Social media as a continuum
January 20, 2011
Facebook hubs have replaced web sites. Shareable social objects have replaced lifeless content. Earned relationships have replaced marketing collateral. Relevancy and context is the communicator’s — and the consumer’s — new battle cry. So says social media experts Brian Solis (@briansolis) and Jason Falls (@JasonFalls).
They presented — or should I say, enthralled – – at yesterday’s Explore and Engage Wichita event. My to-do and to-think-about lists are overflowing in terms of social media tools and strategies.
Some sound bites from Brian:
We are all competing for relevance.
Tools don’t matter. Engagement does.
Authenticity and transparency are keys to social media success.
Businesses have been run with a top-down approach. We are introducing a bottom-up approach.
Listening and hearing provide the tools to impart relevance.
Brands are no longer destinations. We have to build bridges back to them.
One-to-one-to-many is far more effective than one to many.
Social objects (tweets, posts, photos, videos) are the future of marketing.
Beyond the soundbites is Brian’s call for research, strategy and thought leadership: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alj2xxGf5XQ.
Jason echoes this approach, offering these steps:
1. Know your audience
2. Set goals.
3. Build a content strategy.
4. Choose the right tools.
5. Implement and activate.
In his words: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owBU9zlCtLU.
Brian and Jason stressed measurement of outcomes — not a new business recommendation, but one we often forget. The other challenge: Once we earn relationships and thought leadership, we must nurture this privilege. Social media is a continuum.
The tremendous opportunities ahead…
Unlikely content
January 15, 2011
This post is one of confession and admission.
I confess I haven’t officially made my New Year’s resolutions.
I admit that I’m not setting the blogosphere on fire with subscribers to this blog.
Enter this flyer. I’m not sure how it landed on my kitchen table, or why I was drawn to it while enjoying my usual bagel-and-peanut-butter breakfast (with a chocolate chaser). I’m glad I flipped through it, though. I found common-sense, easy-to-remember nutrition info. And, it reminded me that healthy eating should be a no-brainer when it comes to resolutions.
I found this tidbit:
What is a whole grain? Wheat flour itself is not a whole grain so make sure that the product uses the word “whole” in front of wheat. Look at the ingredients for “enriched flour.” If it is the first listed ingredient, there is more white flour than any other flour in the product. Whole grain must be listed first for it to qualify.
And this:
“Look for items with at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving. The adequate intake for fiber is 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women.
Use the % Daily Values as a guide for vitamins and minerals. 5% or less is low and 20% or more is high.”
Like you, I check food labels. However, I mostly check calorie counts or fat grams. These simple guidelines will help me better decipher labels — and make healthier food choices.
The other lesson? Good content can stand on its own, no matter where it lives. Another resolution for me, then: Strive to write great content. Make sure it gives back and is worthy of the pixels or ink it requires, even if nobody reads it or it’s nestled among coupons.
Social media branding
September 22, 2010
Ramsey Mohsen, social media specialist with Digital Evolution Group (DEG), describes personal branding as a “green field.”
“There are no right answers,” he said at PR Evolution, a social media workshop sponsored by the Kansas Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, www.prsakansas.org. Mohsen and Neal Sharma, chief executive officer and principal of DEG, presented on the topics of personal and corporate branding using social media strategies.
“A societal shift has happened,” Mohsen said in terms of social media. We all have a digital footprint — and we can influence that footprint through smart, authentic and consistent use of social media tools. Mohsen offers his “4:1” rule for guidance:
For every one social object (content) we create, we should create four other objects that fall into one or more of these categories:
- informative
- inspirational
- entertaining
- engaging
- re (markable) – something others want to comment on or share
- promotes others
Sharma expanded on the topic of social media for personal branding with his “rules of the road” for companies and other organizations.
“Eighty percent is strategy; 20 percent is technology,” he said. Companies need to ask:
- Can we devote the time?
- Can we sustain the effort?
- Is there a commitment to transparency?
- Is there executive sponsorship?
- Are we prepared to take action on the feedback?
- Do we know what we want to accomplish?
Strategies must be tied to objectives, he says. “If not, don’t do it. It’s a distraction.”
Mohsen and Sharma shared valuable information with our chapter — and motivated us regarding the responsibility and opportunity social media offers.
Listen to part of their presentations here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7RD_UKgO-8.
Download their complete presentations at the PRSA Kansas site: www.prsakansas.org, along with:
- Inside the Golden Triangle Trends in Social, Real-time and Location-based Media by David Kamerer, PhD, APR, Assistant Professor, School of Communication, Loyola University – Chicago
- How to Make Great Video by Jess Huxman, director of content, KPTS
Personalization
November 19, 2008
My 7-year-old wrote perfect “content” this morning. It was a simple “I love you mom” note. Why so perfect? It was straightforward — no message-confusion in those four words. It was personalized, with the crayon-written words in my favorite color, green. He drew a black border — makes his message stand out. Most importantly, he added the words “mom.” He was writing to me and only me. Perfect.
(OK… so maybe this post was a little corny. Love notes do that to a person! I’m laminating this one in prep for the “I hate you” notes, looks, etc., when he’s a teenager.)
From Sand Creek 