branding

Knowing what the hot topics are in social media can be beneficial for marketers and the like, but targeting in on a particular city makes the data even more valuable.

User generated content continues to become more well-known across the web as more and more users post information online. This type of information has generated real time search as a powerful way to navigate the web. Sency was created to help you easily navigate the real time web. At any time, they allow you to see what is going on right now with any person, place, or subject. Sency for Cities allows you to search what’s being said right now inside of 13 major US cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC. This powerful tool will allow anyone to see how people inside a city are reacting to current events or being affected by breaking news.

The SSN Take: When a new movie, commercial, or product launches; businesses will now be able to see how the public responds and compare that between major cities.

Melody K. Smith, April 30, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.

Since it seems like every business is jumping into the social media world, have you ever wondered how the average company gets started?

Let’s take Avery Dennison for example. SmartBlog’s Andy Answers did in their post “How Avery Dennison got started in social media.” Though they are a familiar brand, they are not exactly a trendy topic for a Facebook page. According to Joyce Munoz, group manager of interactive marketing for Avery Dennison, they had the same concerns. However, they are seeing some early success through social media. Her full presentation is viewable in the article, but a couple of key ideas that seem interesting include keeping it simple – pick a platform or maybe two and focus on it (them) until you are comfortable moving forward; and to not analyze things to death in your planning process and just launch. Things tend to work themselves out as you learn and gain experience.

The SSN Take: Any size of organization could learn some good tips from watching this presentation and applying what works to their social media strategy.

Melody K. Smith, April 27, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.

Sometimes your needs are special and boxed products just don’t fit your organization. The same could be said for social media sites.

If this applies to you, consider “Do-It-Yourself Social Media“, Entrepreneurs article for those who aren’t getting what they want from mainstream social media. The author reminds you that building a social media website is not the same as adding social media elements to an already existing site. Step back and consider what features you want to offer. What do you want your site to do for the user? Consider the goals in stages. What do you want to achieve this year, next year, and the next ten years? Take a good look at the technology options out there to determine what best fits your needs and budget.

The SSN Take: It is important to remember that building a social website is about two important points–a clear business model and the applications used to help you grow that business.

Melody K. Smith, April 27, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.

Just as in real life, we seek trust and confidence in those we interact with each day. The same applies to our online consumer relationships.

In the article, “The Four Pillars of Building Instant Trust Online.”  ClickZ’s author speaks to this need of trust we human beings crave and how marketers can build trust online.

The four pillars he speaks to in the article title include Appearance, Transactional Assurances, Experts and Media, and Consensus of Peers. When you look closer at these pillars you find some tangent, applicable approaches to achieving instant online trust in your client relationships.

As our grandmother and career advisor have always reminded us – first impressions do matter. Books are judged by their cover just as we are by our outward appearance in a job interview. So why wouldn’t Web sites be judged with the same initial scrutiny? Research has indicated that people form an initial impression of your Web site within 50 milliseconds. This is 1/20^th of a second. In other words, we subliminally decide whether a more considered review of the page is warranted. In the immortalized words of Joey Russo from the 80’s sitcom, Blossom – “Whoa”. We can pause here for a deep breath if you like.

Don’t get discouraged. There are things you can address to dress up your appearance to make the most out of that 1/20^th of a second. The visual design should always be professional in design. Fonts, colors, and graphical elements must combine into a unified look. Neatness is critical. Remember white space can be your friend. And as always, less is more.

As far as transactional assurances, consumers need to know that their email address isn’t being sold off, they aren’t part of a spam scam, and that ultimately, their personal information is secure. Reassure them every step of the way.

Experts and media can build legitimacy. Your audience may not have heard of you before, but they are impressed by awards and recommendations from well known organizations and established brands. Be sure to place these above the “fold” to ensure they are noticed.

Consumers for the most part like being part of the “in” crowd and knowing that 200,000 other thirty-somethings have purchased this product can be what seals the deal for them. Check out the complete article for more tips on how to build trust in your online marketing relationships.

Melody K. Smith, April 26, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.

If you are looking to launch a mobile application of your website, it is your lucky day. Offering your services “to go” is a great way to beef up business for the long haul.

Learning from those who go before us is a tried and true method of doing business, and well, to life in general. OpenTable’s Scott Jampol offered up his advice at a recent conference, as reported in The Next Web’s article, “5 Tips from OpenTable in Crafting Your Mobile Strategy”, OpenTable wasn’t an immediate success. They worked hard and have earned the respect and business of diners and restaurants worldwide. But how did they do it?

Jampol’s five tips are simple, but profound. “Mobile doesn’t mean “simple version of your website” starts the list and though it seems like a “no-brainer”, let’s face it, we’ve all seen examples of just that. Check out the article for the rest of these profound tips, which include staffing and support advice.

The SSN Take: A mobile application can provide key information for social search engines, especially when they are done right.

Melody K. Smith, April 23, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.

Allowing a smaller golf party to “play through” and politely allowing the bowler in the lane next to you to finish before you approach are examples of unspoken protocols or rules in these fields of sports. Though they may actually be printed somewhere, it is just one of those things any seasoned player knows. So, in the field of social media, have seasoned users established these same types of playground rules?

In his article, “Does Money Belong in Social Media?”, the self-titled author of Augie Ray’s Blog For Interactive Marketing Professionals takes issue with Domino’s recent consumer marketing campaign on the basis of what appears to be unspoken rules of conduct. Because they are offering consumers monetary rewards for hits on a promotional badge they can place on their website or blog, he feels the social word of mouth has been tarnished. We’re not talking about a lot of money here folks. The reward is 0.5% the value of a placed order stemming from their page. This equals a dime for every $20.00 order. Just a dime.

Any consumer that uses the widget will be able to promote products or services within a framework of designated brand guidelines. Consumers who participate in Domino’s new campaign will be able to track the sales generated through their web page on a dashboard.

Marketing Week recently spoke to Dan Clays, managing director of BLM Quantum, the creator of the dashboard program. He believes

“Brands benefit by aligning with sites run by fans who are more likely to drive a sale, while site owners can generate revenues from their Facebook page or blog.”

By adding more content for social search engines to peruse, this also allows for additional research data to be gathered. This online marketing campaign will be supported by an online media campaign later this spring.

The SSN Take: Key-word promotional blogging has become more and more popular in the past few years with the explosion of bloggers out there looking to make a few dollars while journaling. This seems to be a natural progression of the social media marketing movement.

Melody K. Smith, April 20, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.

“Twitter Buys Tweetie iPhone Client” confirms it – Twitter will be launching an official app for the iPhone, and it will be free.

But the Twitter team’s app isn’t brand new; they acquired Tweetie, a Twitter-branded mobile client that won a 2009 Apple Design Award. A BlackBerry app is on the way as well. Named “Twitter for iPhone,” the app will be optimized by Tweetie’s developer LorieBritcher. Not everyone is happy though – once the change happens, all other Twitter-capable apps will be “implicity labeled as second-class citizens,” possibly affecting Twitter’s success given the multitude of Twitter-capable mobile interfaces. But Twitter wants to avoid the “confusion” users experience when searching for a way to tweet on the go, and who can blame them? The microblogging site still has room for growth, and needs to dominate in the mobile market.

The SSN Take: Twitter’s open-source, friendly persona may be on the line with an official iPhone app.

Samuel Hartman, April 18, 2010

Note: Post not sponsored.

Though not in David Letterman’s style, AdAge has listed what they believe to be the essential rules of branding in social media.

The power of one is the starting point for the article, “10 Essential Rules for Brands in Social Media”.  The author, Taddy Hall, reminds readers that like many things in life, the smallest in quantity can effect the greatest amount of change. Therein, a small fraction of site visitors can be responsible for a substantial amount of traffic as they are out there influencing others. Also appearing on the list is the Martha Stewart rule, Horse Before the cart rule, and many others that can be more than just fun to read.

The SSN Take: Guidelines are always helpful for the newest of social media adventurers, as well as those who pioneered the field.

Melody K. Smith, April 9, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.

The power of social media was once again demonstrated on Nestle’s Facebook Fan page.

Cnet.com recently reported on what appears to be the first major blow up on a Fan page with public relations consequences. “Nestle mess shows sticky side of Facebook pages” highlights a messy  ménage à trois of irate consumers, environmentalists and out of control corporate public relations personnel. Facebook is the hottest marketing tool out there right now and this illustrates just how ugly and out of control this social media platform can get. Just as a company properly lays out a communication plan, including crisis communications, they should consider what is typed in that little box on Facebook just as seriously.

The SSN Take: Strategic communications is needed, even in the social media world that appears to be off the cuff.

Melody K. Smith, April 1, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.

A new model in fundraising has grown out of social media and is proving to be quite successful.

The word “tweet-up” may not currently be in your vocabulary, but watch and see – it will grow on you. The Case Foundation recently reported in their article “What Twestival can teach nonprofits about engaging volunteers and donors”  how these events are not organized by the nonprofit but in a grassroots effort by the donors and volunteers. This is quite the phenomenon to have those you seek to reach – reach out first. Could this have happened without social media and the communities it creates? When people feel connected to their charity and specifically where their donation might go and what it might do – there is no end to the power of passion.

The SSN Take: Social media continues to be the front runner in setting new precedence. Even for-profit businesses can learn from this situation.

Melody K. Smith, March 29, 2010

Note:   Post was not sponsored.