Are social
networks inherently racist?How about
sexist?Anti-Semitic?
Before you
discard these questions as merely inflammatory, take a few moments to study
your own collection of friends and contacts on Facebook, LinkedIn and the other
online communities you participate in.
I’m going
to bet a fair number of the faces gazing back at you from the screen mirror
your own.The same can most likely be
said about their backgrounds, interests, and professional and personal
affiliations.
It is
understandable.Social media is merely
the online extension of the age-old human attribute to align oneself with
others who share a similar background and belief system.The problem that arises in a homogeneous
community is those who fall outside the accepted norm tend to be shunned and,
in extreme cases, even ridiculed.
Let’s not
pretend this doesn’t happen – regardless of who resides in the White
House.
I consider
my views on race, religion and gender relations to be rather contemporary.Yet, I have also found myself at times in
somewhat questionable situations.
For
instance, in college I was a member of a predominantly Jewish fraternity.It was not uncommon to hear a derogatory
put-down about those who chose a different religious path.
More
recently, I stood with a group of male executives at an industry event who
found amusement in inappropriate comments about a female attendee.
I’ve been
thinking about the issue of bias in social networks since coming across an
article (http://industry.bnet.com/travel/10003693/american-airlines-launches-blackatlascom/) about a new online community
created by American Airlines for African-Americans.Branded “Black Atlas,” the content of this
social network caters to the supposedly unique interests these travelers have
in destinations and accommodations.
While in no
way do I mean to imply that American Airlines is a racist organization.However, I do question the viability of a
marketing initiative that is so ethnically centered.
Ultimately,
I do not believe racism, sexism or religious intolerance permeates most social
networks.Online communities reflect the
natural bias and preferences that come with a gathering of individuals who
share so much in common.
Social
media is about people and, after all, we are only human.
Marc Hausman is president/CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations consultancy based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Read more at http://www.strategicguy.blogspot.com.
At Strategic Communications Group (Strategic), we have been
working on a social media marketing campaign that has surpassed all client
expectations when it comes to audience engagement.
Our editorial strategy proved to be spot on.Readership has grown month over month with a
healthy mix of new and returning visitors.
You’d think we would be hitting high fives and chest
bumps.There is a problem though.While important, awareness and positioning
are not our benchmarks.It’s lead
generation and in this area we have fallen painfully short.
It is certainly not for a lack of trying.We started with a free offer to motivate
readers to identify and share information about their needs.No go. We then moved to a multi-tiered premium content strategy with required
registration.Little response.
So now we have scheduled a Webinar exclusively for readers
of our social media site. Our hopes are
high…we’ll see.
I should be more frantic about our lack of prospect
identification, right?
Make no mistake, I am concerned.Yet, I also recognize that with social media
we can test multiple tactics within the timeline of a program’s duration and
without dramatic impact on budget.
This is not the case with traditional advertising and direct
marketing programs due to the steep budget requirements associated with media,
production, printing, postage, etc. These tactics are unforgiving as a company is basically afforded one
shot to get it right and produce a measurable impact.
A multi-million dollar ad campaign that is met with a
lukewarm reception results in the advertiser searching for a new agency and, in
some instances, a chief marketing officer out of a job.
Unlike many consultants who argue that social media is
merely for community and conversation, I’m wedded to the belief that companies
should demand an ROI aligned with lead generation, sales cycle support and
search engine optimization.
Yes…it makes the design and execution of social media
marketing campaigns more challenging. But, there is time to test approaches and the lower funding requirements
produce a client that is more patient and understanding.
Now I just need this Webinar to work.
Marc Hausman is president and CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations consultancy based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Read more at http://www.strategicguy.blogspot.com.
I have two wonderfully spirited sons who laugh, smile, play
hard and always (and I mean always) test to see where the boundaries lie.My wife and I quickly learned that good
parenting is all about consistency in rules and reaction.
Does the same apply to brand management?
I’ve been thinking about this issue ever since Advertising
Age writer Rita Chang phoned me to discuss Verizon Wireless’ sponsorship of a
“Friends of America” rally in West
Virginia.It
appears Verizon unintentionally tossed its much respected corporate brand into
the debate around the powder keg issues of employment and the environment.
Ouch…for a taste of the divergent emotions swirling around
Verizon on what the company thought was its harmless participation in a local
event check out the comments to Chang’s article (http://adage.com/article?article_id=138769).
Ironically, in my subsequent readings these past few days I
have stumbled across several egregious examples of inept brand management.Let’s start with the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF) that gave the thumbs up to a print advertisement (http://adage.com/adages/post?article_id=138747) which
compared the wrath of nature to the death and destruction of the September 11
terrorist attacks.
The market reaction was swift and all condemning, resulting
in a hasty apology from the WWF and its advertising agency acknowledging the ad
“never should have been created, approved or run.”
Then there is the little tidbit about the dictator and mass
murderer Adolf Hitler who has now become the corporate and product spokesperson
of choice for a number of internationally-based companies.
So…yes…companies are clearly testing the boundaries when it
comes to brand promotion in an attempt of find the appropriate balance between
Jerry Springer shocking and downright offensive.It’s all in an attempt to cut through what
continues to be a noisy, message cluttered market.
My advice when it comes to brand management is right in step
with what I tell my children:never
stray from what is morally acceptable and don’t do anything stupid.
Marc Hausman is president/CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations consultancy based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Read more at http://www.strategicguy.blogspot.com.
I suspect more than a handful of marketing and public
relations professionals wistfully yearn for the days when market influencers
fit neatly into well defined categories.
You had journalists, both business and trades.Then there were a select set of industry and
financial analysts.Sprinkle in a few
thought leaders from academia and not-for-profits and…poof…you had a target
list for your next PR campaign.
This methodology of influencer identification with the goal
of shaping market opinion sure got outdated…and fast.The reliance by customers on social networks
and online communities has resulted in a dramatic shift in influence, tilting
power from traditional sources such as the news media to emerging channels.
Today’s super charged influencer could very well be a
blogger, Twitter junkie or Facebook fanatic. Just ask the folks at Za’s Brick Oven Pizza in Columbia, South Carolina.An unflattering tweet (http://www.thestate.com/gamecocks/story/871489.html)
by a prominent college basketball coach with more than 1,500 followers sent the
restaurant’s business into a tailspin.
It’s just time for all public relations practitioners and
corporate marketers to shed antiquated notions about where to find centers of
influence.Strike a balance in your next
promotional campaign, based on who your key audiences rely on.
Marc Hausman is president/CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations consultancy based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Read more at http://www.strategicguy.blogspot.com.
The California Tortilla I love has left me with a bitter
taste and a touch of indigestion.And it
has nothing to do with the food.Or my
views on their marketing.
What I find grating is marketing director Stacey Kane’s
recent contention (http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2009/06/29/outsourcing-social-media-not-awesome/)
that it is a “big mistake” to engage an outside consultancy for social media
services.Her argument is predicated on
two beliefs: 1) an external resource lacks passion for the brand; and 2) outsourcing
social media activities damages the authenticity of a company’s voice.
Both views are complete bunk.I’ve spent 20 years as a public relations gun
for hire and a constant in two decades of work is a pure and unfiltered
intensity for the clients I represent. At times, I have even struggled with too much of a rose colored view of
a client’s solution and prospects for success.
Regarding authenticity, reality often precludes corporate
executives from developing a content strategy, crafting every blog post or
peppering their day with tweets.Some
are poor writers.Others lack the
necessary time.
My view is that as long as an executive is engaged in the
social media process and the message reflects their views, authenticity is
achievable.
Now, I am certainly not arguing that a company’s best
interests are served through outsourcing social media expertise and
execution.Strategic Communications
Group (Strategic) has the good fortune of working with a set of clients who have
developed a deep competency in social media and digital communications.
Yet, there clearly is a critical place for an external
consultancy in the corporate social media mix. I see the value delivered in three core areas:
1.Helping define a
content strategy and creative approach that is in-step with a company’s
business priorities in the areas of lead generation, sales, market positioning
and valuation, and corporate culture.
2.Injecting best
practices from participation in multiple social media campaigns for clients in
different segments of the market.
3.Providing honest,
candid and (when appropriate) critical counsel on the execution of the program,
even when it is not what the client wants to hear.
There you go Stacey Kane of California Tortilla.I still love your food, but when it comes to
your views on the importance of external social media consultants you miss the
mark.
Marc Hausman is president/CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations consultancy based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Read more at http://www.strategicguy.blogspot.com.
Although he turned out to be a liar, cheat, thief,
con-artist, swindler and all around charlatan, Bernie Madoff does present an
impressive list of admirable qualities.
OK…let’s put aside for a moment the Ponzi scheme that
cheated wealthy individuals, charities, non-profits and a myriad of other
investors out of billions of dollars. Rather, focus on the fact that for decades Madoff successfully convinced
the best and brightest to put their trust (and cash) in his hands.
Here is my list of Madoff attributes that every corporate marketer
and sales representative should aspire to emulate:
1.Get access to the
inner circle.The number one rule in
sales is to connect with decision-makers who have money.Madoff navigated his way into country clubs,
business groups, fundraisers and other professional settings where he
cultivated relationships with those with wealth and power.
2.Create an
eco-system of champions.It wasn’t
merely Madoff pushing his fund.He was
able to build an extensive network of money managers and investment advisors
who directed their clients into his clutches. This channel strategy brought Madoff the scalability and reach needed to
fuel the Ponzi scheme’s thirst for new capital.
3.Build a perception
of desirability.This was the brilliance
of Madoff’s pitch.A prospective client
was informed there was simply no opportunity for them to participate in the program
because it was in such high demand.A
week or so later a call was placed to inform the target that Madoff would make
an exception just for them.Of course,
they had to wire the money right away.
Before you express outrage, please understand that in no way
do I condone Madoff’s illegal actions or make light of the pain he caused his
investors.His life in prison is well
deserved.
However, his deftness as a marketer and in sales should be
recognized.
Marc Hausman is president/CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations and social media consultancy based in Silver Spring, MD. Read more at http://www.strategicguy.blogspot.com.
Britain Got
Talent’s Susan Boyle belting out “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserable garners
more than 50 million views on YouTube. Ashton Kutcher’s entourage of Twitter followers tops a million.And Burger King’s quirky “Whopper Sacrifice”
promotion on Facebook leads to nearly 250 million people being defriended for a
free burger.
When it
comes to consumer applications of social media it’s apparent that success is
typically judged based on the number of exposures.That’s because the need for brand reputation
and awareness has long driven how consumer-oriented marketers allocate their
resources.
Does the
same hold true in a business-to-business environment where purchase decisions
are made by a select few?Surprisingly,
the answer is “yes,” however for reasons other than the value of broad market
visibility.
At
Strategic Communications Group (Strategic), we’ve found that attracting a balance
of quantity and quality of readership is the formula for achieving measurable
benchmarks in areas such as lead generation, enterprise sales support, search
engine optimization (SEO) and executive visibility.
There are a
couple of contributing factors at work here. For starters, a large, diverse and engaged readership confers
credibility on the ideas, thoughts and views expressed via social media
tactics.
For
instance, the impact of a blog is typically evaluated based on its readership,
number of comments and authority (http://technorati.com/blogs/strategicguy.blogspot.com).A strong showing in these areas enhances how
a highly placed, executive-level reader may view the quality of the blog and
the expertise of its author.
Second, a
sizeable and expanding community of followers and/or readers allows a company
to create the perception of tremendous momentum for and interest in its
solutions.Geoffrey Moore’s classic book
“Crossing the Chasm” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Chasm)
outlined the positive sales impact that occurs when a company creates a
bandwagon effect, establishing its products as the de facto standard.
Strategic’s
promotional approach when it comes to social media content is to caste a wide
net through participation in broad-based online networks and social bookmark
communities (http://www.reddit.com), while
working closely with the client’s sales organization to laser-target on
specific customers and prospects.
Quantity
and quality of readers…that’s ultimately the result.
Marc Hausman is president/CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations and social media consultancy based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Read more at: http://strategicguy.blogspot.com.
At
Strategic Communications Group (Strategic), we know we’re on a good path if 90
days into a social media campaign the client is happily frustrated.
The
giddiness comes from the traction that program has gained with our target
audiences.We’ve established an
editorial strategy, our readership and engagement is expanding, search engine
optimization (SEO) is enhanced, and a lead generation initiative is in the
works.
Why the
despair?
Internal
audiences typically take note as momentum builds with a corporate social media
program.It generates excitement for the
potential of Web 2.0 tools and technologies, which then leads to a wave of
unsupervised adoption across the organization. LinkedIn and Facebook profiles are updated.Twitter accounts spring up.Personal blogs take shape.
In a recent
post entitled “Three Phases of Social Media Maturation” (http://strategicguy.blogspot.com/2009/04/three-phases-of-social-media-maturation.html)
I refer to this period as “Bridging to Pervasive.”It is very much a positive as an understanding
of the value of social media becomes ingrained in an organization’s
psyche.Yet, it does present challenges
for the corporate marketer.
For
starters, there is the issue of consistency in messaging.This is a basic tenet of effective branding –
every touch a key stakeholder has with the company should be in-step with an
overall positioning strategy.The more
tweets, updates, blog posts and comments in social networks from a diverse set
of employees across the company the greater the chance for fragmentation of the
brand.
A second
challenge for the corporate marketer is policing the inadvertent disclosure of
company sensitive information to participants in online communities.This is of particular concern for
publicly-traded companies, as well as organizations in highly regulated
industries, such as healthcare or financial services.
One
approach to address these challenges without stunting Web 2.0 enthusiasm is for
corporate marketing to create a social media portal to serve an entry point to
a company’s online engagement.Employees
retain a certain amount of freedom about how they participate in social
networks and they realize increased readership from the cross-promotion of
content with their colleagues.
For
corporate marketers, a social media portal brings structure and consistency to
the program, while helping them establish and maintain content parameters.
Regional
accounting firm Cherry Bekaert & Holland has followed this path with its “Economic Recovery Resource
Center” (http://economy.cbh.com/).Developed for wealthy individuals and
companies of all sizes, this social media portal combines third party content
with a mix of blogs from the accounting firm’s subject matter experts.The content is timely and relevant, and, I
suspect, aligned with a SEO strategy.
Kudos to
the folks at Cherry Bekaert.They are
fully engaged in social media while marketing maintains an appropriate level of
management and control.
Marc Hausman is president/CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations consultancy based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Read more at http://www.strategicguy.blogspot.com.
At
Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) we've been through the cycle.
From
start-up to execution and now ROI evaluation, we have lived the maturation
of social media and digital public relations programs. Our client work
has also covered
a broad spectrum of organizations, with representation of global firms like
British Telecom (BT), Microsoft, Spirent Communications and BearingPoint, as
well as emerging growth companies such as GovDelivery and Epok.
During the
last few weeks I have made the swing visiting with clients to share the best
practices and lessons learned we've picked up along this journey. It was
during one of these discussions at a Starbucks tucked in a corner of a shopping
mall in Washington, DC that a client helped define the three
phases of a social media initiative.
Phase
One: Pockets of Innovation
Strategic
typically engages with a client in a pilot program environment, with the scope
of work aligned with a funded requirement, such as a product launch, thought
leadership campaign or industry conference. I assumed this pilot methodology
was easily digested because it kept the budget (and risk) relatively modest.
While this
is partly true, it's also apparent that certain individuals within an
organization emerge as champions of social media. They may recognize that
their customers and partners have become engaged in social networks and online
communities. You have to fish where the fish are, right?
Or, perhaps
it is a competitive threat in which an upstart has stolen away mindshare and
momentum through their use of social media as a thought leadership platform.
Regardless
of the reason, the social media champion correctly concludes that how companies
position, brand, promote and identify leads has shifted. Their desire is
to drive innovation in their communications program in a meaningful and
measurable way.
During this
initial phase, the social media program wins funding, a strategy is defined, an
editorial content direction is agreed upon and tactics move to execution.
The benchmark is to attract a community of readers, which is carefully tracked
on an ongoing basis.
Phase Two:
Bridging to Pervasive
There is a
proverb that states success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan.
This has proved to be spot on when it comes to a social media campaign.
As
readership grows, the word spreads internally about the traction generated
through social media tactics. There may even be instances in which direct
sales and business development opportunities are identified through online
channels. This resonates across multiple departments within a company,
such as marketing, sales and product development.
This
internal buzz stimulates action. Others in the company closely track the
campaign and begin to invest more time engaging in their own social media
activities. LinkedIn profiles are updated. Discussion groups are
joined. Twitter feeds spring up.
For our
social media champion, this second phase is about accelerating readership and
encouraging dialogue. The editorial content strategy may evolve and
multi-media elements -- such as video, podcasts, customer Q&As, etc. --are
incorporated into the program. We also see a more consistent flow of
comments, as well as other examples
of readers reaching out to engage.
The
promotion strategy to drive interest and among target audiences also becomes
more effective and efficient. There is now a baseline. Readership and
participation is measured with hot topics and themes fed to the sales organization
as a form of real-time market intelligence.
Phase
Three: The Last Mile
With the social
media program now established and clicking along, our champion turns to the
issue of ROI attached to measurable benchmarks.
At
Strategic, we view community, conversation and awareness as merely the starting
point. Is there an appropriate way to cross this last mile to identify
members of our engaged community as sales leads, potential partners or new
hires?
It's in
this phase that interaction with the organization's sales team becomes paramount.
Thought leadership-based lead generation tactics -- such as educational
Webinars -- combined with good old fashioned sales outreach must be defined and
put in place.
Although we
never stray from what's appropriate in social media participation, the last
mile phase is all about justifying the spend to date and making a business case
for continued investment.
What has
your experience been with the implementation of social media programs? I
welcome your comments to this blog post or you can add specific content to this
article at this wiki:
Walking the
floor of a trade show exhibit hall is a marketer’s dream.
For
starters, there is the assessment of each company’s brand and positioning,
based on their booth, signage and staff presentation.Then, you get to dive into specific corporate
and product messaging through dialogue with the sales representatives and engineers
working the booth.Is what they say
consistent with the brand strategy?
The
government information technology conference FOSE (http://www.fose.com) held this past week in Washington, DC
is one of my favorites.Its broad scope
opens the door to all types of exhibitors, from open source software firms and
security providers to hawkers of developer tools and network infrastructure
products.
I set aside
about four hours to scan the more than 200 vendors exhibiting at FOSE this
year.My expectation was I’d come away
with content for a blog post about the innovative technologies being shopped by
government buyers.Yet, what stuck with
me this year was two dramatically different entrepreneurial stories which I suspect
will one day share a common positive outcome.
Concept
Solutions’ (http://www.concept-solutions.com/)
Phong Mai has the Silicon Valley techie vibe
down pat.He is energetic and intense,
and committed to the belief that his views represent where the market is
headed.
Unlike most
west coast-based entrepreneurs, Mai didn’t take a dime of venture capital to
bring Turbo Enterprise (http://www.turbo-enterprise.com/turbo/te_public.p_turbo_enterprise)
to market.Rather, he bank rolled
development from the consulting fees his firm rang up building Web 2.0
applications for government agencies.
Mai is now
shifting much of his time to a product focus with a solution that helps
developers create Internet applications using AJAX (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_(programming))
.His company has already stood up CRM
and task management applications using Turbo Enterprise and from speaking with
Mai you get the sense this is just the beginning to an exciting story.
If you Mai
as being in the third inning of his entrepreneurial venture, then Alan Dabbiere
should be in the club house doused in champagne celebrating a
championship.The founder of supply
chain powerhouse Manhattan Associates (http://www.manh.com/),
Dabbiere owned a majority of the company when he took it public more than 10
years ago.
However,
rather than investing his time on corporate boards and perfecting his short
game, Dabbiere was there in the Airwatch (http://www.air-watch.com/)
booth shaking hands with prospects and espousing the value of the company’s
software.
Airwatch
certainly plays in a hot market.The
company has developed an enterprise application that monitors, manages and
maintains wireless networks and devices, while supporting the activities of
mobile workers – all from a single console. They’ve gained sales traction in a number of vertical markets and are
now turning their attention to the government space.
“You really
must think this company has something special,” I asked.This is going to be huge, Dabbiere responded
with the same confidence projected by Concept Solutions’ Mai.
Two
entrepreneurs at FOSE who are at different points in their careers.Yet, their stories are the same.
Marc Hausman is president and CEO of Strategic Communications Group, a public relations and social media consultancy based in Silver Spring, Maryland.
