Thursday, June 30, 2011

3 Steps for Building a Social Media Community for Non-Digital Natives (the NYSE and Me)

This week I had the distinct pleasure to fly to New York City and present a social media proposal to the New York Stock Exchange. Besides the thrill of going to the Exchange in the City That Never Sleeps, I am over the moon about the progress this opportunity demonstrates around the cultural shift that is happening in Social.
The NYSE has this super cool community at NYSEConnect.com for the senior executives of the New York Stock Exchange companies.
Anyone can log on, but to get access to the VIP material, you have to be a registered executive member of a NYSE company. They are looking to promote the network, encourage community and connection within their target demographic, and keep their brand in the forefront of these very important executives’ minds.
The Challenge
So, let’s think a minute here – this is actually an interesting enigma. If you look at the data, the demographic we’d be reaching out to is less online than others. They tend to be skewed older, generally speaking, and are very very busy. They respond well to affiliation (if their friends are recommending it, they’ll do it too) and don’t have time or the desire to be pitched or in any way deal with friction. Many of them are in heavily regulated industries and as public companies must be ever vigilant about what they say in public that could be material to stockholders.
The good news is that over 90% of C-suite executives use a smartphone and, even though they may not be heavily active on social, they do use the internet heavily for research. Even on social media, the numbers are growing rapidly and the trend is continuing upward. They are there – you just have to know where to find them.
Planning the Outreach
Although many of you may not know it, I have been a marketer long before “social media” was around. Heck, I was doing SEO work before Google (I know...I”m kind of old...and yes, for you smart acres out there, there was an internet before Google). I was an adopter before there was much to adopt, so I understand the importance of bridging the online and offline methodologies. I am a definite fan girl of integrated marketing.
In working through this particular enigma for myself, I formulated 3 straightforward steps that you can use to build a social media community for the target audiences you might have to reach that are non-digital natives. It’s easier than you think – you just have to step out of your virtual world mentality just a bit and listen for the outside of the bubble conversation.
Step #1 – Get to Know Your Audience Offline
I am a huge fan of Dr. Thomas Stanley’s work, author of The Millionaire Next Door. He talks a lot about the attributes of the affluent. He has done extensive research into what cars millionaires drive, whether they are still married to their wives after 20 years, how they pick a restaurant, what newspapers they read, and more. Everything you might want to know about the affluent, Dr. Stanley has researched it.
This is the level of research you’ll need to do too. Use observation, surveys, 3rd party research, and even anecdotal stories. If you’re really smart, you’ll go put yourself into the offline physical environments of your audience and see how it feels, see what goes on there, see what people are wearing, and see how they interact. Don’t forget to include the influencers of your target too. If affiliation is a big trigger for your prospects, knowing who else is part of their world (and will ultimately influence them in ways you never can) helps a ton. Know all about those influencers too because all of this informs you about how you’ll eventually be able to reach your target group.
Step #2 – Get to Know Your Audience Online
My favorite sources of online research include Forrester Research, Pew Research, Nielsen, Dachis Collaboratory, and frankly, plain old keyword research on Google.
Stay open minded about your research. Be willing to be surprised. If you find that you’re not finding what you expected, understand you might be using a more modern terminology than your older demographic. Follow the breadcrumbs you find as far down the rabbit hole as you can. Don’t forget to include personal things too – a well placed content piece in a golf magazine might very well be what’s needed to get the eyeballs you’re looking for. Don’t insist that your prospects be where you prefer but rather find out where they already are. If you wish they were all on Twitter but you find they’re only on LinkedIn, deal with it. It’s easier to play where there is already action than to try to convince otherwise busy people to change where they play. Leverage what’s already happening to your advantage.
Step #3 – Bridge the Gap
Use a variety of coordinated mediums for outreach. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
Send a hard copy invitation with a direct call to action that drives traffic to a landing page that continues the conversation. Have a luxe cocktail party and give a branded flash drive key chain with your video site tour on it (and still plenty of room for their own files too).
Mail a hard copy of your newsletter to the clients that don’t do email and include a DVD of some videos from your YouTube channel. Pick up the phone and talk to them! I know that one’s a shocker but it works. It will distinguish you from other businesses and will help you put the social in your social media Vary your use of email auto-responders and hard copy post cards to send messaging. Coordinate the themes and conversation thread to be clear, compelling, and moving toward the same message.
Offer opportunities for training – introduce them to the world of social media by giving them practical, easily applicable ways to integrate the tools into their business. Make is a fun game and you’ll get far.
Social Media for the Rest of the World
Until business is more saturated with social media, there are untold numbers of opportunities available for the flexible minded marketer to grab business with otherwise offline individuals. With over 80% of businesses still not on Twitter, there’s lots of money being left on the table, waiting for the taking. Your prospects know they will likely need to get on social but they aren’t there yet. It’s our jobs to bridge the gap and be the ones who show them the way. And, if you’re the one who gets to those businesses first, you’ll be the one who gets the credit for leading them into this new exciting space.
Final side note – if I still haven’t convinced you it’s worth it, feel free to sit back, relax, and dream about the day when everything is online and easy. I”ll be out there hustling to bring into reality the world of social media today for the non-digital natives who need it.

The Social Media ProBook

ProBook is the brainchild of Joe Chernov and the team at Eloqua and JESS3 - a team I've had the privilege of working with previously on this site. They were responsible for The Social Media Playbook, the Blog Tree, and a little cartoon about hashtags.
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Google Vs. Facebook: The Google+ Project Is a New Social Network Populated by People, Run by Android

Posted by commproadmin on Jun 29, 2011 in featured, social media marketing
By Craig Macdonald, CMO and SVP for Products, Covario, Inc.

Google just announced the launch of its most formidable competitor to Facebook yet – The Google+ Project or “Google+”. This comes hot on the heels of their launch, just eight weeks ago of “+1” – a way that users can vote on web content and search engine results that they like. Google+ is a huge extension to this concept.

What is Google+? What does this mean to marketers, advertisers and communicators? What does this mean to the competition – Facebook, Twitter, Skype? Here are some quick insights – realizing that this is still very new and much is yet to be learned.

What is it? Google+ is a new social networking site being offered by Google. It is, in concept, very much like Facebook in that it allows users to post information (videos, comments, photos) and share that information with a network of friends, family, associates – essentially any list of contacts. The system also provides “Skype-like” video chat, and Yahoo Messenger like text chat features to allow a user to share via various media.    The list of contacts for a user starts with the Gmail account list – which is an obvious synergy point for Google.

According to Campaign Monitor (http://www.campaignmonitor.com/stats/email-clients/) , Gmail is the #5 desktop email service used by consumers with 7% of the users, and also growing the fastest at 22% per year. Other sources have them at #3. So having Gmail contact lists already distributed at this scale is a powerful competitive advantage for the launch of the platform. Google has a robust blog on this that can be found at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/introducing- google-project-real-life.html. Overall, this is a compelling launch and one that should be taken very seriously!

How is it different from Facebook? The system has a couple of differences from the leading social networking site – Facebook – that are important.

  • First, Google is marketing that it allows a user to direct with whom information is shared in a very simple way. Facebook has similar capabilities, but they are harder to control and in most cases a users’ entire contact list gets pinged on a post. With Google+, the user will be able to direct which of its groups, or circles, get the post. 

  • Second, the system does not require one to accept a connection in order to get postings from another party. So one can receive updates without having to share their own.

  • Third , access to this system will be even more ubiquitous than Facebook. Chrome browsers will allow easy access. Android operating systems for mobile phones will have this embedded through a system called Huddle. And there will be easy ways to post YouTube videos to Google+.

Google is intending to make it very easy for people to share information from videos through YouTube, contacts through Gmail, mobile usage through Android, and web data through Chrome. This will be the major technical advantage of the system.

What does this mean for marketers and communicators? Nothing yet. The system is in beta. Google learned from the Buzz launch, which has a very closed beta process, and was considered both insight and outside of Google as unsuccessful. Google+ is being beta tested with a public audience of Gmail users, according to their blog. And, the system does not yet have advertising options – but Google does mention that they will evaluate opportunities for marketers in the future.    We already recommended that marketers should embrace and try out the +1 system (http://www.covario.com/our-perspective/points-of-view-list-page/378-pov-google1) and we continue to recommend that this is the best way to prepare for the potential success of The Google+ Project.

What does this mean for Google and Facebook? Google clearly sees Facebook as a major competitor. May data from Comscore shows that Google gets 187M visitors monthly and Facebook 157M, but visitors spend 375 minutes on Facebook on average in a month compared to 231 minutes on Google. The theory is that media dollars, particularly in push advertising like display and video ads, will ultimately follow where the consumers spend their time. So Google sees this “mindshare gap” as a huge threat – to their advertising revenue stream around ability to promote banners to relevant consumers. Google+ is designed to win back some of this consumer time – and ultimately provide access to marketers.

Google will have a couple of key advantages.

  • First, Google is making no secret that they see mobile as the most compelling future trend, and we would expect that they will push Google+ through Android and Chrome hard. They have a strong lead in this area over everyone. And the mobile centric nature of Google’s apps may provide the opportunity for Google+ to displace Twitter as the mobile alternative to short text conversations through the Huddle product. There appears to be no character limit! 
  • Second, Their position as a top email service provider gives them natural advantages and their users can easily move their contact lists and group them, which is a key enabler of social networking platforms.
  • Third, it is true that they have a large number of gateways to connect a social media platform with key data sources like videos, apps, mail, contacts etc. This should make usability simple.
The one concern we see is that Google+ is allowing users to push content to people who are not necessarily accepted friends or connections. We do not yet know how that works mechanically, however, that sounds like an area people should keep an eye on, as it could easily be abused. This could be a source of spam. Again, we will investigate how this works mechanically once the platform is further released.

Will The Google+ Project Work? It’s too early to tell. The marketing of The Google+ Project will come down to two issues – howeasy will Google make it for people to build their networks on Google+ (answer: very easy) and whether the privacy issues they are bringing up will be salient (answer: less likely). If Google really sees the key metric being the “mindshare gap,” then keep an eye on this statistic. For Google to even the “mindshare gap” based on Comscore’s May data they would have to increase users time on Google for the average monthly user by 80-85 minutes.

For marketers, if Google can provide the same types of advertising opportunities currently seen on Facebook, Linked In, and other social platforms, this will be a huge opportunity. Ads served through Doubleclick to target the social platform, integrated with search functionality on YouTube and the main search engine for PPC – that is a powerful combination. Google Analytics can be used to track user behavior all the way through to conversion either on the social platform, or on the search engine, with seamless reporting and analytics.

Facebook’s Response? Nothing yet. The big issue continues to be when/whether Facebook decides to build a search engine – or leverage Bing as the search engine within the platform. Remember, Microsoft is an investor in Facebook. If/when that happens, then as they say in football:    “It’s on!”

In the meantime, Facebook continues to grow, and the response quality for marketers is very good.

Obama whiffs PR pitch, LaBeouf publicist AWOL, CSR demand spikes, Timberlake saves MySpace, IBM tops SEO



CommPRO.biz
 Thursday, June 30, 2011
 This Issue:             
 .BIZ Blogs
 PR News
 Marketing News
 IR News
 CorpCom News
 Advertising News
 Top Blogs

.BIZ BLOGS

back to top 
Google Vs. Facebook: The Google+ Project Is a New Social Network Populated by People, Run by Android
By Craig Macdonald, CMO and SVP for Products, Covario, Inc.
Google just announced the launch of its most formidable competitor to Facebook yet - The Google+ Project or "Google+". This comes hot on the heels of their launch, just eight weeks ago of "+1" - a way that users can vote on web content and search engine results that they like. Google+ is a huge extension to this concept.

Freelancing? 10 Tips to Keep You Noticed, Relevant and in the Money
The Hiring Hub...By Marie Raperto
Communications professionals often decide to freelance while looking for the right job. This works well as it keeps you current, can give you the opportunity to learn and/or grow new skills and pays the bills. However, whether you want to stay on your own or find something, you have to: 1. Remember that it's up to you to keep in touch with everyone. You have to tell everyone what you are doing, where you are and what help you might need. People may stay in touch at the beginning, but you have to continue to reach out.

3 Steps for Building a Social Media Community for Non-Digital Natives (the NYSE and Me)
Social Media Zone...By Vicki Flaugher, aka @Smartwoman, a digital marketing consultant
This week I had the distinct pleasure to fly to New York City and present a social media proposal to the New York Stock Exchange. Besides the thrill of going to the Exchange in the City That Never Sleeps, I am over the moon about the progress this opportunity demonstrates around the cultural shift that is happening in Social.

 

Public Relations News

back to top 
Analysis: Obama`s Job Creation Press Conference a PR Push Aimed at Votes, Not Lawmakers
Reuters
President Obama`s call for job-creation measures won`t make it easier to reach a budget-cutting deal with Republicans in Congress, but it could make it easier for him to win reelection next year. As the Democratic president pushes Congress to complete a deal that would avoid a potentially catastrophic debt default, Obama must balance the concerns of two very different groups: Republicans who want deep spending cuts and independent voters who are struggling to make headway in a sluggish economy ...

Shia LaBeouf Needs a New PR Rep: Star Seeks "No Comment" Escape after Week of Publicity Slips
New York
From a publicity standpoint, Shia LaBeouf may have made two big mistakes this week. The first: In a new cover story interview with Details, he confessed that he slept with his Transformers co-star Megan Fox. In addition, he was called a "f**ing" idiot by Harrison Ford for slamming "Indy 4" film ... and finally: He told Access Hollywood after the debalces that, "I just turned 25, and I`m learning how to edit myself and say `no comment` now." ...

 

Marketing News

back to top 
Study: IBM, T-Mobile Tie for Best SEO Among Leading High-Tech Websites
Covario
Covario unveiled a report ranking the SEO health of 30 of the world`s largest tech companies and brand advertisers that measured how well their websites were optimized April-May. IBM and T-Mobile tied for first place overall. Following IBM and T-Mobile were: Dell, Hewlett Packard, Rackspace, Intel, Microsoft, NetApp, and, in a three-way tie, Canon, Epson, and Eastman Kodak ...

Too Meta: Justin Timberlake, aka Sean Parker from the Social Network, Buys into MySpace
The Associated Press
Timberlake is part of a group that will buy MySpace from News Corp, a bid to add some cool to a social network that has been losing it. Timberlake`s venture echoes that of Napster co-founder Sean Parker, whom he played in the hit movie about Facebook The Social Network. Parker holds an seven per cent stake in the $50bn social networking giant. Timberlake will become a part owner of MySpace and play "a major role in developing the creative direction and strategy for the company moving forward", according to Specific Media, the company that he will partner with. The deal is for $35 million, mostly in Specific Media stock, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal values MySpace at a fraction of what News Corp paid for the site six years ago ...

 

IR News

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Institutional Investors Alert: BofA Settlement Could Pave Way for Similar Deals
The Wall Street Journal
The $8.5 billion pact that Bank of America Corp. (BAC) reached with a group of institutional investors Wednesday could be a blueprint for claims other banks face over soured mortgage-backed securities. Investors expressed relief that a major worry of the financial crisis could be put in the rear-view mirror. Bank of America, in its settlement, paid more than most analysts expected but the pact was viewed in the market as removing a significant question mark from the company`s future. Shares of other banks rose as investors hoped they could now use the Bank of America settlement as a basis for their own agreements ...

SEC Update: Happy Birthday Sarbanes-Oxley, Now Get to Work
Fox Business
Sarbanes-Oxley celebrated its 9th anniversary this week, on Tuesday, June 28, 2011, but the employees of targeted corporations have little celebrate. Among the provisions is a "whistleblower" protection for employees who report violations of securities laws or fraud against shareholders. In response to the Enron accounting scandal, Congress enacted Sarbanes-Oxley to, in part, to provide that publicly traded companies compensate employees who are discharged, demoted or harassed as a result of reports they make to the SEC or other regulatory agencies concerning misleading financial disclosures. The employee`s problem is that the law has no teeth to fully compensate them ...

 

CorpComm News

back to top 
CCOs on the Go: Navistar Names Spangler Chief Communications Officer
MarketWatch
Navistar, Inc. announced that Jim Spangler has been named Chief Communications Officer and will lead the company`s Corporate Communications globally. A 26-year communications veteran, Spangler brings to Navistar a wide range of communications experience. He spent nearly 12 years with Tenneco, where he served as vice president of global communications and was responsible for corporate positioning, communications strategy and policy, executive communications, employee communications, media relations and public relations ...

CSR Demand Is Up, Here`s Proof: Ruder Finn Rolls CSR Experience into a New Practice
The Sacramento Bee
Something your agency should consider?: Ruder Finn announced the launch of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practice. The practice will be led by SVP Sarah Coles and based out of a new company hub in Boston. According to Ruder Finn`s CSR Index, the social responsibility performance of many corporations influences consumer perceptions, as well as possible purchasing decisions. In fact, around two thirds (68.7% and 62.9% respectively) would refuse to buy, or would reduce their purchase of, products from companies with bad CSR performance ...

 

Advertising News

back to top 
US Online Advertising Sees Strong Growth in Q2, Paid Search Dips in June
BusinessWire
Online advertising saw strong spend growth in the second quarter, according to a report released by IgnitionOne. The second quarter saw year-over-year spend growth increases across all three major online media channels (Paid Search, Display and Facebook), despite continuing uncertainties from the economy and higher gasoline prices. US paid search spend grew a steady 12% year-over-year and Facebook advertising was particularly strong, up 22% on a same-client-basis and up 280% across all advertisers. However, paid search declined in June, painting an uncertain picture for the third quarter. ...

Questionable Stat of the Day: You Are More Likely to Survive a Plane Crash than Click a Banner Ad
The Atlantic
According to Solve Media, an advertising consulting company, you are 31.25 times more likely to win a prize in the Mega Millions than you are to click on a banner ad." Not only that, "you are 87.8 times more likely to apply to Harvard and get in...112.50 times more likely to sign up for and complete NAVY SEAL training...279.64 times more likely to climb Mount Everest...and 475.28 times more likely to survive a plane crash than you are to click on a banner ad." ...

 

Top Blogs

back to top 
Specific Media Buys MySpace; WPP Group And Google Spar; AdSafe Media Sees Growth
Ad Exchanger
Advertising

Cheers Social Media Nerds!
The Buzz Bin
Public Relations

American Express Has a New Twist on the Old Deal
Marketing Pilgrim
Marketing

Consumers Maybe Nonplussed Over Google+
Steve Rubel
Marketing

Marketing From Hell
Rohit Bhargava
Marketing

Enterprise Software PR | ASI
PR Nonsense
Public Relations