It seems there is no stopping social media and the power of the internet. Twitter is continuing to grow at a phenomenal rate. Facebook is developing innovative ways to integrate the social network into other websites and even TV.
Because of this, more and more brands are jumping onto the social media bandwagon. It seems like a no-brainer for a brand to have a twitter account or page on Facebook, however if done incorrectly it can go horribly wrong.
Take the case of Brittany Spears. When it was announced that Brittany would be using Twitter, there was a huge buzz and many people started to follow her. It soon became obvious that this was not Brittany using Twitter, instead it was her PR people. This is a big no no in the social media scene. Especially automated direct Twitter messages. Brittany was quickly shunned by hardcore Twitter fans , and was even the victim of a Twitter hack attack. The plan to use Twitter as a means of creating buzz and publicity quickly backfired for the Brittany camp.
So what can we learn from Brittany's mistakes?
Say who you really are. Instead of trying to convince people that it was Brittany Spears using Twitter, just say you are Lauren Kozak, Brittany's social media manager. Would it have created as much media buzz? Probably not. Would it have got as many followers? Probably.
Keep it personal. Having a brand Twitter account is affective, however having a personal Twitter account is 10 times more affective. You can still be affiliated with a brand and promote what the brand is doing in a personal account. The most popular Twitter accounts are personal accounts, however the writers are constantly talking about their website or what their company is doing.
Transparency = Trust. Companies that try to hide things from consumers will almost always get burned. I am constantly reading about companies cutting costs by having automated social media accounts. This is not what Web 2.0 is all about. Trust is easily lost and increasingly difficult to earn. If you use social media the right way your brand can be one of the most recognized and successful in the world. Use it the wrong way and suffer the consequences.
Oops She Did It Again
Define Success
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This post relates to an older post on the MarketR blog "Do I Really Need An Online Strategy?"
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How do I measure the ROI of my website, if I am not selling anything?
This seems to be the big question in terms of online marketing. It basically means, how do I know that my online marketing strategy is making me money?
If you run an e-commerce site it is relatively easy. You can measure where your customers are coming from and how much they are spending. With this information you will have a very good understanding about how much money your online marketing is making you.
Example: On average you receive 200 clicks from Google Adwords and these clicks spend $100. You know you are paying Google $20 a day, therefor your Google advertising is making you $80.
*Note: This is a very simplified explanation.
Unfortunately most of us are not selling anything online, therefore it is a lot harder to find out if our website is making us money. New ways to measure ROI are constantly being discussed. Here are some of my favorites.
Online Bookings:
Allow customers to book their appointments online. This is a great way to grow your business and a great way to measure ROI. You can now track how your customer found your website and how many booked an appointment.
How To Find Us:
If someone looks up how to find your business, chances are they will be visiting your store. Make sure your site has a designated page with a map , address, phone number, etc. Make it easy to find on your main page, but do not put it directly on your main page. I have seen this done so many times. It is almost impossible to measure how many people showed an interest in visiting your offline store if you put your location information on your main page.
Unique Contact Information:
This one is mostly for medium sized businesses. Use a different phone number for inquiries coming from your website. Instead of listing the same phone number everywhere, list a unique number on your website.
Online Coupons:
If you have read my previous posts you would know that online coupons are on the rise. Use them to track the effectiveness of your website.
Ask:
Easier said then done, I know. However it is sometimes the best way. Ask your customer how they heard of your business and if they visited your website. If the answer is no, chances are they will visit it when they get home. If the answer is yes, then you know your website is working for you.
Goals Goals Goals
One of my mentors said, "If you go ahead and run with something without establishing your goals, its basically like saying Fire, without the Ready Aim." If you go ahead and establish a website and online marketing campaign without first deciding what you want to get out of it, you are going to be spending huge amounts of money in the long run redesigning your website.
Consult with MarketR when designing your website and online marketing strategy.
Get Noticed
"My company is the best, why do I need to pay for marketing?"
This is why.
A study done by the Washington Post asked, "can one of the greatest musicians in North America get noticed in Washington D.C?"
The experimenters recruited Joshua Bell, the most famous living violinists in the world. They put him in regular street clothes and a baseball cap, and placed him in a D.C. metro station during rush hour. They also gave him one of the best violins in the world, valued at over a million dollars. Joshua Bell was asked to play some of the finest classical pieces ever written.
This is what happened.
Over 43 minutes of world class music and only a few people stopped to listen. The most surprising result, was when people were asked what they thought of the music after they passed through the hall, most people didn't even notice the violinist.
Without proper communication, even the most talented violinist in the world can't get noticed. How is your company going to do it?
I guarantee the response to Joshua Bell would have been far greater if there was a sign next to him explaining who Joshua Bell was and that he had just played for the president the night before. The response would have been greater if he was dressed like a world famous violinist.
Marketing is your company's clothes and signage. Marketing is how you communicate to your potential and existing clients. If you know you are the best at something, make sure everyone knows it. Don't wait for people to find out themselves.
Try this: If you know you are the best in your industry geographically, type in Google "The best (your industry) in (your geographic region)."
For example, "The best tennis club in Vancouver"
Does your company come up on the first page?
If not, then your company has no signage and is wearing street clothes and a baseball hat online.
Be the best. Call MarketR
The Internet Now and Then
I know some of you may be sick of it, but I can't help but talk about Obama one more time.
I was discussing with a UBC commerce professor about how the internet has changed since the .com bubble in 2000. I found these two image and they explain the change perfectly.
The White House Website Now. Obama Style.
*Note: The blog, easy search feature, dynamic content, large pictures and video tour. The new White House website is dynamic with content being changed daily.
The White House Website Then. Bush Style.
*Note: No pictures, static content, and bland color theme. The old White House website fits perfectly with what websites used to look like. It is incredibly static, boring and uninviting.
If your website looks like the old White House website, I declare, in the words of Obama, it's time for change!
Need a dynamic web 2.0 website? Call MarketR
Obama Mania - The Power Of Listening and Engagement
I was originally going to call this post "The Power Of Social Media." However, I don't want people to get the wrong idea about why brand Obama has been so successful.
When I meet with a client to discuss online marketing strategies, I am occasionally met with a very enthusiastic individual who says "we want a blog, Facebook page, twitter account, Myspace, and E-Mail newsletter."
This is great. The individual is definitely aware of the different communication mediums available online. However, I always ask "what's the plan once you get these established." Unfortunately I always get the same response. A blank face.
People who are used to traditional advertising, newspaper, tv, etc, have a tendency to set it and forget it. Meaning lets establish a really good looking Facebook page and wait for people to come visit.
Online marketing is powerful because you can listen to your audience and engage them. The Obama campaign is a perfect example of listening and engagement.
Facebook Obama.
-3,949,867 supporters
-554,711 Wall Posts
Facebook is one of the hardest communication outlets to utilize. Partly because Facebook users care more about what their friends are doing and talking about, rather than what brands are doing.
Instead of constantly saying Vote Obama, the Obama campaign focused more on just getting to know Obama. By doing this the votes came naturally.
How can you learn from Obama? The first step is to redefine your goals. Most companies will say my goal is to convert as many people on Facebook into customers to my business. Makes sense right? Not so fast. With this being your goal, you end up having a facebook page that looks more like a promo flyer.
How many of you have friends that are always trying to sell you stuff? Do you enjoy being around this person? Do you plan on being friends with this person for much longer? Exactly.
Your goal on Facebook should be to allow users to get to know your brand. Facebook pages are great for getting across the personality of your brand, what it stands for and what community events it has planned.
The Obama Facebook page did all of these.
Most politicians would never think of putting their favorite music, or videos on Facebook. Fortunately the Obama camp knew better.
Twitter Obama
-144,00 followers
-168,148 following
Twitter is also a hard tool to use because you need to commit time to it. Twitter is a communication tool and the potential for marketers is huge. However if you never update your twitter status, never check to see what others are talking about and never engage in any conversations, then there is no point using it.
*Note: Obama follows more people then follow him. Unfortunately or fortunately, Hillary Clinton didn't understand the importance of following others on Twitter, and inevitably her Twitter strategy was a big flop.
So remember, social media marketing is not about selling. Instead it is about building relationships. Letting people know that your business exists and this is what it stands for. If you do this successfully, sales will come naturally.
Marketing In An Economic Downturn (Continued)
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If you have not read Marketing In An Economic Downturn Read it first!
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In my last post on marketing in an economic downturn I left you with a try it at home test. The test was to demonstrate how consumers find value by comparing.
Here it is again.
Try this! (Without cheating)
Without looking on wikipedia, answer the following questions.
a) The African continent has more or less than 18 countries?
b)How many countries does the African continent have?
Now here is the purpose.
Most people will answer the a) question as being more, now when answering b) most people answer in 20's. This is due to the fact that your reference point is 18, you would never consider the answer as being 47 because that's far too high compared to your reference point. *The correct answer is 47.
Now here is the fun part. Ask your friend this question.
a) The African continent has more or less than 60 countries?
b)How many countries does the African continent have?
Hopefully your friend's answer will prove my point.
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How can I use this to increase revenue for my business?
As I mentioned in my previous post, allow your customer to compare.
Another great strategy, especially for luxury brands, is to make your customer work for it. This again plays on the fact that your customer can find value in comparison. Run a promotion that is only valid on certain days. Example "Sunday Special, 25% off services." Offer discounts or free gifts when customers give you their email address, as mentioned in the big red button post.
By doing this you create value in 3 different ways.
-Value in comparison of price
-Value in the effort that had to be done by the customer
-The big one. Value in the fact that not everyone received this offer.
*If everyone had a diamond, how valuable would they be?
Remember the economic downturn can be a threat, but if you are creative and spend your money wisely it can be a huge opportunity.
Good luck and you know who to call if you get stuck.
The Big Red Button
Imagine in your office you have a big red button. Whenever you push this button, customers suddenly start walking through your door. If you know from last year that your business is going to be quiet in February, you're no longer worried because you have your big red button.
You might be wondering what the catch is. There is only one catch and that is the big red button costs money. How much? Roughly $15 a push.
Excited yet? You should be.
E-Mail is your Big Red Button. E-Mail lists are essential in this economic climate. The cheapest and most effective form of communicating with existing customers is e-mail.
If you don't have an e-mail list start building one. Offer incentives for customers to give you their e-mail. Such as a coupon for 20% off next time they visit. Make sure you send the coupon to them through e-mail, and not hand it to them in the store. This ensures your customer checks your e-mail is not in the junk box, and it is a way to get him/her back into your store.
If you do have an e-mail list start using it. Create a bi-monthly email newsletter with info on the latest new stock, events and exclusive promotions. Not every e-mail has to be about a promotion. Customers love to be engaged with their favorite brands, include pictures from company retreats, the latest news about what staff members did over the winter break, etc. Don't, and this is a big don't, spam your customer. We all know what happens when we get too many e-mails from a company. We make sure the e-mails stop arriving.
Now here is the fun part. E-Mail vendors, such as ConstantContact and Vertical Response, allow you to see who opened your e-mail, and who no longer wishes to receive your e-mails. Do not take this personally, some people just don't like receiving e-mail. MarketR tests e-mail formats such as images and headlines and decides which e-mail format will receive the best open rate.
We just launched an e-mail promotion for one of our clients and they were blown away at the response it had. The company's quietest time is January-February. Thanks to the power of e-mail this year is going to be different. Try it out! What do you have to lose? $15
If you are still not convinced, I leave you with this survey result. Opt-in messaging is what your company's e-mail newsletter is categorized as.
Need help? Call MarketR
