Soxial Media Explained

This really sums up the major social media platforms well. Plus, it talks about bacon, which makes it better... because everything is better with bacon. 

Photo via Tribal Cafe.

You May Ship Your Pants After Seeing This

I discovered this video thanks to a couple of different people posting it on Facebook. I don't know if I will ever need to ship my pants, or anything else from K-Mart, but now I know I have the option. More important, here I am sharing their commercial on my blog. I am sure there are a few people who might, that will end up seeing this because it has been shared on one of their social media accounts. 

So I may not end up as a converted lead for K-Mart, but I sure did enjoy their video and I couldn't wait to share it.  The funny thing is, there is not a K-Mart near me, so I would not consider myself a customer or fan of the brand, yet here I am celebrating one of their commercials. I am telling you, this social media stuff works.

And now that I know I can ship, maybe I will be more likely to take a look at their web site next time I am shopping for something they sell. 

Come to think of it, I do need a new pair of jeans. Perhaps this is a chance for me to ship my pants. 

A History of Content Marketing

Here is a cool video that takes us through the history of content marketing.  It's the opening video from Content Marketing World on "The Power of Story".



















This video comes via the Content Marketing Institute web site, which is a source of a ton of great content. No surprise there.

Can You Build Empathy With Experiential Research?

A blizzard is moving in on the Northeast and most of us are hunkering down for the next couple of days. To help you pass the time in a constructive way, I thought I'd post this video from a presentation my friend Mike Carlon recently delivered to the Market Research Association. Mike is the owner of Vertigo Partners, a marketing consultancy that helps clients uncover and apply consumer, shopper, and cultural insights. 

Mike is not only a very knowledgeable researcher, he's also a great presenter and a pretty funny guy. I promise you'll learn something from this video and probably laugh a few times too. One thing is for sure, after you watch this, if you run into him at the supermarket, you'll know a great way to ask him where the eggs are.  

Here's Building Consumer Empathy Through Qualitative Research: Parts 1, 2 and 3.

Part 1


Part2

Part 3

The Facebook Focus Group

Ever wonder where Facebook gets all of their wonderful ideas? Let's sit in on one of their focus groups. 

License to Tweet

How many times have you heard your "non-social media" friends complain about Facebook and Twitter? Why do I care that you are at Starbucks? Do I really need to see a picture of every meal you eat? Or know about every song you are listening to? Okay, I get it... you go to the gym. Or you have kids. Or you have strong political or religious views. Enough already!

Sure, they may not "get" social media like you do, but they do kinda have a point.
 
Well, Tina Fey, on a recent episode of ASK TINA, addressed a question regarding her feelings about Twitter. Her answers are humorous, and like most good comedy, are also brutally honest.

Her lesson is a simple one for Twitter or any social media platform. Don't be boring. 

Tina says it better than I do, so check it out. 

Science Of Persuasion

Here's a  short, must-see video on the tools of persuasion. These six simple short cuts will change the way you write, market and sell. It is also very applicable to customer service. 

These principles are also really handy for anyone involved in social media. If you are engaging people online or calling them to some kind of action, you'll want to take a few notes. 

The Science Of Persuasion:

Is MySpace Back?

To quote one of my favorite zombie movies, Return of the Living Dead, "They're back from the dead and ready to party!"

For a while now I have heard about an impending overhaul of MySpace, but when I finally logged into my old account recently, all I found was a ghost town, with all the same pictures and songs I had left there a few years ago. It was a fun trip down memory lane, but I did not see much of a difference.

Well, the changes are coming and I have to say, it looks pretty cool. Could MySpace rise from the grave? Based on this teaser video, I would not bet against them. Especially since sentiment about Facebook seems to be waning with a lot of people. (Young people, Mark Cuban, people who admin fan pages, etc.)

Take a look at this new preview video. What do you think?
Do you even remember your old password?

Breaking Through Growth Barriers

How do you motivate employees to embrace change and take on new challenges? Check out this great video from Ink from Chase and Inc. Magazine who have partnered on a mission to help small business owners break through growth barriers.  

Not only can you harness the resources you already have, but you just might make them happier and help them grow. 

Three benefits of Marketing Lagniappe

You are probably familiar with the Purple Goldfish Project, but did you know there are two more colors in the goldfish spectrum? The three benefits and types of marketing lagniappe: Purple, Green and Gold.

And at the center of it all... service, sales and marketing.




















Learn more: www.MarketingLagniappe.com

Mobile Sharing on Facebook Arrives

Have you heard the news? Facebook now allows you to share from your mobile phone. This is a big development and means your fans now have even more chances to share your message with their friends and contacts. 

Mashable posted a great article on this. Here's the link. 
http://mashable.com/2012/11/20/share-facebook-mobile/

Remember, some people would be happy to share your posts, but it simply does not occur to them to do so. Don't be shy about encouraging people to share your posts.  (But don't be annoying either!)

11/17 = National Unfriend Day

Wanna keep your Facebook friends? Then don't be this guy...



You can consult a hundred marketing sites and social media media blogs, but this video from Jimmy Kimmel will help you grasp Facebook a lot quicker.

Taking the Lead and Dancing with Your First Follower

I love this video. It's brilliant in it's simplicity. And it's fun.

It's a great message for leaders and a nice lesson on how to build a following, including the importance of those first, crazy followers.


It's like an old friend of mine liked to say, "When the spotlight goes on, you gotta dance!"

Is Your Message Getting to Your Facebook Fans?

If you have a fan page, you might want to share this with your fans.This graphic has been making it's way around Facebook and I thought I would post it here.

If you are admin on a fan page, you may have noticed that only a small percentage of your fans are actually seeing your posts. If they take these steps, it should help.

I posted to acouple of my pages with some copy like this, which you are free to borrow.

If you want to be sure you don't' miss anything from YOUR PAGE HERE (or any other pages you like) follow these instructions.

When is the Best Times to Send Email?

This is one of the most useful infographics I have ever seen. How many times have you hit "send" on a newsletter or email blast and wondered if you picked the right time?

Thanks to the folks over at MarketingProfs for this one. Click here for a better look at the graph and to read the whole article.

Google+ vs. Facebook - Word on the Street

Interesting clip from the folks at Brafton. Google+ vs. Facebook...what's the word on the street?

I still don’t know many people (besides folks in the marketing field) using Google+, except for Hangouts and to help be found on Google searches. But I also don’t know many people that search for anything on Facebook except for things they hope to find on Facebook. 

What do you think? Are you on Google+? Do you use it? Do you like it? Why?
Does the time and effort to manage a Google+ page make sense for a busy small business?

Rackspace’s Rob La Gesse on how to inspire word of mouth with customer service

Here's a great video that is right in line with the concepts we talk about in The Purple Goldfish Project. I found it over at WordofMouth.org, which is a treasure trove of information and tips for great customer service, marketing and social media.

The video was from their Word of Mouth Crash Course conference in May. In it Rob covers:

• How to create memorable experiences by personally getting to know customers.
• How to humanize customers and make them your friends.
• How to get employees and executives on board with great customer service.

Not Using Social Media Effectivey?

Great post from Ted Rubin today on Facebook that I wanted to share.

 

Five reasons corporations are not using Social Media effectively…

1 - They don’t talk about anything broader than their own products.

2 - They listen to customers but don’t take any action (which means they aren’t really hearing).

3 - Companies can’t expect to have a strong social media presence when social sites are blocked internally to employees.

4 - There is a fear that exists about jumping in, but while there have certainly been some hiccups and miscues along the way, social media has yet to be the undoing of any company.

5 - When employees are more concerned with what’s in or out of their job description than doing the right thing to help the customer, that’s not a culture that’s likely to build trust and advocacy for a brand and there is no way social media efforts can be effective.

Hunter Shea is a local horror author and good friend. I have been working with him on a number of very successful social media and marketing initiatives and our video podcast, Monster Men, is the most popular of them all.

The podcast is a great way for Hunter to create compelling and relevant content for his blog, enable his fans engage with him and the content marketing aspect helps potential new fans find him. For both Hunter and myself, it is not just a marketing tool, but a labor of love as we get to discuss topics that we really enjoy and we have a lot of fun. We have also met a lot of people and had a lot of amazing things happen over the first year of the show. For instance, we are very excited to be a part of this event this week in NYC.

NY Spotlight On Success and The Paranormal Event 

With a Professional Expert Panel

When: Thursday. August 23rd, 7pm

Where: Chelsea Manor 138 West 25th Street New York, NY 10001

  

Join us NY Spotlight on Success at Chelsea Manor Thursday 08/23/12 beginning at 7pm for our NY Spotlight on Success and the Paranormal Event. We have assembled a diverse panel of professionals from the Paranormal Community. The panel plans to inform, educate and entertain regarding paranormal and metaphysical experiences and to help each others to understand. We are open-minded and do not judge or ridicule experiences. Our goal is to share stories, information and to receive compassionate, empathetic and friendly guidance for others who have had similar experiences.

There will be an opportunity to meet and have conversation with the panel members. 

As always we want you to network, build strong personal and professional relationships. Our aim to connect you with whom you need to meet and we will facilitate that in anyway we can.

Chelsea Manor was the only choice for this event. NY Spotlight On Success' and Chelsea Manor's personal experiences will be revealed on Thursday August 23rd. 

Click here for more info, bios of the panelists and to register.

Green Goldfish Project is a Go!

The next phase of the Goldfish Project has begun. The Green Goldfish Project is a quest to find 1,001 examples of marketing lagniappe for employees. Happy employees = Happy Customers. A green goldfish is the little signature extras given to employees. They help differentiate a company, increase employee retention and drive positive word of mouth.

Click here to find out more and contribute to the project

Now let's continue to revisit the Purple Goldfish Project with episode 3. What are the five ingredients of marketing lagniappe?  And we take a trip to the first Purple Goldfish Hall of Fame Inductee: Doubletree Hotel.

Get the book now and learn how to make your business a purple goldfish. What's Your Purple Goldfish? How to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth by Stan Phelps