf, because when you actually have something important to say, no one will be able to see it through all the other drivel you have produced.”
And it’s true. Everyone re-Pins. Everyone re-posts. Everyone re-Tweets. Google any one phrase and you’ll see a host of websites with that same message. What stands out from the masses of repurposed content? Content that’s relevant, that makes sense, that’s written for humans by humans as a means of conveying facts, knowledge, opinion, and interesting information. And if you don’t have that? Don’t post just because you have to keep your site fresh.
A good way of avoiding this type of content is to read over each piece and ask if you would send it to a stranger as a good representation of your website overall. If the answer is no, then don’t publish it! Readers would rather a blogger miss a few days worth of posts than read through half-baked content. Post when you have something to say – it doesn’t have to be life-altering, but it should be valuable to your reader.
Have you ever skipped a few days of publishing content until you found something worth writing about? How did it affect your website?
Why Social Media Makes Marketing Easier
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Media Marketing on September 11, 2012
What if you could reach five hundred local customers in just a couple of minutes? What if you could click just ONE button, and watch the product orders flood in? These are just a couple of promises made about why social media is going to be great for your business, and the kicker is – they’re true.
If you have 500 (or more!) followers on Twitter, then you can easily write and share a tweet in a couple of minutes. When you have engaged readers of your blog and website, you just have to hit ‘Publish Post’ to alert your community to the new, awesome, item you have, that will improve their lives no end.
Long-time readers of social media advice might notice that we left out a couple of steps. In order to get 500+ local, relevant followers on Twitter, someone has to put in a concerted effort to make your fan base aware of your online presence. The same with creating that blogging community, or finding Fans for your Facebook page. Social Media makes it so much easier to share news and information, but it’s no longer a case of ‘If you build it, they will come.’
Social Media Marketing needs to be fully integrated into all other avenues of marketing
This includes print and tv marketing, if you want to see your marketing campaign achieve its full potential. If you’re a big enough brand, then maybe people will make the effort to search for you on Facebook or Twitter, but smaller companies will need to make it as easy and as clear as possible to potential customers where they can be found on-line.
Integrating social media into a print or tv marketing campaign need be no more taxing than adding in your Twitter handle where you already have your address and telephone number onto your next batch of catalogues or flyers. Use traditional marketing to pull people in, and engage them on social media to keep them interested in and aware of your brand.
Have you successfully used traditional print marketing in conjunction with social media marketing? How did it go?
How to Schedule your Social Media Updates
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Networking on September 7, 2012
Scheduling updates can be a contentious issue in the world of social media, and with good reason too. There are two schools of thought among social media consultants. On the one hand, social media is all about customer engagement – it’s called ‘social’ for a reason. Companies are expected to converse with their customers and clients, politely and publicly. On the other hand, social media is just another marketing tool to be used to get information out to the world. People don’t follow you because they want to chat, they’ve got friends for that. They follow businesses for specific information – offers, events, industry news. Just get the information to them when they’re online.
Of course, the reality is somewhere in the middle of these two theories. Followers and fans want information on current events, but they also want to let you know what they think, and the problems which they’re having – and they expect you to respond in a timely manner. Scheduling social media updates certainly has a place in a well-rounded social media strategy – the key is to use it wisely.
Good practice with scheduling updates is to take the time in the morning to consider what information needs to go out that day (or week). Craft a few brilliantly worded updates, and use a tool such as HootSuite or ViralHeat to schedule them. Take a look at which ones you think will generate the most engagement and write a note to yourself to check in around that time to monitor comments and mentions. This way, you don’t spend all day wondering when to tweet again and what to say, and there’s no need to religiously log in to Facebook and Twitter to respond to everything immediately. By doing your social media in chunks like this, you will save time throughout the day.
However, it pays to keep up with industry news and current events – especially if you’re attending them! Having scheduled updates which interrupt the live-tweeting of an event, or which are reporting on suddenly outdated news, will look strange to your followers and Fans, so it is still necessary to keep an eye on your future stream and make sure that it continues to be relevant.
A lot of companies only update their social media streams during business hours; when their employees are at work. This means that users likely check in to their accounts most often outside of business hours; when they are not at work. Perhaps they check Facebook over breakfast, and tweet on the train home. Scheduling social media updates outside of business hours is a great strategy for increasing the potential reach of your updates without going into overtime.
What do you think of scheduling updates as a social media strategy? Do you think that it takes the spontaneity out of the conversation, or do you see it as an intelligent response to a real need?
Is Your Business Truly Social?
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Networking on August 7, 2012
This year, the Harvard Business Review analyzed the backgrounds of the CEOs and Directors of America’s largest companies and discovered that only 9 companies, 2% of the Fortune 500, are ‘highly digital’. It seems as though we all understand that social networking for companies is important, but when it comes to integrating social media into business practises, many companies just don’t go deep enough.
According to The Social Skinny, 65% of the world’s top companies have an active Twitter profile.
So how is it that only 9 of the top companies are rated as ‘highly digital’ by the Harvard Business Review? To qualify as ‘highly digital’ a company must generate a high percentage of revenues digitally; its leadership (both the CEO and the Board) must have deep digital experience; it must do business significantly enabled by digital channels; and must be recognized as transformational in its industry.
Many companies see social networking as an add-on to their marketing department. Something which they know they ought to have, but which they don’t necessarily accord a substantial amount of resources. It’s no surprise then, that many Board members of Fortune 500 companies don’t have a deep digital knowledge, even though this prevents them from becoming a truly social, and highly digital, company.
It’s also true that while many companies will have active Twitter profiles, they may not be using this channel to its best advantage. Without a thorough knowledge of social networking, many companies are just shouting their offers into the ether, with very little engagement or feedback from customers and associates.
So how can you create a truly social business?
You could take the time to read up on social media advances and techniques, and encourage your staff to do the same, then put that knowledge to use on your various platforms. Or you could bring in the professionals. Save your time and energy to focus on your products and services and let RoryMartin.com start building your social networking strategy.
Be Consistent in your Social Media Marketing Strategy
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Media Marketing on July 30, 2012
As Seattle-based consultants for social media strategies, one of the most frequently asked questions we receive from clients is “How much time should I spend on social media?” and what usually follows is “How many times a day should I post to Facebook? How many times should I tweet? Am I Pinning too often?” Our response is always the same – stay consistent. Perhaps this doesn’t sound like a straight answer, but consistency in marketing wins out over gimmicks every time.
Creating consistently good blog and website content will bring people back to your site over, and over again. Even if social media didn’t exist, people still have this habit of talking to each other about consistently great articles, videos, questionnaires or giveaways. A giveaway might sound like a flash-in-the-pan strategy, but not if you make it a regular feature every time a new product comes out. Customers will flock back, hoping to win that great new item, every time. Set yourself a schedule and post certain articles and videos regularly each week or month. This encourages your audience to return at certain times, whether prompted to by social media or not.
Handily, social media does exist and brands need to be consistent there too. It’s really no use setting up profiles on all social media platforms and then never updating them, or updating them sporadically. If people choose to follow or Like a brand, they want to know they are going to receive up to date information, regularly. If there are no updates on your Wall for the past three days, they’re going to look elsewhere. For optimum engagement on Facebook, post 2-5 times per day, but what’s more important on social media is frequency of updates. Post, tweets and updates should be spaced out throughout the day and evening (and night, if parts of your audience are in different times zones) so that followers and fans have less cause to feel annoyed and overwhelmed by a sudden influx of updates over the space of an hour (your allotted time that week to ‘do’ social media).
There are plenty of tools available to help businesses and companies to schedule their content and social media updates, or you can arrange a meeting with one of our Seattle social media experts to talk you through a consistent and engaging social media strategy.
Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing: The Difference
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Media Marketing on July 9, 2012
When we at RoryMartin.com talk about social media marketing, we often conflate that with content marketing. While they are both used to the same end, there are some subtle differences which it pays to be aware of.
Content marketing is about drawing attention to the content on your website, and is done through blog posts, infographics, videos – whatever content aligns with the branding of your business. Social media marketing is about encouraging engagement on the various social media platforms which are out there. You can already see how easy it is to conflate the two. Of course, social media marketing promotes the content which is on your websites, and we work to make sure that the content goes viral. In order to do this, however, we need to understand the differences between the two types of marketing.
Firstly, it is necessary to have interesting and engaging content on your company website in the first place. No matter how much a post or product is plugged on social media, there will be no retweets or shares if the content doesn’t excite people. What’s new in your industry? Can you put a personal spin on it? Is there anyone you could invite to comment on a certain topic? What happens when you put your product in a blender? Can you get a cat involved? (Not in the blender, please.) Maybe you think your niche is tapped out for new things to say, but be assured, there is always another angle for what you are saying.
Secondly, you could have the most fascinating video in the world on your website, but it’s useless if nobody ever hears about it. We use social media to get the word out that this exists, and people need to see it. How is your network these days? Are you promoting other people’s work and informing your followers about fresh facts and photos? Are you engaging with other people in the way that you hope they will engage with you? Social media is definitely not a place of something-for-nothing. We hope that people will love our fantastic content enough to share it because of what it is, but users are much more inclined to pass on the work of someone who has supported them, too.
Thirdly, we need to be tracking statistics. Even when you have achieved that perfect balance of fantastic content and a healthy, engaged network, it’s still possible that some updates will tank and seem to be ignored. There could be any number of reasons for this, but by keeping an eye on sharing and engagement statistics, you’ll be more aware of why this might happen.
We hope that by remembering the differences between content marketing and social media marketing, you’ll develop that healthy, engaged network which just loves to share your insightful content, but if you find that one or the other is off balance, get in touch with our Seattle social media and content marketing experts today.
Dos and Don’ts of Social Networking
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Networking on July 3, 2012
For a good social media strategy, there’s no make-or-break way to be truly successful. However, being successful at this type of social networking requires a little finesse (and a lot of patience). We’ve got some tips for both companies who are just finding their niche, and established businesses who want to see more ROI from their networking efforts.
Do Give Your Brand a Personality
People, especially on social media, like to connect with people. Come up with a persona for your business, and stick with it. Followers and friends then know what to expect from your feed, and feel more like their connecting with some*one* rather than some*thing*.
The bonus is that having a personality – and a personable networking account – builds trust and authenticity. Trust and authenticity are 2 of the cornerstones of any great social campaign.
Don’t Go Straight For the Hard Sell
Would you ever start a conversation at a networking event with “Hi, have you bought our product yet?” No? Then don’t do it online either. People like to be introduced to a company on social media networking sites before they trust or value them enough to connect.
This also draws us towards our next point – users don’t respond as well to self-promotional talk, as they do to conversation.
Do Start Conversations
You want more information about your client base; people love to talk about themselves. Ask a few questions about contentious, but relevant, topics, and soon you’ll have a full-scale debate on your feed. As a bonus: people will feel more warmly towards your brand, because you actually care what they think.
This is also a great time to show off your customer service skills by engaging and responding in a professional, friendly, and timely way.
Don’t Be Boring
Have you ever been stuck at a cocktail party with the self-absorbed bore who won’t stop going on about their own personal woes? It’s not fun for anyone. Provide value with your feed – link to interesting, informative and relevant content which your followers will value – and even share!
Don’t Use a ‘Comedy’ Photo
While it might be tempting to portray your company’s sense of fun with a photo of Dave in a cardboard crown, remember that people want to believe that you are capable of handling their complaints, inquiries and orders in a professional manner. Unless you are an actual clown, just the company logo or a serious head and shoulders shot will do.
Of course, being too stern in photos can also have repercussions. You want to seem approachable, as well as professional.
Do Have Fun
People turn to social media to enjoy themselves, so go ahead and link to that skateboard otter story for a little light relief. Extra points if you can find something life-affirming or giggle-worthy which is relevant to your marketing pitch.
Still not sure how to make friends and influence people using social networking sites? Get in touch with our Seattle social networking experts today, to improve your business connections.
How to Opt Out of Facebook’s Email Program
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Networking on June 25, 2012
Logging into our Facebook this morning, we realized our email address had been changed to the new Facebook default address – an email@facebook.com account. We realize that many FB users probably don’t utilize Facebook’s messaging system. This is especially true, since as one Forbes writer put it: “social network’s screwy messaging system … auto-sorts your email for you, putting emails from ‘strangers’ in a shadow inbox that’s easy to miss.”
Whether you opted for an @facebook.com email address or not, you now have an email address with Facebook. Facebook has stated that they’ve done this to make their branding (including email addresses) consistent sitewide. Don’t fret, though – it’s easy to opt out. They’ve also added a setting that lets people decide which addresses they want to show on their timelines.
How to Opt Out of Facebook’s email addresses.
Go to your Timeline and click “about”, under your contact info. Scroll down to “Contact Info” and hit edit. For the email addresses you want visible, switch the crossed out circle symbols to a full circle. For the email addreses you DON’T want shown, including the @facebook.com address, switch the setting from a full circle (“Shown on Timeline”) to the crossed out circle (“Hidden from Timeline”). Click save, and you’re ready to go!
As Gizmodo notes, “This is also a good opportunity to check your privacy settings and make sure your various inboxes are visible only to friendlies.”
What do you think about this change? Was it necessary? Do you wish Facebook had left your email alone? Tell us below, in the comments.
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